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The title for this year’s Fourth Annual 5TH Quarter Football Club Reunion comes from a famous St. Crispin’s Day Speech delivered by the character of Henry V of England before the Battle of Agincourt in William Shakespeare’s Henry V. This famous passage was also the title of a book about the Second World War which was also made into a television mini-series by the same name. A passage from the speech is quoted on the first page of the book and in the final episode.
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers” ~William Shakespeare
The WWII story centers on the experiences of Easy Company, an elite rifle company of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment assigned to the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army. The series covers Easy’s basic training, the American airborne landings in Normandy, Operation Market Garden, the Battle of Bastogne and on to the end of the war, including the taking of the Kehlsteinhaus (Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest) at Berchtesgaden.
It can be inferred that any group of men that come together in one purpose, that find through their mutual endeavor and sacrifices for each other in a common goal become bound together “as brothers” for a lifetime.
The Saint Crispin's Day Speech scene from Kenneth Branagh's masterpiece film of the Shakespeare classic Henry V (1989). It is one of the most impressive speeches in history.
Although Shakespeare penned this work nearly two hundred years after the Battle of Agincourt (1415), it remains the finest dramatic interpretation of what courage and leadership meant to the hearty men of the Middle Ages.
Prior to the famous Battle, Henry V had led his English footmen across Northwestern France, seizing Calais and other cities in an attempt to win back holds in France that had once been in English possession and to claim the French crown through the time-honored Salic Law.
The French, aware of Henry's troops weakening condition because of their distance from England and the attacks of dysentery that had plagued the dwindling band, moved between King Henry and Calais, the port he needed to reach in order to return to England. The troops followed Henry's band along the rivers, preventing their crossing and daring them to a battle they thought they could not win. Morale in the English line as they looked upon the overwhelming force of heavily armored, highly skilled French knights must have been extremely low. King Henry, rising to the occasion, spoke words of encouragement that rallied the English troops and carried them to a victory. Just listen to his words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1Ulz-Qwnx8
And so it is in football. Men come together to test themselves physically and mentally against a common foe and toward a common objective, placing themselves in each other’s hands. And when the antagonist is vanquished, they will look back and remember as they look back and feast together …”We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.”
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The day’s festivities began with the Breakfast of Champions hosted by Bob and Helen Shoup in the morning at University Village, featuring two Cal Lutheran graduates who both excelled in football at Cal Lutheran and in the National Football League in which they still apply their skills as coaches.
STEVE HAGEN
Hagen was a wide receiver at Cal-Lutheran from 1979-83, where he earned NAIA All-America honors as a senior. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in business. He was hired by the New York Jets after spending the previous four seasons as the tight ends coach for Cleveland. He also coached tight ends for the Cleveland Browns from 2000-03 before moving to quarterbacks coach in 2004. Priorto his work in the NFL, Hagen served as the head coach at Wartburg (Iowa) College in 1996, guiding the team to a 7-3 record, as the school ranked eighth in Division III in total offense. He moved on to be offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of California from 1999 - 2000. He spent two seasons at San Jose State University as offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator (1997- 98). |
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MIKE HAGEN
A Business Management graduate from California Lutheran, Mike was inducted into Cal Lutheran’s Hall of Fame in 2007 and was enshrined in the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. A receiver at Cal Lutheran, Hagen earned Miller Brewing Company’s Southern California Player of the Year and AFCA Kodak Division II All American Team in 1979 and was voted to NAIA All American 1st Team in 1978 and 1979, after setting single season and career receiving records for his university during those years. Bringing 27 years experience in the NFL in various executive and player personnel capacities, Hagen played a key role in evaluating and selecting talent resulting in Super Bowl teams - Atlanta (XXXIII), Washington (XXVI), Denver (XXII & XXIV), Dallas (XXII and XXIII). He has learned from icons such as Hall Fame coach Tom Landry, Dan Reeves, and Joe Gibbs. Currently, Mike is a Senior Personnel Associate for the Cleveland Browns, dabbles in Real Estate and is a Strategic Consultant for Competitive Sports Analysis. |
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| The Evening Reunion Banquet is fully shown in the masterfully designed printed program created and organized by Don Kindred, a Cal Lutheran player of 1978 and owner of the San Clemente Journal, and other contributors to the overall reunion. The highlights following of this very enjoyable event generally follow the printed program. |
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| Click Here To See Full Reunion Program |
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The THEME…A Band of Brothers…applied to so many Kingsmen over the years who had attended Cal Lutheran as actual brothers, who had played football together, or who were simply connected …”in the kinship of Kingsmen brotherhood”.
One “Band of Brothers” from 1978 that showed up this year were the Kingsmen shown below after a great home game |
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| Don Kindred, Dan Buckley, Dan Craviotto, Steve Dann, John Craviotto, Gary Trumbauer, Mike Hagen |
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AND HERE THEY ARE TODAY…MOST OF THEM …AT THE REUNION!
Kingsmen / Brothers |
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| Don Kindred /(Dan Buckley)/Dan Craviotto / (Steve Dann) / John Craviotto /Gary Trumbauer / Mike Hagen |
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The entire evening was filled with friends, great memories, good food and healthy fun. |
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And for 2015? A New Location. Bigger. Better. Badder. |
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