Its Own Community

Family. A simple-sounding word with a myriad of meanings. People usually think of a family in the traditional sense, with generations interacting together. But, it can also be a group of people brought together by a common thread, with interaction among them. The Schooler family of Wichita lives in both meanings. A third-generation star athlete, Alex Schooler of Wichita Collegiate is poised to step beyond what earlier generations of Schoolers have accomplished. Alex's father, Brian Schooler, 43, grew up in Valley Center. As are most boys in small towns, he was an athlete. After recuperating from knee surgery during his sophomore year, Brian played football as a junior and senior. He stood 6'4" and tipped the scales at 255 pounds as a senior. He earned All-Ark Valley League honors as a first-team defensive end. He also earned honorable mention as an offensive lineman. After graduating in 1983, Schooler played guard at Pratt Junior College. Then Colorado State University came calling. However, an injury ended his career before he could join the Rams. Brian Schooler's athletic prowess and passion for sports came from his parents. His father, Darryl, now 74, played basketball in college. At 6'6" and 240, he also played AAU ball for Wichita Vickers in the 1950s. When Brian's maternal grandfather was in the service, he was stationed in Germany. That's where Brian's late mother, Mary, became a high school basketball standout. With this lineage, it's no wonder Alex is interested in sports. And playing football at Collegiate has expanded the boundaries of family even more. Collegiate is its own community, educating children at one location from ages 2 through high school. Former head football coach Mike Gehrer hired Brian as an assistant at Collegiate in 1994. That's when Alex's football education began. "I've been part of football almost since I was born. My dad started coaching in 1994, which was one of the best state championship teams we've ever had," Alex says of a Collegiate team which included DeAngelo Evans in his junior season. "I grew up around that, and ever since then I've kind of been a water boy here." Schooler played both tight end and defensive end last year, like his father 25 years earlier. Alex was named Mid-Central Activities Association honorable mention at defensive end. As a 6'4", 250-pound senior this fall, he's playing both positions again. "Our offense and defense are a little different this year," says current Collegiate head coach Bill Messamore. "We have him doing quite a few things, and he's getting to display a lot of his skills." Interestingly, Alex isn't the first Schooler that Messamore has coached. His first high school coaching gig was in 1982 at Valley Center. He coached the offensive line and defensive ends, which included Brian Schooler. "I'm not sure he was as good as Alex, but he was pretty good," says Messamore. Thirteen years ago, Messamore became an assistant at Collegiate, and the thread was set for another Schooler to pass through his football family. Long before Alex became a player on the sidelines, he was a kid at Collegiate games on Friday nights, fetching footballs or running wild in the south end zone. "Alex was like a lot of kids around here," says Messamore, now in his fifth year as head coach. "They play football while the game's going on or they're ball boys. I remember when Alex was a ball boy." Going to a football game at Collegiate, a Class 3A school in Wichita, is like going to a game in a small town. Trees block the sights and sounds of nearby thoroughfares 13th North and Webb Road. The cozy, intimate stadium where everybody knows your name reminds you of a family gathering. Brian compares this with what he experienced growing up in Valley Center. Everybody knows everybody else, and everybody goes to the high school football game. "I knew the younger brothers and I knew their brothers who were playing. We all came up [through school] together," Alex says of his childhood experience in Valley Center. "It's the same here, in the middle of Wichita. It's a lot different than a lot of Wichita schools." For Alex, the Friday night lights at Collegiate is a way of life. "I don't know anything else except a small community coming out to a football game," he says. "It's an event. It's the biggest thing going around this school every Friday night." Things will change for the Schoolers next fall, as several Division I schools are recruiting Alex. He will get the opportunity denied his father. At the top of his list, in no particular order, are Texas A&M, Kansas, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Christian University. All but Oklahoma (tight end) and Oklahoma State (defensive end) are recruiting him as an offensive tackle. Alex is thrilled about the prospect of playing on the offensive line in college, like his dad. "I've really been trying to stay around 250 (pounds), so I definitely think I could put on the weight and be an offensive lineman in college," Alex says. The next level is packed full of hosses. Schooler says he's not leaning toward any one school. As a product of a preparatory school, his athletic future has not overshadowed his academic plans. He says he'll major in psychology, with a minor in business management and Spanish. Alex describes the recruiting as "a crazy process." "Just having six or seven letters a day is tough to keep up on," he says. "You always keep your phone by you because talking to coaches every night is always a good thing." Despite the frenzy, Alex's primary concern right now is the Spartans. "It's really tough during the season because you want to stay with the team concept as much as possible." "Alex knows, and we all on the team know, that it's team first," Messamore reinforces. "He knows that every time he walks out on the field, his job is to do whatever's best for the team that night." Alex has a younger brother who currently fills his former spot in the south end zone on Friday nights. Even after Alex moves on to college, there will still be a Schooler on the Collegiate gridiron next fall. Spencer is an eighth grader who loves football and looks up to his big brother. "He's a different player than Alex, built tall and thin," says the patriarch, Brian. "He's a speed guy and he's very good." A Rule 10 coach at Collegiate, Brian has worked at Spirit since 1986. He is quick to give his wife Lisa, who works in the Collegiate alumni office and runs a family business, the credit for how well their sons have turned out. "She's more the disciplinarian; I'm probably a little easier on them," Brian admits. "(The boys) are both good citizens and have both done a lot of things right." Sheer numbers may be Alex's biggest adjustment to college. He will find many more students in the classroom than at Collegiate and people he won't initially know, after seeing the same friendly faces for 15 years - and more players, all at a higher level of competition. Back home, the family traditions will continue. Collegiate will continue to prosper as a community. But, this season isn't over, and the Spartans have a playoff run to make. Alex Schooler wouldn't have it any other way.