09/07/2026
WARNING: LONG POST!!! Friday night we honored Gary Cross at our home football game. In June, our club received a $5387.00 donation in Gary's name. His son, Terry, shared with the crowd on Friday night that this money was raised through donations, which were matched by the family, after Gary's passing. When we received this generous donation, we knew we wanted to do something to show our appreciation and chose to purchase a new 21 foot players' bench and a sign to hang from it to honor Coach Cross. Coach Coit reached out to Terry to let him know about the plans for the September 4th game. Terry graciously said he would be honored to attend and speak about his father, which made us feel blessed. Then, on Friday morning we received an email sharing that Terry had stopped in the district office to make an additional $10,000 donation to our club. We are humbled by the generosity of Gary's family, especially considering all that HE had already given to our school district and community. Unfortunately, the heat made it hard for some individuals to attend, so below is the sperch given by Coach Coit along with some pictures of the night. Unfortunately, the bench did not arrive in time, but we will post a picture as soon as it is here! Thank you to all who did join us in honoring Coach Cross while cheering on our Storm football teams on Friday night!!! 💙❤️
Gary Cross Speech by Coach Coit
It is a privilege to stand here tonight as we honor Coach Cross.
There are many ways to measure a successful coach, by the wins, the awards, and the record books. But the true measure of a coach is the people left in their wake: the players he influenced, the coaches he mentored, the community he impacted, and the lessons that continue to be passed down long after his final game. I would like anyone who either played for Coach Cross, coached alongside him, or was directly impacted by him in any way to please stand up.
I didn’t know Coach Cross until 10 years ago, shortly after I was named head coach, when I had the opportunity to join him for lunch. It turned out to be one of the longest lunches of my life, lasting nearly three hours, and one I will never forget. We spent the entire time talking about football and about the history and community of Camanche. I quickly learned his honest thoughts on our spread offense when he reminded me of the old saying: ‘Three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are bad.’
Over the next decade, Coach Cross stayed connected. He called the office on Friday’s to wish us good luck, and we shared countless phone conversations over the years. That was his legacy. He cared deeply, not just about Camanche Football, but about the entire Camanche community.
That devotion was reflected once more when the Camanche Athletic Booster Club received a generous donation in his memory following his passing last spring. To ensure his presence is permanently felt on Friday nights, they have donated a new 21-foot sideline bench.
Tonight, we unveil this dedicated sign, placing Coach Cross right where he belongs—forever on our sidelines."
