Multiple Choice Questions - Lesson 5

Loyalty Scenario

Coach John Allen is the new football coach at Smith High School in Houston, Texas. As part of the job, Coach Allen realizes he must replace Coach Jim Muskey, who is widely regarded as one of the finest high school football coaches in Texas history. Upon taking over the job, Coach Allen also quickly realizes that he not only needs to manage his players, but the parents, and boosters as well. Nevertheless, the transition seems to be going smoothly. Coach Allen’s team has played extremely well throughout the season and appears fully fledged to make a run at the state title this year. Moreover, Coach Allen is pleasantly surprised to by the stellar play of junior quarterback Jake Moss. Moss a relatively unknown commodity before the season by parents and boosters has done a fantastic job of managing the team and leading them to an 8-2 record. In fact, the team has elected Moss as a team captain for the playoffs due to his performance this year and team leadership capabilities.

With an ensuing off week before the playoffs, Coach Allen is preparing to play Reddiger High School who defeated his team earlier in the season. In that early season game, Moss played poorly throwing two interceptions in the end zone which would have propelled his team to victory. Nonetheless, fortunes change for Coach Allen. After practice he is called into the athletic complex to meet with the athletic director and three of the largest boosters at Smith High School. When Coach Allen enters the door he greets the four men sitting at the table in addition to another young man accompanying them. The young man happens to be one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation who was displaced from his high school after Hurricane Katrina. Even more important, the young man ran the exact same offense at his previous high school that Coach Allen runs at Smith High School. The athletic director explains that the young man is all set to enroll and will be eligible to play for Smith High School’s playoff game in two weeks. In addition, the three boosters tell Coach Allen how exuberated they are to see this young man lead Smith High School to another state championship. Before Coach Allen can respond, the athletic director tells him that he needs to realize how things are done in Texas. In addition, he states if he is not up to the challenge, maybe he should look for a different state where he can coach.

Knowing that his team will be outraged if he chooses to replace Moss, Coach Allen returns to the locker-room to address the team.