ALL-AREA FOOTBALL: Princeton's Gaster cops coach of the year honors

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on December 26, 2016 9:59 AM

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PRINCETON -- The old ball coach is familiar, even if you don't know him. He dresses in the drawstrings of a former linebacker, on the south side of his playing days but not the first person you should try on a whim.

Down to the hoodie, ball cap and gym shorts, the guy is all-alpha.

He's the son of a coach and that's never more evident than during the handshake, which is easily absorbed and pack-leader honest.

Smile, check.

Eye contact, check.

Firm, like his daddy demanded, but not iron wrought. It's straight out of the good-ol-boy handbook.

The voice is his own, formed by a stint on an F-16 and a few harsh lessons in life, and moves ably from family to football and back again, in no particular hurry to let you know how uncomfortable this hoopla makes him.

Travis Gaster, the 2016 News-Argus All-Area Football Coach-of-the-Year, isn't trying to impress you.

But he does anyway.

*

The first picture he takes in -- from the season no one really saw coming -- is dolled up in the sweat equity of August mini-camp.

There's no inflatable Bulldog or fog machine. No screaming blue-and-gold caucus, no pre-game kiss from his college-sweetheart wife, Sherri.

He smiles.

"Those helmets are very clean," he says. "We hadn't done much hitting yet."

He continues staring, looking a bit further, scoping jersey numbers.

Garrett Fields.

Joseph Deal.

Bryce Harrington.

"But how far those three have come since that day...is unbelievable."

*

The second photo is a jolt, a nasty reminder of just how many seasons can live within a season, and how fragile each can be.

His players are looking from the bench, each lost in the final ticks of a woeful performance, wondering just how in the world North Johnston ponied into Camelot and stole away with their girl.

Panthers 48, Bulldogs bewildered.

"They're wondering what's going on," the coach says. "Wondering why they're in that position."

It was the type of beat-down that causes a raised brow, a whisper at the barber shop and a rolled pair of eyes when third-and-one keeps turning into fourth-and-seven.

It was the type of loss than can pick up steam.

Then the storm of the century arrived -- but with it, a bigger picture.

"We went on a mission to Lumberton, to Purnell-Swett High School," the coach recalled. "And helped out at their shelter. We sorted clothes, saw families that lost everything... just wandering around."

"It was a huge step for them."

In the grand scheme of things, the group became tighter -- and made others -- like James Kenan -- a bit smaller.

*

November 10, 2016.

The coach's third flashback of his team's campaign is a slightly blurred, nouveau-wide-angle snap of a dense crowd in the west end zone of Harvey Brooks Field.

Just a few minutes removed from a start-to-finish, 54-7 shellacking of Spring Creek, Gaster's Wing-T long shots are in victory formation -- with what seems like the whole of Princeton proper, as Carolina 1-A co-champions.

A smile curls his face.

"Our goal was to be a champion... because you can't be a non-conference champion," Gaster said. "It's the culmination of a lot of hard work."

He pauses, looks deeper.

"I see a group of at least four players -- not one guy --taking a picture together. It's the last time they'll ever play on that field," Gaster said.

"And I see my daughter on my arm. I love that."

*

Lastly, it's Earl.

Gaster's final visual is of his all-everything tailback, spent after nabbing a critical interception of James Kenan quarterback Jabril Johnson.

In the photo, No. 5 collapses into his coach -- proof positive that slaying giants is not for the meek.

For the first time all afternoon, Gaster stirs in his chair.

He collects himself -- it's not easy.

"That's kind of tough to talk about," he says faintly. "There was so much buildup for that game, and the chance to be in that moment with a young man who cares that much... validates what you do on a daily basis."

"It's showing love."

And also the look of a winner, who isn't trying to impress you.

He just does.