Go Hard - the Kayo Emmot story

02/03/2026

Coach and his wife would have been 106 this week! Gone but never forgotten!

Happy birthday to Walter “Kayo” Emmot, (born Feb. 3) and Andrea Lorraine Marshall Emmot (born Feb 5). They would be 103 this week.

From a previous post by their daughter, Andrea Emmot Eason:

“I had the best parents in the world. Truly giving of themselves all through their lives whether it was on the football field or entertaining family on Grand Lake. Many, many wonderful memories. They were married for over 50 years with 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren. Love them always! giving of themselves all through their lives whether it was on the football field or entertaining family on Grand Lake. Many, many wonderful memories. They were married for over 50 years with 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren. Love them always!”

11/09/2025

It's a shame Kayo's Bulldogs never got to play Lawrence back in those days. I know it sounds strange to say now, but at the time it would have been an exciting, close matchup!
The IHS win streak was at 31 the day the article on Lawrence appeared in Life Magazine.
The Bulldogs went on to complete six straight unbeaten seasons and eclipse the Chesty Lions mark, eventually winning 49 consecutive games.
There were inquiries about setting up a game a few times. Of course, both schools blamed the other for the matchup not happening.

11/7 On this day 65 years ago (November 7, 1960) the Lawrence High School Lions were featured in a large spread in Life Magazine because they had a 45 game winning streak. (they won two more for a total of 47)

There are many great photos in the article: https://www.life.com/arts-entertainment/simply-the-best-kansas-high-school-football-1960/

03/13/2025

Another great review ... from former Indy resident and longtime coach Dave Harlin:

"Craig, you out did yourself with this book. It was an amazing read that I couldn’t put down until I finished it from cover to cover.

"I knew/know many of the names in this book. It brought back memories from my youth - hearing my dad talk about the glory days.

"Thank you for putting this together. It’s a 10 out of 10. Well done."

05/12/2023

Get your tickets now!
Great music!
Historic venue!
Wonderful cause!

02/09/2023

Happy heavenly birthday to Jack Brownlee, ol’ Number 85.

I was friends with Jack for less than three years, and we never met in person - yet he always made me feel as if we had been friends for a lifetime.

One of the blessings of writing “Go Hard” is that I was fortunate to meet (at least over the phone) so many of Kayo’s Boys. A vast majority of them were not only great athletes, but they are also wonderful people.

Jack Brownlee was honored, overjoyed, ecstatic, thrilled, (insert superlative here) when I called to interview him for the book. He could talk for hours about Kayo, his teammates, and “the good ol’ days … and I loved listening.

He was one of the biggest supporters of the book, and after it was published, he continued to call "just to check up on me and chat."
Jack and I talked often – even long after "Go Hard" had gone to print. It was like we were lifelong friends, and I was humbled and honored to be included in his circle. He always made me feel like an honorary member of their elite club.

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Jack was a tremendous help with the book, and I sent him one of the first copies, hot off the press. When Fed Ex tracking said the book had arrived and I didn’t hear from him, I called.
“No, haven’t seen it yet, but I can’t wait,” Jack said.
“Fed Ex said it was delivered without signature yesterday.”
“Wait a minute,” he gulped, his voice already shaking. “I’ll check outside.”
A few seconds later, I heard, “IT’S HERE! I’LL CALL YOU BACK IN A MINUTE.” Click.
About 15-20 minutes later, the phone rang, but it was his wife.
“Craig? This is Judy. Jack wanted me to call. He can’t talk right now. He’s crying. He said he’ll call you tomorrow.”
The next day Jack called – and said he had read the entire book, and was getting ready to start over. It warmed my heart that it meant that much to him.

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Jack, Brownlee played on Kayo's undefeated Bulldog teams in 1959 and 1960.
He vividly recalled the Chanute game his senior year, not because of the score (a 31-7 IHS victory), but because of what happened after he missed a tackle.
"Kayo pulled me out and I went down to the end of the bench," Brownlee recalled. "The game's going on and all of the sudden something hit me. I went up in the air and hit the ground. I didn't know what was going on.
"I get up - and Kayo had tackled me right there on the sideline. And he said, 'Brownlee, you son of a bitch, THAT'S the way you tackle.'
"I'll tell you what - I went back in there and had one of the best games I ever played. I didn't miss a tackle for the rest of the game. Kayo didn't mince words, but man, he could inspire you to play."
Another favorite story of Brownlee's was the season finale of 1959, his junior year. IHS entered the game 7-0 and vying for its third consecutive perfect season. The 'Dogs were No.2 in the state and riding a 23-game winning streak. But always-tough Coffeyville had a chance to spoil all of that - and share the SEK crown - with an upset victory. And the 'Nado was more than capable of winning, entering the game with just one loss and riding a strong passing attack led by quarterback Dave Schichtle.
Both teams had to battle not only each other, but also a bone-chilling north wind and sub-freezing temperatures. Always looking for an edge, Kayo had the players' mothers take bricks, wrap them in newspapers, and put them in ovens, then bring them to the game. He also made arrangements to have hot tea available for the players at halftime.
"They brought those bricks out right before the game and we had them on the sidelines to put our hands on," Brownlee recalled. "That was pretty innovative at the time. Kayo's version of hand-warmers.
"Coffeyville didn't have warm bricks on the sideline and they didn't have hot tea at halftime, I'll tell you that," he continued. "Kayo was always figuring out a way to gain an advantage."
Still, Coffeyville led 7-6 until just before halftime, when Dick Rumfelt took a pitch from David Sicks and headed around right end, then abruptly pulled up and hit speedy BIll Randolph on a TD pass that proved to be the game-winner.
With time running out in the fourth quarter, the 'Nado moved into Indy territory to about the 30. But on fourth down, Brownlee stormed into the Coffeyville backfield and sacked Schichtle for an eight-yard loss, preserving the 24th straight victory for the Bulldogs.
"Kayo just had a knack for knowing what buttons to push," Brownlee said. "Right before that play, Kayo called me over and said: 'I want you to crash. I want you to go hard. Now get in there and sack that son of a bitch.' And that's exactly what happened.
"It was the greatest play I ever made in my life!"

02/03/2023

Happy birthday to Walter “Kayo” Emmot, (born Feb. 3) and Andrea Lorraine Marshall Emmot (born Feb 5). They would be 103 this week.

From a previous post by their daughter, Andrea Emmot Eason:

“I had the best parents in the world. Truly giving of themselves all through their lives whether it was on the football field or entertaining family on Grand Lake. Many, many wonderful memories. They were married for over 50 years with 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren. Love them always! giving of themselves all through their lives whether it was on the football field or entertaining family on Grand Lake. Many, many wonderful memories. They were married for over 50 years with 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren. Love them always!”

10/23/2022

Hall of Fame Coach Dick Purdy, a legend in Kansas prep gridiron lore, died earlier this month in Green Valley, AZ. He was 88.

Purdy, who went on to win six state championships during his illustrious career, cut his teeth in the coaching ranks as a young mentor at the helm of Chetopa for two years and then at Chanute High School, where he went against Kayo Emmot’s Independence Bulldog squads from 1958-1966.

Moving on to Shawnee Mission West (where Independence resident Fred Meier played for Purdy as a junior and senior – Purdy’s first two seasons with the Vikings), Purdy built a strong program that advanced to the state finals in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1976, winning the title in 1972 (where Meier was again on hand, having returned to do his student teaching at SMW).

“Coach Purdy let me hang around the sidelines a lot that championship season. It was a lot of fun,” Meier said. “But as good of a coach that man was, he was an even better human being.”

Purdy left in 1982 to spend two years as an assistant coach at the University of Kansas, but soon realized his true love was Friday Night Lights and shaping the lives of young men. He returned to the prep ranks at Lee’s Summit, Mo., for seven years, advancing to the state finals of Missouri’s largest class in 1986.

Purdy saved his best for last. His final coaching stop was at Lawrence High. In nine seasons he led the Lions to an 84-17 record and five Class 6A state championships, including four straight from 1990-93.

In his 41 years as a head coach at the high school level, Purdy accumulated a 270-138-5 record.

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Purdy and Emmot went head-to-head for nine straight years (1958-66) Both of the great gridiron minds would soon develop mutual respect and admiration for one another that grew into a strong, enduring lifelong friendship.

But in that first meeting in 1958, the two future Hall-of-Fame coaches were not the highlight of the game. Not even close.

The second-ranked Bulldogs rolled to a 34-7 victory over the Comets, but the final result would forever be overshadowed by the deceptive ball-handling wizardry of Bulldog quarterback Pack St. Clair.

On successive offensive snaps by Independence (sandwiched around a Chanute possession), referee John Charlesworth of Coffeyville was completely fooled by St. Clair’s sleight of hand dexterity. Not once, but twice, Charlesworth was deceived by St. Clair’s great fakes, lost track of who actually had the ball, and blew his whistle—stopping the action while both times the ’Dogs appeared in the clear for long gains or even touchdowns.

The first “lost ball” came on a fourth and one from the Bulldog 41. St. Clair appeared to give the ball to fullback Dick Rumfelt on a belly dive, but the cagey signal-caller hid the ball on his back hip, momentarily hesitated, and then circled around right end.

A host of Chanute defenders swarmed Rumfelt and Charlesworth, also fooled into thinking the fullback had the ball, blew his whistle just as St. Clair reached wide-open spaces.

The embarrassed officials were forced to place the ball back at the 41 and give Chanute possession.

The very next time Indy ran a play from scrimmage, it happened again.

St. Clair again faked to Rumfelt, but this time dropped back and lofted what should have been a 25-yard strike to end Bill Thompson. Once again, the referee thought the ball had gone into the middle of the line and blew the play dead just as St. Clair was firing his pass.

“Kayo was not happy the first time it happened,” the quarterback recalled. “Then when it happened again? Yeah, he was pretty upset. Let’s just say he had some ‘choice words’ for Charlesworth. Luckily, it didn’t cost us a game or anything.”

Purdy remembered, “The first time, Charlesworth blew the ball dead right in front of Kayo. “Well, Kayo went completely nuts. The second time? Kayo’s clipboard goes about 40 feet in the air. It looked like an airplane up there. Papers flew everywhere.

“And Charlesworth didn’t flag him,” Purdy added. “He’s trying to defuse the situation. He’s saying ‘Now Kayo … now Kayo’ …”

To say Purdy was impressed with St. Clair was an understatement. He was quoted a few weeks later in the Prep Parade column of the Topeka Daily Capital: “St. Clair can fake your eyes out with that ball and it’s no wonder Independence has won 13 (by then) straight with a kid like that around.”

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Purdy’s admiration for Emmot grew even more after Kayo took the junior college job at Independence in 1967 and recruited Rick Clark, a star quarterback for Purdy’s Blue Comet squads.

“Rick was a little worried (about going to ICC) because Kayo’s son (Ray) was an outstanding quarterback in his own right,” Purdy said. “I told him, ‘Kayo wants to win. You show him you deserve the spot, and you’ll play.’

“The fact Kayo played Rick at quarterback tells you all you need to know about Kayo as a coach,” Purdy said. “I’m sure Ray wanted to be quarterback, but Kayo knew what gave him the best chance to win.

“Of course, Ray was versatile and too valuable to keep off the field,” Purdy noted. “Kayo played him at defensive back and running back.” (Ray Emmot did also serve as quarterback for half of the 1967 season after Clark was injured.)

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Some 30 years after their rivalry had ended on the field, Purdy returned to Independence to attend Coach Kayo Emmot’s funeral in 1996.

“Some coaches felt Kayo was a hard guy to get along with, but he befriended me when I was just a young guy just trying to figure out how this coaching thing worked,” Purdy said. “Indy and Chanute were about the only two schools that would trade film back in those days. Pittsburg and I think some other (SEK) schools may have filmed, but they wouldn’t trade.

“So Kayo and I would take turns driving to the other place on the weekends and we’d trade film. Of course, we would sit down and talk football for a while. I was just getting started in coaching, and here I am talking to a guy who was winning every time he put a team on the field. So I would talk to him about anything and everything.

“Kayo was a special guy and really helped this young coach when I was still trying to figure out what-was-what,” added Purdy. “I was just a young pup and he let me tag along. We had a good relationship, so I thought it was important that I get down there for the funeral.”

Having gone on to join Emmot in the KSHSAA Hall of Fame, and from reading the extensive list of tributes from former students, players, and officials, a majority of whom lauded Purdy for his character, gentleness, and empathy as much as for his coaching, it is quite obvious that Purdy quickly excelled at figuring out “what-was-what.”

Well done, Coach Purdy.

10/21/2022

Barry Polston (1946-2022)

Members of Kayo’s Boys – and Independence Bulldog fans of that era – were among those who were deeply saddened by the Oct. 8 passing of Barry Polston of New Braunfels, Texas.

Polston never met a stranger and seemingly had a story – or two, or three – for every occasion. His obituary (check it out, it’s a gem) noted he was born in London, England, moved to Tulsa, OK at an early age, returned to England at the age of seven to witness the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, moving with his family to Independence upon his return.

He claimed to have gotten into “many a scrap” on both sides of the pond, because the Okie boys picked on him for his British accent, and the English boys thought of him as a “Damn Yank.”

Those early scraps served him well during high school, however, as he was a lean, mean fighting machine for the Bulldogs – exactly the type of tough, hard-nosed player Coach Kayo Emmot loved.

As a junior, Barry was a reserve lineman on the 1962 IHS squad that established a Kansas state record for consecutive wins en route to a sixth straight undefeated season. The following year, he started on both sides of the ball – at center and defensive tackle – on the 1963 Bulldog team that extended the win streak to 49 before coming up short against Fort Scott. He was awarded at the end of the season by being named honorable mention all-SEK at both positions.

Being an interior lineman (and unfortunately, I did not interview him), he was mentioned only in passing in the book “Go Hard.” But teammates and fans of that era recalled him as being “a rock on the line,” “tough as nails,” and “definitely one of the legendary Kayo Boys.”

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But fans that only knew Barry Polston as a tough guy and a tremendous football player didn’t get the entire picture.

Barry’s best friend growing up in Independence was classmate Terry Wood, another Rock of Gibraltar on those Kayo Emmot teams (Wood was a first-team all-SEK choice at both offensive tackle and nose guard and went on to play college football).

Their friendship continued into adulthood. But when Wood died of a heart attack in 1985, Barry displayed his compassionate, empathetic side, serving as a surrogate father figure to Wood’s children, Wendy and Cody.

“Terry and Barry were best friends through grade school, junior high, high school, and afterwards,” said Tina (Williams) Wood Swyers. “Barry was a great, funny friend that told stories about he and Terry to Wendy and Cody. They loved hearing about their dad. He has been there for both of them since Terry died. We will miss him.”

“I was 15 when my father died at age 38 while playing tennis,” noted Wendy Moyer. “After my dad died, many people were hurting and withdrew because it was too hard to deal with his loss … but not Barry. Barry opened his arms and his home.

“He was the best man in my Mom and Dad’s wedding and kept my dad’s memory alive with countless stories. He took me on spring break trips. He opened his heart and home for Cody, my Mom and I.

“His humor was like none other,” Wendy added. “He also had the biggest heart … not just for us, but also donating money to people who were less fortunate.”

Polston’s obituary not only listed his wife, Kaye; their three children and spouses; and his grandchildren; but it also listed his sister-in-law, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nephews. It also listed Cody and Wendy as his “other” children.

The obituary also noted that “after graduating from high school, Barry attended Independence Junior College where he played football, worked as a bouncer at the local VFW, worked at the parks & rec center and basically stayed one step ahead of getting into serious trouble.”

But those who truly knew Barry, knew the rest of the story.

“Barry lived his life showing love, fun, God and generosity,” Wendy added. “I’m forever grateful for Barry and his family.”

PHOTO (L to R): Nancy Martin, Larry Walling, Linda Tucker Lawrence, Barry Polston, Tina Williams Wood Swyers, Terry Wood, Anne Clement, Fred Redman, Joann Buser, Steve Orr. Crown bearer Hank Tucker and flower girl Mary Martin.

07/21/2022

What would Kayo be doing on these hot, hot days of summer? Spending time in one of his many gardens, of course!

Coach Emmot was an avid gardener, and "rented" several areas around town to plant crops. Of course, whatever Kayo did, he went full out.

Anyone have memories of Kayo's gardening hobby?

(Photo: Independence Reporter, May 20, 1973)

06/21/2022

Several of "Kayo's Boys" from the IHS classes of 1958 and 1959, along with other classmates and spouses, gathered Monday at Dickey's Barbecue Pit for an impromptu reunion. Pictured is just a portion of the group.

06/02/2022