Nobody could possibly be prepared for the kind of news Logan Brower of Challis received on Saturday, Aug. 27: his father, Scott Brower, had been killed in a plane crash.
The news sent ripples through the Wood River community as well. Scott's mother, Ilene Turner, and his stepfather, Chuck Turner, a former principal of Wood River Middle School, still live in Hailey.
It was a sudden, devastating loss because 1979 Wood River High School graduate Scott Brower was a family man in the prime of his life.
Such a loss would permanently cripple most people.
But Scott's son Logan, the new head coach of the Wood River High School wrestling team, wouldn't let that happen.
In the spirit of his father, he couldn't let that happen.
"It wouldn't be dad's way to put life on hold and throw in the towel," Logan said recently. "It's crazy to even think about, but I know he wouldn't want us moping around dragging our knuckles.
"He wanted us to live every moment, to make the best of whatever comes your way and uphold a high standard of character."
In September, over a thousand people from across the state packed the Challis High School gym to celebrate Scott's life and honor a man who had worked for the Cypress Mine and the Custer Telephone Co.
"I didn't really get a chance to thank everybody," Logan said. "There was just a lot of support."
It was fitting, not just because Scott had touched the lives of so many, but the Challis gym was where he molded so many young lives.
He was assistant coach of the Challis junior and senior high school wrestling teams. Challis has been a wrestling power, winning three of the last four State 2A titles. He also coached Little League baseball.
Scott Brower's death was an ending, but also a beginning.
Less than a month after the funeral service, Logan, 23, was hired by the Blaine County School District to do his student teaching here in the Wood River Valley.
Wood River High athletic director Ron Martinez, knowing Logan was a wrestler from a strong program at Challis, offered him the head wrestling coaching job to replace Danny Turner, Wolverine head coach for the past four years.
Logan is currently living with his grandmother Ilene until he can find a place of his own. He has been a student teacher for nine weeks at Wood River High, and now for nine weeks at Hemingway Elementary School in Ketchum.
For Logan, afternoons and evenings are spent coaching wrestling for the youth and high school programs.
He realizes how the position can impact young lives.
"With dad, coaching gave him a means to be in people's lives," Logan said. "His biggest gift was that he was able to connect with kids ... he could connect with anybody, he was just one of those guys."
Scott was killed while scouting for bighorn sheep near Sugar Loaf Mountain in Custer County—he had landed a once- -in-a-lifetime permit to hunt the animal. After his death, Idaho Fish and Game transferred the tag to Logan, and on Sept. 10, he got his dad's sheep.
"Dad was pretty excited about (the tag)," Logan said. "He'd probably reach down and slap us if we didn't use it."
Logan started wrestling when he was about five years old, and continued through Challis High, where he graduated five years ago.
His father was always involved in one way or another, coaching youth wrestling programs in Challis before becoming an assistant for the highly-regarded high school team.
In late September, the Idaho High School Activities Association memorialized Scott. "He was just a great coach, whatever he coached, he was always there for the kids," said John Piva, who has been head coach of the Challis High wrestling program for over 20 years. "It's tough, we miss him, especially with wrestling season now, we all really miss him.
"Everybody misses him—he was well-known and well-liked by everybody."
Piva said he could see the influence Scott had on his two sons long ago. Logan's 20-year-old brother, Dillon, will be an assistant wrestling coach at Challis this season—when he's not studying at Boise State University.
"He was a great father to them, and watching their dad and what a great coach and role model he was, they had plans of coaching," Piva said.
Even before Scott's death, Logan, a University of Idaho graduate, knew he wanted to follow his dad's footsteps.
"I always thought I'd be coaching and teaching, but I didn't think I'd just be coaching," said Logan, still hoping to land a permanent teaching job at Wood River High.
"I have to see how it goes here, but getting a teaching job is of higher importance," he added. "I really feel a head coach needs to be teaching in the school."
For now, Logan is enjoying himself at Wood River, although he's anxious for the 2005-06 wrestling season to start. Wood River debuts Wednesday, Dec. 7 at Jerome.
"I'm kinda' nervous, but I don't feel a whole lot of pressure," he said. "It's an excited nervous, an eagerness."
He's especially looking forward to this season's home dual meet with Challis—when he, Dillon, and his mom, Della, will be reunited by one of Scott's greatest passions.
That match, Wood River's home season opener, is set for Friday, Dec. 9 in Hailey.
"It was the thing we all did together," Logan said. "We had some great times."
But the question is, during the match will Della be wearing red for Challis, or green for Wood River?
"My mom said she will look like a Christmas tree—wearing red and green," Logan laughed.
First-year Wood River High wrestling coach, Logan Brower, upper right, pictured with several of his team members and other interested wrestlers earlier in November. Express photo by Steve Benson
