Win or lose, Doc Fee is a Knight through and through

The stadium at Franklin High School can get a little quiet on Friday night these days as the Knights are struggling to be competitive. After half-time the stadium really clears out as the band parents and grandparents leave. The team isn’t drawing the crowds like they do when they are winning.
Sometimes the only voice that is heard echoing off the metal bleacher seats is old Doc Fee yelling “let’s go Knights” from the sidelines.
Dr. William Fee recently turned 80 and the life-long servant of his community finally retired from his practice, but not his commitment to players and staff of the Franklin Knight’s football program.
Their record doesn’t matter to him, he is there to serve the players.
“It’s about helping people,” Fee said on the sidelines last week as he followed a play down the sidelines hoping Franklin would score again.
“Go Knight’s” his voice pierced the silence again.
Fee doesn’t remember when he started volunteering as the team’s physician but he hasn’t seen many winning seasons in his time. That doesn’t discourage him from rooting for or more importantly administering care to the kids he oversees. When a player is slow getting up he is already two steps onto the field and if the player doesn’t get up he is running. His run may not be quite as fast as it once was, but he gets there just the same.
Last year he was recognized for his service and dedication when he was inducted into Franklin High School’s Hall of Fame. “That was quite an honor,” he said.
Fee who admitted being a 100-pound wide receiver wasn’t favorable to a career in football, he turned to helping in the game he loved on the sidelines. A Vietnam era veteran doctor serving stateside, he also worked for the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s. The Raiders of that era were notorious - tough as nails dudes with bad attitudes and for their off the field shenanigans. 
When he moved to Franklin he found his home and his team.
“Go Knight’s he shouts again,” as they covered a fumble and got the ball back.
When he heard the Knight’s cross town rivals, Oil City, had lost the night before he didn’t show any remorse. “That’s good,” he said with a laugh. The week before Oil City shutout the Knights 64-0 so he may have still be a bit bitter about that.
Fee will tell you that it’s the individual he is concerned about and not the team’s record. He knows each player is a person who needs support and he is there to provide that.

Editor's note: The Titusville Herald needed a story for today's paper so I wrote a little color story about our own Doc Fee based on witnessing him last week on the sidelines.
Click on the pages below to enlarge.

 "It's the right thing to do,” he said as he watched another play go for a loss of yards for his team.
He turned and shrugged his shoulders and said the only thing there was for him to say…“Let’s go Knights.

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Below are more photos from last Friday's game.

We haven't had much contact with the coach this year. A wedding in Michigan forced us to miss the first week and the coach had to serve out a two game suspension that he preferred not to discuss. The on his return he faced the buzzsaw of Ethen Knox and company from Oil City.

At the beginning of last Friday's contest it looked like that game was going to produce something positive to write about and  cover, but it turned ugly again as these kids tried their best to get something going.

They managed to best their highest score by one point scoring two touchdowns and hitting both extra points, but still went down 47 - 14  against Mercyhurst Prep.

Knowing Coach Turk from last year's conversations he concentrates on the positives while focussing on each individual player. He has said it before that being a Franklin Kight is being a part of a family.

These Franklin Knights are a group of kids who huddle together each week burst out on to the football field  full of vim and vigor ready too take on whoever is on the other side of the ball. When they step out on the field they are dead equal. 

Whether it is size, strength, speed, precision, or just sheer determination, so far the other teams have managed to have the Knight's number, humbling both team and coaching staff.

Humility is perhaps one of the greatest of all lessons to know. The 18-0 Patriots were given that gift and they went on to win three more Super Bowls after. Yes they lost two more too, but can you think of any run better other the the Jordan Bulls or the insane Russell/Cousy Celtics or Wooden's UCLA dynasty?

It takes building from humility and learning life lessons along the way. 

This week the Knight's prepare to host the 2-3 Warren Dragons who have only put up 98 points this season.

Doc Fee’s sideline exclamation's are no small thing. And they are echoed by the fans who do stick around, the staff and the school district who keeps supporting these young athletes. 

This is love. This is dedication to people. 

This is being a Franklin Knight.