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Fort Madison and Central Lee Packed a Serious Punch

Dog House Saturday Morning Blitz

Ten Things I Loved About Rivalry Night

When you receive a tough text message first thing in the morning, sometimes you have to swallow your pride, take a deep breath and pray for that person.

But enough self-loathing.

This Saturday Morning Blitz is about the good stuff. Here are my 10 absolute favorite things from an unforgettable week inside the Dog House.

1. Fort Madison and Central Lee Packed a Serious Punch

The Fort Madison–Central Lee rivalry lived up to its billing.

This game was physical, emotional and filled with athletes laying everything on the line. One moment that stayed with me was Ren Watson’s pancake block Friday night.

That block nearly left a defender’s shoes planted in the ground.

The big guys do not always receive enough recognition, but that was one of those plays that made every old offensive line coach smile.

2. Broadcasting with “The Legend” Ryan Smith

Getting to broadcast alongside one of my best friends on the planet, “The Legend” Ryan Smith, will never get old.

Football is special, but sharing it with someone you genuinely care about makes the experience even better.

Ryan brings knowledge, personality and passion to every broadcast. More importantly, he is simply a great friend.

3. The Radio Keokuk Crew

Radio Keokuk’s Matthew Peters and company—what a tremendous group of dudes.

These guys care about local sports, the athletes and the communities they cover. There is room for all of us to tell these stories and support one another.

I will stand behind these guys through thick and thin.

4. Aurelio Jaciunde’s 50-Yard Touchdown

Aurelio Jaciunde’s 50-yard catch-and-run was absolutely electric.

The way he weaved through traffic, changed direction and found open space was incredible. I became so caught up watching the play that I forgot to move the camera.

That is how special the moment was.

Sometimes you are supposed to be working, but the old ball coach inside you takes over and simply watches the athlete go make a play.

5. Brett Cook Stands in the Arena

Brett Cook demonstrated tremendous toughness.

He competed through hit after hit after hit. Then, when he moved to the other side of the football, he continued delivering for his team.

Those who stand inside the arena are often judged the most. Quarterbacks receive praise when everything works and criticism when it does not, but only the people in that arena truly understand what it takes to keep getting back up.

Kid, you are a competitor.

And what a catch by his teammate Kellen Weber.

6. Coming Home to Central Lee

Returning to Central Lee to broadcast a game at a place that holds so much of my personal history was incredible.

I spent more than a decade there as a teacher, activities director, assistant coach and head football coach. Walking back into that community brought plenty of memories and emotions with it.

Seeing Tina Cale, Lee Lee and so many others made the night feel like a true homecoming.

I did not get the opportunity to visit with one of my former Hawk players, officiating partners and coaching partners, but I tipped my hat toward him—and he tipped his back.

I love that kid, and I am proud of the great things he is doing as an activities director and coach.

It is more than football.

It is history.

It is relationships.

It is community.

There will be much more on this part of the story later.

7. A Birthday Victory for Coach Derek Doherty

Seeing Derek Doherty—one of the greatest dudes on the planet and a great friend—earn a victory on his birthday was special.

I am guessing it was his 30th birthday.

Kristen, you may have to help me with that one!

Whatever the number may be, it was a great night for Coach Doherty and the Bloodhounds.

Happy birthday, Coach.

8. Kellen Weber Lights It Up

Kellen Weber came alive late in the game and showed everyone that the Central Lee quarterback position remains in capable hands.

One play in particular caught my attention.

Weber stayed inside the pocket, stood tall and delivered a perfect pass into the end zone just before Marshall Heitmann arrived with the hit.

That required courage, poise and confidence in his arm.

The young man took the pressure, delivered the football and created a touchdown.

The Dog House is officially watching.

9. Moses Thacher Makes His Case

Moses Thacher showed that he is not simply a quick and fast football player.

Friday night, he may have further solidified himself as one of the all-time greats to wear a Fort Madison uniform.

Moses repeatedly hammered into running lanes that appeared to be approximately two inches wide and somehow found a way to finish forward.

His greatest attribute may not be his speed or physicality.

It may be his patience.

He allows the play to develop, finds the smallest opening and then attacks it with power and elegance. When Fort Madison needed yards, Moses found them.

Shortly before the game, I posted that the athlete who would have the greatest impact might be No. 11.

Sometimes the old ball coach still sees one correctly.

10. Owen Huffman Has Made Me a Believer

Owen Huffman has made me a believer.

I already knew the kid was smart, but his football IQ is well beyond his years—and perhaps even ahead of this old ball coach.

He understands what he is seeing, makes plays with his arm and legs and carries himself like a natural leader.

Getting Owen’s picture after naming him the Dog House Player of the Game is a moment I will never forget.

I am a fan, kid.

Keep leading. Keep learning. Keep competing.

More Than Football

Friday night gave us hard hits, explosive touchdowns, pancake blocks, quarterbacks standing tall under pressure and young men competing until the final whistle.

But my favorite parts went beyond the scoreboard.

It was broadcasting with a best friend.

It was supporting fellow members of the media.

It was returning to a community that shaped a large part of my life.

It was exchanging a simple tip of the cap with someone I once coached.

It was celebrating a friend’s birthday.

It was watching young men demonstrate courage, toughness and leadership inside the arena.

That is what the Dog House Tour is about.

It is more than football.

It is community.

#SaturdayMorningBlitz #DogHouseTour #DogPoundRadio #CCARadioBroadcastNetwork #FridayNightLights #FortMadisonBloodhounds #CentralLeeHawks #LeeCountyRivalry #MoreThanFootball #Community #DawgMentality

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Published by cbanks1972

## Charles “Chuck” Banks ### Founder and Voice of Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network Charles “Chuck” Banks—known to many throughout the tri-state sports community as Coach Banks or “Chuck the Tank”—is the founder and lead broadcaster of the Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network. Built from more than two decades of coaching, teaching, leadership, and relationship-building, the network is dedicated to telling the stories of the coaches, athletes, schools, and communities that make local sports special. A native of rural Iowa, Banks has spent 20 years in education and more than 25 years coaching football. He earned his bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Graceland University in 2004 before completing a master’s degree in Secondary Education and Educational Administration and a specialist degree in Educational Leadership. Throughout his coaching career, Banks worked with programs across southeastern Iowa. His stops included Centerville, Central Lee, and Fort Madison, along with seven years coaching girls basketball and additional experience in junior-high track. At Central Lee, Banks served as an assistant defensive coach and activities director before becoming the Hawks’ head football coach from 2020 through 2022. Central Lee reached the playoffs during his final season. He was also part of multiple playoff teams and a district championship during his time with the program. At Centerville, Banks spent nine years as an assistant and helped the Big Reds capture a district championship and earn multiple playoff appearances. Most recently, he coached at Fort Madison under Head Coach Derek Doherty, helping develop younger players within the Bloodhound football program. Banks’ defensive coaching journey evolved from the traditional 5-2 defense to the 3-3-5 before he found his preferred home in the 4-2-5. However, his coaching philosophy has never been limited to schemes, formations, wins, or losses. He believes the greatest responsibility of a coach is to build relationships, develop leaders, create belonging, and prepare young people for life beyond the playing field. That belief became the foundation for Coaching Culture in Athletics. What began as an effort to create meaningful conversations about coaching and leadership grew into a full sports-media and broadcasting network. Coaching Culture in Athletics now serves as the umbrella for Dog Pound Radio, The Coach Show, the Dog House Tour, Dog Pound U, Hound Talk, the Dog House Saturday Morning Blitz, live game broadcasts, team previews, rankings, interviews, historical features, and year-round coverage of local athletics. Through the Dog House Tour, Banks visits practices, meets coaching staffs, interviews athletes, studies programs, and gives local teams the type of detailed coverage normally reserved for much larger schools. The network’s reach extends throughout southeastern Iowa, western Illinois, and northeastern Missouri, connecting communities across the tri-state region. Banks has covered and developed relationships with programs including Fort Madison, Central Lee, Centerville, West Burlington–Notre Dame, Mount Pleasant, Macomb, West Hancock, and Brown County. His work highlights more than star players and final scores. It recognizes assistant coaches, linemen, managers, scout-team players, school traditions, historic stadiums, longtime community supporters, and the people working behind the scenes. The Coach Show allows Banks to sit down with coaches from the high-school and college levels for honest conversations about leadership, program development, adversity, family, faith, and the profession of coaching. His interviews are guided by experience rather than observation alone. He understands the pressure of leading a program, the hours spent preparing, the sacrifices made by coaching families, and the responsibility that comes with mentoring young people. Dog Pound Radio brings a more energetic edge to the network. Inspired by Banks’ love for football and his beagles, Leo and Loki, Dog Pound Radio combines local sports reporting with the unmistakable “Dawg Mentality”—toughness, loyalty, preparation, perseverance, and love for the team. Loki continues to serve as a central part of the brand, while the memory of Leo remains woven into its heart. Banks’ journey has also been shaped by significant personal adversity. After suffering multiple strokes, undergoing heart surgery, and facing additional serious health concerns, he stepped away from coaching and entered what he describes as medical retirement from the sideline. He also speaks openly about depression, adult ADHD, recovery, and the importance of faith, family, purpose, and mental health. Although his health changed the way he could serve, it did not take away his calling. Broadcasting became a new sideline. Through Coaching Culture in Athletics, Banks found another way to teach, coach, encourage, and advocate. His experiences have given his work a deeper sense of urgency: appreciate the people around you, tell their stories while you can, recognize the unseen contributors, and never underestimate the impact a coach can have on a young person’s life. Faith and family remain at the center of Banks’ life. He and his wife, Stephanie, have built a life rooted in southeastern Iowa and are the proud parents of Chelsey, Peyton, and Katarina. Their growing family includes son-in-law Donald Archambault and grandchildren Orion, Owen, and Ollie. Banks often credits his family for standing beside him through the demanding seasons of coaching, education, broadcasting, illness, and recovery. Today, Chuck Banks brings together the perspective of a coach, educator, broadcaster, historian, husband, father, grandfather, and survivor. His voice is passionate, direct, knowledgeable, and deeply connected to the communities he covers. The mission of the Coaching Culture in Athletics Radio Broadcast Network is simple: promote the positive impact of athletics, strengthen coaching culture, celebrate local communities, preserve sports history, and provide athletes and coaches with a platform where their work matters. This is more than a radio network. It is a celebration of coaches, culture, athletes, families, and communities. It is local sports coverage built on relationships. It is where coaches, culture, and communities connect. It is Coaching Culture in Athletics.

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