A true leader

There was a moment during Aurora’s 30-20 win over Omaha Gross Friday night that many fans likely missed, but will go great lengths to the Huskies’ success the rest of the season.
Aurora and Gross had already exchanged pleasantries at midfield and Husky senior Alex Peters completed his celebratory backflip. 
Usually at this point, Aurora coach Kyle Peterson starts in with his postgame message and “three cheers.”
For a few minutes, though, Peterson and the other  Aurora coaches watched from the side as senior captain Mack Owens took the head Husky’s spot in front of the team huddle. 
It was an inspired message from the co-captain, who despite the win, was begging his teammates for more. 
It’s not enough for Owens that Aurora won the game, a performance in which Aurora rushed for 354 yards and collected 505 total yards. 
It’s not enough for Owens that Aurora has won two in a row in September. Winning games in November is what he’s concerned about. 
It was Owens who a week ago during Aurora’s 43-22 win over Scottsbluff asked for a “three cheers” for the scout team that helped the No. 1’s prepare for the Bearcats. 
It was also Owens during this message after defeating Gross who asked his teammates for more out of practice, demanding excellence in everything the team does. 
If anyone knows what it takes to win and do so at the highest level, it’s Owens. 
He was a young, impressionable freshman on the Class C-1 undefeated state championship team in 2018, even playing a few snaps in that title game under Memorial Stadium’s bright lights.
He carried Aurora, to a large degree, to much of its success in 2020, which included a state runner-up finish with a 42-19 loss at Elkhorn.
Away from the football field, Owens wrestled his way to the state finals last February, coming up just a bit short there, too, as a runner-up. 
Owens has been part of so many high-profile moments for Aurora and knows everything it takes to get back there. 
This certainly isn’t a knock to the rest of the team, either. Their play has drastically improved over the past four weeks and signs point to that only getting better as the season moves forward. 
It’s much more of a tip of the cap to Owens’ leadership, a refreshing sight to see someone not just satisfied with winning, but wanting to win the right way by putting everything on the line. 
Looking around the tight-knit huddle, every Husky was locked in to each and every word Owens spoke. The leadership was evident, an example of what makes Aurora football so special. 
There’s still five regular season games left on the schedule and whatever a playoff run may look like beyond that. Owens and the rest of his senior teammates aren’t taking any of them for granted, given their last go-round as Huskies. 
The passion Owens plays with is often unmatched, regardless the sport. His leadership is a coach’s dream.
Owens didn’t ask for the recognition and surely doesn’t need it. 
Respect given to No. 4, though, is necessary. 
RICHARD RHODEN can be reached at sports@hamilton.net.