Salt of the Earth.

 The kid is a Stud. He’s All-Conference all day. He’s a Hammer…a twice over All-Section Hammer. He’s the Captain that leads by example in class, at practice, from whistle to whistle and in the locker room. Logan’s not just a 3-sport athlete. He’s been a 3-sport athlete for 4 straight seasons. He’s played through allergies and illness and even competed most of his freshman season of football with a bum arm that we just taped up and gritted through for two weeks before x-rays confirmed a break. He’s tough. All those seasons and he only missed ONE game. He played 4 years of football and never missed a competition. He played 4 years of baseball and never missed an inning. And that ONE hockey game he did miss during the Thanksgiving Holiday tourney this year; Coach had to pull him out because everyone knew, he would have played. The nagging ankle injury he got in his last career football game needed a little more time to heal. If it were up to Logan, he would have cut it off to play.

On the hardwoods, his Big Brother could rebound and bang around in the paint with the best of them. His Big Sister was a beast on the volleyball court and even tougher on the ice on defense. But Logan, he played the game, every game, with a big heart and a big bag of knuckles. He was unselfish and a true team player. He loved blocking for his backfield partner maybe even more than scoring on his own. From the blueline he was always looking to set up a teammate first and looking to shoot second. His pass first mentality came from his desire to see his teammates excel. On the diamond, Logan was such a utility player that over the course of his career he played eight of the nine positions and would have gladly played first base if Coach asked him to.

Logan worked at his craft. He was mentored by good upperclassmen and privileged to be coached by some great guys. Ever since he was young, I’d always tell him – “Look at your Coach when they’re speaking.” And he did. Logan hit the weightroom and put on some solid muscle. He shot pucks in the off season and hit baseballs off the tee to pass the time. It all paid off. His Senior year was one for the ages.

He started his final season of football on the field of our rivals, the Braham Bombers. Logan and Jamison each ran for 200 yards, and both scored 3 touchdowns that night. At Crosby-Ironton he intercepted a pass as the Rangers threatened to score. On the next play he took a short pass from Kempf and ran it 82 yards past everyone for the score - one of three that night. The storybook season was just getting underway. A few weeks later, the Bear was voted Homecoming King. No small coincidence, his girlfriend was crowned the Queen. 4 days later he turned 18 and the next day, under the Friday night lights, the Homecoming King dismantled the Mesabi East Giants by running into the endzone 3 more times. The following game was against the perennial bad guys, the Moose Lake Rebels. When Tight End, Will Volk caught an unlikely touchdown to tie the game with one second left on the clock, the good guys went for the two-point conversion and the win. Coach called Logan’s number and he delivered. It was only the second time that the Tigers had beat the Rebels in 20 years!

A friend of mine swears that a Hallmark movie should be made. If television crews had followed him and screenwriters had paid attention, no one would find the storyline believable. It was all almost too good to be true.

Logan and his teammates finished the 2025 regular season with a perfect 8 -0 record. He was voted the team’s offensive MVP and although I’m a bit biased, he truthfully could have earned the defensive MVP award too. The Hammer likes to hit.

Hockey season started with an unfamiliar and somewhat reduced role for the two-time Captain. Coach limited his playing time and kept him out of some special teams situations that would have been taxing on his injured ankle. It wound up being a great call. It was only a matter of time and Logan was back leading the team in Time-On-Ice. His plus/minus proved why. He was running the Power Play and a steadfast component of the Penalty Kill. With a great group of seniors around him, the Pine City Dragons started turning heads and played a fun style of hockey. Logan was the linchpin. Ranked higher in the Section than they had recently been, the team earned a 1^st round Playoff HOME game and one more chance to play at the Civic Center in Korbel Arena.

Cue the Hallmark writers.

As a 4/5 matchup, Pine City wasn’t necessarily favored to win the game. Some folks figured their opponent, Sauk Rapids-Rice, had played a tougher schedule and fared well. Those folks forgot to tell Logan and his teammates. The barn was electric. The music was loud. The fans were rabid. The final score reflected an 8-3 Dragon victory. It wasn’t even close. And there he was, #10 – Senior Captain - playing in his last home game… did the writers predict a hat trick? Logan was all over the stat sheet. He had a Roughing Minor in the 3^rd period, an assist and potted 3 beautiful goals for his first career hat trick – at home – in the playoffs. You can’t make it up.

Like the football season, the hockey season came to an unfortunate end at the hands of someone just a little bit bigger and a little bit better. The Dragons fought to the bitter end and forced the Monticello Moose to beat them in Double Overtime. The game was well worth the price of admission.

The ice melted and gave way to another trip around the bases. Hope springs eternal. Logan and his baseball teammates looked to repeat and build on their 13 win season from the year before. 4 seniors lead the way. The Pace Bros. and their muscles intimidated opponents. Their pitching and hitting proved why. Matt Kempf used his golden arm and high end speed to lockdown centerfield. And then there was the Bear – throwing guys out from behind the plate; taking his turn on the mound and commanding the corners for big wins against Hinckley and Braham; and leading from the front again. He batted Lead Off from the first inning of the first game until the last. His batting average was close to .450. He stole bases and played great defense wherever he was called. 3^rd base – like he was born to do it. Middle Infield? Let’s turn two. Can Logan play the outfield? We need a guy. Yep – just let him borrow Dad’s sunglasses.

Spring sports in Minnesota fly by. April showers pack double headers into pieced together schedules like Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors. Before we could even catch our breath, we found ourselves in Aitkin for the second time in two weeks in the first round of playoffs. The team in the other dugout had nothing to lose and put their #1 hurler on the mound. It was a well-played game by both squads in a defensive battle that ended in a 2-0 triumph for our beloved boys in blue and gold. Each run was scored with a Solo Homerun from a Senior. Nathan Pace crushed the first one and dented the elementary school across the lot. And like the Hallmark writers predicted, Logan Kirby hammered the second one just over the fence in deep left-center field. His first home – his Senior season – in the playoffs. You can’t make it up. I wonder if Mesabi East remembered him from the Fall.

He might be upset that I wrote this. He doesn’t do any of it for attention. When he tumbles into the endzone, he’s been known to point to a sibling or a favorite photographer. He typically thanks his blockers and then hands the ball directly to the official with little to no fanfare– as if he’s done it before and intends to do it again. He might be a little more dramatic when he scores in hockey but truthfully, hockey is a little more intense and scores are harder to come by. But listen to him in the post-game interviews and he’s quick to deflect and eager to heap praise on his teammates. He is humble. Almost unbelievably so. He’s just so happy to be on the team and playing games with his friends. And you know what…. It’s not the touchdowns nor the tackles that I’m most proud of. It’s not the hat trick or the homer that I want to remember. My favorite memory came on Senior Scholarship Award night.

To the graduating seniors that plan to continue learning once their high school diploma is signed, the cost and logistics of post-secondary education can be overwhelming. Although Logan is proudly a member of the Minnesota Honor Society and was repeatedly on the A honor roll, he admittedly took it easy in 12^th grade and reaped the benefits of his earlier hard work. Shop classes and work study softened his schedule that may have had an English class and a Math class in there somewhere. With the college application process underway, scholarship applications came due, and Logan towed the company line. That night a collection of seniors sat on stage as community stakeholders doled out awards. It was a pleasant surprise to hear Logan’s name called as the first recipient. Dale’s Heating and Appliance awarded him a nice scholarship intended for a student headed not to a traditional college but a career in the trades. The American Legion and the VFW both handed him scholarships that night too. Many of his classmates raked in the awards and honors as well.

And then the night culminated in a major award. Mr. Dennis Frandsen is a local entrepreneur and banker that has done well for himself in life. He has created an endowment to extend his legacy for generations to come. He doesn’t just offer a low-grade scholarship. Mr. Frandsen has offered a complete tuition grant to graduating students from a few surrounding schools. The award is for those that are attending 2-year colleges and pursuing a career in the technical trades. Select colleges have partnered with the Frandsen Foundation to encourage kids that might not have otherwise considered the technical fields to further their education without any financial burden. Yes, you heard that right. Dennis Frandsen’s philanthropic ways have called him to write a check covering books, tuition, supplies, and tools for two years for those qualifying students. This year 197 students from 8 different schools took him up on his offer. Logan was one of them.

When 20 or so Rush City students’ names were called to come forward that night to accept their certificate and be recognized, Logan was in the middle of the pack. I assume because his last name starts with a “K”. Those before him shuffled from the chairs and quietly accepted their slip of paper and hung around for a group picture. Not Logan.

He is the Salt of the Earth.

Logan thanked the presenters and then promptly walked off the stage.

The captain of the football team slowly walked down the steps and into the audience. The captain of the hockey team sought out the elderly Mr. Frandsen and knelt in front of him and extended his hand for a handshake. In the background, the presenters continued down their alphabetical list. Logan quietly visited with Mr. Frandsen and thanked him for his generosity. He shook Mrs. Frandsen’s hand as well. I wished that I could have heard their conversation. I could barely see the interaction. Tears of pride welled in my eyes.

Teachers and Coaches in attendance took notice and knew Logan did not do this for attention but because it was the right thing to do. Some of his peers noticed too and followed suit. Logan doesn’t act as if he is special in any way. He is straightforward and honest, humble and thoughtful. That handshake proved to his mother and me what we already knew. It proved that the touchdowns and tackles, hat tricks and homers matter but they don’t matter half as much as being kind.

Great Job, Bear.

We are so proud of you.

Cue the Hallmark Credits........