Editor's Note: Cole Reif spent nine years broadcasting Hoisington football games with Dr. Blake Herres. Some opinions are added to the story.
By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
There are many hard-working, generous individuals throughout our
community. These men and women donate their time, give financially and try to
make the area around them better. With all those outstanding citizens in mind,
there are very few that better embodied the definition of a community servant
and supporter more than Dr. Blake Herres.
“He tried to always make some kid shine, whether they came off the bench or if
they were a starter,” said Gene Manweiler, long-time friend of Herres. “He
would always try to say something good about what he or she brought to the
game. He was always good about uplifting kids on the radio.”
A life-long Hoisington resident, Herres began broadcasting Hoisington High
School football and basketball games on the radio in 2001. For more than 20
years, he was the welcoming, familiar voice on the airwaves Friday nights.
Herres passed away March 23 at the age of 70 from esophageal cancer, but he left an impact on several
lives and a community that will last many more lifetimes.
“There were a lot of things that stood out about Blake,” said Joel Mason,
Hoisington High School principal. “Number one was his genuine passion and
concern for the town of Hoisington. Any time he talked, you always got that
impression of that genuine interest for our community, our school and our kids.”
Rooted in the northern Barton County town, Herres graduated from Hoisington
High School in 1970. Receiving education from Kansas State University and the
University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Dentistry, he married Julie
Stone in 1975. They moved to Hoisington in 1979 as Blake started his dental
practice.
“He was down to business inside the office,” said Janet Jonas, who worked with Herres
for nearly 30 years at his dental office. “He treated patients like they were
his best friends. He was very honest with them and conservative. He gave them
options. Every day we tackled every job we had.”
That sense of support to the community went beyond serving on the USD 431 Board
of Education for 12 years. Herres spent many years as a volunteer coach, making
sure he gave his daughters the best chance to succeed in athletics.
“We really didn’t start interacting with each other until our daughters began
playing sports together in middle school,” said Manweiler. “Blake and I got together
and decided we’d start coaching the girls in basketball their 7th
grade summer. We did a lot of road trips. After the girls graduated, Blake and I
continued our road trips together because we enjoyed it so much.”
That community support was felt largely as Herres operated his dental practice
in Hoisington for more than 40 years until retiring in 2022.
“In a town our size, we have relatively few businesses compared to a bigger
community,” said Mason. “Those businesses are hit up by anybody and everybody.
He was definitely asked to be a big booster for many of our activities here at
the school district.”
Friday nights during the fall, you would see Herres walk into the high school
football stadium, make his way up to the press box, pull out his binoculars and
get settled in for another evening of Cardinal football. Blake was on the 100.7
FM broadcast for more than 230 football games, and hundreds more with the
Hoisington basketball programs.
“When I see him interacting with kids, of all ages, at sporting events, those
kids treated Blake with more respect than they did with most adults,” said
Manweiler. “Those kids respected his opinion. When he would give them advice,
it was almost an honor to get advice from Blake Herres. That was so cool, and I
saw that all my life.”
Listen below to audio clips over the years from Herres on the radio.
Herres would frequent as many Cardinal sporting events as possible from middle
school to high school softball, volleyball, baseball or football.
“He always had a positive spin, even when things weren’t going well,” said
Mason. “It was always refreshing seeing him at all of the events.”
“He cared about his patients a lot,” said Jonas. “He was a great dentist and a
great man. I appreciate everything he did for me.”
After each broadcast, Blake would lean in with a smirk and give me (Cole Reif) a firm
handshake. I would tell him "nice job, you sounded good." He would
respond with “I’m just riding your coattails.” As a mere broadcaster, I rarely
disagree with a doctor, but Blake was wrong. Myself, and the community that knew Blake, were riding his coattails…and it was a hell of a ride.