Our thoughts and prayers are with the Barta family and Smith Center as legendary Kansas HS football coach Roger Barta has passed away at the age of 79 as first reported by Kansas Pregame. “Someone here is the best football player on the team, and someone is the worst,” Barta said. “It’s time to forget about that. Let’s respect each other. When we respect each other, we’ll like each other. When we like each other, we’ll love each other. That’s when, together, we’ll become champions.” “One more thing, guys. We don’t talk about winning and losing. We talk about getting a little better every day, about being the best we can be, about being a team. And when we do that, winning and losing take care of themselves.” Roger Barta Smith Center Redmen 79 consecutive wins Under Barta, the Smith Center Redmen won eight state football titles, set the Kansas record for consecutive wins with 79 in a row, and complied a record of 323-68 from 1978-2012. Barta, a Kansas Sports Hall of Famer, retired in 2012 from SC. Smith Center was also the setting of New York Times best selling book by Joe Drape, “Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen”. Barta coached numerous players that went on to college football and even a couple to the NFL. Barta was born in Ellsworth in 1945 but grew up in Plainville. He graduated from FHSU and the University of Georgia. He also served as an assistant at Tonganoxie, Atwood and Wakeeney prior to taking the SC job. His son Brooks is also a Kansas coaching legend with the Holton program. The street leading to the football stadium was named “Roger Barta Way” several years ago to honor coach Barta’s Iasting impact. Info courtesy of Jake Dolezal, photo courtesy of the KSHOF #sportsinkansas