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The one and only Kyle Plunk of Hallsville

The one and only Kyle Plunk of Hallsville

May 28, 2016

By Brandon Sheffield, smilehallsville.wordpress.com

HALLSVILLE – On any given Friday night, if you head down to Bobcat stadium the chances of you seeing Kyle Plunk on the sideline is about 100 percent!

That doesn’t mean he is on our side of the field though, you might find him with the cheerleaders or on the other side helping the opposing coaches game plan against us!

There are so many words I could use to describe Kyle. And I am honestly not sure that any one word would suffice.

I’m not sure Kyle has ever met a stranger and I’m thankful for that, only because it means more people will be blessed by Kyle. Because it is not only a blessing for me to know him, but it’s an honor.

I’m not sure if David and Kelly Plunk knew what kind of crazy kid they had on their hands when Kyle was born, but they know now and I know for a fact they wouldn’t trade him for the world!

Born with Down syndrome, I’m sure Kyle and the Plunk family have had to overcome and climb some steep hills. But if I’m being honest, I wasn’t even going to mention this fact, only because not only is it a non issue when you meet Kyle, it doesn’t define him in any shape or form. I mention it, only because it’s absolutely amazing to watch the Plunk family and see Kyle leading the way! And to know the early struggles, and to then see Kyle work a room full of football players and coaches is amazing and often times hilarious!

Kyle is not only one of of the sweetest kids you will ever know, but one of the funniest.

Talk to any coach that has ever worked for David and they can tell you stories of Kyles exploits and laugh about it the whole time!

They have also warned me to never let Kyle get ahold of your cell phone number, because the phone calls and texts will never stop!

Some high schools have cherished mascots or things that have become “sacred” to that school. Kyle Plunk has become that for Hallsville. Universally loved by not only our community and football team, but he has made connections with head football coaches across the state of TX.

His little brother Jack says Kyle is just loving life, and I couldn’t put it any better. Always willing to give a hug or fist bump with the biggest smile on his face.

Kyle Plunk is just loving life and because of him being apart of all of our lives, we can love ours a little more as well!

Normally I end with an interview of some kind. I ask the person why they are so positive and things like that. But this is an article about a boy who manages to touch people’s hearts. And while there have been many, one name jumped to the front of my mind.

So I asked Mr. Brian Morris to email me his favorite Kyle Plunk story, and as expected he couldn’t choose one so he gave me more than a couple, proving that Kyle has managed to touch his life on a profound level as well.

“I can’t name one particular story over another. I’ll tell a few.

My family came to Hallsville in 2004. I was the high school principal and Coach Plunk was a history teacher and the defensive coordinator for the Bobcats. Kyle was 6-7 years old at the time. We lived next door to the Plunks and the kids were constantly back and forth between our houses. One day when we were out of town, I got a call from Coach Plunk telling me that he had gone in our house. He wanted to let me know since we were not there. As the story goes, it was one of those, “Has anyone seen Kyle” situations. David and Kelly could not find Kyle. They looked all over the neighborhood and could not find him. They called out for him, no answer. Finally, after more than an hour of looking and worry, David looked up at Morgan’s bedroom window, which was upstairs in our house, and Kyle was watching him from the window. Evidently, we left our back door unlocked and Kyle went up and started watching TV. David went in and got him, then called to let us know he had to go in our house. It was scary for them at that time, but now is funny. There is no telling how long Kyle watched David walk around the neighborhood, up and down the streets calling his name.

Another one of my favorite Kyle stories comes from the first time I saw him “fire” every employee in the room. It was in the old coaches office at the stadium, before a game. Someone asked him who he was going to fire. Kyle went around the room and fired everyone, including me, with the only exception being his Uncle Ken.

Or the time that he made his way to the Lobo sideline at Lobo Stadium and was standing beside John King during the Hallsville / Longview football game. David’s dad had to go get him.

The story that caught me off guard was the first time he told a group of people that I was his father. Kyle has said this for years. He says that I am his father, Meredith is his mother and that Morgan and Jake are his sister and brother. Consequently, he says that David and Kelly are his Uncle and Aunt, and that John David and Jack are his cousins.

Kyle has the innate ability to bring people together. Whether it is his class, the high school campus, the Hallsville Community or the Texas High School Coaches Association. Kyle is a great young man. He has touched the lives of many people, both locally and in distant areas. He makes friends with everyone he meets. It is amazing to see the people he knows and who know him. I have asked David and Kelly on multiple occasions who Kyle is talking to, they don’t know. But if you asked Kyle who it was, he can tell you. One of my favorite people on Earth.

H. Brian Morris, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services, Hallsville ISD”

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