Cascade-Monroe game will include unique father-son twist

Nathan Mead is the starting center for Monroe, while Jeff Mead is Cascade’s defensive line coach.

It’s rivalry week in the Mead household.

For the second consecutive year, the Cascade-Monroe football game will include a unique father-son twist.

Nathan Mead is the starting center on Monroe’s offensive line, while Jeff Mead is in his second season as Cascade’s defensive line coach. That means father and son will be indirectly pitted against each other when the two teams square off Friday night.

Nathan said their conversations this week have been brief, similar to last year in the days leading up to the game.

“It’s a lot of hi’s and byes — not a lot of talking in between,” Nathan said. “So (when) Saturday comes around, then we’ll start talking again. But it’s a lot of small conversation for the week.”

Prior to joining the Cascade staff last season, the elder Mead coached Nathan and his fellow Monroe linemen as part of the Bearcats’ coaching staff.

“He definitely knows the guys,” Nathan said. “He’s coached a lot of them since they were younger.

“It’s a fun week,” he added. “Once it’s over, it’s over, and we move on to the next week like it never happened.”

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