A time to cherish: Undefeated Mountain View’s father-son duo bring special bond to state 5A title game

'I know she’s up there watching him and supporting him and cheering him on, just like she always was.'

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- When Mountain View plays for a state title Friday, they'll be led by a player and a coach who leaned on football to overcome adversity.     

Brian and Connor Crum are the head coach-quarterback.

The two have played key roles in carrying the Cougars to an undefeated season.

They’ve been doing so without a pillar of the family: Brian's wife and Connor's mom, Vanessa, who passed away in 2022.

“It's just trying to balance it all,” Brian Crum said this week. “Just trying to be everything. Trying to be dad, trying to keep things together.”

In the spring of 2018, Vanessa Crum was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Her four-year battle ended last year.

“I think she’s a constant part of our lives every day, no matter what,” Brian Crum said. “Her pictures are in our house, we talk about her a lot. Huge part of our lives, and always will be. I spent my Fridays stopping by the cemetery on game days and having a quick talk. And I know she’s up there watching him and supporting him and cheering him on, just like she always was.”

With countless hours spent together on the field, Brian and Connor relied on each other, and a love of the game.

Connor said, “Definitely a ton -- just always being able to know I have someone I trust a ton, always with me through every sport through the school day, just makes me feel much more comfortable.”

Brian agreed.

“I’ve been super lucky, because not every kid wants or lets their parent coach him,” Brian Crum said. “That kind of bonding is special.” 

Support from the Mountain View community made it easier to focus on football.

“You pour yourself into it, you know?" Brian Crum said. "Because I wanted to make sure we maximized in particular this last year, with all of us together with this team.” 

The core of this Cougars team has been together since fifth grade, and coach Crum knew they had a chance to do something special this year.

However, his family’s traumatic loss brings perspective.

“Every person or every family has something that they are going through,” Brian said. “Some struggle, some sort of grief or a traumatic incident that they’ve gone through, and you probably don’t know about it.”

Connor, his mom and two sisters were with his dad when the Cougars last won the state championship, back in 2011.

“If you could write the script of this fairy tale, what would it be? You could get to your senior year with this group of kids -- and let’s go win a state championship, too,” Brian said.

The storybook ending would certainly be celebrated, but Brian is already cherishing victories not measured by a score.

“This team has achieved more than we ever thought,” he said. “In that case, we're all going to give each other a hug and look each other in the eye and say, 'Hey, you’re never taking this away from us, because this was special -- and we did it the right way.'”

Coach Crum, of course, said the success of this season is about all the other players and coaches with Mountain View football.

The Mountain View football program is actually 30-0 on the year, undefeated at the freshman, JV and varsity level.

On Friday, they have a chance to make it a perfect season.