Nevada High School's senior class of football players displayed character, loyalty and togetherness that many programs can only dream about.

Sure, the Tigers didn't win many games -- they went 2-8 each of the past two seasons -- but in the broader picture they have proven a significant amount.

The seniors attained many qualities that will make them winners in the game of life, in part through their football in Nevada,

"The phrase that you start together and finish together is probably fitting with this group of guys and their loyalty to each other," Nevada head football coach Shannon Jolley said recently after completing his first season with the Tigers. "And their willingness to overcome the losing seasons and look forward each year to coming back with each other is probably what high school football is all about."

Senior linebacker/offensive lineman Ryan Herda, who earned co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Southwest Conference's final season, wasn't about to let a losing season keep him from coming back and doing something he enjoyed.

"Probably for the love of the game, being with your buddies and playing with them since fourth grade," Herda said as to what drove him to continue playing football. "Then there's always the thinking we'll do better next year; always the optimism."

Senior quarterback Ronnie Herda, who threw for more than 2,300 yards as a junior, had his senior season cut short due to a knee injury suffered in the fourth game against Carthage.

"It was more on a personal level. It was more than just a teammate," Ryan Herda said of the injury to his twin brother.

"It's tough at first," Ronnie Herda said of recalling the injury. "Then I looked at whose behind me and Austin Baldwin is a heckuva player. He's got more talent than a lot of kids dream about. I just worked on coaching him up from the knowledge I've gained and the experience from playing the past three years. I tried to keep positive reinforcement out there any chance I could."

Before Nevada's final game of the season against Monett, some of the Tigers' seniors came up with an idea of having Ronnie take the field for one final play.

"Jerrod Alexander said something about it ... We had Ronnie come up to the practice field, gave him his jersey and told him 'you are going to take your last hike tonight.' He appreciated that," Ryan recalled.

Ronnie Herda entered the game with 18.8 seconds remaining against Monett, got the snap and took a knee.

"There's no other feeling from standing in the huddle, holding hands with the players beside you that you've played football with and standing in the huddle next to them on my final snap of my senior year. That is pretty special. That will stick with me forever," he said.

"It's special for us to see the relationships those young men have built," Jolley said. "I think fittingly to see our seniors go out and take a knee with one of their teammates who came across an unfortunate injury this year was probably a true representation and what they've been through."

Ronnie Herda's rehabilitation has provided him hope of still playing college football on a high level.

"It's coming along great. My physical therapist, he's got me as far as healing, way ahead of schedule," said Ronnie, who made his second recruiting visit to Mizzou last weekend.

Columbia University, N.Y., an Ivy League school, is also one of the more interesting schools recruiting the muscular 6-feet-1, 205-pound signal caller.

"I don't think (the injury) has set me back as far as the next level," he said.

A pair of Nevada two-way standouts will remember the great plays as well as bloopers.

"You think of the real foul-ups," Ryan Herda said with a laugh. "I could've intercepted a ball and it hit me in the face mask."

"I'll remember the great plays," Jacob Cherry said. "I probably will always remember when Baldwin was about to get sacked and right before he does, I just turned to him and screamed his name. He threw me the ball and we got that two-point conversion."

While many of this year's group of 20 seniors played throughout high school, several returned this fall after sitting out previous seasons.

"It was a huge compliment to our coaching staff and to our teammates that we had several seniors come back out this year trusting in our coaches and players and making them feel welcome to being a part of Nevada football," Jolley said.

The veteran seniors were very accepting of the players who didn't play the previous season as well as the underclassmen.

"I think the seniors gave a great example for their teammates to follow of what it's like to persevere and what it's like to finish what you started," Jolley said. "One thing I was very impressed with as a new coach in the program was the acceptance the teammates had for each other and the support the seniors gave the younger kids in the jayvee and freshmen games."

Nevada 2007 Seniors

Ronnie Herda

Ben Compton

Dan Lovinger

Logan Harms

Kyle Hughes

Aaron Dade

Jacob Cherry

Tyler Werner

Jacob Anderson

Jerrod Alexander

Donnie Hubbard

Ryan Herda

Ethan Fast

Colin Pettibon

Colton Johnson

Craig Wagenknecht

Josh Palmer

Garrett Mckenzie

Nash Smith

Mitch Pent

Donald Hixson