The best coaches share the attributes of great big brothers — they model, they help develop, they make young men want to be the best version of themselves.

What happens in that incredibly unique circumstance when the coach and the big brother are the same person?

This is the case of Alex Stork, 29-year-old head football coach at Henley High School in Klamath Falls.

A Rare Football Family

It is uncertain how the record books would reflect this, but it is probably safe to say that very few circumstances in the history of Oregon football involve an older brother coaching his younger brother.

Indeed, there are storied father-son coaching duos, but rarely is the opportunity for a young football coach to take the helm of a team and have, at his right hand, his starting quarterback also be his little brother.

Such is the case for Klamath Falls' Henley Hornets Football team — where the Hornets are led by little brother Shaw Stork, who is starting his second season as QB of the second-ranked 4A program in the state.

How Alex Got the Henley Job

Alex was just 22 years old when he was first considered for the Henley coaching position — a young age for any varsity high-school football head-coaching role, let alone at a top-tier program.

Little did he know that part of the beauty of this new assignment would be the honor and joy of coaching his two younger brothers at Henley:

  • Beau — now age 20
  • Shaw — age 18 (starting QB)

The Values That Last

The values learned through sports participation last a lifetime.

According to Alex, the opportunity to coach your younger brother as a quarterback, captain, and leader of the team is a gift.

Alex shares that the values of this relationship are realized well before they take the field. The friendship, the bonding, the nurturing of their relationship transcends the competition and the on-field action of Friday Night Lights.

Friday Night Lights — Hornets-Style

Make no doubt — the Friday nights have been special.

Since his little brother Shaw took the snaps at QB:

  • Henley Hornets — 2nd-ranked 4A program in Oregon
  • Deep playoff runs building program momentum
  • A culture of brotherhood that extends beyond the Stork family to every player on the roster

That cultural piece is what coaching done well actually produces. The Storks happen to share DNA, but the way Alex coaches Shaw is the same way he coaches every player on his roster — like a big brother who wants them to be the best version of themselves.

What Alex Wants His Brothers to Learn

When Alex talks about his coaching philosophy, certain themes keep recurring:

  • Show up when you don't feel like it
  • Take ownership of mistakes — yours and your team's
  • Lead by example before you lead with your voice
  • Respect everyone — coaches, teammates, opponents, refs, parents in the stands
  • Make memories that last — because high-school football careers end fast, but the friendships and lessons last a lifetime

For Beau and Shaw — and for every Henley player — those lessons land harder because they're being delivered by someone who lives them every day.

The Stork Family

The Storks are a deeply rooted Klamath Falls family — and the Henley football program is just one of the visible places that root system shows up.

For a young coach to take over a program at 22 and lead it to second-ranked 4A status by his late 20s is no small thing. Doing it while coaching your own brothers is rarer still.

Cheering Them On

To Alex, Beau, and Shaw Stork — and the entire Stork family — the basin is watching, cheering, and grateful for what you're building at Henley.

To the Hornets faithful packing the stands every Friday night: keep showing up. This is what high-school football at its best looks like.

Go Hornets.