BILLINGS — Marcus Drange knew his close friend would be mad.
“Yes, I 100% knew he’d be mad,” Drange confessed with a smile.
But that didn’t stop Drange from doing what friends do — stepping up to help when Billings West boys basketball coach Kelly Darragh and his wife, Rachelle, were hit with life-altering news: Rachelle had a brain tumor.
“She’s gotten migraines before, and this one just wasn’t going away and it was pretty painful. So, we basically said let’s go get checked,” Darragh recalled.
That was last summer. Rachelle recently endured her second surgery at the Mayo Clinic after doctors weren’t able to remove her full tumor in September.
“We hope it’s gone well. We won’t know for about three months until the brain completely heals,” Darragh said. “But the doctors down there felt pretty good about it.”
Knowing his buddy keeps things close to the vest and isn’t the type to ask for help, Drange took action.
“You know, I was able to bring him in and I kind of told him what we were doing and that the ball was already rolling, and he didn’t have a chance to say yes or no,” Drange said of broaching the subject with West's head coach.
With the help of colleague Kelly Grossman and others, Drange organized fundraising efforts, including designing and selling t-shirts featuring the word “Teaglach.”
“It looks like TEE-glock … I think it’s pronounced CHI-luk,” Drange said displaying the t-shirt.
Darragh explained the word’s significance, stating, “I went to school one summer in Ireland, so my foreign language is Gaelic. I don’t know if I learned anything, but no one can really test me on it,” he said with a smile. “But my family is Irish, so it’s been an important thing to us. It means family.”
Drange noted, “The gray ribbon is for brain cancer, and then pretty small in there is RD for Rachelle. Yeah, I’ve got to credit Lexie Rice on this — (assistant coach Mike Rice’s wife) — on the design.”
Drange estimates they’ve raised between $5,000 to $6,000 with contributions helping to cover medical costs and travel expenses. Those wishing to help may choose from a variety of Teaglach gear through the Billings West Booster Club website.
“Just the little tip jar right where we’re standing during our home games has been great for all the medical costs and the travel,” Drange said. “Everyone knows the world we live in is expensive. Every time you walk out the door you’re spending money, and going through the travel aspect … I just was hoping to curb that cost.”
Support has poured in from friends, coaches and teams across the state, with many wearing the shirts during games. The effort has extended beyond t-shirt sales, as players have taken action on their own.
“They showed up one day and they were shoveling my driveway,” Darragh said with a smile, recalling recent heavy snow conditions.
West guard Ben Erbacher added, “Yeah, we decided as a team to go do that for him. Anything to make his life a little easier, for sure.”
While Darragh says Rachelle hasn’t been able to attend many games, she remains engaged from home.
“She does a lot of coaching from the couch and telling (me) what we should be doing and shouldn’t be doing,” Darragh said.
Erbacher noted, “I think it’s kind of motivated us all season.”
Aspiring for a state championship run, the top-ranked Bears clinched the Eastern AA’s No. 1 seed Thursday with a 43-31 win at crosstown rival Billings Skyview. But their impact off the court is already engraved.
“No matter how we end this year, whether it’s holding a trophy or whatever, I think nothing is going to compare to just what these boys and their families and the coaches have done for Rachelle and I and our family,” Darragh reflected. “There’s no trophy that can take that place and I appreciate that, and I’ll remember that for the rest of my life.”
