Baldwin City ? Baker University football coach Mike Grossner has led his team to the No. 2 ranking in the NAIA, the program’s highest mark since he took over the Wildcats’ head-coaching job in 2004.

The Wildcats’ rise to the top of the Heart of America Athletic Conference and NAIA has been a long, uphill battle for Grossner, but before the beginning of the 2014 season, the 49-year-old coach was confronted with another fight that he would have to take on.

On Aug. 12, three days before the Wildcats reported for their first practice, Grossner was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer that had formed in his neck.

Grossner first noticed a bump on his neck late in the spring but admitted he was in denial through the summer about it being cancer.

After going to a dentist in late July and an oncologist in early August, Grossner knew he had to go under the knife and have a biopsy.

“If you saw me that Friday (Aug. 15), the stitches were … my whole neck was hanging,” Grossner said. “I looked like I had been slashed across the neck pretty good.”

Starting the fight

Following his diagnosis, Grossner remained calm and only had one worry: his three children.

“Personally, there wasn’t ever a moment where I said, ‘Why me?’ I’ve lived a great life and have been very lucky,” Grossner said. “The only thing in this whole process was the first concern I had was for my three kids. Did I prepare myself for them to be taken care of? My wife is tougher than heck. I wasn’t worried about her. I’m worried about those three kids. Once I got that settled in my mind, I’ve been good through this whole process.”

Grossner and his team of doctors knew there wasn’t any time to waste for starting treatment. On Aug. 18, the first day of two-a-days for Baker, Grossner began his first cycle of chemotherapy and radiation.

“(The doctors) were very optimistic that with this type of cancer that I have an 85 percent chance to beat it and live. With the treatment, Week Three was a little rough,” Grossner said. “I kind of sat back, you know … you start losing your taste, and sores, and I have ulcers in the back of my throat where they’re shooting it daily. I have chemo on Monday and then five days daily of radiation.”

Grossner just wrapped up his fifth week of seven for chemo and radiation. His treatment schedule has worked well for him. He goes to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for radiation each morning and does not miss practice in the afternoon. He has only missed two practices all season, something that has not gone unnoticed by his players.

“Whenever we get down on ourselves or start feeling sorry, we see Coach G out there. He never misses a beat,” Baker senior wide receiver and Free State alumnus Connor Stremel said. “He’s a fighter. He’s always out on the sidelines yelling, always getting our backs. It has inspired us quite a bit.”

Fighter’s mentality

The Wildcats began the season ranked No. 5, but have moved up three spots after starting 3-0 with victories over Ottawa, Sterling and Evangel.

None of the three wins came easily for Baker, as they lost several key players to injury. Grossner has preached what he refers to as the “Next Man Up” motto, and his players have answered his call.

“Our team is playing like coach Grossner is: They’re fighters,” Baker offensive coordinator Miguel Regalado said. “You look at it, since ’08 the amount of games we’ve won by a touchdown or less, and it tells you a lot about coach Grossner. A team is normally what their head coach is. These guys are battling week in, week out.”

49th birthday present

After addressing the team about his diagnosis early in the preseason, Grossner has made sure to keep the Wildcats focused on each practice and game and not his battle with cancer. That changed a bit before Baker’s 24-14 victory over Evangel on Saturday. When Grossner met with the team the night before the game, he told the Wildcats that a win on Saturday would be extra special for him.

“Last weekend was my birthday on game day,” Grossner said. “I turned 49 that day. I told them 29.”

While Grossner has never been one to be selfish, he played the win-one-for-the-Gipper card to motivate the Wildcats, and his players said it worked.

“It kind of put everything in check for us this year. Coach G is not one to talk about himself or bring attention to himself, and the fact that he brought that up before the game and said that he really wanted to win that game really inspired us,” Stremel said. “I think it brought us through if you look at the kind of game we had. It was a fight until the end, and it was a tough game for us.”

‘Just a challenge’

As Grossner’s fight and Baker’s season move on, the Wildcats’ coach has his eyes set on winning all of his upcoming battles, on or off the football field.

Since Grossner has been at Baker, he has had a lofty goal in mind. Now more than ever, he is not backing down from it.

“When I took this job, at the press conference I said I came here to win a national championship,” Grossner said. “I absolutely 100 percent believe that.”

Grossner’s confidence in his team and his cancer battle parallel each other. He is optimistic following a PET scan that the cancer has not spread below his neck and is looking at the disease as “just a challenge.”

Thankful for support

One of the things that has helped Grossner through his battle has been the support he has received from his former college teammates and coaches, opposing teams and several people with ties to Baker.

In the closing minutes of Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins game, CBS broadcaster Kevin Harlan relayed well wishes to Grossner from Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Long before becoming a Super Bowl champion head coach, McCarthy was a teammate of Grossner’s at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona in 1984 and then wrapped up his playing career as a tight end at Baker. BU’s last appearance in the NAIA championship game came in McCarthy’s senior season in 1986.

As the Wildcats take the field at Liston Stadium today against Graceland University, Grossner has been emphasizing to his players to embrace their No. 2 ranking and to have the expectation to win.

“I’m not one of those guys that is superstitious that if you talk about it, you’re going to lose,” Grossner said. “I want them to act that way and to be confident in their ability. I’ve been trying to psychologically prepare our players to win in this situation, not to fear losing.”