Apple Crisp — Something Sweet for the End of an Era

November 2036. Fifteenth state championship. Final score 24-17. Caleb Park's last game. He ran for 72 yards and threw for 214 and played the game of his high school life, which in my experience is what the great ones do in the last game — everything they've built, all at once. After the final whistle I found him on the field and he was already crying and I let him because there's a time to be the coach and there's a time to just let a young man feel what he's earned the right to feel.

He's going to Colorado State next fall. Full scholarship. He's going to be fine. I told him after the season that he was the kind of player who earns what happens next, and I meant it, and I hope he remembers it on the days when college is harder than he expected.

Fifteen championships in eighteen seasons. In all of professional and high school football coaching in Colorado history, I'm told this program has the best title rate per season of any head coach in the 5A classification. I don't put much stock in comparisons but I put stock in the fact that it is not a coincidence. It means the system works, the culture works, the pipeline works. It means that whatever we've built here is real and will outlast me.

I said that last part again to myself — will outlast me — and it landed differently than it usually does. Because it's starting to feel like a plan, not just a phrase. I've been making notes about succession. I haven't told anyone that yet. But I've been making them.

I drove home from that stadium with the window cracked even though it was November, just to feel it. Fifteen titles. A kid heading to Colorado State. Notes about succession sitting in a folder on my desk. When I got to my kitchen I didn’t want anything complicated — I wanted something that rewarded patience and smelled like it had been worth the wait. I’ve made this apple crisp at the end of every season since my third championship, and it’s never once let me down. Some traditions earn their place, and this one has.

Apple Crisp

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 6 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Prepare the apple filling. In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the lemon juice until evenly coated. Spread the apple mixture in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
3. Make the crisp topping. In a separate bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingertips to work the butter into the oat mixture until it resembles coarse crumbles with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
4. Top and bake. Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the apple layer. Bake for 40—45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling at the edges.
5. Rest and serve. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon into bowls and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 52g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 80mg