 McCain and Obama supporters need to read: OK, we all want to see the American dream? Some know I do feature magazine for my region and one of the stories I found (Did not write) was on Louis Stoner. This is a true american dream story. PLUS, HE'S A D-1 Prospect at Kicker in 3 years:
"American Dream: Football and Futbol"
Life has a funny way of uniting people. People from different cultures often find that more similarities lie under the surface, and that when it’s all said and done, people are people, regardless of language or ethnicity.
When Luis Stoner came to Bowling Green last March from Honduras, he couldn’t speak English and was unsure what the future had in store for him. Considering his past, he knew what lay ahead in America had to be more promising. At age 14, on foot, Luis left his native country with only $14 in his pocket and crossed over the Mexican border and into his new life.
It didn’t take long for Stoner to get picked up by Immigration and Naturalization Services. Instead of sending him home, he was placed with his aunt in Mississippi, where he began working construction on the gulf coast. It would be there that he would meet a family that would put him on a path to living the life that most Americans expect and in some ways take for granted.
While working in Mississippi, Luis struck up a friendship with his new neighbors, Trish and Jamie Stoner. The more the Stoners learned about Luis, the more they were moved by his story. They soon offered to adopt him, which after consulting with his parents back in Honduras, he gladly accepted. Things moved pretty quickly after that. The Stoners purchased Heritage Funeral Home in Bowling Green, packed up their family (which already consisted of 10 children), and moved to Kentucky.
“He came here all on is own at age 14. He has such an amazing story, and he’s just a great kid,” Jamie Stoner said. “He was working 12 hours a day doing construction and not making a lot. He was just working all the time. They were really taking advantage of him, and I just told him, ‘Hey, there’s more to life than working.’ ”
For most children in Honduras the educational process stops in the eighth grade. This was another reason why Luis’ wanted to come to America--to learn. Although Luis had never experienced a chocolate chip cookie, he did know somewhere he could find a piece of home--the soccer fields. He also knew that despite having any real verbal way to communicate with kids his own age, he could find a way to bridge the gap through a game.
Stoner is now 45 pounds heavier since moving to Bowling Green, and is a freshman at BGHS. And so far, since he can’t say much, it’s safe to say his actions have spoken louder than words.
“He’s a pretty quiet kid, but as far as raw athletic ability, he’s a monster,” Purples soccer coach Craig Widener said. “For a freshman he’s got the strongest leg I’ve ever seen, bar none. He’s got a cannon attached to his body. When he hits the soccer ball or football it just makes a different noise.”
Like most successful programs, the rich often times get richer. Widener says that Stoner “will be an all-state player” by the time he’s a senior. But the Purples soccer team is not the only ones benefiting from Luis’ leg. Bowling Green football coach Kevin Wallace has taken notice as well.
Wallace has consistently found kickers on the soccer team. Current kicker Max Oldham is one. WKU sophomore Casey Tinius is another, and before him it was Adam Mercer, and on and on we go. It’s been a pipeline for the Purples football team, and it appears to be in safe hands with Stoner.
“He certainly had the wow factor for us,” Wallace said. “He certainly has a strong leg. He really didn’t have any kind of background as far as kicking a football, but he’s got a lot of raw talent. If we get him some proper instruction, he’s got a chance to be special. He’s a strong, athletic young man for his age and obviously with a very powerful leg.”
One of the more impressive things Wallace says Stoner has shown them is his ability to boot the ball with both legs. While he’s crushing the ball through the back of the endzone with his right foot he decided to show off his skills with his left foot where Wallace said he “kicked it 55 yards” and that he “had never seen anything like that.”
On the soccer field Stoner’s presence is more evident. With just two regular season games remaining Stoner is second on the team in scoring, having netted 11 goals and dished out three assists. With an injury to Oldham he’s been asked to handle the football team’s kickoff duties, where he’s promptly put nearly every ball into the back of the endzone.
So, how is he getting along with his new teammates in his new hometown?
“We all get along great. I was accepted right away and Bowling Green really has a great group of players,” Stoner said. “One of the best things is being on a team that is good. Bowling Green has really given me a chance to prove myself.”
While Stoner’s story on the field of play is interesting and uplifting, it’s what he does away from athletics that is the most inspiring. While Luis still struggles with his English, it has not stopped him from consoling people at the funeral home as a greeter.
So now that Luis finds himself living the “American Dream,” what direction does he see it leading him?
“My plan is to advance as far as I can in soccer and also concentrate on a career in football. I would like to go pro someday in one of them. Soccer is my passion, but I really enjoy kicking in football,” he said. “I would love to be able to play college soccer and/or football and would like to have the chance to go pro. My dad's cousin Brad Meester is the starting center for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and I would love to have that opportunity.”
We also did a story on a kid who beat Leukemia in the off season who is back starting on the oline. If you don't mind I'll post a link to the online version if you want to read. | 
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