During the time between the years 1900 and 1912 a German born architect by the name of John Latenser created a masterpiece at 124 North 20th Street in Omaha, Nebraska. For thirty years this had been the location of a single building that housed Nebraska's most populated high school. In 1901 Mr. Latenser created a new structure adjacent to its front facing east. He then followed with a creation of a second building a few years later that connected to the first; it faced south. A number of years later he finished yet another structure that connected to the south building facing west. Finally, in year twelve of this project he completed a fourth building that connected to both the south and west facing structures. It faced north. With all four buildings completed the old original structure was now fully encased. Soon after it was raised, leaving an empty space inside the square now formed by the four buildings. The space eventually became a courtyard that accessed all four buildings. The buildings were eventually referred to as sides in the order of their creation. The first creation was the building facing east and it became the 1side. The second building which faced south became the 2side. The third building which faced west became the 3side. The last building that sealed the square faced north and completed the project in 1912...It has since been called the 4side. The story inside this book originated and played out within these four structures, thus the title The Four Sides. Even after all these years as we have both long since moved on it is still the place that bonds us.
About the Author: Coach Reed broke into the football coaching ranks in 1973 in a suburban Omaha area called Benson. The school was Monroe Junior High where he also taught math. He coached for three seasons going undefeated until his last game there. He was coaxed into moving to the high school of that area with promises of a head football coaching position only to be rejected when the job became available. He stayed on as a Benson High School assistant for the next two years and in the midst of his disappointment was offered a teaching and head football coaching position at Omaha Central High School. There he blossomed as one of the most successful coaches in the school's history and as a teacher was guided by one of the best high school principals ever. From 1979-90 Coach Reed turned out some of the most highly recognized football recruits in rare abundance, one year having six offered scholarships by the University of Nebraska. He turned the Omaha Central football program around making the Nebraska high school football playoffs in just his second year. The following year (1982) for a time, Central was rated the number one team in the state of Nebraska. In 1984 Reed coached the Eagles to their first state football championship. It was a team that produced many Division I scholarship players. In 1989 and 1990 Coach Reed doubled as girl's head track coach where he led them to Class A (Nebraska big class) state titles. After retiring in 1991 Coach Reed founded his own golf school, The Consistency Golf Academy in 1993 that eventual grew into the Reedway Golf School in 1995. During a nine year period he taught over 5,000 kids the game of golf. Originally from Monroe, Louisiana Coach Reed migrated to Nebraska in 1970 where he still makes his home today.