We lost a great leader and protector yesterday. While I never had the privilege of knowing our Deputy, I do know our Sherriff and what his department stands for.

Thoughts and prayers πŸ™ go out to everyone who is feeling like they lost someone who was near and dear to them. God Bless πŸ™Œ everyone who is currently involved with the Man Hunt and the family of the other Deputy who was wounded.

Travis Osborne is busy today celebrating the Birth of his first born today ( Happy Birthday πŸŽ‚ Kiddo) but still took the time to share his Bible Verse of the Day…

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus

Later today, it will be time to head over to Hillsville Elementary School to see how I can be of assistance to Coach Vickey and our Special Olympics Basketball program. This is how I came to know Sherriff Kemp years ago, and I’m better for knowing him.

  Rest in Peace, Brother Utt and know that you touched many, many lives along your journey.

Not your typical Morning Brew, but yesterday was not your typical day.

It turns out that tonight will not be the one when our young Dakota Walls races around the oval here in Pulaski County. But the journey will continue !

Running a stock car team is not easy on anyones wallet, especially when you are trying hard to run a Mom and Pop style operation.

Eddie Walls ( Grad from CCHS) and his son, Dakota ( currently a sophomore on The Hill), have been around race tracks forever and a day. The duo has been an absolute pleasure to interact with as three different times they made the race car available to us as we were supporting other Cavalier teams.

Our logo means a great deal to us, and when it’s on the hood of his race 🏁 car, zipping around the track, it is stimulating, to say the least.

Father and Son and the balance of the race team were working non-stop today in hopes of competing tonight. We even had Ryan McCafferty coming out from The Carroll News to report on the night.

Tonight, it will not be our night, but it is just a speed bump on the track that isn’t life. Keep fighting πŸ’ͺ the good fight, and you will get there !

Thank you to all of their other sponsors and his / our race fans !

We need a Top 10 list on why someone should drive to Abingdon on Monday night and root, root, root for the visiting team!

First Pitch at 6pm

Casey Burcham is someone who we can proudly look up to on a daily basis, and his Burcham Bunch is equally easy to cheer for.

84 miles from The Hill to the Falcons Nest πŸͺΊ and we are looking for folks that have some time on their hands βœ‹οΈMonday night.

David Letterman made the Top 10 list a cool 😎 thing back in the day, and I love to borrow it as often as possible.

The best thing about Coach Burcham is the level of humility that the Man displays ! Yes, he’s one that would be considered a ” Cool Kid ” but that doesn’t really fit because of his insane work ethic that he displays, day in and day out.

Win the game, and you advance to the State Tournament. It’s that simple, win, and you are in. We will reach the next level eventually because of the way the program is structured, so the question should be, why not now ?

The top 10 reasons for driving πŸš— over to Abingdon are…… drum πŸ₯ roll, please.

#10 – Do it for our athletic director, Kevin DeHaven. When DeHaven turned over the keys πŸ”‘ to Burcham two years ago, he went from coaching a group of student athletes to leading the way for all of our student athletes.

#9 – The Nester Nine… Adam Nester took the baton from Steve Combs when Combs moved up to lead assistant, and the JV program hasn’t missed a beat. They are Cavaliers in waiting and a show of support for the Big Kiddos will spill over onto them.

#8 – ” The Voice ” – Whether you refer to her as Dr Samantha Reed or as she is in my cellphone as Kevin’s friend Sam, her lending her voice to the team this season added to the majestic atmosphere at Bill Worrell Field. Reed could stand in a 🌽 cornfield and read C-Span highlights, and you would still listen.

#7 – The pipeline of coaches that pump ready to play youngsters into the top two tiers of Cavalier baseball. Ryan Largen and Larry Snow are two names that come to mind, and I’m sure if given the opportunity, they would both expand on their lists of people involved.

#6 – The 2025 – 2026 Senior class that will be trying hard to extend their playing days ! We can create an atmosphere that will make them feel ” at home “.

#5 – Steve Combs gets the number five spot because of his five straight JV Three Rivers District crowns πŸ‘‘ that he won πŸ† before moving up on the ladder πŸͺœ. Casey and Combs work so well together because of their shared love for the game and their humility.

#4 – The roster of players that will be returning next season. The next man up mentality truly fits for this group. It has been fun to acknowledge the 2 πŸ’£πŸ’£ efforts of young Mr Reece, who led the way at Magna Vista. Mr Rakes is a fellow member of the ” My Big Brother wore this jersey fraternity,” and Mr. Reed leads the ” my little brother will wear the jersey club”.

#3 – Family of Casey Burcham ! You cannot operate at the level of our ball coach without love and support at home. Quite the trio…

#2 – Does the story need a bad guy character ? If it does, Abingdon High School can be our Darth Vader. I don’t need an evil empire, but it that gets you to the ballpark on Monday….

#1 – The number one reason why you should cheer loudly for the Cavaliers on Monday night is…..

His Mamma !

I promise you that you can not possess the skill set that Casey has if you weren’t raised right !

Now, looking for a way to show my support to the Burcham Bunch until the ride ends, this is the best answer I could find

Baseball ⚾️ toe nails πŸ’… until the team has completed its run. It’s worth noting that the ladies in the shop in Christiansburg are still laughing !

There is absolutely no doubt that Cody Reece woke up this morning with a silly grin on his face after his little brother was a 1 man πŸ’£πŸ’£ squad last night !!!

Carroll County 8, Magna Vista 3 was the final score, and now we review the game in cartoon style !

Above everything else, the players should enjoy the moment and leave the worrying / planning to the coaching staff.

Day #3 in Salem, and it’s a great day for Softball, but when isn’t it a great day for Softball ?

Linfield versus Simpson in an elimination game !

More 2 follow…..

Both clubs plate 2 runs πŸƒβ€β™€οΈ in the second inning

There was no doubt on the Linfield bomb to left field. It flirted with clearing the back wall at 300 feet.

Wildcats plate 1 in the top of the third, leading 3-2. [11:45]

Storm respond with one of their own in the bottom of the 3rd.

Love the flag !

The amount of energy being generated by the crowd is impressive ! It’s not about how many people, it’s about how much heart.

Halftime score 3-3 ( Mid 4th)

End 4th [12:14], Storm lead 4-3….once again, great game !

It was fitting that we would need extra innings to decide this one ! Everything about this one was great for the sport !