At 7:47 pm the final out was recorded by the Northside Vikings, ending the Cavaliers dream season with a 7-4 setback. At 9:30 pm there were still Goodbyes 👋 to be shared and there’s where the storyline starts.
When Casey Burcham accepted the Head Coaching job at his alma mater, I wrote a story comparing the hire with Virginia Tech Head Basketball coach Mike Young. Young landed him ” dream job ” . Burcham waited patiently for his opportunity and WOW, color me IMPRESSED. I know that the outcome Tuesday night was not what Burcham and his team were hoping for but the greater story is about what Team Burcham accomplished in the first year on the job.
Happy to wait my turn to share a moment with our C.E.O, it was quite the experience to soak in the heartfelt hugs and tearful farewells on display. The team even received a much deserved standing ovation from the diehard fans.
The truth is that Burcham and Friends accomplished so many things in such a small amount of time that’s it hard to pick a starting point. Even at a tougher than expected moment, Burcham displayed the type of leadership that others can only dream about.
” When you write ✍ your story, please don’t make it about me,” Burcham asked. ” I am surrounded with a great support team.”
The team begins with support from above and Burcham has that in spades ♠️. The first group listed by our Head Coach included Dr Mark Burnette, Principal Chuck Thompson, Athletic Director Kevin DeHaven and Tammy Quesenberry.
” Stephen Puckett is another person who played a major role in our efforts,” added Burcham. ” The coaching staff, the volunteer staff and then the family 👪.”
The combined record of the program was 38-3 and it included a pair of Three Rivers District crowns 👑. Just as impressive is the number of area Businesses that proudly have a banner hanging on the fence at Bill Worrell Field.
The Castle 🏰 on The Hill, also known as the Indoor Hitting Center, will stand for decades to come. Not bad work for a rookie that could have settled for getting off to a slower start.
The Family 👪 in the Family Atmosphere:
Burcham joked about how many members of his support staff are Family members. Mom, Grandmother 👵, Sister In-Laws and children. Landon is hoping to follow in the family business after graduating from Radford University. Last night 🌙 he played the roll of host and did a great job of handling the 🎤🎙🎤.
Red Carpet Crowd – We have 12 teams competing each spring and its safe to say that Cavalier Baseball ⚾️ is the Flagship program and Bill Worrell Field was full of CCHS celebrities last night. Its helps when your players include last names like Worrell, Reed, DeHaven and Quesenberry.
The improvements to the bleachers made over the past 12 months have also added to the ability for folks to take in a ballgame on The Hill. Just another step taken to turn the eastern portion of The Hill into a happening place to be.
Yes, the Cavaliers fell one game short of qualifying for the State Tournament. But there’s no reason for that to be the lead story here. From the Alumni Game back in the beginning of his regime through the couple of hours of Goodbyes, the Burcham Bunch has IT going on and it comes at a time when the community can use it.
Burcham is a High School Baseball Coach that is acting like a College Skipper at a mid-major University. Coach could probably use a breather to reboot, something that I can relate to myself.
Carroll County Baseball is here to stay and everyone on The Hill is better because of it.
Don’t forget to check out the game story by Allen Worrell but its equally important to remember to look at the BIG PICTURE of the past 12 months !
Through the eyes of a Greater Fool 