The B. B. stands for before Burress as back before Mr Burress signed up for better or worse, there was a fun-loving teacher that we tagged D.J. Debbie.
BB and I have shared some ups and downs over the years, for sure. That brings us to her daughter, Miss Bayleigh Allen. Having met what feels like half a million people over the years, I have never met a parent and a daughter that appear to be an extension of the parent more than Debbie and min-me.
That quickly translated to calling her ” Little Debbie.” It doesn’t work if Mom isn’t named Debbie, and that’s a fact.
When I asked Mom 👩 to send in her favorite photo 📸 of Kiddo, she chose the one we call 📞, The Look. It took place on her personalized Senior Night 🌙. It was the first time it was said aloud.
Little Debbie has graduated 🎓 and while we wish her well going forward, know this Kiddo, calling you the younger version of Debbie Odum is as high of a compliment I can pay you !
We call Kevin Lineberry ” Little Kevin ” and Kevin Burress ” Big Kevin ” for two reasons. One is their physical size, but the bigger measurement is in regard to personality. Both of these young men sit next to me in the press box 📦 at Cavalier Park during the softball season, and both men are outstanding people to share a space with.
Little Kevin is now prepared to graduate 🎓 up to ” Medium Kevin ” not because he is putting on weight, but he is starting to embrace the moment in a more comfortable way ! His kiddo, pictured above with her parents, is also a great sport, and like Big Kevin’s girl, Natalie Burress, she calls a solid game from behind the plate.
I’m flattered by the fact that Mr. Lineberry swaps out, watching his daughter play next to his Bride 👰♂ and sits next to me instead.
I am a better individual for the time spent around Kevin and his family, and we greatly appreciate his sacrifice for the program ! Way to be, Medium Kevin !!!
I have 15 of these I can write ✍️ blindfolded but will happily extend the list for anyone who would enjoy one.
When I finish this one, I will messenger it to roughly 20 Softball families. If you want one you can let me know by just sending me your favorite photo 📸 of you and yours!
We had expanded our coverage to all three teams of Lady Cavaliers Softball program this year and doing so expanded the pool of stories from the program.
Holly Miller is a great example of a ballplayer who knew what to expect from her season each and every day. Our Senior was going to play centerfield every game, and her only question was what spot she would have in the batting order ?
The other end of the spectrum was freshman Ava Beamer. This young lady was dealing with what I call the Yo-Yo effect as she bounced back and forth between the varsity and junior varsity teams. Both squads ended the season with winning records, and the flexibility of Miss Beamer played a large role in that.
Whether she was in the circle 🔵 from start to finish for Coach Terry Warf or filling in on the top squad for Coach Rick Nester, Beamer had a smile on her face.
That balancing act is a very tough one but Kiddo is grown up beyond her age ! I can only say this next part because if you line up my adult children and ask for a show of hands ✋️ from those who were burdened by me being their father 👨 it would be unanimous, Ava accomplished this with Jake Beamer as her Dad.
In this day and age, it’s easy for people to knit-pick about others, I can say that while Dad and I might not ever end up on the same bowling team, I do appreciate the way be watches out for his little girl.
The line in the song 🎵 ” Centerfield ” goes just put me in coach, I’m ready to play ” and that was the mindset of our Ava Beamer, from start to finish.
Thank you to the Beamer family for the season ! Mom for raising such a well-rounded young lady, Ava, for going with the flow and Dad for being Dad !
I have interacted with thousands of people over the past six years, and when you meet that many people, it’s a must to see how legitimate a person is and sometimes it has to happen in a very small window 🪟.
Landon Harmon and I have only shared the same space a handful of times over the years, but each and every time I walk away thinking about the next time our paths might cross. Everything about this young man screams 😱 Class Act !
Now, older people will remember Eddie Haskell from Leave it to Beaver 🦫 and his ability to suck up to June Cleaver. So you have to be aware that there are people that have the ability to make nice for five minutes and then move on.
Deana (Dee-Nah) Burcham, thank you to her father 👨 for correctly telling me that, is a wicked combination of kind 😇 and sincere. There is a short list of folks that possess that combo, and I wish I could bottle it up and market it ! I would make enough money 💰 to fund the entire Hill !!!
Mother’s Day weekend
When I saw the post 📫 about Landon and the Dean’s List, I felt a number of things, including validation of my belief in this well-rounded young man.
Deana Burcham had me at Hello 👋 ( great movie line), and when she shared her story about Casey and Landon, it moved me in a manner that left a permanent mark on my heart ❤️.
Casey is a mover and a shaker, and I’m sure he will bring glory to Bill Worrell Field before he is done. With that said, I hope that he, too, can bask in the glory of this accomplishment.
Congratulations 🎊 to the entire family on this accomplishment !!!
Here in just a couple of hours, Head Coach Shawn Montgomery and Carroll County High School junior, Brenden Fariss, will be leaving The Hill. For the fourth time in four years, I will follow behind them in hopes of providing coverage for our young Cavalier.
Year 1 had freshman Corrie Delp and Senior Elijah Smith.
Year 2 was sophomore Corrie Delp and junior Brayden Smoot.
Year 3 was Junior Corrie Delp and sophomore Brenden Fariss.
Year 4 will be Junior Brenden Fariss.
Assistant Coach Jon Delp is currently in southwest Missouri with his family as the celebrate daughter Amy and her moving to the next level of her service to pur country.
The journey starts here in Olde Mill, and from here, it’s on to the high school 🏫.
This feed will stay active right up until we have completed the Class 3 High Jump competition tomorrow afternoon. We will pick it up again at the school shortly.
Now it’s 1:23, folks should start arriving soon for the send-off !
The Man 👨 of the Hour !2:06 departure timeTwo very hard-working individuals were amongst the folks on The HillNext Stop ✋️ Lynchburg ! [2:30]This Big fella was watching 👀 over the Royal Farms 🚜 store in Bedford.
Both of us have made it to our 🏨 rooms safely and will meet for dinner 🍽 shortly!
Where does our Track 👣 star 🌟 choose for dinner 🍽 ?
Choice Hibachi Buffet !
Tale of the Tape on Brenden Fariss !
Age – 17
Grade – Junior
Height – 6’1
Weight – 153
Hometown – The Hill
Parents – Jonathan and Brooke Fariss
Siblings – Makenzie (Older ), Atlee (younger)
Track Coaches – Shawn Montgomery and Jon Delp
Specialist field – High Jump with a minor in Triple Jump and 200 meters.
Dinner has been consumed, and Coach & Star Pupil have headed back to their hotel 🏨. We will meet back up in the morning 🌄 when it’s time to check in at Liberty University.
The time at dinner was beyond enjoyable, and there is plenty of 411 on our Cavalier as the night 🌙 plays out.
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Welcome 🙏 to Friday morning in Lynchburg ! The sun 🌞 will rise soon, and so will the dreams of so many student athletes from across the Commonwealth. Both Class 3 and Class 4 competitors will walk thru the gates today, with each one having hopes and dreams.
Shawn Montgomery, Jon Delp, and program newcomer Mark Hamlett have coached up our Boys and Girls teams all spring, leading up to this moment.
Our entire focus today will be on our Shawn Montgomery and Brenden Fariss. Fariss has his own set of goals, and here is what that looks like :
Set a new PR , which stands for Personal Record. To do that, Fariss would need to clear the bar at 6’3.
Match his PR of 6’2, which he set just a few weeks ago. The previous PR had been 6’0.
Clearing the bar at a minimum of 6’0.
How does the event work at the State level ? This year, the Class 3 field has 27 athletes, and each will be given three attempts to clear each height. This process continues until we have the Last Man Standing.
The Schedule :
Meet up at the entrance to the facility at 11:00 am.
11:30 – Coach will attend the meeting with all of the others as all of the teams will be represented for the instructions.
12:30 – The high jump event will begin, and the length of the competition is open-ended. There is no telling about how long it will take 26 athletes to be removed, and one declared State Champion.
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Thoughts from Coach Montgomery include the following :
” The best part of the State Meet is having it take place on a college campus. That is what makes it different from the other meets, and most athletes will never have the opportunity to compete at the next level.”
” In track and field, if an athlete is not self-motivated, he or she will never reach Liberty University. You have to work hard outside of the practice time we have at school.”
When asked about the nutritional aspect of the 24 hours, Coach broke it down from leaving The Hill at 2pm on Thursday afternoon until the end of the competition.
” Dinner the night before can be a good solid meal of his choosing ( that is how we ended up at the Choice Hibachi Buffet), and from there, it lowers. Something light for breakfast and then a healthy snack and fluid to replenish during the heat 🥵 of the day.”
It’s safe to say that Fariss will be hungry when our duo gets back in the car and begins the drive back to The Hill. I’m not sure where they will land, but with the looks of the forecast but it will be a place with air conditioning !!
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Here are some nuggets from Brenden that are fun to share in hopes of making sure readers can get to know him.
Describing his parents : Mom 👩 / Brooke is amazing, and Dad / Jonathan is a source for motivation. He adds that both of his parents are his best friends 🧡!!! I’m not sure how often you hear that from a teenage boy !
When I asked him to describe his relationship with Coach Montgomery by comparing him to a restaurant ( one of my favorite questions), he responded with Chick-fil-A because there’s a lot going on there but it’s all nice !
Fariss enjoys traveling and lists Italy 🇮🇹 as a dream destination for the future.
Hobbies – being involved with the Fire Department 🚒, to which Shawn added that was his father’s hobby for 45 years.
Other events in track 👣 – Triple Jump and 200 meters.
When did Track become part of his life ? 8th grade, and it was the High Jump.
Last year, Fariss appeared to be just happy to be at the State Meet, and this year, he has a great deal more focus.
What would you want someone to know about you and your time with Track ?
” It would be for folks to realize how much effort has to go into the sport. You have to really push yourself to achieve your goals. There is a big difference between doing Track 👣 and getting good at it. “
It’s now 6:30 am, and while it’s time for me to take a nap but a few miles away, Brenden should be waking ⏰️ up and looking for his ” light breakfast.”
Here’s hoping that we have ourselves a great day while at the same time 🐌 slowing down long enough to soak in the reward for all of the hard work !
More 2 Follow…
It’s Showtime or at least walk through the gates time !
Proof of Life – Part 2 !
Coach Montgomery is now attending the Coaches meeting, which started promptly at 11:30.
Let’s do this !
Breakfast took place at Waffle 🧇 House, and our Guy had a super star 🌟 special, which I find very fitting for the occasion!
We are now within 60 minutes of the start of our competition. Soon, it will be time for stretching and the practice attempts.
Coach is back from the meeting, and now he can relax and join me as a cheerleader, minus the pom poms, but only because we don’t have any.
We have officially moved to the infield for the warm-up stage !
Live coverage on the Network !
You have to look closely, but our guy is flying over the bar in this pic.Much better angle !!!!
Two events kickoff the two day event, and we are in one of the two 12:30 slots!
5 of the 27 have not checked in yet at 12:26.There is a story behind the Kind Man in the chair 💺
12:40 – Our Fella cleared the bar on his first attempt !!!!!!
1:01 – The bar has been raised, and the field thinned down.
1:04 – good first attempt at new height but his foot clipped the bar at the end. Two more tries to come.
1:10 was another strong attempt but a late bump of the bar.
One more try !
1:15 – third and final attempt at second height just misses and marks the end of the run. Need to get out of the Sun 🌞 but will add more later.
1:30 – back in the car 🚗 but managed to capture a priceless moment during our goodbyes 👋
Apologies to Metropolis, but Greg Bolen is our Superman 🦸♂️ 