Category: 1

Let’s call this one the story about Alan Knight, Callie Harris, Randy Newman and Amusement Park signs !

Carroll County High School 🏫 Junior Callie Harris

Amusement Park Height ✔
Veteran High School Coach Alan Knight

  Back in 1977, almost 50 years ago, two things happened. Randy Newman wrote a song 🎵 about Short People that became the biggest hit of his musical 🎼 career, even though most people failed to understand his intent and Alan Knight was preparing to return to alma mater to begin his High School 🏫 Coaching career.

The record books 📚 show that a young Coach Knight dominated the sport of Volleyball 🏐 back then. Define dominant

Four Championships in the first six seasons the sport was played.

Fast Forward to December of 1996, when a young Marion Harris met his future ♥ Bride 👰 Shelia and the couple saw Happy Gilmore on their very first date.

Just forward another six years when my path first crossed with Coach Knight and his Lady 👩 Panthers. Knight was still coaching competive Volleyball teams but was in the process of building a dynasty out on the Softball diamond 💎.

Lady Panthers

The first time that I was introducing Linda to Alan, way back then, I talked about his commitment to details and how much success he was enjoying with his Softball program. Lin asked me a spot on question about his programs, concerning his enormous success in one sport but not so much in the other one ?

The answer back came quickly, there simply is no height requirement to be a great Softball player. There simply isn’t many 5’10 or taller Ladies running around Page County, so winning at a high level is a greater challenge.

[ Need to point out that the recent back to back State Championships won 🏆 by Glenvar was soooooo impressive because the Highlanders accomplished it without anyone taller than 5’8]

  Let’s get back to young Marion and his ability to get Shelia to marry him and the couple started a family 👪, which included four Children, with the last three being daughters.

Adrienne Harris looks like an Athlete and it was no surprise that she was at her best when playing the game that was her Fathers passion. Harris set the Carroll County High School scoring record for goals before heading off to Emory and Henry to play the game at the next level.

The second daughter, Natalie Harris, is more of a thinker when it comes to Athletics. Case in point, when playing College Volleyball 🏐 at Emory and Henry didn’t pan out, she taught herself how to play LaCrosse. A quick study, Natalie is now playing and scoring goals on a D2 team.

Lady 👩 Wasps

The third and final daughter, Callie Harris, is a Junior at stands at all of 5’2 right now. If you are comparing Adrienne to Callie, it would be a LeBron and Stephen Curry type comparison in regards to size.

Callie is in the tail end of a Junior year in which she started for three Varsity teams but to get an appreciation for just how tough Half Pint is, let’s go back to her Sophomore year on the Varsity Basketball 🏀 team. Coach Marc Motley needed a fifth player to start with his four Seniors. Alyssa Ervin, Sarah Alderman, Katie Lam & Madison Lyons were back for one final run to the State Tournament and it was Harris that was the one who stepped up to be the fifth starter. This answered any questions about nerves of steel!

Callie plays Volleyball 🏐 for Cindy Edwards and this year she played Basketball 🏀 for new/old Coach Howard Mayo. Last year she played Soccer ⚽️ for Ben Tickle and led the team in assists as Ashlyn Newman broke the scoring record Big Sis had set.

Just like Goldie Locks and the Three Bears 🐻 🐻🐻, Volleyball limits Harris to being a libero and Basketball limits her to being a guard but Soccer ⚽️ is limitless for this driven young Lady.

Three games into the season and Harris has put the biscuit in the basket SEVEN times, for an average of 2.33 goals per match. Later today Callie will try to add to that total against Alleghany High School and will do so under the watchful eye 👁 of her Big Sis who happens to be her Head Coach.

Don’t underestimate the level of fire 🔥 that burns inside of Half Pint. Whether she is digging the ball for Coach Edwards, playing defense for Coach Mayo or leading the offensive attack for Coach Harris. This young Lady has big time chops and is always looking for an opportunity to show you just that.

Bringing our story full circle 🔵 now, Fire and Determination isn’t measured by Height, its measured by Heart and Brains.

Like at the end of a movie 🎥 based on true events, we will know give an update of the characters in today’s story.

Alan Knight has four players currently playing College Softball in addition to his current team. Penn State, Roanoke College and Coker (2). He’s closing in on 1,100 wins now.

Shelia Harris is happily married to Marion and they are enjoying their time watching 👀 their daughters in action 🎬.

Randy Newman never wrote a song 🎵 any bigger than Short People and laughed all the way to the bank 🏦.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Callie Harris had one of those Amusement Park signs in their back yard that she uses for target practice with her Soccer ⚽️ ball.

There’s even a Sarah Alderman and Linda Carter connection as its time for me to drive Lin to the shop where Sarah works so she can get her nails 💅 done.

The biggest question is……. how do you recognize desire in an Athlete at any age? It’s in their eyes 👀. And Coaches, its in their attention to detail.

Mrs Gordon, Miss Gordon and Coach Knight at Penn State

Callie Harris led the way in the Lady Cavaliers 4-0 victory over Alleghany Wednesday night. Two goals and one Assist as the team moved to 4-0-0 on the season. Nine goals after four games !