Sports page of the Gazette, upper right corner.
Standing in the checkout line at the Dollar 💵 General in downtown Laurel Fork, Virginia, I looked up and saw 👀 the Gazette. I had not picked one up un a year or two, so I added it to my gallon of milk and headed home.
Going back to the day of Anthony Barnes and his team banquet, I was the one who “broke ” the news within one minute of his speech. That is the last time I addressed the subject because I wasn’t there as a reporter, but as someone who wanted to show support for a man that had given everything he had to his program for six years.
No, I had no previous knowledge about the message that Barnes would share on that Sunday afternoon, just a good Ole fashioned hunch. When you live your life with your heart ❤️ on your sleeve in the manner that both of us do, it’s easy to get nicked up.
Yes, both Barnes and I started the current runs at the same time. Six years is a long time ⌛️ to keep your foot on the gas ⛽️ pedal with all your might unless you are Rick Nester or Cindy Edwards.
If the goal for others is that of Lawrence Nesselrodt and myself, ” Leave it better than you found it,” Please know that you absolutely 💯% accomplished that Coach Barnes.
The Roanoke Times, the Carroll News, the Gazette, and the Patriot newspaper 📰 all reported on your story, and that’s just the ones I know about. Folks watched 👀 you pour 🫗 your heart out for six years. Take the time to soak that in !
Borrowing a line from the Night that the Lights went out in Georgia…
Thank You, Coach Barnes !
