Yesterday was a day of loss in my mind, but the defeat of the Lady Blue Devils to UCLA or West Virginia Tech University Baseball at Shawnee State.
At the end of his annual banquet, Anthony Barnes made an announcement that I felt was coming. Barnes is stepping down as the Boys Varsity Head Coach at Carroll County High School 🏫 and it hurts a bit for a number of reasons.
Barnes took over the top spot at the same time that we moved to Carroll County. In that respect, we both have six years on the job, and I am already missing the coach. Barnes led with his heart ❤️ and always put his players first, the exact same thing that Vickey Ritchie does every Sunday a few miles up the road.
Barnes found success at CCHS without any can’t miss prospects. He just rolled up his sleeves and created a team first mindset that his players all bought into. His Cavaliers would run through a brick wall 🧱 for him because they also felt that their Coach had their back.
Elijah Cox, Davis Reitzel, Bryce Smoot, Jabin Talley, Cody Reece, Ethan Richardson, and Isaiah Easter are just some of the players that grew up under the guidance of Barnes, Kris Richardson and Jason Stockner.
1,000 point scorers, All-Time Boys leading scorer, and a trip to the State Tournament were just some of the accomplishments that took place over the past six years. The common thread to the time under Barnes was just how unselfish his players were on the court and how much they grew off the court.
The motto in life for me is to always leave it better than you found it, and Coach Barnes did just thathat on The Hill.
The next chapter of the story will include Blake Reed, Colton Gravley, Hayden Jackson, Will Motley, and Eli Lark, amongst others. Mr DeHaven and Mr Thompson will do their very best to find the next coach, and life will go on.
I will go to my grave believing that you can not teach someone to Care, its in your DNA. Yesterday afternoon, I spent time with two basketball coaches that care first about their players as people, and that allows them to be successful.
Yes, Kira Lawson and Duke were on the cusp of a major upset yesterday as they faced a Bruins team that thumped us by 30 points four months ago. We lost a basketball game, and while it stings because of caring about the players, it was just a game.
The greater loss yesterday afternoon was the loss of a man who led his team with dignity, pride, and compassion. Even more importantly, Barnes did things the right way !
Best of luck going forward with the next chapter of your life, Coach. Know that you touched the lives of many a Cavalier and fans during your time on The Hill.
Thankfully, Coach Vickey signed a lifetime contract because I don’t think that I could have handled another setback yesterday.
