Shortly after graduating from Francis Howell High School in the summer of 1981, I found myself with an opportunity to make the switch from covering Sports for the weekly newspaper 📰 to doing so for one of the largest daily newspapers in the country.

The St. Charles Journal had given me an opportunity to cover sports while still in high school and this included some of my own golf ⛳ matches. After the accident, golf was the only option that was available in regards to serious competition and the writing ✍ was nothing short of a blast.

The St. Charles Post was the local section of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the chance to test my chops at a higher level was incredibly exciting ! A few stories into the stay, my Editor pulled me aside and explained to me that if I wanted to ever be taken seriously, I would have to learn how to write ” mean “.

The editor was on the fast track and would go on to a tremendous career in the Gateway City. But for me, even as a teenager, I wanted to use my voice for good. Most of what I write is considered fluff but I’m at peace with that and have been for quite some time.

The ability to tell a story with my words has never been how I made a living but it has always been my passion. I believe that at last count, there has been a couple dozen newspapers where my writing has appeared over the past forty plus years and the message has remained the same, use your words for Good and let the Glory go to God.

  Some of the stops ✋ along the way were brief ones while others lasted for an extended period of time. The Northern Virginia Daily in Shenandoah County is at the top of the list in regards to longevity with The Carroll News being up there as well.

The ability to hold a microphone 🎤 also started as a teenager. Starting out as a DJ for someone who hosted all types of private events ( and I do mean ALL kinds) led to numerous opportunities down the road.

  The term, OneofUs stims from the search for others that have a similar take on life. Chuck McGill at the NVD was a terrific example and Bill ” Pappy ” Meade at the Page News and Courier falls into the same category.

We live in a time where its easy to attack others and I truly believe 🙏 that its the number one problem that we face today as a society. My crusade to bring joy to as many people as possible might be a Fools Errand but its my Mission for as long as I can do it.

 

The day not only included two State Championship games separated by just 91 miles, it included private airplanes ✈ getting folks to two weddings 💒 and four High School graduates 🎓 performing their ” Walk 🚶‍♂️” minutes before the game at Radford University.

The search for more folks wanting to join the conversation will be ongoing for another month but everyone on board up to this point has been an absolute delight to converse with !

Rachel McCoy joined the Varsity team during her Freshman year (2012) and remained a fixture in the lineup right up to Graduation 🎓. It’s only fitting that this impressive young Lady ended up graduating on the Diamond 💎 on June 13, 2015, moments before playing King William for the State Championship.

McCoy, now Rachel Clark, and her fellow Seniors received their diplomas with their eye black on their faces while all of their classmates were back home getting theirs in a more traditional fashion. When you add in the fact that Rachel was the Class Valedictorian, it adds another layer to the story.

  McCoy – Clark is now set to enter her fifth season as the Junior Varsity team Head Coach, a important part of the Lady Panthers Softball program.

  The insight of the day that divided the small school 🏫, as even the parents of the younger players were faced with a tough choice if they had an older sibling set to graduate back at the High School.

McCoy – Clark was a hard hitting infielder who doubled as the closer in the circle and she experienced close calls in 2012 and 2013 before celebrating in 2014 and 2015.

Now she is like so many others from a decade ago, married with children and a career. Yet, she still strives to find the time to give back to the family 👪 that is Lady Panthers Softball.

Timing is everything and last night in St.Louis the Cardinals were hosting the San Diego Padres and the Cards were celebrating the career of legendary Ozzie Smith.

My Sister Sharon, a long time resident of the area and equally long time fan of the ball club. Sharon was at the game and managed to snag me one of the bobble heads. The natural pose for Ozzie was capturing him in the middle of one of his famous back flips.

Smith came to the Cardinals via a straight up trade for Gary Templeton. Tempy was one of a small number of baseball players that fall in the category of favorites for me. Sadly, Tempy ran into a drug problem before it became okay to have one and the greatest switch hitter since Mickey Mantle, leading to a trade out to San Diego.

  Ozzie Smith was as popular of a ball player as Baseball ⚾️ has seen in half a century. Each year, Smith would head out to play short stop and along the way to his position Ozzie would slow down long enough to land a back flip.

Fast Forward now to the home opener for Carroll County High School Softball team in 2024-2025. It’s time to run our Lady Cavaliers 👩 out to their positions and our centerfielder pops out of the dugout and proceeds to land a perfect back flip. Holly Miller is a special young lady that plays the game with a level of zeal that few possess.

Sadly, there wasn’t a camera on the moment that day but it was a moment that will never be forgotten on my part.

Holly Miller is a second generation Cavalier Center Fielder as her Father, Hix Miller roamed the diamond 💎 on the other side of the Boulevard, Bill Worrell Field.

https://aroundthevalleyin60days.blog/2024/04/20/holly-miller-is-taking-her-turn-at-running-%F0%9F%8F%83%E2%99%82%EF%B8%8F-the-family-%F0%9F%91%AA-business/

The link above is a story about Hix and Holly Miller.

I doubt that Holly Miller knows the history of Ozzie Smith and the back flip but last night in the STL , the Cardinals captured the Back Flipper in all of his glory.

Page County High School added a Hall of Fame in 2022 and in 2023 they added both Head Coach Alan Knight and star player Kate Gordon to the list of folks to be introduced.

Kate Gordon played four seasons under Alan Knight, a number that was limited by only the Virginia High School League not allowing Student Athletes to just four years.

Gordon played the game at a different level and provided great leadership both on and off the Diamond.

Knight has spent 40+ years trying to teach his players the game and part of the lesson is what it means to be a part of something bigger than just yourself.

The duo teamed up for an incredibly entertaining four years but there were so many for folks that were part of the journey. We will capture the night 🌙 the pair went into the Hall and so much more.