It’s hard to believe that another holiday season is upon us, and with the forthcoming arrival of wintertime magic and time spent with family, another calendar year of coverage is coming to a close.
I just wanted to take some time to update our faithful readers what’s going on behind the ROSports desk, as well as reflect on the year that was. But first and foremost, I want to wish everyone a happy, safe and rewarding holiday season.
The irony is that I truly don’t have a “sports desk” I use with regularity. I have an office at the Richmond Observer building, but more often than not, I write articles using a revolving door of locations, including the passenger seat of my truck following games, my kitchen table and sometimes my desk following a day of teaching ninth grade English.
I even occasionally get myself locked into school parking lots, but that’s a story for another time.
Currently, I’m typing this column from my parents’ house in Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. And I guess that’s what makes my job as the RO’s sports editor so exciting -- I never know when or where I may find myself writing, or about what.
This marks the third holiday season that I’ve been covering Richmond County athletics, and I can say that it’s been the best so far. Yes, there have been many memorable moments on the playing fields of all of Richmond Senior High School’s athletic programs, but a lot of what I appreciate and enjoy the most come during the down time between the whistles.
This year I was also gifted, for lack of a better term, with the nickname as the “Night Writer.” What started off as a joke has become a moniker synonymous with me and my love of coverage of local athletics.
When the RO launched in the summer of 2017, I knew right away we had something special. We were a team of journalists and media members adamant about bringing Richmond County’s residents the coverage, sports and otherwise, we knew they wanted and deserved.
As the clock nears the striking of a new decade, I can promise you we still have that same passion. We’ve even grown stronger this past year, adding a tremendous asset in William Toler as our managing editor. I truly believe we are delivering what we promised our readers and more.
I’d be lying if I said balancing two jobs, first as an educator, and second as a sports editor, isn’t exhausting at times. As a one-man band, covering high school, middle school and community events can be overwhelming sometimes.
But as I’ve expressed in a previous column, the uniqueness and togetherness of Richmond County keeps me going. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the help I get from the Kount himself, Deon Cranford, who is always on point as our Raider athletics history buff and guru.
Over the past 12 months, the ROSports department has covered some pretty tremendous events. We will always provide premium, in-depth coverage of every Richmond athletic program, from football, to golf and tennis, swimming and wrestling, basketball, baseball and softball, and track and field.
But there are stories like that of Malik Covington, the fifth grader who tackled a brain tumor and scored the final touchdown of spring practice for the Raiders, moments after being brought on as an honorary team member in May, that leaps and bounds make my job more worthwhile.
Some of my other favorite moments from this year include meeting with Kandace Frye and telling her story of resiliency and overcoming a tragic accident to become one of the strongest people I’ve met. Or there’s sitting down with Kenny Thompson, the current Raider Mascot, and discussing what it means to carry on the tradition and legacy of the original “Mr. Raider,” Charles Brownley.
Friday Morning Smiles, Down and Denson, Ellerbe Middle School Intramurals, Ricky Young Closes RSHS Coaching Career, Former Players Remember Coach Thomas Baucom -- these are just a few more of the headlines that I feel privileged to be able to have penned over the last 12 months for our readers.
Feature stories on former Raiders and Lady Raiders and where they are now are also some of my favorites. Ethan Baucom, Owen Bowers, Altman Griffin, Devon Hunt, Dante Miller and Daryus Skinner are all Richmond County natives making a splash in the collegiate sporting world.
I even found myself out of my element this year a couple of times, but none more than taking prom pictures for members of the baseball and softball teams, as well as a large group of seniors and their dates (a big thanks to the parents who helped -- you know who you are).
I also don’t consider myself a “news writer,” but I was lucky enough to cover events like the one at Richmond last week that saw students raise funds to surprise two people with money for eSight glasses.
Our “Official Richmond County Athlete of the Week” segment, which features not one, but two student-athletes per week complete with video interviews, continued its success, and proves to be some of our best read pieces each week.
What I’m getting at with all of this is that I love what I do and where I get to do it. Richmond County is a special place with people who are hard working, humble and who love high school athletics. These characteristics, along with many others, make my job that much easier.
The amount of text messages, Facebook and Twitter posts, emails, GOAT references and memos sent to me this year has been truly overwhelming. I’ve saved every one of them, with many displayed in my classroom. One thing I didn’t anticipate when I started writing for the RO was falling in love with the community and it sending that love back threefold.
I had two teachers in high school, Mrs. Kristen Mowery and Mrs. Jessica Prosser, who told me I had a talent for writing and needed to pursue it. In college, two professors, Dr. Zach Stiegler and Mr. Randy Jesick, pushed me to my limits to get where I am today.
And Richmond County, our readers and my “family” of student-athletes and their families, along with all of the coaches, have helped me expand and test those limits even more. And I couldn’t be more grateful for every person who I’ve encountered during this journey.
Being a teacher and a sports reporter has taught me that fostering relationships with everyone in both fields -- students, athletes, coworkers, coaches, administrators -- is a necessity to fulfill everyone’s potential.
And without hesitation, I can tell you that establishing and developing these relationships are the things I love most. I’ve grown most as a professional these past 12 months thanks to these relationships and look to add many more in the coming year.
I have a lot of ideas, projects and hopeful successes I’d like to bring to fruition in 2020. I believe ROSports delivers the best sports coverage that Richmond County gets on a daily basis, and I make it my promise to our readers that the coming year will continue to see us grow stronger within our community.
My wife, Jordyn, and I have found a home in this quiet, rural community in the Sandhills. We’re both thankful for everything Richmond County has afforded us the last five years and we look forward to helping our community expand during the next five years.
Thank you again, Raider Nation and ROSports faithfuls, for giving me the privilege to be your sports editor. Enjoy your holiday season with friends and family, and get ready for an exciting 2020.
The best is yet to come.
