The Chipola Men’s and Women’s Basketball squads returned from their respective National Basketball Tournaments this past week with a pair of third place finishes. While I suspect there is some measure of disappointment with not winning a national championship, for both squads from the same school to finish in third place in the nation is nothing to sneeze at.
The disappointment for the men’s squad might be a little heavier than for the ladies. The men have been ranked number one in the nation for most of the season. After losing their second game of the season the Indians then reeled off 32 straight victories. That string of victories included going 12-0 in Panhandle Conference play and winning another state championship (three in a row, five out of the last six years). They headed to Hutchinson, Kansas and avoided a disappointing first round loss like they suffered last year. They made their way to the Semi-Finals before falling to Salt Lake CC, the eventual National Champion. The 2008-09 Indians finished the season with a third place finish at the national tournament and a record of 34-2.
I suspect the Chipola Lady Indians are also disappointed, but hey there were plenty of folks who probably thought they would never see Kansas this year. The Lady Indians, after winning three state championships in a row (2007, 2006 & 2005) failed to even make the state tournament last year. Head Coach David Lane and the 2007-08 Lady Indians had to endure last year’s state tournament as spectators from the stands. This year’s squad finished second in the conference and knew that a state championship would likely have to go through Gulf Coast, Chipola’s arch rival and Conference Champions for this season. That is exactly what happened and a last second basket by Pearl Johnson gave the Lady Indians a thrilling 68-67 win over Gulf Coast for the State Title. That earned them a trip to Salina, Kansas where they also finished in third place. They concluded their season with a record of 30-6.
When athletes and coaches have invested so much physically, emotionally and mentally over the year, getting so close but not getting the cigar so to speak can seem worse than never getting so close to begin with. But the reality is that there are thousands of athletes and coaches out there that would trade places with the Chipola squads in a heartbeat. The success that both squads had this year (combined record of 64-8) have carried on the phenomenal run that Chipola athletics has been having the last 5-6 years. And once the disappointment from their recent losses wear off a bit, I hope the athletes and coaches can appreciate the outstanding season they’ve had and realize that finishing third in the nation, Simply Put, ain’t half bad.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that one thing about the little town that he grew up in is that there is still no place to go that you shouldn’t.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
"River Talks "
Simply Put
I had the privilege to be on CCTV’s River Talks program recently and the comments that I have gotten through e-mails, phone calls and folks stopping me on the street tells me that we’re on to something good. If you did not catch the show, which aired locally on Comcast Cable Channel Four, you may be able to view it on the internet at www.chipola.edu/tv. If you can’t find it there, call Royce Reagan at Chipola College and maybe he can help you navigate your way to view it on the internet. If you’ll pay him off with some boiled peanuts, he’d probably burn you a copy on a CD.
Some of you may be wondering what I would be talking about on River Talks. I was invited to be on the program to talk about The Times series last summer called Rollin’ Down The River. If you recall the series, I paddled different portions of the Chipola River. I then wrote weekly articles that chronicled my trips and included pictures.
Stephanie Parker, The Times editor, took some of those pictures and organized them into a slide show. I took this slide show with me to the River Talks program and shared the slide show with the program’s host, Gary Latham and the viewers. Gary and I talked about the series and then talked about the different slides. We concluded the show with another slide show of the pictures along with a little background music, bluegrass of course. The idea was to give the feel of traveling down the river without ever having to leave your recliner.
Our plan is to continue the journey down the remainder of the river this summer (I made it to Peacock’s Bridge last summer). Once again I’ll chronicle my journey with weekly articles and pictures. Our long range goal at the paper is to put together a DVD that would offer a pictorial tour of the Ole Chipola River, from beginning to end. The DVD would include some narration, historical information about the river and of course some mighty fine bluegrass music as the backdrop.
I felt like this was a good idea but you really never know how folks will respond until you throw it our there. Judging by the response from our readers and viewers, this Rollin’ Down the River idea is a good one. Who’d a thunk it? Well you know the old saying, even a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then. Well we’re going to take the ball and run with it to use a sports analogy.
So to Stephanie Parker, Royce Reagan, Gary Latham and all the others who have helped or showed their support for the project, Simply Put, thanks.
From the front porch: Coach said that the road to success is always under construction.
I had the privilege to be on CCTV’s River Talks program recently and the comments that I have gotten through e-mails, phone calls and folks stopping me on the street tells me that we’re on to something good. If you did not catch the show, which aired locally on Comcast Cable Channel Four, you may be able to view it on the internet at www.chipola.edu/tv. If you can’t find it there, call Royce Reagan at Chipola College and maybe he can help you navigate your way to view it on the internet. If you’ll pay him off with some boiled peanuts, he’d probably burn you a copy on a CD.
Some of you may be wondering what I would be talking about on River Talks. I was invited to be on the program to talk about The Times series last summer called Rollin’ Down The River. If you recall the series, I paddled different portions of the Chipola River. I then wrote weekly articles that chronicled my trips and included pictures.
Stephanie Parker, The Times editor, took some of those pictures and organized them into a slide show. I took this slide show with me to the River Talks program and shared the slide show with the program’s host, Gary Latham and the viewers. Gary and I talked about the series and then talked about the different slides. We concluded the show with another slide show of the pictures along with a little background music, bluegrass of course. The idea was to give the feel of traveling down the river without ever having to leave your recliner.
Our plan is to continue the journey down the remainder of the river this summer (I made it to Peacock’s Bridge last summer). Once again I’ll chronicle my journey with weekly articles and pictures. Our long range goal at the paper is to put together a DVD that would offer a pictorial tour of the Ole Chipola River, from beginning to end. The DVD would include some narration, historical information about the river and of course some mighty fine bluegrass music as the backdrop.
I felt like this was a good idea but you really never know how folks will respond until you throw it our there. Judging by the response from our readers and viewers, this Rollin’ Down the River idea is a good one. Who’d a thunk it? Well you know the old saying, even a blind hog finds an acorn every now and then. Well we’re going to take the ball and run with it to use a sports analogy.
So to Stephanie Parker, Royce Reagan, Gary Latham and all the others who have helped or showed their support for the project, Simply Put, thanks.
From the front porch: Coach said that the road to success is always under construction.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
"Once Again, You never know "
Simply Put
I’ve written on numerous occasions about the fact that coaches can have a tremendous impact, both positive and negative, on the young folks under their care. I’ve also written on how we often fail to realize just how much we impact the lives of those around us.
About two weeks ago I got an e-mail from Bob Langford. He had been a member of the 1952 Rotary team that was profiled recently in our Yesteryear feature. He now lives in Navarre and subscribes to our paper. I am sure to his surprise, the Yesteryear feature was about his little league baseball team from more than 50 years ago. But I did not have any information about where Bob or teammate Jimmy Kelly were these days so I had not profiled them as I did with the other team members.
Bob gave me some information about what had been going on with him since his little league days. He also happened to be familiar with Jimmy Kelly since the two were college roommates and have kept in contact.
In Bob’s email he also mentioned that my father, Charles Cox, had been his football and basketball coach in high school. He further relayed how much he admired my father and how much of an impact my dad had on his life. In fact, long after high school Bob relayed that he went to my father for some career advice.
My dad, like most coaches and administrators, came into contact with thousands of folks over his lifetime. While I know he always tried to make a positive impact on people’s lives, I suspect that he did not consciously think about that every time he dealt with someone. But he has been gone now for over 26 years and it never ceases to amaze me how many people still recall the impact that he had on their lives.
I know that I have written often about my father. Maybe, some feel, too often. But the point of my column is not really about my father. My point is that coaches and administrators always need to be mindful of the impact they are making on the people they come into contact with. We, myself included, often get so busy with the hustle and bustle of coaching or administrating that we lose sight of how we can make a difference in people’s lives.
My father and others like him set the standards, or high water marks, for us to follow. It is up to those of us who benefitted from their mentoring to carry on the tradition of making a difference on those folks around us. Want to know a good measuring stick? Twenty-six years after you and I are gone from this earth, Simply Put, will anyone still remember the impact that we had on their lives?
From the front porch: Uncle Bob asked his daughter’s date one time if his intentions were honorable, to which the young man wanted to know if he had any choice.
I’ve written on numerous occasions about the fact that coaches can have a tremendous impact, both positive and negative, on the young folks under their care. I’ve also written on how we often fail to realize just how much we impact the lives of those around us.
About two weeks ago I got an e-mail from Bob Langford. He had been a member of the 1952 Rotary team that was profiled recently in our Yesteryear feature. He now lives in Navarre and subscribes to our paper. I am sure to his surprise, the Yesteryear feature was about his little league baseball team from more than 50 years ago. But I did not have any information about where Bob or teammate Jimmy Kelly were these days so I had not profiled them as I did with the other team members.
Bob gave me some information about what had been going on with him since his little league days. He also happened to be familiar with Jimmy Kelly since the two were college roommates and have kept in contact.
In Bob’s email he also mentioned that my father, Charles Cox, had been his football and basketball coach in high school. He further relayed how much he admired my father and how much of an impact my dad had on his life. In fact, long after high school Bob relayed that he went to my father for some career advice.
My dad, like most coaches and administrators, came into contact with thousands of folks over his lifetime. While I know he always tried to make a positive impact on people’s lives, I suspect that he did not consciously think about that every time he dealt with someone. But he has been gone now for over 26 years and it never ceases to amaze me how many people still recall the impact that he had on their lives.
I know that I have written often about my father. Maybe, some feel, too often. But the point of my column is not really about my father. My point is that coaches and administrators always need to be mindful of the impact they are making on the people they come into contact with. We, myself included, often get so busy with the hustle and bustle of coaching or administrating that we lose sight of how we can make a difference in people’s lives.
My father and others like him set the standards, or high water marks, for us to follow. It is up to those of us who benefitted from their mentoring to carry on the tradition of making a difference on those folks around us. Want to know a good measuring stick? Twenty-six years after you and I are gone from this earth, Simply Put, will anyone still remember the impact that we had on their lives?
From the front porch: Uncle Bob asked his daughter’s date one time if his intentions were honorable, to which the young man wanted to know if he had any choice.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
"More On Jackson County Basketball "
Simply Put
Last week I wrote about how the Jackson County girl’s varsity basketball programs recorded an outstanding year as three advanced all the way to the Regional Finals and one program, Cottondale, made a trip to Lakeland for the FHSAA Final Four. Well guess what? The boy’s varsity basketball programs were not going to be outdone and sent three of their five county teams to the Regional Finals as well.
The Graceville Tigers represented the county in Class 1A. The Tigers got out of the gates slowly this year but as the season wore on, they got better and better each week. Under first year Head Coach Mike Carter the Tigers avenged two regular season losses to Malone by beating the Blue and Orange Tigers for the District Championship. They posted playoff wins against Laurel Hill and Paxton before falling to The Rock in the Regional Finals. They finished 16-12 on the year and look for the Tigers to be a force next year as they were really young this season.
The Cottondale Hornets were the Class 2A representative for the county and they too started a little slow. Like Graceville, the Hornets were young and inexperienced at the beginning of the season with only two seniors. But once 2009 arrived the Hornets caught fire and reeled off a string of victories under Head Coach Chris O’Bert. The Hornets captured the District Championship with a win over Bozeman and they got a first round playoff win against Freeport. Their 72-70 triple overtime win over Baker in round two was as good a high school game as I have seen this year. Although they fell to Franklin County in the Regional Final, they finished 19-11 on the season. They’ll be even better next year.
The Marianna Bulldogs are the Class 3A representative and they posted another fine season under Travis Blanton, the reigning senior head basketball coach in the county. After losing some outstanding seniors from last year, Blanton found a way to steer the Bulldogs to another 20 plus win season. They beat Chipley for the District title and then manhandled South Walton and Pensacola Catholic in the first two rounds. Last Saturday night they beat powerhouse Jacksonville Ribault to earn a return trip to Lakeland for the Final Four. The 1976-77 and 1977-78 Bulldogs were the last Marianna teams to make back to back trips to Lakeland. Blanton, a Bulldog basketball alumni, has now racked up 82 wins in the last four seasons.
On top of those three teams, both Sneads and Malone had solid seasons as well with both finishing with winning records and Malone making the playoffs. So, four of the five boy’s teams made it to the playoffs, three made it to the Regional Finals, one is headed to Lakeland and all five posted winning seasons. Like I said last week, Simply Put, that’s Jackson County Basketball.
From the front porch: Coach said the mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.
Last week I wrote about how the Jackson County girl’s varsity basketball programs recorded an outstanding year as three advanced all the way to the Regional Finals and one program, Cottondale, made a trip to Lakeland for the FHSAA Final Four. Well guess what? The boy’s varsity basketball programs were not going to be outdone and sent three of their five county teams to the Regional Finals as well.
The Graceville Tigers represented the county in Class 1A. The Tigers got out of the gates slowly this year but as the season wore on, they got better and better each week. Under first year Head Coach Mike Carter the Tigers avenged two regular season losses to Malone by beating the Blue and Orange Tigers for the District Championship. They posted playoff wins against Laurel Hill and Paxton before falling to The Rock in the Regional Finals. They finished 16-12 on the year and look for the Tigers to be a force next year as they were really young this season.
The Cottondale Hornets were the Class 2A representative for the county and they too started a little slow. Like Graceville, the Hornets were young and inexperienced at the beginning of the season with only two seniors. But once 2009 arrived the Hornets caught fire and reeled off a string of victories under Head Coach Chris O’Bert. The Hornets captured the District Championship with a win over Bozeman and they got a first round playoff win against Freeport. Their 72-70 triple overtime win over Baker in round two was as good a high school game as I have seen this year. Although they fell to Franklin County in the Regional Final, they finished 19-11 on the season. They’ll be even better next year.
The Marianna Bulldogs are the Class 3A representative and they posted another fine season under Travis Blanton, the reigning senior head basketball coach in the county. After losing some outstanding seniors from last year, Blanton found a way to steer the Bulldogs to another 20 plus win season. They beat Chipley for the District title and then manhandled South Walton and Pensacola Catholic in the first two rounds. Last Saturday night they beat powerhouse Jacksonville Ribault to earn a return trip to Lakeland for the Final Four. The 1976-77 and 1977-78 Bulldogs were the last Marianna teams to make back to back trips to Lakeland. Blanton, a Bulldog basketball alumni, has now racked up 82 wins in the last four seasons.
On top of those three teams, both Sneads and Malone had solid seasons as well with both finishing with winning records and Malone making the playoffs. So, four of the five boy’s teams made it to the playoffs, three made it to the Regional Finals, one is headed to Lakeland and all five posted winning seasons. Like I said last week, Simply Put, that’s Jackson County Basketball.
From the front porch: Coach said the mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.
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