Resident News Network

No Shame in Golf Dogs’ Game

Sports

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12:47 am

The Waldron Bulldogs golf team headed for the state tournament on Tuesday, October 5. Although the team didn’t take first, there is certainly no shame in the golf dogs’ game.

A remarkable feat in itself, the fact that this team has achieved so much–including four consecutive qualifying years to the state tournament.

The boys team finished third, behind two private schools at The Creeks Golf Course at Cave Springs.

“Didn’t quite finish what we started but so dadgum proud of these dudes,” shared Coach Josh Atchley. “They are good ones and have great support systems pushing each of them. I’m lucky to get to coach them and have enjoyed the ride that’s for sure. Got a solid group returning next year to keep the streak going. Waldron show these dudes some love…these guys make it easy to root for them.”

Bulldog dad, Chad Owens added: “Golf has been this kid’s friend for a while now. He has leaned on it and it has definitely taught him some life lessons and allowed him to make some lifelong relationships. Today he ended his journey at the state tournament. I know his heart is hurting a little today and mine too. We were so blessed to get to experience his last round with him…Like Mr. Metcalf said ‘this is year four to the state tournament for these boys, this is like a victory lap.’ Today, I learned perspective. Thank Coach Josh Atchley, you’re the best golf coach I know! You may not know much about it but you know how to love these kids and make lifelong memories. We are all thankful for you!”

Hackett Asserts Dominance, Takes Lead in 3A West; Defeats Lady Eagles in Paris, 3-1

Sports

Resident News Network

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8:41 pm

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Hackett Asserts Dominance, Takes Lead in 3A West; Defeats Lady Eagles in Paris, 3-1

Since joining Class 3A two seasons ago, circumstances caused the Lady Hornets to not play the Lady Eagles at Paris Gymnasium in all of their previous meetings. That ended on Tuesday night when the Hackett Lady Hornets traveled to Paris for a much-anticipated rematch between the top two teams in the 3A West. In their most previous meeting, Paris jumped out to a two-set advantage only to see Hackett come storming back to win the match at Hackett by a score of 3-2. And when it was all over on Tuesday night, it was the Lady Hornets defeating Paris by the set score of 3-1 to take the lead in the 3A West regular season standings.

Both schools’ fans showed up in large numbers, and the Lady Hornets came out on fire and ready to play. In fact, Hackett won the first two sets of the match. Paris quickly found themselves hanging on and fighting desperately to stay in the match. Paris fought back, winning the third set, and seemingly swinging the momentum in the match back to the home team. But again, it was Hackett coming out fast to go on to win the fourth set after a big effort by the Lady Eagles that saw the fourth set tied late. Paris was never able to get over the hump late in the set, and Hackett went on to win the match, three sets to one.

Hackett was impressive with how they came into a hostile environment and took the match to Paris. But perhaps most impressive, was the play of their back line defenders. The Lady Hornets made key digs on several hard kill shot attempts by Paris, keeping the ball alive and allowing their front line to reset for the kill. Hackett has seemingly perfected the “pancake” save where their back line players fall on the floor and extended outstretch arms on the floor to allow them to get a hand under the ball and prevent the ball from hitting the floor. The Paris crowd was upset on several occasions when they thought the balls had hit the ground on several Paris shots, but, the Lady Hornets used the pancake saves to save many shots that may have otherwise resulted in Paris points.

The match was not without its controversial calls from the chair. On several occasions, Hackett coach Bridget Freeman, the Hackett crowd, and the Paris bench and crowd complained about controversial calls or no-calls from the chair. Neither coach was carded, but it created a loud and raucous atmosphere inside Paris Gymnasium.

Schools around the league had quietly commented throughout the summer that this would be a “reloading” year for Hackett, and this might be the year to make a run for a conference and / or state title. Freeman is playing a few young players in her starting rotation, and by all indication, the Lady Hornets will be even stronger in the post-season when star junior high players are moved up to the varsity roster. All in all, and for whatever it is worth, my vote is for Bridget Freeman as Coach of the Year. The Lady Hornets have won two state championships over the past two years in two different classifications, and at this point in the season, they have to be favored to repeat as Class 3A state champions. A lot can happen in the post season, and teams only have to win four matches in state to be crowned as state champions, but the Lady Hornets are a well-coached team, and if Hackett wins a state title this year, they may be on the verge of winning two or possibly three more over the next three seasons. That is heady stuff, and if Freeman and the Hornets win three more state titles, that will be five in five years, and that is Arkansas Coaches Hall of Fame material.

Hackett may be the best team Paris has played all season, and that includes the larger classification schools Paris has either played or defeated this season. In fact, Hackett is good enough, in my opinion, to win state titles this year in Class 2A, 3A, 4A, and / or possibly 5A.

The two teams could possibly meet again in the 3A West district tournament, the state tournament rounds in Paris, and / or in the state finals in Hot Springs. Again, a lot can happen, and there are some good teams out there such as Little Rock Baptist Prep that could have something to say about all of this. But for Paris, this is one more tough, emotional loss the team must quickly put behind themselves. Most of their team goals are still in front of them and are still obtainable. But one thing is for sure, it will be a test of the mental toughness of the Lady Eagles moving forward. In other words, in the words of Alabama coach Nick Saban, it is “So what? Now what?” time for Paris. The losses have happened, now how will Paris respond?

The Lady Eagles won’t have much time to decide their direction. The Lady Bulldogs of Waldron will come to Paris on Thursday, and Paris must be ready to play a Waldron team that always plays hard. It won’t be long before we find out what direction the Lady Eagles will choose to do. If I were a betting man, I would wager that Paris will bounce back and begin the final push to finish the regular season no lower than a #2 seed, and then on to the district tournament.

Photos from this game will be posted on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports no later than Friday. Until then, Resident Press will see you again in Paris for complete coverage of the Lady Eagles’ game with Waldron.

Using a Pie Pumpkin

Madison VanRavensway

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2:21 pm

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Fall is my favorite time of year. Pumpkins can be found all over and depending on the size- they are relatively cheap!

Already this fall we have purchased a pie pumpkin and a package of five mini pumpkins. This allowed us to create four different activities for my activity loving four year old! More information on what we did with our tiny pumpkins coming later. Today let’s talk about making a pumpkin pie from scratch!

A pie pumpkin cost us about $3. In full disclosure I wanted a can of puréed pumpkin, but Greenwood Walmart had none available for grocery pickup. But this meant a learning opportunity for both myself and my preschooler.

Making pumpkin pie from scratch is actually very simple, and then the seeds can be roasted!

Directions for Roasting a Pumpkin

1. To roast a pie pumpkin, first break off the stem. Slice it in half and scoop out the innards. If you plan to roast the pumpkin seeds set them aside, or if not go ahead and toss all the guts out. Heat oven to 350* and rub the inside of the pumpkin with cooking oil; I used vegetable- canola or olive oil works as well. Place the pumpkin upside down on a sheet pan and cook for 45 minutes. When done they will be a light golden brown color and fork tender.

2. Scrap the meat from the pumpkin skin and blend in a food processor, blender, or just mash with a potato masher. Really anything goes so long as you are making the pumpkin a smooth consistency.

Ingredients

-2 large eggs

-1/2 cup packed brown sugar

-1/3 cup white sugar

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-2 teaspoons cinnamon

-1 teaspoon ginger

-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

-2 cups pumpkin purée

-1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

-1 flaky pie crust

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425*.

2. Beat the eggs, add sugars, salt, and spices together; add in purée and milk. Beat together until everything is mixed.

3. Pour into pie crust. Cook for 15 minutes at 425, lower temperature to 350 and allow to continue cooking for 45-55 minutes.

To Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Tip: When you scoop out the inside of a pumpkin there is a lot of gooey yucky slime involved. Rinsing with cold water will turn that loose from the seeds, toss the stringy goop and save the seeds.

1. To get a good salty flavor on your seeds boil in salt water for 15 minutes before placing in the oven. Salt to your preference.

2. Preheat your oven to 400*. Regardless of seed size 400* is the right temperature to roast on. Small seeds will be done as fast as five minutes while larger seeds could take up to twenty minutes. Check often, when they begin turning a light brown they are ready.

For more adventurous seasoning add a few teaspoons of oil and toss with your favorite herbs and spices. Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and sugar can provide a sweet snack while a blend of chili powder produces a savory flavor.

Paris Hosts Little Rock Baptist Friday in Annual Homecoming Game

Sports

Resident News Network

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8:22 am

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Paris Hosts Little Rock Baptist Friday in Annual Homecoming Game

For Paris fans, it seems like forever since their beloved Eagles played a home football game. The last time Paris played at Eagles Stadium was on September 10 against West Fork. Other than that, Paris played away from home for its preseason scrimmage, and then played regular season games in zero week, week one, week three, and in week four, all on the road. Paris now opens a three-week home stand that will include critical conference games with Baptist Prep, Atkins, and Perryville. So, for Paris fans, your month has arrived; you can watch your Eagles at home for the next three weeks.

Little Rock Baptist Prep will come to Paris on Friday for a 3A-4 conference game, and for the Paris coaches, this week’s challenge will be to keep the team focused amid all of the potential distractions that come with homecoming week and game day. The Paris Eagles are a senior-heavy team, and their maturity and experience should be a plus in knowing how important it is to maintain focus on game preparation and the Baptist Prep Eagles.

Although Baptist Prep struggles to show success in their football program, the team is very competitive and will bring everything they have when they play Paris. In last year’s game in Little Rock, Paris played perhaps its most unimpressive game and almost allowed Prep to have hope of winning the game. The Paris Eagles’ talent won the game, and Paris was able to eventually pull away for the road win. This year’s team cannot do that with the added potential distraction of homecoming.

Paris will be vying to improve its record to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference for the second consecutive season. And once again, Paris cannot afford to overlook the week’s opponent by looking ahead to a big match-up next week with Atkins. So for the Paris Eagles, the operative word this week is “focus”.

Resident Press will be in Paris on Friday to bring you coverage of the game in Saturday’s online edition. Photos from the game will be posted on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports on Sunday.

Fans from both schools should enjoy perfect fall weather for Friday night’s game, and unlike last week, there is no forecast as of today for precipitation on Friday. So, come out to the stadium and enjoy the homecoming festivities and cheer your Paris Eagles to victory!

Happy Homecoming!

Runners Find Success At Cabin Creek Course

Sports

Resident News Network

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8:06 pm

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Runners Find Success At Cabin Creek Course

Lamar High School hosted its first cross country meet in over a decade. Along the banks of Cabin Creek and along the edge of their new high school campus, Lamar made a statement with their fresh new course. Mansfield made its statement as well.

Between a pair of runner-up team trophies and an individual medalist honor, Mansfield runners found success. The Cabin Creek run was a good run for the Tigers.

Mansfield loaded up most of their primary runners for the September 28 show. A few of the usual cast members were left home due to illness or dual sport conflicts.

Laney Wood wins again. The freshman runner has earned 3 individual victories this cross country season.

Mansfield’s Laney Wood was near her best as she sacrificed a home volleyball game to go run. The decision paid off as the up and coming freshman won the small school division for an individual.

“This was Laney’s second win out of five meets,” said Mansfield mentor John Mackey. “The other three races she got second place. You can tell she is putting in the time after hours.”

Mansfield junior boys also earned bragging rights. Behind eighth grader Joey Fildes, the Tiger team scoring moved into second place against nine other small school units.

“Joey has been pushing his limits,” said Mackey. “It’s just a matter of time before he breaks free of the pack and gets that individual win. Right now, he and his teammates are really jellying as a unit. The majority of the group are eighth graders, and they are pushing each other for high places.”

The MJH boys scored 73 points placing them just below Maumelle Charter School’s 54. Fildes offered up a team best third place in the scoring. Quitman followed in third at 84 points.

Rylan Nichols scores at the Cabin Creek Run.

Gunner Williams, Jonah Martin, Rylan Nichols, and Braxton Bartlett joined Fildes as the scoring five for the Tigers. Joseph Carter and Holden Powers were the team displacers.

Mansfield senior girls also brought home the second place plaque. The combination of Darby Jones, Faith Rainwater, McKenzie Griffin, Katlynn Moore, and Hope Rainwater completed the Lady Tiger tally.

Jones led the way as she has done throughout the 2021 season. Her third place finish as a small school competitor was sixth overall.

Mansfield only fell to defending class 2A state champion Quitman.

“Our times in the senior high division were misleading,” noted the coach. “According to the girls’ GPS smart watches the new course was a bit long. The course read out to be closer to 3.47 instead of 3.1 miles.”

Jones cranked out a 23:58.4 for the group’s fastest timing.

Lady Tigers take second behind at Lamar.

Freshman Wood On Fire Despite Rainy Conditions

Sports

Resident News Network

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7:04 pm

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Freshman Wood On Fire Despite Rainy Conditions

It’s been quite some time since the area has seen any significant rain. Leave it to Caddo Hills to host a cross country meet and invite the rain.

Despite intermittent heavy downpours, Mansfield set fire to the racing field with a flurry of solid finishes across the board at their most recent road trip. Highlighting those Tiger flames were the glow of three team plaques and a standout spark by freshman Laney Wood.

Laney Wood leads the Caddo Hills race from start to finish.

Wood, the team’s shiniest star of late, smoked the 42 person field in the junior girls race for her third win of the season and her second consecutive victory this past week. The freshman sensation took the overall victory at Caddo Hills on Saturday after taking the Lamar Cabin Creek small school run four days earlier.

“Laney has been on fire of late,” said Mansfield head coach John Mackey. “She’s so determined. It’s really fun to watch. Not many can keep up with her step for step.”

Turns out, Wood did hear footsteps coming from behind as she neared the Indian Run finish line. Fortunately, they were the splats of Lady Tiger teammate and training partner Trinity Triska.

Triska was only four seconds behind Wood. In consecutive order, the pair crossed in 10:51 and 10:55 for the 1.5 mile loop.

The one-two splash did not go unnoticed by Mansfield’s head coach.

Trinity Triska places second overall at Caddo Hills.

“It was good getting Trinity (Triska) and some of the other volleyball players back,” exclaimed the coach. “Having those two run together makes both better. When all the girls are back, we run better.”

Triska, Wood, Azlynn Stover, and Addie Bowman have been playing many nights for the school volleyball team. Triska and Stover are varsity starters on the volleyball team and have to work hard to fit in the occasional cross country meet. Wood and Bowman lean more towards running and miss the occasional volleyball match.

This weekend the group of four had a rare weekend off and joined Rileigh Parker to form a five-person squad headed to Caddo Hills. Together the unit scored enough points to take third overall in the team standings. Only Magnolia and Bismark scored higher team totals.

The plaque was one of three team awards the full Mansfield groupings collected on the day. The senior high girls scored a second place team finish in the opening race. The junior boys capped the morning with second place team finish in the last race.

Darby Jones posted a 19:37 for third place overall in her opening senior girls’ race. Realistically, that time more likely converts to a 22:12 as the course fell short of the full 5K run. Nonetheless, Jones and company ran well factoring in the soggy conditions of the mud puddled course.

Jones took home yet another individual medal as did teammate Faith Rainwater who finished seventh. McKenzie Griffin came in ninth. Jadelynn Wood went 18th, and Hope Rainwater went 20th.

Mansfield’s lone blocker, Katlynn Moore, was 21st place as the team collected 56 points. The runner-up point total was bested by only Magnolia High School, a class 4A school with 50 points.

Mansfield junior boys took home their runner-up plaque falling once again to Waldron. The pair of boy teams have met several times this season with the Bulldogs edging out the Tigers each time.

Joey Fidles is third overall at Caddo Hills.

Joey Fildes once again took top honors off the Tiger squad. The eighth grader placed third overall with a 1.5 mile mark of 9:26.

Gunner Willimas was 12th. Braxton Bartlett followed a good week of practice to take 18th place. Rylan Nichols and Jonah Martin were separated by only two places as the pair crossed at 19th and 21st respectively. Joseph Carter was the team’s first displacer at 22nd place.

Mansfield junior boys collect runner-up trophy.

MHS sr girls endure the mud of Caddo Hills course.

Arkansas Farm to School Month

Outdoors

Resident News Network

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8:42 am

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Governor Asa Hutchinson has proclaimed October as Arkansas Farm to School Month. This recognition is part of nationwide efforts to connect schools, early childhood education sites, and other educational organizations with local farms to bring fresh, local, and healthy food to children.

Read the full Arkansas Farm to School proclamation here.

The National Farm to School Network began this trend in 2010 by having National Farm to School Month designated by Congress. Since then, more and more states have joined in celebrating Farm to School Month. Arkansas has formally recognized Arkansas Farm to School Month since 2014, when then-governor Mike Beebe first proclaimed October as Arkansas Farm to School Month.

Governor Asa Hutchinson has continued the tradition every year since. This year, Arkansas Farm to School Month is themed “Connecting Schools, Farms, and the Community to Local Food.”

Learn more about the Arkansas Farm to School Month and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program on the new website!

Eagles Trounce Gators at Two Rivers, 58-0

Sports

Resident News Network

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10:56 pm

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Eagles Trounce Gators at Two Rivers, 58-0

On a misty night in Yell County that threatened heavy rain all night, the Paris Eagles took care of business against at Two Rivers Gators program that is struggling to compete in Class 3A football. Paris’s Duke Walker took the opening kickoff approximately 70 yards for the first Eagles score, and Paris never looked back. Paris led the entire game and quickly took the Gators out of competition for the game. And for the fifth straight game this season, Paris starters were able to leave the game early in the first half to avoid exposure to possible injury. The Eagles reserves have seen significant playing time this season, and tonight at Two Rivers, those players played for more than one half of the game.

Otherwise, it was a lack luster night for both teams. The Gators were simply overwhelmed by the talent and numbers of Paris, and the Eagles easily dominated the game on their talent and experience. But the win improved the Eagles’ record to 5-0 overall, and 2-0 in conference play. Paris will return home next week for its annual homecoming game when it hosts the Little Rock Baptist Prep Eagles at Paris Stadium. Paris coach Jeff Weaver and his staff will work to keep the players focused on Baptist Prep and to minimize the potential distraction of homecoming day activities. In last year’s game at Little Rock, Paris played an uninspired game, eventually breaking the game open late in the second half.

Next week’s homecoming game will be the first of a three week home stand for the Eagles that will include Baptist Prep on October 8 and will be followed in successive weeks by Atkins and Perryville. So for Eagles fans, your team is finally returning home and their will be a lot of good Eagles home football games on tap in the month of October.

Photos from this game will be posted on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports on Sunday night. Watch for a recap of this game and a preview next week of the upcoming homecoming game with Baptist Prep. Paris will be going for its second consecutive 6-0 start and 3-0 start in conference play when it hosts Prep.

Congratulations to the Eagles on going 5-0 this season, and get out tomorrow and enjoy the Frontier Days festivities in Paris!

JR Tigers Storm Past Pirates

Sports

Resident News Network

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11:49 am

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By Adam Hecox

The Jr Tigers football team has had its ups and downs so far this season. Sitting with a record at 2-4 overall and 1-1 in conference play, Mansfield was missing their identity as a team. On Thursday, September 30^th though, the JR Tigers not only found their identity as a team, they found out what it takes to dominate as Mansfield breezed past Greenland 56-24.

The game was push up to a 6:30 pm kickoff time due to impending storms rolling in from the west. Little did Greenland know; the true storm was the boys from the south who began the game rolling over the Pirates from the get-go. The Tiger’s offense turned to its tried-and-true run game to start things off. Mansfield’s stable of running backs like Zander Walters, Dawson Robinson, and Trey Powell ran wild for big yards. As the Pirates heads spun trying to figure out which back to zone in on, quarterback Jeremy Strozier read the defense like a book, pulled the ball, and darted downfield for a 45-yard touchdown. Strozier would then mimic the exact same play to tack on a two-point conversion giving the Tigers an early 8-0 in the first quarter.

Greenland would strike back at the beginning of the second quarter closing the score to an 8-6 Mansfield lead, but that gap was very narrow. On the next possession by Mansfield, Walters took a Strozier handoff and barreled downfield for 39 yards. With a little bit of slide of hand, Strozier then faked the handoff to Walters and then took the ball himself for a 42-yard touchdown. When Greenland got the ball back, the Tigers defense pinned their ears back and went for broke. Ethan Martin, Zander Walters, and Alex Hecox each got a quarterback sack on that possession by the Pirates forcing a turnover on downs. The Mansfield offense then popped in a cassette of their favorite band, Run DZT. Dawson Robinson and Zander Walters bust downfield for big plays leaving a gaping hole later in the drive for Trey Powell to punch the ball in for another Tiger Touchdown. Strozier crossed the goal line to tack on the two-point conversion.

Mansfield pulled the needle off the running record though late in the second quarter as Strozier found the one, the only, the Toby Towe who towed in a 32-yard pass for a touchdown. Greenland tried to anchor down and bring the Tigers scoring surge to a halt, but as the rain began to fall, so did the Pirate’s hopes. Strozier again played the perfect card on a play-action read and found himself in the end zone again on a 34-yard run. After the half, it was all Mansfield. Powell and Walters set up another, you guessed it, Strozier touchdown. The Tiger’s offense continued to be impeccable, but the defense would not be left in the dark. Joseph Carter got the Tigers’ first turnover of the game when he read Greenland’s quarterback mind and leaped into the atmosphere to intercept the Pirates pass to finish the third quarter.

The start of the fourth quarter saw a play that is very rare and hasn’t been seen in over a year. Cooper Edwards went in for Strozier and on his first play from scrimmage split the Pirates defensive hull with a “Cooper Keeper” for a 35-yard Tiger touchdown. With the Tiger’s defense still keeping Greenland’s offense blue, their offense had some more scoring to do. Defensive linebacker, Aaron Persons, went into the game on offense as a running back late in the fourth quarter. It only took two plays for Persons to make every person in green miss the tackle as he dodged his way 22 yards into the end zone. Still not enough points you say? How about Trey Powell closing the game out with an epic kickoff return giving the Tigers a 56-24 final score for the win.

The Tiger’s huge win over a conference foe wasn’t due all to the starters though. Mansfield was short multiple starters for the game which put players, many of whom barely even rotate in, in new positions starting positions. Jacob “Peanut” Delp, who usually closes out games on defense, played the entire game as a starting offensive lineman. Delp played so well in fact that the team picked him to “call it up” after the game. Alex Hecox shifted from a backup linebacker to starting defensive tackle and raked in multiple sacks and tackles in the game. Joey Fields, Leland Powell, Logan Newman, and Joseph Carter help the Tigers defense shut down Greenland’s high-powered passing offense. Come to find out, the JR Tigers’ identity isn’t on offense, defense, or special teams. The Mansfield JR Tigers identity turned out to be working as one big family.

Mansfield will have a short time to enjoy the Greenland victory though. The next big step for the JR Tigers will come on October 7th when they host the Charleston Tigers. Charleston has owned the 3A-1 football history books for years. That being said, every empire must fall and Mansfield plans to knock the first brick out of Charleston kingdoms wall. The 7^th Grade will kick off at 5:30 pm and the JR High will start at 7:00 pm.

The Game Ends With An Emotional Tie

Megan Hecox

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5:57 am

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When I started the path of sports writing for Resident Press five years ago, I didn’t know a thing about sports. None of them. Sure, I watched a few games on television, but if you asked me what a first down or foul ball was, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. Sports weren’t my thing. I was more of a Choir and Drama Club gal. And the only reason I had ever attended a pep rally was because a teacher would find me and my friends hiding somewhere in the school and force us to the gym. Fast forward to today and I know a lot more than I did. I know plays, penalties, and can almost tell you what every definition in the book is about each sport. Half of this knowledge came from the actual games themselves but the other half came from the incredible coaches I have come to know who took pity on me and my attempt to sound like I knew what I was talking about in my articles and took the time to explain their sport to me in a quick Sports for Dummies version.

My Resident Press journey got started because I was working at the hospital at the time and was ready for a change of scenery. It would allow me to stay close to home and be there for my kids when they needed me. It was something to earn a little cash and keep myself busy when the kids were in school. Nothing more and nothing less. What I didn’t count on was falling in love with EVERYTHING about small-town sports. I was timid in the beginning because I was a tiny fish in a big sea of sports writing that I knew nothing about. But as time went on, I got more comfortable and my writing started to suck a little less.

There is nothing easy about stepping away and saying goodbye. Honestly, the day that I put in my two-week notice was one of the hardest days of my life. I bawled like a baby. Then to make matters worse, I had to turn around and let all 30 of my coaches and co-workers know that I was exiting left. One of my favorite things about this job was the countless bonds formed with coaches, students, and parents over the years. They all knew my family and I knew theirs. We wished each other happy birthday, checked on each other when someone was sick and enjoyed conversations about life in general. My work relationships went well beyond the definition of a job. We became family. Every time a coach informed me that they were transferring out of my coverage area or I had to watch my seniors graduate, I felt it to my core.

Another favorite part of my job was giving the athletes, teams, and coaches the public recognition they earned when other sources didn’t want to give our small towns the time of day. Everyone knows that Mansfield is my town. But I also adopted Waldron, Hackett, Magazine, and Cedarville as my own and if an outside source messed with one of us, they messed with all of us. Yes, we were rivals during a game. But off the field or court, we stood up for each other when anyone would try to break us down. I felt as if each and every athlete in the five schools I’ve covered over the years were my own. I enjoyed taking their pictures, giving them nicknames, writing positive stories about them, and cheering them on at each game I could make.

This journey has truly been life-changing but all good things must come to an end. I first want to say THANK YOU to my coaches for putting up with my endless questions at all hours of the day. You never lost patience with me no matter how many times I bothered you during a 24 hour period. Your consistent support in my endeavor to shine a light on small-town sports means the world to me. THANK YOU to my husband Adam and kids Raine and Alex for putting up with my chaotic schedule. Sports writing is not a 9-5 job. At any given season I would have up to 20 individual teams I would have to cover. There are games almost every night of the week and they tagged along to every sport in every town including 6 hour-long trips to State for a school they didn’t even go to and they did it all without gripping. They helped with writing articles, taking pictures, and keeping me mentally uplifted when I felt like I was doing a bad job or was hard on myself when I couldn’t cover a game.

And last but not least. THANK YOU to my incredible Resident Press team! Jim, the love you have for sports writing is beautifully shown in your articles covering Paris and Charleston. You were the best sports partner in crime and I will forever be grateful for all of the help you have given me. And Tammy and Jason. We are the Three Muskateers! We have literally been through everything together. From the laughing until we peed (ok, maybe that was just me) to the bickering because we annoyed the heck out of each other at times, to being each other’s shoulder to cry on during difficult times in life. We sacrificed holidays and time with our families, money, and our sanity to build Resident Press into what it is today. But you know what? It was all worth it and in the end, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I love you guys more than you will ever know and will forever be grateful for the chance you took on hiring this sports illiterate girl almost five years ago. And with my final adieu, Hecox out!

R

RESIDENT NEWS NETWORK