Well our season is over, along with likely most of the senior class' football career. We gave it a good run, and this concludes my time as a Cave Spring Knight football player. I wrote in my notebook last night about the memories I have as a football player. Starting with my first year at Hidden Valley Middle School. I'm not going to pull out my notebook in order to write exactly what I have, but I will say a bit about each year.
Before I do that though, I want to send a thank you to my friends who were behind me the entire season. Along with a special thanks to my great fellow friend, student, athlete, whose senior season ended a while back. She gave me a lot of good advice, and said some things that could not be more true until I went through it, and it sure enough was right. Our seasons basically ended in the same fashion. The ball the sport uses hitting the ground one last time. She definitely helped me start my process of "getting over it" for lack of a better way to put it. Thanks, you're the best.
8th grade, HVMS: This was my first year in football. I had always said I was going to play, and I didn't really know much about how it worked. I know about shoulder pads, and helmets, but every other pad we had to put in was like, confusing to me. I learned quickly though. We picked out our numbers, and I proceeded to take my number for the year. Which was the number 80. I wanted to be a wide receiver and a safety. I was then told I was too short to play either, so I had to settle for D-Line. Weighing 125lbs, I don't know why I was a D-lineman, but I was. I didn't play much, but I didn't expect to. I worked my tail off, and tried as best I could. Ended this season 5-3. I had a lot of fun.
9th grade- First year at CSHS: I didn't want to move, but I didn't have a choice, so I just went with it and started playing football in order to meet a few people, and because I didn't want to have a 1 season career. I didn't know many people, but the few people I did know helped me to adapt quickly. Having my brother there with me helped a little bit. I loved the JV coaches, and the varsity coaches were pretty cool, I just never really had much to do with them. I picked out my varisty number of 57, because it was the only number left. I didn't like it, but I took it. JV numbers didn't need to be the same, and because I played Running Back, I wanted a different number. I picked my number, which I continued to have until Friday. The number 42. I played a bit, and some thought I should quit, others thought I would fill out. It just depended on my choice. JV ended at 3-6, and Varsity took me to my first playoff run. Ending the season as regional champions, and a record of 10-3. The work began in January.
10th grade. CSHS: This was probably my best season. I had worked hard in the offseason to work on the things I needed to work on. I had been determined to have a starting position on JV at least, and I wanted to be a transitional player, going up to Varsity like a few of the then Juniors did the year before. I made my goal, and then had a pretty decent year. I went on to score 2 touchdowns in a real game, 1 in a scrimmage. Blocking a punt, and make tackles, and rushing yards, and almost everything else you can do in football. I even had my fair share of penalties. I even had receiving yards on Varsity, which was a great feeling for me. JV ended 3-6 again I think, either that or 4-5 I don't remember. Varsity went on to go 8-4, which was good.
11th Grade. PHHS. A.K.A. the half season: I moved again, this time away from a place where I felt the best I could be. I didn't want to move any more than I had wanted to move to Cave Spring, and I felt the same way about football. I didn't wanna leave Cave Spring, because I had learned so much about myself there, and I knew it would be much different at PH. I did special teams stuff, and finally, I had grown sick of the coaches, and the people there, so I stopped playing. This was not fun, and I don't like that I had to, but I don't regret it for a second. This move was great for me spiritually. I just didn't have fun playing football.
Cave Spring football went 8-4 again. PH ended at 7-3, not making playoffs because they didn't have a tough schedule.
12 grade. CSHS. Senior year: This was the last season I could have. I would not be playing college football most likely, and so I knew I only had one year to make the best of what I could. I knew I would be coming back to a familiar team, and familiar faces. Minus my defensive line coach, who would be taking a head coaching position at Lord Botetourt High School. This would pose a problem for me because I had a lot of success under this coach, because he was alwasys pushing me to work harder. Not knowing who was going to coach me at defensive line kind of put me on a defensive standpoint, because I had a few issues with new people in the recent months. After I had learned who was going to coach me, I was kind of alright, but things went bad. We had trouble getting me to practice in the Summer, which I knew would end when school started, but my family still had trouble getting me to school. This year was not going the way I planned. Eventually things just stayed and leveled out. I did special teams, and some offense and defense, but nothing major. This year was not what I wanted it to be in the middle, but it changed into what I pictured it being at the end, We ended aat 7-6. Not our best, but not as bad as we were supposed to be. Still going to playoffs, and winning our first two games. We could have gone farther, but that was not the plan the Lord had
I've had a great career, and there is definitely nothing to be ashamed of. I've always been told that how you view yourself is going to affect how you do in life. I've always envisioned myself as a winner. With a total overall record(Varsity and middle school only) of 38-20. Which gives a winning percentage of .655, I'd say it's a winning career. The other side, I have learned more about myself through football than almost every other thing I have done. Definitely more than any other sport I have ever done. My career may be over, but that's also if I don't decide to try and walk on, and even if I do, I would have to impress people in order to be able to continue. We shall see where it goes, but it's likely the end of my career.
It's been fun. I was going to have pictures from the years, but they will come later.
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