Football frenzy

Here we are, in the thick of the football season, and there seems to have been pain and glory for most everyone.
I am hurting a bit since my Cowboys lost on Monday night. It’s certainly been a mixed season for them. The same could be said for one of my other teams, the Carolina Panthers, who, like the Cowboys, are mentioned as a Super Bowl team, and then they suffer a disappointing loss.
It seemed before the college season started, North Carolina major college football was predicted to have a down year. Things started out worse for NC State, who suffered embarrassing losses to some smaller schools. They obviously have had some big wins up until the last two weeks to salvage Coach Amato’s job. They may have found a star in their young quarterback.
Monday Coach Bunting was shown the door at UNC. As I was speaking with a big UNC fan Monday, he said as much as he likes him, he hasn’t been able to do the job.
As the losses pile up at Duke, you have to think Ted Roof will follow at the end of the year. I saw them play Virginia a few weeks ago, and I know they have played some good ball. They’ve been in several games, but a young quarterback has really hurt them.
I didn’t hear much about East Carolina before the season started, but Skip Holtz has the Pirates playing some really good ball. They’ve lost several games to fine teams like West Virginia, who is one of the top teams in the national polls, but could have easily left Greenville early in the season with a loss.
We’ve been giving away mainly ECU football tickets this year in our football contest. We didn’t know exactly how that would go, but we’ve heard good reports from those who have attended, and appreciation for the contest.
Wake Forest has come back to the pack a bit in recent weeks, but the Demon Deacons have been the big story in North Carolina college ranks. Despite also having to go to a second string quarterback, they are contending for an ACC title this year.
Our local high school teams have seen some success and some pain this year. I’ve been shooting photos at more football games this season than in recent years with being short-staffed, and have been to see all four of our teams in recent weeks.
Aycock came out of the starting gate so strongly. They still have a fine team, despite some disappointments in mid-season. They look as if they will make the playoffs, and the great thing about the playoffs is someone can get things going at the end of the year, and who knows how far they will go.
Speaking of getting things going, Beddingfield had a rocky stretch of games and looked to be going nowhere, but suddenly the Bruins have caught fire. While it’s easy to point to their new, young quarterback as a visible sign of new things, they are playing with a confidence that could carry them far at the end of the year.
Rosewood was not expected to do well this year, but Coach Barrow has the Eagles playing hard. I saw them play North Johnston recently, and they were giving a fine NJ team all they could handle. While they probably will not go deep into the playoffs, they have had what I would consider to be a good season.
I have probably had the most sympathy for Princeton Coach Russell Williamson this season. The Bulldogs have been struggling for a win in recent years, and this looked like it could be another tough one. Despite the problems turning a program around, his kids have played hard, and pulled out a couple of wins. As often happens to Princeton, an injury at quarterback has really hurt their chances for more wins, but things are seemingly looking up at PHS.
If you will allow me a bit of philosophizin’, we put a lot of emphasis on football. Many would argue we put too much there, and I can support that at times.
Football is a complex game, with speed, strategy and grace certainly playing major roles, but to a great extent, it is won in what is called the trenches. Between the blocking of the offensive line and the rushing and blitzing and filling the holes of the defense, the game is usually won or lost.
There is a warrior side of football, a controlled aggression, that speaks to the hearts of most men. They like to hit. They like the feeling of beating their opponent, the fellow on the other side of the line. Certainly, we’ve seen that get out of line this year.
Football can feel real good sometimes, and sometimes it can feel real bad.
Obviously most guys don’t go on to play college or pro ball, but many have the opportunity to play in high school. I have talked with some several years after their playing days, and their eyes light up. They remember the good times, and they feel good.
I think all of our local teams have got some times they can hold on to, times that have felt real good. I think that’s good, and important for guys, despite what all of you mothers say who don’t want your sons hurt playing the game.

Schools moving forward

I attended the Wayne County Schools Facilities Committee hearing last Monday at Rosewood High School. As a newspaperman, I was less than charmed. It was frankly a bit boring, with few really stirring moments. As a concerned citizen, I was thrilled.
In fairness, Rosewood is not where you are going to find the controversy that makes for stirring reading in the newspaper. While you can argue that Rosewood Middle School should be replaced, certainly the elementary and high school are in far better shape than many schools in the county, and so far, they are adequate to meet the student populations they are asked to serve.
What the committee heard last Monday was we are thrilled to see you here, coming together as a joint committee between commissioners and school board, ready to begin addressing the school facility issues of the county. We are ready to support a bond issue, if in your wisdom you feel that is the best way to go.
I was particularly moved by Stuart Kornegay’s statements during the hearing and I believe they represent the views of many across the county. As I pointed out in the article, he got the biggest applause of the night, at least one indication that he reflected the views of many in Rosewood.
Traditionally, when you try to sell a school bond issue, you try to address a need in every attendance area. You try to show every area that they have something to gain by supporting a bond issue.
As I suggested earlier, Rosewood really has nothing immediate to gain from the present proposal. Stuart and others rose to say this was not the important thing.
First, there was a recognition that Rosewood had received much in the past (thanks in no small part to Stuart’s father, Bobby Rex Kornegay, a former school board member). As Bobby Rex and others would point out, there were critical needs at Rosewood, and for the most part, they have been addressed.
There is nothing more divisive that the perception that one area is getting more than they deserve while your needs are not being addressed. By not putting in something for everyone, there is a danger that this bond issue could break down on that issue.
What the younger Mr. Kornegay said at the meeting, and what impressed me particularly, was there are other areas of the county hurting, their needs are critical, and they deserve the first share of any facilities construction money. He effectively said the “there is nothing in this for us” argument didn’t hold for him.
He effectively said that the committee should press forward with a bond issue, with confidence that Rosewood would vote for it. He said the funding of facilities needs was overdue, but with getting a means in place to address current needs, when their needs became critical, Rosewood would get theirs.
There were other voices there: a plea for no tax increase and suspicions about re-districting were aired, but those did not resonate. Stuart’s did.
If you want to be divisive, you can find fault with anything. You can find reasons to criticize, put in your preferences, and make sure everything completely suits you.
What is more important at this juncture is we get the ball rolling. There are critical facility issues in this county which have not been addressed for far too long. We can wallow in history and get pulled down by our past, and we can break it down by selfishly pulling it apart to make sure I get mine.
What I heard last Monday night was a determination by this county to do what needs to be done to meet the needs of our students. That voice, which I believe reflects the majority of Wayne County, will continue to resonate.
There will always be other voices. They will speak against any tax increase, for any purpose. They will say this proposal does not meet the needs as I see them and should be defeated unless I get mine.
I urge you to speak out. There needs to be a slam dunk. We need unity, not divisiveness. We need to move ahead.
Now is the time.