Emily Paige was born on election day and I'm just starting to emerge from the fog of having another brand new baby. If there's one thing that I've learned in the last three weeks is that two is a whole lot more than one. It's twice the diapers, twice the baths, twice the feeding, and twice the attention needed from Da-Da.
I'd be lying if I said there weren't a lot of good things about this time, but coming to work has started to become a little bit of a break from the craziness that is the Snow household right now.
So, that being said, I've had a lot of time away from the office, and a chance to really reflect on the football season that was.
I'll take it one school at a time.
Newberry
To say that this was a disappointing season for the Newberry football team is more than a little bit of an understatement. When I talked to Bulldogs' coach Sam Baird in the preseason, he didn't give me the usual coach-speak of "we may be alright" or "I really don't know how good we're going to be." I believe his words were somewhere along the lines of "we're going to be good, and possibly really good."
The 'Dogs didn't make the playoffs for the first time since dropping down to 2-A in 2004.
So what happened?
Self-inflicted wounds.
If the Bulldogs don't commit two handfuls of turnovers in losses to Saluda and Batesburg-Leesville, they finish no worse than 3-2 in the region, and put themselves in great position to make a run in the playoffs.
The turnovers are correctable, and with the nucleus of that team, including Marcus McMorris, Montagus Caldwell and Tyrone Neal returning next season, there's no reason to think the 'Dogs will not be in the hunt for a region championship next season.
But will anybody notice?
Attendance at games was dreadful this year, and its understandable.
There were a lot of rainy Friday nights this season, and frankly everyone has less money, but there are tangible consequences. Less people in the stands, means less money at the gate, which means that all sports suffer, especially football. From a strictly football sense, the environment was flat at the games at Mike Ware Field, and I don't think it's a coincidence that the 'Dogs went winless at home this season.
Mid-Carolina
When I summed up the 2007 Mid-Carolina football season, I wrote something along the lines that the Rebels' 5-6 record was the best losing record in modern football. I was exaggerating to make a point, but this season, Mid-Carolina improved to 6-6 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
But was this a better season?
If you examine success by the end result, then maybe the season was successful.
The Rebels defeated Newberry for the second year in a row, and won the program's first playoff game in recent memory. They nearly upset perennial 2-A powerhouse Abbeville in the second round and gained the respect of a lot of doubters with that effort.
But on the flipside, Mid-Carolina lost several games that it shouldn't have and at times didn't play with the safe desire it had last year.
All of that being said, are the Rebels in better shape than they were five years ago? Without a doubt.
But did this team meet its expectations? No, but changing the culture of a generation of losing takes time. The Rebels will have to replace a ton of seniors, but with skill players Krishawn Holley, Tevins Walker and Clarence Turner returning, this team should be in the mix for the region.
Whitmire
I could not have been more wrong about the Whitmire football team. I honestly didn't expect this team to be .500, much less play for a region championship.
The Wolverines' coaching staff, led by Donald Addis, did a tremendous job maximizing this team's talent by putting it in good situations.
Quarterback Lamarcus Lindsay did an outstanding job at times leading the Wolverines' offense through the air and on the ground. When Lindsay plays within himself and maintains his composure, he's a tremendous player.
He should be even better next season. Whitmire, like most small 1-A schools, has the majority of its players going both ways.
With Lindsay, Jarrell Ruff-Smalls, Ethan Campbell and others coming back next year, the Wolverines should be right there again.
If this team can get just a little bit better on the lines, it could be special next year.
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