The Last Season

During my career as a coach I had two "last" seasons. The first was the last season at BH before consolidation ripped our school away from us. The second occurred at NC toward the end of my school career as I approached retirement.  Both were sad times for me, but the last season at BH was much more so because of the forced consolidation that was about to take place.

I was in my second stint as head baseball coach at BH, taking over after Coach M had left again for better things.  We were one season removed from a state championship and after a 500 season the year before and just missing the playoffs, we felt ready to make a run again.

I had been thinking about my players and what positions they could play to improve on last year and as the season started, I thought I had the best line up ready to go...I knew we would hit, just wasn't sure about the defense, as the Ol boy would say," we wadn't too swooft!".  Well, 4 games in and we were 0 for the season, then I made one defensive change at shortstop. We reeled off 16 straight wins and made the playoffs again.

Our kids knew the situation well...win, or it's over forever at BH. They wanted with all their heart to end the last season at BH as state champions once again. The first game of the best two of three series was played at home and we were shut down by a big, strong pitcher who later went on to play quarterback at the University of Southern Mississippi. Having played five games over the last week and a couple more days had worn us down physically and it showed in our pitching.  Even so, my kids were gamers. They grabbed their gloves and bats and took it to our opponents in the second game. Now the series was tied at one game each with the third game to be played at a neutral site. I was never more proud of a group of kids than I was of them. They weren't  big, strong, or fast, but, they were hard nosed, gritty, and determined. They played their hearts out, but, in the end, that "big Ol cornbread eatin football signee" had the fresh arm against us and we lost the third game. Now the finality was realized and tears began to flow, not because we lost the game, we knew we had given our best, not because we didn't win the state championship, we knew the nature of the playoffs, but because it was the last game of the last season ever played for old BH school.

I often think back to that day and wonder what would have been in store for that group had consolidation not separated them. They were back on the verge of another state championship..very well could have happened the next year! In any case, I hope they remember what I told them in that last huddle, "Hold your heads high boys, you are part of the heart of BH school and what you have done this season puts you on same level as all those who have come through before you. You, the last team from BH, have represented her well and I'm very proud of you!"

The "last" season will always be the first of my memories, and I'll always shake my head and think, "Why did it have to end?". Are we really a whole lot better off? I suppose in some ways yes, others no, and that's the nature of change. *sigh*