IF THE HAT FITS: Looking into the goody bag of high school sports
Oct. 31—There's a lot going on in the world of local high school sports right now.
Just take a look at the pages in front of you and you'll see what I'm talking about. There's football, basketball, and softball — oh my! And we're only getting started as we transition into a whole new month.
Firstly, you'll see the results from last night's high school football games. There's only one regular season game left, and then it's playoff time in Oklahoma. The competition only heats up from there — despite the weather getting colder — and I'm excited to see where this journey will take us.
Next, you'll see our McAlester News-Capital All-Area Fast-Pitch Softball Team. There are a lot of talented athletes in our area, names both on and not on our lists. I want to congratulate each and every player this season for battling the elements, and ongoing pandemic, and the tough competition you faced in front of you.
Your season may not have ended the way you would have wanted it to, but you made a whole bunch of people in your towns and communities so incredibly proud just by representing the name on the front of that jersey.
So hold your head high, and know that you have made a difference and deserve to be applauded.
And finally, you can check out previews for the schools that will be starting their basketball seasons next week.
The non-football schools of Crowder, Haileyville, Indianola, Kiowa, Stuart, and Pittsburg will all begin in the first week of November, setting out on a journey with the hopes of reaching the pinnacle of Oklahoma basketball — the state tournament at the Big House.
It's a long road that's going to take place in the next couple of months, but it's also one filled with adventure. There's so much promise and uncertainty that one can't not be thrilled at the opportunity before them.
So good luck to all of our area teams, and I'll be seeing you all out at the gym.
That's quite the sports pages, huh? And that's not even counting that we've got wrestling on the way, and the football-playing schools will transition to basketball in a month's time as well.
There's so much to look forward to this winter, and a lot to be excited about. So as you read through these pages ahead of Halloween, know that there is no trick here — only what I hope are tasty treats of things to come as we continue through this year of high school athletics.
Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.
