IF THE HAT FITS: Thanks for the ride, 2021
Dec. 31—Here it is — the final day of 2021. And what a road it was to get here.
I began the year diving headfirst into local basketball coverage and preparing for my first Pitt 8 Tournament since taking the job.
It was a whirlwind week, but such a great experience. Lots of great games, seeing teams battling it out each night, and fans from across the county descending on the host schools in droves to support their teams.
But sadly, at the end of the tournament last year, I was benched for two weeks with COVID-19. Once I was cleared — winter weather hit.
Okay, so not a great start. But once that melted away, it was off to the races again.
Playoff basketball was here, and I put all the miles on my truck as I hit the highway. From here in Pittsburg County, to Tulsa, Stroud, and eventually Oklahoma City for the state basketball tournaments.
I had an absolute blast, but the fun was just beginning as it was time for the spring sports.
The weather got warmer, and so did the action out on the baseball and softball diamonds, soccer pitch, track and field, golf course — you get the point.
I covered the Pitt 8 baseball tournament, Lady Buffs soccer making program postseason history, state baseball, softball, and golf tournaments, as well as the Buffs capturing gold in the state track meet.
The sunburns I seemed to continuously layer served as painful yet fond reminders of all the things I got to witness our amazing area athletes accomplish.
From there, I set out on my summer projects: curating the all-time McAlester football team and writing, editing, and putting together the annual gridiron preview magazine. It took up a lot of time, but it was also a lot of fun digging into history, taking a look at last season, and previewing the excitement that was yet to come.
When August came around, I was excited to see all of our area athletes back at it in multiple. And of course, by the end of the month, it was time for high school football once again.
I did finally take a little time for myself and family during the week of Christmas, but now I'm recharged and ready to do it all again in 2022.
Basketball and wrestling are well underway, and spring sports are right around the corner. The yearly cycle will start once again, and I'm excited for all that is in store for our area athletes in the coming months.
Thank you to all that helped make 2021 so memorable. It was a long, busy year for us all, but a lot of cool things happened as well, and our area athletes and teams certainly raised the bar.
Personally, I can honestly say that my life was changed, impacted by all the people I've been surrounded by — and I'm excited for what the next year holds.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.
