Tidbits - November 10, 2016
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- Category: Archives
- Published on Wednesday, 09 November 2016 15:19
- Written by Ralph Shealy
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TIDBITS by RALPH SHEALY
THE CHAMPS
I haven’t experienced many Saluda High football conference championships in my 65-years.
I’ve witnessed titles in 1962, 1963, 1973, 1997, 2003 and, now, 2016.
I want to emphasize “witness,” because there were several Tiger teams that won conference championships in the 50’s, but I wasn’t paying attention back then.
This year’s team has been a record setter. Last year’s 10-3 team that played for the Upperstate Championship was the highest scoring team in school history.
The 2015 team held the scoring record for one year. This year’s team topped the high scoring mark in just 10 games.
I’ve never seen a Saluda team like this one. They’ve scored over 50 points in four games, and 49 in two more. The referees kept the clock running in four games or they would have scored even more points.
No previous Saluda team has had more than two 50-point games in a season.
Yes, this year’s conference is not the SEC of 2-A football as have been the ones in the past, but Keenan, Fox Creek and Gray Collegiate had some excellent players, and the Tigers still scored 49, 51 and 55 points against them.
The Tigers have had 15 different players score points, and how many teams do you know that has a backup kicker who has kicked a 40-yard field goal? Most teams are lucky to have one kicker. Saluda’s two kickers have combined to score 72 points.
If you haven’t seen the Tigers play this year, I urge you to come out next Friday and see them play against Landrum in the opening round of the state play-off.
I guarantee you will be entertained.
By the way, the Saluda Junior Varsity won it’s fifth straight game to close out the season, and shut out their last four opponents. The future remains bright.
While Region 3-2A is not known as a strong football conference, the same cannot be said for basketball.
The Tigers defeated Gray Collegiate 55-18 Friday to win the region championship.
The War Eagle boys basketball team is ranked Number 16 in the country. That’s not in South Carolina, or in 2A. That is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
One of the Gray Collegiate coaches came up to the press box at the Jayvee game Thursday, and we talked about reading about the basketball team.
He said the team had a 6-10 player, to go along with a 6-9 and 6-7. They are not the stars, however. Their guard, Felton, has signed with North Carolina.
Gray has a small gym, with limited capacity. They play their home games off campus, just as they do their football games.
I’m sure they’ll be a packed house wherever the War Eagles play.
Of course, let’s not forget about Keenan, a perennial state championship contender, and Eau Claire has a storied past. If I remember correctly Fox Creek played for the 1-A title a few years ago.
The girls teams in the region are good, too.
MY APOLOGIES
Last week, Elaine Blanton let me know Dr. Bobby Morrow had died, but for some reason, in my column I put Dr. Tommy Morrow had died.
Both are Baptist ministers, who served in Saluda County. Tommy preached at Red Bank and Saluda Baptist, and Bobby at Richland Springs.
The Morrows are cousins from Sumter.
Rev. Tommy Morrow is alive and living in Camden.
I’m sorry for my mistake, and thanks to those who let me know.
TECHIE?
When I was getting out of Wayne Grice’s truck following the Fox Creek game, I somehow separated my phone’s “holster” into two parts.
When I got home and into the light, I saw the holster was not broken. It had just been pulled apart. All I had to do was put it back together.
To attach the holster to the clip, I needed to hit it with a rubber mallet.
To do this I had to take the clip apart. I have done this before. I’ve bought the same type holster with all my previous iPhones.
I forgot to look and see how the spring was connected to the clip, unfortunately.
The rubber mallet trick worked, but I spent another hour or so trying various configurations to correctly reattach the spring.
After I got my iPhone 7, I gave my brother Jamie my iPhone 6 case. I texted him and asked him to take a picture of the spring in the iPhone 6 case.
In the meantime, I went on Amazon and ordered another case, knowing the repair was nearly impossible!
Jamie sent the pictures, and I was able to figure out how the spring worked and successfully put the case back together.
I’m serious when I say this project took a large portion of the day.
I am not a phone in the pocket kind of person. It may look nerdy to wear a phone holster, but I don’t care. I’m old.
Oh, yeah, my new case arrived a couple of days later.
I’ll keep it to remind me before I spend a day on a similar contraption the next time that it only cost $9.95!
MORE SADNESS
I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Steve Bindenagel.
Steve worked for the Town of Saluda and he and his department were so good to us when we had to move out of our old building. They were a tremendous help in a very trying time for us.
When we moved to our new place, he continued to offer help.
I will never forget that.
He kindness and concern was shared with everyone who knew him.
I was also saddened to learn of the passing of my old friend Ricky Riddle.
It is ironic his passing came just before the Wonderful Weekend in Ward Trailride, where he was a sponsor, big supporter and participant.
Also, he and Bertie were among the members of the Trinity Community Club who worked for years to get some kind of state funding to help pay to reroof the Community Center.
Monday, Rep. Ralph Kennedy presented a $20,000 check. Bertie was among those who accepted.
Ricky was loved by all who knew him.