The past two weeks, I've written about some of my experiences while covering high school and college sports for 30 years in Arkansas. I did so without any regard for my co-workers, most of whom have also been in the business a long time.
They've got stories to tell and I've asked them to share a few here today. Readers, send me your best stories of high school athletics and I'll list those in another column if I receive enough entries.
If not, I'll move onto other hot summer topics like the WNBA.
DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE
(Chip Souza, 30 years)
My first full-time newspaper job in 1984 was actually three jobs rolled into one. The company I worked for owned a weekly, a twice-weekly, and a daily newspaper, and I was responsible for covering several smaller schools.
During basketball season it was a challenge to be at all the games, so I developed a good rapport with the coaches. They would call me at home after their games (remember, this was before cell phones or texting) and report the scores.
Late one night, my home phone rang, and it's never good news when that happens.
On the other end was the boys coach of a team that had lost its fourth or fifth game in a row, all close losses. Apparently, the frustrated coach had drowned his sorrows in a few malted beverages and decided he needed to report his game score ... at 2:30 a.m.
Being the diligent reporter, I scrambled for a notepad and pen.
My saintly wife, who had her restful sleep interrupted by the phone ring, raised up and said, "if you write down one word from this moron, you've had it."
I told the coach I'd call him later that morning.
Did I mention I've also been married 31 years?
WHEN DOES THE GAME END?
(Paul Boyd, 29 years)
One memorable moment for me was a Greene County Tech vs. Paragould boys basketball game in the late 1980s. In my opinion, it's the biggest rivalry in Northeast Arkansas.
The game was hotly contested, but the end was the key. With Paragould leading by two, Tech's Brandon Russom hits a 3-pointer at the buzzer and gets clobbered. The overflow crowd goes nuts with Tech's student body storming the court. Problem was the game's not officially over.
Once order was restored, Tech, the home team, was assessed a technical foul.
Russom hits his free throw, then Kyle Harris, who would go on to lead the Southeastern Conference in hitting one season for Arkansas baseball, strolls to the other end and hits the two technical free throws to force overtime.
The place was a zoo. Russom hit a jumper in the waning seconds of OT to give Tech the win for poetic justice.I chased down the official, Russell Gilmore, after the game to explain what happened and he did so very well. But neither coach, GCT's Mike Holder or the late Dr. Bob Paynter would comment, but Holder had to be restrained by an assistant prior to overtime.
My future wife, Amber, a GCT grad, was in the stands that night in the student section. I wouldn't meet her until years later but she swears she didn't storm the court.
THE GAME THAT HAD IT ALL
(Vernon Tarver, 17 years)
Junction City ... on a wild playoff November Friday night in 1999.
From the very beginning, this Class 2A football matchup between Junction City and Shiloh Christian was one for the ages. A blown transmitter -- caused by a fan backing over a power pole -- forced a delay and killed the scoreboard for the rest of the night. And that was the least crazy part of this wild contest.
Gus Malzahn has gone onto great things at Auburn, and before that Tulsa, Arkansas and Springdale High. But this night might have been his shining moment, as he guided the Saints on the craziest of comebacks in a 70-64 win in perhaps the greatest high school football game ever played in state history.
I've had the privilege of covering high school sports and Razorbacks athletics spanning for the bulk of the last 17 years. This game was the tops.
MEXICAN-STYLE GATORADE?
(Henry Apple, 28 years)
I was covering the 1986 AABA State Baseball Tournament, which was being held in early August in my hometown of Dover. Between innings of one afternoon game, home plate umpire Bob Freeman of Clarksville came up to me and asked if I would go to the concession stand and get him and his umpire colleague some Gatorade.
I did exactly what I had been asked, and moments later I headed back to the field with two glasses of this greenish liquid loaded with ice. I handed one of them to Bob, who immediately started funneling it down.
Moments later, the worst settled in for Bob because he had half of his drink gone before he realized what had happened. The liquid in those cups wasn't Gatorade -- it was the jalapeno pepper juice that was used to make the nacho cheese sauce! The heat then set in, and poor Bob had to call the remainder of the game using only his hands. It caused him to totally lose his voice.
Still today, I don't think the world has embraced jalapeno flavored Gatorade.
MOUNTIE MAGIC
(Paul Nielsen, 29 years)
In 2006, the largest crowd to ever watch a home Rogers High football game was treated to some free football as the No. 1 ranked Mounties faced off against No. 3 Bentonville the final week of the regular season.
At stake was the top seed from the 7A-West as Rogers (9-0) entered the game at 6-0 while the Tigers (7-2) were 5-1. With a film crew from ESPN Outside the Lines filming a story on the Rogers program, a crowd of more than 10,000 filled the stadium.
Rogers jumped to a 21-0 lead at halftime but the Tigers tied the game to force overtime. In overtime, Rogers senior lineman Lee Ziemba, who would go on to play at Auburn and in the NFL, forced a fumble that was recovered by the Mounties' Derek Smith.
Two plays later, and with Ziemba leading the way, Mounties quarterback Cody Kirby scored the winning touchdown that gave Rogers a 41-35 victory.
Rogers later advanced to the Class 7A championship game, where it fell to Fort Smith Southside.
RICK FIRES IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR NWA NEWSPAPERS
Sports on 07/13/2014