Published: November 08, 2008 09:30 pm      

This year’s Tiger seniors fill this memory bank

TIGERS FOOTBALL: POINT AFTER

Another Tiger season gone by, my how time flies. The team wasn't one of those history makers in the record books but its seniors were one of my favorite bunch of young men. Some of it is due to the fate of the hands of time and some due to good kids being good kids.

I officially met quarterback Cameron Young seven hours from Corsicana, Texas at the Frio River. Let me tell you something reader, Young cooked the best catfish I had ever eaten. Young waited his turn to lead this Tiger team and then had the cruel hands of fate deal him an injury. Cameron is one reason I like this senior bunch.

When tight end Hank Kirkpatrick was about eight of 9-years old he played basketball at the YMCA. Daily Sun publisher Raymond Linex was a coach back then, and I attended a Saturday morning game. I wrote a Monday column about some young kids with pure hearts playing a game. Hank's dad Steve wrote a tremendously complimentary letter to the Daily Sun on my behalf. I didn't put two and two together and realize that he was Hank's dad until mid season.

And one more note about Hank Kirkpatrick, his game face is second to none. At halftime of the Cleburne game in the locker-room, looking at Kirkpatrick one realized that he was going to give it all he had the last 24 minutes of action his senior year. Hank is another reason I like this senior bunch.

Center Tyler Wigfall is a charismatic young man. As time passes, I can’t wait to see what “Wig” does with his life. I think he is a natural born leader, and a leader that I owe some chili cheese fries because of an earlier season win vs. Midlothian. Tyler is another reason I like this senior bunch.

Fullback and linebacker Chris Humphries’ mom Lou Ann and I grew up on the same block with the Yates Brothers, the Jones Brothers and the Norch Brothers among others.

I remember when Chris was born and looked up one day and he was a 7th grader playing linebacker and another he was a senior playing in his final game. I know this much, number 35 for Cleburnewill have nightmare’s about Humphries. As one fan put it, Humphries “punked” him all night. Chris is another reason I like this senior bunch.

I didn’t get to know running back Christian Seth or quarterback Andey Means, but Seth’s dad, Terry who happens to be president of the school board, have our “quarterly” YMCA locker-room meetings to discuss current events. Means’ mom watches over my daughter at Mother’s Day Out and his dad is a heck of a nice guy. Terry, Pam and Charlie are another reason I like this senior bunch.

Like Humphries, I remember the day Nate Woodall was born. I was a college kid at Navarro pushing a broom for David Hale at Northside Baptist church when news filtered in that Russell and Patty had a new son. Nate’s dad and I played on the “old” men and “young” men softball teams at Northside when Nate was born.

Woodall begged me not to put him in this column with all these players. Sorry Nate, but I didn’t play when I was your age either, but that didn’t diminish my enthusiasm for the program. And judging from a crisply cold Friday night and you cheering on your Tigers in a thin, short sleeve t-shirt apparently your enthusiasm was so intense it was warming.

Next is fullback Brian Gregory. Gregory and his parents are virtually my family. From the time Gregory was 7 years old and refused to eat or talk on his way home from the Tigers heartbreaking defeat in the State Championship game in 1997 because he was so angry, his dad knew he would be a Tiger. The young man’s whole life has been centered on walking out of that tunnel and on to Tiger Field/Tiger Stadium.

Mission accomplished No. 41.

Gregory used to run routes on the side of his house, the post was at the air conditioner and toward the fence, the bomb was straight up the fence line, and the stop and go was stop at the front of the house and go to the fence. I had the privilege of throwing Gregory many passes growing up and he made some outstanding diving catches in the St. Augustineof his front and side yards.

But Gregory, none were as good or will be as memorable as the one handed catch you made right before half of the Ennis contest. Brian, I watched you wait your whole life to make that catch, nice job and let that be the first of many dreams you make come true.

And finally I would like to extend a big thank you to Tiger Head Coach Dave Henigan and his staff for allowing me to be a proverbial fly on the wall. Your generosity allows me to forever capture on paper a brief but special moment in time where high school coaches eager to teach collide with students eager to learn.

Until next year.