City Personals
Friday night at Heath Barnett field, the Marshall Academy Patriots played their hearts out against Greenville Christian. Greenville had a quarterback who made me look around to make sure it was a high school game. That fella could sling that ball and hit numbers every time, that is until the Patriot defense started smoking their offensive line. It was an edge of the seat, jumping and hollering kind of Friday night; one that took me back a literal decade when you scream your head off and not give a single care who criticizes; one when you watch the magic happen, when both sides of the ball start clicking on all cylinders; one that you know the cheerleaders and team will remember and look back on with all smiles and high fives. I have spent a lot of time throughout the years at that field both as a student and as a parent. This year, the only dog I had in the hunt is one I consider mine and have since he was a wee tot learning how to play rock, paper, scissors. A precocious little fella, cute as a button and slick as oil. I have watched that same child grow from a little blond-headed heart stealer to one of the finest young men I know. A few years ago, he hung up his cleats and glove to focus solely on football. He has religiously worked day in and out, eating all the right things (he no longer raids the brownie drawer) and working out whenever he can to help himself become a better player. What I watched Friday night was someone who works both sides of the ball making it look effortless, someone who celebrates his teammates who had great downs, someone who led with intensity and vision. He is just like that off the field. He carries himself with pride, but not arrogance. His manners and respect for others is unmatched. Small children (my Delilah especially) flock to him and instead of shooing them off, he takes the time to speak to them because he was once one of them, a small Patriot tot.
Friday, the Patriots travel to Louisiana to play Riverfield Academy in the semifinals of the playoffs. The team is leaving Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. from Marshall Academy. If you feel so inclined, ride down there to send them off. Hopefully they will be traveling back with a win. If not, they have given the fans a wonderful season.
As for my favorite Patriot, Brennan Smith, I will always be his biggest fan, win, lose or draw.
Amanda Smith with an after game hug from her youngest, Brennan. This is the photograph of the night. Nobody truly knows the time and work put in like a mama, but rarely can she be captured in a moment like this. Mamas are always the chaos coordinators behind the camera making sure every moment is documented. Thankfully this one was.