Time flys during football season
Published 12:00 am Monday, October 17, 2005
Time sure does fly when its football season.
When it's the middle of July it just seems like time stands still and football season just won't get here.
I'm like that 6-year-old eagerly anticipating the arrival of Santa on Christmas Day. That little fat man in the red suit can't get to my house fast enough.
Then after a couple hours of unwrapping and playing with the toys and the empty boxes, Christmas is over.
It's kinda the same way with football season.
The anticipation grows with the first whistle in late July when the National Football League teams open camp.
Then on Aug. 1, the high schools chime in with the opening of fall drills, and finally the college guys hit the gridiron.
Greenville coach Mike Williams and I talked Friday afternoon about how time has flown by this high school season.
He said it seems like just last week when I introduced myself to him as the Tigers new interim football coach.
Now there are only two more weeks left in Greenville's season.
The same can be said for Georgiana and McKenzie.
To say the three Butler County public schools have underachieved would be an understatement.
But after seeing these kids in action, I can understand why.
Greenville coach Mike Williams came into a situation that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. He was hired on a Thursday and by Monday started practice with the team that he didn't know from Adam's house cat.
Since then, the Tigers have struggled.
Just like Williams has said to me that he may sound like a broken record when he talks about his opponent being better blockers and tacklers, I sound like broken record when I point to a game and say that the Tigers have a shot of winning.
Greenville got its shot on Friday with an 8-6 victory over Booker T. Washington. It may be the only win the Tigers come away with this season, but things will certainly change in the offseason.
If Williams does return, which is the big question around town right now, his players will get a formal introduction of what a real offseason weight training program is all about.
In some cases where Greenville has had a chance to win a game, it has fallen just short because it's run out of gas in the fourth quarter.
Should Williams stay for another season, I will guarantee that you will not see a Mike Williams team fade in the fourth quarter again.
In the southern tip of the county, McKenzie has run into the problem of lack of stability. No coach has stayed at this Class 1A school for more than a year and a half since Shane Smothers led the Tigers to the playoffs almost five years ago.
McKenzie has a young band of players who are learning each week, but need a stable coaching staff that will stick with them for a couple years. This team is only a couple years away from being at the top like it was just a few years ago.
A few miles up the road in Georgiana, first-year coach Greg Ennis was given a rude welcome to Region 1, Class 2A ball.
When former coach Keith York told me that Region 1 was the toughest in the state from top to bottom I just chuckled and passed it off.
Having seen a majority of the teams in this region, I'm not chuckling anymore.
There is no doubt that this region is the toughest from top to bottom. A just case is made when the Nos. 1 and 2 teams in Class 2A are from the same region.
Should Ennis stick around and build this program the way he wants it, Georgiana could be the team to dominate Region 1 for a long time.
Kevin Taylor is sports editor of The Greenville Advocate. Call him at (334) 382-3111 ext. 122 or e-mail kevin.taylor@greenvilleadvocate.com.