By Patrick Delaney
Over the past three years, it has been my privilege to cover Patrick County High Cougar sports, or at least as many games as I could get to. I enjoyed every minute.
The first game I covered was the Cougar baseball team winning the school’s first state championship. Seeing how the whole county came alive with pride at what those young men and coaches achieved was something I will never forget. At least for a moment, the many things that divide us these days vanished. We were all Cougars.
Over the past few seasons, I watched Cougar teams win and lose, close, tough games, and win or lose, I rarely saw anything but sportsmanship and class from the players. I came to realize that this was no accident. The players were, and are, a reflection of the coaches at PCHS, and the way they conducted themselves on the sideline.
I once told Cougar football coach David Morrison that had he and his staff been coaching at my school when I was younger, I wouldn’t have given up football. Being on the sideline and watching him and his staff interact with the team with a combination of toughness, positive reinforcement, and motivation showed in how hard the young men worked on the field, regardless of the odds.
I so appreciated the time the coaches would give me following games, win or lose. There were times I felt that talking to a reporter was not high on their wish list following a tough loss, but they always gave of their time to help me better tell the story of their teams.
Though I am not from Patrick County, I found myself doing as much rooting for the teams as reporting. I will continue to keep up with the various teams and wish nothing but the best for the players, coaches, and Cougar Nation.
Go Cougars!
Editor’s note:
This column marks the writer’s final contribution to The Enterprise, covering Patrick County High School sports, as well as his role as office manager. Due to the upcoming closure of the newspaper’s local office, the position will be eliminated at the end of the year. He has been a valued member of our team, and we are grateful for his dedication, kindness and passion for telling the stories of local student-athletes — work he took on voluntarily. He will be deeply missed, and we wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter.
