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WAY BACK YONDER
ON A BITTER COLD WINTER NIGHT AN UNSPOKEN DREAM PERISHED FOR 3
PEOPLE IN THE DEEP MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA
.
TWO OF THESE PEOPLE INVOLVED WERE GALLANT FIGHTERS AND ONE WAS A
WISE MATURE DEDICATED ADULT.
FIRST I WANT TO
MAKE A STATEMENT AND EXPLAIN WHY THE HOPE AND DREAM EXISTED. I
WAS PRIVILEGED TO PLAY BASKETBALL FOR THREE YEARS AT ALDERSON HIGH
SCHOOL. DURING THAT PERIOD, WE NEVER LOST A HOME BASKETBALL
GAME, AS FOR AS I AM AWARE I WAS THE ONLY BASKETBALL PLAYER OTHER
THAN ROD THORN WHO EVER MAKE THE ALL SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA
BASKETBALL TEAM THREE YEARS IN A ROW.
I COULD OUT JUMP
ANYONE AND COULD JUMP TWICE AS FAST AS ANYONE, WHEN I PLAYED MY
BEST NO ONE COULD BEAT US. HAVING SAID THAT MY WONDERFUL WISE
COACH HAD TOLD ME WHAT TO DO IN OUR SENIOR YEAR, I WOULD ABSURDLY
RESISTED HIS SAGACIOUS WISDOM. ANYWAY THAT BITTER FRIGID NIGHT WE
TRAVELED TO RAINELLE, SITTING ALONE I CHEWED TOBACCO ON THE WAY.
DURING THE GAME
ON RAINELLE HOME COURT WE STAYED WITH THEM IN THE FIRST HALF BUT
FELL BEHIND IN THE SECOND HALL AND WERE BEATEN 64 TO 51. I PLAYED
A NORMAL GAME, SCORE 28 POINTS WHICH DID NOT MEASURE UP TO A
VICTORY; HOWEVER, ONE OF MY TWO BEST LIFETIME FRIENDS AL
MCLAUGHLIN GAVE AN AMAZINGLY GREAT INSPIRATIONAL PERFORMANCE. AL
SCORED 19 POINTS AND KEPT MAKING GREAT PASSES TO ME. HE ALSO KEPT
SAYING, “LETS GET THEM RICK,” “REBOUND THAT BALL, RICK,” “LETS
CRUSH THESE ……” I FORGOT THE WORD AL USED!
ANYWAY, AL
PLAYED A GREAT GAME, IF I HAD PLAYED AS GOOD A PROPORTIONAL GAME
WE WOULD HAVE WON. ALSO, IF I HAD FOLLOWED COACH’S ADVISE WE
WOULD HAVE WON EVERY GAME PERIOD. I JUST WANTED AL TO KNOW HOW
MUCH I APPRECIATE HIM AND HOW MUCH HIS DAD WISDOM IS APPRECIATED
AND UNDERSTOOD. UNFORTUNATELY, SOMEWHAT AFTER THE FACT.
OUR DREAM WAS TO
SMASH ALL OUR OPPONENTS AND WIN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF WEST
VIRGINIA. I SAW COACH’S DISAPPOINTED FACE AND YEARS LATER
REALIZED HOW THE DREAM HAD ENDED. ONE GREAT ITEM, EVEN THOUGH THE
DREAM WAS SMASHED, I STILL HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP OF AL
MCLAUGHLIN.
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