My day-to-day, pay-the-bills job is that of an editor/writer for a newspaper. Obviously, I cover sports, but I also cover local government, court and write editorial and columns. The columns (and this will come as shocker, I’m certain) typically veer toward the silly and inane. That was going to be different this week, when I heard about the death of Tom Petty on Monday. I never met the man, I never spoke to him, but he certainly spoke to me with neatly-wound, melodic stories of the south, of underdogs, of how cool it is to be in a rock band, of how bad it sucks to get your heart broken, how good it feels to mend it and how if you look hard enough, there’s always a faint glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. I started writing and after 700 words I typed the phrase “and then I heard the Traveling Wilburys for the first time.” So there were 29 FLIPPIN’ YEARS TO GO! I was writing a book…which is fine to do if you’re actually writing a book, but books don’t fit in newspapers, so I sat that column aside and wrote something about getting lost, cursing at my phone for giving me the wrong directions and Siri hitting me with a guilt trippy “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
It’s just hard to summarize in an economical number of words what music and the people who make it mean to a person. I can’t play a freakin’ kazoo, but I love music. When I first started the quest to find my own music to listen to, instead of the oldies and soul music my parents favored (not that I don’t love oldies and soul music to this day) I somehow settled on a skinny stoner from Gainesville, Florida. I wish I could tell what it was about his music that drew me in. I liked a lot of the rap and heavy metal my friends were all listening to, but there was something about the music that guy was making that hit that tuning fork we all have deep inside. I didn’t realize it at that time, but he was heavily influenced by the Byrds, the Beatles, Elvis and old R&B music, which is readily apparent to a trained ear…so, maybe I liked him because he sounded like the people I had spent most of my childhood listening to, riding here and there with my dad or mom. I developed a fondness for big, heavy guitar music and Petty can deliver the goods on that front (listen to “Change the Locks” or “Runnin’ Down a Dream"). But he can also drop a folky number on you like "Wildflowers," which I love just as much. When I was young and immature (instead of older an immature like I am now) he probably also had a cool factor in my mind because he sang about rolling joints and stuff. My cousin and I would ride down the road in his truck listen to “You don’t know how it feels,” sing that line really loud, look at each other and laugh the knowing laughs of two 19-year-olds who’d never touched the stuff and really had no idea what Tom Petty was talking about. It’s more than just sounds and vibes, though. I think the reason his death felt like such a gut punch was partly because of his longevity. Tom Petty continuously made amazing, relevant, vital music from the time I was two-year-old until Monday. He has been playing in the background my entire life. On dates, through break-ups, on long nights of drinking beer with my buddies, Tom has been there, acting very much like the wise old narrator he portrays in the “Into the Great Wide Open” video…patting you on the back, telling you she was no good anyway, that there’s something better waiting down the road and handing you another cold one. I’ve seen several other people write about how Tom Petty’s music was essential “car-driving music” and that’s certainly another reason his tunes resonated with me. I drive almost 90 minutes to and from work every day and spend a lot of time traveling to ballgames. Especially before cell phones became so prevalent, your only companion on long trips was whatever voices came out of your stereo speakers…and dadgum it, it just feels good to crank “Refugee” to top volume and scream “It don’t make no difference to MEEEEEE, BABY!” Driving in a car is an oft-used allusion to freedom and independence in music and very few things scream freedom and independence (things I’m rather fond of) than Tom Petty music. In fact, as soon as possible, get in your car, find a rural patch of road, put on “Kings Highway” and turn it up as loud as your ears can stand. If you don’t find that to be a freeing, life-affirming exercise, you and I probably can’t be friends. Now that I’m a little older and write for living, I also appreciate good writing. “God it's so painful Something that's so close And still so far out of reach” “So I started out For God knows where I guess I’ll know When I get there” Those are just two of the hundreds of examples I could give. That’s brilliance. He paints a vivid picture of time and place and emotion with a bare minimum of words…which is to say he doesn’t have to write a book. Even if I can’t express it in a few words, I’m just glad that memories last a lifetime and music lives forever. God bless you, Mr. Petty. Now, I offer up a tribute the best way I know how…my weekly top 10 poll, with a tip of the cap Charlie T. Wilbury. 10. Bethune-Bowman- The Mr. T Haircuts have been knocking on the door for some time and with Cross having two-of-three, they move into my top 10 for the first time. Braxton Wedgeworth III is named like a golf pro a retirement community course, but plays QB like lightning in cleats. Makiah Simmons is beastly block of granite at running back, adding some power to Wedgeworth’s speed and passing ability. Now, they don’t have a signature win to speak of, but they’ve taken care of business with the exception of a loss to Wagener-Salley. They play Scott’s Branch this week, then get a couple of chances to prove they belong with back-to-back games against Cross and C.E. Murray. Whether they take a step forward or become just another Face in the Crowd, we’ll see. 9. St. John’s- The Islanders got everyone’s attention by slaying AAAA and AAAAA dragons early in the season. They lost two straight at one point, but it’s important to note that both of those losses came to bigger schools. They had not played a fellow 1A team until last week’s waxing of Military Magnet. Now that they’ll be playing like-sized schools from here and on out. Coach Harpe is building something special down there, has a great QB Kam Smiley, throws to the tight end (which I love) and has his team playing excellent defense. They get a big challenge this week with Baptist Hill, but I expect them to come out Swingin’. 8. C.E. Murray- After giving up 56 points to Hemingway two weeks ago, the War Eagles made a statement last week against Cross, holding them to six points (the defense actually scored those) and less than 100 total yards. That’s a heavy left, Bubba. The offense has Darius Rush who scores many, many touchdowns and an underrated QB Elijah Bey. Beating Cross gives them the inside track on a region title and WILL move them ahead of a couple of other teams to a higher ranking next week. Alright, that seems like plenty…It’s time to move on. 7. Wagener-Salley- The boys Chitlin Junction suffered their first loss last week, dropping a 29-10 decision to Williston-Elko. Now, W-E has been dominant in that region for years and is, I think, primed to run the table in the regular season. Wagener-Salley, if you look at the whole body of work, has just been OK on offense, but I’m still a believe in that defense. That’s why I only dropped them two spots from last week. I guess Even the Losers get lucky sometimes. 6. Williston-Elko- QB Tyran Parker did just enough offensively against Chitlin Junction and the defense pretty much choked them out. The Blue Devils have a feisty HKT team this week, but aside from that it’s hard to see how they don’t run the table, finish 8-2, earn a number one playoff seed and emerge as a realistic threat in the upperstate. It’ll be a long time before they hit the Wall(s). 5. Baptist Hill- The Bobcats have now gotten two quality wins after beating up on some lesser teams to start the season. This group has some substance and it isn’t just QB Corey Fields and his offensive weapons. They play real defense now, which combined with the freaky air show Fields rolls out every week makes them formidable. They’re game tomorrow against St. John’s figures to be a barn burner. It’s also worth mentioning they’re doing this while having their season interrupted by a hurricane that sent them off the field for a couple of weeks. I don’t know whether The Waiting was the hardest part or not, but they’ve come through it very well. 4. Lake View- I really feel like people are sleeping on this team. They aren’t putting up the “holy crap they did what” numbers they did last year, but since losing in the opener to Latta by a close score, they’ve just cruised along, efficiently dispatching everyone they’ve played. No reason to think they’ll be challenged until the finale with Hemingway, so I doubt they’ll be Free Fallin' down my poll anytime soon. 3. Lewisville- The Lions are operating at a high level in every respect right now. Rhett Cox has grown into the QB position nicely. He’s efficient, makes explosive plays, is an able runner and has great weapons at his disposal. Quentin Sanders is among the best players in the state regardless of position with his 24 total touchdowns. Defensively, Josh Belk at defensive tackle, Jaylen McFadden at middle linebacker at Mikial Fourney at safety are among the best at their positions in the state and give the defense as solid a middle as you can have. They play Lamar tomorrow night for the inside track to a region title and number one playoff seed. There’s only Room at the Top for one team…we’ll see who that is. 2. Hemingway- The Tigers have flogged everyone they’ve played this year, leaving them all saying "Don’t do me like that” Hemingway. 1. Lamar- The defending upperstate champ has just embarrassed a AAA team, beaten a good AAAA and knocked over a pair of AA’s. They have a stable of backs, an improving, athletic QB in Rashard Coleman and one of the most physical defenses anywhere. They belong here until proven otherwise…It’s good to be King. This was what the actual, full S.C. Prep Media Poll ended up looking like… 1. Lamar (14) 2. Hemingway 3. Lewisville (1) 4. Lake View 5. Williston-Elko 6. Baptist Hill 7. C.E. Murray 8. Wagener-Salley 9. St. John's 10. Bethune-Bowman
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TravisI am Travis, the king 0f SC 1A Football Archives
November 2021
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