Win or lose, teams will always face season's end
There's a sad misfortune that always comes in the world of sports. Sooner or later, no matter how good a team is or whether they win or lose, the season always comes to an end.
Billy Byler
Columnist
It's about to happen in Major League Baseball. The World Series is here, but no matter how epic the battle may be, one way or another, it will end.
Fortunately, we'll have college and pro football to turn to.
After those seasons end, we have hockey and the NBA (I don't care how well-dressed they are, I still won't watch a regular-season game). Then a new baseball season begins in April and the heavenly cycle continues.
For two incredibly talented Columbia County teams, their season has already ended, and it just doesn't seem right.
At Evans, the Lady Knights volleyball team had a great run. The squad finished 23-7 and tied for first place in the Area 2-AAAA standings. Unfortunately, only two teams from each area advance to the state tournament.
It's almost a crime to say that a team with Evans' talent won't even get a chance to be in the state tournament. With losses to Greenbrier and Lakeside, one bad day at the area tournament ended the Lady Knights' season; Evans had defeated both teams in the regular season.
Any area coach will tell you all three teams deserved to move on to the state playoffs.
There is good news. Although the Lady Knights' season is over, they'll be back. The team will lose only one starting senior, Dallas Tranum, to graduation.
Tranum's high school career ends this season, but the senior said her dream came true already with a win over Greenbrier in Evans' final regular-season home game. The team also earned the No. 1 seed in the area tournament, all within one week of her birthday.
For the rest of the team, Evans will have at least seven seniors next season including Aidan Yeagar, a left-handed junior who, in my opinion, hits harder than any high school girl in the area.
Greenbrier and Lakeside, the Lady Knights' closest rivals, will have their hands full next season competing with an experienced Evans squad. The Lady Knights have a full year to think about their one bad day at the area tournament; that alone makes for plenty of offseason workout motivation.
One other team had an early end to the season, but it wasn't quite as sad. Riverside Middle School, under the leadership of head coach Dan King, has already wrapped up its football season.
In the middle school realm, the postseason doesn't exist. That means, win or lose, the season always ends after six games. Any coach will tell you football at that level is more about getting experience and education about the game than winning.
Still, it would have been nice to see just how far Riverside would have gone in an area or even state playoff system.
The Eagles went an undefeated 6-0 this season with wins over Greenbrier, Lakeside, Evans, Columbia, Harlem and Grovetown. The team did the same last year, meaning Riverside is 12-0 over the past two seasons.
In the best middle-school battle of the season, Riverside defeated Evans Middle at Evans to claim the regular-season Middle School Championship.
It's the closest thing to the postseason the team has, but that won't always be the case.
Eventually, these boys will get their postseason chances in high school football. With an undefeated 12-0 mark in middle school, the future looks bright for Lakeside and Greenbrier, the recipients of these young football stars.
It's safe to say we can expect some good football in the very near future.