Apples to apples

October 23, 2019 by Ken Leinart

Let’s compare apples to apples.

Anderson County High School football vs. Clinton High School football.

Why not? The season is winding down. Let’s call an artichoke an artichoke.

Clinton is Apple One.

I couldn’t be more proud of this group.

Two weeks ago Clinton High School’s football team hosted Fulton High School.

It was a battle of winless teams so one thing was for certain, someone was leaving Clinton City Field with a “W.”

No.

It wasn’t Clinton.

But I’ll tell you something, I’m proud of these Dragons.

They’d had their share of bad luck and bad breaks this year.

I’m not a football coach. I’m not an expert of the game.

I am, however, a former player. A pretty good one, too, I guess.

I have also covered high school football for the better part of 34 years, so I guess I will say that I know a little about the sport.

I’ve been through the bad seasons — the ones where nothing seems to go right.

Those seasons where frustration often times marches in front of common sense, where “who are we going to blame” seems to be the only question asked.

I’ve seen bad teams play football. I mean, really, really bad teams.

The 2019 version of The Clinton High School Dragons is not one of those teams.

No way. Not after what I’ve seen.

Here’s my example: Fourth quarter against Fulton and Clinton kids are going after it like it’s the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and a Pearl Jam CD revealing party all rolled into one.

And the Dragons are losing by, like, 20-plus points?

And because of bizarro world-like happenings.

Why not take it easy? Why not just be like a Beatles’ album and “Let it Be?”

Because the Dragon coach? Randy McKamey?

He don’t preach that.

The 2019 version of the Clinton Dragons may go 0-10 (no way that’s happening though).

But this squad never quits. They compete.

Every.

Single.

Play.

For every game, too.

I’m not a “stats kinda-guy,” but, okay, look at the stats. The Dragons rock — if they could just roll (like, into the end zone). To me, and I’ve already laid out my credentials, these Dragons need one little piece of good luck.

This is homecoming week for Clinton High School.

Remember that.

Apple Two is Anderson County High School.

The Mavs.

Make no mistake, Anderson County has it together. They run a great program, have the nicest bunch of kids on the roster — unless you happen to be playing against them, then those same “nice guy” Mavs can be a little surly.

And they might just win state this year.

I’ve played on teams that have had really, really good seasons. I know what’s it like to be good and try not to look ahead, to get “beyond yourself.”

And I’ve covered really, really good teams, including two state champions.

Watching the Mavericks has, at times, scared me — made me thankful, too.

That I no longer play.

“I would not want to play against that defense,” I’ve said more than once.

Scary good.

But remember when the Mavs didn’t make the playoffs?

I remember those teams.

And this is where Anderson County High School stands out — Mav Nation remembers those teams, too.

And they love them as much as they love the guys who are going 10-0 and 9-1 and 8-2 and making playoff runs and miracle come backs and beating teams that have won something like 55 straight.

They’re Mavs.

Win, lose, draw, or even coloring outside the lines … Big Blue! All the way.

Remember that as well.