From the sidelines
The 2004 Marion High School fall sports season ended Thursday to the disappointment of Warrior fans.
While all three teams failed to make the playoffs, there were still memorable moments.
Fresh on the minds of Warrior fans has to be the football team's shutout victory against Hillsboro. The Warriors were in such control throughout, nothing the Trojans did seemed to matter.
First-and-goal on the five for Hillsboro: no problem, goal line stand for Marion. Driving into Warrior territory in the fourth quarter: no problem, two interceptions by senior Chris Freeby.
It was like watching a game between Oklahoma and Baylor. No matter what happens Oklahoma fans don't get scared because they know they are going to win.
Then there is the volleyball team. A 9-7 start and 3-0 league record looked promising for the Warriors. However, losing 11 of their last 12 put a damper on the entire season. The worst part about the losing streak was they weren't that bad. They just didn't get any breaks and most of the matches were close.
The best part of the season had to be watching the energetic Megan Hudson. She never stopped. It didn't matter if things were going great or not, she was always hustling or diving for a loose ball.
She's like the kid in tryouts who tries to impress the coach by over-hustling, when you know he or she never tries that hard in a game. Except Megan actually does. If she carries that over into basketball season it should be a fun one to watch.
But it's cross country teams that never cease to amaze me. Football may be more grueling, and volleyball may take more skill, but cross country runners have the most dedication. Why? Because while hard work leads to touchdowns, buzzer beaters, and home runs in other sports, in cross country it only leads to more running.
A spectator's shirt at a cross country meet Sept. 23 at Marion Lake read, "Our sport is your sport's punishment." Couldn't have said it better myself. The entire point of cross country is to run.
In reality it's more than that. It's dedication. It's perseverance. It's mentally and physically draining. It's something I wouldn't want to do. But it's something that I respect, and every runner who crosses the finish line has a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Not counting a few injuries suffered while competing, Marion runners finished every race they entered. That is something to be proud of and to hold on to after they leave the sport.
Despite the lack of championship banners and medals it was a successful year. Every season is a learning experience for the players as well as the coaching staff.
A piece of hardware for the high school trophy case would be nice, but having the opportunity to compete is sometimes just as good.
