Jr Waves win 2 Championships in 1 Day

For a week, the Midway Middle School 7th grade boys basketball players have been playing in 2 separate tournaments; in 2 separate counties. The team would travel to Madisonville for a game only to grab a quick lunch and then travel to Lenoir City for another game. With a lot of help, what follows is our attempt to summarize 2 tournaments in 1 week.

The week of Green Nation basketball started last Saturday in Madisonville. In the morning (2/13), The Jr Waves played Sweetwater. The Wild Cats had a big scorer in number 10. He scored eleven points in the first half. In the 2nd half, Griff Dishner was given the task of stopping him. He succeeded; holding him to only 5 points in the 2nd half. Once Griff put a stop to number 10’s scoring, the Waves slowly reeled them in and took the lead late in the 3rd and never looked back. The final score was 48 32 midway. Jacob Cawood led the team with 15 points and followed by Mason Woody with 13.

Fast forward a few hours and the team arrived in Lenoir City to play CAK. The Waves jumped out early and outscored them 14 to 1 in the first quarter. CAK made a run in the 2nd quarter but strong defense shut them out in the 3rd and the final was 32 to 21. Again we were lead in scoring by Cawood but Mason Woody, Zach Edwards, Colby Ross, and Griff Dishner made many baskets on the fast break to keep CAK(e) honest.

Due to bad weather Monday’s game at LC got postponed so the Waves didn’t play again till Wednesday against Oliver Springs. OS is a very talented, tall team. The game started slow; at the end of the 1st it was tied 7 to 7, then a big 2nd quarter by Cawood, Edwards, and Cameron Hashmi gave the Waves a 22-12 lead at the half. The final ended 35-26 with a great team defensive effort. Cameron Hashmi buried a 3 to seal the deal in the 4th.

Thursday night the Waves played Vonore at Madisonville. Vonore has 2 guards that could shoot the lights out from 3 point land. As a team they hit seven 3 pointers in the game. Cawood brought his A game and scored 27 on the night and Hasmi, Edwards, Hayden Hester, Griff Dishner, Mason Woody, and Jack Lowe all scored for the Green Team. The game was close for a while then Midway took a commanding lead right after half time. Vonore made a run in the 4th but Jack Lowe nailed a 15ft jump shot to bring home the win. Midway won 52 to 45 to clinch a spot in the Madisonville championship game.

Now things get complicated.
Friday night at 8:00 the Waves played at very athletic North Middle team. #22 for them had scored 29 points against Oliver Springs and 19 in another game so Coach O’Toole was prepping his team on defending the hot hand….so who does he turn to? Griff Dishner got the honor of guarding him for most of the night and #22 was held scoreless until the 4th quarter and he ended up with only 6 points. Both teams got off to a slow start with the score being 3 to 2 at the end of 1. Zach Edwards carried Midway in the 2nd quarter scoring 6 of our 10 points making it 13-8 at the half. Midway outscored North 10 to 4 in the 3rd with Cawood warming up and scoring 7 points in the 3rd and 9 in the 4th. Hester and Dishner also scored in the 4th. A big turning point was when North got called for 2 technical’s in the 4th quarter. Down 23 to 12 at the end of 3 North made a huge run in the fourth quarter hitting five 3's but it wasn’t enough as Midway won 36-27 to clinch a spot in the Lenoir City championship game.

Saturday at noon Midway played Madisonville at Madisonville for 1st place out there. These two teams played each other last year in the championship game and the Waves lost after a hard fought game. This year, for a while, it looked the same. Mason Woody hit a 3 early in the game and along with Hashmi and Cawood scoring kept the game close after one period with Midway trailing 9-11. The Waves closed and the score was tied 19-19 entering halftime. Woody and Cawood did the scoring in the 2nd. After half time the Waves looked winded. Passes were getting picked-off and there appeared to be no hustle. It looked like a case of too many games; not enough rest. Then Griff Dishner and Mason Woody hit some big shots and made some great steals to pull the game close once again; 27-29 Madisonville end of 3. This game looked like a battle between big men as Cawood and #23 from Madisonville was battling each other all night in what seemed like a game of “I did this can you do better?”….or for those 30+, it was a 1980’s dance off. But in the 4th, Cawood got some back up as Zach Edwards hit some big shots and Mason Woody hit a 3 late in the game to give Midway a 40 to 36 win.

5 hours later, the Waves would make their attempt of 2 Championships in 2 counties in a single day. The Waves tipped off at Lenoir City in the championship game vs Concord Christian. Defense lead this game as Midway won the 1st quarter 11-4 and 3rd quarter 11- 6. Six different players scored for Midway; they were Cawood, Edwards, Colby Ross, Hayden Hester, Sammy Hester, and Seth Colyer. Seth had a great week subbing in for Cawood and pulls down boards with a passion. Edwards hit 2 big 3's in the 2nd half to seal up this win and second championship of the day.

That’s 7 games in 7 days with 7 wins…….and 2 pieces of hardware.

Coach O'Toole added, “since I’ve been at Midway, this is the 4th year playing in the Madisonville tourney, 2nd time playing in the championship and first time winning it. This is the 5th time playing in the Lenoir City tourney, 2nd time in the championship game and 1st time winning it. The current 7th graders have been in 4 championship games, won 3 of them, and finished the regular season as the number one team in the district with a 14-1 record.”

Congratulations to the entire Midway Middle basketball program and we look forward to many more years of great Greenwave basketball.

See game photos here.

SOR boys visit UT

Players on the 2010 Midway Football team recently participated at the University of Tennessee Strength and Conditioning Clinic. SOR boys represented our community well, with teams from all across the southeast.

Hayden Boone, Steven Wallace, Logan Gurney, Mike Murphy, Aaron Collins

Daddy Daughter Dance

When: Saturday March 27th 5:00 – 7:00

Where: Midway Middle School Gym

Admission: $4 per person in advance. $5 at the door.

Midway Middle School cordially invites all ladies of Midway Schools grades 2-12 to the Inaugural Daddy Daughter Dance. Dads will get to take their daughters out for an evening of dancing and fun. Dress will be semi-formal. Snacks will be provided. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Midway Elementary from Heather Davidson, at Midway Middle from Justin O’Toole, and Midway High from Amy Woody for $4 a person. Tickets can be purchased at the door but for $5 per person. We ask that people enter and exit through the back gym door. Make sure to mark your calendars for this special evening.

Pictures will be available to purchase

Regular Season Comes to An End

Tuesday night was the final regular season game for Midway. The seniors were honored on the night. The results of the District standings would come down to the final game of the season. A win over Rockwood would cap off a great second half of the season for the Lady Waves and would put them in 3rd place in the District. A loss and they would finish 4th, behind Rockwood. For the boys, a win would mean a 2nd place finish in the District…and loss would drop them one spot to 3rd place, behind Grace and Harriman.

Girls Game:
The game started out slow offensively for both teams. The two teams only managed 2 points in the first 6 and a half minutes of the opening stanza. The game would pick up in the second period and the visiting Lady Tigers would take a 19-15 lead into half time.

The Lady Waves have been hot as of late, but their legs showed some wear during the first 16 minutes of the game. Hayley Roberson was in foul trouble and the Lady Waves were looking for offense……that’s when freshman, Alisa Barger, stepped up. Alisa has shot well for the Lady Waves and more importantly, she doesn’t shy away from taking any open jumper. The freshman was money last night; knocking down jumper after jumper, to push the Lady Waves into a 26-23 lead to start the 4th period.

She continued with the hot hand into the final 8 minutes and senior Hayley Ladd made some big plays and knocked down several key free throws to ice the 41-28 win.

Seniors Hayley Parks, Chelsea Phillips and Haley Ladd were honored during their final regular season game. Parks has been nothing but an inspiration to all the last 12+ months. Hayley suffered a major knee injury last year; but through dedication, she rehabbed herself back to the court this year. But it wouldn’t come easy. She re-injured the knee forcing yet another surgery. But yet again, she battled back and returned to the action…do you think the girl loves the game of basketball? Chelsea Phillips has played a major key in the rebuilding of Lady Wave basketball. She dedicated herself to the team and no one could ask for anything more. To quote several Midway fans, ”that girl works her butt off!” Haley Ladd is a 5’7” forward who deserves a lot of credit for the team’s recent success. Ladd may not have those big scoring nights; however, she does those things required to win. Not turning the ball over, getting the loose ball, defense, rebounds, along with knocking down the shot, are what Haley Ladd brings to the floor. To make a long story short….when the season finally comes to an end, newly named Boyd Woody Gymnasium will miss these 3 young ladies.

Boys Game:
The Greenwaves and Tigers exchanged goals for the first 8 minutes of the game. One could tell from early on that this was going to be a close game till the final buzzer. Similar to recent games, the Waves struggled to score from the paint and the Tigers would take a narrow 28-23 lead into the half. The Waves continued to struggle to start the 3rd quarter and the Tigers lead would extend to double-digits. But the Waves rallied behind a freshman. Caleb Ruffner knocked down some shots, including a great drive into the heart of the Tiger defense for a layup and a foul, and the Waves started to chip away at the lead.

The Tigers led 40-32 to start the 4th. It appeared that Rockwood’s lead would extend but once again, the Waves made a surge after senior Paul Wiley connected a couple times from behind the arc. The Tiger lead was cut to 4, 48-44, with 60 seconds remaining in the game; however, the Waves would go scoreless during the final minute and the Tigers took the game, 50-44.

The names of the seniors you may have heard before……Wakon Roberson, Zach Hall and Paul Wiley. Wiley has been an anchor in the Waves backcourt for his entire basketball career. Over the last 2 years, this skinny white boy has knocked down big shots from waaaay down town. Many remember one of his best games when he almost single-handedly led the Waves to victory over Greenback last year. Zach Hall went from being a tall, clumsy, freshman to a dominate force as a junior and senior. Zach is one of the best shot blockers to have ever worn the green and white – think Dikembe Mutombo without the finger wave. And when he returned for his senior year, it was obvious that he’d worked on his offensive moves as well. Zach added strong post moves and became a scoring threat to accompany his defensive skills. As a freshman, Wakon got a lot of playing time. His height and leaping ability laid the foundation to what would become a solid scoring machine for the Waves. Wakon added some needed pounds to his tall frame over the last 2 years making him even harder to defend and keep away from the rim. When Wakon is on, he is almost impossible to stop and is a lot of fun to watch. Though we don’t have exact numbers, we do know that Wakon is nearing (or perhaps has already hit) the 1,000 points mark for his career.

So you ask, how do you replace these 3 players? You don’t. But the underclassmen will step up with their own strengths to fill the void and continue to put marks in the win column for Midway basketball.

The District tournament begins Thursday and the Lady Waves finish the regular season in 3rd place in the District and will host the 1st round playoff game against Greenback on Thursday at 7pm. The boys also finished 3rd and will host Greenback at home on Friday at 7pm.

Photos from Tuesdays game can be seen by clicking on the galleries link.

Midway Splits games with Grace

The Lady Waves jumped out early on Grace Christian, scoring 16 points in the opening period to lead 16-7. By the half, the Lady Waves had built out a 16 point lead, 35-19, thanks to the hot hand of Hayley Roberson. Roberson, who 2 weeks ago was voted PrepXtra’s Player of the Week, scored 18 of her teams 35 first half points. Roberson, known to all SOR as “Robbie”, was simply en fuego Thursday night. I could easily summarize this game in the words of Brownie Rose on the PA: “3 point basket by Roberson…..Roberson with the layup…..3 point basket by Roberson…..Roberson for two……Roberson with the jumper……3 point basket by Roberson.” Offensively, the night belonged to Hayley Roberson.

The Lady Waves would continue their domination in the 2nd half and would win easily, 63-38.

The trio of Hali Morris, Chelsea Phillips and Haley Ladd continue to play well on both ends of the court.

Returning to the court was Hayley Parks. Parks, coming off another knee surgery, played limited minutes but added 6 points. Her only miss was a 3-pointer which the ball is still trying to find the rim (sorry, Parks…couldn’t resist). Parks rejoins Borum and Klinker in the back court, giving Coach Woody needed experience and depth as the Lady Waves attempt for a play-off run.

The Lady Waves (9-14, 6-5) began the season 0-6 but since then have gone 9-8 and won 4 out of their last 5 games. They have a non-District game tonight and then a final District game against Rockwood to end the regular season. A win against Rockwood should put the Lady Waves in 3rd place in the District, behind Tellico Plains (20-3, 11-0) and Harriman (9-10, 8-2).

Boys Game
Last Month, the Midway Greenwaves (15-9, 10-3) traveled to Grace Christian for a big District show down with a chance to lay claim as the #1 seed in the District. A last second layup gave Grace the win. The long awaited rematch was last night. Would home court be the difference? Unfortunately for the Waves, home court possessed no advantage. The rims were as unfriendly to Midway as Yankees that move south of the river.

Midway took the opening lead on a 3-pointer from Wakon Roberson and the Waves would remain in the lead, at times by 10 points, until the halfway mark in the 2nd period. With 4:30 remaining in the first half, Grace took a 16-15 lead…..a lead they would not relinquish.

At times, Grace held a 15 point lead; however, Midway made a charge to start the 4th, cutting the lead to 6 but they would not get any closer.

Grace pressured the Waves all night long, forcing turnovers and frustration. Zach Hall had a good game defensively, but offensively was MIA. There were many offensive possessions by the Waves in which Hall did not touch the ball.
Missed shots and turnovers began to quickly add up, allowing Grace to take the district win on the home court of the Waves.

The Waves will need to regroup quickly. They host Monterey tonight and then Rockwood on Monday. If the Waves hope to win the District, they’ll need more points from Wakon and the guards will need to learn from last night’s game and get the ball inside to the Beast, Zach Hall.

2009 All Tri-County Football Team

Midway's Wakon Roberson was named to the All Tri-County Team.

Click to read Roane County article

Woody for County Executive

SOR's own 1979 graduate Ron Woody is running for the Roane County Executive position. Ron played both basketball and football for the Waves 1976-1979 and basketball with the Roane State Raiders in 1979-1981. A graduate of Midway, Roane State, and Tennessee Tech with a major in Finance. Ron is a CPA and has over 25 years of County Government experience his last eight years as a county government consultant with the University of Tennessee.

We wish Ron success in his upcoming election. Become a member of his Facebook at "Woody for County Executive" and find out more about Ron.

Thoughts and Prayers

Daniel Angus (28), the husband of Midway’s Bonnie Hughes and brother-in-law of Tara Hughes and Missy Bryant, was killed while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan on Sunday, January 24th. Daniel, from Thonotosassa, Florida, was serving his third deployment.

Angus’ awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, two Good Conduct Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and a number of other service decorations.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Daniel’s family, wife Bonnie and daughter.

Message from Ken Yager

"As a result of our meeting with the TDOT last year at the site of 72 @ 58, the TDOT Regional Director said that the department would conduct a transportation study to look at the feasibility of changes at this dangerous intersection. We recently received the report. In it, the Department recommends the addition of a left turn lane on SR 58, widening of SR 72 to accommodate a separate left and right turn lane and installation of curbing to define entrances for the convenience store. The project has been approved for funding ($175,000). Per TDOT, the location does not meet its criteria for installation of a traffic signal, but the regional staff will monitor the traffic count at the intersection for changes in traffic patterns. I appreciate your interest in the project and invite your questions/comments. Thanks also to Rep. Dennis Ferguson who worked on this as well as Commissioners Howard Rose and Nadine Jackson. "
Ken Yager [sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov]

SOR Soldier Update

Last January, Steve Stansbury stepped away from college and his spot on Coach Moser’s staff to prepare for an upcoming deployment to Iraq. Steve’s training took him from Camp Lejeune, NC to the heat of Twenty-Nine Palms, CA (and a few memorable weekends on Pacific Beach) before arriving in Iraq in October. For more than 3 months Steve and his squad conducted mounted security patrols as well as providing escort. Much to the like of his friends & family, this deployment was shorter than expected, ending on January 19th. However, Steve hasn’t touched foot South of the River just yet. Steve can kill a man with just his pinky and because of this, will remain in Iraq teaching martial arts until early spring.

All kidding aside, Steve is just one of several 2005 MHS graduates currently serving our country. Jude O'Toole (Marine), Jason Crask (Marine), Caleb “Bubba” Clark (Marine), Jesse Weigle (Army) and Dustin Rosenbaum (Army) are all spread across the globe. Jude, Jason and Dustin have all served tours in Iraq as well.

As we soon welcome the safe arrival of Sgt Stansbury and thank him and the others for a successful deployment, we watch another SOR native leave. Wally Holt (MHS 2004) is expected to leave within 24-48 hours on his 4th deployment for the Army, heading to Afghanistan. Wally will serve as a security squad leader in the Khost Providence up to the Pakistan border, manning the gun from the Army’s new gun trucks….”no more humvee” as stated by Wally. In November 2007, Wally nearly lost his life in Iraq when the humvee he was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb. [story] Wally is expected to be deployed for 12 months. I personally know a 5 year old girl who will be praying nightly during those 12 months for the safe return of her uncle Wally.

We thank and praise all of those listed here as well as the dozens of other SOR names not listed for their service, both past and present.

UT Announces New Hire

It appears UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton has made his decision...


However, several questions are still up in the air. Will Coach Moser take long time assistant Coach O’Toole with him? Who does Mr. Mason get to replace Coach Mo?

Stay tuned to sorsn.com for the latest information.

Toad-A-Flage Making Noise...and trophies

Toad-A-Flage, the new camo pattern created by 3 local guys, is making noise in the hunting world and providing the wearers of its camo with some great trophies.

Check out some of the latest pictures posted on Facebook by Toad fans!

Mike Hale of Kentucky with 12pt buck

Rifle wrapped in Toad-A-Flage

Rick Elder and his 4-wheeler are decked out in Toad-A-Flage

Visit toadaflage.com and facebook.com/toadaflage for all the latest Toad news.

SORSN.com is proud to have Toad-A-Flage as a sponsor.

Community Calendar

Be sure and check out the community calendar located under the 'News' section for upcoming events.

http://sorsn.com/sor_calendar.asp

Midway Basketball 1948

Thanks to Lewis Galyon, we have pictures of the first basketball teams (1948) at Midway High School.

Click on the image to view the Archive gallery.

Relive your glory days

The Midway coaches have been working with a local company and have made videos of Midway football and basketball games available online. The web site is www.mygamefilms.com.

People can purchase old games with MHS getting a percentage of the sales. There are more games to come.

Video from "Mud Bowl"

Visit the SORSN Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/sorsn - for a link to a video from the Dads Flag Football game hosted by the Midway Youth League.

What camo was he wearing?

SORSN sponsor Toad-a-flage makes national news.

On Monday morning, the first elk hunt in 150 years had taken place in Tennessee. Only 5 permits were issued and the anticipation was surrounding who would be the first to get an elk. Soon everyone had their answer....it was Chuck Flynn, an electrician from Rockford.

Charles "Chuck" Flynn is quoted as saying "My permit number was 0-0-0-1, the very first permit ever issued for an elk. And I'm lucky enough to be the first person to take one on the first day of the first hunt"

More importantly, what camo was he wearing? You bet ya........TOAD-A-FLAGE.

Congratulations to Chuck on the hunt and to the three local guys who came up with Toad-A-Flage.

Visit www.toadaflage.com to get your Toad Gear and join their facebook page to get the latest news - www.facebook.com/toadaflage.

MMS Softball in full swing

As soon as August came around, the Midway Middle School Lady Waves headed out into the heat to prepare for their 2009 season. With longtime head coach Sharon Parks stepping down this season, former assistant Billy Richardson has taken the helm. Coach Richardson is ably assisted by Chris Borum and Shay Thompson.

A few games into the season, the Lady Waves have recorded three wins and two losses. After a disappointing defeat in last week's home opener against Kingston, the Girls in Green played much better against Harriman the next night. Midway lost, but they showed a lot of heart in a game that went down to the wire. Later in the week, the Lady Waves got their first win of the season when they blew out Oakdale at home. This week, the Lady Waves played an away-and-home series against Coalfield. Midway won both games handily.

This year's team has lost a few key players to graduation, but is still loaded with talent.

The eighth grade class includes several experienced players. Most of these girls have played for the Middle School for the past two seasons, and some have played in Midway Youth League for years. At third base, Kaylee Burton has a strong arm. Kaylee's bat has also been known to deliver some big hits at the plate. It's no secret what her motivation is. When she comes through with a big hit, Kaylee has been heard yelling, "I get a Chinese dinner!" Second baseman Jaime Kilby is a fine athlete. Whether she is swinging away or laying down a beautiful bunt, Jaime has the speed to get around the bases in a hurry. She also has a reliable glove. Abby Ward has started at short stop for the past two seasons. Abby is a team leader and a very solid player. She has a strong arm and has come through with some nice hits at the plate. Abby has also played at catcher this season. Kayla West has been impressive in center field, making some tough catches. She even caught one with her nose. Kayla is also reliable at bat, and is extremely fast on the base paths. Ashley Lemons, who is a first year transfer, has a lot of athletic ability and hustle. She has started in right field this season and has had a consistent glove.

The seventh grade class consists of two players. Emily Richardson is in her second year with the Middle School team, and has been a Youth League standout for several seasons. Emily has started most of this season's games at first base. She is a talented athlete who can play almost any position well. Callie Leffew has broken into the starting lineup this season. Callie has done a great job in left field, and continues to show promise at the plate.

The sixth graders are young, but already have a lot of softball games under their belts. Most of these girls have played in the Youth League and for other organized teams. Starting pitcher Raygn Hall throws the ball hard and has showed a lot of poise. Her play so far indicates that she will continue the tradition of fine Midway pitchers. Catcher Whitney Colyer has also been thrown right into the starting lineup. Whitney has a big bat at the plate, and has already hit some long blasts. Lexi Taylor has already stepped in at short stop and as a backup pitcher. Lexi is very athletic and has a strong arm. Jayde Rose has also seen lot of playing time, mostly at second base and at backup pitcher. Jayde has thrown some nice pitches in her appearances so far, and is also a good all-around athlete. Kallie Sohm has come off the bench to play first base, and has started one game at that position. She has shown a reliable glove. Kallie is a slap-hitter, and she helps put pressure on the defense of the opposing team. Kayla Borum and Julie Kilby are two young players who have a lot of experience in the Youth League. Both of these girls have a lot of promise and are sure to be major contributors in the future. Abigail Leffew, Brittany Dishman and Shasta Roberts round out the sixth grade class. All three of these girls have shown a lot of hustle and should see more playing time as their careers progress.

So far, the 2009 team has improved with each game. The MMS Lady Waves will play their next game this coming Tuesday. It will be a rematch against Kingston at Southwest Point. Game time is set for 6 PM.

SORSN from Bristol

SORSN.com Special Coverage
Sharpie 500
Bristol Motor Speedway
Michael Rose, Special Correspondent and VP of Brand Development and Marketing

SORSN.com is the next ESPN. Right it down, right here right now. In 5 years time and with our highly paid, highly forward thinking staff, along with the loads of financial resources that our CEO is bound to throw at the staff in the next few years, SORSN.com will become so popular that Google will be paying us to use the SORSN.com search engine. That’s right folks, SORSN.com is taking it to the next level with our new five year plan.

In our ongoing search to provide the absolute best coverage of all things sporting to the fine folks South of the River and to Roane County in general, my and JR Rose’s assignment this weekend was to dedicate most of the day Saturday and part of the early morning hours of Sunday by covering the fall night Winston Cup race (sorry, this race fan will never refer to it as Nextel, Sprint or otherwise Cup, ever, ever, ever ) at Bristol Motor Speedway. In most years this is the toughest ticket in NASCAR, with 160,000 fans packing the Tennessee/Virginia state line to see a little bull in the ring after dark racing action on a .5 mile oval. Bristol rarely disappoints.

The afternoon started with the scoot up I 40 to 81. Departure time from West Knoxville was around 1 pm, which is about perfect timing to grab a bite to eat and still have plenty time to take in the prerace festivities (outside the track and inside). If you have ever been to a NASCAR race the prerace and outside activities are usually as entertaining as the race itself. Give yourself plenty of time to soak in the fun before heading into the track. If you have never been to Bristol it is a sight to see. The track is largely surrounded on all four sides by RV/campgrounds, which sets up for some interesting and entertaining scenery. Some say NASCAR is the last great American sport (in spite of Toyotas involvement) and I would have to agree. NASCAR also sets up haulers, booths, demos, etc on one corner of the facility (outside of approximately turn one). Check it out, it’s a great time. The prerace highlights include the following:

1. Souvenir village—Listen up folks, just outside the track at Bristol is some of the best “non official” T-shirt and souvenir shopping known to man. Think the Sweetwater flea market guy in the back with the Jimmy Buffett T-shirts before they sold out. Officially licensed, 30 dollar NASCAR sanctioned t shirts this ain’t. 2 for $20 shirts, old Terry Labonte Kellogg’s hats, Davey Allison photos, you name it, you can find it at this souvenir villager outside Bristol. Two big hits of the night include the following spotted bootlegged T shirts:

--An AMP shirt design (Dale Earnhardt Junior sponsor if you didn’t know). However the AMP was notated as “Another Missed Pitstop” which is quite amusing if you have followed little E’s pit problems this year.
--A T shirt that simply said “I smoked meth with Jeremy”


2. People watching-NASCAR fans are like none other on earth, and in particular Bristol NASCAR fans. The pregame campground and demo areas are some of the best people watching ever. You will see things that you probably (and most of the time hopefully) will never see elsewhere (on second hand maybe the Tennessee Valley Fair might run a close second). See photo of 'Super Fan'.

3. Giveaways-The NASCAR village outside the track is chocked full of photo ops, celebrity watching and giveaways. Where else can you pick up trial packets of the following ( I kid you not):
a. A small jar of Dukes Mayonnaise
b. Skoal
c. Amp-Sugar Free (what’s the point?)
d. The new retractable tip Sharpie
e. Deodorant (comes in handy later)
f. Dental Floss (oddest one of the night, seriously dental floss at a NASCAR race??)
g. Martha White cornbread packets
h. Home Depot fake hardhats
i. Goodys headache tablets (priceless)
j. Tums (also comes in handy later)
k. Tons of bumper stickers

Also the brother and I scored the following without really trying that hard

--Photos with Richard Petty, Joey Lagono and Kyle Busch (see photos)
--Autographed photo and bass fishing conversation with Janet Parker, BASSMASTER fisherwoman.

OK enough of that, now onto the race. Only two more races remain until the race for the Cup begins and Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Juan Pablo Montoya (among a handful of others) are on the in/out line for the 10 race season ending race for the chase. Very important race tonight.

The weather is perfect, mid 80s low humidity, perfect night for a race. Crowd is a little thin with many tickets on the street out front for half face value. Driver introductions are announced with each driver announcing himself over the PA then loading into the back of a pickup with the other driver that he qualified next to in the truck with him. Interesting though, Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch almost got into a fight last weekend in the Michigan race and qualified next to each other, so they end up in the back of the same truck. The fans wanted to see them duke it out Yarborough/Allison style, but the ESPN reporter stood between them the whole way around the track. The drivers pick their own music to self introduce. Some good ones include Michael Waltrip coming into Toby Keiths “I ain’t as good as I once was”.

First fifty laps, Greg Biffle is in control and checks out on the field. Bristol reworked the track surface and along with the car of tomorrow, has really changed the racing here. The track really doesn’t have one groove anymore (which generated most of the wrecks) and the cars can run an inside and an outside line, much like the larger tracks. Good two wide racing, not as much bent sheet metal. The outside line looks a little faster coming off the banking (which used to be no mans land). Tony Stewart is having a miserable night and has been in pit lane many times.

Mark Martin controls the middle section of the race. Long green flag runs, track is cooling off and the low line is working. Martins car sticks to the bottom and Martin is patient on passes, waiting on the other driver to bobble. The crowd wants a Martin win tonight.

Jimmy Johnson takes control late and really has a strong car that looks like the winner. With around 20 laps to go disaster strikes the Lowes team as the jack man drops the car without the left rear tire being completely on. Johnson has to pit a second time, giving up valuable track position this late in the race. Johnson’s crew chief goes Mike Hayes ape nuts ballistic on his pit team. Also light rain is falling and some cars stay out (Michael Waltrip) betting on rain washing the rest of the race away. This will cause problems later.

Restart with about 20 to go and Waltrip sinks like a rock, causing a backup in the pack, which causes a wreck. Waltrip wrecks again with 10 to go, setting up a Kyle Busch, Mark Martin shootout for the win. Waltrip sucks and needs to retire. Jimmy Johnson is coming hard but too much traffic in front of him.

One to go and Martin gets to the inside, could have wrecked Busch for the win Dale Earnhardt Senior style but races him clean. Busch is your winner. Good finish.

Final thoughts and hints if you are going to Bristol

--Park a long way away from the track and walk. Bristol traffic is legendary, but thanks to a tip from a SORSN.com loyal reader, Jimmy Sparkman, parking far away from the track and hitting the exit when the checkered flag drops will save you hours of sitting still in traffic

--NASCAR needs a villain. Yes there is Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart (who is becoming a fan favorite) and the loudest boos were for the race winner Kyle Busch, but NASCAR misses the love him or hate him of Dale Earnhardt Senior.

--Get a scanner and bring earplugs. It’s loud, really loud, 2 days deaf in one ear loud. The scanner is pretty cool which lets you hear the conversations between drivers and crew chiefs

--Double file restarts are good, but difficult to get the drivers to shake out the starting order in one caution lap at Bristol.

--It’s a show and a spectacle. Definitely worth the trip, although I think NASCAR has to lower ticket prices shortly to keep its fan base. The racing at Bristol is different now than it used to be and not as much bumping and banging, but that may change as the track surface ages and a groove develops.

--2 AM return time to Knoxville is about as good as it gets.

SORSN FFL

UPDATE: Registration is now closed. We have met our 12 team max.

----------------
It's time for Fantasy Football! The 2009 season of the SORSN Fantasy Football League (SORSN FFL) is officially open for teams.

To participate in the 2009 season, go to http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/ and click 'Join a League'. League information:
League ID: 546423
Password: green

We again will use an auto-draft. The league has a limit of 12 teams.

Below is how the teams of the inaugural 2008 SORSN FFL season finished.

League Champion – Ten Mile Terror (Tony Clower)
2nd Place – The Raven (Will Poe)
3rd Place – Green Machine
4th Place – SOR Pole Cats (Shawn Queener)
5th Place – Laurel Bluff Bandits (Drew Parks)
6th Place – Midway Maulers (Jeff Hill)
7th Place – SOR Kyle (Kyle Canup) haha
8th Place – Z MO (Zane Moser)

2008 Stats

The 2008 numbers are in and despite the economic struggles, sorsn.com reports yet another great year.

Page Views: 73,673
Daily Average: 212

Highest Traffic Day: 786 (9/22/08 and 9/8/08)

Highest Traffic Period:
Football Season (8/15/08 - 11/15/08)
Page Views: 34,960
Daily Average: 375

Thank you again to all of our visitors and sponsors!

Midway Golf Tournament

On Good Friday, the Midway Lady Waves Basketball Team held their First Annual Midway Lady Waves Golf Tournament at Southwest Point Golf Course and it was a huge success.

The tournament featured 84 golfers, all competing for the coveted trophy. There was no better place to be on this Good Friday as the weather was perfect and as always, the Southwest Golf Course made for a great backdrop.

This, of course, was not your typical golf tournament. It was 100% SOR. The smell of BBQ was in the air, thanks to Bryan Curtis, and bluegrass music delighted the ears of the golfers thanks to Angel Edgemon and her band. Think golf is hard? Try hitting the ball as your foot taps uncontrollably to the sound of bluegrass.

After 18 holes were played, it would be Wayne Waldroup’s team taking home the trophy, followed by former UT baseball player, Jim Bailey and his team, and call it home court advantage as 3rd place was taken by the team of the Beard sisters.

I know what you are all wondering…so how did Team SORSN do? Well, the weather was nice, food was good, and the music was great….lets just leave it at that.

Midway 60th Anniversary

Pictures (of pictures) from the 60th Anniversary can be seen here

Followers of MHS extend beyond county

I just want to tell you what a great job you and your staff have done with SORSN. This year I have been amazed by the videos, pics, and interviews. If there is an award out there for what you all do, you deserve it. I am, and will always be, a true Greenwave fan. I wish that I could have made it home for one of the games but duty calls. Your great coverage of the football season has meant a lot to me. I congratulate you, your staff, and the football team on a great season, and look forward to the basketball season and those to follow. Take care and God Bless!
- TRAVIS A. INGRAM, TSgt, USAF

Our numbers have been extremely impressive this football season, receiving over 200,000 page views (63,000 core site views: 138,000 photo views)

Thank you to Travis Ingram and all of our site visitors.

Separated at Birth

Separated at birth? Hmmm….you decide.

Coach Mike Hayes – Coach Steve Spurrier
The vest, the visor (even at night), the temper-tantrums…

Coach Ruffner – Chuck Norris
The nicely trimmed beard, wavy blonde hair, impressive delt’s and pec’s.

Coach Walker – Burt Reynolds
The ‘tash, salt & pepper hair, lack of tan lines….

Is their another Midway coach with a possible twin? If so, send your separated at birth theories to contact@sorsn.com

Team SORSN Wins Golf Tourney

The 2nd Annual MHS FFA Golf Tournament was held on June 10th, and for Team SORSN, it was a good day.

Disappointed by last years play, Team SORSN was determined to walk away with nothing short of the FFA Golf Tourney Trophy…..and with only 2 teams in the tournament, the odds were good.

Team SORSN finished 3 strokes better than the runners-up with a score of 63, 7 under, to claim their first MHS FFA Golf Tournament Championship. The day got off to a good start for Team SORSN, birdie on the first hole and then continued to play well throughout the day.

Your 2006 MHS FFA Golf Tournament winners, Team SORSN:

David “Bean” Best – now 10 years older and 60 pounds heavier since graduating from MHS, his vertical leap may have vanished but he can shoot the long ball with a 6 iron.

Nathan Holt – aka “Sir Grip it & Rip it”, the long ball hitter on the team. He’s a lefty but he’s nothing but right on when he’s got a driver in his hand.

Daniel Grant – loves blue grass music, long walks on the beach, and chip shots from 25 yards away.

Yours truly, Shawn Queener – primary purpose on the team is to donate golf balls to the lake and keep the team hydrated with plenty of adult beverages.

Letter from a SOR Icon

While having dinner at the Red Lobster my wife Kaye and I had a wonderful surprise. Shawn Queener and his family came over to speak with us. I had looked at the SOR website much earlier and really enjoyed reading about many of the student athletes that we have had the pleasure of knowing. Shawn indicated we should look at the site and read some of the peoples comments under the “Where are they now” section, I found this made my day. One of the most gratifying things I can say is I feel a great sense of pride in reading of the success of those who were interviewed. Most of the young people I did not know where or what they were doing. Great site. Go Big Green.

Thanks SOR
Stan Branson

Email from a RHS Tiger

This is Johnny Coaker aka: the billboard kid from Rockwood. I have been to a couple of games and seen the website and just thought I would say great job. The students do a good job backing their team. And the teams play well and hard. As for the cheerleaders, they do a great job. From their coach to the cheerleaders, they look like they work hard and they are always cheering. I just thought I would say good job and keep up the good work.
- Johnny Coaker

Do you know your SOR?

One of the primary reasons Jared and myself first created the site was to have a web site where one could read about some of the “tall tales”, history of Midway and the SOR community, as well as those legends that folks our age or younger refer to today as our “Grandpa”, “Uncle”, or “Mom”.

Whether your 25 or 65, it’s always fun to tell the stories of “when I played” or when talking to former teammates; “remember when..”. We all have great stories and great memories and this is a big reason why we created the site. Also, we have seen the growth in the area with folks moving to SOR who know nothing about the history as well as the folk tales that make SOR what it is. Again, another reason for the site.

So if you’re coming to the site to see the pictures from Friday’s games or to make sure your name is mentioned in the game write-up, then you’re really missing out.

By far the best part of the site is the ‘My SOR’ section. Everyone should read every article under the ‘Legends’ section. For example, Archie Edgemon has written two great articles: one on Ed Rose – “Voice of the Wave” and one on legendary coach and wonderful teacher Leonard Morris. These are must reads in order for you to really know your SOR.

Don’t see these articles? Then you’re not familiar with the navigation with the site. By default, when a section such as ‘Legends’, ‘History’, etc is opened, the 4 most recent entries are displayed. To view the older entries you need to click on the ‘Archive’ link. See below.



The ‘History’ section! Oh my! A definite must for those new to the area and for our younger audience. Do you know how South of the River became known as ‘South of the River’? If not then go to the ‘History’ section.

The ‘Memory’ section is your section. I know everyone has some stories that belong here! Don’t be skeered! The site is meant to be fun….nothing taken too serious! C’mon Barry, Dumas, Alton……I know you all have fun memories to share whether it’s about yourselves, former coaches or teammates. We can always “bleep” out or edit if needed. There’s no one who hasn’t played for Coach Wheaton that doesn’t have a story to share. What about Coach Galyon…..c’mon now….there’s got to be some good stuff there.

The ‘Where Are They Now’ section is one of my favorites. The interview with J Karl…..I’ve read it 8 times and still laugh each time I read it. If you know someone else who would be a good person to do a ‘Where are they now’ interview with then send me their name and email address.

I’m sure you’re tired of looking at the same ‘Did You Know’ facts like I am…..so help out by sending us some DYK facts to add.

Thanks to all who visit and be sure if you haven’t already surfed throughout the site that you do so…..there’s a lot of good stuff out there. And if you have read everything, read it again. There will be a pop quiz given later.

Catching Up with Pvt Steve Stansbury

SORSN: You graduated this past year and following graduation, spend some quality time at Parris Island, SC with the United States Marine Corps. Tell us about the overall atmosphere on Parris Island and some of your experiences there. The Crucible?

Steve: Parris Island was a very tough atmosphere. Little sleep, less time to eat, and constant yelling. You just have to be motivated to be there to really excel and get the job done and graduate. Having motivation to get off the Island is all I needed! Experiences: Saying "aye sir” more than any human on earth and doing more pushups than I can count!! I gave the time on deck every morning by getting into a trash can and screaming "cakoo cakoo!!!” The time on deck is......." Just like a coo-coo clock ....It sucked. The crucible was the final physical test. 3 days of no sleep constantly on the move and doing obstacles and you only have two meals for the whole three days... Other than that the crucible was just tiring, especially after the 12.5 mile march back.

SORSN: With boot camp now behind you, you are now enrolled at the University of Tennessee. Have you decided on a major/what are your future education plans? What are your future plans with the Marine Corp?

Steve: My major at U.T right now is political science. Hopefully this will help me in the future with my plans of a career in politics. Plans for the Marine Corps is to serve my country with everything I have. Semper Fidelis or Always faithful is the Marine Corps motto. I hope to increase in rank and hopefully become an officer in the near future.

SORSN: You returned to the Emerald Forrest for the home opener against Rockwood, a game that will go down in Green Wave history. You were there early along with a host of Midway Maniacs tailgating before the game. Was Butthead roasting his weenies again? Who’s the best Midway Maniac on the grill? Can we expect tailgating each week? Will there be enough beef for the SORSN staff? Can we be assured we won’t be fed Butthead’s weenies?

Steve: Yah butthead was tailgating just like always, I like to think A-rod is the guy that is going to take over the tailgating gig when I have resigned, which will be nowhere in the near future!!! Best on the grill is me of course!!! Come eat one of my jumbo dogs before the big game!! We call it motivational food. Expect a tailgate at every home game and hopefully all the away games. Yes there will be plenty of food for the staff and half of SOR!!! Yah I'll tell butthead to let me cook yours!!

SORSN: Your brother Sam, now a senior, got to experience something that eluded you as well as all other Waves players that played after 1989 – beating Rockwood. You, along with many other players from last year’s team, charged the field after the game to celebrate with the team. Tell us your thoughts on the game and the feeling when the final buzzer sounded. How often do you replay, in your mind, last year’s game with Rockwood which was the only game that kept you from a perfect season?

Steve: When the boys started whippin Rockwood’s tail the other night it brought back a lot of memories to me from my 4 years. Me and the guys love Midway football, as well as any one else who has attended, played, or cheered for SOR. Midway football is a passion and something that no one can take from us. This is our team, our town, our field, and our South of the River. We take that very seriously in football here at midway. Tradition is also one of the foundations of our great motivation to win. We always have something to live up to or to try and be better than the other guy by working craploads harder than any other team out there. When that kick got tipped at the end of the game I looked at Jude and Jason, and Spencer and we just celebrated like all get out. We live through Midway football!! Because we know this is where we belong, and SOR is our home. My thoughts on the game....Keep up the hard work and hard hitting boys!! Hell yah!! Just as Coach Moser always says, "Work hard in practice and bust your ass, and you'll win on game night when you give it your all!!!" The game was a very exciting game to watch, but aren’t all SOR games exciting to watch in the Emerald Forrest, or where ever we go!! When the buzzer sounded O-W (Officer Walker) held us back till Rockwood cleared a bit then he said OK GO!!! We rushed out to our boys and hooped it up on the "M" knowing that we finally did it!!! I was so glad we finally shut Rockwood up....What a relief SOR!!! They did it !!! Add one more thing to be proud about onto the list!!!! Me and the guys are always talking about and remembering last season. There is nothing better than Midway Football to talk about. The replay of the Rockwood game is constantly on my mind as is all the other moments and games.

SORSN: You are not only a part of an elite group, the United States Marines, but also apart of elite Friday Night SOR group, the fence walkers. How does it feel to now be a fence walker?

Steve: As Spencer said, " Yah we’re the new generation of Fence walkers now!!!" so we are just keeping the tradition alive, because we love Midway. I am proud to be a part of "The many. The proud. The fence walkers! "

SORSN: How much did your experiences, training, and conditioning from football help you in training and preparation for the USMC?

Steve: Without Coach Moser and his tough hard nosed football practices I would have never been in good enough shape to take on the rigors of training. And Coach Houston in the HOG PIN!!!! I will never forget anything about football.

SORSN: You’ve gone through a lot of changes since graduation, going from Parris Island, SC to living on campus as a freshman at UT. Who is your roommate at UT? As a college student, I am sure that you all spend large amounts of time studying and preparing for class and have very little time for social gatherings and entertainment…….I’m right aren’t I? Yeah, very little time for anything other than studying???

Steve: My room mate at UT is my long time friend and SOR football buddy, Mr. Clean, Carlos, CALEB "BUBA" CLARK!!!! Oh yah me and Buba have just been so busy and wrapped up with school..................Yah.........Anyway more about SOR football and tailgating!!!

About Our Sponsors

Those icons/logos along the side of the web site are because of simple generosity. We are pleased and lucky that these folks want to keep the site up and running and have helped by purchasing sponsorships.

K-25 Credit Union was quick to help us out when we first started with the site. They enjoy the site and selflessly offered to help aid in the cost by becoming a sponsor. A link to their web site can be found under the Sponsorship section where you can do everything from view current lending rates, apply for loans online, or even check out the career opportunities.

Once former Green Wave basketball standout Stewart Johnson purchased the Domino’s in Kingston at the beginning of the year, he was eager to help out in any way possible. Becoming a sponsor, allowing SORSN to offer pizza coupons, anything we asked Stewart was willing to help with. A simple click on the Domino’s ad and you will be greeted with a Free Pizza coupon from the Kingston Domino’s.

Businesses aren’t the only ones that have helped. We have received a few personal “thank you” donations just to help us out with covering the expenses. To our Sponsors and those individuals that have helped, we thank you!

To ensure our Sponsors stick with us, please show your support by visiting their web sites and continuing to do business with those that are helping our community web site.

Don’t have a business but have a car, truck, or something else for sale? We can do an ad for items for sale too! Just contact us for more information.

The Knights of the Rectangular Table

The tables at Mom and Pops store on River Road is where football, basketball and things of importance are discussed and decided. How's the football program doing? How about the coaching? At any point in time there is no telling who you may see from current or former coaches to the always right, Monday morning Coaches.

Below are some photos taken from a recent gathering of great minds.

SOR Golf

The 1st Annual MHS FFA Golf Tournament at Southwest Point Golf Course raised nearly $1,200 for the FFA Scholarship fund. Play started early with a heavy fog covering the course, however, Dayne Britt (seen here) was not scared of the fog as he took the tee for the MHS team.

The tournament featured 5 teams all competing for the coveted SOR Golf Tourney Championship Trophy and Midway Green Jacket. The winning team shot 13 under and I’m sad to say that it wasn’t Team SORSN.

1st place team with a score of 13 under:
Steve Rivenberk - Michael Rivenberk - Ken Gilliam - Jerry Kirkland

2nd place team with a score of 7 under:
Fred Wilson - Bob Baldwin - Roy Rice - Jim Cobb

3rd place team with a score of 1 under:
Jack Morton - Ray McGill - Spencer Myers - Scott Griner

4th place team with a score of 2 over:
Team SORSN
Nathan Holt - Daniel Grant - David “Bean” Best - Shawn Queener

5th place team with a score of 9 over:
Matt Campbell - Jeremy Woody - Dayne Britt - Alex Norman

The tournament also featured to challenges: Longest Putt and Longest Drive.
The Longest Putt was won by Steve Rivenbeck who knocked it in from 30+ feet. The Longest Drive was won by a SORSN team member, Nathan Holt, and they’re still measuring that monster drive.

The highlight for Team SORSN was a 100 foot chip shot by Daniel Grant (pictured below) that found it’s way into the bottom of the cup to save par. This shot, which looked similar to Tiger Woods’ shot at the Masters but without the dramatic “pause” before dropping in, sent Dan skipping around the green “high fiving” the air.

Thank you to Scott Griner (MHS Ag Teacher) for organizing the event, Southwest Point for hosting (the greens were in nice shape), and to all the sponsors. We look forward to next year…….Mr. Griner, you can go ahead and engrave “Team SORSN” on the trophy!

(My apologies to anyone whose name I misspelled. Please email me any name corrections that need to be made.)

Spring Training

Spring time means yard work and nobody does yard work like Midway's teacher and America's idol, Coach Mike Hayes. A recent fight with a tree limb left Coach Hayes bruised and battered, but he eventually won the bout thanks to his advanced martial arts training.

Spring also brings out the boys(and girls) of summer. SORSN has expanded to include baseball and softball.

Catching Up With Cotton

We recently heard from our other hometown boy currently in the desert. Staff Sergeant Matt "Cotton" Shultz checked in with us from Kuwait.

It may look like Matt is doing nothing while the guys behind him work in the hot, hot sun but that's not the case. Matt is right in the middle of a critical mission: keeping the sand out of the camera.

All joking aside, Matt is doing well. He's currently supporting 3 job roles: working with the combat medics, working along side with NBC regarding "chemical stuff", and transporting soldiers going on leave.

Good news for Matt is that he will get to return home for a brief visit in September, just in time to celebrate his 7 year anniversary and more importantly, catch a Waves football game.

Catching Up With Wally

Back in January, we told you about 2 of SOR's boys, Matt and Wally, currently serving in the Middle East. I spoke with Wally last night via Yahoo Instant Messenger.

Wally is doing well. He is currently in Iraq at Camp Bucca, the largest prison in Iraq. You may recall that this prison was the site of infamous "Mud Wrestling" incident. Wally assured me he has kept out of the mud. Camp Bucca is home to many of the prisoners awaiting interigation back in the US.

One of Wally's favorite jobs while in Iraq has been the gunner on a Blackhawk. "I've been the gunner now more times than I can count." Wally then went on to describe a close encounter. "I heard this load roar that I thought was a jet flying over; I looked up and it was a rocket flying over our heads. It blew right through 2 tankers (those you see on the railroads) that were filled with food and pierced a 3rd. It sent rocks flying everywhere, punching holes the size of my fist."

Wally says hello to everyone and he's been keeping up with the action on SORSN, which he declares is the greatest web site. Actually, he may not have said that last part but he was shocked to see that "Swivel Hips" got a dunk. Wally will get to come home for a 2-week stay towards the end of May.

Keep these guys in your thoughts and prayers. We look forward to their return home.

SOR Boys In The Middle East

December 17th, 3:00 AM Central: A plane carrying more than 400 soldiers from the 844th Engineer Battalion leaves Camp Atterbury in Indiana. Fourteen hours later, they arrive in Ireland. From Ireland they travel a few more hours to their destination, Kuwait. Among those 400 soldiers are two of our very own. Two young men from South of the River must leave their families behind as they go and fight for our country. The two guys I’m referring to are Staff Sergeant Matt Shultz and Specialist Wally Holt. This picture of Matt and Wally was taken at their Deployment Ceremony at the Knoxville Convention Center in October.



Matt Shultz is a 1996 graduate of Midway High School. While at MHS, Matt lived and breathed Green Wave Baseball. Matt was a solid baseball player, playing 4 years for the Green and White at catcher. Matt is SOR to the bone. Other than his time with the Army in Colorado, he has lived his whole life in “the Rock”, Paintrock that is.

Named “Most Talented” by his senior class, Matt is also known to be “darn good” at picking the strings. During the cool, clear nights, Matt can often be found around a bon fire playing and singing blue grass with friends.

Matt is married to Amy Hall, also a ’96 graduate of MHS. They have a 5 year old daughter named Hannah.

Matt has been in the military for over 8 years, serving his 4 year term with the Army and then 4 with the Reserves. Matt was called to active duty just 3 months prior to his planned exit from the Reserves.

Wally Holt just graduated this past May (2004) from MHS. Wally played football for MHS all 4 years and is best known as a hard-hitting SOB from SOR. Wally played Defensive End and recorded 44 tackles and 7 sacks his senior year. Also during his senior year, Wally served as the place-kicker for the Waves and kicked 20-27 on the year. Wally was apart of the '04 Seniors who played in more playoff games than any other class in Midway history.

Wally is a newlywed, recently married to Kristin Marler of Kingston. They married just days prior to his deployment.

Wally actually completed his basic training during the summer prior to his senior year at Midway. Wally has already achieved several notorieties during his short military career including Sharp Shooter qualification as well as graduating Top of Class during Advanced Individual Training.

The 844 is a Heavy Combat Engineer Army Reserve Unit out of Knoxville and are scheduled for a 2-year stay in the Middle East. These two guys have a special place in the hearts of the SORSN staff. Matt is a friend and former classmate of Jared and myself. I also spent the majority of my first semester in college shooting pool with Matt in the lounge and I believe he still owes me money from some of our games (actually Matt still states that I’m the worst pool player he’s ever seen). Wally is my brother-in-law and is forever indebted to me for getting his sister out of the house.

Matt & Wally are in a very dangerous place and have very dangerous missions awaiting them - we pray for their safe return home to their families. Currently, an emptied out warehouse about the size of 2 football fields is their home, along with 4,500 other soldiers. I’ve been able to see and chat with Wally via the internet and web cam and you can tell these boys miss their home in SOR. Most recently, Wally has spoken to me about traveling in convoys across the Iraqi border during the early morning hours.

These young guys, who once played and fought hard for the Green & White, are now fighting for their lives for the Red, White, and Blue.

Matt and Wally would love to hear from everyone. You can contact them via email:
Wally - StudEnd68@yahoo.com
Matt – PickinBuddy@aol.com

You can also write them:
SPC Holt Wally
844th EN BN HSC 2nd PLT
APO AE 09366

SSG Shultz Matthew
844th EN BN HSC
APO AE 09366

We will continue to stay in contact with Matt and Wally and keep everyone informed. Wally has been taking pictures while overseas and I will be sharing those with you on SORSN.com.

Boyd Woody Inducted

Legendary educator, coach, and basketball player E. Boyd Woody was inducted in the Tennessee Wesleyan Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday October 16, 2004. Boyd still holds the record for most steals in a game with 12 against Maryville College. A 35 year educator, 14 year high school boys coach, 14 year football coach and 23 year girls' basketball coach Woody at one time was one of the most active winning coach in Tennessee. Woody's teams won numerous County, District and Regional tournament and made three appearances in the State tournament. Raised in Ten Mile, Tennessee south of the river has always been his home, graduating from Midway and returning to teach and coach. Woody spoke for a few minute recalling his days at TWC and some of his former teammates who were already members of the Hall of Fame. Woody added that he was one of the main reasons the other players were members. "Dewayne Farmer always said get the ball to me and I will score" which Woody added he did. Two other players said "Woody go ahead and shoot and we will get the rebound and score," Woody kept the crowd in switches. Woody thanked TWC for the three years he attended and told the college that he still had one year of eligibility if they needed a point guard. Woody had his wife, Joyce, his two sisters (Joyce and Ada Frank), their husbands, his four sons (Brice, Ronnie, Randall, and Preston), their wives and four grandchildren in attendance. Georgia and Joel Morris former players and friends surprised Woody at the induction.

Did You Know?

We at SORSN need your help in contributing to the "Did You Know" section of SORSN. Send us any interesting, not-so interesting, or useless South of the River knowledge and facts you may have. Please include as much detail as possible (i.e. dates). Send them to SQueener@sorsn.com

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