Easily Forgotten

Saturday I went  back to my home town to celebrate the life of Daryl Allen.  Lost sometimes is the wins and losses coaches get credit for is the fact sometimes sports can be a symbol of pride for a community.

One of the speakers was Doctor Rodney Sessoms one of Daryl's many players who reminded all of us what Daryl Allen did for the town of Ahoskie.  Allen's first year of 1970 in Ahoskie was the first full year of total intergration of the school system.  As and assistant Ahoskie won the 2A state football title.   1971 Alen's first year as head coach Ahoskie now playing in 3-A opened up winning their first eight games.

In 2010 right here in Rocky Mount in the midst of  of economic disaster for our area Rocky Mount High School lifted a community  up with pride winning  the basketball title.  Everyone was able to hold their heads high  for we all had a reason to be proud and it helped us through bad times.

What Sessoms reminded us all was in 1970 racial tensions were fever pitch high as two groups of people came together  and the best thing that happened to the community of Ahoskie was a successful football team lead by a man who didn't see colors of faces only their heart and their football abilities.

Watching a church full of people honor a man who was more than a football coach but a man that shaped lives of teenagers who as they have gone forth in life carried with them the teaching of a man that may have saved their lives  but most of all he help save a community.

Today we are down to the final four of pro football. The first eight games I have gone 6-2. The first game of the day is the old timers bowl where Brady and Manning square off in Denver.  They met once all ready in New England and at the half Denver lead 24-0.  New England  came back but I don't   Think there will be the tale today.  Denver 34 New England 24

Seattle will be a place of low scoring and plenty of defense.  Just the way big MO is moving right now it appears as if San Fran is going to win this one so why then am I picking the Hawks. Home field for the Seahawks.  Look scoring only 23 on the Panthers last week was not all that impressive the way they dominated the game and they will not dominate Seattle.  23-17 .