The Hot Corner
2019 has been a whirlwind of a year for my family and me, full of moves across the state, new beginnings and leaps of faith.
Just this year alone, my life completely changed. I graduated from college, got engaged, moved across the state of Texas, started a new full-time job, bought my first home, purchased my first car by myself and got a new dog.
In the months leading up to graduation, I began applying for jobs and much to my dismay, was getting little to no response or feedback, so the issue of what is next for us was eating us alive? Where would we go after graduation?
I ended up getting this job in late May. It was one of just two job offers I had, the other being a reporter job in a small town in South Dakota.
I was ecstatic. The people here at the Snyder Daily News were willing to take a chance on a kid who was fresh out of college and had never really worked in a proper newsroom before. I had plenty of experience covering sports, as I had done it all throughout college, but I had never worked for a paper in the capacity I do now.
My fiance and I have lived in Snyder since June and these past six months have been some of the craziest and sometimes, most challenging, times of our lives. We both spent all of our lives in central Texas and my experience with West Texas was slim before our move here, so the move was a big leap for both of us.
We moved here in early June and closed on our house roughly a week later. Being that it was summertime, I spent my first few weeks covering Little League baseball and familiarizing myself with the area. Around two weeks into my tenure here, Snyder ISD announced the hiring of Wes Wood, the new head football coach and athletic director, and I got my first taste of what this type of job entails. The rush of getting this breaking news and reporting on it almost felt like a ‘welcome to the show’ moment.
Football and volleyball seasons were a blast for me. Having the opportunity to travel around West Texas, seeing towns I had never even heard of before, covering football and volleyball was so much fun.
Interacting with the students here in Scurry County, I am routinely impressed with how polite and well-spoken they are. Not to mention their level of athleticism.
The competitiveness out here is second to none and some of the athletes I’ve covered have big things ahead of them.
It was a pleasure following along as the Lady Tigers volleyball team won a district title for the first time in 20 years. I also can’t wait to see what the future holds for Snyder football and what Wood does with the program.
I also got my first taste of six-man football this past year. Watching the Hermleigh Cardinals’ and Ira Bulldogs’ football teams get after it this past year has been a blast and the way the sport is played reminds of my backyard football days. I have explained it to my family and friends on several occasions as “organized back-yard football.”
With the craziest year of my life coming to a close, I just wanted to take a minute to look back and reflect on how special this year has been.
I want to say thank you to those who have supported my fiancé and me as we made this crazy move to West Texas. Thank you to the people who put their faith in me and allowed me to embark on this journey. Thank you to our readers for supporting us and for the feedback.
And thank you to the coaches and athletes that work with me and enable me to do what I do.
I am very happy to be here and cannot wait to see what 2020 has in store for Scurry County athletics.
Reed Graff is the sports editor for the Snyder Daily News. Comments about his column may be sent to sports@snyderdailynews.com