WAY BACK YONDER ON A BITTER COLD WINTER NIGHT AN UNSPOKEN DREAM PERISHED FOR 3 PEOPLE IN THE DEEP MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA .  TWO OF THESE PEOPLE INVOLVED WERE GALLANT FIGHTERS AND ONE WAS A WISE MATURE DEDICATED ADULT.

FIRST I WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT AND EXPLAIN WHY THE HOPE AND DREAM EXISTED.  I WAS PRIVILEGED TO PLAY BASKETBALL FOR THREE YEARS AT ALDERSON HIGH SCHOOL.  DURING THAT PERIOD, WE NEVER LOST A HOME BASKETBALL GAME,  AS FOR AS I AM AWARE I WAS THE ONLY BASKETBALL PLAYER OTHER THAN ROD THORN WHO EVER MAKE THE ALL SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA BASKETBALL TEAM THREE YEARS IN A ROW.   

I COULD OUT JUMP ANYONE AND COULD JUMP TWICE AS FAST AS ANYONE, WHEN I PLAYED MY BEST NO ONE COULD BEAT US.  HAVING SAID THAT MY WONDERFUL WISE COACH HAD TOLD ME WHAT TO DO IN OUR SENIOR YEAR, I WOULD ABSURDLY RESISTED HIS SAGACIOUS WISDOM.  ANYWAY THAT BITTER FRIGID NIGHT WE TRAVELED TO RAINELLE, SITTING ALONE I CHEWED TOBACCO ON THE WAY.   

DURING THE GAME ON RAINELLE HOME COURT WE STAYED WITH THEM IN THE FIRST HALF BUT FELL BEHIND IN THE SECOND HALL AND WERE BEATEN 64 TO 51.  I PLAYED A NORMAL GAME, SCORE 28 POINTS WHICH DID NOT MEASURE UP TO A VICTORY; HOWEVER, ONE OF MY TWO BEST LIFETIME FRIENDS AL MCLAUGHLIN GAVE AN AMAZINGLY GREAT INSPIRATIONAL PERFORMANCE.  AL SCORED 19 POINTS AND KEPT MAKING GREAT PASSES TO ME.  HE ALSO KEPT SAYING, “LETS GET THEM RICK,” “REBOUND THAT BALL, RICK,” “LETS CRUSH THESE ……”  I FORGOT THE WORD AL USED!

ANYWAY, AL PLAYED A GREAT GAME, IF I HAD PLAYED AS GOOD A PROPORTIONAL GAME WE WOULD HAVE WON.  ALSO, IF I HAD FOLLOWED COACH’S ADVISE WE WOULD HAVE WON EVERY GAME PERIOD.  I JUST WANTED AL TO KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE HIM AND HOW MUCH HIS DAD WISDOM IS APPRECIATED AND UNDERSTOOD.  UNFORTUNATELY, SOMEWHAT AFTER THE FACT.    

OUR DREAM WAS TO SMASH ALL OUR OPPONENTS AND WIN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF WEST VIRGINIA.  I SAW COACH’S DISAPPOINTED FACE AND YEARS LATER REALIZED HOW THE DREAM HAD ENDED.  ONE GREAT ITEM, EVEN THOUGH THE DREAM WAS SMASHED, I STILL HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP OF AL MCLAUGHLIN.