September 8, 2004



No kissing

“It’s not too bad when John Kerry and John Edwards hold hands but I really hate it when they hug and kiss each other.”



Pre-k wonderful

“Thank you Mrs. Duke at St. Thomas for being so patient with my child who had never been left with a babysitter before. She has made pre-K wonderful.”



One and the same?

“Is Gary Cooper who owes Thomas County $360,000 the same fellow that is running for the district seat?”



Helpful police

“Thank you to the Thomasville police department this past Saturday for helping the nine-year-old boy who needed a ride home. This was nice and helpful.”



Roads look rough

“Is the county and city on a vacation? The roads and ditch banks look rough.”



Can’t afford cable

“Most of us low income people can’t afford $35 a month for super basic cable. We may as well get an antenna. They brought our bill down $1 and took off 17 stations.”



Its an obligation

“How can a dad get away with not paying child support? The judge ordered him to pay every week to the court. He was ordered to take care of his obligations and he certainly is not.”



Article uncalled for

“The article in the Wednesday paper about the train and truck wreck was uncalled for and you used poor judgment. The Tuesday article was enough. You need to think about the family of the victims that has to read that and see that photo in there.”



Yellow-dog Democrat

“I can’t believe somebody wrote if you are a Christian you’ll vote for George Bush. How many times have you seen Bush going to church? I’ve seen two since he has started to run for re-election. His record deficits are in the trillions, he started an unnecessary war in Iraq, all the manufacturing jobs have gone overseas, he has done nothing about health care, how about all the Intel scandals. His term in office has been the most secretive ever. My daddy was born in the 1800s. He always said if one has been in office for one term, give another person a job and a chance. I am a yellow-dog Democrat and proud to admit it.”



Remington not state

“The firefighters should check with the DOT highway department. Just the last time I talked to DOT, Remington Avenue is not a state highway. It’s a local street. The state highway ends at 19 coming in on Pavo Road.”



Ignorant rednecks

“If Randy Young is wondering why Southerners are regarded as ignorant rednecks, he should check out the rant and rave comments.”



The folks at Blakely’s Standifer Field are going to welcome Ed Pilcher with opens arms Friday night. After a brief hug and exchange of pleasantries with their old friend, however, they are going to pull for their beloved Early County Bobcats to squeeze the football life out of Pilcher’s Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets.

At Central for the last 14 years, Pilcher cut his headcoaching teeth at Early County. He led the Bobcats to great heights in five seasons, finishing with a record of 42-17 before moving to Central in 1991.

Early County fans appreciate Pilcher for rescuing the Bobcats from a malaise of mediocrity that started several years before he arrived. He will always be loved for orchestrating the turnaround, but a bit of jealousy lingers in a few who wonder what might have been if he had remained with their team.

If not for a last-second fumble at the Pepperell goal line in a Class AA semifinal, the Bobcats probably would have claimed a state title in 1990. After eking past the Bobcats 21-20, Pepperell secured the championship the next week by smoking Brown 42-8.

Pilcher, of course, has since gone on to win five state titles (1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997) at Central. Early County, on the other hand, is still waiting to clinch its first one since 1963.

Despite Early County’s championship drought, the spirit of high school football remains vibrant in Blakely. Every Standifer Field game is still an event the Bobcats backers don’t want to miss — especially this one.

Like most solid high school teams, the Bobcats are supported by quite a cast of characters. One of my favorites is Billy Joe Jordan, a funeral home director who served as their public address announcer for nearly 30 years without fail until being plagued recently by health problems. Backed by a scratchy recording of a snarling bobcat, Jordan always sends the crowd into a tizzy. “He-uh come the ‘Cats!” is the signature phrase he utters every time the team takes the field.

Jordan’s pregame introductions lack the glitz of those put together by Central’s high-tech media department, but they are just as effective.

Local insurance agent Jay Palmer is another interesting Early County fellow. He used to be the radio voice of the Bobcats. I once saw him broadcast a road game with a cell phone connected to a Diehard battery.

Trey Woolf is another special person in Bobcats lore. This humble figure rose from a lowly water boy to starting quarterback before becoming their head coach three years ago. All he has done is post a 39-5 record.

The Bobcats didn’t slip a bit after Pilcher’s departure. Harry Wayne Parrish, another super coach and outstanding man, led Early County to the 1998 Class AA final where it lost handily to a Reggie Brown-led Carrollton team.

Early County also played for the 2001 crown under Woolf, falling to Americus in a game that was considerably closer than the 33-20 final indicated.

Early County has consistently taken on the area’s big boys and whipped them in their own backyards, including Colquitt County and Dougherty teams coached by Jim Hughes and John Reynolds, respectively. Fear will not be a factor when the Bobcats take their own field to battle the higher-classification Yellow Jackets.

Jordan, Palmer, Woolf and the Bobcats are hungry for a victory in this game. They relish the underdog role because their team boasts an impressive history of biting unsuspecting football Goliaths.

Rest assured Pilcher and his assistants know this. Central’s players and fans better realize it, too.