November means a lot of things in Calhoun County. For starters, in my hometown of Vardaman, it means the advent of the annual Sweet Potato Festival, which did not disappoint this past Saturday. Sweet potatoes and cotton are harvested, and the fields that once housed them become barren once again until warmer weather comes back around.
The last person in my family to farm was my great-grandfather Theo “W.T.” Gillespie, and I’ve never been much of an agrarian, but I do have massive amounts of respect for what farmers bring to our communities.
In the sports scene, however, the month of November means the conclusion of the football regular season, the beginning of the playoffs and the start of the high school basketball season. It has also brought on a new sport in our county as of late: soccer, a sport which I have never covered but will be able to this year.
Busy times for your local sportswriter.
Still, November is a time I always look forward to from a sports perspective. There is of course the Egg Bowl each year on or around Thanksgiving Day, as well as professional football and basketball going throughout their seasons. Fall is an exciting time for sports, and Calhoun County is not immune to the mayhem.
This week, three of the four teams in the county will begin their trek through the football playoffs, and one will conclude its regular season.
Bruce, Calhoun City and Calhoun Academy will all look to advance out of the first round of the postseason on the gridiron while their basketball seasons get going a stone’s throw away.
Speaking of basketball, I had the chance to check out a couple of games at the Leonard Holland Classic at Calhoun City on Saturday after the Sweet Potato Festival. It’s no secret that football and baseball have always been my favorite sports to spectate, but I have a deep love for basketball, as well.
I grew up going to school in Houlka, where Mississippi basketball legend Jimmy Guy McDonald coached for decades. I then transferred to Vardaman, where the girls’ basketball team made a run to the state tournament my senior year. It’s kind of hard not to have a love for the hardwood when you’ve lived the life I have.
I didn’t realize how much I had missed basketball until I got to Calhoun City on Saturday. I could hear the clock buzzer and cheering fans from outside, and if you’ve ever been to a basketball game at Calhoun City (or anywhere in the county, for that matter), you know they can get loud in a hurry.
Ultimately, the Leonard Holland Classic was a success, and I believe basketball season in our county is going to be a treat once again this year.
There’s still football to be played, and basketball has arrived. As a sports fan in Calhoun County, what more could you want?
You can email John Macon at jmake2016@gmail.com