This Is Rare Air We're Breathing

This a great time to be a Blue Devil! While South has always been known as a great school academically, we haven't had a reputation for being dominant in some of the major sports. Sure, we have an outstanding newspaper, choir and instrumental music programs and other shining stars, but when it comes to athletics it has usually been the minor sports that have taken the lead.

I say this because tomorrow our football team plays in the Final Four. You have to go back almost 50 years (the '54 team was recognized as State Champs prior to a playoff system) to find a team that has reached this level.

This year's team has been on a rare journey to get where they are. First of all, we squeaked into the playoffs after losing our last regular season game, but have consistently played better as we moved through the playoffs. The experts always say that you should finish strong, and there is no doubt we have peaked at the end of the season.

Today, we will have a pep assembly. That in itself is a rare occurrence. Typically, our only 'pep assembly' is during Spirit Week and the purpose of that assembly is to honor all of the fall sports, the Homecoming court, etc. This assembly will be different because the primary focus will be the football team. The impetus for the assembly came from the student body at large, not the football players or coaches.

What is typical at South is the success of many of our other fall sport teams. The girls are competing today at the State Meet in Swimming and Diving, and the girls just completed an outstanding season in Cross Country. Our boy's Tennis team also finished very high in the state rankings. But maybe the best of the group is our girl's Golf team. Not only are they one of the top teams in the state, they are also young with even brighter futures in front of them.

All in all, it's been a most successful fall sports season. It's gratifying to see school spirit beyond the norm, and fun to watch student-athletes achieve such high levels of success. I hope everyone associated with the school is as proud as I am to be a Blue Devil.

Go South!