It’s good to be a Tiger isn’t it? Win or lose we love our Big Blue. I know people complain about how much attention sports gets in a small rural community but it is the only show in town in many ways. While it no doubt can have a negative side, sports does a lot of good for our kids and it also does a lot of good for our entire community.
My experience was my coaches were some of the biggest inf luences in my life. I learned a lot about life from these men and women. Things about winning and losing, what it meant to be on a team, how to put others first. They reinforced what I was being taught at home, things like integrity, hard work and character matter. It was an honor to be part of the Blue and the Gold family and we were taught to take it seriously.
I said all of that to say this. This year we had two Rockdale athletes do some amazing things in their sport. Both of these young people come from great, hard working, successful, smart, athletic families that love and support them. That support is part of the reason they are who they are.
They have worked hard, since they were little, they have set goals and they have reached some of those goals this year and we want to recognize them for those achievements.
When I think of these two I think about that old saying, “If you see a turtle on a fencepost you know it did not get there by itself.” We know there was a team surrounding these athletes and that team was an important part of their success, so shout out to their teammates as well.
Earlier this year you might have heard senior Lady Tiger Halle Jimenez joined the 1,000 dig club
Halle has been playing in different leagues since she was old enough to play organized sports and she has been playing at the varsity level since she was a freshman. Halle wants to continue her career at the next level and her current coach, former Lady Tiger Morgan Laughlin says she should be able to do exactly that.
She finished her senior year with over 1,200 digs and over 900 kills. High five, Halle! Tiger Nation is pleased you’re on our team.
Halle is a proven leader on the court and a great teammate. Not only is she a great athlete but she’s also a nice girl and it’s refreshing to see people like her succeed.
The other Tiger athlete that just broke a Tiger record is our current Friday night signal caller, threeyear starter Blaydn Barcak. I’m pretty sure this guy eats nails for breakfast without any milk. He’s tough!
Bladyn just broke former Tiger and current Rockdale Coach Ethan Brinkley’s record that was set in 2012 of 4,616 passing yards. Barcak is currently at approximately 5,300 yards for his career. He is also just a few touchdowns shy of breaking the Tiger all-time touchdown record.
This guy is the real deal, he has an arm and he has some legs and he never stops grinding. “Extra yards” must be his middle name, I’m going to ask his mother next time I see her.
I have one of the best seats in the house on Friday night and you ought to hear the hits that he takes as he pushes to get one more yard out of the play. Not only does this record-breaking quarterback take some licks but he knows how to give them as well.
Barcak is a two-way starter when needed and it has been often this year that the Tigers have needed him and he always steps up.
Blaydn, we are glad you lead our offense and that you lead by example.
Congratulations to both of these Tigers. It’s always good to hear good news.
Thanks mom and dad. Thank you coaches. Thanks to the school system and thanks to the community.
And thanks Halle and Blaydn for setting an example for Tigers everywhere. We look forward to hearing about your success in life wherever life takes you.
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