Thursday, May 7, 2009

Coach 'Diggs' says goodbye

(Click on picture to enlarge) Rocky Mount's seniors (l-r: Nick Hahula, Gabe Brown, Chris Pittman, Cameron Ramsey, Ben Fish, Brian Goodwin, Dillon Cockrell) huddle around Coach Diggs (aka. Jammy Mitchell) after the Wilson Fike game on Senior Night. (Photo/Don Fish)

It's so hard to believe its been four years since would-be ninth graders Ben Fish, Cameron Ramsey, Brian Goodwin, Dillon Cockrell and Gabe Brown played on that Nash County Babe Ruth 14-Year-Old All-Stars baseball team that made it to the World Series championship game.

All those memories came flowing back when I ran into Jammy Mitchell, the assistant coach on that great team, in the press box before Wednesday's Senior Night game with Wilson Fike. Of course. RMHS PA announcer Wes Bradshaw, who Jammy was talking with before my arrival, had the pleasure of broadcasting those games back to the area on WRMT 1490 AM.

Where has the time gone!

Mitchell came out to honor his boys. Their head coach Travis Ward would have also been in attendance too, but he was celebrating his first anniversary with his wife with a trip to New York City. But I know he was thinking of them when they hit the field for their last regular season home game.

More that likely, Mitchell will take in Northern Nash's home finale with Nash Central Friday to send off their seniors from his squad: Tyler Clark, Mike Williams and Tyler Joyner. Clark's dad Greg was an assistant with Mitchell on the team.