Another one down

In 2016, the average gas price was $2.14 a gallon. In 2023, the average is around $3.50. In 2016, the Georgia Bulldogs hadn’t won a national championship in football since 1980. In 2023, the Bulldogs are currently on pace for a potential three-peat. In 2016, I saw the Pittsburgh Pirates miss the playoffs for the first time since 2012. In 2023, I saw the Pittsburgh Pirates miss the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.

In all seriousness, the good thing about this time of year is that the two-week transition period that I give myself mentally almost always falls right in the middle of Thanksgiving season. I can also use this time dabble with early winter sports such as the offerings from Garrett College.

This past fall sports season had its ups and downs, overall but ultimately it was a fun one, nonetheless. You could ask if I’ve ever actually not had fun covering any sports season, and that would be a fair question. (The answer is “no” of course. I always have fun, except for the days I don’t).

With that being said, this week signaled the beginning of the official practices for the high school winter sports season. While it is far too early to start making predictions or any in-depth previews, I can comfortably say that this is going to potentially be one of the most intriguing winter sports seasons I’ve ever covered here — several new coaches, interesting storylines already developing and some wild schedules.

Over the course of the next week or so, we’ll start to get a better idea of what’s coming, and the previews will be underway.

There also will be an incoming series of previews for the Inaugural Western Maryland Classic at Deep Creek Lake. This high-end basketball event is going to be stacked every day from Dec. 14-16. As a little teaser, ESPN recently released the preseason rankings for the top 25 best high school basketball teams in the country.

Four of those teams No. 9 La Lumiere (Ind.), No. 14 Bishop O’Connell (Va.), No. 18 Brewster Academy (N.H.) and No. 22 Dream City Christian (Az.) — are going to be in this field.

There will be much more information about this in the coming weeks, including interviews with the organizers as well as previews for each team. To say that this event is a big deal would be an understatement.

For current information including a graphic that has the weekend’s schedule on it, you can check out the Facebook page simply titled “Western Maryland Classic” or you can follow on Twitter/X by searching for “@WMCHoops”.

Anyway, if it isn’t clear by now, I’m glad I’m enjoying my eighth year as much as I enjoyed year one.