Help the school

The Columbia High School is working with Chapman Ford of Columbia for an unique fund raiser.
On Saturday Nov. 22 from noon-4 p.m., Chapman Ford will donate $20 to the school district for everyone who registers, takes an approximately 10 minute test drive, and then completes and turns in a survey form before leaving Chapman.  
“This is a national promotion by Ford and they will donate up to $ 6,000,” Athletic Director Jim Rhoads said.
The following is some general information on the day:
• Drivers must be 18 years old or older.
• Limit one test drive per household.
• The driver does not need to be from Columbia, so invite friends.
• There will be no sales pitch.  Interested parties will have to approach a salesman after completing the survey if they wish specific purchase information.
• There will be no follow up mailings or phone calls.
• There be a variety of models to test drive, but no Mustangs.
There will a number of test cars so they don't expect much wait time.
For more information, call the high school at 684-7500.

Big off-season is needed

Monday at Columbia High School, the basketballs and wrestling mats will be rolled out for the first time.
Winter sports practice starts across the state.
Friday, the fall season came to an official end when the Tide lost to Steel-High in the first round of the District Three Class A playoffs.
I will tell you that the Rollers will be playing into December because they are the best team the Tide has seen in the last few years.
Columbia was 3-8 this season. Its the school worst record since the 1977 season when the Tide went 2-8. It was also the first time Columbia has had a losing record since 1986.
I really didn’t see this coming. I’m sure I am not the only one.
Because of my summer illness, I only got to see the Tide twice in the off-season. One early in the summer and one just before practice started. I saw improvement.
I think losing that first game to Eastern by a touchdown took a lot out of the Tide. Win that, the season might have been different.
There was also the schedule factor. Half of the teams Columbia played made the playoffs.
Early in the season, Columbia couldn’t tackle anyone. But since there were few fans in the stands watching most of the last five or six games, those those attending the games saw the improvement.
Columbia also got no breaks. The ball just didn’t bounce their way this season.
So now that the off-season is here, its time for those players, even the ones out for a winter sports, to rededicate themselves to football. They need to get in the weight room, participate in off-season drills and get to those sessions.
Too often during the season I was hearing horror stories about players not coming to practice, yet showing up on Fridays. That’s not a good situation. One, with a small squad, you can’t really get a good practice, and two, why show up on Friday, expecting to play when you didn’t practice all week.
Sure, there were a lot of fans who jumped off the bandwagon and I can get a bunch of parents of players, who stopped attending games. That’s not right.
How do I know that about parents? Well, Columbia sold 41 tickets for Friday’s game. There are just 25-28 kids on the team, that should have been maybe 60 tickets. Also, when the team celebrated Parent’s Night against Pequea Valley, as I was walking up to the press box, I saw one set of parents walking out of the lower gate with their flower, well before the game started. That’s not good.
Oh yeah, there were also a couple of players that didn’t have parents to be escorted onto the field with. Real sad!
I can remember being in school and asking my parents not to come to something, but they still came anyway. I think its a parents’ responsibility to be involved in their son or daughter’s activities. Attending games is one way.
The Columbia football program can be turned around fast, but its going to take a lot of dedication on all parts to do it. If they aren’t willing to work hard, the season could be long again next year.
The next move is up to the players!

Charlie is second

Beginning to thing the Phils will be shut out of the post-season awards.
Charlie Manuel finished second to Lou Pinella in the voting for the National League Manager of the Year.
Didn't think Charlie would get it, but...

Yesterday, Brad "Lights Out" Lidge finished a distant fourth in the Cy Young voting.

MVP Award will be announced next week.