SPORTS LEDGER August 2024 Read Free Online at www.TheSportsLedger.com Page 1B The
Jax State Director of Athletics, Greg Seitz, has announced the hiring of Bill "Bubba" Bussey as Assistant AD for Broadcasting. "We are excited to add someone with the experience and expertise that Bill has to lead our athletic broadcasting team," said Seitz. "He will be a true asset to Jax State when you look at his experience as an engineer, his on-air experience, and his experience in building, daily operation and expanding a network will only help us improve and enhance our athletic broadcasting division." Bussey joins Jax State following three decades co- hosting the Birmingham-based and nationally-syndicated "The Rick & Bubba Show." The duo of Jax State alums Rick Burgess and Bill Bussey began their famed radio show in 1994 when Burgess asked Bussey, the local station's chief engineer, to co-host his morning radio program. Together, along with their cast of co-workers that feature former Gamecock baseball's Calvin Wilburn and current Jax State Director of Tennis, Michael Helms, the team dominated the airwaves for the next 30 years. "I'm thrilled to return to Jacksonville State University as the Assistant Athletic Director overseeing the Athletic Broadcasting, said Bussey. "It's fantastic to be given the opportunity to serve my hometown and my alma mater, where I have so many fond memories." "We are eager to advance Jacksonville State University's mission and increase awareness of our exceptional institution by expanding the reach of our ever- growing athletic program. Let's #staycocky!" Making his return to the place where Bussey got his radio start at the campus station WLJS, "Bubba" will now oversee all broadcast operations for in-house productions as well as events like coaches shows and other Jax State productions. JSU Athletics Adds Bill "Bubba" Bussey To Broadcasting Team Bobby Pierce often played catcher for our Church softball team. He immediately accepted that lesser role for the good of the team that took me years to learn. Bobby certainly had the speed and athletic ability to play another position. Yet he never complained about playing catcher. Bobby put his all into his role because he is the first person that played catcher on a slow pitch softball team I ever saw that ran down the baseline after a batted ball in order to back up the first baseman. Bobby Pierce was the ultimate teammate. We had a great church softball team with some great individual players, but we would not have ever had as much success without people like Bobby. Bobby was a great friend and teammate to all of us that fell within his orbit during his time on this earth." _By Jeff Holcomb The Role of A Catcher and Father Column By Brandon K. Pierce It's not often that I find myself at a loss for words, but for the past few days that has been the case. My father, Bobby Pierce, passed away on Friday, August 9, 2024 and since then I have struggled to find the words that would honor his memory and the great life he lived. My Dad always loved traveling with me. When I was growing up he would go on school trips, and when I started covering sporting events he went to every game that he felt like attending. During high school football Friday nights, my dad could almost always be found standing along the end zone fence at whatever game I was covering for the newspaper. It didn't matter who was playing, and he may not have known anyone in the stadium, but he was there because he loved the game and he loved being with me. He also spent a lot of time in his younger days playing sports, particularly softball for Mt. Flat Baptist Church. I was fortunate enough to play on the same team as my Dad for a few years, and our coach at that time was Jeff Holcomb. Jeff wrote the following column on Facebook and is was absolutely perfect. I could not find any better words to write about my father. "The role of a catcher on a slow pitch softball team is mostly to catch the ball that is coming on a slow arched path toward home plate. For most of my softball career, a catcher could catch the ball before it hit the ground and attempt to frame the pitch in its best light so if the batter did not swing, the umpire would call a strike. A rule change late in my career made the catcher wait till the ball hit the ground before he could glove it. A slow pitch softball team needs a catcher, but it is a position that does not require great athleticism. To me, playing out on the field was a source of pride. I never liked to have to play catcher. Later when I became the coach of the team, I came to understand that one sometimes had to take a lesser role on the field to make the team better.
Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
“I Hokes Bluff To Renew Rivalry With Etowah After Almost 40 Years Robertson added that never coached Bluff The 2024 football season is here and several local teams recently competed in fall Jamborees. The Fort Payne Wildcats traveled to Albertville on Thursday, August 15 and picked up a 51-6 victory over the Aggies. Read more about the 2024 high school football season inside this edition of The Sports Ledger and follow along this season online at www.thesportsledger.com. Football Season Is Here
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger There are many great rivalry games in high school football and sometimes these teams play every year. For the Hokes Bluff Eagles, one game that fans and players traditionally count on each season is against Etowah County rival Southside. This year that game will be the Eagles' home season opener and it will be played on Thursday, August 29. Hokes Bluff’s second game of the season will be on the road at Etowah and the game will renew an Etowah County rivalry that has not been played since 1985. How is it possible that two schools, which are less than 30 minutes apart, have not played each other for almost 40 years?
Hokes will host Cherokee County on October 11, before taking their final road trip of the season to Ashville on October 18. The final two games of the season will be played at home against Oneonta on October 25 and Randolph County on November 1. Etowah also has a difficult schedule this fall, as the Blue Devils will face the same Region foes as Hokes Bluff. Etowah's program, which will be under the direction of first year head coach Scott Peavey, will kick off the season against non-region rival Jacksonville on Friday, August 23. The Blue Devil's remaining non-region games will be at Southside on September 27 and at Lincoln on November 1.
against said Michael Robertson who is in his 29th year as the Eagles Head Coach. The last time the two Etowah,” powerhouse teams met, Hokes Bluff pulled out a 10-6 victory over the Blue Devils. This year’s rivalry game will take place at Etowah on September 6. Both Etowah County rivalry matchups are going to be challenging for the Eagles, as well as Hokes Bluff’s entire 2024 football schedule. “It is a tough schedule,” said Robertson, who also pointed out that the Eagles moved up in AHSAA Classification this year. Hokes Bluff moved up to Class 4A this fall, after being in Class 3A since 2020. The Eagles moved down from 4A to 3A following the 2019 season.
his program had a good summer and that the Eagles need to fine tune a few things and get into shape for the 2024 season. “We’re excited about it,” added Robertson, who noted that this year’s team has a few experienced players on the roster. The Eagles will have five or six returning players on each side of the football. Overall, Robertson said that he has about 64 players on the roster, which includes 12 senior players. Following the two rivalry games, Hokes Bluff will return home to host White Plains on Sept. 13. The Eagles’ next three games will be on the road as the program travels Anniston on Sept. 20, Glencoe on Sept. 27, and Alexandria on October 4.
Photo Courtesy of Ann Nelson
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