Tuesday March 03, 2009

Thanks!

Thanks!
Tonight is senior night in Littlejohn and senior night is always special.

My top four moments in my memory of senior day/night are:
*1988 Clemson-South Carolina football game. The previous year an injured Rodney Williams was brutalized by the Gamecocks and the crowd in his hometown. The following year, Williams plays a fantastic game in helping the Tiger beat up South Carolina. As he left the field for the final time, the sounds of, “Rodney!, Rodney!” sounded a lot different.

*2006 Clemson-South Carolina football game. Tiger linebacker Anthony Waters was the heart and soul of the Clemson football program. He was the leader and he made sure everyone knew it. The future NFL linebacker blew his knee out against Florida Atlantic and missed the rest of his senior season and I felt terrible for him because he decided to come back for that year instead of opting for the NFL draft. On this senior day, Waters dressed out and was able to run/walk down the hill. I have no problem admitting the fact that my eyes got a little wet that day.

*2008 Clemson-Virginia Tech basketball game. The Tigers senior class helped turn this program around and it was wonderful watching Clemson win a 70-69 affair against the Hokies. However, the best was saved for last as James Mays, Sam Perry and Cliff Hammonds addressed the crowd. I knew it was going to be special but that night really got to me. I was always a big Sam Perry fan but Cliff Hammonds is my favorite Clemson student-athlete of all-time. The night was one I will never forget. Coach Purnell got choked up but he was not alone.

*2008 Clemson-South Carolina football game. James Davis has also always been a favorite of mine. I was at the bottom of the hill when I looked up and saw Number One standing at the top of the hill alone. Few players have meant as much as Davis did to this program. He helped turn things around on the field and off of it. It was fitting that he played such a big part in the Tigers destroying the Gamecocks on this special day.

Other senior days stand out. Steve Fuller’s last game in Death Valley was a special one and he and two other Tigers rushed for over 100 yards in a victory. I was a big Dale Davis fan in basketball and remember his last day very well. Bert Heffernan was my favorite Clemson baseball player and I thought he was going to play forever until his final day. Greg Buckner had 30 points against Georgia Tech on his senior day. Horace Grant had 33 points and 20 rebounds on his senior day to wrap up the ACC MVP.

I am sure next year when C.J. Spiller is at the top of the hill for the last time on November 21 against Virginia it will be special because of what kind of kid he is and why he chose Clemson three times in his career.

Senior days are a chance to say thank you. They are also a chance to say good luck. And tonight we get a chance to do both.

K.C. Rivers, Jesse Yanutola and Raymond Sykes will be honored tonight and we get a chance to say thanks. Thanks for the 90-40 record that is already a school record for wins by a senior class.

Thanks for the 32 regular season ACC wins which is another school record. They are the first class to win at least 20 games three years in a row and the first class to win at least seven ACC games four years in a row. They had a perfect 4-0 record against South Carolina and a 4-0 record in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

A win over Virginia would give Clemson back to back winning seasons in ACC play for the first time since 1965-66 and 1966-67.

Rivers played in every one of those wins and is thus the winningest player in Clemson history in overall wins (90) and ACC wins (32). He is Clemson’s career leader in three-point goals with 272 and ranks seventh in scoring (1637), and third in double figure scoring games (87). Rivers went over 700 career rebounds in the loss at Florida State (now 702) and is Clemson’s career rebounding leader among players 6-5 and shorter.

Rivers is second in school history in games played (130) and will most likely break the record of 134. He is third in steals with 203, fourth in double figure games with 87, seventh in scoring with 1637 points. The Charlotte native is seventh in minutes played with 3743 and eighth in field goals with 609. Incredibly, Rivers is 13th in Clemson history in rebounding with 702.

He is one of just two players in school history to have more steals than turnovers.

Tonight Rivers needs 14 points to pass Dale Davis and move into sixth place in school history in scoring.

Sykes improved in his four years as much as any player I can remember. He was a skinny kid with few basketball skills as a freshman. I remember callers on my radio show asking why they even recruit a player like Sykes. The Jacksonville native made improvements each year and will end his career with the ninth most blocks in school history.

So tonight we will say thanks to three more seniors but it is more of a “see ya later” than “goodbye.” This group has a chance to make even more history over the next few weeks. This senior class could really go down in history as being special if they play well in the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Until then, lets enjoy the moment tonight.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Mrs. Kathleen Bowers, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Sandy Wright, Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, Ronnie Queen, Edward Putman, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Anna Rawl, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L, Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naemi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, Vahid Tizfahm.