HHS football banquet honors athletes

HALEYVILLE - Mitch Nethery, senior pastor of the Haleyville First United Methodist Church, gave an inspiring keynote speech to those in attendance of the Haleyville High School football banquet Thursday, Jan. 10, at the FUMC Slaughter Fellowship Hall. Nethery has also served in the military 29 years. He is currently a lieutenant colonel and chaplain.
Nethery thanked officials for the opportunity to speak at the event and serve as announcer at the football games. “I had a great time,” Nethery said about serving as announcer. “I hope I added a little bit of fun and excitement to the football games and atmosphere. I had a whole lot of help and support.
“I am thankful to be in Haleyville. I have one thought for tonight. It is something I didn’t learn soon enough.
“I probably have heard it a thousand times, but it didn’t set in with me until I was coaching my son in baseball. He was playing short stop and having a pretty bad game. Everyone has one of those.
“What got me was when I watched his face when he missed the ball. The next play, he extremely overplayed the ball.
“I told him, ‘Zach don’t let the last play ruin the next play.’
“I have thought about that statement over the years. I have thought about my life and how many times I have allowed what I did in the past to ruin what happened next.
“I want to add a little bit to it tonight and say  you shouldn’t hang your hat or your head on the last play.
“I know a lot of people who never got past this banquet when they were a senior. Years later they are still  talking about what they did when they played football for whomever. They will talk about the accolades they received, everybody that clapped for them.
“Now they have a wife, kids, grandkids and there are a million things they could talk about but they are talking about this.
“You look at the lives that some of them have lived and this is the biggest moment in their lives.
“I hope the times I played sports in my life have made me a better husband, father, pastor, chaplain. I learned that what happens when I make a really good play, I get another opportunity to make another play.
“You can hang your head on the last play, but everything you have learned in life enables you for that next play. You will always be a Haleyville Lion and whether the helmet is on or not, what brought you to this point will lead you farther into life.
“Some of you will receive awards and some will not. When I have received awards in my life, there were a lot of people who made my awards possible.
“It is at those moments that the awards I always wanted to receive really made a lot of people somebody and brought a lot of credit to people that didn’t get anything pinned on their chest or even a pat on their back…
“I’ve learned that the next play is the most important and what happened on the last play should help me with the next one, no matter what is going on.
“There are plenty of awards in this lifetime time for everyone, in your place, your time, the way God has wired you. What a blessing that is to know.
“The scripture reference for tonight is that pride comes before a fall, but with the lowly there is wisdom.
“The proud person is about me, myself, and I. That joyful, humble person is about us and who we are and what we can do.
“You can’t stop we. You can stop me, but you can’t we. I hope that no matter what your last play was, I hope you will have a great testimony about the next one. I hope that next play is what you are looking forward to and are anticipating. You know there  will be play after play in our lives. Games and seasons change, but you know there is something coming and be more ready for the next play.”
Haleyville Lions Club members Bobby Taylor gave the welcome and Randal Foster the invocation. The annual event is sponsored by the Lions Club.
Head football coach Todd McNutt introduced his assistant coaches including: Adam Lawler, Mark Burleson, Alex DeLeon, Wayne Frazier, Ryan Brewer, Tyler Hallman, Will Romine, Dusty Ball, Chuck Moody, Andy Lambert and Andrew Crisp.
McNutt thanked everyone for their support this past year, then introduced cheerleader sponsor Wendy Rushing. Rushing presented certificates to senior cheerleaders: Hope Coleman, Mary Katherine Evans and Annagrace Purser; juniors: Emma Allen, Maddie Palmer, Mallory Rushing, Faith Anne Smith; sophomores: Hannah Bishop, Sally Lakeman, Ashton McCullar, Meredith