I started reflecting on this week’s football game between North Davidson and Oak Grove high school. Tensions ran high for the past few weeks leading up to this battle for the CCC Championship and more importantly for some, the bragging rights for the year. For those seniors, the rest of their lives. If you are thinking about moving to Davidson County, there’s something that you will find out quickly….We will fight you over Dale Earnhardt, what BBQ is better, and high school sports.
Yes, we live a real-life version of Friday Night Lights. A lot of residents of Davidson County have maintained their love and passion for their schools to the point of grown men yelling at each other whether it’s on social media or creating a new halftime show. This a reason I love living in Davidson County.
Before the game started, I was involved in a social post about how life would have been different if Oak Grove were here earlier and where the athletes came from. It’s a bond that I will never forget and cherish until the day I die. I owe my success in life to my teammates and coaches. I am still a thorn in the side of many, sorry coach Butts.
We are passionate, and that’s about all it comes down to. So you might ask,” why do so many people take their schools so seriously?” Well, it comes down to the fact that these men and women have had their lives molded by coaches and teachers of their schools so much, they understand the impact it had on their lives. What it comes down to is, I actually respect anyone that is willing to scream, fight or pour into their own program. I tell my own son, emotions mean you care. So we all care a lot. We just show it in different ways.
What’s Different about Davidson County Living?
Everyone who was at the game Friday night has some of that in their blood or they wouldn’t have waited in their cars for 2 hours for a lighting delay to watch a high school football game. The more impressive part for me wasn’t the number of people that still came in the gates, it was the number of people still there at the end.
Even with just a few minutes left on the clock and a North Davidson victory was certain, the stands didn’t clear out. No one cared about getting out of traffic quickly, no one looked down at their watches to realize it was 10 minutes until midnight. Both sides, both bleachers were full. It shows the commitment from the Oak Grove community to support their men win, lose or draw. This is why I love living in Davidson County.
Some of us don’t have the ability or time to coach and teach. Some of us don’t have the money to give. But as a community, we give what we have and we love the ones that are coming up in our county. There’s nowhere else like Davidson County. Our community is why I love living in Davidson County. Yes, I could make this into something about how if you want to buy a home in the area contact Mantle but that’s not the point here. If you are reading this then you know how to find us.
So why do I yell so much at the game?
First of all, I live my life wide open, full-throttle all the time. If I am passionate about something, I am all in. It doesn’t matter if it’s real estate, sports, or hopscotch. We get multiple complaints about my yelling throughout the year, but if you ever listen to the words I say, I’ll never cuss a player or talk about personal life issues.
I feel like trash-talking is a lost art and I am a Renaissance man. So this year I have picked on everyone from my own kids, our team, to our cheerleaders, and of course the other team.
While it might not be what you prefer, that’s who I am. I was told this week to act like a man and stop yelling at kids. I mulled this over and came to the conclusion that acting like a man sounds like a terribly boring life. I enjoy affecting the outcome of a game with a dropped pass or a coach thinking more about me than their game plan.
At the end of the day, I still love all of them the same and am extremely proud of our community. Oak Grove, Ledford, North Davidson, Lexington, Etc. I know that I’ve pissed off pretty much anyone that’s not on “my team” Don’t worry we will still be willing to give and support them when the dust settles. You might not enjoy me but maybe you can at least understand me. So to all those rabid fans, coaches, and parents on either side of the ball.
The proof is in the pudding.
Friday night shows the type of community we have. There were so many people wearing shirts showing support for Gavin Hill. If you don’t know Gavin’s story, the short version is he is going through his second bout with cancer. Gavin is a senior football player for North.
I don’t know anywhere else in the world that the opposite team would be willing to show their support for an athlete on the other side of the ball as much as Oak Grove did. Their whole sideline had on the same shirts. If you are interested in hearing more of his story, check out the FOX8 news story.
That’s pretty awesome in my book. So here’s a tip of the cap from me and Go Davidson County! This is why I love living in Davidson County and will never move.
