The end came quickly for the Social Circle baseball team, and with it the end of an era.
The Redskins were quickly dispatched by Bleckley County last Wednesday, losing both ends of a doubleheader in the Class A, Division I best-of-three semifinals series.
It was a bitter conclusion to what had been a serious run at an elusive state championship. But it was no doubt heartbreaking for the seniors, who saw their prep careers end shy of their dreams.
It’s trite, and hardly conciliatory to say they’ve nothing to be ashamed of and to hold their heads high. After all, we’re not the ones who devoted untold hours of our lives and poured our hearts into a single-minded effort.
But if it’s any conciliation, this group left behind something much more important than a golden first-place trophy. They leave behind a legacy.
All deserve their name in lights, or at least in print. Among the long timers are Mason Moore, Logan Cross, Mitchell McCullough, Will Atha, Brayden Mitchell, and Ty LeMaster.
Two that I’m particular partial to are Moore and Cross. It seems I’ve been typing their names for longer than four years. But they’ve generated more than their fair share of highlights over the years, whether it was fielding fly balls or spirals or throwing touchdown passes or strikes.
A little historical context is key. Before this group started high school, Social Circle athletics was in an extended funk. The community had come together to build a shiny new on-campus athletics complex, but the programs struggled to be competitive.
The baseball program began to make a turn back in 2015 with a state berth, and even reached the quarterfinals in 2018.
Meanwhile, the football team languished, unable to break through with either a winning record or a playoff berth
But things began to change in 2019, when a tall gangly kid with a rocket arm and his speedy and sure-handed best buddy showed up on campus.
Cross started at quarterback as a freshman and threw nearly as many interceptions as touchdown passes. But he also showed flashes of
A year later, he took off, passing for over 2,000 yards. On the receiving end, Moore was second on the team in receptions and tops in TD catches.
The combo helped spearhead an explosive Air Raid offense that would result in three consecutive playoff berths and snap a 17-year streak of losing records last fall.
Come spring, they combined to help push the baseball program over the top. After 2020 was lost to the pandemic, they reached the second round in 2021.
But the Redskins became a legitimate state contender the past two season, reaching the Final Four in back-to-back seasons.
It’s surely disappointing that they’re not playing for a state title this week. But when the program finally reaches the pinnacle in the not-so-distant future, this group can know they laid the foundation.
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