Flashback to June 5, 2010. We had just won our State Championship over Goreville 15-5. Yes, we slaughtered them, making the statement who the best team in Class 1A baseball was. We hoisted the trophy and took millions of pictures (just ask my mom). While this was going on, I started to talk to Joe McGannon and his friend. See, Joe's friend was wearing his State Championship ring he got for football, and quite honestly, it was amazing, and of course we wanted one. We wanted one real badly.
Now back to the present. It's Sept. 24, 2010. We are at the homecoming volleyball games cheering on our girls. We were doing this knowing that shortly we will get what we have most coveted ever since that day in early June--our championship rings. Going into this day there were two things I couldn't wait for: (1) Getting my ring, and (2) Seeing all my teammates/friends again who had graduated, like Joe McGannon, Brandon Weingartner, Mike Bruce, and Mike O'Neill, and Jordan Kalous who transferred schools. Throughout my years at Westminster Christian, I have grown a strong bond with all of these guys and the guys who are still at school with me. When I was a freshman that bond started and developed through playing with these guys and having lots of fun, hearing lots of stories, seeing a tuxedo or two, and lots of success.
After that year all of us couldn't wait till we were juniors and seniors; we knew we had something special. Special is just what our season was. We battled through countless injuries, sicknesses, or freak Frisbee accidents. In my opinion, without all of these problems we wouldn't be the same team. We probably wouldn’t have been a state championship-type team. When we had these key players out it forced all of us who could play to step up and play a bigger role for the team. Also, if it weren't for these injuries, we wouldn't have had a Wil Woodhouse who played a great center field all season and stepped up big for us. We juniors and sophomores developed our game and got more at bats and playing time through this. Every single player on this team had his moment in certain games: Mike O’Neill had the catch of the season in the super-sectional game, that same game we threw a no hitter, Joe and Brandon hitting clutch homers back in the regional championship game, Joe hitting another clutch homer in the state semi-final, and countless more, but in the end we shared one big moment together as a family. I love all these guys with all my heart and will have a bond with every single one of them forever.
So every time I look at my Championship ring, I remember all these memories and the great times we have had and will have in the future. Every time I look at my Championship ring for the rest of my life I will remember the Westminster Christian Warrior Baseball team of 2010, and it will be awesome, simply awesome.
--By Andrew Mason
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