I just want to talk about one young man today. His name is Ike Hall. I’d never heard of him until some four years ago I guess it was. I was about to head into my last year of broadcasting although I didn’t know it. I was watching a scrimmage in August, whatever year it was, and about a third of the way through the scrimmage, I saw this kid take off, hit the sideline and went about seventy or eighty yards. Then about midway in the fourth quarter he did the same thing again. He just kind of jumped off the page at you. I asked one of the kids walking in the press box who it was. They said, “I don’t know. He’s a freshman”. I finally got one of the coaches walking through and I said, “Tell me about him”. He said, “His name is Ike Hall and he may turn out to be pretty good”. I said, “Yeah, he kinda looks it”. Well, I went down, fortunately Ike Hall did not. I got to see some of his ballgames, but didn’t get to call any and he would have been a fun one to call!
What I didn’t know, was the nonathletic stuff. How good could he be?
How bad did he want it? Questions than only turn up when you’re on a team. I followed Ike as close as I could over the years, and most of the time I was very proud of him. I don’t think I have ever been as proud of him as I was at the UIL track meet down in Austin this past week. He won a State Championship and when I first saw his picture on the winner’s platform I got a little choked up. That means that on your particular day, you did better than anyone else in the State of Texas.
Well, you say, “I admire good athletes. I love Brownwood. I’m not much of a track person, what did he do?” I’m not going to go back and recap the State Champions in Brownwood’s history – because we’ve had quite a few – but it is an exclusive club. Ike Hall on Thursday of this past week, in Austin, Texas at the UT facility they use for the State Tournament, he was unbelievable.
All he did was run and jump and win the 4A State Championship in the triple jump. His jump, 48 feet, ll¾ inches, the best 4A jump in the State of Texas in 2024.
I’m so proud of this kid and I wish him the very best in the years to come. A great athlete in Brownwood. His future is terribly bright and I’m so very proud of him and proud of all the kids who participated in the State Meet. I’m proud of all of them in this area. I think, and I don’t know much anymore, but I think this is one of the best groups in the history of this area. I congratulate all of you and I especially congratulate Ike Hall.
Until next time, so long everybody.
***
‘Out of the Box’ with Dallas Huston is published each Monday morning at BrownwoodNews.com. Dallas was the radio voice of the Brownwood Lions and Howard Payne Yellow Jackets for more than 55 years. He currently is Pastor of Center City Baptist Church and hosts a Men’s Bible Study in Brownwood on Monday evenings. Your comments are welcome at [email protected].