Oklahoma Class "C" State Football Champions!

Going to the state tournament in football is always exciting!  This year was no exception!  The cold rain didn't keep hundreds of fans - both young and old - away from cheering on the Tipton Tigers.  Fans, friends and relatives from all over came to cheer on the team and their family members. It was so much fun!  So much so that I would like to relive it all over again!

Family picture after the game.  Such a great memory of a great night!
Siblings!

Team picture minus a few.

Jacob and his girlfriend.  :)

Everyone wanted their picture with the gold ball! Who wouldn't?

A great ending to Jacob's Senior year in football!  In his three years playing (9th, 10th, and 12th, the team won silver, gold, and gold!)  Quite a record!

Congratulations to the Tipton Tigers!

HEADED TO STATE!

(So sorry for my lack of blogging lately. (No one may care, but I care! Ha! It's a time problem, but more importantly, a computer problem.  My computer is FULL.  I can't save any files, and I've had a hard time storing them on the external drive.  I think it's almost finished storing....after 9 days!  So, I still may not have the time to blog, but at least when I do, I can! It's been really frustrating!)

We're excited in Tipton!  In the past week, our sports programs have had great success, yet again!  My boys played in the Regional Tournament for golf on Monday...the last one they'll ever play together.  They were 4th out of 12 teams and that qualifies them to go to STATE!

This is the second year in a row that these boys have gotten the opportunity to play at the State Tournament.  Last year they were just excited to get there. This year they hope to be in the top five at the end of the tournament.  The top three would be great!  The champions?  Well...that's probably out of reach, but you never know!  They compete next Monday and Tuesday.  We're ready for it to be here now!

Although neither of my high school boys play baseball, we're extremely excited that the high school baseball team made it to State for the first time in history of our school.  (Actually there is evidence that a team MAY have gone in the 50's...It's being checked out.)  But, wow!  To go to State and win the Championship in football....go to State in basketball....now baseball and golf, not to mention in power lifting and track....it's been a great year for the Tipton Tigers!

This Senior class is extremely talented.  We've known since they were little bitty that this would be a great ride in their sports careers and it has been.  Although we're excited about the groups coming up, as well, there will most likely never be another group like this who has such a high level of natural athletic ability.  Two of the Seniors have been on all four of the ball sports State teams.  One of them got hurt in football, so had surgery and hasn't been able to play the others. The other one plays everything, and plays them well.  He's going on to play football in college.

The article above was written about this group of athletes.  It's a great write up about them.  Of course, as parents, it's been fun.  As fans it's been fun.  As a school and community it has been fun.

What a great year!  There's not much these Tipton boys can't do, for sure, when it comes to athletics!  We've been blessed. 

Senior Leadership

Yesterday was the day we had hoped for, dream for, and even expected, all year long.  Our high school team made it to the Class C State Championship for Oklahoma High School 8-Man Football!  It was the second year in a row our boys had made that appearance, last year coming up short at the end of the game - taking home the silver ball instead of the much-wanted gold ball.

But this year had been different.  This year our team hadn't lost even one game.  They had only been scored on one time during the regular season, and that was only allowed with the third string players in the game.  They did a good job, too, but just allowed one touchdown.  Still not bad!  

This year there were four Seniors on the team.  Four guys with great talent and skill, but also with great leadership and examples on the field and during practice, for their team.  One of the coaches even said that their leadership, as well as the attitude of the whole team, got them to where the were - at the game they had been working towards their whole season - and in fact, since last season.

Here's a picture of the scoreboard at the end of the game.  We're the Home team - the one on the left!  We won!!! 30 to 12!  We won the GOLD BALL!  As our spirit playoff shirts said - we turned "SILVER INTO GOLD"!

Here's the team after the win....

And here are my kiddos after the game....

And here are many of the Senior class members gathered around the gold ball and celebrating their classmates' big win....

And this is one of my nephews, who is the defensive coach for the team, his wife, and little one.  He is such a great Christian example to the team and to all who know him! (And so is she!)

Since last nights' win, I've been thinking about "Senior Leadership".  It is very important for the oldest members of a team, organization, or group to be leaders.  As adults, yes....sometimes leaders can be younger, and even in school students can be leaders to older people, BUT for the most part, on a team, the teammates look up to the older members of the team.  They EXPECT them to be leaders.  Sometimes they are.  Sometimes they are not.  Sometimes they set good examples.  Sometimes they set bad examples.  Leadership should always be good and positive - not bad and negative.

Several scriptures talk about how older Christians should teach and train the younger members.  They are to set an example.  Middle aged people, like me, are in the middle.....still learning from the older ones, but also teaching and setting an example for the younger ones.  The example we show to others matters.  How we "lead" others matters.  

Whether it is a sports team, a business group, a student club, or a family, it matters. And in the instance of our football team, it mattered.  In fact, "Senior Leadership" led the team to the state championship - and ultimately prize - the GOLD BALL!  Congratulations, Tigers!  We're extremely proud of you for your success and for your attitude and examples on the way to that success!

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11