A little about Max Mashburn; Coach Hall’s Houston Astros

Story of Max Mashburn, All-American

The remarks in today’s column serve to remind those who find so much wrong with what writers say. I will begin with a column I was writing a few weeks ago.

Attention was being given to Rockmart High School’s National Football Champion of 1950. There was an All-American player on that team named Max Mason. Much was written about the outstanding player from Polk County. Details were given about the player and his awards; the column was about to be forwarded to Sports Editor Alex Farrer. Suddenly another glimpse at the column allowed me to see a grave error had been made.

In the several instances where Max Mason’s name should have been used I saw where I had written our own local Max Mashburn’s name. So, my good friend Max Mashburn was about to be tagged with All-American status. It was a subconscious mistake.

I really do not know a great deal about Max Mashburn’s athletic career. Our Max is a few years younger than me, and I was long gone when he was in high school. The error was corrected and the late Max Mason was given his due credit.

But the content today is not about Max Mashburn as much as it is about his grandchildren. A week or so ago I gave attention to his two sons, Craig and Mason, and their contribution to the local athletic scene. Those remarks were all in the context of the pride parents and grandparents show in their children as they perform on the athletic stage.

I did mention that Craig won the big-play award for his football senior year. Craig’s tackle of the Jenkins kid from Coosa late in the game to preserve a lead for the Jackets and give them a victory was described as “That play gave definition to all that had happened earlier in the season and assigned consequence to what was to come.”

Craig and Mason both had significant athletic careers in their high school years and their parents have a right to be proud, as do all parents from all schools that have gone to battle in various activities.

Today I write about two of Max Mashburn’s grandchildren. As I write, Max is in deep South Georgia in Waycross where Craig and Shawn’s two girls are playing on the Calhoun High golf team as they compete for their third straight state championship.

It has been with plea- sure I have heard Max tell about the accomplishments of his senior granddaughter Kate and his freshman granddaughter Molly. Kate, by reason of her outstanding performances and accomplishments, has been prominently featured on the sport pages of the Times and other area publications. As she brings her career to a close she can look back on years of great accomplishment.

When you read these words the championship will have been decided. Here is wishing those kids good in this last area of competition.

Don’t let me leave this section without mentioning Mason and Dana and their athletic children. Dawson was a sophomore on the Jacket football team and their daughter Mattie Jane will play softball and possibly soccer as she heads to high school. Their little one will write her story after this old writer is gone from this life.

Yes, Max Mashburn has impressed me with the pride he as shown in the accomplishments of his grandchildren. So it is with all the parents and grandparents I know.

Coach Norris Hall is riding high

I could have title this section “Who would have thought it? Well, Coach Norris Hall the long time legendary basketball coach at Fairmount High would have thought it.

For as long as I have known Norris he has preached the gospel of the Houston Astros. Norris’s proclamation has dealt with the past history of the Astros (originally the Houston Colt 45s), the things that were happening in the present and the great good yet to come.

It was easy to not give acceptance to what the enthusiastic coach was declaring about his Astros. They did on occasions, and sometimes over the long haul, have players who performed in a spectacular manner. Also, on some occasions had teams who deviated from the norm and climb into contention and be standing when the season came close to the end. Sometimes the Astros was one of the two teams standing at the end. Norris Hall had to be thrilled. Still, the big prize eluded the Astros no matter how close they came.

Seeing late scores was, and is, a feature of mine. That was not because of a preference for the Astros to win. It was so I could determine how I thought Coach Hall was feeling at the moment. More often than not, the feeling over the years was not on the pleasurable side.

Well, take a look: This is the 2017 season and a casual glance at the standings in the American League will show the Astros in first place in the Western Division of the American League, and that some five games ahead of second-place Texas.

I realize Coach Norris Hall is basking in the joy of this high altitude the season has a long way to go. I hope we don’t need to get the psychiatrist I have felt he might have needed in less favorable moments over the years.