By Dency McClure
I headed out to May Tuesday afternoon after traveling to Gorman, Strawn, and Lingleville the day before. To be honest, I was getting a little road weary and was glad to know my name was printed on the front of my Texas 1A Fan shirt, in case I forgot it. I turned left in Rising Star and, much like my trip to Lingleville, no signs gave any indication that May was anywhere along this road. I knew; however, that May would appear before long and it did. I was almost all the way through May and thinking I might need to turn around when the sign pointing the way to the May Sports Complex appeared. The word complex is in no way being misused here. At the end of the road is a grand entrance to an amazing complex any school can be proud of; including a football stadium along with baseball and softball fields. All with nice parking and lights; oh the lights. I can tell you the first thing any photographer looks at upon arrival is the lights. It’s even common conversation on the sidelines between photographers to discuss the lights at various locations for future knowledge. Good lights in Sixman are like an oasis in the desert. A rare luxury cherished by all photographers. In talking with Coach Steele about the complex, he informed me that more is being added for the town little league kids. What an amazing area for the town to enjoy and be proud of. I arrived early and gathered my gear and headed for the only shade in sight; the covered burger grill. They have a large round open grill for cooking for the concession stand. It already has a stack of wood ready for football games this year. It has a nice cement slab under it and a good well built cover. I enjoyed the shade and my water bottle as I took in the countryside. I also enjoyed watching the young boys prep the water coolers and drive a Gator like real pros. The one driving backed it up perfectly to the door of the locker-room. I think he’s had some practice. Before long the boys started filing out of the locker room and across the street to the practice field. Coach Steele greeted me and the other coaches followed suit. I got my interview with Coach Steele, and we visited for a moment while the boys stretched. As practice was getting started, a man pulled up and shook the coaches hands. I found out after visiting with him that he has two boys on the team and another boy is in 8th grade and one of the water boys. He works out of town often and hates having to miss some of his kid’s games so makes practices when he can. He lives in the area, and we had a nice visit. When my water bottle got low, he quickly had his son refill it for me. I have to admit I was well taken care of in the water department on this journey. Like Strawn, May also has a blocking sled. They did some different drills with theirs than I had seen, and it made for some cool photos I hope. They ran some footwork drills and the dust flew under their feet. They ran some passing drills, tackling drills, etc. I stayed quite a while and enjoyed taking photos of their activities, visiting with the dad, and catching bits and pieces of the water crews conversations. I had more than enough photos so watched for a while and then headed out. I drove by the school and could see the pride the community takes in it. It’s a nice and well maintained facility. It was fun driving around May a bit and getting a feel for the community. Back in the 80s, May was my hometowns big competition in football. It’s funny now how I enjoy visiting the towns we played against in high school. I headed on down the road to Brownwood so I could stop at Walmart before starting the long trip home. See you on the Sidelines!
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September 2023
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