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By LAUREN SEXTON | Sports Reporter

There is nothing like senior year. A new journey awaits you after it all ends, but it’s kind of impossible to believe that you are currently in the process of the end. The last fall season of sports, the last time you played your homecoming game, the last touchdown you make as an Eagle, Jaguar or Warrior, the last time you serve an ace, the last time you cheer from the sidelines and the last time you get to sport your school colors before you hit your alumni status.

There is still the winter and spring season, and some of the amazing student-athletes in Shelby County are continuing their athletic career at the collegiate level, however, this is the last time you get to wear that jersey with your school colors on it, the last time you get to travel to away games with your team in a bright yellow bus and the last time you get to make it to playoffs with your teammates. It is the beginning of an era, and someday there will be a senior class that doesn’t remember your single-hand catch in the homecoming game or the match-winning point you made in the big rivalry match. You’ll always remember it and that’s what matters. 

As corny as this may sound, enjoy every minute with your teammates. They won’t be your teammates much longer, some might soon become a rival and you’ll see them on the other team’s sideline. It is a hard pill to swallow thinking about how you’re not going to be on the same team as your friend much longer, however, there is a bright side as hard as it may be right now. Soon enough you’ll have a new team, with new friends, and new games.

The most challenging part of playing that last season is it might actually be your last season playing football or volleyball. It is okay that you don’t continue playing after high school, not everyone does. Maintaining your grades, a social life, other extracurricular and a sport is a lot for one person to do for four years. And mixing in sports that are all year round or playing different sports a season can be trying. It is okay that you didn’t make it to a collegiate level or want to continue to play anymore. There are club-level sports and so many other opportunities when you graduate high school.

Winter and spring sports still remain left in the school year, so this is just the beginning of the end. There is still so much more that this school year has to offer. From one recent graduate to another, just embrace every little moment. When you look back on those fond memories in the future like riding the bus to away games, making that match-winning point or even that one-handed catch in the homecoming you’ll realize that high school went by so fast.