Most people probably don’t see it. At the end of each season, it is always this line that gets me. To me, it always means change. It is preparation for the Seniors to move on to adulthood and to envision the Juniors soon stepping into a leadership role. This year, the change is quantified. It is the last of the last. For the last 25 years, all five of our kids have walked the halls of Attica Schools. This year, our last child will graduate and also be the last Heath family member to graduate from AHS. Our babies are no longer babies and a couple have their own babies. Where we started seems like a lifetime ago. There have been so many wonderful successes and also struggles that have been significant and also life changing. We have all sacrificed and supported, all to make these children good humans, who have luckily experienced being a good teammate and friend and had the experiences of winning and also the agony of defeat. We feel grateful, thankful and humbled we were all able to go on this journey and also experience it all as Bulldogs.
It's graduation week. Well, what was supposed to be graduation week for you AHS Seniors. Since March, your senior year has been overshadowed by the unthinkable corona virus, aka Covid-19. You seniors and your families have been on my mind since this ordeal first started. So much anxiety and disappointment for your last of the lasts; spring break, senior trip, yearbook, golf, track, prom, finalizing college visits and plans, and of course, preempting graduation. Fortunately, with technology, you have been able to wind down your year with classmates ‘virtually’ by your side by text, Zoom meetings, Facebook, Snap Chat and maybe some Tik Tok, or maybe even asking Alexa to help you with your math homework, but it will never quite be the same as personal contact. Every day enjoying the company of each other in class, the way it has been for quite a few years with this group of boys finishing out your high school careers together, Jaeden Hall, Aden Rausch, Evan Peterson, Miles Mans, Ryan Dark, Kenny McCartney, Mason Miller & Carl Lilja, just 'the guys'.
Although we are still in hopes that you are able to eventually walk across that stage and hand your mom that rose, we have to think this class has a lot of resilience. After all, you entered the world after 9/11, now will graduate during a global pandemic. The truth is, dreams never stop and going through things you never thought you would go thru may take you places you never thought you would get to. You have had more family bonding time that they may have ever imagined, but yet it is still special. Special because you now know what life was like, just for a short time without distractions, or what it was like to be home every night for a home cooked meal, sharing stories of 'remember that time' with your family and being able to share conversations with your siblings and parents, which no one will ever be able to take away. But still the dreams and goals of 'what's next' still dancing in your heads, just waiting for the opportunity to move forward and not look back. Use every opportunity the last twelve years of hard work have brought to you and in these uncertain times, continue to be resilient.
To the Class of 2020, just remember, the most reliable way to predict the future is to create it. Good Luck guys!
Miles Mans poses above for Senior Sports photos.
The end of a sports season is usually a time to look forward to new beginnings, however this basketball season just felt different. Amidst all the cold weather, we could look forward to Tuesday or Friday nights for these fellas to put on a good show! We have truly enjoyed watching them grow up before our eyes and compete in multiple sports. Bulldog and Titans fans have been treated to the best post seasons the last four years, with multiple trips to State, including two Runner-Up plaques for 8-Man Football and the coveted State Championship in 1A Basketball in 2016, when this group of Seniors were Freshmen. They always came out to compete and gave it all. While our Seniors (Blake, Ezra & Masen) look forward to Graduation, becoming AHS Alumni, and finding out 'what's next' for them, we will relish in the photos to remind us of the special memories they have left for us at Attica High and wish them the best of luck. Looking forward, we cannot wait for the next wave of athletes to do their thing and make us proud. Thanks for all the cheerleaders, coaches and players for their hard work, that keeps us supporting the black and gold.
Check out the Sub-State Championship Gallery
Love this little family!
Fall is my favorite time of year! Although volleyball was my first love, one of my favorite past times in the fall is spent on the sidelines of Kansas 8-Man football fields under the Friday night lights. There is truly nothing else like it. You see the hard work and passion of the players and coaches up close and personal, while trying to stay out of their way! Although taking photos in some dimly lit places can be a challenge, I'm always up for it. Here are a few of my all-time favorite Titan football pics that are located in my Sports Gallery. I have always loved photography, but not having many photos as a kid inspired me to take photos of the kids at school and community events. I share these through my Facebook page, Attica Bulldog Bark.
The couple, the venue, the architechture and that veil! Those are everthing that are etched in my mind at this wedding. I never imagined a glass chapel, but the moment Alyssa visited this place with Trent, she knew she would marry him there! Thorncrown Chapel is nessled in the woods of Eureka Springs, Arkansas with a long beautiful walkway, perfect for a bride and her father to take that long walk toward the front of the church. It all seems simple, but yet so very elegant. This bride was breathtaking on her perfect day!
Breathtaking!