COLUMN: "I've been everywhere, man"

“I was totin' my pack along the dusty Winnemucca Road, when along came a semi with high an' canvas-covered load.”

Those lyrics above form the introduction to the song, “I've Been Everywhere.”

The country-and-western stylized piece was written in the late-1950s by Australian Geoff Mack, and popularized by Lucky Starr and Hank Snow.

Snow's version was released in 1962, with legendary guitarist Chet Atkins serving as producer.

Of course, Bootheel locals are probably more fond of the Johnny Cash version released in the mid-1990s.

Cash is a popular figure in these parts, having performed in Risco during the Bootheel Jamboree, which also features Earnest Tubbs, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty among others. The event was eventually moved to Bernie, said Facebook friend Garrett Hicks.

Cash's boyhood home is roughly a one-hour drive from Kennett, in the tiny northeastern Arkansas community of Dyess.

Well, Cash isn't the only one who's been everywhere, man. So has the new Delta Dunklin Democrat sports editor.

I'm proud to have called 14 states home, including the past three in Missouri. I've been fortunate to live in both Ste. Genevieve and Moberly.

Not to sound braggadocio (which also is the name of a Bootheel community), but I have covered more than 1,000 high schools from coast to coast.

During these years, I have watched Bootheel individuals and teams with fondness from afar, especially Kennett, Campbell and Senath-Hornersville.

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, I ventured to Kennett's Indian Park for a Class 4 Sectional Round game between the Indians and Valle Catholic.

Kennett proved too strong for Valle Catholic on that day with Payton Heinley the winning pitcher of record. He allowed just one earned run in 3-2/3 innings, striking out four.

Reese Robinett, who is preparing for his sophomore season at the University of Arkansas — Woo Pig Sooie — went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Heinley helped his own cause with three RBI.

“They made plays and made pitches in some spots,” recalled Valle Catholic head baseball coach Nathan Gegg in a story I wrote for the Ste. Genevieve Herald.

Kennett head baseball coach Aaron New reported to the newspaper that Heinley, who most recently played at Three Rivers College, has signed with Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Okla.

Also during the 2020-21 season, Valle Catholic played against Campbell in my favorite boys basketball game of that academic year.

The atmosphere was electric in early March. The game took place on a Friday evening as Valle Catholic conducted one of its famous fish fry events during the Lenten season.

The Bootheel once again defeated Valle Catholic as the Camels downed the Warriors, 68-61 in a Class 2 sectional final.

The Warriors sliced the Camel lead to four points early in the fourth quarter before Campbell pulled away.

The game featured a clash between Carter Hoog of Valle Catholic and Campbell's Blake Fowler.

Hoog poured in 30 points that night while Fowler tossed in 23 points, including nine field goals and 3-of-5 shooting from the free-throw line.

Valle Catholic's Chase Fallert drew the assignment of guarding Fowler that night. He did well, until suffering an injury shortly before halftime.

“That Valle game was a great game,” remarked Campbell athletic director Steve Fowler in a text to the sports editor's cellphone on Thursday. “They were big and physical, but we matched them on the glass.”

Blake Fowler will reportedly miss the 2023-24 season for Central Methodist University due to an unspecified issue. He has been granted a medical redshirt year.

(An aside, never expect the sports editor to discuss injuries in this newspaper — thanks to HIPAA guidelines.)

This past year as sports editor of the Moberly Monitor-Index, I watched Senath-Hornersville product Knolan Hunter play for the Central Christian College of The Bible men's basketball team.

On Thursday, the new sports editor learned Hunter will not return for his sophomore season at CCCB, as reported by first-year Lions head boys coach Kyle Moore.

Hunter, instead, has decided to enter the workforce.

The Delta Dunklin Democrat has enjoyed stellar sports editors throughout the years, Dustin Ward, Mark Evans, Mike Buhler and Christian Johnson.

I've got a high standard to uphold.

Here's hoping I stay a while. I want stability. Because I've been everywhere, man.