By Allen Hamrick
A new dawn for CCHS is taking place with the opening of the newly renovated gym for action. This is a great moment for some to have a brand new gym, for others it’s a bitter sweet moment and for the purists, it was a sad moment. The old gym saw many years of great games, some of the greatest players and coaches and some of the most intense moments of tournament basketball and volleyball to ever be played. ll those memories will remain in photos and the hearts of people for many years as long as the stories are told. I, myself, could show you photos of countless moments how the old gym affected those that played and cheered within its walls. A person could write a book on the successes and the disappointments that happened in that old gym. However, it is a new age. Floods ravished our county and left the gym in bad condition, and it had to have a makeover.
For months now, the school has been under renovation and the grand opening of the new face of the school has been under wraps for the most part. It was time to christen the new gym – not with champagne but with volleyball. It would be the Lady Panther volleyball team that would do the honors. For years to come, this night will be remembered as the night of a new beginning. The new CCHS gym is as good as any AAA school gym in the state, a testament to those who have played a big role in getting it done.
The Lady Panthers JV team got the first win on the new floor in Lady Panther fashion. They came out, made few mistakes and then killed it. Then the Lady Panther varsity team took their shot at it and came up just short on the win against Sissonville and Liberty Harrison. They played well, but mistakes will haunt you in volleyball and haunt you fast. The Lady Panthers said goodbye to two of the best to play the game, Jenna Hill and Ivy Taylor, who have played the game with much intensity over the years and have played a big role in the success of the program. This is just the beginning for the gym, and soon its walls will echo with games that will hold fans to their seats and will see players come and go. It is a new beginning, and it’s a good one. So, come out to a game and check out the new and improved CCHS gym.
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New gym pic: CCHS’s new gym. Allen Hamrick photo.
