Thoughts whizzing about as I think about how weird it felt to actually be watching a game at the Superdome on TV for the first time in a couple of years….

Well, for obvious reasons, I won’t be doing my usual Monday morning quarterback routine from the Crescent City today.

This week there are other pressing needs to talk about.

I’ll simply say they played better than last week, but I will reinterate what I said in last week’s space: that they will have a hard time catching all the teams ahead of them for a playoff berth. Join me in watching how it all pans out …

The sports world is always turning and as many of you who follow these pages know, so does the sports editor’s chair here at The Democrat.

A period of transition is upon us once again.

Since June, many of you in the local sporting community had gotten to know Nick Weber.

Friday was Nick’s last day as sports editor here at The Democrat – as he has moved on – choosing to head back to his hometown. I’m sure that everyone connected with Miss-Lou sports joins the entire staff here in wishing Nick well in whatever his future endeavors hold.

As for now, part-time staffer

Patrick Jones

, someone who has been around Natchez-area sports for quite a while, and myself will be the ones charged with delivering to you the quality local sports coverage you have come to expect each morning.

In the coming days, we will bring you the annual All-Metro football team. And with prep football winding down, will give you all the area hoops you can handle – and then some. By the way, good luck this week to Centreville Academy, Trinity Episcopal and Wilkinson County High in their respective playoff battles.

Football coaches: If you could be so kind as to send us your nominations for this year’s All-Metro team, along with the player’s cumulative stats, it would be greatly appreciated.

Basketball and soccer coaches: If we have not yet received your roster and schedule for this season, please get that too us as soon as possible, so that we may plan coverage of your school.

And lastly, in terms of housekeeping, I am always looking for interesting story ideas about that special student athlete or coach, so please don’t hesitate to give me a buzz about that or any upcoming event.

I also don’t want to leave out the outdoors segment of our readership, so hunters, get that trophy pic’ or story idea to me, so everyone else can see how your trip to the woods went. As the temperatures slowly begin to cool down, the action in the woods and on the waters should heat up.

I’ll close by saying thanks to all of you who gave me nice feedback on last week’s thoughts, and I’ll extend an olive branch to those on the flip side of that coin.

Every school here is equally important to me, and hopefully that is what one will glean each and every time they pick up this publication.

Richard Dark is a sportswriter for The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 445-3633 or by e-mail at

richard.dark@natchezdemocrat.com

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