I had a chance last Sunday to cover Powell County’s basketball team and my cousin Austin Monnett, who is a point guard on the team. They played Bracken County on the floor at Rupp Arena. It was a really good game that went back forth until the final seconds. It’s always fun for me to photograph Powell County because that’s where I first learned to shoot basketball for our high school newspaper, The Pirate Press, and the yearbook my senior year, 1987-1988. Back then I used to shoot from the stands because I was too nervous and embarrassed to go sit on the floor like I was supposed to.

Doing things like this reminds me of my age, when I look into the stands and see the parents with their cam corders cheering for sons. These parents were people that I went to school with and played baseball with. I remember our parents doing the same thing at our ball games back in the 80s. I used to go to Morehead and watch Austin’s uncle Alex, who was also #11, play in the 16th Region. It’s funny how it all comes full circle.

If Nolan is my hunter, then Cameron is my athlete. Cameron loves to go to ball games with me. He went with me Sunday and had some great conversations with Austin’s Daddy Roy. The doctor expects to have Roy’s left ear sewn back on any day now.