Believe it or not, when you cover the same high schools over the years, you develop a certain professional relationship with coaches, fans and especially student athletes.
And it’s hard not to root for these young men and women when you see them take the field, mat, court or what have you.
Still, some are a little harder to root for than others.
Which brings me to one young man I will be a fan of no matter what for the rest of his life.
Current Sussex Tech senior Wendell Cannon, I’m not afraid to admit, has been one of my favorites throughout his career with the Ravens.
I first met Wendell a few years back when he was just starting to make a name for himself with the Ravens, both for his wrestling skills and his fiery temper.
By his own admission, he was “evil” just a few years ago.
Now, I myself wouldn’t go as far as to call him evil in the past, but to say he had a bit of an anger management problem would be an understatement.
Then, something happened.
Honestly, I don’t know what it was, and I’m not even sure Wendell knows for certain either, but a new man emerged from what was once a bit of a wild child.
To see him now both on and off the mat, you’d have no idea just how wild he was even through his sophomore year.
Frankly, when I see him now, if he doesn’t have a smile on his face, I get a little worried, and think something must be terribly wrong.
Thankfully I am not the only one who has noticed this turnaround either, as Wendell will continue wrestling at the next level and his future education is paid for because of his skills, strong work ethic and positive attitude.
Honestly, I am kind of sad that this Saturday - when he undoubtedly captures his second state individual title - will likely be the last time I get to see him on the mat.
In a day and age when adults are showing their ugly sides and large fracases are increasing to the point where we need plenty of police presence at even high school sporting events, it’s nice to see young athletes like Wendell – and there are a lot of them out there – succeeding in life.
So to you, Mr. Cannon, I wish you the best of luck in all that you do as your high school wrestling career ends and a new journey begins. Good luck, and keep on smiling.
