I was looking through old newspaper articles dealing with Terrier athletics, this time specifically on Wofford's first Division II playoff appearance, which came in 1990 against Mississippi College.
Despite a strong first half, the Terriers were overwhelmed by the Clinton, Miss. school, led by future NFL running back Fred McAfee, in the second half. The final margin stood as follows: Mississippi College 70, Wofford 19.
As I read through the continuation of the game story, a single quote, one recounted by Mike Ayers in a postgame interview with the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, immediately stole my attention.
Ayers said:
"One of the officials said, 'Coach, you're on central time. Make sure you're not an hour late.' Maybe we weren't an hour late. Maybe we were a year early."How many times has this statement proved true in recent years?
Some years, the talent is there, but it didn't come at the correct time. Even in basketball, as our NCAA Tournament record indicates, we have the talent, but the opponents are just too tough, or it's an off night for the team. Whatever the reason, sometimes we're just a year early.
We may even seem an hour late, that is, when we have a sluggish start to a game and fail to pick up momentum, or it could even be the complete opposite, when we have a strong start, but fail to back it up later in the game, but that's a whole other story.
The point is, we can't control how our opponents are. We only have control over ourselves, and only we can make or break our future. One of these days, the pieces will fall into place, and we will find ourselves in the correct position, but until that happens, and when things just don't seem to be going right for the Terriers, heed those words uttered in 1990, and think that, perhaps, we're just a year early.
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