Columnists, EDITORIAL -- FEATURE SPOT, Editorials, J.R. Tidwell, Opinion
 By  J.R. Tidwell Published 
6:00 am Saturday, December 8, 2012

Basketball season once again upon us

Well ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time again.

For those fans who had to wait an entire year to whet their appetite, the 2012 basketball season is here and in full swing.

It is just a few weeks into the season and already the different county teams have faced tough foes from both Franklin and the surrounding area.

This particular time of year has a special meaning for me. When I first was hired at The Franklin County Times I started off by covering basketball.

That’s right folks, I have been here and working in my current job for a whole year now.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and I cannot think of a better way to pass the time than cover the games I do in multiple sports.

I grew up playing baseball and football and watching just about everything else on ESPN, so naturally my love for sport and competition helped steer me into the career path I’m in.

It did not take me very long to pick up on the key rivalries around the county.

Belgreen, Phil Campbell, Red Bay, Tharptown and Vina are competing against each other in some way or other for most of the year, and Russellville, being such a large school, must leave the county for most of its opponents.

The Golden Tigers do not have to look far though, as the likes of Muscle Shoals and Lawrence County  are not so far away.

I’ve lived in this world as Sports Editor of the FCT for a year now, and I can’t think of a better way to make a living.

I have met so many players and coaches, principals, fans and others that I no longer feel out of place.

I am a part of the sporting world around here now, or at least I feel that way.

I may be reporting from the sidelines, but there are worse things in life I could be doing, and certainly none that I would choose.

When the 2012 season tipped off, I was immediately looking forward to covering the county’s rivalry games yet again.

There were so many good games between Belgreen and Phil Campbell, Red Bay and Phil Campbell and Russellville and its opponents last season, and I was forced to wait a year before I could watch those match-ups again.

But the wait is over, and the game is on.

Also on Franklin County Times
Warming stations in the Shoals
News, Z - News Main
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
January 23, 2026
FLORENCE — Several warming centers and emergency shelters are operating across Lauderdale, Colbert and Franklin counties in preparation for freezing t...
What to know about hypothermia
News, Z - News Main
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
January 23, 2026
FLORENCE — While Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale counties are facing a ice storm warning starting at midnight, several homes and residents may lose p...
Sheriff: Contraband is constant battle in jails
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
January 21, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver said the county jail is not immune to the problem jail officials everywhere face: Inmates coming...
Oliver, Shackelford qualify for sheriff
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
January 21, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver will have to hit the campaign trail to seek a fifth term this year. Oliver, a Republican and Fra...
New welding shop a plus for students
Franklin County, Main, News, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 21, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A new welding shop inside the Russellville High School’s remodeled career tech building offers students more time and space to learn th...
Vina seniors tour NWSCC campuses
News, Vina Red Devils
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 21, 2026
VINA — Vina High School seniors toured the Phil Campbell and Muscle Shoals campuses of Northwest Shoals Community College as part of career planning a...
Can the US solve its electricity crisis?
Columnists, Opinion
January 21, 2026
As America embraces a new year 2026, consumers are looking for relief from an ongoing “affordability crisis.” While prices for some key items have mer...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *