County athletes were good boys and girls this year
鈥楾was Christmas morning, and all through the county,
Boys and girls hopped out of bed, rushing down the steps to check out the bounty,聽
The packages were wrapped, all under the tree,聽
Wow, they thought, which ones are for me?
Many slept soundly, with dreams of Christmas filling their heads,
Except Steeler Nation, who tossed and turned in their beds.
Thoughts of playoff scenarios bounced around, disrupting their sleep,
Wondering how it might be happen, with their season such a heap.
Yes, they know, a lot of ifs must occur,聽
And, then they wonder, just what is myrrh?
One of the faithful awoke, from a deep winter鈥檚 slumber,
Unable to let go and erase that playoff magic number.
He went to the window, nary a snowflake in sight,
And through bleary eyes, peered into the night.
He rubbed his eyes, espying shadowy figures,聽
His eyes squinted and strained, as the images got bigger.
Is it the sleigh? Can it be the reindeer?
He studied the landscape, as the images drew near.
He didn鈥檛 see antlers, nor a jolly elf in red,聽
No, what he witnessed, wasn鈥檛 a sled.
Instead he saw, a runner, no two,
Wait, there鈥檚 more, that can鈥檛 be true!
There was Mason and Hope, Ryan and Charlee,聽
Jolena and Zach, soon joined the party.
Viva, Emily, Laci, Ana, and Lexi, kept pace with the pack,聽
While Leyton and Nick, Kolby, Matt and Luke, were right on track.
Whoa, our observer, not believing what he witnessed,聽
What鈥檚 next he wondered, a somersaulting gymnast?
With the Steelers on his mind, he envisioned a field,聽
And, again, he couldn鈥檛 believe what was revealed.
There was Devin and Rodney, and uniforms from all around,
As other players gathered and filled the ground.
Our observer just shook his head, and thought to himself,聽
Runners and quarterbacks, but where鈥檚 the Christmas elf?
Wait, what鈥檚 that, as he cleared the glass,聽
It鈥檚 Jensyn and Ella, joining friends on the grass.
A pickup volleyball game, how about that?
His disbelief, well, it woke up the cat.
What鈥檚 that glimmer? Oh, it鈥檚 the pond,
No, it can鈥檛 be, he can鈥檛 even respond.
There鈥檚 Ian and Maria, is that Ella again?
Boy, that鈥檚 a lot people in my little glen.
A crash, what鈥檚 that, glass hits the floor,聽
It鈥檚 a golf ball, but, wait, I didn鈥檛 hear 鈥淔ore鈥�!
Was that Adena? Or, maybe Megan or Tyler?
And, now what鈥檚 that, a Christmas choir?
The players gave way to the other 鈥渇ootball,鈥�
Olivia, Ashlyn, Morgan, Farrah and Mary Kate,聽
Hey, it鈥檚 Eben, Daniel and Matt, go open the gate!
Maybe he鈥檚 dreaming, this all can鈥檛 be true,
He wonders if it鈥檚 the affect of too much 鈥楧ew.
Bounce, bounce, bounce, what鈥檚 that sound?
A basketball, of course, oh, it鈥檚 so loud.
Rodney and Devin, Keondre, Owen and Nate,
Josh and Dylan, Tre and Brandon, wow, that鈥檚 great.
The girls are waiting, for their game to begin,
Look there鈥檚 Aeranna and Emma, Gianna and Bryn.
Of course, it鈥檚 a dream, so there鈥檚 a baseball field,
I鈥檇 pick Joe first, he tossed a perfect game, it was revealed.
Wait, what鈥檚 that, what鈥檚 with the whistle?
The coaches are here, now it鈥檚 official.
Exhausted and tired, our observer returns to bed,
Thoughts of NFL playoffs again filling his head.
(My sincerest apologies to Clement Moore. It鈥檚 quite a rhyming scheme.)
The young folks mentioned are just a few of the highly successful and competitive athletes our coverage area produced in a pandemic-ravaged year.
On behalf of Rob and myself, we wish all our readers, athletes, coaches and athletic directors a very, Merry Christmas and the hope for lots of shiny medals and (covid-free) health for 2022.