A Managing Editor’s Farewell

I’m not supposed to write this article, not yet at least. I still have a couple more years, right? I want to hit the snooze button one more time, and keep going. But, all good things must come to an end, and apparently the Johnny Green is (sadly) one of them.

I’d be lying to you if I said I came into the Johnny Green my freshman year, and absolutely knew that I’d be the managing editor my senior year, and when I graduated I’d go to college for journalism. I came in, wanting to write about sports, and that’s all I knew.

The Johnny Green has given me some of my best memories of high school, both with sports writing, and writing others articles that didn’t have to do with sports. Some of the non-sports highlights include getting third place in the High School Journalism Awards for Best Online Production from the Long Island University; or going to Syracuse University for a couple years to improve my journalism skills, and learn more.

However, some of the best memories come from sports. The amount of games that I’ve covered, and the opportunities I had, all came from this extracurricular activity. An activity that has turned into my favorite passion, and what I want to do in life after I leave the halls of Weedsport High School.

I’ve been able to cover field hockey games, both at Weedsport and at Sectional Tournaments (thanks to Noah Corrado for giving me rides my sophomore and junior years), I got to cover numerous boy’s and girl’s basketball games; my favorite games include the games at the SRC Arena for the annual Zebra Classic and Sectional Tournaments, sitting next to professional journalists.

This season, I was able to go to the sectional field hockey games, both at Fayetteville-Manlius, and at East Syracuse-Minoa schools. I was able to cover at least two football games from the press box. I covered boy’s basketball sectionals at the Allyn Gym at OCC. There was a new one for me this year, however: baseball. I drove to NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse to watch the baseball team take on Tully in the Lou Gehrig Classic.

Enough about all of that. This is where I get emotional and sappy; this has easily been four of the greatest years of my life. This is the part when I start yelling “four more years” until I’ve had enough – which I’m sure I never would.

I’ve loved every minute of my time here with the Johnny Green, meeting new people, creating friendships, and of course, finding my new passion. From the new sports writer, to sports editor, to managing editor…what a ride.

To those of you who don’t know what you want to do yet: don’t fret. You’re not supposed to. Let high school take its course. Join everything YOU want, don’t let friends and classmates tell you otherwise; because once you’re done, there’s no going back, and sadly… I found that out the hard way.

I’m not a fan of shoutouts, but if anyone deserves one, it’s Mr. Hay. He’s the one that has been the biggest mentor to me in the four years I’ve been doing this. Anyone can see the difference of my writing between my very first article, and the last one…which happens to be this one. And all of that is thanks to him, sitting with me, teaching me, and helping me. So to Mr. Hay: thank you, for everything.

I didn’t think that this article would ever have to be written by me, because I didn’t see myself in this spot four years ago. I read Omneya Aboushnab’s farewell, and Jordan Lally’s, and I thought “how nice, maybe I can write one someday.” And here we are: writing it.

As for my final wishes here at Weedsport, I want this community to find a love for hockey, it’s a great sport (sorry, I had to). Even though I, as well as the Class of 2017, will be leaving these halls for good, we will always have some sort of memory or legacy that we leave behind.

Whether that be Connor Van Epps and his fantastic band Have You Heard?, Drake Butler and the incredible drumming skills he has, or Jeslyn Files and the amazing athletic accomplishments she achieved: we’ll always leave something. I’d like to be remembered for my time at the Johnny Green, constantly talking and writing about sports.

I’ll still be reppin’ the green next year, but in a whole new sense. I’ll be adding yellow to my wardrobe, as I become an Oswego Laker: Class of 2021. But, I’ll always be a Warrior no matter where I go.

So, as a final goodbye: this is Ben Grieco, with his last article, saying goodbye to four of the greatest years and best extracurricular activity ever.