Winning was good medicine for East Laurens head coach Buddy Sorrow

Buddy Sorrow has gone through a whole lot of preseason camps in his long coaching career, none like the most recent.

Diagnosed with a bacterial infection in the summer, the East Laurens head coach had to dial back his routine to attending only a few practices a week and spending more time looking at practice tape than he ever has.

Eventually, game week would arrive, and he’d have to decide if he could make the game, and if so, where would he be?

He felt good enough to make the trip to Taylor County last week, and spent the game up in the press box.

“Helping my (offensive) coordinator and (defensive) coordinator,” Sorrow said. “I’m not real sure anybody’s ready for me to get back down on the field.”

Sorrow, in his first year for the second time at East Laurens, hasn’t done a game in the press box since his assistant days at Effingham County.

Nevertheless, the Falcons survived a shootout with a 35-34 win in a battle of teams with new head coaches.

Mark Wilson took over at Taylor County, and while he didn’t get the win, Sorrow expects the Vikings to be a surprise team in the area.

Sorrow was happy with how the Falcons’ offensive line performed in its first game running the wishbone.

“They couldn’t stop us,” Sorrow said. “I was real happy with how our offense played.”

The line of C.J. Tyson, Andrew Morris, Cavin Rotramel, Janardis Mountain and Peyton Brinson paved the way for backs Kevin Lovett and Michael Plummer.

Sorrow remains in a routine of attending about two practices a week, and he plans to be on hand for Friday’s home opener against Twiggs County and another new head coach, Ashley Harden.

Where he’ll plant himself has yet to be determined, but he’s not a fan of sitting upstairs.

“I learned I can’t stand listening to all the noise on them headsets,” he said. “I don’t even wear a headset when I’m on the sidelines. The coordinators, the assistant coaches do. I don’t wear ‘em. It messes up my train of thought.

“ ‘Course, some people told me my train of thought needs to be messed up sometimes.”

Winning may have been good medicine, but watching 69 points be put up in the battle of contrasts was no doubt a little tiring.

“Whupped,” Sorrow said of how he woke up Saturday morning. “I was a whupped pup.”

This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 11:02 PM with the headline "Winning was good medicine for East Laurens head coach Buddy Sorrow ."