This weekend Hibriten standout softball player Ashlyn Pope was supposed to be at Wingate University to discuss the possibility of earning a scholarship to play softball.

Instead, she lays in a hospital bed fighting for her life after suffering injuries in a car accident 10 days ago at the hands of a drunk driver.

When you look at the grand scheme of things in life, sports will always take a backseat to someone in a life or death struggle, but I just can't get the thought out of my head how quickly things can change for any of us.

Pope has been a standout player for head softball coach Jim Blanton since her arrival at Hibriten as a freshman and the afternoon prior to her tragic accident, Blanton and I were discussing her future and he was giving me a heads up on schools that were interested in Pope to attend after she graduated.

Pope has numerous injuries and who knows what her athletic future might be, and who cares right now.

The most important thing is that she lives and can recover to return to a normal life as a teenager. If she can play softball again, well, that would be an added bonus.

Drunk drivers cause endless heartache to thousands of families each year and there is no excuse for it -- period.

I am not trying to sound holier than thou, but the punishment can't be tough enough for a drunk driver who causes injuries or a death in an accident.

I will also go on record to say that our country needs tort reform in the biggest way on a lot of issues, but if a drunk driver injures someone who has a drastic change in lifestyle as a result of injuries suffered, then I say throw the book at them.

I, along with many others, pray for Pope's speedy recovery, but I also hope that teenagers who might think about going out drinking and partying will think of Pope and maybe think twice before drinking and getting behind the steering wheel.

None of us know why things like this happen to innocent people. We just need to keep faith and pray for Pope -- she has a long road ahead of her.

On a lighter note.....If you plan on attending the Hibriten-Alexander Central football game this upcoming Friday, you might want to take a day off from work. Officials at Alexander Central are making preparations to handle the large crowd but parking and seats at most high schools stadiums are always limited.

It should be a great game and this upcoming game is why high school football is always a big deal.

Can you believe it is November already? .... November also marks the beginning of high school basketball practice and after talking with almost every coach in the county, they are more than ready to get started.

Something tells me that getting a ticket to the Hibriten-West Caldwell matchups will be about as difficult to get as the tickets next Friday in Taylorsville.

Hibriten and West will start on Nov. 23rd and South tips it off on the 24th.