Sound bites: A look back at 2013, from the mouths of the athletes, coaches

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

Every year around this time, people reflect back, and we’re no different here at the paper. As we scan through the sports coverage over the past 12 months, here are some of the most memorable quotes from players and coaches in Flagler County sports.

JANUARY
“Armani is so humble that she doesn’t realize how good she really is. When she finally realizes her full potential, then everyone will have to be careful. Right now, she lets defenses off the hook, and coaches know it.”
— Flagler Palm Coast girls basketball coach Javier Bevacqua on guard Armani Walker

APRIL
“Tears, laughs, smiles. Maybe a little food. Probably a lot of food.”
— Matanzas girls lacrosse goalie Stephanie Stuart after winning her second straight district title

MAY
“We don’t have any superstars, just tough, gritty kids that have worked hard and compete hard. They all competed like warriors on Saturday. It was a series of unexpected events that those boys rose to each challenge.”
— Flagler Palm Coast track-and-field coach Dave Halliday after his 4x400-meter relay team finished second in the state in Class 4A

SEPTEMBER
“No one wants to come out here in a year-round sport — where we’re running year-round, we’re lifting year-round, we’re doing everything year-round to get better — and lose. No one wants to do that. And there’s been a lot of losing here. It’s hard for them to justify going out and doing all that work, and I don’t blame them.”
— Matanzas coach Jeff Nettles in his first season as the Pirates’ football coach

OCTOBER
“Some days, you’re wondering if you’re going to lose your kid, and the next day, you’re grateful because your child received a heart transplant. It was four years of real high highs and real low lows.”
— Smitty Marvin, the father of Connor and Brock Marvin, who both are heart transplant recipients

DECEMBER
“I’m not a quitter, and I’m showing the kids that they can’t quit, either. But it’s hard. You cry in your shirt; you cry in your pillow. But you don’t let anyone see you hurting.”
— Earl Robinson, the father and parent of a player on the Flagler Wolf Pack football team struggling with homelessness (The family was placed into a home Dec. 22.)