Last weekend it was announced that our publication, The Covington News, won 10 awards at the Georgia Press Association banquet for a non-daily.

For the uninformed, this particular category includes all tri-weekly and bi-weekly newspapers, and is the largest division (E) in the state.

Two awards stick out - first place for general excellence and first place for sports section. Although this may come across as boasting to some, it is quite the opposite.

Never could I be more proud of this paper; to win first place for general excellence is a testament to all the hard work everyone here does, from the front to the back of the office to everything in between.

It is a thankless, tireless job like most are; however, it cannot be done without the help of a dynamic, yet limited, staff that will only continue to grow.

Lately I have received many compliments and congratulatory remarks regarding our first place award for the sports section, but believe me when I say this: it was a team effort. If anything, I was merely the team leader, and at times struggled to even live up to those expectations.

Last year we received third place for work done in the year 2006. Though I had only joined The News in Sept. 2006, our sports department silently vowed to win first the next time around. If anything, it serves as a simple reminder that our work is appreciated, and that there's always room for improvement.

Though we strive to get it right three times a week, it doesn't always happen, and as sports editor it's up to me to make certain these mistakes (i.e. misspelled named, incorrect statistics) happen as seldom as possible.

Without trying to sound like an Oscars acceptance speech, I would personally like the thank the following writers who contributed to our award-winning sports section (in no particular order): Eric Wallace, Eric McDonald, Brian Harper, Nat Harwell, Bill Dolan, JaLang Greene, Alan Howard, Corey Dickstein, Evan Jones, Jason Mincey, Jennifer Braden, Ryan Zontek, and Robert Lougee.

And if I left out anyone, please forgive me. (Well, so much for this not sounding like an Oscars speech.)

Our amazing sports photographers, Mandi Singer and Anthony Banks, played a major factor in this award, as well. As far as I'm concerned, this is just as much theirs as anyone else's.

A special thanks goes out to former News editor Bud Ellis, who had enough faith in me to hire a young, aspiring sports journalist such as myself.

Furthermore, this is a reflection of all the dedicated coaches, athletes, parents and fans who have helped provide the necessary information the public deserves. Not only does it make our job easier, it also shows how much they care.

And of course, where would we be without the reader?

Nowhere.

You see, this is our one shining moment - this is our Wooden Award. This is our Super Bowl championship. This is our World Series victory. This is our Green Jacket.

Thank you for your support as readers; we would be lost without you, and I can assure you we will not become complacent simply because we won an award.

Thank you for your patience and feedback, whether positive or critical, and we look forward to bringing home the gold once more in the very near future.

Send e-mail to jmurdock@covnews.com.