There’s no place like home is such a common adage that seems to always hold true when you think of the very place that raised you.

There are many different sights, scents and sounds that may remind us of home. From the smell of Cheerios in the air or the long line of cars at Mamie’s Kitchen every morning, my hometown of Covington, Georgia is no different.

However, for me, home is on the sidelines of any sporting event, especially happening in Covington. My true home for many years was in the famed student section of the Eastside Eagles, where I carried the legendary spirit stick to every game of my senior year.

Having been born and raised in Covington, I understand the importance of sports in this area and have seen first-hand how this community bands together with sports as the strong bonding agent in the toughest of times.

As I went on to graduate from Eastside High School, I was able to pursue a career in a field that not only allowed me to be around something I loved most but also the place where I felt most at home — sports journalism.

Graduating from one of the country’s best journalism programs that had a new certificate program which focused on sports allowed me to mold and shape my fandom from my high school years into a polished appreciation of storytelling in the very field I had been so fond of my entire life.

The Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia was my home away from home and it showed me how I could successfully build up my talents and create a career in the ever-competitive realm of sports journalism.

The University of Georgia and its football team are one of the many sports teams that I have always been fond of, along with many of the other teams within state lines like the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks and the new but very successful Atlanta United. Football is my favorite sport, but as my journalism career has allowed me to cover a wide range of sports, I have found great enjoyment in watching and covering soccer, baseball and basketball.

As a reporter and multimedia journalist, my latter years at the University of Georgia allowed me to learn new and innovative ways to reach these different sports audiences. Having covered everything from football and basketball to swimming and rugby, I have always had high hopes of implementing these ideas and methods if ever given the opportunity to.

Well, here now lies the most humbling opportunity to return home to my roots of Covington and tell the stories of the many prestigious and up-and-coming programs in this talent-filled area.

It is my hope to not only continue the great tradition that previous sports editor Gabriel Stovall has created, but to build on the strong foundation he has set in place. Sports are my passion and always have been since my youth and this dream opportunity is not one that I will take lightly.

Covington, you have raised me from my wee years to now and now that I have returned home, I hope I can do right by you and tell your sports stories in ways that will make this community proud of your successes and hopeful in times of failure.

I want to serve this very community that helped make me into the man I am today. I ask that all of you readers out there, please hit me with any feedback you have, any comments, concerns, criticisms, or even shouts of rage that will help me build up this thriving sports section.

Thank you, Covington, for affording me this wonderful opportunity to tell your story. I’m more than excited to be home and can’t wait to get started.