News

UPDATE: Hawkins, Wyatt call it right

By Bill Moss, Published: January 5, 2016

Two went with their heart, one went with his head, one went with his wallet and the other one would rather go fishing.

Before he would let them adjourn the first meeting of the year, Henderson County Manager Steve Wyatt laid down what has become a (not quite annual) tradition for the elected commissioners: Predict the winner of the national college football championship. This year's game, on Jan. 11, matches Clemson and Alabama.
“South Carolina and Wyoming are not left in the tournament,” Wyatt said, referring to the alma maters of commissioners Michael Edney and Bill Lapsley.
“Based on the fact that my son’s a Clemson fan, I’ll go for Clemson,” said Edney, who was first up. “Even though, and I told him this, Alabama’s a team full of men and Clemson’s a team full of boys.”
Messer, the only one of five commissioners to predict Florida State’s win over Auburn to claim the national title two years ago, had a quick answer: Clemson.
Chairman Tommy Thompson is not a fan of ball sports. Bring up fishing and he’ll talk for hours about what kind of rod and reel you’re casting and what you’ve been pulling in.
“I watch one football game a year and that is the Super Bowl and I usually find out two to three days ahead of time who’s playing,” he said. “Clemson’s closest to Hendersonville and that’s who I always go for.”
Grady Hawkins watched the semifinal games.
“I think Alabama’s going to win,” he said.
Bill Lapsley might have been conflicted if it weren’t for his bank account.
“One of my sons and a good chunk of my retirement income went to Clemson,” he said.
As for Wyatt, “I think Alabama will win,” he said.

UPDATE: Alabama won 45-40. So only Hawkins among five commissioners was right. He was joined by Wyatt, who also went with the Crimson Tide.