NOLAN IMSANDE: Thank you Albany for letting me tell your story

ALBANY — It’s been a short stay, but it’s has been a meaningful one, Albany.

I have accepted a job in Dallas — which is closer to where I grew up in California — but it is bittersweet to leave Albany.

A little more than a year ago I was hired by the Albany Herald, basically fresh out of college. This was my first real job and it was one I’ll never forget.

For 13 months, I was privileged to tell the sports stories of this town, be it the good or the bad.

My sports editor, Tim Morse, who is the best boss I’ve ever worked for, basically gave me free range of the city and never turned a story idea down. I’m sure I made plenty of mistakes, but Tim always stood up for me and that is appreciated.

This town is full of great people with great stories to tell. I’ll never forget one of my first stories, which was on Terrell Academy’s Jenna Cuff. I was probably more nervous than she was, but it helped that Terrell Academy is full of top notch people and her dad, Pat, is a genuine, good guy.

I’ll always remember writing about Monroe’s Eric Seay, who lost his father five years ago and is a very impressive young man.

All the stories in between like Deerfield-Windsor’s seven sets of brothers last season or Jim Harbaugh’s visit to Lee County will always mean something to me.

I was privileged to watch and interact with some great athletes during my time in Albany. Monroe’s Ulysses Williams, Deerfield’s Steven Williams, Worth County’s Caroline Newton and former Westover quarterback Emory McKenzie all stand out in my mind for what I saw them do on the field and how delightful they were to work with off the field.

I know many of the kids I wrote about will go on to do bigger and better things in there life. Some will play big-time football, basketball and baseball and when they do, I’ll be the guy that will tell everyone I covered them in high school.

There are also numerous games I’ll never forget covering. Deerfield’s heartbreaking football loss to Valwood in the GISA finals last year, the Westover and Monroe boys’ deep runs into the GHSA postseason last season and Darton baseball’s miraculous four straight wins to make it to the Junior College World Series are ones that stick out in my mind.

It still baffles me that I was paid to watch sports and write a story about what I saw. It never really felt like actual work.

While I will no longer be in Albany, I will still follow along with all the teams that I covered.

I will always be grateful for the time I spent in Albany and the people who let me tell their story.