GOOD HOPE, Ala. – In this interview, I talked to former Good Hope defensive back Andrew Easterwood. Andrew will continue his academic and athletic career at Lyon College this fall but he spent the last four years making memories during his time as a Raider, both on and off the field.
“One of my favorite sports memories would definitely have to be beating Etowah. Seeing how happy all of the fans were and how much support we had even that far away from home was great. It was like we never left James Shabel,” Easterwood said. “My favorite high school memory was definitely homecoming. All of the energy and fun around it each year made it amazing. I can still remember how much fun it was making this year’s banner with Tanner, Braxton, and all of the other people in my tribe.”
Andrew feels blessed to have played for a great coaching staff at Good Hope and received some Godly advice from them over the years.
“Coach Alan Scott and the rest of the staff taught me a lot about my faith. They taught me that no matter how bad the situation gets, God will always be there to help guide me. They also taught me that as long as I trust in His name and word, everything will fall into place,” Easterwood said.
Andrew will never forget Good Hope and how much it meant to him. He learned a lot from being there.
“Good Hope’s a big family. If you ever needed anything, whether it be as small as a pencil in class, or a place to stay when your mom gets COVID, there will always be someone there that can help you,” Easterwood said. “There will always be someone willing to put down what they’re doing to help you. Good Hope is full of some of the nicest people I’ve met and I’m so glad to say that I’m a small part of that big family.”
He added,
“I learned a lot about how to treat people. I really grew at Good Hope. I learned that no matter how hard my day may have been, someone else’s may have been harder. We all have our battles and sometimes all we need is someone to be a friend to us.”
Andrew will deeply miss being at Good Hope, especially sharing advice with the younger players.
“I will miss seeing everyone. Seeing everyone, especially Paydon, really made going to school easier. Being able to have fun with my friends every day was great,” Easterwood said. “I tried to tell the younger players that they need to keep their heads up no matter when we lose and to be humble winners. I also tried to help pass along Coach Scott’s and the other coaches’ teachings about the Bible.”
Andrew gave some advice to the students that will be starting high school next month as well.
“Don’t look at school as a chore. Don’t treat it like it’s just something else we have to do. Embrace every day and look at it as a day that you can make an impact in someone’s life, whether it be your own or someone else’s. Use school to grow, not only academically, but as a person. Don’t forget to have fun and everything will be all right.”
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