Harmony

HARMONY — There are roots that run deep and baseball provide the tie that binds it all together. Bloodlines between family and friends become faded as the people here in Harmony share in both victories and tragedies alike.

Sports often have a way of wrapping small-town Texas communities into one big group hug. Baseball has done just that for the small Upshur County hamlet of Harmony.

“With all the tradition we talk about and a lot of our kids having parents or relatives they looked up to playing and how they’re here doing it … that can have a lot of pressure, if they’re not careful,” offered 12th-year Harmony baseball coach and 1989 graduate Ronnie McNeel. “One of our slogans is “PTT” which means Protect The Tradition. It’s not just about winning, but about how we play. We’ve seen those that have gone before us play with a lot of competitive spirit and moxie.”

Merriam-Webster defines “community” as a unified body of individuals. That’s what makes Harmony so unique. McNeel’s two assistants – Adam Hogue and Jake Atchley – both graduated from Harmony after starring on the Eagle baseball team in two different decades.

McNeel’s two sons, Drew and Hunter, both have starting roles on this year’s Class 3A regional semifinalist which opens a best-of-three series tonight against Van Alstyne at Tyler’s Mike Carter Field.

The rich legacy goes on and on for the Eagles as top-shelf pitcher Gage Goddard’s brother, Austin, played six years ago, while first baseman Trent Hart shared the dugout with his brother Caleb two springs past. Blaze Phillips, a junior on this year’s team, is the son of Bill, who played on Harmony’s 1996 state entrant.

Harmony, which won the state championship in 1990 and advanced in 1985, 1996, and 2003, is two wins away from advancing for a fifth time in school history. The Eagles’ 2003 qualifier was coached by the late Jeff Blackstone, who was killed in an automobile accident nearly four years ago. Blackstone was a standout pitcher for Harmony in the early 90s. He actually played on the same team with Hogue, who like starting left fielder Kyle Henry is cousins with Blackstone. He coached Atchley when Harmony last made it to state and had McNeel serve as his top assistant in 2007. It all intertwines just like the seams on a baseball.

As accomplished an athlete as Blackstone was, he was an outstanding baseball coach, spending time, in his addition to his alma mater, with stops at Kilgore and Big Sandy. His son, Easton, was bat boy for the 2003 state finalist and now is a driving force behind Harmony’s 29-7 surge in 2019.

“This is special because of the group of guys we have on this team. We’ve put in a lot of hard work and really love playing together. And with our community behind us, it makes things that much more special,” said Easton. “I don’t remember much about 2003. I was three at the time. But I knew how great an athlete my dad was. After he passed away, his name went with him. I knew I had to step up and be another Blackstone to carry on the legacy set before me.”

Jeff’s spirit carries on and lives in his son, while Harmony’s tremendous baseball tradition, built on hard work and determination, is fortified by all those that have ever donned the red and black jersey.

Carry on.