Benton honoring longtime fan at first Salt Bowl without him

Published: Aug 29, 2024 Duration: 00:03:43 Category: News & Politics

Tags : sports news Football life local local-sports community Little Rock people bryant KTHV THV11 thv11 news benton jurnee taylor salt bowl benton-bryant Freddie Rhinehart

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Welcome back to the Blue House Bakery and Cafe here in Bryant. We are getting ready for the Salt B tonight. It's gonna be a lot of fun. Taylor alongside me this morning. Now, journey, we wanna talk about the Benton Panthers and more specifically the Benton community because the town, uh, they're gonna be playing with heavy hearts tonight. Yes. Heavy hearts is a great way to explain it for the first year without our Benton number one fan. We're talking about Freddie Ron Hardy. And if you're familiar with the area, where go, if you're on the Benson side of the Bryant side, you know exactly who I'm talking about. He's at every single game, football, volleyball, softball, baseball. He is the number one fan and this will be the very first softball bowl that he's not attending. And here's the thing, although I edit this package or put the story together. I allowed the community to tell the best on the man that they do this. Yes. Take a listen. This is my 11th season starting at Benton High School and, uh, it's a great place to coach and be in the community and everything and, and part of the reason for that is because of people like Freddie Reinhardt, it's gonna definitely be a different year for us, you know. And uh Freddie in my 10 years had not missed a salt bowl. Freddie was here no matter what, even if it was 30 degrees, he was here when it was hot. He was never sad. He was never mad. He was excited for football. Number one super fan. My predecessor, Jim Landers took Freddie to every game for 18 years. And so a part of becoming the broadcaster for the Panthers was Freddie became my sidekick. And for 13 years, every game, he rode shotgun with me. He, he, he was like a, an extra coach, an extra cheerleader, an extra father figure and their number one fan. You know, you got football fans and you got basketball and baseball. But you had Freddie who was, uh, uh all the events at football season though, with Freddie, she's going up the gym. He's a fixture in our community. You go downtown and see Freddie during the day when, when there wasn't a sporting event and, uh, Freddy's walking around and, and, and, and talking to people, Freddie ate lunch here every day. His routine every day would be to walk up town, make his rounds through the courthouse, all through the shops of downtown and then land here at lunch time. How are you doing? I'm on TV. His energy. He would always match everybody he was always with a smile though. That's what I loved about him. It didn't matter your color, it didn't matter your socio economic status. Freddie loved everybody and I think that's a hole in our community. We would be a whole lot better as a community if everybody loved each other the way Freddie loved all of us. This story absolutely. Touched my heart and they're fighting every way they can to honor Freddie this year. Uh, they're gonna have his initials on their helmets in the coming uh, games. Here we have his picture above the field house and here's a special thing on his 70th birthday. They honored him with a jersey that said 70 on it and no member on the team is wearing the number 70 this year. So they love, love, love Freddie Reinhardt and his presence. He's been Freddie is Ben. I was very fortunate to meet Freddie when I was covering high school football for us. When I was on the sidelines, he'd come up and give you the biggest hug. Say how you doing? Let me ask how Craig o'neill was doing. You talk to him? He was a wonderful. And so I know uh the community of Benton is gonna be thinking of him tonight, community o'brian as well, gonna be thinking of him tonight. So again, one of those memories that will live on forever and continue in the Salt Bowl tonight. Yes. And let me add the coach said for, for Freddie, they would love to win the state championship this year. So I'm not rooting or saying who may win because I don't think this is a conference game tonight at all, but I will say my money is on Vinson going forward for Freddie coach Harris, coach Harris make it happen.

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