A time to be thankful, for sure.

I can’t help but reminisce at this time of year and realize how fortunate I am to do what I do for a living.

Sure, the hours could be better and there are more lucrative careers, but the things you witness when covering local sports ... well, you can’t put a price tag on them.

A cliche’, yes, but it’s true.

Watching the postgame vigil honoring Knoch senior cheerleader Alex Summers — killed in a car crash days before the Knights’ home playoff win over West Allegheny a few years ago — continues to be the sports moment most vivid in my memory.

Watching Nate Snodgrass sink a 3-pointer while seemingly off-balance at the buzzer, lifting Butler’s boys basketball team over North Allegheny in a playoff game at Ambridge, was amazing.

The Golden Tornado defeated the Tigers three times that year — when does that happen in any sport? — and coach Matt Clement leaped on to the scorer’s table in jubilation.

Yeah, that one’s up there, too.

Slippery Rock University football coach George Mihalik being carried off the field after breaking SRU’s all-time wins record — at Indiana, of all places — was something to see.

So was Butler wrestler Cole Baxter winning a WPIAL title his junior year, and watching longtime Tornado coach Scott Stoner’s eyes well up while Baxter’s arm was being raised.

It was Butler’s first-ever individual WPIAL crown.

Just this past April, watching Paul Uram receive a heartfelt standing ovation from the throng at the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame banquet as he joined so many of his accomplished gymnasts at the front of the room, was some powerful emotion.

It’s hard to believe it was 16 years ago when area Sprint car driver Ed Lynch Jr. shocked the World of Outlaws by winning the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway.

To this day, that was the hardest post-event interview to get as a sea of people surrounded a jubilant Lynch and his race car back in the pit area.

Covering the funeral of John”Pump” McLaughlin, who spent 45 of his 64 years on this earth coaching and teaching swimming at the Butler YMCA, was incredible. The funeral was held in the Phillips gymnasium at the Y and more than 450 people were there.

It was a true who’s who in Butler swimming, paying tribute to a true legend who thought of himself as anything but.

Anyone who knew McLaughlin, was coached by Uram, enjoyed the career of Clement, etc. are thankful for it. Those people are true icons around here.

As for myself, I am enjoying my 20th year of sitting here writing my column.

I’m thinking of legendary Eagle sports editor Mike Surkalo while doing so.

I’m thankful for him as well.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle