Joe Nixon is assured of getting one ring today. He’s hoping for two.
The sure thing is a wedding ring. The former Catawba offensive lineman is marrying Hillary Hampton. The ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 p.m at Catawba’s Omwake-Dearborn Chapel.
But first things first. Nixon, the offensive coordinator at West Rowan, will be calling plays in the 3A state championship game against West Craven. Gametime is noon at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem.
High school games often last nearly 21/2 hours, and it’s a 50-mile drive back to Salisbury. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons use a hurry-up offense the entire game.
“I had one job,” Nixon said with a sigh earlier this week. “That was to set the date. I messed up.”
Everyone is having a good time with Nixon’s stress level. He has been chided from all sides. When he thinks he’s losing his mind, his head coach is there to calm him down.
“I told him something that’s very simple but very true,” Scott Young said with a laugh. “That wedding can’t start without a bride, and it can’t start without a groom.”
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Win or lose, Nixon said he will stay for the postgame trophy presentation before racing out of the stadium. He’s taking sophomore tight end Patrick Hampton, Hillary’s younger brother, with him.
“We’ve got some people helping us get back in a speedy fashion,” Nixon said.
Nixon’s first stop will be a familiar setting ó the Catawba fieldhouse. Head coach Chip Hester is more than happy to help Nixon out.
In fact, on Friday morning, Hester said he and Nixon were hanging up tuxedos in the locker room.
“I was fired up that he’d want to use the fieldhouse,” Hester said.
When Hester was an assistant at Catawba, his recruiting territory included Clayton, Nixon’s hometown. Hester was responsible for bringing Nixon to Catawba, and the big offensive lineman didn’t let him down, becoming an All-SAC and All-region player.
“Joe and I go way back,” Hester said. “I’m excited.”
With a laugh, he added, “It’s going to be a wild day.”
nThe real hero in all of this, Nixon noted, is Hampton, a former West Rowan and Catawba athlete. She is gung-ho about West playing in the state title game.
“She’s cool with it,” Nixon said. “I’m glad she’s an athlete. She knows how big a deal it is.”
Hampton won’t be at the game.
“She has too much stuff going on,” Nixon said. “She’ll listen to Howard (Platt on WSTP-1490). She’s fired up about it. She said, ‘Go win it all.’ ”
Nixon’s main job?
“Hillary told me I just had to show up,” he said.
Nixon will be nervous thinking about the wedding, but he said, “the game will be pretty bad too.”
He hopes to return to Salisbury knowing he’ll have a championship ring on the way. It will be important to him, but not as important as the ring he slides onto the finger of the woman he’s marrying.
Let’s hope Nixon makes it to the church on time.
nContact Ronnie Gallagher at 704-797-4287 or rgallagher@salisburpyost.com.