There was a time when classmates left your school you simply lost touch. Long distance charges, traveling distance, or any other number of factors demanded it.
But today, through social media and other technology, in addition to the sheer mobility of society, has allowed friendship bonds to remain, or even strengthen.
That is the case between Cade Smith of Booneville and Brandon Parrish of Manila.
Parrish, who had been a teammate with Smith in various baseball endeavors like All Star teams as well as little league football, left Booneville his family after the boys' eighth grade year (Parrish is pictured above holding Smith after a junior high game), but the two remained friends through phone calls and more.
“We basically call each other every day,” said Smith. “I had a Playstation and he had an X Box, so I bought an X Box so we could play video games together. There’s hardly a day we don’t talk to each other.”
Even this week, when the bracket pits Smith and the Bearcats against Manila and the Lions?
“Even this week,” Smith confirms. “We joke around about the game and stuff. Everybody on (Manila's) team is super-motivated I’m not just friends with “Spanky,” since he moved up there, he and I play video games and obviously his friends play, and I go up there and hang out with them and Brandon.”
Yes, Smith makes regular trips to see Parrish in Manila.
“It’s about five hours,” said Smith.
But, Smith says, come Friday the friends will find themselves with diametrically opposing viewpoints.
“We’re all friends, but as soon as the game starts we don’t know each other,” Smith insists. “I don’t know who they are.”
Frankly, it’s a game Smith has wanted for years.
“Ever since he moved away in eighth grade we’ve talked about playing each other, so every year of my high school career I’ve been begging coaches to play Manila,” said Smith.
Because that would not happen, that meant the only way the friends could be on opposing sidelines would be in a playoff game.
“As soon as they released the bracket with (conference assignments), I probably laid in my room for an hour or two trying to figure out who they had to beat and who we had to beat to get us a chance to play,” said Smith.
Once Smith suspected the Bearcats would win their conference it became even more clear. The 3A-4 winner, should they win their opener, could play the 2-seed from the 3A-3, again, should they win their opener.
“I talked to all of them and said you’ve got to step up and win that Hoxie game, or that Osceola game to get to us,” said Smith.
After the Lions lost to Hoxie, their week 10 game against Osceola was the best option other than a finals meeting.
“During the Perryville game all the trainers had their phones and were telling me the score every time I came to the sideline,” said Smith. “I might have been more interested in that game than I was our own, after ours got out of hand.”
With the Bearcats scoring 50 points in the first half at Perryville there was no mystery about that game for long. Meanwhile Manila was holding off Osceola 13-0 with a couple of goal line stands.
Then there was the week 11 games where the Bearcats had to advance against Salem, and did 49-21. Manila had to take care of Danville, who ironically did not play the Bearcats either of the last two seasons, which the Lions did 49-25.
Smith, who plays defensive end and actually filled in at kicker in Atkins also leaned on Parrish for support through while working his way through a shoulder injury.
“It was a little bit of making fun of me and also he was asking how it was going and if I was going to play or not (each week),” said Smith.
Smith first saw the field in week 6 against Mayflower and he kicked an extra point in Atkins.
He wore a shoulder brace after the Warren game in week 4 last year.
“It didn’t help at all. I’d get a stinger and my arm would just go numb about every game, every practice,” said Smith.
Evidence of the injury is also back.
“I’ve re-torn it I’m pretty sure,” said Smith. “I’m getting stingers again.”
Parrish is likewise dealing with an injury, Smith said. He played very little, if at all, against Danville.
Having been friends this long, it’s unlikely anything comes between the two regardless Friday's outcome.
Smith says he plans to room with Parrish in college – he’s already applied to Arkansas State in Jonesboro.
However, Smith admits the notion of college may be waning for him, and that’s also providing Parrish, who Smith says is 6’ 2” and 270 pounds, isn’t going to try to play on the next level.
Considering the number of things they already share, a room shouldn’t be that much to add.
Both are one of four siblings – Smith is the second oldest child and Parrish the third. Smith is the son of Jessica and Mark Walker and Mark Smith. Parrish is the son of John and Carla Parrish.
Their circles, though in different towns has long had them as the shared intersection of a Venn diagram, though now approaching graduation, some of that is waning.
“He’s almost to the point where he’s forgetting some of the people here. I’ll ask, did you she what he or she did and he’ll be like, ‘Who?’” said Smith. “You went to school with them all the way through eighth grade, surely you remember.
“And I’ll forget he’s not in Booneville and I’ll start talking about a new person and he’ll be like, ‘I have no idea who that is.”
But then, again, Smith said, Smith and Parrish won't even know each other from kickoff to final horn on Friday night at Bearcat Stadium.
