So what does a retired teacher and local sportswriter do with down time during the summer? If you’re Post-Herald writer Roy Mitchell, you grab your fishing pole and head to the lake for a little relaxation.

A graduate of Cedar Bluff, Mitchell began his career in education 32 years ago with stints at Cedar Bluff, Adairsville, Trion and Coosa (Ga.). Since 2009, he’s covered high school sports – mostly football and basketball – in the Cherokee County area. His writings have earned him recognition numerous times from the Alabama Press Association. Mitchell has also penned articles that have appeared in Georgia Magazine and Coach and Athletic Director magazine.

In recent years, Mitchell has also dabbled a bit in radio broadcasting as a regular guest on WEIS radio’s End Zone Show on Thursday nights in the fall.

WEIS Sports Director Shannon Fagan recently caught up with Mitchell to talk about fishing, football, and a few other subjects. Their conversation is below.

Q: I’ve been reading about your fishing exploits this summer on your Facebook page. What’s the count you’ve caught up to now? What fish have you caught the most of? Have they all been at Weiss Lake?

A: “I don’t drink, smoke, or gamble, but I do have a vice – fishing. While I don’t have the optimal boat situation, I often steal away to a pond, a stream, or Lake Weiss bank to feed my addiction. As of June 18, I’ve caught (and released) 57 fish since school let out for the summer, recording my totals after each trip on Facebook. Most catches have been trout from a couple of north Georgia streams. A few bream, crappie, and bass came from a nearby pond while a smattering of largemouth and white bass came from the lake itself.”

Q: I know fishing has been a hobby of yours for quite some time. You’ve even written columns about it in the Post Herald. How far back can you trace your fishing days, and how did your fishing columns come about?

A: “Growing up within walking distance to two ponds and about a mile from Mud Creek, I have fished as long as I can remember. While I started with a push-button reel, I quickly graduated to spinning reels, fly rods, and bait casters. As an adult I read in Bassmaster magazine that some fishermen keep a journal of each fishing trip. I tried my hand at it in 2005, penning around 50 entries. At the end of the year, I wondered if anyone else could benefit from my musings. Scott Wright of The Post newspaper took the bait (no pun intended) and published my journal entries under the title “Bass Ackwards.” The column ran for a couple of years.”

Q: Speaking of writing, I know you’ve been working on a book. You want to talk a little about it?

A: “I have a finished manuscript that’s not really finished. It’s a story, but the pieces just aren’t fitting together. When I took a part-time job teaching at Coosa High last school year, I basically put the manuscript away. At some point I’ll look back at it with fresh eyes. Maybe things will fall into place then.”

Q: Where did the inspiration for the book come from?

A: “I took some characteristics and the name of one of my former students for a native tribe, and four characters are a lot like the band members of U2. The rest pretty much came just from an imagination run wild, which may be the problem.”

Q: You were honored last year with the Baker-Dean Media Award for your years of service in the Cherokee County community. How many years have you been writing for the Post Herald? What is special to you about covering sports here in Cherokee County?

A: “The first “Bass Ackwards” column came out in 2006. In the next couple of years I also wrote human interest articles for the paper. In 2009 the editor sent me to high school football games, and I have done sports writing every season since. It’s been a cool hobby, and a creative outlet for me. I also love covering basketball games, but my schedule sometimes muffles that.”

Q: Speaking of sports, it won’t be long now before another football season is upon us. What’s your early takes on the high schools and the SEC?

A: “I’m curious to see if Cherokee County can continue to be the state contenders they’ve been the past few seasons. Also, we have a new coach in Sand Rock (Tanner Nelson). I’d like to see how the Wildcats look under Coach Nelson’s influence.
“The SEC elephant in the room is Alabama. (Elephant? See what I did there?) Will they step up under Coach (Kalen) DeBoer, or if they stagger into a continued mediocrity in the post-Nick Saban era?”

Q: What are some of the high school games you’re looking forward to covering this fall?

A: “I haven’t even looked at the schedule, but there are traditions and styles of play I’m certain to see in county games. At Spring Garden Coach (Barrett) Ragsdale will surely have a stingy defense, no matter how many players they graduated. Gaylesville’s offense will likely dare opponents to stop the run as they pound the ball down their throat anyway. Cedar Bluff usually has athletes who can turn a game around with a pick-6 or a long run. Coach (Jacob) Kelley at Cherokee County High isn’t afraid to take out his quarterback, put in extra linemen, and let his team’s weight room prowess determine the game. Finally, Sand Rock’s new schemes are unknown with a new coach, but those mountain boys have a resiliency and drive like no other. Every team should be fun to watch, and I’ll be honored to see them all.”

Q: What are the chances we’ll have a Bigfoot sighting on the End Zone Show this fall? Will his high school predictions return in the Post-Herald?

A: “Reginald T. Bigfoot may write and speak like a civilized, responsible human, but his species is the most elusive to have ever walked on the face of the earth. Nobody at the Post Herald can even find him, and they have no clue what football field the sasquatch will be camped out behind.

“Thinking rationally about him, I’m not even sure Reginald T. Bigfoot exists. He may be Trent Dickeson or Scott Wright dressed up in a cheesy costume for all I know. There’s no telling if he’ll show up for the End Zone Show, write a column, or solve a Rubik’s Cube while tearing a rabbit’s head off. Like Trent, he’s kind of got a screw loose, anyway. I mean, have you seen some of Bigfoot’s football predictions? Yep, there’s a definite mental deficiency there.”