By Cyote Williams | Times Vedette

If you have kept up on Guthrie County sports for the past year and some change, specifically Panorama and ACGC, you have likely seen my name. It’s equally as likely that you have mispronounced it. I take no offense to that, as teachers, employers, friends and even family members have called me coyote for as long as I can remember. I go by “Cody,” but those who call me coyote, sigh-oat, kie-oat and everything in between receive the same response from me. “Yep, that’s me.”

As the sports reporter for the Guthrie County Times Vedette, I have brought you sports coverage on stats, scores, coaching changes and more. It has been a pleasure to do so. Now, I’m being challenged by our publisher, Shane Goodman, with writing a sports column. I accept that challenge.

I figured I would start (per Shane’s advice) this column off with an introduction of myself. I grew up on the southside of Des Moines. If you are wondering why which side of town matters, spend a few years in our state capital, and you will learn. Each area has its ups and downs; I just prefer mine. (The abundance of Italian restaurants certainly helps.)

I have played sports all of my life. Soccer, basketball and football have been my favorites. Those preferences have made covering sports in this area even more joyful, seeing the Panorama girls basketball team state final run last year; Morgan Crees scoring goals at a rate I would only dream of; and ACGC’s football program winning game after game running the same style of offense I grew up watching my Lincoln Railsplitters run. Ground and pound, baby.

I attended Des Moines Area Community College. During my time there, I wrote for Banner News, a school blog. It helped me start to realize that my dream of becoming a writer could become reality. I wrote for Wide Right & Natty Lite, an Iowa State sports fan blog, and spent some time at the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle on the other side of the state. That is where I got my first “real world” taste covering sports. As a kid who instantly turned on ESPN when I got home from school and listened to sports talk radio as I fell asleep, I knew this is what I was meant to do.

Our sports coverage is resigned to quick reads on stats and results. Here, in my den, I will dig a little deeper. I plan on highlighting what some of the area’s athletes are excelling at, how alumni are faring at their respective colleges and universities, bringing news about how other high school athletes are making waves around the state, and giving my take on some national sporting news, too.

All this to say, I’m approaching this challenge the only way I know how, with 100% effort — and the willingness to fail. Here’s to the next step in my sports-writing journey, and I hope you, the reader, enjoys it. If you don’t, I’m always happy to hear from you. Reach out with comments, complaints, ideas and more to cyote@dmcityview.com.