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Friendship in Fairmont: Tommy Thompson's fondest memories of the late Ted Echols

Ted Echols was inducted into the Fairmont State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. During his time as a Falcon, he had legendary careers in both basketball and baseball.

Echols, bottom right, was a teammate of former Alabama football coach and West Virginia native Nick Saban.

Echols and Saban not only battled on the court, but on the baseball field as well. Both were standout athletes in Marion County.

FAIRMONT — It’s easy for young children to make friends. Often, on the first day of school, it’s not uncommon for kids to walk up to a fellow classmate, introduce themselves, and mutually decide from that day forward the pair will be best friends forever.

As adults, making friends is more of a challenge. You lose touch with former classmates you thought would be in your life forever, colleagues come and go due to the ever-changing job market, and unfortunately, life itself sometimes even plays a role in cutting a friendship short before it even had the chance to properly begin.

Reach Payton Caldwell at @pcaldwelltimeswv