Rules

The MHSA executive board recently met for their MHSA 2010 Annual meeting. There were six proposals on the agenda that had mixed reviews.
The one that sparked my interested was the first one: to allow eighth graders to participate in high school athletics.
Alberton Public Schools propose the following amendment to By-Laws, Article II, Section (5) STUDENT

BELOW NINTH GRADE, subpart 5.1 on page 20 of the current MHSA Handbook:
5.1 No student who is enrolled in a grade below the ninth shall be eligible to participate in an
Association contest, except as noted in Part C or eighth grade students meeting the following
requirements:
a. Eighth grade student(s) may play on a high school volleyball and basketball team. The number
allowed for practice/participation would be those needed to make a scrimmage type situation for
the team. This would be twelve (12) for volleyball and ten (10) for basketball. A track team
without sufficient numbers for a relay team may use eighth grade students only on their relay
teams. (A high school team may have more than one eighth grade student on their team.)
b. Permission for eighth grade participation must be requested by the school and authorization
granted by the Executive Director of the MHSA. All eighth grade player names will be submitted
to the MHSA Executive Director prior to their first practice. Those eighth grade practice
participants would be eligible to play in the varsity contests upon meeting all eligibility criteria and
upon approval granted by the MHSA Executive Director.
c. Eighth grade students allowed to participate by the Executive Director will have eight semesters
of high school eligibility remaining when they enroll in the ninth grade.
The official MHSA waiver form must be used.

Proposed replacement:
5.1 Eighth grade students are allowed to play in any sanctioned MHSA sport in all classes (AA,
A, B, C) if the local school district has approved participation for eighth grade students.
Eighth grade students who are allowed to participate by their local school district will have
eight semesters of high school eligibility remaining when they enroll in the ninth grade.
Rationale:
1. Takes the decision out of the hands of the MHSA Executive Director or Executive Board and places
it at the local level. Each and every district would decide whether to allow eighth grade students the
opportunity to participate.
2. Would allow smaller schools a chance to fill junior varsity schedules.
3. Would help fill smaller wrestling weights for schools.
As Montana’s enrollment numbers shrink, the time has arrived that we allow eighth grade students the
chance to participate. The decision would be local control only.

In Minnesota, seventh graders are allowed to try out for varsity athletics and if they make the team, they play. If they make the JV team, they play. Sixth graders are allowed to participate on the swimming/diving teams since there aren’t any middle school swim/dive teams.
Yea, things can get a little weird when you have seventh or eighth graders riding the bus and spending a lot of time with seniors in high school. My opinion is that if the seventh/eighth grader is good enough to play at that high level at that young of an age, than let them. They are going to get bored at the lower levels they are forced to play at. My brother was that way in baseball. As a seventh grader, he played middle school baseball and rocked it. The next year, he tried out for varsity and was a starter ever since. I was a senior when he was an eighth grader on the varsity team, so it would be weird that he was hanging out with kids my age, but things worked out.
In Montana, the rationale might be a little bit different, as in this proposal is to help fill JV and sometimes varsity teams. Its more about participation than skill. Still, I agree with the proposal.
Currently, eighth graders are allowed to play on basketball, volleyball and track. This proposal aims at wrestling, I think, since football teams are usually full.
There are many wrestling teams that forfeit at the lower weight classes because it can be hard to find a high schooler that is at 98 pounds or lower. At the least, the eighth grader can help fill those lower classes and more kids are able to participate.
North Dakota allows 8th-graders to play certain sports, although contact sports like football aren't included.

Behind this proposal is the declining enrollment in the Class C schools. They have 100 votes and two-thirds is needed to pass the resolution.
The original proposal by Alberton would have extended 8th-grade participation to all classes and all sports, but that was amended by Medicine Lake to apply to Class C schools only, and to exclude football.
That amendment passed, and the schools voted 79-69 to pass the rules change. But because two-thirds of the schools must ratify amendments to MHSA bylaws, the proposal failed.

This means that the rules will not change, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be studied and brought up again next year.

All of the proposals can be viewed at http://www.mhsa.org/MHSAInfo.htm under the January 2010 meeting.

Mascots

The University of North Dakota Sioux have been long time hockey rivals to my alma matter- the Golden Gophers.
But, if UND’s mascot changed, would it be the same? I don’t know. I can’t imagine having a Gopher-Sioux battle titled anything else. The Fighting Sioux in their black and green gloss jerseys have been a source of bitter feelings but in the last five or ten years, their mascot has been deemed offensive by the NCAA.
Is it?
I have no right to decide if that is offensive to any Native American. Schools in Montana have some borderline mascots and no one, that I’ve heard, has complained.
If UND receives tribal approval before November 2010, they will be able to keep their name.
“In 2005, the NCAA ruled that the nickname was "hostile and abusive" to Native Americans and said the school would be barred from hosting postseason events if they didn't change the name. The Board of Higher Education sued in response to that ruling and the two sides settled in 2007 with the NCAA saying that they could keep the name if they received tribal approval before November 2010.”
UND isn’t a DI school, only its hockey team participates at that level and do so in one of the top-three arenas in the nation. The Ralph Englestad Arena is top notch and when one walks into it, they know they are in the Sioux domain.
Rumor has it that the Sioux won’t be able to use the facilities if they change their name, something that was written into the contract. If they are able to use the building, how awkward is that going to be if the logos are unable to be removed because of the cost?

“It's also unclear how a nickname change would affect the $100 million dollar Engelstad Arena, where UND plays hockey.
When Ralph Engelstad donated the money to build the arena, he ordered thousands of Fighting Sioux logos built into the structure.
There's even a large logo in the granite floor of the concourse. Engelstad said he wanted to ensure the logos could never be removed from the arena.
The arena is operated by a foundation, not the university.”

Last week, North Dakota's Board of Higher Education says the state should ask the Supreme Court to speed up an appeal by Spirit Lake Sioux members who want to keep the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname.
A state judge ruled last month that the board can drop the nickname and Indian head logo before a November deadline set in an agreement with the NCAA. The tribal group appealed last week.
Board attorney Pat Seaworth says it normally takes the higher court about seven months to decide an appeal. The board hopes to have a ruling within 30 days.
The board approved the motion 5-3 on Thursday.
UND President Robert Kelley and Athletic Director Brian Faison said they would like the issue solved quickly so the school can pursue entrance into the Summit League.

There however is a loophole here. Since the arena is not owned by the university and is a private arena rented out to the university by The Englestad trust, which as part of the deal it originally struck
with the University during the building process stated that the nickname and logo would not change, UND would
have until the year 2031 when it takes over the rights to the building according to contract, to remove the over 2000 Fighting Sioux logos that are emblazoned all over the arena. However, up until those renovations take place, without tribal approval of the nickname (which seems unlikely at this point) The University of North Dakota, by NCAA ruling would be unable to host any NCAA tournament games.

Onto less serious news:
I went to the Polson-Columbia Falls wrestling meet last night. I was excited to see that 171-pound wrestler Brock Picard was featured in the first match of the night. I haven’t got to take any pictures of him wrestling, so this was my big chance. The match starts and I turned on my camera. When I raised my camera to shoot some shots, the match was over. Picard had pinned the kid so quickly. The Pirates went on to win 54-27, winning all but five weight classes.

There are a couple rivalry games this week. The Charlo basketball teams travel to Hot Springs. I know the girls have a strong rivalry with Hot Springs that stems from volleyball which stems from something else I’m sure. Last time the two teams played, the Lady Vikings lost 40-33 but the boys won 46-38

Polson and Ronan meet up on Friday in a huge match. Both teams have won one match against the other and both boast big names like Cheff, Picard, Neiss, Cheff, Feistner, Starkel, Fouty, Conklin, Thomas and Clairmont.
This is the last week of competition before the divisional meets next weekend. Northwest A (Polson and Ronan) will compete in Polson while the B/C divisional (Mission/Charlo and Arlee) is in Deer Lodge.

Reporter Sasha will be taking the reins on this event as I have the weekend off and will be traveling to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a hockey tournament. Yes, I get the weekend off but that doesn’t mean I won’t be around sports. I’ve passed through Wyoming on my way to play hockey in Colorado as a freshman in college but I was sleeping/not really interested at the time. This time around, I will have time to sightsee and, more importantly, shop.

three whole points

There was a lot of wrestling last week. With two major tournaments, Missoula and Choteau. Most teams now know what needs to happen in the remaining two weeks before divisionals start.
Polson wrestlers are definitely stepping up. I’m seeing new names pop up in medal rounds each week. They have a young squad, 11 upperclassmen out of 32 wrestlers on the roster.
Last night, the Pirates beat Whitefish 78-3. 78-3!!!
That is the second lopsided score I have seen this week, the other was the Charlo girls basketball team holding St. Regis to nine points last week.
I don’t know if Polson is that superior or what but three points?
The first five lowest weight classes were won by Polson by forfeit. That’s thirty points there.
The rest, except Polson’s decision loss, were pins by Pirates. Three were under a minute, Chris Cote had his in 22 seconds and Josiah Clairmont got his in 23.

This week, every team is in play. Polson boys basketball hosts Whitefish. They need to win to keep things rolling.
I’m going to Arlee on Friday and am interested in watching the Arlee boys. They are undefeated and seem to be pretty solid. I watched them against Charlo, but sometimes its hard to analyze and watch two teams, take pictures and write down the logistics of what’s happening while trying to stay out of the spectators way in a packed gym where everyone is yelling.
Charlo also hosts Noxon on Saturday, so I’m going to head there.

I’m not the biggest fan of basketball. I like watching March Madness and getting into that (last year, my family and I filled out brackets and I won, much to the displeasure of my brother whose pride was severely hurt. He failed to remember I'm the sports reporter, I know these things) but as far as NBA goes, any day that end in -day I would rather watch paint dry.
Than LeBron came.
I still don’t like the physical game and get angry every time nine of the top ten plays on SportsCenter are of some tall guy dunking the ball. You can’t hit/touch/breath on a player without getting in trouble. Very opposite of hockey.
But LeBron’s antics are something that I find pretty funny. He is like the Alex Ovechkin of the NBA: a young kid that has so much talent playing professionally but acts like he is 10 every time he scores.
Both look like they are playing with their friends instead of teammates.
They electrify any arena they step foot in. Home or away. Most superstars can’t do that.
Bill Simmons wrote a good piece on LeBron’s personality.
In high school sports, you don’t see anyone that can do that. Mostly because they will be labeled as cocky and no one will deal with them.
LeBron, and Ovie, are cocky but not to the point where they are labeled as divas and no one wants to have them on their team.

Here is Ovi being Ovi:

Link of the day: 13 simple rules for hockey parents everywhere
John Buccigross, of ESPN, came up with some pretty good rules that first-time hockey parents should live by. Coming from Minnesota, all of these rules ring true. That sport is what we do besides inflict pain on our selves for thinking the Twins will make it to the World Series and watching them crash and burn.

Polls

At the Charlo and Arlee boys basketball match up last Thursday, I was so impressed by Arlee’s huslte and quickness on the floor. I thought Charlo’s height would be an advantage that the Warriors couldn’t overcome.
I was wrong.
The crisp passes and hustle made Arlee hard to beat. Charlo used its height but could only do so much.

This week I will hit up Ronan wrestling against Libby tonight. The Chiefs are a pretty solid team. Some teams that I have watched only have solid middle-weight wrestlers. The Chiefs are strong the whole way through with only a few holes here and there.
Polson and Ronan wrestling teams are heading to Missoula this weekend while Arlee and Mission/Charlo head to the Choteau tournament. Both competitions are top-notch, featuring the same, if not better, competition than the state tournament.
Hard to believe, but it is three weeks away from divisional wrestling tournaments. Crunch time.
Polson and Ronan won’t have to travel far, as its tourney is in Polson on Feb. 5/6. Arlee and Mission/Charlo have a haul, as the tourney is in Deer Lodge the same weekend.
The State tournament is Feb 12-14 in Billings.
In my very untrained opinion, there are at least a handful of wrestlers from Lake County that will be making appearances in Billings.
In the poll that came out yesterday, Ronan is third and Polson is ninth in the Class A coaches poll. Polson’s Brock Picard is first at 171 and Ronan’s Toby Cheff is first at 189.
At 98 pounds, Polson’s Craig Feistner is third and Ronan’s Lukas Conklin is sixth. I’ve seen these two wrestle each other and its a good match up.
Ronan’s Cameron Neiss is first at 135 while teammate Dilan Starkel is fourth at 140.
Ronan’s Mickey Cheff is second at 152 and Polson’s Ty Fouty is fourth in the same weight class.
Chief Cole McArthur is second at 160 while Polson’s Josiah Clairmont is fourth at 215. Pirate Kaden Thomas is third at heavyweight.

Also, baseball player Mark McGuire admitted he used steroids. Duh. Have you not seen pictures of his progression? He didn’t hit a natural growth spurt, I know that much.
This sparked another round of debates as to whether his records, and those that were obtained by juicers, should stand and if they should be allowed in the hall of fame.
My answer is no to both.
They cheated. Plain and simple. It wasn’t a life or death situation where some crazy man tied them to a chair and told them to take steroid or their offspring and loved ones would die.
They chose to inject themselves and they should pay the price. Yes, I acknowledge that some doctors may have told the players the substance was extra protein or vitamins or something like that. But, really? You start sprouting muscles overnight like the Hulk and you don’t question it?
It was, and still is, illegal in baseball.
Yes, McGuire was part of a baseball revival after the spotty 1994 season. Yes, people started to care about his home-run record chase.
But it was a lie.
When I heard of the rumors of steroids, my reaction was the same as when I found out Santa/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy wasn’t real. I was mad that I was lied to and made a fool of. In my opinion, that is what McGuire, Bonds and everyone else did. They made fools of their fans.
I, for one, don’t like that.
Baseball is cracking down on steroids, a good first step, but if they really want to get rid of the scandal, don’t allow it. That may seem a bit harsh and drastic, but give them an inch, they will take a mile. Allow only certain kinds or some players to sneak through and soon everyone will be finding a loophole.

Back to it

It’s back to the grind.
The college football bowls are almost over. Tim Tebow bid farewell to Florida with a 51-24 final game in the Sugar Bowl. Its no championship, but Tebow made the best of the situation with the drama of his final game and coach Urban Meyer’s health coming to light.
Teams are always concerned about the health of its athletes. However, sometimes the coaches need to be looked after as well. Yea, if the coach is in the hospital, the assistant can step up but that’s like second string QB taking over for the injured Tom Brady.
It just isn’t going to run the same.
Some coaches are in great health. Others need to join their players while doing sprints. Or lift an occasional weight.
Meyer’s outward appearance makes it seem like he is healthy. But the stress, commitment and pressure required to be a coach at a successful collegiate program will take its toll whether the condition was preexisting or not.
Coincidence that his health is coming to light when Tebow is done? Maybe, maybe not, but at least he is taking some steps to get better.
The Championship game is on Thursday. Alabama vs. Texas and both are unbeaten. Alabama seems to be the favorite.
I’m undecided on who I want to win.

In the hockey world, the world junior championship tournament’s trophy game is tonight and, surprise, its USA vs Canada.
Both teams went undefeated until they played each other in the final game of pool play. Canada won in a shootout, 5-4, which meant they had a bye in the first round.
The shoot out was neat. You know when it comes down to a shootout, both teams are so close in skill level.
Usa blasted through Finland 6-2 on Jan. 2 in the quarterfinals before beating Sweden on Sunday in the semis to make it to the championship game. The last time they were in that game was 2004, when they won the gold.
Ever since then, Canada has won the goal medal. They are going for their sixth straight trophy.
Canada is the favorite, as expected, because THE TOURNEY IS IN CANADA.
It will be a close game. That I know.
The tournament is a pretty cool thing, even though Usa and, more so, Canada seem to have a tight hold on the reins.
Jonathon Toews and Pat Kane were on opposing sides a couple years ago before joining forces in Chicago. Toews showed his skills in one of the more memorable match ups, that ended in shootout, another surprise, in 2007.
Jeremy Roenick held the record for most points in a WJC career for the Usa until Minnesota-born prodigy Jordan Schroeder surpassed that against Finland.

2009

Not much has happened around the county in the way of sports. Teams that did play had only one game/match in the last week because of the holidays.
Things will start rolling along starting on Saturday when most teams resume play.
Ronan and Polson face each other in all three sports this weekend. Polson hosts Ronan wrestling on Saturday night and Ronan hosts the boys and girls basketball teams next Tuesday.

Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings returned to their former selves, letting down fans with a 36-30 loss to da Bears last night.
I saw the score at half time and thought it was a done deal. Another Vikings loss but as the game went on and Minnesota’s score started to increase, I was optimistic.
And in true Viking fashion, they gave hope to their fans only to drop them faster than a hot pan fresh out of the oven.
Great.
So that’s, what, three losses in the last four weeks. Way to ruin the great 10-1 start. Yea, they clinched the division, but if they keep this up, the first round will be their last. I wasn’t able to watch the game, so I have zero analysis.
ESPN, even though I despise them for not having anything to with the NHL, did have a pretty good take on the downward spiral that is Brett Favre and the Vikings

Men’s Olympic hockey rosters are starting to be called in.
Slovakia, Latvia, Russia and gold medal-defending champions Sweden have announced their rosters.
Canada announced theirs yesterday and it is chalk-full of talent, but the question isn’t if they have the skill for the gold medal after their seventh place finish last time, but if they can come together quick enough for the games.

One year ago, I was sitting at college getting ready for 2009. I would graduate in five months, but would finish my last collegiate season of hockey. We made it to nationals and finished the highest our club has ever ended, fourth. I started looking for jobs, was flown to Alaska to interview for one, graduated, celebrated my graduation and pending job offer, celebrated my first rejection and moved back home all with in a month.
I continued my job search and was offered one in Polson, Mt. On the fourth of July while many were driving to the lake, buying barbeque supplies or sleeping in, I was driving as far west as I had ever been to start an amazing job opportunity as a sports editor.
My first job. My first big move. My first true independence.
The last twelve months has been a blur of classes, finals, lazy summer days, moving and adjusting.
I have moved from Minneapolis to Inver Grove Heights, MN to Polson, where I have moved twice since arriving.

As the new year approaches with in hours, I have found some amusing lists of the past year’s most exciting and the decade’s most memorable;

ESPN did NHL’s best in the decade. It has lists of decade’s top player, best uniform and upset.

Yahoo’s Puck Daddy did a best goals of the decade
No. 9 is a sore subject in my heart. Feel free to skip over it. My favorite is no. 4. The announcers get so excited and they are from the opposing team. Welcome to the NHL, Jonathan Toews.

At the Leader, Aimee, Sasha and I came up with our own lists:
Best sports moments of the decade, in no particular order as you can’t compare the Olympics to the MLB to the NHL. It’s like comparing oranges to apples in my book.
1.Jason Lezak coming from behind to help Michael Phelps with his gold medal quest in the 2008 Olympics during the 4x100 race: Clutch. In the video, even the announcers doubt USA can win. I know the outcome, yet I get chills.
2. Phelps winning eight gold medals
3. Tiger Woods. Woods has won 14 professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player, and 71 PGA Tour events, third all time.[6] He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer.
4.Boston Red Sox breaking the curse when winning the world series in 2004.
5. Penguins winning Mr. Stanley. My personal favorite of the decade.
6. Nadal beating Federer in 2008 during the French Open.
7. Boise State’s Statue of Liberty play in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma.
8. The 2004 match-up against USC and Texas. Classic.
9. The New York Giants beating New England in the 2007 Superbowl, Sasha’s favorite moment.
10. ....and rounding out our top-10, the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team winning back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2002 and 2003. This is my list so I can put whoever I want.
Against Maine in 2002. Maine’s celebration after its first goal is funny since the game was in Minnesota. M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A MINNESOTA, MINNESOTA YAAAYYYY GOPHERS. RAH.
Against New Hampshire in 2003.

Our list of FAILS of the decade:
-Patriots going 18-0 before losing to the Giants.
-Giants dropping the 2001 World Series- Aimee’s heartbreaking moment.
-the NHL Lock-out. So disappointing.

Fun link of the day: Harry Potter and sports.

Star of the week:
-Arlee’s Cole Rice: he won his 100th match last Tuesday and is only a junior. That is quite impressive. Put those 100 wins in front of his 14 losses. Fourteen losses in 2.5 seasons of wrestling. That’s 5.6 losses per season. Not bad at all.


Things to watch:
-Polson vs Ronan wrestling: 6:30 p.m. on Saturday in Polson
-Mission/Charlo and Arlee wrestling: St. Ignatius hosts a wrestling tournament on Saturday. It starts at 9 a.m. and goes all day.
-Polson basketball vs Ronan basketball: girls and boys play on Tuesday night in Ronan

Happy New Year!

traveling

Note: I wrote this on Sunday, when I was flying from Minneapolis to Missoula with a lay over in Seattle. I'll post an updated post soon.

The last seven days have been crazy. Between putting together the paper, entertaining friends and traveling home for Christmas, I feel like I couldn’t have crammed more into seven days.

My four friends went snowmobiling and snowboarding the three days they were here. I had to work and didn’t go with them, but the stories they told proved how much fun they had.

They saw a moose when they went snowmobiling and had a minor run-in with a tree. While they were snowboarding, a new word to describe fresh powder entered their vocab: freshies. They traversed the freshies= they snowboarded in powder. I’ve never heard that.

At night we hung out in Polson and Ronan. I took them to my favorite pizza place and we hung out with Sasha. They got a good feel for Montana.

Then came the 22-hour drive.

We left on Tuesday night after I got done with the paper. Driving wasn’t too bad until we got to Bozeman/Billings and the western part of North Dakota. The snowstorm wasn’t too bad to drive through, but I didn’t drive. I played the part of navigator from 4 a.m. to about 11 a.m.

It wasn’t a bad drive. Compared to the train I took, it was more entertaining, as four guys in a car for close to a day was fun. However, the train was definitely roomier and weather didn’t matter.

Christmas was awesome. My family is loud and crazy and I couldn’t imagine not being in the middle of that during the holidays.

Flying, though, is by far my preferred way to travel. Driving can get long and you cannot really sleep but you do get to see the country and I like stopping at the gas stations to get a feel of the local area. The train was great but I was alone and was really antsy to get home. Flying is perfect for impatient people like me.

Except when there are delays.

The flight from Minneapolis to Seattle was delayed about 30 minutes and the one to Missoula was delayed as well. I hate waiting.

In Minneapolis, there was a girl circling the group of chairs I’m was sitting in gabbing on her phone. Her plane to Vail, CO was supposed to leave at 11 a.m. Currently, it was 4 p.m. She walked out of range before I could hear what happened to cause the delay.

That would suck. You can’t leave the airport because when things are fixed, the plane will take off. It’s not going to wait for me to come back.

I also heard she was jealous of Bella because Bella got an ipod from Santa.

That’s what happens when you are in a public place talking on the cell phone. Bored people will eavesdrop.

Another gem from a guy in Seattle:

“This is the last time I let me parents pick out a flight for me. I sat in front of three four year olds and got the complementary back massage from them the whole way. I wish their parents sat in front of them.”

I wonder if people ever laugh at the things they hear when I am on the phone. Probably.

Usually in airports, I put my headphones in and drown out the noise, but when I was traveling to Alaska eight months ago, I missed three calls over the intercom for boarding my flight. Now I’m paranoid I will actually get stuck somewhere.

Traveling alone just isn’t as fun as when you are with a group of people. Driving back to Minnesota was definitely better because I was with my friends. For hockey in college, we had to fly twice to the National tournament during my four years and that was always a ton of fun. Much better than sitting by myself watching the crazy cart drivers almost hit people and swerve around.

Those drivers are intense. I don’t think I would ever accept a ride from them, even if both of my legs were broken. They tailgate the people riding in front of them and I have seen like two people actually RIDE in the cart.

In Minneapolis, the carts have horns on them. Terrible idea. The drivers just lay on the horn.

I love this time of the year because newspapers, media outlets and anyone with an opinion put out a list of the best stories/teams/athletes of the year. Since we are ending a decade, the best of the decade lists come out too.

I really enjoy reading these. Most have two or three similar story lines but each seems to find one or two gems that I forgot about/never heard about.

The one story that seems to be on every list is, of course, Tiger Woods.

Yes, it did happen this year but its weird to have it on the list. It hasn’t ended. We all know his return to golf will be on that year’s list as well.

In Minnesota, my dad has a subscription to Sports Illustrated and when I go home, I try to read them all. I never get through the stack but I was able to look at the one with the best pictures of the decade. Those pictures are so cool. I often wonder how the photographers can take such amazing pictures. I find that some of my good ones come from luck.

I can’t think of my top-10 list, thank you indecisiveness. I have close to two hours in the Seattle airport and I cannot come up with a top-ten list of athletes or sports stories.

I’ll work on those and get those up soon.

Rolling along

The winter sports have started and now things are really rolling.
Until next week.
Everything will stop on Tuesday because of the Holidays.
Add in a move (I’m moving from one side of the lake to the other with reporter Aimee) plus four of my buddies from Minnesota are visiting Saturday through Tuesday. Than I get to drive with them (keep in mind they are four guys) back to Minnesota for Christmas. That should be an adventure within itself.
Things should be hectic but that’s okay with me.

The MLB is making me angry. Amazing pitcher Roy Halladay is being traded to Philly after having a great season in Toronto. I’m not liking that big market teams are swallowing up talent.
Yes, they have the money and market to do so and having a good team doesn’t hurt.
But middle market teams like, oh say, the Minnesota Twins can never get that talent because of the money.
There isn’t any real substantial way to fix this and I know this isn’t really a solid argument but I don’t like the Yankees or Red Sox for that reason.
They pretty much don’t have to pay scouts to find new and upcoming talent. They just read the sports section. Every other team has to find players from the minors.
However, smarty-pants Bud Selig is forming a panel to study replays.
I’m skeptical anything groundbreaking will happen.


Stars:
-Ronan boys basketball: these guys impressed me with their quick passing and hustle on Saturday night. They lost but hustled from one end to the other quicker than I saw some of the winning teams.
-Mission/Charlo wrestling: the Bulldogs have stayed undefeated in duals. I got the chance to watch them against Arlee on Monday night and they are, by far, the loudest team I’ve seen. As soon as one wrestler is done, he throws on some clothes and screams/cheers for his next teammate.
-The Griz: they are in the championship game against No. 2 Villanova, they are ranked third, on Friday.
People around here are so excited.

Things to watch:
-The Griz game. duh. Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
-Mission boys basketball vs Charlo: Thursday night in Mission
-Ronan girls basketball at Mission: Jonna Grant transferred to Ronan from Mission a month or so ago. This is her first game back in Mission.

My head hurts

When I was at a Polson football game, a player was hit pretty hard. He came off the field and didn’t know the score. He was confused and looked like he was going to throw up.

A concussion.

He was taken away from the field and I didn’t think he would return in his uniform.

He did.

In the third quarter, the player returned and was running sprints on the sidelines, testing his ability to come back.

Bad decision.

The player didn’t return to the game and, no matter if his team needed him or not, that was the smartest decision.

Head injuries are not to be swept under the rug.

Trust me. I’ve had more than enough hard head hits in my lifetime. Some were mild where I was dizzy for an hour but some have bedridden me for a couple days, throwing up anything that I would try to eat or drink and unable to move without triggering that torturous dizziness.

Concussions are some of the scariest injuries because you can’t see it heal. If you break your arm, you put on a cast and see it get better.

You can’t do that with your brain.

And you only get one, as one dear friend advised me.

Loss of memory and confusion are also side effects that I have experienced directly following the head injury and feel now. There are things that I will forget over and over again and learning new things often become a challenge.

I remember, in high school, going to school the day after being on the wrong end of a hard hit. In Spanish class, I was so confused.

No one is sure how concussions will effect the player later on in life, but guesses have been made. None of them positive.

That scares many football players and if it scares them, you better believe I’m shaking in my well-worn skates.

Philly’s Brian Westbrook has suffered two knocks in a span of three weeks this season and has questioned his future.

Since it’s a new type of injury to watch, long term studies haven’t flourished yet. Westbrook will be one of the first to be studied for a long period of time. Its unfortunate, but someone has to be the first to cross the finish line.

The NFL FINALLY has put procedures into place. You know it’s serious when the governing body doesn’t wait until the end of the season to hand down new regulations.

“In the latest step by the league to address a hot-button issue, Commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to the 32 teams Wednesday saying a player who sustains a concussion shouldn't return to action on the same day if he shows certain signs or symptoms. Those include an inability to remember assignments or plays, a gap in memory and persistent dizziness and headaches.”

Previously, players shouldn’t return to play if they lost consciousness.

Duh.

So, it's an improvement of sorts but players might not report signs and such. A good step though.

I’m all for professional athletes not being little girls and playing through some injuries.

Those said injuries being blisters, paper cuts and other stupid injuries that everyone works through.

In that category isn’t head injuries.

I don’t want to be one of those fans who thinks the sport should change its nature to be safer. The whole point of football is to physically take down the ball holder and, in hockey, the puck carrier. I just feel that everyone can make smarter decisions.

Yesterday was the largest paper I’ve seen since arriving in July. 40 pages. Wow.

It didn’t take us long to get it done and we didn’t have to scramble to fill it since Aimee, Sasha and Jenna took one for the team and, basically, froze to get pictures of all the parades going on.

I, on the other hand, almost turned into a puddle at the wrestling meet in Polson. I didn’t realize how warm a gym could get.

The meet was okay. I’m still learning the more detailed strategy of the event.

This week starts winter sports in full swing. There are a couple weeks of (organized) chaos until everyone shuts down for the Holidays.

Arlee opened it’s gym up last night. I was unable to get to see it because of our design day, but I heard it was pretty neat and a million times better than the old gym. That first game will be pretty cool. Both the boys and girls team christened the gym with wins over Two Eagle River.

Upcoming, Polson and Ronan host a Tip-off tournament on Friday and Saturday. The girls play in Polson on Friday, while the boys are in Ronan.

On Saturday they switch locations. Pretty much every other team is traveling this weekend.

I just hope the sun peeks out from the clouds to warm the ice on the roads. I hate driving on ice. Its too slippery.

Speaking of weather, Lake County has got some snow, making it look more like December than the brown ground we’ve had to stare at lately.

In the Midwest, things have gone completely white. Minnesota got (an early Christmas present) blizzard.

Good to know things will be white for the Holidays when I go home. I was disappointed during Turkey day.

OH YEA.

Florida lost. I’m bummed. I like Tim Tebow and if that makes me a wagon jumper, than yea, I’m on that wagon.

However, people have questioned his ability to be successful in the NFL. He hasn’t even ended his collegiate career and people are plotting his failure for two years from now.

That’s how you know you’re in the big time.

Link: tough girl

Things to watch:

-Ronan/Polson Tip-off tournament

-Star Trek: I rented it last night and am pretty pumped to watch it

Oh, Wednesdays

You learn something new everyday and today I learned that Wednesdays are my favorite days.

The hard work of Monday’s writing and Tuesday’s designing are done with. The paper doesn’t show its face until tomorrow so today is a planning day.

When I was younger, Saturdays were my favorite days. I didn’t have school and I didn’t have school the next day so I could stay up late. Homework didn’t have to be started until Sunday and I could sleep in.

Plus, I usually had a hockey game.

Now, on Wednesdays, I get to sleep in a little bit before making it to the 11:00 a.m. budget meeting. At this point, Jenna, Aimee, Sasha and I discuss our ideas for the next paper.

[sidenote: everyone seems to have great ideas, but let us know if you have any]

When we feel everything for the next week has been discussed and decided, we break out of Jenna’s office full of hope for the next week.

I [try] to write a blog post at this time and I know that my last one was too long ago. Blame Thanksgiving for that- more later.

We make phone calls and send emails to set up interviews with people. For me, sports happen Thursday through Saturday. Sunday is when I bother the coaches for comments before writing 12 stories on Monday.

Unless I need to set up an interview or visit a practice, Wednesdays are my break.

Plus, at night, I get to play hockey.

Who could want anything else?

Thanksgiving

The reason for the sparse amount of posts between the last one and this one, aka none, is because I was prepping to go home to Minnesota. I was writing my fingers off and calling people every ten minutes so I could have mostly everything done.

Tuesday, the 24^th, we worked our tails off to get the paper done. Jenna and Sasha weren’t going far for Turkey day, but Aimee and I were.

Aimee flew to California while I took the train to Minnesota. I wrote a story about that experience that will be in tomorrow’s paper. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

Home was good. It was nice to be back and the time I spent there was too short. I ended up getting sick on Friday, so Saturday wasn't great but Christmas is right around the corner.

Sports

I know this is a sports blog but my thoughts are all over the map, so I share them.

Winter sports start this weekend. Wrestling mostly. Polson and Mission are at Polson while Ronan travels to Libby. Arlee is in the Cascade tourney.

I’m kind of excited to get back into sports. The last couple weeks have been weird, writing stories about other sports away from the mainstream high schools. It was a welcomed change but I’m ready to jump back into this.

I sent out surveys to the coaches and their responses are in this week’s paper. Ronan and Polson wrestling teams look to stay strong after its successes last year and I’m still up in the air on the basketball teams. Things can change quicker with team sports.

Ovie=suspended. His style of play has always been to go as fast as he can and hit something. Whether it be the back of the net with the puck or an opposing player was always up in the air. His style is so physical but when will he hurt himself? Will this suspension change his style of play?

ESPN’s Scott Burnside wrote a solid article on that:

To answer my question.

Ovie will miss two games and pay $98,884.16. As Yahoo's PuckDaddy blog put it: “Oh, and Ovechkin will forfeit $98,844.16 during those two games. And in the time it took you to read that, he just made it back.”

Minnesota hockey has been in the press:

Former Gopher Keith Ballard took a baseball-style swing with his stick and ended up hitting his goalie in the neck.

I know it happened a couple days ago, but it still boggles my mind. People that played against him said he had a bad temper and was pretty cheap behind the play.

The Minnesota Wild grew mustaches for a men’s health fundraiser along with Edmonton and Atlanta.

Link of the day: Three important things to ponder.

Enough for today.

Goodbye Fall sports, hello Winter ones

This is the official end of the fall sports and beginning of the winter sports seasons. Today is the first day of practice for wrestling, while basketball starts on Monday.
It seems like yesterday that the fall sports were starting and I was freaking out at the number of teams I had to cover. Such a cliche, but true.
Three months later, it feels like its been longer than three months.
Now instead of soccer, volleyball, football, cross country and golf, there are only two sports to cover: wrestling and basketball.
This doesn’t mean I’ll have ample time to sit around but it does mean there just won’t be as much variety in my life.

Link of the day: up close.

Three stars:
-Polson volleyball team: the team took fourth at the state tournament
-Payton Fitzpatrick: he took second in the short-go and second in average at the Northwest Miniature Bull finals
-Aimee and Sasha: the reporters didn’t hurt themselves on their first snowboarding trip of the season

What to watch for:
-the cyclo cross bike race on Saturday at the fairgrounds: races start at Noon. There is a first-timers race for those interested
-one week until Thanksgiving

Day two, part five: the end of an era

Polson came back to the arena to face Fergus. The Pirates dropped the game in three 18-25, 20-25, 24-26.

This puts the Pirates in fourth place in the state tournament.

The Pirates came out for its game against Fergus looking slow. The players seemed to know where they were supposed to be but getting there a fraction of a second late.

At one point, Polson found themselves down by eight points.

In the beginning of the second set, Polson held its only lead of the game. Sallie Sams stepped up and provided great blocking for Polson. She had three blocks in a row that each led to points for the Pirates. They never gave up, coming back to trail by five.

The third set showed a better Pirate team. They never trailed by more than four points and that was at the beginning of the set.

Christa Red Crow knocked her right leg when she dove for a ball and was taken out of the game for a couple points. Kayla Duford served two aces in a row to bring the Pirates within two points.

Polson came back to a 18-17 score. Than Fergus scored. Than Polson scored. It went this way until the score was tied at 24. Fergus scored two more points to end the game and the Pirates season.

Duford served four aces and Nicole Davey had two. Breanne Kelley had 10 kills, Sallie Sams had all four of Polson's blocks and Riley Kenney led with 15 digs.

Each Polson player was upset about the loss, but head coach Jan Toth said "I couldn't have asked for more" as she walked off the court with her team.

Two years ago, this team went 1-17 and didn't make it out of the divisional tournament.

This year, they took fourth with many of the same players from that team. Four seniors, Staci Benson, Loni Havlovic, Red Crow and Davey, have seen this team at the bottom and at the top. Each has led the team. I did get a chance to sit down with the four of them before the divisional tournament. Look for that story in the newspaper in the coming weeks.

See this week's Leader for extended coverage and pictures of the State tournament.

Day two, part four: an eagle

So in the last two hours, I have ate four cookies, drank cups of Mountain Dew and been harassed by a life-size, furry eagle.

Yes, an eagle.

Class A Fergus’ mascot is an eagle. So, in true mascot fashion, the eagle wandered around the arena, playing with little kids and messing with those in the stands, including me.

There was a small child who was afraid of the bird, screaming bloody murder and running back to his mother.

If my mom was here, I would have ran to her too, so she could tell the animal to leave me alone. I’m working.

All in all, the bird was kinda funny to watch wander around. The looks people threw its way were of amusement and wonder.

Fergus won and will face Polson. I guess I’ll have to avoid the eagle during that game.

From my perch in the stands, I can see all four games going on. It is a nightmare for someone who has attention span issues. My focus jumps each time a section of the crowd cheers.

Class C is running away with my unofficial award for best fans. Each team’s town seems to have cleared out and attended the tournament. Large student sections dressed in their team’s colors yell (very encouraging) things.

There must be an uneven step or something at the top of section 108. I have counted 10 people trip on that step since I sat down. I try not to laugh, as I am just as clumsy and have tripped over my computer cord three or so times in the media room, but it gets me every time.

Some say easily amused.

I wouldn’t disagree.

Day two, part three: the show down

Libby might have taken the divisional crown from Polson, but Polson took revenge and ended the Loggers' season. This comes after Polson's three-set win over Libby 25-22, 25-21, 25-17.

The first set had Polson taking an early lead and never giving it up. Nicole Davey stepped up in this set with her serving and kills. The Pirates lead grew to six points but Loni Havlovick made a couple kills to put the set away.

Senior middle hitter Loni Havlovick reaches for a kill.

The second set started closer with the score tied five times. Double blocks are what helped Polson in this match.

Polson established the lead early on but Libby never backed down. After Jackie Mee hit Christa Red Crow in the head with a kill, Polson took it to the Loggers.

As Duford dished out the ball, Polson’s hitters knocked it down.

With the score at 17-13 in favor of Polson, Mee collided with her own player and went down. After a couple minutes on the ground, she limped over to the bench. It looked to be a knee or ankle injury. She sat out for a couple points before returning. The ball was served to her and she made a slow attempt to handle it. She then returned to the bench for the rest of the game.

This may or may not have taken the wind out of Libby’s sails as Polson sailed to a 25-17 win.

The Pirates were so excited to take the win. The bench was loud and the fans in the stands want the win just as much as the volleyball team.

Four Pirates had at least two aces, with Davey serving three and putting down 15 kills. Davey also showed grit and dug out 15 digs. Havlovick made her presence at the net known often and officially tallied two blocks.

Senior outside hitter Nicole Davey goes up for a kill.

The Pirates advance to take on the winner of the Fergus (Lewistown)/Park (Livingston) match. The game will be Polson’s last of the day no matter the outcome. It will be the Pirates third game in ten hours.

Polson will have four hours to rest up before the start of their next game. The Pirates didn’t look one bit tired against Libby. They played with the same intensity and energy level as they did in any other game I have watched of theirs. I guess two hours isn’t enough time for exhaustion to set in. However, four hours might be a nice amount of time to sit and rest but the lactic acid might have enough time to set in as well.

The win secures that the worst Polson can do is fourth.

I can guess what the Pirates will be doing in the next four hours: eating, resting, recovering.

As for me, I have no idea. I don’t really want to venture out into Bozeman. The fear of get lost and/or stranded scares me too much and finding a parking spot five steps from the entrance doors upon my return is unlikely. That was one of the few perks of 10 a.m. game. The other would be fresh coffee and muffins that weren't stale from sitting out all day. It's the small things in life, my mom says.

There's pizza and cookies in the media room, or as some lovingly refer to it, the think tank.

"The braun is what the brains write about," is how one reporter put it.

I'll probably stake out a comfy blue plastic chair in the stands and work. Since the only place to get internet is IN the stands, I might as well. Funny how you can't get internet in the media room, where it is needed the most but you get a clear-as-day, full signal in the stands, where it really isn't needed. Also a coincidence, I'm writing this blog for "On the bleachers" while I'm in the bleachers. So fitting.

Day two, part two: the first game

Well, it will be a Northwestern A match-up in two point five

hours. Polson beat Hardin in four sets to escape elimination 19-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-21.

The first match saw Hardin up by four points at one time in the match. Polson couldn’t overcome the gap to win.

Senior outside hitter Christa Red Crow goes up for a block.

A first-set loss put things into perspective for the Pirates as the team became more vocal.

In the second set, the Pirates never relinquished the lead. Nicole Davey and Riley Kenney came to life with a one-two punch of kills to propel Polson to the win.

The third set was dominated by Polson. Up by eight points at one point, the Pirates found a way around Hardin’s blockers. Marissa McCrea served a couple big points in the set.

Polson deflated a little bit in the fourth set but never fell behind. Loni Havlovick pounded the ball a couple times with great sets from Kayla Duford.

Breanne Kelley served two aces. Davey led in kills, with 18, and had 28 digs. Stacie Benson also had 28 digs in a tested back row. Loni Havlovick put up three blocks for the Pirates.

Senior Staci Benson hits the ball from the back row.

This was Polson’s first state tournament win. Last year, the Pirates were out after losing two games.

This year, one goal of the Pirates was to win a game. Now they will face a familiar foe: Libby.

The mental game running between these two teams is exhausting. Polson won twice in the regular season but Libby won the first game between these two in the divisional tournament.

The Pirates won the first championship game but Libby took home the crown with a win in the second championship game.

This game will be tense, so put it lightly. The loser goes home. The winner lives to see another game.

A key for Polson will be to shut down Libby’s star Jackie Mee. However, I feel pretty confident that both teams already know how to win.

Polson will go into the match with a little over an hour of rest while Libby's last game was at 8 p.m. last night. Polson's hitter's arms have been known to get sore after a tough game, so that could be a factor. Right now, they are hanging out in the stands watching the games, relaxing and getting some food in their stomachs. Some of them have headed down to the locker room. Less than one hour to go until game time.

The one thing I do know: this game will be good.

Day two, part one: preparation

When I went to shovel off my car from under a foot of snow, the radio told me it was a blistering fifteen degrees outside. Not bad.

The drive to the gym wasn’t bad at all this time. I knew where to go and when to turn.

The highway was sanded so that helped, as did the sun. I only saw one truck in the ditch compared to the ten I saw last night on my way back to the hotel.

Best moment of the morning: I’m cruising in the right hand lane, going with traffic. Out of nowhere, a car goes by me in the left-hand lane, speeding along like it’s in a high speed chase.

I cursed the car, saying it was going to get in an accident. After taking a look at the license plates, I ate my words. Minnesota. That made my morning.

Libby lost their evening game last night, so if Polson wins their game this morning, the rivals will meet in the biggest game the two teams have played thus far.

State tournament, Day one

First off, sorry about the late update. There is a snowstorm in Bozeman and the Internet at the arena was knocked out for some time.

Polson opened up play in the Class A tourney facing Anaconda.

In three sets, Polson lost 23-25, 21-25, 18-25.

Stats:

Aces: Kayla Duford, 3

Nicole Davey, 1

Marissa McCrea, 1

Kills: Breanne Kelley, 12

Nicole Davey, 9

Assists: Kayla Duford, 25

Blocks: Nicole Davey, 1

Sallie Sams, 1

Digs: Staci Benson, 23

Kayla Duford, 22

Christa Red Crow, 16

Polson didn’t have the blocking to stop Anaconda’s kills. The Pirates were able to use their back row and dig up the kills.

Polson will take on Hardin, the second seed form the central division tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

Libby beat Stevensville in three 25-15; 25-19; 25-15. Jackie Mee was on point and Stevensville couldn’t control her kills. The Loggers are playing Billings Central as I type away. Its updated after each game is over.

Here is the Class A bracket after the first day of competition.

Tomorrow, I hope to have a more frequently updated blog. Hopefully, the snow will stop. There were grumblings that another foot of snow will fall overnight.

I love snow and winter but when I’m driving in a city/state that I’m unfamiliar with, it can be nerve-wracking.

Yes, I did get lost on the way to the gym, but I found my way after a good 15-minute scenic tour of Bozeman.

The state tournament atmosphere is pretty cool. There are four games going on at one time. The media room is also something I’ve never experienced before. Every reporter is set up with their laptop, typing away. They all seem to know each other and no one is worried about “the competition.”

In between games, its packed and the competition to find a table spot rivals the competition happening in the games. Many have two or more teams to follow and are constantly emailing, writing or editing pictures, sometimes all at once.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I’m going to cover Polson and Libby, so I’m going to end this one early.

State tournaments

When I was in high school, none of the teams I participated on made it that far in the post season. We tried but those elusive state tournaments were attended by teams that beat us.
In 10th grade, our boys hockey team made it to the big show. In Minnesota, making it to the hockey state tournament is a BIG DEAL. You get to miss school for a week.
You get to play in an NHL arena that is PACKED every game.
You’re in the state tournament, playing hockey in March when most other teams have been done for a month.
This is the ultimate post season. Many players will never step foot in the NHL, so this is the biggest stage they get to play on. Even though I didn’t have a team in the tourney, a couple buddies and I skipped school senior year to hang out at the rink all day.
That’s the beauty of state tournaments, your parents aren’t the only fans.
The Xcel Energy center would get insanely loud when the entire student section would chant something. Literally, entire schools would be sitting in the student section. There were the perennial teams from Warroad and Roseau that would make appearances. These cities are six hours away and the entire city would shut down to make the hall. That is how important this tournament is.
When Polson volleyball made it to state, I was pretty excited because I get to go as a reporter. Something I’ve never done before. If I couldn’t go as an athlete, I figure going for my job has to be a good compromise.
The only downside is the four-hour car ride. By myself.
So that will make for an interesting adventure.
Check in next week’s paper for more on the Pirates title hunt.

Bruises

SO, its been two weeks since I last blogged. Things have been crazy around here: divisional volleyball and football playoffs.
We have a few teams that can go deep into the post season and have a good shot at State championships, so that is pretty exciting.

The Yankees won the world series. This morning SportsCenter showed the parade at least 10 times. I wanted to puke. I’ve never been a fan of the Yankess, mostly because I hail from a strictly Minnesota Twins household, and I just don’t enjoy teams that use their money to buy championships. I’m a fan of hard work, not big bank accounts.

Hockey season is in full swing. I heart the Penguins, yes because of Crosby, but also because the young talent has so much promise. All of them still have room to improve after winning the Cup.
The Avalanche have come out of nowhere and sit atop the Northwest. My hometown team is at the bottom, where many think the Wild will finish. One team isn’t pulling away from their division quite yet. The Caps have a weak division but haven’t pulled away yet. I expect them to stay on top.
This year, it seems, that there are more players out with injuries. Malkin and Ovi being the two prominent figures in the stands this week. Every team is riddled by this and its only a month or so into the season. Whatever team can stay the healthiest for the longest will have a huge advantage.
You know its serious, though, when a hockey player sits out. Most play through the pain and deal with it. I know I have and many teams I’ve played on had countless injured skaters on the ice at a time. It’s part of the game.
Another part of the game that I forgot about was the random bruises that show up. I joined a women’s league in Missoula and playing four games in 40 hours was a great way to remind me to get in shape. The Halloween tournament was a great way to jump into the beginning of the season. Not to mention the fact that Monday morning I was walking around work like an 80-year old. I was in desperate need of a cane.
I’m just grateful I can still play hockey.
On Wednesday, we had our first regular-season game with our team. I woke up Thursday with a large bruise on my bicep and another on my forearm. Battle bruises? Yea, we’ll go with that.

But if you thought hockey was rough, check out this game.

Upcoming attractions:
-College hockey: Minnesota and Wisconsin play this weekend. Sasha is a badger and I’m a Gopher. We will see who is standing on Monday.
-football: Charlo and Polson enter the quarterfinals. Polson has home-field advantage against Belgrade while Charlo travels to Sheridan
-volleyball: Polson, Ronan, Mission and Charlo all have divisional play this weekend