The traditional end of summer has arrived with Labor Day weekend. The start of college football, schools are in full session, the air is a little crisper, final outings for camping, boating, etc, and holiday airline delays and cancellations all mean fall is here. My ultimate indicator of summer’s end—making the fourth and final batch of homemade ice cream!!
What a great first weekend of college football played at the highest levels, with some big-time matchups to whet fans’ appetites. Alabama-Florida State (‘Bama is 5-5 in the last ten games, think second-year Coach Kalen DeBoer is feeling some heat, southern style? There are reports of a possible contract buyout that would cost the Crimson Tide almost $63 million. DeBoer is probably regretting leaving Washington after leading the Huskies to the National Championship Game in 2023, proving that maybe the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere!); Notre Dame-Miami of Florida (being an original Miami alumnus I always have to get that dig in there about the Hurricanes!) was a great game to the end (I still think the Irish away uniforms are classic and my favorites along with UCLA’s); and of course, the Battle at the ‘Shoe as THE took down a highly publicized Texas Longhorn team and quarterback.
The Bucks’ defense shone, and new QB Julian Sayin played within the game plan to produce enough offense to take down the number-one-ranked team from Austin. You have to feel sorry for overhyped signal caller Arch Manning to an extent, as the pressure to perform had to be overwhelming. On the other hand, he’s 21 years old and not straight out of high school. The funniest two things I heard were that “he’s got more commercials than pass completions at halftime” and “if his last name weren’t Manning, he’d be a three-star recruit at Tulane”! He might end up being all that’s been predicted, but man, that was a rough start!
Now, THE settles in for Grambling State and Ohio University the next two weeks (although beware of the Bobcats; they should have beaten Rutgers in the opener, and they have a great band in The Marching 110!!).
Moving on to high school sports, many local football squads have gotten off to fast starts by going unbeaten in the first two weeks. Greenville’s 2-0 Wave have improved weekly and face another test Friday at longtime foe Piqua. The Indians are winless thus far, but have that tradition of hard-nosed football, so the Wave’s Wing T offense will be challenged. Elsewhere in the Miami Valley League, Butler, Tipp, and Fairborn are also undefeated, with the Aviators hosting Xenia this weekend, while the Red Devils host the SkyHawks.
In the Southwestern Buckeye League, Brookville, Carlisle, and Oakwood boast perfect marks, while in the Western Ohio Athletic Conference, Arcanum, Preble Shawnee, and Tri-Village are unblemished. Up north, Marion Local continues to roll with the nation’s longest undefeated streak of 66 games, and Versailles is off to a quick start, as is St. Henry, which hosts the mighty Flyers of ML Friday evening.
Taking a quick look at area Cross Country action over the holiday weekend, Franklin Monroe’s Ella Eshleman placed second at the Buccaneer Invitational at Covington; Jackson Spitzer led a strong Versailles team to victory at the Treaty City Invitational at Greenville with a 15:33 mark as all five Tiger scorers finished in the top ten; and the Versailles girls also took home team honors being led by Ava Rismiller’s winning time over the 5K course of 20:09.
Always a great event, the Treaty City meet is an early indicator of what individuals and teams bear watching as the fall season proceeds. Throw in strong performances of other runners from around the region, and this fall should be no different when it comes to quality competition.
The Reds have put themselves in a precarious position for making the National League playoffs by losing 8 of their last 10 games. They trail the Mets by four games with 25 left to play and face an AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays over the next three days. Don’t hold your breath on needing tickets to attend playoff games along the Riverfront.
The NFL regular season kicks off Thursday night with the always overrated America’s Team (last Super Bowl appearance was 1996!), the Cowboys, traveling to the home of the Super Bowl champion Eagles. The Bengals and Browns open Sunday in Cleveland as the Stripes seek a fast start to a season for a change, while the Brownies hope that 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco has one more good year left in his right arm. Have to like the Bengals’ chances of playoff football better than Cleveland’s!
Finally, if you get the chance and enjoy tennis, be sure to tune into the US Open coverage on ESPN/ABC as play enters the quarterfinal stages in both men’s and women’s play. I’m always amazed at the skill levels exhibited at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. Stay healthy and active!!
