Kathy and I just returned from a weekend in northern Indiana watching our two youngest grandkids play basketball, nine-year-old Millie in competitive third-grade action and seven-year-old Clarkson in a second-grade rec league program. It’s always fun watching young players learn the basics of my favorite game and looking forward to seeing how beginners develop over the next few years!
Driving up and back, we were amazed how much corn was still standing in the fields in comparison to West Central Ohio counties. Late in getting planted, with more rainfall across that part of the Hoosier state? I don’t know, but there’s work to be done!
Watched the Bengals defeat the Falcons in Madrid, Spain this morning, with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins displaying their All-Pro abilities as the Stripes move into a first-place tie in the AFC North with the Steelers at 6-2. But the real star of the game was Real Madrid Stadium Bernabeu. First completed in 1947, recent renovations have made it a modern marvel in sporting arenas. Seating 83,000, it features a retractable roof and all of the modern amenities, but the real showstopper is the playing field itself.
The natural grass surface is divided in six sections which are elevated from a “football garden” located almost 100’ below the stadium itself. When not in use as a playing surface the underground location is equipped with special growing lights, automated watering and nutrition, climate controls, and automated mowing systems. Check it out at the website bernabeu.realmadrid.com. Just amazing!!
Let’s recap what was another typical week in OHSAA football playoff action for the Midwest Athletic Conference. The “Mighty MAC” saw five teams advance to regional semifinals with Coldwater moving on in D-V; St. Henry and Versailles in D-VI (they meet for a second time this season Friday evening at the Wally Post Athletic Complex in St. Henry); and Marion Local and Minster in D-VII. The beat goes on and on every November!
Meanwhile, the Western Ohio Athletic Conference saw all four of its playoff qualifiers fall Friday as Preble Shawnee and Arcanum in D-V; Tr-Village in D-VI; and Ansonia in D-VII were all eliminated.
The Miami Valley League still has two squads playing into week three of the playoffs as Troy (after a gutsy two-point conversion late in the game overcame Lima Senior) in D-II and Tippecanoe in D-III continue down the tournament trail.
What a weekend for Versailles athletics—in addition to the football team advancing the Lady Tigers captured a regional volleyball championship in D-V and play Canfield South Range Friday at 1:30 at Wittenberg University. Meanwhile the boys cross country team finished third in the OHSAA state D-III competition at Columbus’ Fortress Obetz as senior Jackson Spitzer recorded an outstanding time of 15:00.1 in finishing second to the 14:50.7 of Fairless’ Brice Fuller. Jackson’s time was the second fastest of all four divisions so it was quite an accomplishment! And the girls team competed against tough competition in finishing 13th of 24 schools who qualified. Congratulations to the Versailles Athletic Department!
Hats off to Ansonia’s Bennett Lehman as the senior claimed his second consecutive D-IV cross country championship running a 15:30.7 in becoming one of a select group to win multiple titles! And also honorable mention to the Russia Raider boys team on a second-place finish in D-IV as sophomore Paxson Bixler finished fourth in a time of 15:39.0.
Here’s my Top Five picks for the college football playoff rankings after what was a weekend of great contests (although THE fans might not feel that way after whatever that was called at Ohio Stadium Saturday!): I think Georgia is one tough bunch of Bulldogs, so I place them first, with the undefeated Utah Utes second. Notre Dame, after a win over previously undefeated and Number One Miami (FL), is my choice for third, albeit with what is not one of the more challenging schedules this year. Undefeated Big Ten leader UCLA (what a turnaround in one year under the guidance of Bob Chesney, who succeeded Indiana’s Curt Cignetti as coach at James Madison) in my opinion is fourth, while Miami hangs on as my fifth pick. Waiting in the wings are the defending champion Hoosiers, the Crimson Tide of Alabama, and Texas Tech. Can’t bring myself to rank Texas in the top grouping! These are my picks as of this week; what are yours?
The so-called “announcer’s jinx” was evidenced Sunday again as mention was made of Falcons kicker Nick Folk not having missed a field goal attempt of 40 yards or less since October of 2017, a string of 109 straight makes. And of course he then proceeded to miss a 38-yard kick against the Bengals!
Two final items—Alfred State’s Pioneers defeated Alfred University’s Saxons 14-12 Saturday to win the annual “Traffic Light” trophy. The two schools are located in Alfred, NY and are separated by, you guessed it, just one traffic light!!
And after I spent almost 15 hours working at an election voting location on Tuesday, I received this quote from my great friend Ty House that pretty well sums it up: “I haven’t received any texts in the past few days from any politician. And here I thought we had something special going on”!! Ain’t it the truth! Have a great week, political ad-free!
