The sporting world can finally pause and catch its breath after two weeks of non-stop
Olympic action from Paris. Like most of you, I watched more than a fair share of the television coverage, including events that I really knew little, if anything, about, yet I watched the athletes in action.
You could tell over the course of the events that the world is starting to catch up to the US
in several of the major sports, while the Red, White, and Blue are making significant strides in some of the so-called “minor” competitions. With our population base, superb training
facilities, and outstanding feeder programs and college athletics, we should always be the
standard for winning medals (even though we tied China with 40 golds, we still overwhelmed the field with a total of 126 medals, the Chinese next with 91 followed by Great Britain with 65, the host French with 64, and the Australians’ 53).
I’m constantly amazed by the variety of countries that produce medal winners even though
they are involved in situations that would seem to make it impossible to even participate in the Games. You have to feel good for the Ukrainian female high jumper, the Israeli windsurfer, the Pakistani javelin thrower, and the Botswana 200-meter runner, along with others who all claimed gold. Champions who all overcame hindrances to their success! Was is not great watching the sheer joy expressed by winning athletes and teams?
Thank you Steph Curry for hitting four clutch three-point shots in the final few minutes of the mens basketball gold medal win over France and condolences to Gabby Williams of the French squad for having one foot just over the three-point line in hitting a final buzzer shot against the American women, thereby coming up one point short of putting the championship into overtime!!
Overall, a great Olympics, a fitting tribute to the power of sports to bring the world to a
common place for the enjoyment of competition and accomplishment free of politics and strife. On to Los Angeles in ‘28!!
High school football kicks off Thursday the 22nd with the Green Wave of Greenville traveling to Eaton while all other area schools line up on Friday the 23th. Be watching for the Round Table panel discussion on MyCountyLink in the next week or so as Gaylen Blosser, Mike Stegall, Ty House, and myself look at the prospects of area teams and league favorites.
The Dayton Daily News published a list of some of the better players suiting up this fall from around the greater Dayton area (sorry to say that the northern Miami Valley wasn’t covered because there are some outstanding athletes up there!). Let’s take a look at a few gridders mentioned—
From the Miami Valley League come quarterbacks Gavin McManus of Xenia, Devin
McCormick of Stebbins, and Troy’s Aiden Kirkpatrick. Other signal callers are Bradford’s Owen Canan, Preble Shawnee’s Brody Morton, Miami East’s KJ Gustin, and Cooper Mears of Bethel.
Local running backs mentioned are Piqua’s Jericho Burns, Sidney’s Julius Spradling and
Isaiah Foster, Butler’s Kaiden Bates, and Cordis Berard of Eaton.
Shawn Fishwick of Xenia, Deshawn Cunningham of Stebbins, Butler’s Tayven Crump, Tipp’s
Jackson Davis, and Sidney’s Ethan New represent MVL receivers while Preble Shawnee’s Isaac Blankenship and Reece Smith along with Eaton’s Conner Bach shine for the SWBL. On the offensive line Luke Carter of Sidney and Stebbins’ Isiah Saudemire are members of the (as the late, great announcer Keith Jackson would say) “big uglies” listed.
Defensively linemen Cam’ron Couch of Troy, Xenia’s Louis Froeman, Butler’s Riley Seibert,
Brookville’s Jordan Meyers and Preston Orr of Eaton are lauded, along with linebacker Brayden Crump of Butler. Two outstanding kickers who made the column include Troy’s Cameron Stoltz and Eaton’s Jon Hewitt.
It will be interesting, as always to see how other players develop over the course of the
season and which teams rise to the top and make their presence known in the playoffs.
Nothing like Friday Night Lights to liven the fall season and stir up community pride!!
A few final thoughts as the weather starts to feel like the early traces of fall (52 this
morning!!) and the Great Darke County Fair opens Friday—
How great was Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the US in winning the 400-meter hurdles in
world record time, and LSU pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis establishing yet another of his world record heights in winning gold, even though he represented Sweden, his mother’s native land! How about Cole Hocker sneaking by on the inside in the last few meters to pull off a stunning upset in the men’s 1500 run? And too many other highlights to mention here!
Adios to breakdancing after this Olympics—entertaining, yes; athleticism, yes; an Olympic
sport, no. One year only, not to be an event in LA.
Lastly, the Bengals and Browns played their first pre-season game with various results. If
Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson can remain upright and healthy; look for both teams to
compete for playoff spots and keep their fans happy! Have a great week!!
