Rod's Monday Thoughts

Boys basketball teams get to begin or already began practice across the state today and the girls are beginning their second week. Terry Becker had his Governors on the court at 5:30 a.m. this morning for their first day of two a days. Pierre, the consolation champions of last year's state AA tournament with their "Running Govs" offense look to do much the same this year. So if you suit up for the varsity, you'll likely play. Only 3 seniors this year. Graham Schuetzle, Tyrelle Walker and Drew Brandnor. Graham and Tyrelle are the only two that saw extensive varsity time last year. Pierre opens at Mitchell a week from Friday and then host Brandon Valley the following night. The Pierre girls have two seniors who did not go out last year out again this year. Jordyn Anderson and Mandi Atkins. The Lady Govs also look to run this year. Anderson is a sprinter in track and 6' tall to go along with 6 footer Amber Olson. The three senior guards back from last year's team look to be the leaders. Linsey Petersen, Paige Burkett and Amanda Stout.

Steph Paluch had a career night on Friday for SDSU scoring 14 points in 14 minutes, both career high's. 3 for 3 from 3 point range and 5 for 7 from the field plus a couple or more rebounds. Michael Tveidt is averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds to lead the NDSU Bison. Sam Willard was limited to 4 points in the last couple of Pacific games but foul trouble may have been a big reason why. He is still around double figures in scoring average. And high school wrestling begins this week. Pierre is having open challange matches at Riggs High Gym at 5:30 tonight. Public can come and watch as long as they bring a bottle of gatorade for their admission. Pierre begins Saturday at the 8 team Watertown dual invitational. Stanley County and Lyman open the dual season tomorrow night in Presho in a quadrangular before most of central S.D. comes to Ft. Pierre this weekend for the Buffalos Inviational Friday and Saturday.

And Nebraska can beat Texas on Saturday in the Big 12 Conference title game in Dallas. Ball control, no penalties and the defense will have to come up with some big turnovers and probably even have to score a TD or two along the way. But the Huskers have the advantage in the kicking game. Alex Henery is the perfect example why every high school soccer player who ever thought of playing football in college should go to the coach and try out. Henery was a walk on, and earned a full ride scholarship while putting his name in the "legends book" of Nebraska Cornhusker football.

There, a positive post today. No mention of whether or not the NFL is making sure that Brett Favre gets the pee cup. How can any guy that old play that well without some help? So what if he is! All he would have to do is say "I didn't know what was in it". I bet the Williams boys could help him out!! But then the NFL allows Jarred Allen to get away with his stupid excessive celebrating after a qb sack without a penalty. Oh well, maybe the refs are getting sore arms throwing all those flags for holding this year.

And for awhile on Saturday I was thinking that the Minnesota Golden Gophers could compete in the NCAA FCS. Maybe even win it. That was when SDSU was ahead of number 1 seed Montana 41-14. After further review and 47 points later, maybe the Gophers should just be happy going to the insight dot toilet bowl game or whatever one they are eligible to go to. SDSU I am afraid undid in one quarter what they have been building up for the last 3 to 4 years.

Rod's Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving is a time to give Thanks, thus the Thanks part of Thanks-giving. A few things that I am thankful for? I am thankful I am not a Vikings fan of course. Cowboys also. Most of the Cowboy fans I know are fans under pressure. Always checking Cowboys.com and some of them that I know are such die hard fans that they can't even stand watching them play when they are on TV! Although I do hope that Miles Austin does well on a weekly basis. His mother was in high school back in the late 70's when I worked in O'Neill, Neb. and Ann was one very good athlete. I proudly tell people that I had a chance to broadcast Miles' mom as an athlete or as we in the business term it, I play by played her! As a matter of fact, I am seriously considering not having a favorite professional team anymore and just being a fan! Although some of the professional cry babies make even that kinda tough. I am thankful for being in the position I am in. Face it, there are alot of people out there that don't have a job. I am thankful that I get to cover high school sports. I have been really blessed with the opportunity to broadcast and cover some outstanding and talented athletes over the last 30 years. And I am thankful for the wonderful group of coaches we have in our area schools who are willing to interview with me, many on a weekly basis. I am no Bill O'Reilly when it comes to interviewing but we usually get to the bottom line most times. I guess mostly I thank all of you who listen in to our broadcast and many times offer a kind word on how we are doing. And to those of you who's words aren't quite as kind I thank you also. Face it, If I were doing everything right, I would venture to say I might be elsewhere this Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving and If I can hope one Thanksgiving wish for you it would be this. Adopt the attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings. And make a commitment to say "Thank you" to the One who made your blessings possible.

Rod's Monday Thoughts Part 2

The following story that cleared the Associated Press Wire on Monday caught my eye.

WIGAN, England (AP) - The outcome was so embarrassing that Wigan's players want to refund the cost of tickets to their fans. Wigan was routed 9-1 by Tottenham on Sunday, matching a league record for most goals scored by a team in a game. Jermain Defoe scored five of Tottenham's eight goals in the second half at White Hart Lane . Wigan defender Mario Melchiot said the players wanted to apologize to their fans who traveled to the game by paying the cost of their tickets. Melchiot says "as a group of professionals we wereembarrassed by the way we performed."

If more of my professional team's took this route, I'd never have to pay out of pocket for my NFL Sunday Ticket ( Bears ), Major League Baseball Extra Innings ( Cubs ) or when we subscribed to it, NBA League Pass ( Timberwolves ). They'd be paying me to watch them!!!!!! Leave it to the Brits.

Rod's Monday Thoughts

Another Monday morning and Vikings fans celebrating another BIG Viking victory over another hapless opponent, the Seattle Seahawks. The NFC is full of some really bad football team's this year and the NFC North Division leads the way and to their credit the Vikings have taken advantage and they haven't even played the most underachieving team in the NFL yet with the most overated quarterback. The Bears need to clean house beginning at the general managers position and sit down at a team retreat and ask themselves, who are we? With any luck, Mike Shanahan will be named the new Buffalo head coach and he will contact the Bears and do us all a favor. Get Jay Cutler into a Bills uniform so he, just like Terrell Owens can dissapear in the obscurity of the AFC East. Lions fans, hang in there. As long as Matthew Stafford stays healthy and Matt Millen is not asked for drafting advice, the Lions could very well in 2 years be where the Vikings are today. Remember, in two years, the Vikings will have Tavaras Jackson back at quarterback!!!! And besides in 2012 when the Vikings move to whatever new city they go to because they didn't get a new stadium (so Zigi will pick up his team and play elsewhere), the NFC North will be just as weak as it is this year with the addition of St. Louis to the North.

Andy Shoe's Scuttlebutts

I know baseball season is long gone, or a long way off but I thought I would write a little on the Twins this week. I know that Major League Baseball is a business and that owners are constantly trying to improve their clubs, but some trades do not make sense to me. I think the Twins front office made a mistake in sending Gomez to Milwaukee, even though they got Hardy. Some times a player's worth can't just be his stat sheet. Sometimes a player has other attributes that make him a value to his team. In the case of Gomez, consistency was not a strong trait, but excitement was always there and down the stretch this is a team that has used the excitement of individuals to carry them into the post season as a team. The Twins were outfield strong with four pretty good outfielders and only three game-day spots to put them in but it always seems that one of the four were on the DL at one time or another. Last year the Twins went out and picked up Joe Crede and gambled on his back. It was not a gamble that paid off down the stretch run. I was critical then as I am now about Hardy. I think Hardy will be a good player in the future for the Twins, but for a team on the door step of doing something extraordinary, I think mixing up the team will be hard to come back from. The front office of the Twins should concentrate on the signing of their big names and not the trading of their potential. I will still be a fan and will sit back with an open mind about Hardy. I just think it is time to keep the team together and continue to improve.

Rod's Thursday Thoughts

Mama's don't let your babies grow up to be Vikings fans. Because in 2012 the Vikings may be the Los Angeles Vikings? I think not. But the LA somethings. They are building a new stadium and the Vikings will more than willingly make the move after yesterday. The Associated Press report that the Vikings "vehemently" (that is a strong word in the journalisic world) rejected a proposal from the Metropolitan Sports Commission to extend their Metrodome lease 2 more years to buy the commission time to figure out the stadium situation. There is no give or take by either side it looks like. Vikings officials are probably chomping at the bit to move to a warmer weather climate and will more than likely agree to almost anything within reason with LA officials to move to the nation's second largest fan and TV market and brand spanking new state of the art stadium they are building. They are probably looking for a loophole right now, if they haven't found one already, that would get them out of the Metrodome and into the sun of LA at least a year earlier. According to the AP report vice president Lester Bagley says it sent a "chilling message" to Vikings ownership and the NFL about their prospects of staying in Minnesota for the long term. The Vikings know they were left on the short end of the new stadium funding in Minneapolis and Minnesota voters and tax payers have said enough. So has Zigi Wilf and company. Zigi has no loyalty to Minnesota. He is a New Jersey guy and a pretty efficient and successful business tycoon. So Enough of Minnesota's winters. Just like the Vikings warriors of centuries ago, this group of Vikings is looking like they are preparing to head west! Save up those Vikings helmets and purple jerseys. They may be a collectors item sooner than later. And mama's you may have let your babies grow up to be (gulp) Packer fans. Or Bears!!

Brian's Wednesday Woo-hoo's

I haven't spouted off since last weekend's football championships, so first things first - congratulations to the 6 champions, including the 2 that I didn't pick. Fittingly, since I couldn't pick many 11A games right in the postseason, it stands to reason I'd miss the championship, too. I guess I either grossly underestimated Milbank or overestimated St. Thomas More. But you know, that's what made these championship games so great. We had a game with very few surprises (Howard 40, Emery/Ethan 16), a game that kept me in disbelief from start to finish (Milbank 34, STM 20), and one with an outstanding first half by the underdog, but an inevitable second half by the favorite (Washington 27, Aberdeen Central 10). There was a smashmouth mild upset between two perennial top teams (Hanson 20, Avon 16), and there was a nailbiter that went to the wire in maybe the best game overall for fans of offense (Hitchcock-Tulare 32, DRSM 28). And then, there was South Dakota's own Immaculate Reception. Our own LSU-Kentucky. What can you say about the fantastic finish that gave Winner their first championship in 20 years, which is hard enough in itself to believe? Congratulations Warriors - you made Central and Western SD proud!! I know that last play made it to YouTube, but has anyone seen it on ESPN this week? (I haven't, but I had hoped to.)

So now we turn our attention to State Volleyball Tournaments this weekend, where in my humble opinion, there is one interesting similarity across all classes. Each tournament field has clear-cut favorites, not one, but two, in each class. Aberdeen & Roosevelt in AA, Wagner & SF Christian in A, and Arlington & Warner in the B. However, if you know anything about volleyball, you know that nothing is for certain when you put 8 quality teams together in one tournament bracket. It should be fun to watch. Keep in mind, we'll have all White River and Highmore-Harrold broadcasts from the B (too bad they have to play each other in the first round) on KPLO, as well as all Mobridge-Pollock broadcasts in the A on Star99. Any one of these 3 teams are capable of making a lot of noise in their tournaments, so we wish them all the best of luck.

Rod's Tuesday Thoughts

I was just thinking about the number of Pierre Riggs High alumnus that are playing collegiatly. Just a few. Michael Tveidt, basketball at North Dakota State. Sam Willard, basketball at Pacific (had 17 points and 8 rebounds last night). Steph Paluch and Katie Lingle, basketball at South Dakota State. Gina Geffre is on the Black Hills State volleyball team still playing in the NAIA playoffs. Kylee Lamb, a Sully Buttes grad is also on that team. Josh Breske was just named all conference for the BHSU football team. So was Andy Smith. And Stanley County grad Sam Ostarello looks like she may have a bright future at Purdue. And that is just a handful. There are others competing in golf, track and field, cross country, soccer and a smattering of other sports. This is not a whos who in college sports from Pierre but it is an example that competitive sports can be accomplished for anyone who wants to put the work in after they leave high school and more importantly beginning well before they graduate. But Put the Work In is the key phrase. And that begins with the individual. Not the coach, not mom and dad and how much they can spend, but the individual. After just finishing the high school football season we have to face the fact that it will be very tough to compete with the Sioux Falls Schools who have programs built up that are like College 101. It makes it a daunting task for the Pierre's and Huron's and Mitchell's and even Brookings' of the world trying to even get to a LEVEL playing field let alone get on one higher. Basketball has not reached the Sioux Falls dominance that football has but it is headed in that direction. The smaller schools still are on an even playing field in sports like Track and Field and golf and to some extent cross country. But tennis? That has been a Sioux Falls and Rapid City sport for more than the last decade and the only sport that Rapid City can even compete in against the Sioux Falls schools. And you can see it turning in Sioux Falls direction in soccer also. It is a daunting task for our up and coming high school athletes in Pierre. Hopefully we have those willing to take on the task and willing to do what it takes. One of my favorite quotes is from TV preacher Robert Schuller. He even wrote a book on it. "Tough Times Never Last. But Tough People Do!"

Rod's Monday Thoughts

Are the Minnesota Vikings the beneficiary of a weak schedule? Lets take a look at the first 9 games. Cleveland has a record of 1-7 going into their game tonight with Baltimore, another Vikings opponent who they beat thanks to a last second field goal being no good and are .500 at 4-4. Detroit is 1-8 and Minnesota beat them twice. St. Louis is 1-8. That's three 1 win teams the Vikings played and to their credit beat. Only two teams of the first nine are above the .500 mark so far on the season. Green Bay is 5-4 and Pittsburgh is 6-3. San Francisco, which the Vikings beat on the second to last play of the game is 4-5 or 1 game under .500. Cumulative record of the opponents in the first 9 games, 22 wins and 39 losses. Not an impressive statistic, but as the pundits say, you can only play the schedule you are given. Let’s take a look at the rest of the schedule which consist of Seattle 3-6-0, Chicago(twice) 4-5-0, Arizona 6-3-0, Cincinnati 7-2-0, Carolina 4-5-0 and the New York Giants 5-4-0. 3 teams are above .500 and the other two are below .500 with a cumulative record of 25 wins and 27 losses. The Vikings will beat Seattle this Sunday. They will beat Chicago in Minneapolis. And it is starting already yesterday when Paul “Homer” (have you heard him announce a Vikings game? No doubt who he is employed by) Allen already was lamenting that the Vikings have just one home game in December. A game they could very well lose to a good Cincinnati Bengals team. They might win at Arizona although history shows they don’t very often. Wins at Carolina and at Chicago in late December are iffy at best and you never know which Eli Manning will show up with the Giants for the last game of the season. So are the Vikings as good as that 8-1 record? Fans should pray every night that Brett Favre-ulous stays healthy!

Rod's Friday Thoughts

Being a Chicago Bears fan, today is not a fun day. I gave up watching the 11B championship game Thursday night so I could watch the Bears and San Francisco. I should of watched Winner and Tri Valley. At 12-6 there was more offense than what I saw in the Bears 10-6 loss to San Francisco. The Bears brought in this prime time quarterback and paid, actually overpaid, him quite well. So what has Mr. Prime Time QB Jay Cutler done? In his 3 Prime Time appearances, he has thrown 11 interceptions compared to 6 during the day games. 11 in 3 games compared to 6 in the other 6. I can be a "I told you so kinda guy" and if you have followed these post, you know that I was not a Cutler fan. He is playing in a division where they play and relish playing defense. The NFC North. Not the AFC West where they played defense the last couple of years only because the had too! And now, because of his salary and the trade with Denver, the Bears in the words of that old Bobby Bare song, "We got em boy, so that must make me a winner". Actually, rewrite the song to "we got em boy, so when are we going to be a winner". The Bears signed him and then with the wisdom of anybody but Soloman, gave him an extention right away. So now you have a prime time quarterback being paid a primetime price now quarterbacking a team that will probably not make it to a prime time game again this year. Team's with losing records usually don't. Instead of paying dearly in money and draft picks, and by the way there is no first or second round pick for the Bears thanks to our prime timer JC in the near future, the Bears should have spent the money getting offensive lineman that can block and recievers that can catch. Chicago is a team that is built and always has been built to run the football. They are the worst team in the league now running the football. They have offensive lineman that cannot block, but do hold and get caught holding on a regular basis, so they do lead the league in something.

I would like to congratulate the fans of the NFC North Champion Minnesota Vikings. In a division that features Detroit, Chicago and Green Bay who after Sunday will join the Bears 4 games back of Minnesota with 7 left to play. What a division. And what a game I chose not to watch on TV in Vermillion last night. So with 17 interceptions in 9 games to lead the league, what can Jay do next? If I were a defensive back with the Bears coming up on my schedule I'd be wettn the old undies just waiting to get on the field.

Brian calls the championships

Well, a fun season of high school football comes to an end this weekend, and as wild as things have been at times, my second straight round of playoff picks only missing one game may be an indication that the cream has definitely risen to the top in all 6 classes. I picked all home teams last Saturday, and unfortunately, Lyman was the only one to break the mold, but although certain goals were not met by area teams, let not lose sight on all the fine accomplishments we've been able to see this season. And with that, let's get the season over with and move on to the winter season. Here are the championship picks in the order of the games as they will be played.

11A - Finally, St. Thomas More goes to the Dome as the clear favorite, and I do not see them disappointing. Finally, a West River champion. STM 37, Milbank 16

11B - Could we possibly have two West River champions in one today? Well, maybe Saturday's semifinal results give the edge to 2-time defending champion Tri-Valley, and if I were to lay a 20 down in Vegas, I'd probably take Tri-Valley, but since I've been picking Winner all season long, I will continue believing in them. WINNER 21, Tri-Valley 20

9A - A clash of perennial 9-man powers. Avon beat Hanson 30-0 in Week 2, but this game will not resemble that one at all. Still, Avon should have enough fire power to stay a couple of steps ahead. AVON 34, Hanson 24

9AA - Not saying they were overlooked, but in the event that Emery/Ethan just might have been, I don't think Howard will be doing the same. E/E's only loss was 34-22 in Week 5 to Howard, and I think this game will be similar, but maybe a little higher-scoring. Howard has scored 197 points in 3 playoff games. HOWARD 46, Emery/Ethan 30

9B - 9B was pretty weak this year, but clearly the two best teams are the ones still alive. I've expected Hitchcock-Tulare to be back in the Dome since playing well, but coming up short to Hanson in last year's title tilt. DRSM's only loss came to Estelline, who went unbeaten through the regular season. HITCHCOCK-TULARE 30, Dell Rapids St. Mary 22

11AA - The matchup many (outside of Sioux Falls) expected, and maybe had hoped for all season long. The hope obviously being that an ESD school can bring down the Evil Empire, so to speak. If Aberdeen's defense can control the game and Jared Hannigan gives us all an unforgettable performance, then we'll definitely be talking around the water coolers on Monday morning a little longer than usual. But still, do you ever feel like SF football is like the Yankees? You might say you either love 'em or you hate 'em, but in another sense, you respect their ability as superior. But boy, you just get so sick and tired of the monotony all the while. :o) I'd like to think it ends Saturday night, but holy crap, is Washington good!!! SF WASHINGTON 35, Aberdeen Central 17.

Congrats to all who made it this far. Personally, I'm looking forward to State Volleyball Tournaments next weekend, which we'll talk about next week. Later.....
- Radiooo

Rod's Tuesday Thoughts

One thing nice about writing blogs is that people can read it and leave one thinking "Does he really believe what he is saying". Only the blog writer knows for sure. So in that vain, I have come up with a new playoff plan for football in South Dakota's high schools that has nothing on the BCS in college football. But here goes.

In Class 11AA not alot of changes except that if you aren't a member of the ESD or the GDC, your not a 11AA playoff participant. Current regular season schedule stays as is, 9 games, 7 conference, 2 non conference. No byes. And you go by final conference standings. No power points. First round of playoffs. Cross bracket. Number 1 ESD plays No. 8 GDC while Number 1 GDC plays Number 8 ESD. And all games are played at neutral sites. Lets say, Pierre vs. S.F. Washington would be played at Huron. Brookings vs. Sturgis is played in Pierre, Yankton vs. Spearfish would be in Aberdeen etc. That way there is no in town, 2 mile road trips. No Lincoln vs. O'Gorman or RC Stevens vs. RC Central. Second round games would involve highest ESD/GDC vs. lowest according to final conference standings. Semi's the same all at neutral sites. And games should be played on the weekends to avoid missed school time. This probably means the season starts a week earlier than it does now. It would even out the budgeting process.

The other 5 divisions, use the power point system if you must but it should have a 8 game regular season schedule for everyone, but two of those games should be teams from different regions within your own classification. For instance, a Region 4 team and a Region 3 team has a Region 2 and a Region 1 team on their schedule. 1 home and 1 on the road. This is the west river vs. east river thing designed to get west river teams an opportunity to play other competition so they have an idea of what to expect if they make it to the playoffs. Again, Harding County vs. Gayville-Volin for instance should probably be scheduled at a neutral site like Highmore. Playoffs come around and Region 3 and 4 should cross bracket as should Region 1 and 2 with for instance, Region 4 number 1 team playing Region 3 number 4 and the like. Forget the wild card stuff. And again, neutral sites for the playoffs. Then when you get to the semi finals you have number 2 west region vs. number 1 east and vice versa.

This is interesting. I like it!! I don't know if I beleive it, but I like it!!!

Rod's Football thoughts

Finally, an ESD team back into the 11AA championship. Congrats to Aberdeen Central. And Sully Buttes found out that Hanson is no Harding County. Lyman's west river schedule was no match for for Emery-Ethan (I lost a freindly wager for entertainment purposes only on that one and the last time I listen to my esteemed colleagues on sure bets) and west river 9B football, even though Gettysburg is technically east river, just doesn't matchup with east river teams for whatever reason. Winner and St. Thomas More are the only west river teams that can come remotely close to beating our east river foes. And they are playing next week for a championship. And the ref's in the Husker-Oklahoma game must be getting paid by how many penalty flags they can throw. I don't know. Perhaps we could ask Stu Whitney what can be done to make the playoffs more even for both sides of the river? That is if Stu knows there is a river that runs through us.

Andy Shoe's Scuttlebutts

Well all of my fellow Sportscasters are talking about the football playoffs, or a at least some of them are, so I thought I would talk some basketball. Yes if you are a college basketball fan then you are biting at the bit about the upcoming season. Who will win it all? I know there are a lot of Tar Heel faithful out there that feel it will happen again for them or is it time for Michigan State to run the table. How about South Dakota State and their powerhouse Women's team? So many questions will be answered this March. I have to tell you that March Madness is my favorite time of the year next to New Years and all of the bowl games. I love seeing all the teams, the bands, the hoopla and of course the tourney itself. I love to get into the office pool and try and pick the upsets and wait intensely for The Final Four. It is magical and so many people sit at the edge of their seats to see if their favorites will advance or will a fifteen seat beat them? Yes the Sweet Sixteen the Elite Eight and finally The Final Four it is just perfect the way they have it. The NBA season is in full swing and it looks as if there could be some teams that will dominate the league this season in Boston and LA, but how about Cleavland? What do you think there after picking up Oneil? I thought he would be a good piece to the puzzle but so far it doesn't look good for the Cav's. Oh well I am not as big a fan of The NBA as I am of College Basketball but do try to follow it as much as I can. I am very interested in what will happen this year in High School basketball. It will be interesting to say the least with as much parity as there should be this season. I only hope that it is as entertaining as it looks like it could be. How ever it goes on the hard woods this winter I hope to see all of you there rooting on your favorite teams.

Rod's Friday Thoughts

Since I have only seen Class 11AA football this year, I do not feel qualified to make any picks in any of the other classes. But in 11AA the winners tomorrow will be Sioux Falls Washington and Aberdeen Central. And Washington will win by a sizable amount next week in the Dakotadome. Who do I hope win. Lyman in 9AA. Sully Buttes in 9A and Gettysburg in 9B. Lyman is probably the only one of those 3 that have a chance. Winner in 11B would be a nice thing and really, in 11A unless your from an 11A school district, who really cares. Although Todd County would be an interesting one to watch how they would do in the dome.

Brian's look at the Final Four's

Well, only two game days left, and the football season will be over. I don't know what's harder to believe - how quickly the football season seems to go every year, or how quickly two and a half months seems to go. I guess they're one and the same, so one thing's for sure - time is fun when you're having flies. :)
You know what's fun? Going 23-1 in game picks for the quarterfinal round, and the one I picked wrong shouldn't surprise anyone. I don't think anyone picked Dakota Valley to go into Harrisburg and come out a winner, let alone with a shutout! I don't suppose they can travel 425 miles and beat St. Thomas More now, can they? Nahhh....

My picks will be pretty mundane for Saturday's semifinals - as it turns out, my money is on the home teams in all 12 games, but that doesn't mean there won't be some good ones.

In 11AA, Aberdeen has looked as good as anyone, and their unbeaten run started with a win over O'Gorman, who they will host on Saturday. And I just don't think there is a better team than SF Washington, although if anyone can upset them, it might be Brandon Valley. This game might have about 80 points on the board when it's over.

11A now seems to be St. Thomas More's to lose, although I might have said that about Harrisburg last week. STM just seems to be as strong this year as they were when they were dominating 11B, at least for the first 11 games of the season. With all the really heavy hitters gone, I'll be glad to see Coach Sully get that first championship trophy. Meanwhile, it's been a great run for Todd Co., but Milbank seems to be peaking here in the postseason and will be very tough at home.

In 11B, how cool is it that we have four unbeatens still going in the semifinals? Still, say what you want, 11B has been the Tri-Valley and Winner Show all season long. Tri-Valley has won the last two championships, and this year might be their best team, but Winner hasn't lost their 11A touch, even though they dropped to 11B this year. Roncalli and Wagner have great seasons and great programs, but not enough to move on to the Dome. Although, Roncalli might be able to play enough defense to pull out a low-scoring stunner. (just thought I'd put that out there)

9AA is looking a lot like many people probably thought it would 8 weeks ago, with one exception - were we supposed to know that Leola/Frederick would be unbeaten at this time? Like I've said before, they're the quietest undefeated team we've seen in quite a while. Unfortunately, Howard is too good, and too experienced, not to expect them to move on. Howard, like Winner, moved down a class this year, but they're still playing with the quality of the upper class. But of course, it's still Lyman controlling their own destiny. And the thing I love the most about Lyman is that they've given Central South Dakota something to be really excited about, as have our other area teams that are still alive. Keep it going, Raiders!! (KPLO)

In 9A, just like last year, I don't think there is anyone who can hold a candle to Avon. Early in the year, I thought Hanson would, but a 30-0 shutout by the Pirates ended that thought. Still, Hanson has to be feared. Look at their 3 losses: Avon, Howard, Emery/Ethan - two combined losses among those three teams, all still playing in tomorrow's semifinals. But you know, Sully Buttes went a long way in proving how good they are on Monday night, beating Harding Co., who might have had one of their better teams in recent years. Hanson has shown some vulnerability in two of their losses, so maybe there are things that the Chargers will be able to exploit. This should be a good one, and some us will be there to see it. ;oP (KGFX)

And 9B, I'll reiterate what I've been saying for quite a while - Hitchcock-Tulare and Dells St. Mary are the class of the class. H-T should have no trouble with Warner, who got a gift in going out west as an at-large team and winning two games. But DRSM should have their hands full with Gettysburg. The Battlers may have played their best game against Scotland, but they looked like they might have been looking past a very good Sunshine Bible team on Monday night. With some focus, maybe the Battlers can win with their extensive experience on Saturday afternoon. (KMLO)

So that's a preview of Saturday for you. Best of luck to our area teams! I'd also like to remind folks to listen to the games on the website, and feel free to use the chat room that we've got set up now. The chat room was busy Monday night, and we love to see that, and who knows, maybe your old high school sweetheart will be listening and chatting away - (cue Love Boat Theme). Have a great football Saturday!!
- Radiooo

Darren Boyle's Weekly Words of Wisdom "The Playoffs Continue"

As I mentioned in my last post there were alot of good football teams in our area this year. Over the years there have been several teams that have consistently been there when the playoffs started, but how long has it been that we have had five area teams in the football playoff "final four"? Gettysburg has been to the semi finals several times, earning more trips to the title game than anyone in the 9 man ranks. Their comeback win over a tough Sunshine Bible squad Monday night gives them yet another opprotunity as they face Dell Rapids St.Marys.. I gave Sully Buttes a punchers chance against Harding County and the Chargers took care of business getting a hard fought win. I would think that after the long trip to Buffalo, the trip to Hanson wont be too intimidating. And with the weather forecast talking of sunshine and good weather Saturday, I can't help but think that Sully Buttes again will have a "punchers chance" against the Beavers. Todd County has had a great season and they have earned their spot in the semi finals, but they probally have the biggest test of any area team as they make the trek to Milbank. Winner has looked strong all year in their first season in class 11B, their performance in the regular season gave them the #1 seed through the playoffs and they will enjoy home field as they host Wagner. The Warriors are GOOD folks, dont be surprised when they take home the 11B hardware next week. And finally the Lyman Raiders, who also earned the #1 seed throughout the playoffs. They will host another team with extensive playoff experience, the Emery-Ethan C-Hawks. (5:00 kickoff on KPLO by the way) This will be alot closer game than most 1 vs. 4 seed games would be. E-E has been there and done that as far as the playoffs are concerned and being on the road will be no big deal for them. Lyman has been playing some of their best football during the playoffs. And the biggest difference between this year and last year is the majority of the kids hit the weight room during the offseason. As you remember, the Raiders got outsized a little bit by Marion-Hurley in the semi finals last year. And this years senior class made sure it didnt happen this year. The kids deserve alot of credit along with the Raider coaching staff, who made sure the weight room was open when needed. That is how a program is built. I will go out a limb and predict that three of the five area teams will be playing again next week. Winner is an easy pick over the Red Raiders. Lyman will defeat Emery Ethan but it will take four quarters of quality football to get the job done, and the Raiders will make their first trip to the dome since the 90's. (believe it or not I called that game, does that make me old?) And if Sully Buttes has any gas left in the tank they will score in the final minutes and defeat Hanson. I believe in the Chargers passing game. What do you think?

Brian on Second Season Week2

I found out from last Tuesday's high school football playoff first round that there is such a thing as "October Madness" (similar to March Madness). No class was more shaken up than 11A, where West Central went down for the second straight season within their own region, and what a performance by the Sisseton QB, which I'm sure we've all heard about now. His 600+ passing effort, as I understand it, ranks 9th all-time in the nation!! Not only that, but defending champion Dell Rapids was bounced in the same region by Milbank. The door is officially open for teams like Harrisburg and St. Thomas More to finally get their first 11A championships. Overall, my picks of the first round, other than 11A, weren't too bad, but certainly could have been better. 37-11 overall; 7-1 in 11AA, only 4-4 in 11A, 7-1 in 11B, 6-2 in 9AA and 9A, and 7-1 in 9B. Let's see what tonight's Region Championship/Quarterfinal Round, holds in store. I can see already that it's going to be hard for me to pick against home teams.

11AA:
9)RC Stevens at 1)ABERDEEN CENTRAL -- no reason to think Eagles won't continue rolling
5)SF Roosevelt at 4) SF O'GORMAN -- Knights beat Roosy 7-0 early this season
7)Yankton at 2)SF WASHINGTON -- Hard to see Washington being stopped at all
6)Pierre at 3)BRANDON VALLEY -- Govs MUST get into Sumner's head tonight!!!

11A:
Sisseton at MILBANK -- Sisseton won't catch Milbank off guard, like they did WC
Dakota Valley at HARRISBURG -- this could be a great game, but Tigers are favorites now
Pine Ridge at TODD CO. -- a region championship in a great season for Falcons!
Belle Fourche at ST. THOMAS MORE -- Cavaliers with eyes on the prize

11B:
Redfield/Doland at ABDN RONCALLI -- Redfield playing great, but this is Roncalli now
Flandreau at TRI-VALLEY -- Flandreau ends season with 2 losses (both to T-V)
Platte-G/DC at WAGNER -- 36-15 Wagner in Week8 - might be closer tonight, but not a complete turnaround
Mobridge at WINNER -- Mobridge might be a region champ in a different region, but Winner's too good

9AA:
Langford/Roslyn at LEOLA/FREDERICK -- L/F wins a close one to stay unbeaten (till Saturday)
Chester at HOWARD -- we haven't heard much from these guys, but Howard is still around
Canistota/Bridgewater at EMERY/ETHAN -- I still say watch out for E/E
Herreid/Selby at LYMAN -- the game of the night; Raiders score twice in the fourth to put it on ice

9A:
Castlewood at ARLINGTON -- a 40-6 game between these two just a couple of weeks ago
Mt. Vernon at HANSON -- experience wins out; these two played to 8-6 a while back
Irene-Wakonda at AVON -- only mercy rule game tonight?
SULLY BUTTES at Harding Co. -- Sully blew out Wall, who took HC to OT in Week5

9B:
Waverly/SS at HITCHCOCK-TULARE -- W/SS looks tough, but not too tough to beat H-T
Viborg at DELL RAPIDS ST. MARY -- DRSM on a mission since their only loss this year
Sunshine Bible at GETTYSBURG -- (on KGFX) could be a good one, but Battlers have the experience
WARNER at New Underwood -- the at-large team makes the semis

I'm only picking against two home teams, but several could be challenged. This is usually one of the best nights of football because the mercy rule matchups are pretty much over, maybe with one or two exceptions. Most everyone playing in this round has at least an outside shot to go all the way, if everything falls into place. We've got good games on all DRG stations tonight, so get the radios on, get the website up, and chat away in the chat room. Otherwise, have a great night at the games, and good luck everyone!
- Radiooo

It's Monday from Rod6

Here we are getting ready to play Monday Night Football South Dakota style. Here is the surest way for teams that are favored and should win tonight to lose. Turnovers. Fumbles, Interceptions. Turnovers are the great equalizer. Turnovers and injuries. Pierre is facing injuries for the first time that might hamper thier lineup. Most notably, running back Adam Deneke has been bothered by a bad back but he still may play. He may even start. Graham Schuetzle hurt his shoulder pretty good last week, but he is going to start, both ways. Being Tough. Being Determined. And don't turn the football over. You do that, you got a chance.

Steph Paluch and Katie Lingle played their first collegiate basketball game yesterday when SDSU beat Wayne State 96-51 in an exhibition game. Steph played 8 minutes had 2 offensive rebounds and 2 points. Katie only played 2 minutes but had 6points and 2 defensive rebounds. And I see a former teammate of theirs at Riggs has made another move in search of a college basketball opportunity. Sierra Moeller transferred from Boise State to Kansas. Now she has transferred and will be playing Division 2 ball at Washburn University in Topeka. Otherwise, Michael Tveidt is getting ready to be the leader of his NDSU team and Sam Willard is expecting big things and his coach is too at Pacific. Hard to believe that college basketball is gearing up. And that means high school basketball isn't far behind.

And the difference the Vikings have in Brett Favre and what they had in Tavaras Jackson. THE OFFENSIVE LINE IS BLOCKING. With the time Favre had yesterday to throw, Tavaras could have been the qb being booed off the field. Blocking for the qb is something the Packers and Bears really haven't figured out yet against the good teams. And in the Bears case, the bad teams.