On the Road Again.L

Life on the road is tough and especially the Football Playoff Road. Over the past two years the
Tigers have played five playoff games and all on the road. The spectre of that ghost does
indeed hang over the heads of the Tiger Faithful one more time this year. With a 4-1 log
presently and three mediocre opponents-Crow Creek, Miller and Chamberlain -remaining
a 7-1 final log is in the offing and a playoff spot assured but then the old road bug-a-boo
raises its ugly head again. The unbeaten Winner Warriors are sitting at 5_0 with three games
remaining and only Belle Fourche really in their way toward a perfect season are almost assured of the No. 1 Seed in the Region and a first-round home play game. So the Tigers
at 7-1 are assured the No. 2 Seed and a first-round home playoff game. Not on your
tin type Lizzy!!!! The ever-present Bennett County Warriors are also sittiing there
at 4-1 and presently enjoying a three point edge in playoff points. The Warriors have as
do the Tigers three remaining games. Two they should handle, Hill City and Little Wound,
but the third Todd Co. is currently unbeaten and rated no. 6 in the present Class A
poll. Bennett County and Todd County clash October 16th in Mission, home lair of
the Todd Co. Falcons. The outcome of that contest may well decide the fate of the Tiger
first round home playoff ambitions. With the Winner Warriors all but assured a first
round no. 1 seed against Stanley Co. and a second round home game in the Regional
Champioship affair against the Mobridge-Bennett Co. winner, it may very well be:
HIT THAT LONG LONELY FAMILIAR PLAY ROAD FOR THE TIGERS AND
THE TIGER FAITHFUL!!! PAT MORRISON .H
TIGEREE
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as the Tigers do, but have a
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Rod's Wednesday Ramblings 9/30/09

Wednesday (today if your reading this on Wednesday) is my birthday, so here are a few birthday gifts that I would like to see. The Twins and Tigers tie for the AL Central and the Twins win the playoff game. I like to see the playoff to see who wins in getting the Metrodome on Monday. Or at least what Major League Baseball or the NFL would do. If the Twins are going to get aced out by the Vikings, then by all means, win the thing on Sunday and forget the playoff game. I want to see the Bears and the Bengals in the Super Bowl in February. My house would be the place to be don't you think!! I want the Huskers to at least beat Oklahoma this year and then get to the Big 12 championship and beat them again!! And then win their bowl game whichever one that will be!!! I want the Governors to get home field advantage thru the football playoffs and Stanley County stun Winner in the opening round of the football playoffs, and have an all central South Dakota finals in the football championships in November. Take that Argus Leader. I want the Lady Gov volleyball team to win the state tournament this time! I want the Governors basketball team to win that first round game in the state tournament after they get there in March and then win Friday and Saturday. Lady Govs, you might as well do it also!!!! What the heck, every team, golf, tennis, hockey and soccer, lets do it, for the old guy, and yourselves of course. Post 8 baseball, lets beat Post 22 and eliminate them in the region tournament on Post 320's field next July. And let's go out and do it Rattlers and 4 Corners in the amatuer tournament next August. You'll like playing in the "Birdcage". Get to the championship and you get on TV aaaand Radio. And I want next year to be the Cubs year. After all, when you get to be my age, you never know how many years are left to do it. Theres a few personal wishes too, but that will be between me and God. Have a good Wednesday gang and be sure you get a piece of cake from someplace and enjoy it.

Rod's Weekend Thoughts on Monday 9/28/09

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire took a page out of the Brad Childress book of coaching on Sunday. He went with Franciso Liriano against Zack Grienke and the KC Royals. Lirianao didn't get out of the second inning and the Twins lose instead of gaining a game and go into Detroit only 1 game back instead of 2 tonight. The Twins realistically will have to win 3 of 4 to have a shot at winning the AL Central. From the Vikings game yesterday. Brad Childress almost overcoached his team into a loss but he has Brett Favre so Mr. Smug (Childress) sounded like he is the coach of the year in decision making after the game. Still, if theVikings are a Super Bowl Contender which Mr. Smug says they are, they should not have to score on the last play of the game to beat San Francisco. Matthew Stafford, with only 3 games of NFL experience under his belt is the top quarterback in the NFC North. Favre is second. Aaron Rogers and Jay Cutler are tied for 3rd. Cutler is 2-1 only because of field goal ineptness by Pittsburgh and Seattle. Cutler should be quarterbacking a 0 and 3 team at this stage. Is it too early to ask for the trade for Kyle Orton to be rescinded? K.O. is 3-0. Bottom Line. The Huskers should have gotten a little confidence back this weekend but now the big test. At Missouri a week from Thursday night on National TV. We will find out just how good SDSU is next week. They are at Cal Poly. As far as USD, I have no thoughts either way except they are good at home. And this is homecoming week for the Goverors. So far, so good. And what about the defense!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Coach Poppinga has the crew playing defense the way it is supposed to be played. Yea, the two fumble receptions returned for touchdowns are the highlight of their win at Yankton on Friday but what about stopping the Bucks not once, but twice inside the 10 yard line! Rapid City Stevens will be a good test. They gave up 55 to Roosevelt but let's face it, Roosevelt, why still probably the 3rd best team in Sioux Falls is still one of the top 4 teams in the state. Stevens also had two of their better players injured in that game and word is they will not play on Friday. That will hurt their defense especially since the two were among their top tacklers and players. And rain is in the forecast...........................And NO! I will not be watching the Monday night football game from Jerry's House of Greed (aka the new cowboys stadium) which leaves another question. Is Monday Night Football still the big thing it used to be now that it is on cable only or has Sunday Night taken over as the big thing? I think Sunday. Afterall, MNF is going head on against Two and a Half Men and the Big Bang Theory.

Darren Boyle's Weekly words of wisdom the adventures of VSK and the Metrodome Miracle.

I was sick last weekend and missed my first games since 1995. Thanks to Brian Oakland for covering my games and to Pat Morrison for covering the game Brian had to miss. Of course my streak is no big deal compared to the streak of VSK. I dont think he has missed a game since 1993 or something like that. Looks like he passed the first test yesterday. The 49ers did what I said and stopped AP and made VSK become the hero. VSK threw for close to 300 yards, and that last play will be in the Vikings archives forever. But will it be the beginning of a magical season or the last big play from an aging legend? I am sure all the other games on the Vikings schedule are gonna learn from this last game and will continue to stop AP, the question will be can VSK continue to rise to the challenge? What will the offensive genius that coaches the Vikings do to adjust? Keep track of how many times VSK gets sacked and knocked down, that may be the most important stat the rest of the season.. Our area teams did well in some of the big games of this past weekend, Lyman, Winner, and Philip better get some love when the polls come out or we know who to blame dont we? I have to make a road trip and will be gone for a few days I will talk to you later in the week.

Gov Golfers falter in ESD

Pierre did not have a good day at the ESD Conference golf tournament Saturday in Huron. The Governors had one of their highest team scores of the year firing a 335, 28 strokes off the pace of ESD champion Yankton. Watertown was second at 328 and Brandon Valley was 4th at 329. Huron, Aberdeen Central, Brookings and Mitchell came in 5th through 8th. The Governors had two golfers place in the top 15 to win all ESD Conference honors. Seth Stadel and Miles Schock each had rounds of 81 for 9th and 11th. Tyler Frick of Yankton won the individual medalist honors with a 73. Yankton golfers finished in 4 of the top 5 spots.

Brian's view of Week4

Things are gettin' good as we reach the midpoint of the season. This week is loaded with games that I would love to see, all around the state, so let's take a look at what's on tap. Here are the picks for the games involving area teams, and I'll just have to say to the area teams, if you don't like the picks, pull a Sully Buttes and prove me wrong! Please? :o)

AREA GAMES:
PLATTE-G/DC at Chamberlain (KPLO)
DUPREE at Edgemont
HARDING CO. at Faith
HERREID/SELBY at Gettysburg -- should be a great Homecoming game! Battlers, see above
SULLY BUTTES at Ipswich
LANGFORD/ROSLYN at Hoven/Edmunds Central
Timber Lake at LEMMON/McINTOSH
TODD CO. at Little Wound/Crazy Horse
HIGHMORE-HARROLD at Lower Brule
McLaughlin at EUREKA/BOWDLE
MILLER at Crow Creek (KPLO)
Stanley Co. at MOBRIDGE-POLLOCK -- Buffs, see above - a knock-down, drag-out here!
Cheyenne-Eagle Butte at RED CLOUD
FAULKTON at Warner -- Trojans continue to impress
Sunshine Bible at WESSINGTON SPGS/WOONSOCKET
WHITE RIVER at New Underwood
PHILIP at Wall -- go watch this one on Saturday!!

MARQUEE MATCHUPS:
HOWARD at Lyman -- Raiders, see above! Best game of the day!!
Winner at ST. THOMAS MORE -- only time I'll go against Winner this year
AVON at Viborg -- Viborg is a 9B sleeper team, but Avon still way too good
Castlewood at ESTELLINE -- Redmen are making some noise in 9A
HANSON at Emery/Ethan -- Perennial power Hanson at 9AA #2 Emery/Ethan - whoa!!
Douglas at HARRISBURG -- not much of a contest - just pointing out a cross-state road trip ;)
Dakota Valley at TRI-VALLEY -- #1 T-V gets a solid 11A opponent here
Canistota/Bridgewater at WHITE LAKE/PLANKINTON -- not much attention here, but should be a good game

11AA:
PIERRE at Yankton -- I think this will be a very tough game for the Govs - call this a homer pick
Brookings at BRANDON VALLEY
Mitchell at ABERDEEN CENTRAL -- Aberdeen picked a cupcake for Homecoming
WATERTOWN at Huron
RC Central at SF WASHINGTON
SF ROOSEVELT at RC Stevens -- how good is Stevens, really?
SF O'GORMAN at Spearfish
Sturgis at SF LINCOLN

My pick percentage skyrocketed last week, but it'll be tough to keep that pace this time. Eight games I consider marquee matchups this week, plus a lot more that are BIG games for the teams that are involved. This is what it's all about! Have fun at the games tonight - stay dry - and get well wishes to the President of the VSK Fan Club!!
-- Radioooo

Rod's Thursday & Friday Ramblings 9/24/09

Things that I have wondered about lately. Why did Jim Hendry wait so long to get rid of Milton Bradley. He really didn't get rid of him, he just suspended him, for the rest of the season. For whatever reason, Bradley has had trouble where ever he has been. But he is also a good ball player. This year, was not a good year for him, but putting that Cub uniform has done that to better players than Milton in past years for whatever reason. One does not know what goes on in the clubhouse or locker room and that is the way it should be at all levels of sports and all ages. Coaches would not have as many parental headaches as many have had if the kid would have just followed that unwritten rule. What goes on in the (dugout, lockeroom, clubhouse, whatever) stays in the whatever. That is all a coach, who usually is hired to do the job, needs. Have some dimwit parent think they can do a better job because they played little league baseball, or watch sports on TV and are a fan!!!!! Now there is a resume for you.

I have also thought about my Cornhuskers and how they lost last week. While it hurt to watch that winning touchdown pass play unfold, lets give the blackshirts some credit. The fact that play went the way it did was because they played good defense, but sometimes players make plays. VT's QB did. I also think, listening to Brett Favre, he isn't 100 percent sure if he did the right thing. And I wonder how he has been accepted in that Viking locker room?

And how Michael Tveidt is handling his buddy Freddie Coleman's season ending ACL. That is a major blow for Michael and his NDSU basketball mate's hopes for the coming year.