—

From Tom Clavin’s TOMBSTONE

“The way Allie Earp put it when Virgil finally crawled into bed on the morning of October 26, she asked him if ‘anything was up.’ He replied, ‘Oh, I been trying to keep Ike Clanton and Doc Holliday from killing each other.’”

—

Its October 26th and it feels like fall for most of the mainland on this anniversary of the O.K. Corral fiasco. Some call it a battle, but I believe fiasco to be a better word. An avoidable fiasco that produced no winners and a few losers. Sort of like the College Football Saturday this past week. The teams that won didn’t gain much, and the teams that lost were all but eliminated from playoff contention. This was a week about survival. Kind of like the Shootout that took place in Tombstone, Arizona 144 years ago. Too many egos and bullets and not enough conversation and logic. Makes a good story though.

Kind of like sports this weekend.

A weekend that is in its waning moments.

Al Michaels is in Pittsburg about to tell us about their game with visiting Green Bay as we close out this sports weekend. A crystal clear 52-degree evening in the Steel City makes for the perfect setting for this game between two NFL Classics. The confluence of both the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers and the mouth of the grand ol’ Ohio River form at its stadium’s shores. It’s time for football in Western PA–no better place to play a nighttime game in the fall. I’ll take the home team to win by 4.

You know? A not so fun fact–Just about two hours East of Pittsburgh is York County, PA.

There are supposedly “Seven Gates to hell in the woods of York County–and anyone who passes through all of them goes straight to…” well you know. “Locals insist no one who made it past five gates has ever returned.” A bit of respite, “If you find yourself in Hell, Norway, relax: There, the word simply means ‘luck.’”

So, there it is, a fun or ‘not so fun’ fact courtesy of “The World’s Most Haunted Places” by LIFE just in time for the spookiest week of the year.

Now, as this game is set to kick off in less than twenty-five minutes, it’s time for an update on all things that I liked or paid attention to this sports weekend. “If there was ever a time to keep on going–it’s right now.“- W.C.E.

With that–It’s time for this Week’s “General Update.” General Update.

What to Expect:

• Friday Night Lights
• The Round Game
• The Saturday Game
• Top 12 Rankings in CFB
• The American Pastime Game
• The Grown Man’s Sunday Game

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GENERAL UPDATE

“I’ve got miner imperfections
I’m proud of my roots
Calluses on my hands
Singin’ to a room”-Charles Wesley Godwin

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

TOP TEAMS RANKED in State:

1. Corner Canyon
2. Davis
3. Skyridge
4. 5A West
5. 4A Ridgeline
6. Mountain Ridge
7. Herriman
8. 5A Orem
9. 5A Springville
10. Lehi
11. American Fork
12. Lone Peak

Due to the popularity of Halloween, especially in this region of the country, all of the games will be played at 4PM to allow for the spookiness of the night to take place off High School campuses.

Key 6A Matchups on the 31st:

• Layton @ #1 Corner Canyon
• Bingham @ #2 Davis
• Copper Hills @ #3 Skyridge
• Riverton @ #6 Mountain Ridge
• Weber @ #7 Herriman
• #11 American Fork @ #10 Lehi
  • Single High Sports GAME of the WEEK

Other Key Matchups on the 31st:

• Northridge @ #4 West (5A)
• Timpview @ #8 Orem (5A)
• Spanish Fork @ #9 Springville (5A)
• Alta @ Fremont (5A)
• Granger @ Brighton (5A)
• East @ # 5 Ridgeline (4A)

The Region 3 rematch that involves feisty Lehi, and the Cavemen of American Fork is the best matchup this next weekend. Pick a game and enjoy. Granger @ Brighton could be a sneaky good game. Can’t wait.

The regular season is over but Friday afternoon on All Hallows Eve, the story here in Utah will just begin to approach its climax. Who can survive the bracket and take home the state title?

Just for fun, I’ll take Davis vs Corner in the 6A final, West vs Orem in the 5A final and Ridgeline to finish unbeaten and win 4A resoundingly. Ridgeline has the QB for the job. Lefty Nate Dahle is one of the best statistical QB’s in the Nation this season. Keep slinging it Nate!

Good luck to all of the young men and coaches as they prepare for their last few games of the season. It’s been fun so far. Only Up.

—

NATIONAL FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Nugget

• Linebacker Dylan Depp Penns Manor (PA)

The 5’9/ 190 pound senior leads High School Football in total tackles (181) after totaling a season high 27 this past Friday Night. 17 Solo Tackles and 10 Assists. Depp is everywhere.

Penns Manor is ranked 9th in their conference and at 3-7 find themselves ranked 312th in the State. No matter, there is a player on the team that gives his all every night. Full energy and all out effort–Dylan Depp leads the nation in Tackles. That’s a fact. Clymer, PA may only have about 1500 folks or so living there, but they’ve got at least one to be proud of. Only up Dylan, Only Up.

• Clymer community was named after William Bingham Clymer, grandson of George Clymer, one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence

“Can’t remember if it was 17, maybe 18 is right, but I’ll never forget those baby blues in the glow of that dashboard light”- Eric Church

—

THE ROUND GAME

The Hometown Tigers: Lady Tigers Soccer

Past GAME:

• Memphis 2 @ UTSA 0 THUR 10/23
  • Goals: Elise Perone and Evelyn Mackay (first ever goal)

Next (Final) Regular Season Game

• Temple @ Memphis was scheduled for Noon SUN 10/26 was moved to Monday at 1PM due to inclement weather.
  • SKIP WORK. BE THERE, BE PROUD, WEAR BLUE.

4th in the Nation!

What a tremendous regular season. GO Tigers, GO!

ARSENAL

• Athletico Madrid 0- Arsenal 4 on 10/21
  • Goals: Gyokeres (2), Martinelli, Gabriel
  • Arsenal are one of the Five unbeaten teams in Champions League through three games: Real Madrid, PSG, Inter, and Bayern being the other four.

• Crystal Palace 0 @ Arsenal 1
  • Goal: EZE

Next up for the Gunners:

• Brighton @ Arsenal WED 10/29 at 1:45: League Cup
• Arsenal @ Burnley 11/1 at 9:00: Premier League

Arsenal– Still top of the league! Three goals conceded in thirteen games. Stalwart. The back five play with such belief and confidence that it’s difficult to see any team breaking them down at this point. Just keep winning by one and move on. COYG!

SUNDERLAND

• Sunderland 2 @ Chelsea 1
  • Winning Goal scored in the 93rd minute
  • Chelsea scored in the 4th minute and then went stagnant and never threatened to score again

This was the game of the weekend. I love this Sunderland team so much. Arsenal will travel to them in two weeks.

• Sunderland is Currently 3rd in the PL Standings!

I’m beyond excited for Sunderland! More excited than I am about Arsenal being at the top. This is great for the Premier League. A good to great Sunderland team that holds their own up North. Someone to keep an eye on Newcastle. North on North battles are needed. The Stadium of Light and the 50,000+ are needed. Big up the Black Cats. You’ve not let me down so far!

Next for the Black Cats:

Monday Night Football! 11/3 Everton @ Sunderland 1:00. The Stadium of Light is going to be shining, and the passionate Northerners will be at full voice. This home atmosphere is quite the wonderful spectacle in its own right. Must Watch.

OTHER SOCCER:

COMO 1907

• Como 0 @ Parma Calcio 0

This will feel like a loss for Cesc and his side. A bit boring and uncreative. No matter. Time to prepare for the busy week ahead.

Next for 6th place Como: Big Week for Como

• vs Hellas Verona at 11:30 10/29
• @Napoli (1st in Serie A) at 11:00 11/1
  • This could be a top 5 matchup and a ‘gut-check’ game for Cesc Fabregas’ young side. Kevin DeBruyne could eat this midfield alive. Paz could score the winner.
    • Must Watch

WREXHAM

• Oxford United 0- Wrexham 1
  • Goal: Broadhead
• Wrexham 1 @ Middlesborough 1
  • Goal: Windass

Wrexham improves to 16th with this week’s results and five points clear of relegation.

Next for Wrexham:

• vs Cardiff City 10/28 2:00 EFL Cup
• vs Coventry 10/31 2:00

“Sometimes defeats are the best results.”- Sir Alex Ferguson

—

Before moving along to the Saturday Game, a quick word on Country Folk/ Blues/ Rock Artist Charles Wesley Godwin. Real heart, real soul, real sound. He plays songs full of his truth and delivers them with a passionate purity from the pain and love in his heart. Songs about Weathering Storms and “Miner Imperfections,” a song dedicated to his dad, will bring a crocodile tear to your eye if you hear it at the right time. He’s a true artist, and with the support of his immensely talented band, creates songs that sound both familiar and unique simultaneously. A shameless plug for a guy I just heard live for the first time. Take it or leave it–

–He’s a Morgantown Mountaineer and former Friday Night Lights participant so there is a sport’s element to him. Not that there has to be, but it is a fun fact.

THE SATURDAY GAME

“Laws without morals are useless”- U Penn Motto (Ben Franklin founder)

• Hometown Tigers

South Florida 31 @ Memphis 34

• QB Brenden Lewis 356 Total Yards, Two Total TD’s

It took a massive effort in the fourth quarter from the Hometown squad, but the Tigers won the game and are right back on track to make the College Football Playoff. I’ll have their path to the 12 out this week. What a great team effort. Disappointed to see so many empty seats in Memphis. This game deserved a much better turnout.

To be honest, I lost hope in the Hometown squad when they were losing 31-17 in the 4th against the stout Bulls defense. Never again. We will win them all.

Halloween in Houston primetime on Espn2.

GO Tigers, Go!

TOP GAMES:

• Mississippi 34 @ Oklahoma 26
  • QB Trinidad Chambliss 368 Total Yards, 1 TD
• Texas A&M 49 @ LSU 25
• UCLA 6 @ Indiana 56
  • QB Fernando Mendoza 213 Yards, 4 TD’s
• Illinois 25 @ Washington 42
  • QB Demond Williams 346 Total Yards, 4 TD’s
  • RB Jonah Coleman 111 Total yards, 2 TD’s total
• Brigham Young 41 @ Iowa St 27
  • Cougs are 8-0.
  • QB Bear Bachmeier 356 Total Yards, 3 TD’s

BYU is 8-0. Hand up, I was and continue to be wrong about this team. A true team of destiny led by a freshman Weak Side Linebacker at QB. A week off to rest and then a road trip to Lubbock. A deserved Top10 team.

OTHER CFB Scores:

• Wisconsin 7 @ Oregon 21
  • Oregon QB Dante Moore took a shot to the face that left him bleeding and forced him to miss nearly the entire second half.
• Syracuse 16 @ Georgia Tech 41
• Stanford 7 @ Miami 42
• Missouri 10 @ Vanderbilt 17
• Virginia 17 @ North Carolina 16
• Michigan 31 @ Michigan St 20
• Tennessee 56 @ Kentucky 34
  • QB Joey Aguilar 396 Total Yards, 3 TD’s
• Colorado 7 @ Utah 53
• Alabama 29 @ South Carolina 22
• Texas 45 @ Miss St 38 (OT)
• FAU 32 @ Navy 42
  • QB Blake Horvath 264 Total yards, 4 Rushing TD’s
• SMU 12 @ Wake Forest 13
  • Wake Forest improve to 5-2 after making the 50 yard game winning field goal as time expired.
  • The ‘Win it for Russ’ game!

Points. Lots of them. Hope you wanted to see some overs hit this weekend. The winners were all who they were supposed to be.

Single High Sports TOP 12:

1. Ohio St
2. Georgia
3. Indiana
4. Texas A&M
5. Alabama
6. Oregon
7. Mississippi
8. Miami
9. Georgia Tech
10. BYU
11. Vanderbilt
12. Notre Dame

Something odd about typing Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, and BYU in the top 12, but there is no doubt that they deserve to be in the conversation. It still makes me uneasy putting all three in there, but as long as they keep on winning, I’ll keep them in the rankings. The wedge is thinning with each passing week. Just keep winning.

-This was always going to be a bit slower of a weekend in terms of drama, pageantry, and playoff implications, but it was football, nonetheless. Fired up for the Hometown Tigers! These boys are ready to win them all.

Indiana continues to beat up every team they play. Good gracious this team has won me over in a major way. Major Way. Mendoza looks as solid at QB as anyone else in the country and that defense is truly punishing. They will have a big test in Baltimore on CBS next week. Maryland has pad poppers with self-belief all over their defense and a fearless eighteen year old at QB. Must watch.

Ohio St and Georgia are still the top two in the country against anyone from what I’ve seen, but Indiana and A&M are right there. Brickhouse teams.

The first Saturday of November is next week and the drama is just beginning to take shape. The wedge is thinning towards the top but there is still room in the bottom half of the playoff field for teams to challenge. Louisville.

There are more than a handful of teams that have been lingering in the top 15 all season that still have a real shot at the playoffs. Louisville being one that I’ve had my eye on all season. I’m quite sure they have been ranked in the top20 since the preseason here. Somehow, someway they get it done every week. Except Virginia, but that game was crazy.

It’s anyone’s season. Well, not anyone’s but a team like Louisville, USC, or Cincinnati may just win it all. Who can predict such things?

–I’ll take Ohio St and Georgia. You can take the rest.

—

“The secret to success is to understand the point of view others.”- Henry Ford

—

THE AMERICAN PASTIME GAME

Dodger Blue versus the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s the matchup that will decide the Champion of America’s Pastime.

Chavez Ravine in beautiful California to the Rogers Center north of the border on the shores of Lake Ontario is about a 37-hour drive. About 3 1/2 of those hours will be spent just trying to get out of LA. After that it will be smooth sailing until Denver where there is bound to be some sort of hang up for no reason. Probably a jack-knifed Tractor Trailer in the Eisenhower Tunnel or something along those lines. Been there.

Once on the other side of the Rockies, it’s just a cruise through Lincoln and Joliet, up to Lansing and Flint, across the St. Claire River and over the border at Port Huron and Point Edward, and then the smooth drive over to London and then northeast to Toronto. Just an easy-peasy 37-hour drive separates the two. It’ll be over before you know it.

Or you can catch a flight and be there in about 5 hours. That would be the more pragmatic approach for fanatics of these teams.

As far as the series goes–it’s tied 1-1 after the first two games in Toronto with the next game taking place tomorrow night at 6:00 live from Chavez Ravine.

I’ll take the Dodgers to win it all.

“Stay in there and keep swinging”- Joe DiMaggio

—

A quick word. There is someone I know personally who will read this. Thank you for reading. It truly means a lot that you stopped by Single High Sports. I enjoy posting throughout the week, but the weekly Sunday night hit is my favorite thing to put together. I appreciate every person that clicks, but one specific one above the rest. I’ll keep the name anonymous, but there is one specific person that I’m thanking and thinking of in this moment. Gratitude leads to love. Thank you. And to the tens and tens of you that click week to week. Thank you. I hope you are having half as much fun reading as I am writing.

—

THE SUNDAY GROWN MANS GAME

“Well boo-freaking who–We’re not running an afterschool special here.”- Coach Penn “Draft Day”

UPDATE from Nashville:

• Tennessee 14 @ Indianapolis 38
  • Future MVP Daniel Jones 275 Yards, 3 TD’s
  • RB Jon Taylor 174 Yards, 3 TD’s
  • Titans are still primed for the top pick. Just keep losing.

Indianapolis, like their in-state college team, look like the real deal so far. Indiana as a state is doing football well at the moment. From Bloomington to South Bend to Indianapolis, there are elite teams in this state.

Daniel Jones looks like he’s been a Colt his entire life. Born to wear the Blue. A blue that has only suited a few. Peyton was the best, Luck did his best, others have fallen by the wayside–Daniel Jones is where he was meant to be. He’s going to be MVP.

OTHER NFL Scores:

• Cleveland 13 @ New England 32
  • Vrabel is 5-2! Like Jones, Vrabel is where he was always meant to be and thriving. It was 2007 the first time I remember saying “Mike Vrabel is going to coach this team one day.” I’m not sure when he figured it out, but that was when I knew it.
• NYG 20 @ PHI 38
  • Jaxson Dart 210 Total Yards, Two TD’s in the loss.

“You never learn how to swear properly until you become a Colts fan.”- Jim Irsay

—

“Don’t go looking for a reason; Don’t go asking Jesus why. We’re not meant to know the answers; they belong in the by and by”- Chris Stapleton

Find the joy, find the good and focus on these things. Life “is a flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the Wintertime. It is as the little shadow that runs across the grass. and loses itself in the sunset.” Treat life as the temporary preciousness that it is. Love those within arm’s reach. Don’t worry about the dollars and cents. Sports matter but never the most. Spes et fides/ amor aeternus.

THE END

Another “General Update” will be out this same time next Sunday.

Until then, less bullets, less ego–more conversation and logic.

Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’

Whit W.

Thank you for reading.