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November 16. One week left for Friday Night Lights. Two weeks left in the College Football regular season. Three Weeks until the College Football Playoff Bracket is revealed. Four Weeks until the Army/ Navy game. A mere five weeks from Winter.
It’s the latter stages of fall. Leaves are in bags awaiting pickup, trees look more barren with every breath of breeze, and the early morning chill is keeping its bite later into the day.
The Crepe Myrtle in the southwest corner of the garden is Golden Delicious yellow and is the only tree yet to lose a leaf. It is quite the striking focal point against the dull grey evening sky. A pair of doves and a family of finches flutter in and out as they gather berries that are scattered across the lawn. All creatures in a hurry to store up for the incoming gloom that is the dark winter.
Sunlight withers daily like the Hibiscus bushes that are now leafless and bare. The signs of Fall coming to a close are evident, and the signs of Winter are incoming daily.
In the present, a gentle rain falls, apples slow cook in a cinnamon and butter bath, the fuzzy nuzzles a stuffed animal while snoring for the 30th time today, and Detroit is in Philadelphia for a Sunday Night Football matchup. Al Michaels will be on the screen in about half an hour to tell us the tale on a cool, clear, and breezy night in the city of brotherly love. I’ll take the visitors to win 20-17.
But enough about the weather, the seasons, and the present–it’s time to recap the sports weekend.
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 Grown Man’s Sunday Game
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GENERAL UPDATE
“Oh, strawberries don’t taste as they used to and the thighs of women have lost their clutch.”- John Steinbeck EAST of EDEN
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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
6A Semifinals:
- Corner Canyon 55 vs Mountain Ridge 20
- Lone Peak 13 vs Skyridge 7
5A Semifinals:
- West 7 vs Orem 34
- Springville 30 vs Brighton 24
4A Key Matchup
- Ridgeline 48 vs Provo 22
SHS TOP TEAMS RANKED in State:
- Corner Canyon
- Orem
- Ridgeline
- Lone Peak
- Springville
4A STATE FINAL
- Ridgeline vs 11/20 11:00AM
- Ridgeline 13-0
5A STATE FINAL
- Orem vs Springville 11/20 6:30
6A STATE FINAL
- Corner Canyon vs Lone Peak 11/20 at 2:30
A rematch between last season’s State Final participants. Two 6A Region 3 foes that know each other quite well. Lone Peak edged Corner Canyon by three scores earlier this season.
Will Corner Canyon win and three-peat as State Champs? Or does Lone Peak find the mountaintop and knock off the perennial giants?
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Me: Hey there neighbor. Your son made the finals! That’s great!
Neighbor: Yeah, it’s exciting for him and I’m excited for him, but I’m a little bummed.
Me: Why is that?
N: I won’t get to see it. I’ve got a business trip that doesn’t have me getting home until Friday Afternoon.
Me: What time Friday? The game doesn’t start until 2:30. Maybe you could come straight from the airport.
N: The game is one the 20th–Thursday at 2:30.
Me: Wait, are you sure? I thought they would play the game on Friday.
N: Thursday. I’m bummed. It’s his last game.
Good luck to all.
NATIONAL FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Nugget
- Anderson High (OH)
12-0 overall and the number one team in Ohio.
Junior QB Owen Scalf has thrown for 32 TD’s and rushed for another 7 to lead the offense, and LB Brady Kuhn leads the defense with 8 sacks. As with the rest of the country, it’s playoff time in OHSAA.
Anderson plays the next round against 8-3 Trotwood-Mason 11/21 at 7PM.
Only up.
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Each person will do the thing they love for the last time in their life at some point. This doesn’t have to be sports. One may love to read and one day lose their sight or love to write and become a paralytic. At some point, in extreme cases or otherwise, we all will do the thing we love most for the last time.
For many youngsters, high school is the end of sports as a career. Sure, there will be plenty of opportunities to show off athletic abilities after high school at the recreational level, such as Ultimate Frisbee, slow pitch softball, or rec center basketball, but real organized competitions will cease.
Even then, there will come a time to say ‘good-bye’ to those sorts of recreational sports as age sets in and other responsibilities take priority.
For all of those who are Seniors, savor these moments. I remember someone about my age telling me the exact same thing when I was a Senior and I may have not understood the meaning until years later. Work hard every day, appreciate the struggles of trainings and practices, and savor the last moments on the field. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
This may sound glib, but that is not the intention. The intention is to bring to light the beauty that is an old stage of life ending and a new one beginning. Be present and appreciate the moments that transpire as it unfolds. There is always wonderful to be found in the present. Even on the darkest or lowest of days–there will always be wonderful to be found. It is up to each one to see it for themselves.
It would be wonderful if what we love to do was our reality forever. If we could play the sport we love forever and ever, what a wonderful thing that would be. Or would it?
Life is powered by our wonder for the things we do not know. If each stayed in the same stage of life forever, the wonderful mysteries of the unknown would never be discovered.
So, to all Friday Night Light participants, athletes, and humans of all kind–do not fear the end of a stage but embrace it and understand that is necessary for you to discover so many new things about yourself, life, and the journey on which it takes you.
However, until that end comes–play with all your strength to win. Just because the inevitable end is near is not a reason to curl up and wither with age. Best to go boldly into the great unknown full of energy and passion towards at least one thing. Chase it and never stop dreaming. The future is what you make it.
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THE ROUND GAME
The Hometown Tigers: Lady Tigers Soccer
NCAA Tournament Round One:
- Illinois 1 @ Memphis 2
1,801 fans packed the track and witnessed the massive win for the Hometown Tigers! Well done to all the Lady Tigers and the fearless leader, Coach Monaghan–AND ‘well done’ Hometown Fans!! I love to see it.
Ai Kitagawa scored two goals in the first half and that was enough for the home team to advance to next round. A next round that will not be easy. This is entire road to the finals will be a tough one, being that this team received a grossly low seeding. As difficult as the road may be, it is one of which that this team can, and I believe will continue to find success.
From 2000 miles away, this team seems to have all of the pieces and an experienced coach to match. It is a tough draw yes, but the chips fall where they fall, it’s up to this team to just–win em all.
SECOND ROUND NCAA TOURNEY
Memphis @ TCU 7PM 11/20
This is the one. You can’t get to the next one without first winning this one. Focus on this task. Forget the feelings. This is a more than winnable game for this elite group.
This is the one team. Forged by the fires and crafted by their leader. Coach Monaghan will have a plan. Work hard, stay focused, and execute the orders. This is the one team. The one team to rule them all.
GO Tigers, GO!
ARSENAL
NEXT: North London Derby 11/23 9:30
Top Side Arsenal hosting Tottenham. Let’s hope for two fully healthy sides and a properly officiated game. A proper 3-2 Gunner win would be epic.
Regarding Tottenham Coach Thomas Frank–I remain a fan of his even though he chose to coach shite heart lane. He’s one of my favorite coaches in the game. He’s wily, clever, with an atom of whit and just enough crazy to pull off the miraculous at times. But as long as he coaches Spuds down the street, he can lose them all for all I care.
COYG! North London is red!
SUNDERLAND
Next for the TOP 4 Black Cats:
- Sunderland @ Fulham 11/22
OTHER SOCCER:
COMO 1907
Next: Como @ Torino 11/24 10:30
WREXHAM
Next: @Ipswich 11/22 8:00
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The Round Game returns in full this upcoming weekend. It’ll be good to have it back.
THE SATURDAY GAME
Who will be the one? “One did survive the wreck.”
- Hometown Tigers
Memphis 27 @ East Carolina 31
Frodo to Gandalf, “I wish none of this happened.”
Next Game: vs Navy on Thanksgiving Night
“BE THERE, BE PROUD, WEAR BLUE.”
GO Tigers, Go!
TOP GAMES:
- Notre Dame 37 @ Pitt 15
- RB Jeremiyah Love 147 Rushing, 1 TD
- Oklahoma 23 @ Alabama 21
- Texas 10 @ Georgia 35
- QB Gunner Stockton 258 Yards, 5 TD’s
OTHER CFB Scores:
- Iowa 21 @ USC 26
- South Carolina 30 @ Texas A&M 31
- Florida 24 @ Mississippi 34
- Utah 55 @ Baylor 24
- TCU 13 @ BYU 44
A fine Saturday of football.
But enough of that. Let’s look at the playoff rankings as I seeded them this morning.
Single High Sports 12 Team Playoff:
- Ohio St
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Oregon
- Texas A&M
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
- Notre Dame
- Texas Tech
- Alabama
- Georgia Tech
- Navy
–I’ll still take Ohio St and Georgia, and Indiana is still looking mighty strong.
—
Far more to unfold. Rankings and projections are just about the most fun to be had in spectator sports, but they matter nil. Teams still have to win, and the committee still gets the final say. That said, it sure is fun “Predicting the Unpredictable.”
The Saturday Game returns Tuesday Night as winless UMass plays at Ohio in Primetime.
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Where is the heartbeat of College Football? Rather what has replaced the heartbeat of college football? Is there a heartbeat within the sport of college football anymore? Is the religious zeal fading amongst supporters of college football? Has this sport been relegated to a P&L statement? Is it really only about dollars and cents at this point? Can one still find love in the sport that is littered with the grime of dirty money?
My hope is this–that I can continue to find the wonderful within the Saturday Game in spite of the once resounding heartbeat of college football fading to a flutter. My hope is that the purity of the sport finds its way once again and the pageantries and traditions will not be sold to the highest bidder.
Perhaps this has already been done, and this is a hope full of foolishness and naivete, but I hope it, nonetheless.
Perhaps we are being shown towards different interests, and by we, I mean the purist college football fan. I used to know many and now only a few that could be counted on three fingers. The sport has been sold and with it–the fans–and with the fans–the heartbeat of college football.
There used to be more to the Saturday Game than winning. Everything eventually gets relegated to dollars and cents. Cold, heartless cash.
Does this sport still have a heartbeat? We won’t know as long as it is a capitalistic entity that can be bought and sold. Love and the heartbeat of the sport cannot be bought.
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THE SUNDAY GROWN MANS GAME
UPDATE from Nashville:
- Tennessee 13 – Houston 16
Another loss closer to the back-to-back number one picks.
The Titans amassed 229 total yards.
This teams just needs a piece or two and time to develop. Next season, Tennessee will compete. The classic Tennessee fan response about this time of year, Titan or otherwise.
OTHER NFL Scores:
- Indianapolis on a BYE
- Jets 14 – New England 27
- Vrabel is 9-2!
- NYG lost
- Jaxson Dart OUT (Concussion)
Mike Vrabel is my favorite human attached to the NFL. To see a guy like that fulfill his destiny and take his former team back to the level they used to be is inspiring to watch. 9-2. The Patriots are 9-2. I love to see it. He epitomizes a football guy and is essential to the Sunday Grown Man’s Game.
It’s here that I will again mention Mike Tomlin. Vrabel may be my favorite right now, but Tomlin is my all-time favorite coach. Two Mikes. Both elite coaches that deserve recognition. One for his career accomplishments as a coach and the other for what he is currently accomplishing. Only up, men.
-Colts and Patriots are the class of the NFL right now. Neither have Brady or Manning. This is the new era for early 2000’s nostalgic dominance from these two teams. Somewhere, the late Jim Irsay is saying something humorously iconic and smiling.
Bob Kraft smiles every week from his Owner’s box. The former Columbia Sprint Football standout should be smiling to see the beginnings of another dynasty in Foxborough. Looks like another happy ending for the Carnegie Hall trustee.
-By now, Sunday Night Football is continuing to tell the Sunday Game’s story, but for now, this wraps it.
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Football and its unpredictable nature continue to pull at the heartstrings. I’ll be here until season’s end.
“So do all that live to live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.”- Gandalf back to Frodo “Fellowship of the Ring.”
THE END
Another “General Update” will be out this same time next Sunday.
Until then,
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.
Thank you for reading.