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Cooler weather for Homecoming and out with the old (maybe)
at the mike
At the Mike.jpg

Who ordered more summer? I was beginning to like the cooler weather. Plenty of moisture and temps in the 70’s. Definitely a feeling of fall.

All the moisture has made it more of a task to keep the yard in check. My grass is growing like crazy. Most Septembers it’s fairly easy to keep up with the grass. This year has been a challenge.

Speaking of yards, can I mow off my peonies yet? If I recollect my mother’s theory, you can mow them in any month with an ‘r’ in it. At last check, September has an ‘r’ in it.

Anyway, it’s supposed to start cooling off again Friday. In fact, next week has several days with highs in the 60’s and lows in the 40’s.

Wait, maybe I’m supposed to wait until a freeze to cut the peonies. Maybe it’s a month with an ‘r’ after it freezes.

Oh well, I think the point I was getting to it is going to be cooler for Homecoming Friday night here in Great Bend. But not cool enough to cut the peonies yet. Unless that doesn’t matter.


Prep Thoughts

The WAC has been tough to solve three weeks in. But I think it is safe to say Great Bend is among, if not the, favorite to win the conference at this point. This week’s Homecoming game at Memorial Stadium will go a long way toward deciding that.

A win for the Panthers would be huge for a couple of reasons. Not only would it make the Panthers 2-0 and leading the WAC, it would run their record to 3-1 heading into another battle with a top three team in 5A when Carroll rolls into town next week.

Remember that week one loss for Hoisington? Yeah, that’s more and more a distant memory. The only question might be is it too early to start looking at the week seven showdown at No. 1 Phillipsburg? Games against TMP, Ellsworth, and Minneapolis are not cake walks but they aren’t exactly running through a gauntlet either. If the Cardinals take care of business, it should be a fun mid-October Friday in P-Burg.

Don’t sleep on this Ellinwood team. I remember officiating this group in youth football and they were pretty successful playing bigger towns. With that said, the game at Lakin Friday will be a tough get. Very tough. If the Eagles do win it, look for them to be the team to beat in their district.

If, somehow, Central Plains is not going unbeaten in the regular season and not winning District 5 of Eight-Man I, it would more than likely happen Friday. Little River is also 3-0 and appears to be the biggest threat to the Oilers. But don’t count on it. Central Plains IS going unbeaten and IS winning District 5.

Things just don’t get any easier for the Larned Indians. The combined record of their first three opponents stands at 7-2. Those two losses were both to the same team – Pratt. Those two losses were by a combined score of 89-0. Yep, Larned goes to Pratt Friday to start district play.

Oh, yeah, and next week – a trip to defending state champion Holcomb. Hang in there Coach Remy, the good news is that only two of the final three games are against playoff teams from last year.

Former Barton Athlete/Coach update

The Big 12 conference season is about to get underway in volleyball. The team with the best mark in the non-conference slate is in fact coached by a former Barton Cougar. But it is not the Kansas Jayhawk and former Coach Ray Bechard. It is the Kansas State Wildcats and former player Suzie Fritz.

The Wildcats are 10-1 in the non-conference and are just two spots out of being ranked in the Top 25. The Cats got their first taste of the Big 12 last night against No. 5 Texas.

Bechard and Jayhawk are 7-4 and will open the Big 12 Saturday at home against TCU.


Referee House

I’m pretty sure by now I have that West Nile thing. I really don’t know much about it or the symptoms. I just know that I have been bitten by more mosquitoes in the past couple of weeks officiating football than I probably have the past three or four seasons combined.

They have been relentless in just about every town we have gone. I think it is time to assign a crew member to bring OFF to the next game. Probably three cans of it. Since Mike Myrick has been out for a couple of weeks and will be back Friday, I am going to assign him that duty.

He already has the task of bringing the Aleve, which on our crew is the most important item.


And Finally

Perhaps, just perhaps, I am a bit stubborn. I don’t think so. But I might be.

A very simple thing made me think it’s a remote possibility. We won’t ask anyone close to me if I am in fact stubborn, we will just stick with maybe.

You see I‘ve needed a new wallet for quite some time now. I would say for at least a year, probably two, I have had a rubber band around mine to keep it together.

But I want a specific kind. Actually, I want one just like the one I have but, you know, not falling apart. I keep my check book in it along with other normal wallet items. That is what makes finding a suitable replacement more difficult.

I must say the rubber band has come in handy when describing it. Like the time I left it in a shopping cart at Walmart. I realized it about an hour later and went back to get it from the customer service area. When I described it as having a rubber band around it, surprise, they knew it right away.

Crystal bought me a new wallet for Christmas. I think it was actually two Christmases ago. So I’ve had a rubber band on it at least that long. But it didn’t fit my fancy.

I’m not sure how much longer it is going to stay together. So, soon, I will probably have to make a decision on its future. Perhaps I will give the present from Crystal another look. I remember making fun of people who wore crocs until I put a pair on my feet.

Ironically, getting rid of my old wallet is much like having to throw out a pair of old shoes. Old, comfortable shoes.


Mike Marzolf is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and his views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at MarzolfM@bartonccc.edu.