I know its a day late but a big salute to all veterans out there. Too many days that made our country what it is are being forgotten. Two that come to mind right away are June 6 and Dec. 7.
The invasion of Europe known as D-Day and the bombing of Pearl Harbor come and go with minimal fanfare anymore. Thank goodness Veteran’s Day isn’t one of them.
So even though it has passed, tell a veteran thank you.
Prep thoughts
All eyes are on Hoisington now. Following Great Bend’s opening round loss coupled with Central Plains coming up short in its showdown the focus of the area football playoffs is all on Hoisington now.
It is not surprising the 11-0 Cardinals have made it past their first two foes in the post season. What might be a bit attention grabbing is how they have just dominated. Hoisington has outscored Cimarron and Washington County 126-25.
Now the Central Plains League West and East Champions are set to duke it out in a dog fight. Halstead (11-0) has been challenged just twice this year – an 18-6 win over Hesston and a 32-28 win over Garden Plain. Both made the playoffs.
Hoisington has had just two win by less than 20 points – a 22-6 win over Nickerson and a 34-14 win over Pratt. After that week three win over Pratt the Cardinals have not had a game closer than 33 points.
So buckle up and hang on. This one should be a doozy.
Former Athlete/Coach update
Former Barton men’s basketball coach Steve Forbes begins his journey as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level Saturday. Forbes and his East Tennessee State Buccaneers will host Averett College out of Virginia Saturday afternoon in Johnson City.
Forbes was 68-28 in his three seasons at Barton including 53-12 his final two. He went 29-4 in 1998 before heading to the University of Idaho as an assistant. He helped put together the team that went 32-2 the following year and took second in the nation.
Forbes is the first former Cougar to roam the sidelines as a head coach at DI level. Forbes takes over a team that went 16-14 last season with all but two players a junior or senior.
You can catch coach Forbes on ESPN2 Tuesday morning. Early Tuesday morning that is as part of ESPN’s 24-hour College Hoops Tipoff Marathon. East Tennessee State will host Wisconsin-Green Bay in a 5 a.m. tipoff at Freedom Hall on the campus of ETSU.
Good Luck coach Forbes.
Around campus
Barton Theatre students productions are about to get started. Each year the students produce a show entirely by themselves. This year that task was undertaken by Theatre majors Caleb Rivera and Randyll Smith. The production is called ‘Said and Meant.’
It is 10 short plays by Randy Wyatt delivered in a skit-style that focus on how the use of the language can affect the intended meaning very drastically.
The shows will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19 and 20 at the Barton Fine Arts Auditorium. Tickets are $5. Barton students get in free with ID. The show is for mature audiences only.
And finally
When is too early? Just when is it okay to put your Christmas tree up?
It seems people are doing it earlier and earlier. One of our friends – I won’t mention any names Donna Becker – put hers up the day after Halloween.
We tend to follow the right after Thanksgiving model.
I never look forward to bringing the tree up the stairs. I always love it when the tree is up and decorated but lugging it up the stairs is not fun.
The tree is over eight feet tall. The day we bought it was an adventure. We were out of town and saw one on sale. Good deal. Eight feet tall. And we were driving a PT cruiser. Our poor daughter Katelyn had hardly any room in the back on the way home.
When we took the tree out and began to put it up it was too tall for our ceiling. I told Crystal it would be no problem. I was wrong. But a hacksaw took care of about 10 inches and it worked just fine. See no problem like I said.
The discussion at the house has turned to ‘let’s put the tree up’. So I supposed I will be lugging it out the basement soon.
Just when is too soon?
