We are in the homestretch of July. That also means we are in the homestretch of summer. A hot summer so far at that.
One of the sports indicators for the end of summer is the American Legion state baseball tournaments. The Great Bend Braves are playing this week in the Class A event while the Great Bend Chiefs will play next week at the AAA Tournament.
The Chiefs made it there in the most exciting of fashions as Payton Mauler walked the team off with a hit that ended up scoring Max Jerke and Koy Brack to end the game. It is a moment those players – and coaches – will recall forever.
Fun stuff.
Hoisington and Larned are both battling this week to earn a spot at the AA State Tournament.
So good luck to the Braves and Chiefs as well as Larned and Hoisington in their quest for a state title.

Prep Thoughts
Just 24 more days until August 14. Enough said.
Former Barton Athlete/Coach update
Boris Tonzi played a little hero this past week on the soccer field. The former Cougar scored in the final minutes of post season. Tonzi scored in the 86th minute to lead FC Wichita past Dallas City FC by a 3-2 score in the semifinals of the Heartland Conference Tournament.
A couple nights later FC Wichita defeated Tulsa, 5-1, to win the Heartland Championships Trophy. I know all this partly because my twin nephews, Brady and Chase, are amongst the rowdy fans known as The Air Capital Firm, complete with drums and everything for noise. There are photos of them with the trophy and the whole nine yards during the teams post game celebration.
Next up is the South Region semifinals of the National Premier Soccer League. That will be Saturday when Midland-Odessa FC visits Wichita. Wichita is just one of 16 teams still playing for the NPSL Championship.

Around Campus
The 39th annual Big Benefit Auction now has tickets on sale. The Auction will be Aug. 26 and themed ‘Under the Sea’. Tickets are on sale from now until Aug. 14, there is that date again. Complimentary beer is involved.
It’s the time of the year when the crazy girls in the Foundation Office – Coleen, Donna and Michelle – keep busy. Makes me tired watching them sometimes. Give them a call if you want to be part of ‘Under the Sea’.

And Finally
There are a few things that belong in a certain spot. One of those things for me is my car keys. I put them in the same place every time. I don’t like it when they are not there. In fact, I usually say to myself, what was Crystal or Katelyn doing with my keys?
I know it has to be them because I always put them in the same place. Then when I find them in my shorts I had on the night before, I wonder why they would put them in my pocket after they moved them from where they belong.
It’s never fun looking for your car keys. Usually you don’t go to pick them up until you are ready to leave. Looking for them delays that. A minute looking for them seems like 10 minutes. And if you are like me, you look back in that original spot about every 15 seconds thinking you somehow overlooked them.
I lost my car keys for just a bit this past week. Well, figuratively speaking.
You see 428 is now allowing students to enroll. It made me think for a moment that this is Katelyn’s final year of high school. Her senior year. That can’t be the right place for her.
Funny how they let a 10-year old be a senior. Well, at least that is where she should be. Not sure how she shot up to 17 and ready to be a senior. It was like just yesterday that Donovan would ride in front of our house on his bike over and over and finally we told Katelyn to ask him to come in.
In reality that was five or six years ago. It’s like he hasn’t left since. The only difference is now they both drive cars.
I know there is an entire senior year left. Many moments still to come. Then probably some schooling here at Barton. Shoot, for all I know she may never move out.
But just the thought of her starting her senior year kind of put things out of its normal place for just a bit.

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.