Most collegiate teams in the state of Kansas are enjoying football season. Most but not all. Things aren’t going so well on the gridiron for the University of Kansas.

But fear not. Late Night at the Phog is upon us. Saturday will mark the annual event held since 1985 and the Larry Brown regime. So not to worry Kansas fans – basketball season is about to start.

Prep thoughts

District assignments are out for the next two cycles for football. All the area schools now know just who their competition is for the post season. All except Great Bend High. The new format will put them in the West half of 5A with no district. All 16 teams will be seeded 1-16 and make the playoffs for week nine.

Elsewhere, Larned and Hoisington are now together in Class 3A, District 15. They are joined by Ellsworth and Lyons. Central Plains and Ellinwood will stay in the same district in Eight Man I but Solomon will no longer be in the district. Joining the Oilers and Eagles will be Canton-Galva, Goessel, Little River and St. John.

It will be interesting to see how the Class 5A and 6A experiment plays out. I am not sure I like it yet but I am willing to give it a chance.

Former athlete/coach update

Ipek Turkyilmaz was a key factor in Barton’s 2-year run from 2006-08. She started every game for the women’s basketball team as the Cougars went 27-3 and 34-4 for a 2-year total of 61-7. The sophomore season came with a fourth place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament.

While at Barton the native of Turkey rewrote the Barton record books for 3-pointers. After her time at Barton she moved on to the University of Arizona.

Turkyilmaz earned degrees from Arizona and Chadron State (Neb) College and now coaches in Nebraska. She has been an assistant coach for the Western Nebraska Cougars for six seasons now.

Around campus

Winged Aspiration is ready to take flight. A new centerpiece is in place in the circle drive at the Shafer Gallery. The sculpture is in memory of longtime Shafer Gallery supporter Bill McKown who passed away last year.

McKown made it possible for numerous art-related improvements on campus. The Winged Aspiration is the final piece to be added to the campus funded by his estate.

The College will host an unveiling ceremony at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Ellinwood sculpture Aaron McCaffery fabricated the 14-foot tall bronze while Great Bend sculpture Chet Cale designed the base.

And finally

I have been to the dog races on a few occasions. In fact I took my wife on a date to the dog races before we were married. I can safely say my marriage outlasted the Wichita Dog Park.

But Saturday I saw an entirely different kind of dog race. The family went to Stafford and caught the Dachshund Races during the town’s Oktoberfest Celebration.

Better known as the Weiner Dog Races.

Now with a pair of 15-year olds – and my wife – you can only imagine where the jokes went at the time about the Weiner Races. Oh and the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile was there as well.

We will leave it at that.

It was quite entertaining I must say. They were put in starting gates in a box and when the door was lifted off they went for about 20 yards to their owners awaiting them at the end.

Some were more interested in turning back and trying to get back in the box. Others wanted to play with the dog next to them. Others just simply didn’t know what was going on. The most entertaining were those that didn’t win.

After all the fun is in the journey not the destination, right?