There was a bit of crispness in the air this week. It has taken nearly to the end of September, but there is definitely finally a feeling of fall.
Hopefully, days in the 90’s with 20 mph winds are gone. Hopefully trees will be turning color very soon. And, hopefully, my electric bill will be cheaper the next couple months.
The next 10 days show nothing above the low 80’s temperature-wise and wind speed in the single digits. Now that’s nice. It’s time to get the lawn chairs on the deck or the back yard and put a little WD-40 on the swing chain.
Generally, October is one of the best months of the year for weather. Let’s just hope there is an extended period of nice weather and we don’t have a Halloween snow storm.
Prep Thoughts – Part I
New classification assignments are out for from KSHSAA for both the non-football this year and football for the next two years. The first thing that jumped out at me was Ellinwood’s return to 11-man football. After four years at 8-man, the Eagles will be back in 11-man. But what took me even more by surprise was the Eagles vaulted over 1A directly into 2A from 8-Man.
Good thing that goal post on the north end of the football field is still there.
Another notable for GBHS is Hays High School moving back into 5A for football next year. But the Indians will remain 4A for the upcoming basketball season.
Prep Thoughts – Part II
How about a 5-1 week last week? That brings my season total to 25-7 thru the first four weeks. I’ll take it.
This week has some big games on tap. One of those should not be at Memorial Stadium in Great Bend where the Panthers should take care of Wichita West for a Homecoming win.
Hoisington and Larned have huge games this week. They are games that if either win the rest of the state will definitely take notice. Unfortunately, I don’t think either quite gets it done. Larned is at Nickerson in a Homecoming contest while Hoisington hosts defending 4A II champion Pratt. I wouldn’t be shocked if either won, but my guess both come up just a little short.
In District 5 of Eight-Man I, Central Plains should roll at Canton-Galva. Ellinwood makes the trip to St. John in the same district. Look for Ellinwood to win a close one.
Macksville will have its hands full against a good South Central team with the winner in the driver’s seat for a top two finish in 8-Man I District 6 and the loser facing a tough road to the post season. South Central wins this one.
Stafford travels to Chase, where the Kats Homecoming should result in a win for the home team.
Former Barton
Athlete/Coach update
Former Barton women’s coach Chance Lindley was on campus this week. Chance is back in the coaching game after taking a few years off to open a business. After Coach Lindley left Barton he had a stint as an assistant at the University of Arizona as well as a head coaching job at Nebraska-Omaha.
Now Coach Lindley, living in Wichita, is set to take over the boys’ head coaching job Trinity Academy. Lindley will also be the Athletic Director there. So watch out class 4A. Coach Lindley is back roaming the sidelines at a Wichita high school. In the past that has spelled doom for his foes.
And Finally
Monday is Crystal’s birthday. I know this ahead of time, so this is a good thing. Now I just hope her present gets here in time. I probably should have ordered it earlier because it doesn’t look like it will be here. Oh, well.
There are really four important dates to remember, I should say four very important dates if you want to keep your wife happy.
One of those is Valentine’s Day. This one is easy. Advertising makes this date impossible to miss. Another is Mother’s Day. Again, this one should be easy to remember – another Greeting Card holiday.
The other two are your anniversary and her birthday. As a man in the marriage, you have some control over the anniversary. Not total control, but some. After you ask and she accepts the proposal, it comes time to set a date.
You may suggest dates, but for a happy marriage, she gets to choose that date. With some input, fortunately, that date for me was June 4. I say fortunately because I know D-Day is June 6. All I have to do is remember our anniversary is two days before that.
But her birthday is just a date you have to remember, generally with no milestone dates to help out.
My wife’s birthday had to come during football officiating season. This makes it even more difficult to remember. It’s bad enough there is not landmark date around Oct. 2 but its dead smack in the middle of football officiating season.
But this year, I have remembered. So far. It isn’t Monday yet.
What I haven’t told her yet, besides her present is going to be late, is that I have a JV football game in Larned that night to referee. There is schedule on the refrigerator she might see. Or maybe she will learn it by reading this column – if she does indeed read it. Or perhaps someone reading it will tell her.
Either way, since I don’t have her present yet, maybe it is best I’m gone. If anyone needs a dinner date Monday, Crystal is probably available.
Anyway, Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife.
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.
