In the early stages of Rock and Roll there was a great by the name of Chuck Berry. One of his hits was a song titled, “Johnny B. Goode”. The chorus went like this: Go,,,Gogo...Johnny Gogo...Johnny B. Goode. Well, Johnny be good Wednesday evening as Kansas City’s high-dollar mid-summer pitching acquisition finally paid dividends as Johnny Cueto pitched eight great innings, minus one bad pitch for a home run, and propelled the Royals into the AL Championship Series. Previously Cueto had compiled a 4-7 record in 14 starts with a 4.8 ERA since coming over from Cincinnati but Wednesday. Johnny BE GOOD indeed!
What is it about those Beavers? How does 3A Scott City  put an outstanding football team on the field EVERY year? Is it the water? The flatlands of Western Kansas? Whatever, if they could bottle it they could sell it to a lot of coaches across Kansas. Over the last seven years and part of this one, the Beavers are 86-8! This year they have beaten a very good Ulysses team and a rock-solid Holcomb bunch. In the playoffs a possible match with unbeaten Hoisington looms.
Oops! With Houston up four runs and six outs away Monday from finishing off the Royals, the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted congratulations to the Astros for advancing to the AL Championship Series. Our Boys in Blue then rallied in the eighth inning and grabbed a 9-6 win. Would that qualify as “Twitting his Tweet?” They say it “Ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings” and I don’t think we heard a peep. Or, as our beloved Yogi said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!”
District time is here! That so-called “second season” that coaches talk about. A second season because, really, the first six games have no bearing on the rest of the season. How a team fares in the next three will determine its’ post-season fortunes. I would like to see that system changed but that is a discussion for another time.
Great Bend travels to Newton to take on the 1-5 Railroaders. Newton has their single win over Ark City. The Black Panthers are coming off of a “feel good” rebound win over Liberal that evened their WAC record at 2-2, 4-2 on the season. Coach Tony Crough’s team needs this win to have a shot of advancing in the playoffs. Panthers should get it. Great Bend 30, Newton 13.
Hoisington has already played their toughest games of this season. They should breeze through District play. Hoisington 48, Ellsworth 13.
Larned has a tough assignment in traveling to Holcomb. Don’t let the Longhorns’ 4-2 record fool you. Those two losses came at the hands of Ulysses and Scott City and both were close games. They continue to be ranked in the top of 4A-II and should be. The Indians of Larned rejuvenated their running game last week as they crushed Haven 49-6. With two out of the three District games on the road the Indians will have to win one of them plus take care of Hugoton at home to advance. Holcomb is a ten-point favorite but the Indian passing game might neutralize that.
There’s probably no connection to these two stories but it made me wonder. Playboy Magazine announced that they ARE NOT going to use nude photographs anymore and Steve Spurrier announced that he is hanging it up at South Carolina. Spurrier and college football have been around as long as Hugh Hefner and his Playboy empire. Spurrier, ever the perfectionist, simply can’t stand incompetence and losing. Rather than put up with it, he is removing himself, hoping that better times will come for the Gamecocks. Love him or hate him-and there were plenty of both-Spurrier was colorful and you ALWAYS knew what he was thinking!
Oklahoma at Kansas State. Not a good week to get the Sooners after that upset loss to Texas. OU coach Bob Stoops is “feeling the heat” from the Okie nation. K-State played well again but lost again. The play calling in the second half against TCU has certainly caused some questioning from Wildcat fans and other football observers, allowing TCU to get back in it. All of that might have an effect on the Wildcats. Oklahoma 30, Kansas State 21.
From one bunch of gunslingers (Baylor) to another (Texas Tech). The Techsters don’t have the defense that Baylor has but it probably won’t matter. Red Raiders 44, Kansas 24. Former Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes once said, “There’s nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you.” If that’s true, KU’s soul should be squeaky clean by now!