Thursday Thoughts

- Wanna be a Junior 'A' Radio guy? Tuesday night/Wednesday morning the Terrier bus returned from Nipawin at about 2:30am. Dug out the station vehicle, took the 4x4 truck home, because my car was buried at work, to bed at 4:00, up at 7:30 to return the vehicle to work at 8:00 for someone else who needed it. After shoveling the driveway in the afternoon, it was time to go to Russell for Manitoba Civic Election coverage. Got to Rokeby (13 km) in half an hour, was told to turn around... helped out with election coverage in the newsroom. Tuesday/Wednesday looks like a breeze compared to Friday/Saturday.

Tomorrow night, it's off to Dauphin for the Swan Valley Stampeders and Kings game. Should be back by 11:00ish (thankfully because of the time change). Alarm will be set for 3:15 am to get up and go 6 hours to Maple Creek for a noon kickoff between the Yorkton Sacred Heart Saints and Maple Creek Redmen in High School 9-Man Provincial action. Lucky for me though, Kevin Lubenicki, who works in our promotions department, and whose son Brian plays for SHHS, volunteered to drive me so I can hopefully catch some Z's on the way there. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to doing the game, I always enjoy the change of pace of doing football. Darcy Todos will do colour with me. Darcy's a teacher, who works in the Catholic Division Office and has coached most of the SHHS kids at the Junior and/or Senior level, so that will be some great help!

The rest of Saturday will be recreational on my part, provided I'm still awake! Plans are to go to Moose Jaw, meet my good buddy Lee Davis (800 CHAB newsman) and his family for some eats... and then go watch the Warriors host Austin Bourhis and the Prince Albert Raiders. I'll be crashing on my old boss Rob Carnie's couch for the evening. I'll come the rest of the way home Sunday, hopefully in time to catch the Riders/Lions at 3:00.

- Further to the HS football game on Saturday... Sacred Heart will likely be without 3, maybe 4 players due to the Provincial Soccer Final happening on the same day. Sacred Heart's also hosting their 38th Annual Boys Volleyball Tourney this weekend, but all the volleyball players who play football, will play football this weekend. They'll also be missing a starting Defensive Lineman who'll be in Mexico for a Taekwondo competition. Who could be gone for soccer? The Saints' starting QB, RB, kicker, and main kick returner/receiver. I'm speaking to Football Coach Trent Senger later this morning and plan to post a story, because it's certainly worth a story. I'm not so sure the SHSAA is doing its best to accomodate athletes who play more than one sport. Shouldn't it be set up to allow kids to play as many as possible? However, they're not using it as a built-in excuse... they'll go with what they've got, and Senger feels their backups at those positions are more than capable.

- Other HS Football teams in this neck of the woods involved in Prov QF's are Foam Lake (9-Man), Canora & Hudson Bay (2A 6-Man), Kelliher, Raymore & Carrot River (1A 6-Man). I'm trying my best to track down some of those coaches today for a half-time feature for Saturday's broadcast.

- Watched very little baseball last night due to election coverage... but was a little shocked to see Cliff Lee get knocked around as SF beat Texas 11-7.

- The 10-2-1 Portland Winterhawks just got Nino Niederreiter back from the Islanders. Look out.

- Note to other broadcasters... I'm always that guy who forgets a pen, so, when I find one in another broadcast booth... I take! Found one in Nipawin the other night that says LA RONGE EMS on it. Wonder where that came from??? I'm sure I've donated my fair share!

- Expect some more football blogging later today... gotta get back to my real job, which includes putting together Inside The MJHL at some point today. We'll have a heavy focus on the players named to the WJAC from the MJ.