One Last Plate of November Sports...

It is a huge travel day for people as they head home after the Thanksgiving weekend. We are definitely in the grips of fall with snow, cold, and wind as part of the forecast. But before you take off to begin your day, there is plenty of sports to stuff your plate one last time before the weekend draws to a close.

Prep Report
- East St. Louis won the 7A Football Championship over Geneva yesterday to give Southern Illinois a football title. It was their first since 1991.
- 4 of the 8 State Championships went to Private Schools comared to 2 last year.
- Du Quoin was welcomed back to the high school on Friday night for a celebration. Gears are being shifted quickly as they open up basketbal season on Wednesday night.
- Speaking of basketball there were plenty of games in the area last night. 3 of the 4 games at Christopher were dandies. The 5th place game was won in OT on a last second shot by Cobden. The 3rd place game was won on a last second putback by Christopher. Finally, the championship was won in OT by ZR. The Tornadoes have won it two years in a row over SV.
- Massac County solidified itself as the early favorite in 2A in the south with an impressive win over Marion in the Pyramid Tournament at Marion HS.
- Centralia won the Jacksonville Tournament. Lee Bennett is doing an oustanding job of turning that program around.
- Meridian won the Vienna Tournament for the second year in a row last night.
- Pinckneyville is now 2-0 after winning back to back games this weekend while Nashville is 2-0 after doing the same. So much for everyone thinking these two teams will be down.

College Sports
- Texas wins...Oklahoma wins...we await for the BCS standings to come out to give us a team that will play in the Big 12 Title game. Missouri awaits the verdict and team after stubbing their toe yesterday vs. Kansas.
- Alabama vs. Florida in the SEC Title game...set your DVRs and get ready for a classic game with heated intensity and rivarly.
- After being drubbed by USC, the Fighting Irish didn't help their embattled coach to stay on solid footing with his job.
- The Pac 10 took a hit yesterday as Oregon State was demolished by in-state rival Oregon yesterday.
- SIU lost yesterday in the first round of the playoffs to New Hampshire 29-20. The Wildcats kicked 5 FGs and returned a block punt for a TD in the win. This was a very tough draw for SIU, but with 18 starters returning next year the Salukis will be the favorite to win the MVFC.
- Kentucky Basketball got two huge wins over Kansas State and West Virgina to win the Las Vegas Invitational last night. Billy Gillespie is doing an outstanding job.
- Illinois is undefeated after yet another win yesterday for Bruce Weber's team.

Pro Sports
- Plaxico Burress...the name makes you shake your head with what he did on Friday night.
- 8 teams with winning records are underdogs based on the odds in the NFL games today.
- Cold winter weather means the NFL has some very big games in Week 13 going on. I enjoy watching games played in these weather conditions.
- The Knicks and Marbury may get their differences resolved tomorrow at a meeting. I am tired of reading about it.
- The Mets are going to talk to K-Rod about joining them for a 3 year deal. They seem to be the only team interested.
- Ken Griffey Jr. has been contacted by 9 teams about playing in 2009. It would be good for baseball if he were to be playing again.
- Are any Cubs and Cards fans worrying that they aren't in many rumors for players?

After a weekend of eating, time for me to grab some lunch and get ready for a big NFL day. I'm out.

DC

Agony of Being So Close...

There is heartbreak in Du Quoin to be so close to winning a 3A State Championship and coming up short. All of Southern Illinois feels that pain of coming so close but we are still proud of the 2nd place finish. The first week of boys basketball tournaments wraps up tonight with several good games. College football is loaded with rivalry football games and tournament titles up for graps today. Finally, the pros are having some headlines off the field today already.

Prep Report
- Du Quoin lost to Carthage 21-14 in the 3A Title game. Key to the game was Stefan Flynn running 30 times for 213 yards. No matter the game, running the FB game is still the way to win Championships.
- Private schools won 2 of the 4 games yesterday and they also have a shot at 2 of the 4 today.
- Here are your other champions from yesterday: 1A (Tripoia), 2A (Elmhurst Immaculate Conception), and 4A (Bloomington Central Catholic.)
- FYI to the IHSA...tell your on field reporter that satellite dishes do not receive any of the IHSA State Events. The on field reporter mentioned a DQ alum was possibly watching the game on satellite. Hey IHSA...make it happen and join other states in putting games on satellite.
- Here are a couple of big games in the area: Christopher (ZR vs. SV), Marion (Massac County vs. Marion).
- The Marion JV Boys BB team has a chance to win the Crab Orchard tournament today.

College Sports
- Kentucky won their basketball game over Kansas State last night with 31...yes 31 turnovers in the game.
- The ESPN family of networks have plenty of roundball on today from morning until late tonight.
- OU vs. OSU, ND at USC, Oregon St. vs. Oregon, Auburn at Alabama, and Virgina at Virginia Tech...and many more rivalry games are on today. Conference titles, bowl berths, and BCS spots are on the line in many games today.
- SIU opens up their playoffs today at home vs. a very good New Hampshire team at 1PM at McAndrew Stadium.
- Former Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin will be the new head FB coach at Tennessee. This is a great pickup by UT.

Pro Sports
- NY Giants WR Plaxico Burress is in trouble after having a gun accidentally go off and injure him in a nightclub last night. This will not help the Giants if he is more injured than just having a hamstring issue.
- Can you believe the Rams aren't favored at home vs. a Dolphins team that won 1 game last year?
- Again...I am tired of hearing about LeBron James and where he will go in free agency. He isn't even the best player in the league.
- With the change of calendar to December, I can only hope that MLB hot stove league talk will heat up a little bit.

Lucky to have another day to work outside before the cold and snow flurries arrive, I am heading out to catch up on some chores. I'm out.

DC

Red and Black Friday...

Has everyone had enough to eat? With all of those calories stored away, there are plenty of things to do today that will burn those calories. First off, being that it is "Black Friday" I am sure some of you brave readers took off to a local store or mall to get those early specials in the wee hours of the morning. With that task complete, it is back to the sports world that we know and a local team goes for a State Championship.

Prep Report
- The Du Quoin Indians will go for their 3rd State Football Championship in school history vs. Carthage Illini West in the Class 3A Championship today in Champaign at 4PM. I am sure that all of Southern Illinois will support the Indians today.
- With football wrapping up this weekend, basketball season goes into full swing with the tournaments picking up after a day off yesterday.
- Don't forget, there are some other tournaments kicking off next week in Trico, Du Quoin, and Marissa as well.

College Sports
- Texas put their stamp on a Big 12 South Championship last night with a win over rival Texas A&M. They lead in the BCS standings over Texas Tech and Oklahoma. If the Red Raiders lose tomorrow, then Texas is in. If TT wins, then it goes to who is leading in the BCS rankings.
- Maui, Anaheim, Las Vegas, Anchorage, New York City, and Orlando are just a few of the places hosting basketball tournaments.
- I was particularly impressed with Wichita State yesterday in a loss to Georgetown. The Shox are going to be very good over the next few years in the MVC.
- There are several rivalry FB games today. Undefeated Boise State is playing at home today, while West Virginia and Pittsburgh will continue their long running rivalry.

Pro Sports
- Plenty of food...plenty of offense...welcome to the NFL on Thanskgiving yesterday.
- The Titans dominated a very bad Lions team yesterday in all facets. It has been awhile since I have seen an NFL team this bad as well as it being dominated so fully.
- Dallas looks to have its offense on track after beating the lowly Seahawks yesterday. The Cowboys are on a 3 game winning streak but will have to hope that Demarcus Ware and Marion Barber are healthy heading into the last 4 games of the season.
- Benching Donovan McNabb did wonders for the Eagles in a big win over Arizona last night. Brian Westbrook also scored 4 touchdowns in a 48-20 win.
- Can the saga of the Knicks vs. Marbury get any worse? He has now been suspended for refusing to play in a game this past week.

With one last beautful day on the docket before we get a taste of winter, I am off to the great outdoors to get some last minute yardwork done. I'm out.

DC

Thanksgiving Day...

Can you believe this weather we are having today for Thanksgiving Day? I have seen several people sitting outside and enjoying this late fall day. Amazing as we sit down today to enjoy family, friends, food, and of course football.

Prep Report
- Great news for Du Quoin going into their 3A State Championship game tomorrow. TE and DE Dalton Morgan will play after missing the semi-final game last week with a tear in his trachea. X-Rays have come back positive and he will be playing.
- That 3A game will be tomorrow at 4PM from Champaign. If you live in a town with cable, you will be able to watch it. However, the rest of us with satellites won't be watching.
- Today is a day off for the basketball tournaments in our area before picking up tomorrow and Saturday.
- Massac County looks like a team to make a run this year in postseason. They are athletic, deep, and can get up and down the floor. Herrin looks to be deep as well and much improved again. You throw Harrisburg into the mix and the Ohio Division is going to be rather tough.
- If you get a chance this year, get out and see Isiah Cunningham of Eldorado. This kid can flat out play.

College Sports
- SIU suffered its third straight loss on the hardcourt last night at Western Kentucky. Offense continues to be an issue for the Dawgs.
- UNC won the Maui Invitational last night and Tyler Hansbrough looked very impressive in the game.
- Don't forget one big college football game is on tonight. Texas A&M is at Texas. The Aggies have won two in a row but are huge underdogs in the game this year.
- Charlie Wiess is in the news for something he doesn't want to be for. Now the word is his expensive buyout is not a factor on whether he remains coach at ND. Remember, that ND fired Tyrone Willingham after only 3 years.

Pro Sports
- There are three interesting NFL games today on the docket. The winless Lions host the once beaten Titans. My team, the Cowboys, host the Seahawks. Finally, the most intriguing game of the day is Arizona at Philadelphia. Both of those teams are coming off tough losses and there is QB drama in Philly with Donovan McNabb.
- The Lions have sold out the game so the game will be on locally in Detroit for the first time in 3 home games. Texas Stadium will be hosting its final Turkey Day game later this afternoon. The NFL Network will carry the final game tonight and we don't have to get into the lines in the sand about why many people in the country won't be seeing this game.
- Tom Brady had surgery again on his knee yesterday. This will not help him in his return to the field.
- Chad Johnson of the Bengals has now said his benching was merited.

As we tick down to kickoff, it is time for me to end today and proceed like many of you to gorge myself with food today. Happy Thanksgiving...I'm out.

DC

The Eve of Thanks...

The eve before giving thanks and eating yourself into oblivion is here. People will be starting their travel to get to family places today for tomorrow. Basketball season is underway and tournaments will get one last night in tonight before taking a break tomorrow. College continues to roll out games on the gridiron and hardcourt. Hey...tomorrow wouldn't be Thanksgiving without football games would it?

Prep Report
- Is there any better name for a Thanksgiving tournament than the Stove Top Classic? The final two nights are hosted by Bethalto Civic Memorial.
- I am very interested to see the Massac County boys team play. They are loaded with talent and have done well in their first 2 games at Marion this week.
- Woodlawn will play Webber Township in the girls Basketball tournament at Edwards County this Saturday night.

College Sports
- Win Big 10 Championship...earn trip to Rose Bowl...get hip replacement surgery...that is what Joe Paterno did in the last 5 days.
- The NCAA has ruled on the Kelvin Sampson/Indiana saga. Sampson is banned from NCAA coaching for 5 years unless he writes to the NCAA and asks to be let in. Indiana was put on 3 years probation and the self-imposed penalties were enough.
- We have a new campaign season...it is the BCS campaign season for college football coaches to lobby for their teams to get into the BCS Championship game.
- Maui was the place for good men's college basketball games last night. Notre Dame will battle with UNC for the championship.

Pro Sports
- Is anyone else tired of the LeBron James 2 years from now which teams is going to get him sweepstakes?
- The Browns are in turmoil. Brady Quinn is now out for the season with a broken finger while the Owner has put the coaching staff on notice about how they do the rest of the season.
- Former NFL MVP Shaun Alexander has been released after a couple of games by the Redskins.
- The economy is affecting the ads sales for the upcoming Super Bowl. Sales are slow for the big event.
- As I sit here today, I have a feeling from what I have read and heard that the offseason for the MLB is going to be a wild trade fest and free agency signing period.

Don't eat too much today since the big eating day is tomorrow. I'm out.

DC

Familiar Sounds of the Season...

The sounds of bouncing basketballs and squeaking shoes were in full force last night with the many tournaments going on in the area. It is always nice to see familiar faces at tournaments when you attend each year. On to another area and that is college where basketball revs up with tournaments around the globe as well during this holiday week. The NFL wraps up another week with on and off the field headlines. Never fear, only 2 more days until we get another 3 games to watch.

Prep Report
- Christopher won for the 33rd out of the 34th time in the opening round of their tournament last night over Cobden.
- The first night of the wrestling season begins tonight with several schools having matches in the area.
- Johnston City girls BB is now 4-1 after beating Eldorado at home last night.
- Two Southern Illinois crews will be officiating state championship football games this weekend. One crew is doing the 1A game and another crew is doing the 3A. I will hope to have names later in the week of the crews.

College Sports
- Nick Evans of the BB Salukis is out 4 to 6 weeks with a broken wrist suffered in the UCLA game last week.
- You know it is Thanksgiving week when you start seeing college basketball being played everywhere from Maui, to Puerto Rico, to the Virgin Islands, to Alaska.
- Indiana and Notre Dame flew all the way out to Maui to play in the tournament in Men's BB. Who scheduled that game?
- Game time for the FB Salukis is this Saturday at 1PM at McAndrew Stadium against New Hampshire.
- Missouri and FB head coach Gary Pinkel have agreed on a contract extension.

Pro Sports
- MLB trivia fact for the day...The Cubs were the first team to let teams keep foul balls starting in 1916. The practice didn't become universal until for 10 years later. I just learned this tidbit today.
Two teams in the NFL scored over 50 points this weekend.
- After being benched, Donovan McNabb will be the starting QB for the Eagles on Thursday against the Cardinals.
- Also returning to a starter role will be Brady Quinn after being benched by the Browns on Sunday.
- Pacman Jones is back to practice with the Cowboys.
- Michael Vick is eyeing an early release from prison after pleading guilty to state dog fighting charges.

Benchings on the field and dealing with benches off the field. Life as it is in the pro sports world. I'm out.

DC

Tipping It Off...

It seems the last few weeks that new sports seasons are tipping off each week. This is the case this week as a new boys basketball season for high school will begin tonight. Several Thanksgiving tournaments are taking place this week. Onto the college level, we know the opponent for SIU in their playoffs as well as a shake up is in order for the BCS standings. It was another wild day in the NFL with the last unbeaten taking a loss.

Prep Report
- You name the place and there probably is a boys basketball tournament going on tonight.
- Christopher leads it off being that it is the 34th edition. You also have Grayville, Vienna, Crab Orchard, Marion, Jacksonville, Alton, Murphysboro and Lebanon as being sites that have tournaments this week with local teams participating.
- Private schools have a chance to win 4 of the 8 State Championships in football this year. In Class 4A, it is a lock that a private school will win.
- Another winter sport that starts shortly is wrestling. Southern Illinois has had a couple of individual State Champions the past few years so here is hoping for more of the same kind of success.
- I also forgot to mention that bowling sectional assignments and pairings were released by the IHSA last Friday.

College Sports
- SIU Football will host New Hampshire Saturday. This came after thinking the Salukis were on a plane to New Hampshire but ESPNU had put the brackets up wrong.
- The BCS standings had a bit of a shakeup. Alabama is still #1, followed by Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and USC.
- We do know that Alabama will play Florida in the SEC title game, and Missouri will battle either Texas, Oklahoma, or Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game. It is a great time of year in college football.
- Bill Snyder is coming back to Kansas State to be the head football coach. He retired in 2006. K-State has really made me along with others scratch our heads about the football program moves lately.

Pro Sports
- The Jets ended the Titans run at perfection in Nashville yesterday. Brett Favre is playing like someone half his age and playing very well.
- The Eagles pulled Donovan McNabb from the game yesterday in a loss to the Ravens. There is question as to who will start for the Eagles this Thursday night vs. Arizona.
- Question...how bad are the Rams?
- Question...weren't the Colts left by the wayside a few weeks ago before this long winning streak?
- Adam Vinatieri of the Colts is the most clutch FG kicker of all time. There should be no argument at all.
- We now know that the next misstep by Adam Jones of the Cowboys will be his last as a member of the NFL. It will mean a lifetime ban for his next mistake.
- The Wizards of the NBA have become team #2 to fire a coach this year. After starting the season 1-11, they have fired Eddie Jordan who was their leader for 6 years.

It is not a bad Monday with information all around in the sports world. Short weeks sometimes do that. I'm out.

DC

Title Hopes...

Southern Illinois has another chance to reign as a football champion as Du Quoin has advanced to the 3A Title game next Friday. The old saying goes that to get to Champaign in Class 3A in Southern Illinois all roads lead through Du Quoin and this year was no different. Pride abounds as all from Southern Illinois should be rooting on the red and black. SIU FB fans are ecstatic with another conference championship as well as an automatic playoff berth. It was a particularly wild day in college football as we wind down the season. However, never fear the NFL picks up today with several intriguing matchups to keep us secure to the furniture.

Prep Report
Interlocking DQ Stats
- Du Quoin advances to the Class 3A Football State Championship game next Friday at 4PM vs. Carthage Illini West in Champaign.
- This is the 7th trip to the title game for the Indians. They won it all in 1988 and 1992 while finishing 2nd in 1986, 1994, 1995, and 2002.
- Al Martin will be making his 6th trip to the title game as head coach of the Indians.
- Du Quoin has beaten 3 straight teams that were undefeated (Carterville, Decatur St. Teresa, and Columbia) to get to this point. Carthage is also undefeated.
- Carthage was in 1A for many years before consolidation. They have won a football State Championship in 1998, 1999, and 2000 while finishing 2nd 1984, 1998, 2002, 2003, and 2004. They were known as the Blueboys but with the consolidation they are known as the Chargers.
Around the Area
- The Metro East took a hit in football with 3 of 4 teams losing yesterday. Cahokia, Breese Mater Dei, and Columbia all were elminated.
- East St. Louis went on the road yesterday to beat Glenbard West 27-20 to advance to the 7A Title Game vs. Geneva. I watched this game on Comcast out of Chicago and it was a great game.
- Herrin wrapped up a 5-0 record and the Marion Invitational Championship in girls basketball yesterday.
- Sparta also won their own girls basketball tournament beating Trico, Red Bud, and SVW this week.

College Sports
- For all the hype that Florida has been getting, put that aside as Oklahoma has leaped ahead of them. The Sooners were very impressive in a 65-21 trouncing of #2 Texas Tech last night. OU's defense was phenomenal. They have to beat Oklahoma State to advance to the Big 12 Title game vs. Missouri.
- Did you ever think you would see Michigan with 9 losses and Tennessee with 7 losses in a season? It has happened with the Wolverines while the Volunteers have to play one more game to avoid loss #8.
- Penn State wins the Big 10 and is off to the Rose Bowl while Utah beat BYU. The Utes will be in a BCS game.
- After another miserable loss yesterday and no trip to a bowl game, it seems the luster of a Rose Bowl trip and honeymoon of Ron Zook as head coach is now officially over.
- Myron Rolle of Florida State won a Rhodes Scholarship and then got on a plane and flew to Maryland to help the Seminoles win a game. Congrats to him!!!
- SIU FB won the MVFC yesterday by beating ISU 17-10 in OT. This clinches a playoff berth for the Salukis.
- Ugh...being a Notre Dame fan right now with Charlie Wiess at the helm.

Pro Sports
- Week 12 of the NFL is upon us. The Bears at the Rams will be on TV today. This is due to the Bears being in town and many of their fans getting tickets for the game making it a sellout.
- John Daly shot a 62 in golf yesterday. Are you serious? How much talent does this guy have that hasn't been used to the best of his ability?
- Wendell Clark (Toronto Maple Leafs) #17 jersey and Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens) #33 jersey were retired by their respective teams in ceremonies last night in the NHL.
- The tumbleweed is blowing in the MLB as nothing much is going on right now.
- Memo to Greg Oden...welcome to the NBA. Shaq put on a clinic last night to show the young fellow how far he has to go to become great in that league last night.

That should be just enough of an appetizer to get everyone ready for a full day of the NFL. I'm out.

DC

Perfect November Day...

Today is perfect November weather for football and anything else done in this month. This cold and gray day will end with 16 teams earning a trip to the carpet in Champaign. It is the kind of day if you don't have to be at an outside event, then to stay in and watch all of the tremendous activites on the TV today.

Prep Report
- Semi-Final Saturday for football is upon us. The game of interest for us Du Quoin at Columbia.
- East St. Louis is at Glenbard West today at 12PM on Comcast TV out of Chicago. This will be a must watch for me as well.
- The first full week of girls basketball is in the books. Johnston City won the Du Quoin Tournament last night while Herrin looks very good at the Marion Tournament which concludes today.
- Sara Rennie won her 597th game at Mt. Vernon last night. She has all but 2 wins in the history of Lady Rams Basketball.

College Sports
- Today is first of three Saturdays in a row of great college football games.
- Rivalries, playing for various items, conference championships, and bowl games dot the schedule today in football. Michigan/Ohio State, Illinois/Northwestern, Washington State/Washington, and many others dot the schedule.
- The big game of the day has National Championship and Heisman implications tonight at 7PM on ABC as Texas Tech is at Oklahoma.
- SIU football is at Illinois State today. With a win, SIU will win the MVFC and clinch a spot in the Playoffs. Expect a very cold, windy, and snow flurries day in Bloomington.
- SIU finished out 2 games at MSG getting blown out by DUKE and UCLA. However, it is a win-win situation for the program to play those teams, play in that building, and on national TV.
- Tyler Hansbrough of UNC is back from injury and scored 13 points in his return in a win.

Pro Sports
- Teeing it off, it was the final time we got to see Annika Sorenstam play in a LPGA event. She missed the cut yesterday ending a tremendous and record breaking career that we may never see the likes of again.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder fired head coach PJ Carlesimo last night after their game. He is the first NBA coach to lose his job.
- Speaking of the NBA, Stephon Marbury refused to play in a Knicks game last night. That relationship has soured tremendously in recent weeks.
- The Knicks made two trades yesterday. They weren't going to get better doing it, but cut salary to make a run at players in 2010.
- As the Michael Vick case gets deeper, we find more and more details about what went on.

Plenty to do and plenty to watch as the DVR is going to get a workout today. I'm out.

DC

Antlers and Orange...

Yes, the sun has risen on another shotgun deer season in Southern Illinois. I have already heard shots this morning in the area. I wish much success and safety to the hunters in the area. Speaking of shots, many are going around in the girls basketball season with the boys basketball season beginning tomorrow. We also are on the eve of high school football semi-final day as teams vie for a spot to play on the turf. Also, college basketball is reving up and SIU was on the main stage last night.

Prep Report
- Teams are gearing up on the boys basketball side and many teams will be hosting scrimmages the next two weekends in preparing for the season.
- You know the season is getting started for boys basketball when Christmas tournament schedules are starting to come out. The Duster Thomas Hoops Classic schedule has been released.
- Semi-final football day is tomorrow. For those teams that get to play, enjoy the moment because it doesn't happen to often for many schools.

College Sports
- SIU played well early, but left the building late as DUKE won 83-58. SIU will play UCLA in the 3rd place game this afternoon starting at 4PM after the Bruins were upset by Michigan.
- IMO...how good is Bobby Knight as a color commentator? It was very nice to not have to hear Dick Vitale screaming and hollering and wooing about DUKE when they are playing.
- Illinois fans...that was a tremendous road win last night at Vanderbilt. Great teams have went in there and lost because that is a tough place to play.
- Miami,FL was blasted at Georgia Tech last night to throw the ACC into more disarray as far as figuring who is going to place in the ACC football championship game.
- We are in a stretch where we have several rivalry games going on in football. Teams are playing for pride, bragging rights, and all kinds of objects.
- VMI men's basketball scored 133 points in a game last night after scoring 111 in their first game vs UK.
- Texas Tech men's basketball scored 167 points in a win last night.

Pro Sports
- November + NFL + snow = good football. The Steelers played in the snow last night and won over the Bengals.
- What is Chad Johnson thinking? What are some of these professional athletes thinking when they do things they know are wrong but act like nothing is wrong?
- Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is taking responsibility for Pacman getting suspended. Yet another head scratcher in that soap opera.
- The Yankees have said that their offer for C.C. Sabathia won't be on the table forever.
- Chase Utley of the Phillies is facing hip surgery and could be out until June. He played with the injury most of the 2nd half of this season.

Time to begin the final work day of the week knowing a 3 day work week is coming at us next week. I'm out.

DC

Counting it Down...

We have one week to go until Thanksgiving. November is flying by and it will be Christmas before we know it. SIU fans are getting ready for their game at MSG tonight vs. DUKE. Also, the NFL made some headlines with the reinstatement of a player back into the league. Like a cornucopia, the sports world is filled with a variety of happenings.

Prep Report
- The Belleville News Democrat has a good basketball preview online. It covers teams from the Metro East area that teams from our area will be playing.
- Be on the alert as all-conference teams have been and will be announced for the fall sports.
- IMO...the Marion Girls tournament is becoming a pretty competitive tournament during its years. There have been some very good games down there over the years.
- This weekend will be several "Meet the Team" events in the area for boys basketball teams.

College Sports
- Ball State remains undefeated in football with a good road run at Central Michigan last night. The Cardinals may be left out in the cold because Boise State and Utah have a better ranking in the BCS system though.
- I am looking forward to the Texas Tech/Oklahoma game on Saturday night.
- I hereby nominate myself to be the offensive coordinator for Notre Dame. I can call the offense against NAVY last week since they have the 104th worst defense vs. the pass. Then, I will call it this week vs. hapless Syracuse. I then will be an offensive genius like Charlie Wiess is last week and this week.
- SIU vs. DUKE is tonight at 6PM on ESPN2.

Pro Sports
- Adam Jones has been reinstated by the NFL. As a Dallas fan, I don't know why we keep wanting to bring him back to the team.
- Edgerrin James of the Cardinals has asked for his release. He is not happy with the lack of playing time and carries as a RB but Arizona is not going to do it. Look for Arizona to release him during the offseason to save money.
- Bengals at Steelers highlight the NFL schedule tonight as the game will be on the NFL Network. Bad blood has been boiling between the two teams since the first game of the season.
- Mike Mussina is rumored to be retiring from the Yankees as a starting pitcher. He was one of the most durable and best pitchers in the MLB, but the Yankees staff will take a hit without his production in it.

Rare for a Thursday night but there are several things that are TV watchable tonight. Where is the recliner? I'm out.

DC

Mid-Week Marching...

The anticipation grows for the Semi-Finals this weekend in football. There are some pretty good games as expected around the state. Baseball has handed out the last of the big awards as we ready ourselves for the hot stove league to begin. Finally, another problem with the economy is that it affects sports and another sport is taking a hit.

Prep Report
- I am quite interested to see the result of the Cahokia at Metamora football game on Saturday. Metamora has been able to beat South Seven teams Mt. Vernon and Marion pretty handily in recent years.
- Check your local listings because Comcast out of Chicago is going to broadcast at least one Semi-Final football game this weekend from the Chicago area.
- As we draw closer to the start of the boys basketball season, be on the lookout for the basketball tabs in local newspapers.

College Sports
- How good is UNC to beat Kentucky without 2 of their best players by 19 points?
- ESPN gets to broadcast the 4 BCS football bowl games starting in 2011. It makes sense that they cover all those games all year to have it on that network.
- New trend...current coach will retire, don't know when, so get a replacement in before current coach retires.
- Stephen Curry of Davidson picked off where he did last year with 44 points in a loss at Oklahoma last night.

Pro Sports
- Dustin Pedroia of Boston is the AL MVP for the MLB this season. As with Pujols, I also did pick that correctly.
- The Cubs and Ryan Dempster have agreed to a new 4 year to deal to sure up their rotation. Look for the Cubs to go after a left-handed hitting right fielder as well as a lead off man.
- The Mariners have hired Don Wakamatsu as their new manager. He has 4 years of minor league managing experience as well as being bench coach for the A's most recently.
- The LPGA tour is expected to cut events and prize money in 2009.
- LeBron James became the youngest player to score 11,000 career points at the age of 23 last night.

As I close, did I just really see that Vanderbilt football is going to a bowl game? I'm out.

DC

Transitioning Tuesday...

Box scores of basketball games have hit the newspapers as the prep basketball season is underway for the girls. As we get cooler weather, we continue to wind down the fall sports season at the prep level. College basketball fans are getting a huge dose this current 24 hours with ESPN showing all kinds of games at different times. We have mentioned several times that we are transitioning in many ways in different things this time of year and the sports world is no different.

Prep Report
- Du Quoin will be at Columbia at 1PM on Saturday.
- Breese Mater Dei, Cahokia, and East St. Louis are teams on the fringe of our area will also be on the road Saturday.
- It is nice to see basketball box scores in the paper this morning. The first night of high school girls basketball was last night.
- The State Finals for Girls swimming and diving will be held this weekend in Evanston, IL.

College Sports
- ESPN is currently on their run with college basketball games that started at midnight and will end with Kentucky at North Carolina.
- FOX sports has pulled out of bidding for the 4 BCS football bowl games. It looks like ESPN will be in showing those in the future.

Pro Sports
- As I predicted, Albert Pujols is your NL MVP. This is the 2nd time he has won the award.
- The SEC is after Mark Cuban, owner of the Mavs, for insider trading. Could this be a reason as to why the MLB won't let him own the Cubs?
- For those NBA fans this won't come as a shock, Tracy McGrady of the Rockets has reinjured his knee. The injury prone star just can't get through a season without being hurt.
- "Wide right"...words that stick in the minds of Buffalo Bills fans as they missed a FG last night in losing to the Browns.

As I checked out the TV this morning, it was kind of different to see a college basketball game at 9AM. That is an early wake up call. I'm out.

DC

Searching for Energy...

The usual for me after my Dallas Cowboys play on Sunday night or Monday night football. I am happy after a big win, but searching for a little energy today after staying up a little late after the big win. However, there are and have been several things going on in all of the worlds of sport this weekend.

Prep Report
- Volleyball champions for this year are:
Class1A: Lanark (Eastland)
Class 2A: Freeburg
Class 3A: Joliet Catholic
Class 4A: St. Charles East
- Freeburg became the 3rd Cahokia Conference team in 4 years to win a volleyball title. Breese Central did it 2 of the last 3 years.
- Breese Mater Dei was another team on the fringe of our coverage area who was at state and finished 3rd in Class 3A.
- Dates and times for the Semi-Final football games will be released by the IHSA at 1:00PM.
- The 7 peat of State Championships in football is over for Addison Driscoll. They lost in the 4A Quarter-Finals this past weekend. Never fear as another private school (Aurora Christian) beat them.
- Speaking of private schools, 8 of the 32 teams left in football are of the private school variety.

College Sports
- DUKE men's basketball got a scare at home beating Rhode Island 82-79 yesterday. I have noted for a few years that the days of the bigger schools blowing out smaller schools are dwindling due to the competition.
- Syracuse has fired Greg Robinson as their football coach. The Orange have not done much in recent years.
- Most interesting job available now in college football has to be the Tennessee job with all of the names being rumored.
- ESPN begins their 15 games of basketball madness tonight and will conclude late tomorrow evening.

Pro Sports
- Slow weekend in the MLB as not much movement was made on free agents and trades. MVP awards will be announced this week.
- Jimmie Johnson won his 3rd straight NASCAR championship yesterday. This is a case of a Legend in our time as he did this in a much more competitive era.
NFL Week 11
The Titans went to a perfect 10-0 beating Jacksonville on the road.
MVP vote for 2008...Kurt Warner of the Cardinals and he deserves a big contract as a free agent when this season is over.
Fantasy league people who had Peyton Manning are counting their points yesterday.
Last but certainly not least, my Cowboys showed up in the 2nd half and looked great in a road win at Washington last night.

For a Monday and after a Sunday Night NFL game, I have given you the reader plenty of items to read. I'm out.

DC

Shifting Gears...

Another weekend in November means we continue to wrap up the fall sports season. The football playoffs provided several good games in the quarter-finals around the state. Also, college football had little or no shakeup to the top of the BCS standings but that will change with rivalry games over the next couple of weeks. Sunday means Week 11 of the NFL and several division games are on tap along with the last race of the NASCAR season.

Prep Report
- As I mentioned yesterday, the Du Quoin win over St. T. was one of the best football games I have ever seen. After all the workouts, practices, conditioning, games, etc...it came down to one yard for St. T. DQ will travel to Columbia next Saturday.
- After watching that game, I went home and found a 6A Quarter-Final game on Comcast sports out of Chicago. It ended in dramatic fashion with Antioch defeating Glen Ellyn 28-27 in OT. After all the workouts, practices, conditiong, games, etc...the game ended on a missed extra point for Glen Ellyn.
- Comcast plans to have more Semi-Final games on next weekend so check your local listings. Wow...imagine that concept...IHSA postseason games on the TV for all to watch!!!
- Teams on the fringe of our area continue to advance to the semi-finals. Cahokia defeated Decatur MacArthur 31-6 to advance in 6A. The Commanches will play undefeated Metamora next weekend. Also Breese Mater Dei beat Mascoutah 42-14 to advance to play Bloomington Central Catholic in the Semi-Finals of Class 4A. East St. Louis beat Chicago St. Rita 35-38 to advance to the 7A semi-finals to play Glenbard West.

College Sports
- SIU won a wild one yesterday 38-35 over SDSU to go to 8-2 on the season. With a win at Illinois State next weekend, the Salukis will again be in the playoffs.
- It was a pretty bland day on the college football BCS level. There weren't many close games and the top ranked teams all held serve.
- Missouri won the Big 12 North yesterday and await the winner of Texas, OU, and OSU in the Big 12 South.
- Tyler Hansbrough of UNC missed the season opener yesterday with an injury. He is questionable as to his return for the season.
- College Basketball will heat up in a few days when some of these Thanksgiving time tournaments kick in with great non-conference matchups.

Pro Sports
- Today is the final NASCAR race of the season. Jimmie Johnson is going for 3 straight titles in a row.
- Several drivers will be driving for their team for the final time today before going to other organizations in 2009.
- Nice of the Brewers to tell the Yankees they have overbid for C.C. Why are the Brewers doing this?
- The Braves are now out officially of the Peavy sweepstakes. It makes you wonder where he will end up.
- Week 11 of the NFL has several division matchups. Cowboys/Redskins, Bears/Packers, Rams/49ers, and the AFC South all have division games which should make for great TV.

The gears have been shifted for today as transition in the sports world. I'm out.

DC

Thawing Out...

Now back home, I am trying to thaw out. It was a very chilly day at Van Metre Field in Du Quoin. However, I saw one of the best high school football games with Du Quoin beating Decatur St. Teresea 14-10. I have noticed that my typing skill hasn't come back to me as I type with cold fingers and hands. As I warm up, there is plenty to type about today.

Prep Report
- Again, I can't tell you what a great game I saw today. DQ stopped St. T. one yard short of getting a first down on 4th down to end what would have been a game winning drive.
- To the St. T. fan who threw the chair on the field after the game, that was as poor of sportsmanship as I have ever seen as well.
- Du Quoin will play at Columbia in the 3A Semi-Finals next Saturday.
- Marion's Nathan Dorris has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Vanderbilt.
- Harrisburg's Christian Cummins has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Illinois.
- Freeburg is your Class 2A State Champion for volleyball this season.

College Sports
- Kentucky Men's basketball scored 103 points last night. However, VMI scored 111 to win at Rupp Arena. VMI was 14-31 from the arc as well as 27-35 from the free throw line.
- SIU is currently in a scoring battle leading SDSU 35-21 at halftime. A win would continue to set SIU up for a Conference championship.
- Is the hooneymoon over for Ron Zook at Illinois? Not making a bowl game this year will make it end quickly after another loss to Ohio State today in Champaign.
- Michigan lost for the 8th time this season today in football and that is the most for a season in team history.
- College football leads the way today but there just aren't many good games between highly ranked opponents today.

Pro Sports
- The Yankees have offered C.C. Sabathia 6 years, 137 million dollars. No word yet on whether or not that also included the old Yankee Stadium as well.
- LA has taken an offer off of the table from Manny Ramirez as of last night.
- AJ Burnett, Derek Lowe, and K-Rod are going to command high dollar in a market not with a big number of big time free agents.
- NASCAR has banned all track testing for the 2009 season. It costs $100,000 per car to test and this will help the organization save money.
- Carl Edwards starts 4th and Jimmie Johnson starts 30th tomorrow in the final race of the season at Homestead.
- The Lakers were the last team to lose their first game in the NBA last night to the Pistons.

I have some more thawing out to do. I'm out.

DC

BRRRRR in the Air...

The weather is a changing. We are forecasted to have snow showers tomorrow along with a very cold day. We also started the MLB free agency period last night. Let me be the first to say I will sign any free agent deal for any 7 digit money figure with an MLB team. Okay, time to get serious so let's get started with our tour around the sports world.

Prep Report
- If you are heading to Du Quoin tomorrow, dress warmly. Snow showers and flurries are predicted on what will be an extremely winter-like day tomorrow.
- The Volleyball State Tournament gets underway this morning in Bloomington at ISU.
- Are we really that close to the basketball season?

College Sports
- The Miami Hurricanes are going back to a bowl game after beating Virginia Tech for their 7th win of the season.
- UCLA struggled with Miami, OH but did win at home. They advance to play Michigan in the 2K Sports Classic. SIU vs. DUKE is the other semi-final at MSG.
- Illinois football has a big game tomorrow vs. Ohio State. The Illini need a winning streak to end the season and get in a bowl game.

Pro Sports
- Cliff Lee of the Indians is the AL Cy Young Award winner. A season before, he was shipped out to the minors.
- Free Agent time is here in the MLB. Spending could begin at midnight.
- The Cubs have made a trade. They acquired closer Kevin Gregg from the Marlins yesterday. This also means that Kerry Wood probably won't be back in a Cubs uniform in 2009. The Cubs still say they want to sign Ryan Dempster and get a bat for their lineup.
- Nick Swisher was also traded to the Yankees yesterday. He struggled mightily for the White Sox this season.
- The NFL Network is 2 for 2 so far this season with Thursday night games. Two close wins by road teams and last night the NY Jets won in OT 34-31 at New England to propel the Jets into first place in the AFC East. The game was awesome to watch the entire night.

As I await my MLB contract, it is time to begin the day. I'm out.

DC

November Excitement...

Excitement is all around for a Thursday morning. Saluki fans are excited about a basketball game with DUKE, while the NFL has a game tonight for the football fans. We also are changing from fall to winter sports in the prep world which means several things are going on at once.

Prep Report
- It is going to be a chilly, windy, and maybe muddy afternoon on Saturday for the quarter-final football games around the state.
- If you want to check out and get more information on Decatur St. Teresa and the football in that part of the state, you need to go to the Decatur Herald and Review newspaper website. They have a very good prep sports page.
- Is anyone else planning their basketball trips for the first 3 weeks of the season when tournaments are a plenty?

College Sports
- SIU played a good 2nd half to come from behind to beat UMass at the SIU Arena last night. The Salukis earn a trip to play DUKE at MSG next week.
- It is a win-win situation for SIU to be able to play at MSG, play DUKE, and play on national TV (ESPN2). However, if they only play for half a game in either game they play then don't expect them to come home with a win.
- ESPN is trying to make a play to get the BCS college football bowl games away from FOX.
- Former Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin has interviewed for the Clemson football job.

Pro Sports
- Lou Piniella of the Cubs is the NL Manager of the year while Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays is the AL Manager of the year.
- DEI and Ganassi will go together and make a 4 team NASCAR organization starting in 2009.
- I am not a big NBA fan early in the season, but there have been some very good games and individual performances the first few weeks already.
- The Jets are at the Patriots in a very important NFL game tonight. The weather is supposed to be cool and rainy which will add to the drama.

Just because the weather is damp, cloudy, and cool doesn't mean that the sports world has to be too. I'm out.

DC

Mid-Week Transition...

November is a time of transition. We change from season to season and in the sports world from sport to sport. This is no different today as we are in a transition and a slow part of the mid-week.

Prep Report
- Girls swimming and diving Sectionals will be held this weekend around the state.
- Looking at the 3A bracket down here, there are 4 teams that could very easily win a State Championship. However, the upper bracket is just as loaded.
- Du Quoin, Meridian, Nashville, and Hamilton County will all be hosting girls basketball tournaments next week to kick the roundball season off.

College Sports
- Ball State continues to be undefeated after another win last night. They are trying to be a team that gets into a BCS game that is not in a BCS conference.
- Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Jon Gruden says he isn't interested in the Tennessee job. He was a grad. assistant there in 1986-1987.
- SIU got a win last night over California, (PA) at home to open up the 2K Tournament. They will play UMass tonight at the SIU Arena at 7PM. The winner advances to Madison Square Garden next week.

Pro Sports
- Tim Lincecum, of the Giants and my pick for NL Cy Young, won the award yesterday. He had an outstanding season on a very poor baseball team.
- The dollars being tossed around for Manny is absurd. The word now is $60 million over 3 years.
- Another day and Jake Peavy is still on the market.
- In the NBA, the Lakers are 6-0 and I can believe that. On the other hand, are the Atlanta Hawks really 6-0?
- The Broncos are bringing back another running back from the past. Tatum Bell has been signed and will play Sunday. He played for Denver from 2004-2006.

There are some bits to nibble on for you as you begin another work day. I'm out.

DC

Veterans' Day...

Happy Veterans' Day to everyone today. It officially is fall with the cold November rain that is falling today. Hopefully some of this sports talk can warm you up.

Prep Report
- Boys Soccer was completed over the season as champions were crowned. Your Class 2A Champion was Peoria Notre Dame while your Class 3A Champion was Winnetka New Trier.
- Local teams in the Volleyball state tournament this weekend will be Freeburg in Class 2A and Breese Mater Dei in Class 3A.
- Decatur St. Teresa will play at Du Quoin on Saturday at 1PM. Expect a big crowd especially with it being the only football game in the area that day.
- It is that time of year to be seeing the tournament brackets for Thanksgiving coming up. The planning of my week to be out and about is already under way.

College Sports
- The wolves are howling in Champaign and the honeymoon is over after the Illini lost to Western Michigan on Saturday in football.
- Notre Dame Coach is going to take control of calling the offense. Do you think he needs to pull out the stops and prevent 5 loss recruiting classes?

Pro Sports
- What a tremendous game that the Arizona Cardinals and 49ers played last night. Wait a minute. Did I just put "tremendous" and "Arizona Cardinals" in the same sentence? My the times are a changing.
- Former Patriot Ty Law has signed a 1 yr. deal with the Jets. Timing is everything since the Jets are at the Patriots this Thursday night.
- Did anyone really believe the Cardinals were really in the market for ex-Rockies outfielder Matt Holiday? I was skeptical and now since the A's made the deal to get him it doesn't look like the Cardinals were really interested.
- Jake Peavy is not going to be in San Diego and the leading suitors are the Braves and the Cubs at this point.
- Speaking of the Padres, they are cleaning house and starting a new in 2009 with the subtraction of longtime Padre Trevor Hoffman from their roster.
- Geo Soto of the Cubs is your NL Rookie of the Year. The Cubs are going to be solid for years to come at that position with him in charge.

As I finish this post, please take the time today to remember those who have fought, are fighting, and will fight to keep us free as well as thank them for doing it. I'm out.

DC

Taking a Breath...

Slowing down and taking a breath from a big sports weekend is the chore of the day. It was a full weekend that had plenty going on at all levels. However, a new week which includes a 4 day work week to allow for the celebration of all Veterans on Tuesday will make the week go by quicker. Let's get right to catching up on a big weekend of sports.

Prep Report
- Quarter-Final dates, times, and places will officially be announced by the IHSA today at 1:00PM.
- Volleyball will crown champions this weekend at Redbird Arena in Bloomington.
- Today marks the first day that boys basketball teams can start practicing for the season.
- Again, it was so awesome to see Margo Richardson of Mt. Vernon win the 2A State Cross Country Championship for Southern Illinois. That is a great accomplishment.

College Sports
- The BCS standings are Alabama, Texas Tech, Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma as your top five.
- I didn't realize this until yesterday but Oklahoma has scored no less than 35 points in all of their games this season.
- How can Notre Dame continue to have top 5 recruiting classes and still be on pace this year to lose 5 games? In fact, they have lost to Boston College 6 straight times.
- Ranking right up there as very uninteresting events are college basketball exhibition games. These are very hard to watch.

Pro Sports
- Fill in excuse here for why the Rams were blown out so early in the game at the Jets yesterday.
- The Bears are counting down the days until Kyle Orton gets back to replace Rex Grossman. Wow...did I just say a team was waiting on Orton to return as starting QB?
- Division games from the NFL yesterday were solid, close games, and fun to watch.
- Say what you want, but Kansas City has to be one of the best 1 win teams in a while. Herman Edwards is such a great coach.
- Jimmie Johnson won the race in Phoenix yesterday. He now has to finish 36th or better in the final race of the season next Sunday to win his 3rd NASCAR Championship in a row. This is an amazing feat.
- The Pistons are now0-2 since acquiring Allen Iverson in a trade last week.

Monday...does anyone else have the Monday blahs today? I think I do today but I am going to have to force myself to get out of the rut. I'm out.

DC

Still Shaking my Head...

I still can't believe that we are done to two teams in the IHSA Football Playoffs. I really thought we would have more teams advance. However, we do have Du Quoin and Cahokia to represent Southern Illinois. We have a cross country State Champion in the area which is something to hang your hat on. Finally, another wild day of college football leads us into a chilly November day of the NFL.

Prep Report
- No real local teams are left in 1A volleyball. The closest team to us in 2A is Freeburg advancing in Class 2A to play Elgin St. Edward in the Final Four this Friday in Redbird Arena.
- Breese Mater Dei will be making their 18th appearance in the Volleyball State Tournament this Friday after defeating Champaign Centennial last night. BMD will play Joliet Catholic in the Class 3A Final Four.
- With Margo Richardson of Mt. Vernon winning the 2A Cross Country Individual Championship, she became the first runner from Southern Illinois to win that title since Becky Garrett of Sparta did it in 1990.
- Charlie Hatch of Nashville was the last from Southern Illinois in 2004 to win the Individual Title for the boys run.
2nd Round Playoffs
- Breese Mater Dei made 3 stops of Massac County in the redzone to get the win. BMD will play at Mascoutah next weekend who handled Herrin pretty easily yesterday.
- Greenville, who hasn't played a home game all year, advanced to the 3A Quarter-Finals with a win over Vandalia in Edwardsville yesterday. This is truly an amazing story for them to be 11-0 and not played a game at home.
- How good is Cahokia? Being one of the top 5 teams in the entire 8 class draw to begin the playoffs, this team has a legit chance to win a State Championship even with the injuries they have had happen to them.
- Maroa-Forsyth is primed for another run at a 2A State Title.


College Sports
- Alabama wins in OT at LSU while Texas Tech looked awesome at home vs. Oklahoma State.
- The current Missouri senior class of football players as won more games in the school history in their time in Columbia than any class previous.
- Is the honeymoon over for Ron Zook at Illinois? Losing to Western Michigan will not set well with fans.
- 1/2 of the SEC dream match is complete as Florida won the SEC East. Once Alabama can get the SEC West done then we have a great SEC Championship game set up.

Pro Sports
- Carl Edwards won the Nationwide NASCAR race yesterday, but will start further back in the field for the NASCAR race today. Jimmie Johnson starts on the pole in Phoenix.
- Jake Peavy won't be in San Diego next season. The Cubs are allegedly the lead team to acquire him and his huge contract.
- The rumor of Matt Holiday to the Cardinals for Ryan Ludwick among others is gaining steam. This would be a good pickup for the STL.
- Don't you just love the cold weather for NFL games. It makes the NFL feel right when you see cold weather.
- Week 10 is just a couple of hours away and several great matchups and rivlaries are on tap.
- I love how every time a deal happens in the NBA, it revolves around the free agency of LeBron James in 2010.

Mid-morning on a Sunday and it is time to fire up some food for the NFL day. I'm out.

DC

So. IL. Slapdown...

As I type here late on this Saturday evening, I am still a tad shocked at the results of the HS playoff football games today. I am shocked that only two teams will advance. More on that tomorrow, but there is good news in other parts of the preps world as well as news in college and the pros.

Prep Report
- I attended, like thousands of others, the Du Quoin at Carterville. Say what you want, but the Indians really dominated the game through out and if it weren't for two drives stopped inside the 5 yard line, Du Quoin could have scored more.
- Johnston City, Herrin, Marion, Massac County, Carterville, and AJ all were defeated today leaving Du Quoin and Cahokia as the last two teams remaining in football.
- Du Quoin will host Decatur St. Teresa next Saturday and Cahokia will host Decatur MacArthur.
- No team or individual placed in the top 10 in any of the 3 classes of Boys Cross Country today in Peoria.
- Margo Richardson of Mt. Vernon is the 2A girls Cross Country Individual State Champion.

College Sports
- SIU got a big win at home over Western Illinois to improve their chances at winning the MVFC this season.
- Penn State fell from the ranks of the unbeatens after losing at Iowa today.
- Alabama had a game winning FG blocked in the final seconds. In OT, the Crimson Tide picked an LSU pass off and then scored a TD later on the next possession to give Nick Saban a win over his former team on the road.
- As I sit here for the 2nd Saturday in a row, Texas Tech is one of the best teams in college football.
- Did I just read in college football that Wyoming beat Tennessee in Knoxville? WOW!!!
- Oh yeah...don't forget about Oklahoma. The Sooners are very solid this year.

Pro Sports
- Jimmie Johnson has the NASCAR points lead and will start on the pole in Phoenix tomorrow.
- Week 10 of the NFL began on Thursday night, but there are several interesting games tomorrow including Colts at Steelers, Giants at Eagles, and Bills at Patriots.
- The Brewers hired former A's manager Ken Macha as their manager. They now have hired former Mets' manager Willie Randolph to be their bench coach.
- Rumors are swirling that the Cardinals are dangling Ryan Ludwick among others in a deal to get Matt Holiday from the Rockies.
- The Yankees have moved the pitching rubber and home plate to the new Yankee Stadium as of today.

Like I said, I am still shocked about many of the high school football games today. I need an evening to digest and take everything in. I'm out.

DC

Working for the Weekend...

You know the song. We are all working for the weekend as Friday closes another traditional work week. We start to rev up another weekend of college and pro sports, but the prep scene gives us ample chance to get out and see postseason action as well in this second full weekend of November.

Prep Report
- Valmeyer beat Grayville in 3 sets to win the 1A Volleyball Marissa Sectional last night. They advance to play in the Edwards County Super-Sectional to play Toldeo-Cumberland.
- Newton defeated Mt. Carmel in 2 sets to win the 2A Volleyball Vienna Sectional last night. They advance to play in the Vandalia Super-Sectional against Freeburg who beat Breese Central in 2 sets to win the Sparta Sectional.
- Breese Mater Dei beat Effingham in 2 sets to win the 3A Volleyball Salem Sectional last night. BMD advances to the Chatham-Glenwood Super-Sectional to take on Champaign Centennial.
- Several boys and girls early season tournament brackets are starting to surface.
- Cross Country may have to deal with some showers in Peoria tomorrow for the State Meet.
- We are just over 24 hours until the area playoff games take place and the excitement is growing.

College Sports
- Former Pinckneyville Panthers basketball player Daniel Maddox will play in Rupp Arena vs. the Kentucky Wildcats tonight. Maddox plays for the Quachita Baptist Tigers which is a Division II school in Arkansas.
- #8 and undefeated Utah came from behind to defeat TCU last night in a pretty good college game. Utah was the first non-BCS team to make a BCS game and they could do it again if they run the table.
- Football in the Big 12...does it get any better than these games this year?

Pro Sports
- The Dodgers have offered Manny Ramirez a 2 year, $45 million dollar deal to stay in LA. If Manny doesn't want it, I would take it.
- The Cubs are rumored to be very interested in Jake Peavy. His postseason record isn't great and pitching in bigger ballparks in the NL West is a factor as well. However, if he were on the Cubs staff it would be pretty dominant with Zambrano, Lilly, and Harden.
- MLB is also thinking about not letting Mark Cuban be the owner of the Cubs. This would be a very huge mistake not to let a passionate person like this in the MLB.
- All of the Gold Gloves have been given out, we now await the Cy Young and MVP awards.
- Brady Quinn looked good in his Browns debut last night, but Jay Cutler of the Broncos lost his mind leading Denver to a come from behind win vs. Cleveland last night.
- How far has Terrell Owens come? He came out yesterday noting the Cowboys had problems before Romo's pinky finger issues. It is nice to see a change in him.

Like I mentioned, I also have to work for the weekend today. I'm out.

DC

Sports a Plenty...

In the month of excess eating and with Thanksgiving 3 weeks from today, there are plenty of things to talk about in the sports world this morning. With so many things going on, it is tough to keep track of them all. However, I do my best to touch on all of the hot topics today.

Prep Report
- Volleyball will be having Sectional Championship games tonight all around the state. Here are the matchups in our area this evening.
1A at Marissa (Valmeyer vs. Grayville)
2A at Sparta (Breese Central vs. Freeburg)
2A at Vienna (Mt. Carmel vs. Newton)
3A at Salem (Effingham vs. Breese Mater Dei)
- Boys Class 2A and 3A Soccer will crown champions this weekend. The closest teams to our area participating our Springfield SHG in Class 2A and Edwardsville in Class 3A.
- 214 schools have signed up to participate in the event of BASS Fishing next spring with the IHSA. This includes several teams from around our area as well.

College Sports
- Ron Prince won't return as the head football coach at Kansas State. The Wildcats will be looking for a new coach next year. Fact of the matter is, he was only allowed 3 years to turn around this program which is no way near enough time to do anything with a program.
- Former SIU football coach Jerry Kill was defeated last night as NIU lost to #17 Ball State on ESPN 2.
- SIU has a second exhibition game for tonight. The men's basketball team willplace Southwest Baptist at 7:05 at the SIU Arena.

Pro Sports
- There is an NFL game tonight. Denver will travel to Cleveland conjuring up memories of the AFC Title Games these teams played back in the late 80's.
- Greg Maddux won his 18th Gold Glove yesterday setting the record for most won by any player in the history of the MLB.
- Yadier Molina of the Cardinals won one but no Cubs won.
- Tony Parker of the Spurs had 55 points and Amare Stoudamire had 49 points for the Suns last night in the NBA.
- It was a wild night in the NBA with a couple of double OT games and of course the individual scoring efforts previously mentioned.

Jr High
- I don't mention much about junior-high sports on the blog, but a long running tradition rich tournament is going on this week. The 56th Annual Rome Tournament is taking place in Dix, IL. 10 junior-high teams from Jefferson County and areas around Dix are playing. It always provides great basketball and will again over the final two evenings tonight and tomorrow night.

I hope you have had your fill for today. I'm out.

DC

Yes We Can...

Do you hear that? No...do you hear that? The peace and tranquility knowing that for at least for a short time we will not have to hear political ads, see political ads, or be called by politicians and pollsters. Yes we can enjoy this time. Also, yes we can get back to the sports world today.

Prep Report
- The 2A Sparta Volleyball Sectional had Freeburg beat Murphysboro in 2 sets while Breese Central beat Columbia also in two sets. So, Freeburg and Breese Central will meet for the Sectional Championship on Thursday night.
- The 1A Marissa Volleyball Sectional had Valmeyer beating Chester in 2 sets while Grayville beat Lebanon in two sets. Valmeyer will play Grayville for the Sectional Championship tomorrow night.
- The 3A Salem Volleyball Sectional had Effingham beating Waterloo in 3 sets while Breese Mater Dei beat Althoff in 3 sets making the matchup of Effingham vs. BMD on Thursday night for the Sectional Championship.
- For those heading to the Du Quoin at Carterville game, their is a brief description of tickets, time gates are going to be open, and rules for parking in the Southern Illinoisian today. It is on the front page of the Sports section.
- Winnebago boys won the Class 1A Soccer Championship this past weekend. The IHSA will crown champions in Class 2A and 3A this weekend.

College Sports
- Tennessee will have a head football coaching job open. However, Steve Spurrier and Butch Davis are not interested.
- UCONN women's basketball team is ranked #1 to start the season.
- USC Football coach Pete Carroll says he is not happy with the BCS system. Mark me as one of those that doesn't like it either.
- Will the Big 10 and Pac-10 ever get a Conference Championship game for football like everyone else?

Pro Sports
- The Oakland Raiders are so bad they have fired one head coach and now Al Davis is looking to get rid of players. They currently are the picture of "Awful" when describing their franchise.
- FYI...we have an NFL game going on tomorrow night. This begins a string of 8 Thursdays in a row that will feature at least one NFL game.
- Brady Quinn will start for the Browns in their game tomorrow night vs. Denver.
- Allen Iverson was introduced as a Piston yesterday. Very funny stuff when someone asked him about practicing and he made fun of himself which drew a big laugh from everyone.
- Nice to see the MLB players are looking to get around the Obama tax plan that may be put in place.

The election season is officially but the sports season never ends which is very nice. I'm out.

DC

Red, White, and Blue Election Day...

Yes, it is finally here. Election Day 2008 has come and for me, it couldn't have come any sooner so as not to see and hear anymore of the candidates, and their commercials on TV, radio, or internet. However, get out and do your civic duty and vote today. With that being said, it is time to move on and talk about the thing that will take a backseat today and that is the sports world.

Prep Report
- Volleyball Sectionals will get underway tonight and 2 semi-final games at many sites. The Championship games will be played on Thursday Evening. Here is a run down of the games in the classes that affect our area.
1A Marissa VB Sectional
Chester vs. Valmeyer; Grayville vs. Lebanon
2A Vienna VB Sectional
Massac County vs. Mt. Carmel; Newton vs. West Frankfort
2A Sparta VB Sectional
Freeburg vs. Murphysboro; Breese Central vs. Columbia
3A Salem VB Sectional
Effingham vs. Waterloo; Breese Mater Dei vs. Althoff
- Football dates and times for the 2nd Round were announced yesterday. All games of note in the area are going to be played on Saturday afternoon with the exception of the Cahokia at Marion game which will be played at 6PM.

College Sports
- SIU men's basketball opened up with an exhibition win last night over Missouri Southern 82-59. Obviously the Salukis outmatched them but looked good doing it.
- The SIU women's team will open up exhibition play tonight at home at 7:05 vs. Christian Brothers College.
- Phil Fulmer will step down as the head coach at Tennessee after this season. He lead the Vols to the first ever BCS title in 1998, but since 2001 the program has not been achieving much since. That will be a tough act to follow.

Pro Sports
- The NBA made headlines yesterday when the Detroit Pistons traded 3 players including Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson. This is a huge trade when 2 all-stars are dealt. The Pistons are really rolling the dice with this deal.
- MLB GMs are meeting this week to talk about the state of the game. They are also meeting at the same posh resort that AIG met at. Uh...why does this not look good from the surface?
- Brady Quinn will get his first NFL start as QB when the Browns host the Broncos on Thursday night. We finally will get to see what the ND grad can actually do on the field and not on TV.
- Pittsburgh beats Washington last night in the NFL Monday Night Game. Based on stats I blogged yesterday and it being the Redskins' last home game before a Presidential election, it looks like the favorite to be elected President is Barack Obama.

Again, I remind all of you out there to get out and vote today like I did just a few minutes ago. I'm out.

DC

Eve of Election...

The start of this week means the eve of an election and I have some catching up to do in the prep world. After much searching and reading, I have found the results of the cross country Sectionals from our area this past weekend. Light needed to be shone on this sport with the State meet this weekend. Anticipation grows with the announcement of football times for the second round. The college and pro sports world slows down after a big weekend.

Prep Report
Cross Country Sectional Results
1A Girls SIU-E Sectional
Advancing Teams: Sparta, Freeburg, Columbia, E-MEL, and Nashville
Individual Champion - Kristen Busch (Freeburg)
1A Boys SIU-E Sectional
Advancing Teams: Carlinville, Sparta, Lawrenceville, Olney, E-MEL
Individual Champion - Blake DeLong (Hillsboro)
2A Boys Centralia Sectional
Advancing Teams: Springfield, Troy Triad, Salem, BMD, Springfield SHG
Individual Champion - Lucas Cherry (Carbondale)
2A Girls Centralia Sectional
Advancing Teams: Springfield SHG, Springfield, Mt. Zion, Chatham-Glenwood, Waterloo
Individual Champion- Margo Richardson (Mt. Vernon)
- Times and dates for the 2nd Round football playoffs will be released by the IHSA at 2PM.
- Volleyball is preparing for Sectional play which will begin tomorrow night.

College Sports
- Alabama is the new #1 team in the BCS while Texas Tech jumped 5 spots to #2 after a big win over Texas.
- Toledo, fresh off an upset of Michigan earlier this year, will be looking for a new coach after this season.
- Michigan will not be in a bowl game for the first time in 33 years after a loss at Purdue this past Saturday.
- Speaking of the Big 10, it is really shocking to see Michigan and Wisconsin at the bottom in football.

Pro Sports
- Carl Edwards and crew chief made a BIG gamble and won the NASCAR race at Texas. This cut his deficit down to 106 points to Jimmie Johnson.
- The Bears are going to have Rex Grossman back at QB for the next month due to a high ankle sprain for Kyle Orton. They host the undefeated Titans next week.
- The Cowboys can't wait for Tony Romo to return in a couple of weeks because they are awful with out him.
- The Bengals got their first win yesterday over Jacksonville.
- OKC Thunder of the NBA got their first win as a franchise last night over Minnesota.

Politics and the NFL
Just like everyone else, I will finally include sports and politics. Here are some stats when the Washington Redskins play their final game at home before a Presidential Election.
1940 - 2000 When the Redskins lose at home, the Incumbent party is 0-7.
1940 - 2000 When the Redskins win at home, the Incumbent party is 9-0.
2004 The only time the Redskins lost at home and the Incumbent party won.

There you go. Plenty of information for you to read and think about. I'm out.

DC

Fall Back in Time...Spring Forward in Sports...

If you are reading this, I am hoping that you set all of your clocks back an hour. This means the sun will be up early and then set really early in the evening as the days get shorter heading deeper into fall. Even with all of this activity of time, there was that much more business in the sports world yesterday.

Prep Report
Volleyball Regional Winners
- 3A (Waterloo, Effingham, Breese Mater Dei, and Althoff)
- 2A (West Frankfot, Murphysboro, Massac County, Mt. Carmel, Freeburg, Netwon, Freeburg, Breese Central, and Columbia.)
- 1A (Valmeyer, Chester, Grayville, and Lebanon).
- Sectional play will begin on Tuesday night.
Cross Country Advancers
- Sparta girls cruised to the 1A Sectional Championship at SIU-E yesterday.
- Centralia and Mt. Vernon advance several individuals from the Centralia Sectional yesterday.
1st Round Football Playoffs
- Williamson County teams are on a roll. There were 4 teams (Marion, Herrin, Carterville, and Johnston City) playing and all 4 advanced to the 2nd Round with wins.
- Credit Mt. Vernon for really putting up an effort and taking Bloomington to the limit yesterday. The Rams are the smallest team in 6A and gave the Purple Raiders everything they could handle.
- Marion dominated in a road game at Taylorville and will earn a home game vs. Cahokia next week.
- Massac County made the comeback of the day trailing Freeburg 22-6 but winning 42-34.
- Herrin got week 4 revenge on Harrisburg beating them 20-19.
- AJ, Du Quoin, and Carterville won in 3A but Fairfield and CZR lost on the road.
- Johnston City looked impressive with a win at home but Chester couldn't outscore Macon-Meridian on the road in Class 2A.

College Sports
- Sometimes hyped games don't live up to the hype (see Florida beating down Georgia.)
- Sometimes hyped games live up to the hype (Texas Tech beating Texas on a last second touchdown.)
- Alabama will be your new #1 team today when the BCS standings come out.
- Pittsburgh beat Notre Dame in 4 overtimes yesterday in the longest football game ever played at Notre Dame.
- SIU continues to gain momentum after beating North Dakota 40-21 at home yesterday.
- SIU men's cross country team won the men's MVC title yesterday.
- Don't look now, but the area JUCO basketball season is about to get under way this week.

Pro Sports
- NASCAR will race at Texas today. This is the first of the last 3 races of the season. Jeff Gordon will start on the pole with points leader Jimmie Johnson in 7th place.
- Week 9 of the NFL brings come intriguing matchups all during the day. Several teams will make or break their season today with playoff implicating games.
- The St. Louis Rams will put the name of Dick Vermeil in their Hall of Fame today. Ironic they do it on the day that Super Bowl winning QB Kurt Warner is in town leading the Cardinals.
- No shock but C.C. Sabathia has filed for free agency in the MLB.
- Off the beaten path a bit, but the New York Marathon is being run this morning.

I guess the extra hour of sleep has made me have a little more energy today but a busy Saturday of sports does help. Enjoy the day, but remember the sun will go down sooner in the evening. I'm out.

DC

Football Saturday...

With it being early afternoon, the only excuse I have for posting now is the fact I have just returned from Van Metre Field in Du Quoin watching a first round playoff game. You could not ask for a more beautiful day for all of the prep sports activities. Game have been completed, and games are still going on still this will only be a partial report.

Prep Report
- In the early report, Margo Richardson of Mt. Vernon won the girls individual cross country race at Centralia today in Class 2A.
- The atmosphere was good in Du Quoin today. The Indians struggled early, but really turned it up another notch in the second quarter.
- 6A score from last night...Huntley 70 Batavia 63. This was a defense optional game.
- SVW lost their volleyball regional final to Valmeyer today in New Athens. There are several other area games today and tonight do decided regionals including a West Frankfort at Benton matchup tonight.

College Sports
- After a day of high school football, the TV is loaded with great college games tonight.
- Texas at Texas Tech is the highlight game of the night on ABC at 7PM.
- Rich Rodriquez is really sweating it out these days after another loss in the Big 10. The Wolverines have only won 2 games all year.

Pro Sports
- NASCAR is tomorrow in Texas with Jeff Gordon starting on the pole for the race. Points leader Jimmie Johnson will start 7th.
- The MLB hot stove league is really heating up today with several rumors of trades and free agent signings galore. This will be a very interesting offseason.
- The Cubs have declined to pick up the option on catcher Henry Blanco for the 2009 season.
- The NFL will kick off the second half of the season tomorrow. Cards/Rams, Steelers/Redskins, Cowboys, Giants, and Packers/Titans as key games on Sunday.

Hey...after a day of football time for me to move along and get ready for an evening of college football and also catch up on the prep final scores. I'm out.

DC