State Legion baseball

Summer is on it's last leg. State Legion baseball begins tomorrow in LaMoure. Not a knock against LaMoure--I hear the field is very nice--but where the hell is a guy going to stay? Any chance of wireless internet access? Does a guy stay in Edgeley? Oakes?

Those are 20 miles away. Beyond that I'm not really looking forward to Minot Metros and West Fargo being in the tourney. Personally I'll give the nod to the hometown LaMoure legion.

some towns just have it

I was thinking about Napoleon wrestling and how over the years they have proven on the mat a small town can beat Class A top programs. So I thought a bit about towns/teams that just get it done.

Napoleon in wrestling
Dickinson Trinity boys basketball
Bottineau girls basketball
Bowman cross country
Fargo South football
Mandan girls basketball
Langdon girls volleyball
Bismarck High boys basketball


just a few.....I'm sure there are more

Valley City: if you can't win te game change the rules

Here's a story from the radio station in Valley City where now that the 3 class system vote didn't go their way, Valley City is looking to change the requirements from 325-400.

How about Al Cruchet and the Valley City coaches and players spend more time practicing and less time at the steps of the NDHSAA?

By Steve Phillips

June 23

The North Dakota High School Activities Association has a Board of Directors meeting at their Valley City office today. At 2pm, Valley City Activities Director Al Cruchet and several others will present their case in an effort to get the Board to create a Division of various sports based on enrollment. The Valley City people will try to convince the Board that the current enrollment of 325 is outdated and should be changed to 400 students. Due to by-laws, the NDHSAA can not just go to a 3 class system without getting every member of the state to vote yes on such a move. By appealing to the Board however, a Division for sports could be established, much like the current system in place for football. Parents, players and coaches are expected to speak for Valley City.

The part about players, coaches speaking. I'd ask why they don't get Jeff Boschee or Nate Keller to speak?

NDHSAA takes a step forward

I've been critical of NDHSAA, the board and the ND schools and athletic directors for years. As per usual they seem to be stuck in the 'was' and not the 'is' (borrowed for The Herd on ESPN radio)

But from the file of it's about time, they are looking to change all District/Regional Class B basketball tournaments to single elimination. What took you so long? But congratulations on pulling the trigger.

The old way of a team losing a game in Districts and still moving through regionals and into state rewards failure. Don't believe it happens. Off hand I know Regent did that this year. Lost round 1 or 2 in District but still made state. And I think there were others.

more from Greg DeVillers after the jump

breathe in....exhale

Thankfully there's a little bit of time from June until around August when the fall sports practices heat up. Literally. I'm a Legion baseball fan. But only as a spectator. I refuse to write about baseball, as it's the only pure outlet which remains. And the expansion of High School baseball is eroding that to. High School baseball has already began to wear out players. Can you blame them?

With school being out for a few day's or weeks depending on the town your in, Legion season has already begun. I refuse to sit down and research this. But take about 20 some odd games in HS add in 50 legion games and by the time July 4th rolls around most HS baseball players in the Legion program are begging for football to begin. It's to bad, and not the kids fault in my eyes.

I'd be curious to hear what a parent or coach thinks about this, but seriously is it for the good of the kids?

Laura Roesler Fargo South is better than Pronk

At the first day of state track the buzz is simply Laura Roesler. Period.
Just a sophomore Fargo South's Laura Roesler posted the top preliminary times in the girls 100 (11.90), 200 (24.75) and 400 (55.70).

She's one of the top runners...in the nation. Yes I said the United States. According the dyestat.com her 800 is #2 in the United States. I'd love to see her run in the boys A 800. In track the better the competition, the better the results

I ask why can North Dakota turn out cross country, track and field that are tops in the nation and not generate more buzz than just on the infield of the Bowl in Bismarck? I don't get it.

Darin Erstad is a backup, so is Chris Coste, and Pronk is barely hitting above .200.

Laura Roesler is North Dakota's best athlete on a national scale. End of discussion.

follow up to 2008 Fargo Marathon? fun run?

I hadn't planned on a post-script to my little jab about the Fargo Marathon. BUT...the comment prompted this little tid-bit:

On my way from the Regional track meet I was listening to a radio report that said around 1400 people were in the full marathon. What?

With 13,000 participating only 10% were in the actual marathon? That's like calling Paradiso a burger joint. Because they do have burgers on the menu.

Truth in advertising this was the Fargo Fun Run of 2008 and a few people ran a long ways.

how do you like that?