Category: Sports (Page 2 of 4)

The Weekend

02/24/2008 / Blake

So, yet another weekend is done for. Here’s a little of what took place:

Set up a new blog for a friend. Emily Witt is teaching school in Columbia and chasing after Jesus. Make sure you stop in and tell her hello and encourage her in her writing. You want her to write so you can read it. It’s good stuff.
Talked to a builder about a house he’s building in Oxford. Building would be nice, but it would be at least a handful of months until we could move in. Ugh! We close on our Clinton house this Friday. So it’s time to start looking hard.
Got library cards in Oxford. So now we have a PO Box, bank account, and library cards. Are we citizens?
Got a membership at Blockbuster in Oxford. Later I’ll tell you how much I think I’m going to hate that Blockbuster.
Slept late twice. Got up early once.
Watched Mississippi State basketball stage an incredible last minute heroic comeback. Ben Hansbrough is the man. Totally. Oh, and Phil Turner too. MSU has a decent shot at the Big Dance now. (Here is a nice article about Ben and his bro.)
Ate w/ the inlaw at Harvey’s. Not sure what I had, but it had steak, grits, onion rings, shrimp, and lots of BBQ sauce.
Drove to Oxford twice for church. Addison likes to go early and help with setup. Both services were good today. Got to meet some new people and reconnect with some old.

So, there it is. Now it’s time to go to bed… How was your weekend?

After burning up the roads a little this past week/weekend I’m back in Oxford living out of my big Nike bag. I’m amazed at what all I can fit in there. But I really don’t mind living out of it. It’s not ideal, of course. But it’s where I am right now.

I pack it up each morning and usually don’t know til late afternoon or early evening where I’ll be unpacking it for the night. I guess there’s a sense of adventure to it all that way, huh?

But I think we’ve found a buyer for our house. Signed contract and all. There are a few things that a handy man needs to straighten up on the house before it is all said and done, but it is so amazing to be able to say we’ve got a bona fide buyer.

School is starting back up here at the University. So it should make things more interesting around town and campus. There were definitely more college students at church last night. Restaurants will be more crowded and traffic more clogged. But I look forward to it as well. It’s part of the character of the town. Yes, it’s Red and Blue. But that’s okay

I did get to go to Starkville on Saturday with The Fam. Got go to see a MSU basketball game. Man, I miss being able to see every home game. We won, but played pretty sloppy. But a win is a win.

The Egg Bowl

11/26/2007 / Blake

Very nice game capsule of the Egg Bowl. I’ve not really said anything about it, but it was an awesome win. We really didn’t play very awesome until the last few minutes though.

Starkville Holliday Inn

11/20/2007 / Blake

Quite funny.

And if you didn’t know, this is in response to this: 1, 2, 3, 4.

The Bulldogs…

11/14/2007 / Blake

Well, I’ve been cautiously optimistic the last few years in the football preseason. But only to have my hopes dashed and crushed. Since the year 2000 we’ve not won more than 3 games in a year. And that stinks.

But things may be changing. Have we turned the corner? No. But we’re turning the steering wheel in that direction. With two games to go we’re 6-4. So we could quite possibly be 8-4 at years end. That would mean Cotton Bowl. More likely we’re going to be 7-5. That would mean one of a few different bowls (Music, Independence, Liberty, Chick-Fil-A), but a bowl none the less.

I’d just about cry if we ended up 6-6. That would mean terrible things in the Egg Bowl (on Senior Day) and maybe no bowl at all. But dog gone it if just about 2/3 of the team is returning next year!! How cool is that?

And we’re back….

11/09/2007 / Blake

So…tonight is the last Junior High Dance. How fitting that the last time I posted it was about the dances. But tonight is the last one. Will I miss them, not really. Now don’t get me wrong, I will miss the gathering of the students and being able to hang around w/ them and all. But I won’t miss the constant bass thump with TI and Kanye and Fitty and all the rest filling the gym.

Tomorrow is a HUGE day for MSU football. Biggest game at Scott Field since 2000 when we hosted Alabama. I could have gone to that game but watched it home alone in my one bedroom apartment yelling at the tv and celebrating (not sure where The Wife was.) But Rick Cleveland puts it all in perspective. But to beat them would be huge. MSU hasn’t turned the corner, but they’re starting to turn the wheel. We’d be bowl eligible with two more games to go.

Addie’s last soccer game of the season is in the morning. So we’ll go play soccer then I’ll be on the couch for the next few hours. Should make for a great Saturday.

The weather has turned. And things are changing. Tonight Clinton plays to see who gets to travel to South Panola next week to be the Tiger’s next victim. They have won 70 game straight so far. Amazing. But football will soon be over. Then the holidays and school breaks.

It’s time to get back on the horse and write and write and write…

U-8 Soccer

10/06/2007 / Blake

I know it’s just a game. And I know it’s just first and second graders. But we had a close game today. We sat two of our best players first quarter (six girls on a team, four on the field at a time). At the end of the quarter we were losing 2-0. At the end of the 3rd quarter we are up 6-2. So two of our best were on the bench again for the 4th qtr. And the other team makes a rally.

They score once. Then again. Then again. So it’s 6-5, and tight. The other team is making free subs. I thought you could only do that at the end of a quarter. But the game ends 6-5. We hang on, even though I know we could have made a few substitutions and it been heavily in our favor.

The girls shake hands. All is well. Then someone asks the ref what the scored ended up being. She says, “5-5.” What! No way. Even the opposing coach is surprised (but pleased.) So…it’s just a game, right? Our girls actually still think they won (and so do I.)

Our team won the weekend tournament last weekend. Here’s a picture of them with their medals.

The weekend that was…

09/17/2007 / Blake

It was a win all around… My local high school team won. My U8 soccer team won. And my college team won. Could it get any better?

Mississippi State actually won a road game AT Auburn. And after playing a college this coming weekend that started out as a HIGH SCHOOL way back when…we should be 3-1. Now that’s a crazy thought. But we’ll get smacked around pretty good with the road trips after that. So no worries. I’m counting the chicken on the 22nd, but none after that. I guess we’ll know we can at least be 3-9 this season, huh?

The Clinton Arrows are better than people gave them credit for. No doubt.

I wouldn’t have thought it, but girls U-8 Soccer can actually be exciting. Our 8am game got started late because the ref was on the wrong field. And then we got out to a slow start. 0-2 deficit. But then we kicked it in and won 7-3. How’s that for a comeback? Addie is for sure one of the younger girls on the team. But she tries hard and gets a good lick on the ball sometimes too. She’s getting better I believe.

I preached Sunday morning at The Connection (the 3rd worship service at church which is “contemporary”). It went really, really well I thought. Preached on turning to God in times of trouble. Had some pretty personal stories in there. Used the video from 99 Balloons. And extra effort went into choosing songs that related directly w/ the message. A good morning indeed…

Fantasy Football? Tonight?

08/16/2007 / Blake

I have TWO open spots in a league that drafts TONIGHT (Thursday the 16th). If you want in, follow the directions below:

You have been invited to join statedog’s Custom League in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football.

In order to join the league, follow the link above or go to game front page, click the “Sign Up Now” or “Get Another Team” button and follow the links to “Join a Custom League”. When prompted, enter the League ID# and password below.

League ID#: 248206
Password: gametime

We will send you a confirmation with further details once you have completed the registration process.

–Fantasy Football Commissioner
http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/f1

Somewhere in Middle America!

06/09/2007 / Blake

So after all is said and done. After all the heat and sweat. After the long balls and double plays… After two days of baseball that set records and rejuvenated a fanbase that had been grumbling for years now.

Mississippi State is headed back to Omaha! Yes, this team that was said to have no pitchers and started many freshmen through out the season. This team who was picked last in the SEC…not just the SEC West, but #12 out of 12. This team that battled injuries caused both on and of the field is the first team to have it’s ticket punched for the CWS.

They held off the Clemson Tigers again today. Mitch Moreland had a fantastic weekend as hear earned MVP. He used to come to my former youth group. Was a good kid then. Now he’s a great young man. But it wasn’t just Mitch. It was the whole team.

So now that leaves us with some questions:

Who will leave and who will come back? Moreland & Easley were both drafted. Easley is gone I expect. Moreland might want to return (he was drafted in the 17th). Jeffrey Rea returned and now he’s getting to go to Omaha. But depending on what happens the next couple of weeks. What will Moreland have to accomplish?
What will the lineup be? It seems that Polk has used a different lineup almost every game the last three weeks. But whatever he’s been doing, it’s seemed to have paid off lately.
Will the hitting continue? We had some great bats early on in the season. They tailed off, but they returned when we went to Tallahassee.
Pitching depth…will it emerge? We pitched 4 guys in each of the last two games. We’ll have to go much deeper to advance in the CWS.
What will Polk do? Lots of people were grumbling and really dissatisfied w/ him during the season. Some called for his job. But he’s managed a team to the point where they’re right where everyone in college baseball wants to be. Is this his last hurrah? Is this just another year as he keeps on coaching?

MSU Baseball is fun…no doubt about it. Oh, and that record that was set yesterday for Super Regional Attendance