Grumblings from Northwest Kansas

In Completely non-NWK sports news, I would like to congratulate Bishop Carrol's Joe Brown for signing with Colorado State University. (Yes, I'm being absolutely biased.)

You have made an excellent decision to go play for a rising football team and an excellent coach on a terrific campus, my new friend. When I heard that you signed with my Rams, I called my Dad and let him know. He might meet you at the airport when you arrive. If you need a personal guide of Fort Collins or campus, give me a call, I would be MORE than willing to oblige.

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OK back to business, now.

Funny enough that we are talking about football, because at a basketball game last night in Great Bend, a football game broke out on the court.

Hays beat the Panthers, are you ready for this one, 31-26. In basketball. Varsity basketball. I was stunned.

The score at halftime was 15-7 Great Bend. Hays Coach Rick Keltner even refered to his team's score as a "touchdown" in the local paper the next day.

It took almost four minutes for ANYONE to score a basket. I wanted to run onto the court and grab the ball and slam one home. (Wanted is the operative word here, because at just under six feet tall and no basketball abilities, I ain't dunkin' nuthin'.)

Listening to the radio on the ride back, Hays was 3-20 for shooting in the first half! The radio guys had nothing to talk about during the halftime show, and when asked what Hays OR Great Bend needed to do to get back in the game, the color guy laughed, "Well... make some baskets."

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Smith Center (easy Holmgren) is known for success on the gridiron, but one Redmen in particular was exceptionally successful - Colt Rogers.

He is a two-time defending state wrestling champion, and three-time football champion. Five state titles in two sports, as a junior, but the best part about this whole thing is while the football team hasn't lost a game, neither has Rogers.

Yep, he is undefeated in wrestling.

And then just before Christmas, at a tournament in Abilene, Rogers stepped onto the mat against a wrestler from Kansas City - and he lost. I was stunned. And crushed.

I was crossing my fingers that Rogers would go undefeated, in football and wrestling, all four years of high school. That could be, should be, a National Story! But alas, some kid from Kansas City ruined it all for me...

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Back to the hardwood.

Congratulations to the state ranked teams in the area, ladies first:

5A - #8 Great Bend
3A - #4 Norton
#5 TMP
#10 Phillipsburg
2A - #6 LaCrosse
1A - #3 Hoxie
#7 Weskan

Boys:

5A - #4 Hays
2A - #7 Trego Community
1A - #3 Thunder Ridge
#4 Quinter