Movin' On Up...

I know I said this before, but I feel the need to say this again - Joe Brown, congrats! Fort Collins is a great city and the Rams are coming back from a few years in the cellar, coincidentally when I was in school there. Didn't make tailgating much fun, but we did anyway. I tried getting Musil to head there, but the allure of Bob Stoops was too much for the call of the Rocky Mountains. Oh well, we got the Judge. So in conclusion, congrats! My dad will meet you at the airport when you arrive.

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Now to the point of the blog.

Hays made a great move a week ago when they hired Ryan Cornelsen from LaCrosse. Cornelsen wanted to make a move up and he said he really wanted to take on a challenge. No better place for a challenge than Hays, who have been stuck in mediocrity on the gridiron since the Clinton Administration. Ugh.

The Indians haven't made the playoffs since then, and scored only a few touchdowns in their three district blowouts this season, including a 69-0 slaughtering at the hands of the juggernaut that is Hutchinson football. And that was at home. During the regular season, except for about three games, they looked helpless. There was even talk of them dropping down to 4A.

(Personally, I think they need new uniforms. No logos on their gold helmets, with plain maroon jerseys, and plain gold pants. Its like they were trying to be the Notre Dame of Western Kansas, just without the wins, tradition and Touchstone movie deal.)

Cornelsen took over at LaCrosse and turned the program around by getting the community involved - and he needs to do the same thing at Hays, where basketball is king and the soccer programs have taken over.

He could be the next good coach in the making. Could be. Great Bend's Bo Black is thee next great coach in the making down there. But Cornelsen, who has learned from Black and texts on occasion could make the Hays-Great Bend rivalry an actual rivalry again.

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On the recruiting front, Luke Keener committed to play at the Air Force Academy next fall, but that should actually be the other way around. You don't choose the AFA - they choose you. You have to be good at football, but mostly you have to be a good person for them to want you. Impressing Troy Calhoun and the rest of the Zoomie coaching staff is one thing, but impressing Senator Brownback and Senator Roberts is another thing.

Oh, did I forget to mention that - you have to pass a Senate appointment to go to the AFA, and also be in the top, oh, 1% of your graduating class. Oh and have a super ACT score. And be an awesome person. No so easy.

But graduate from AFA and you will be set for life. Not too shabby.

Also, Jeremy Garcia and Lucas Ruff from LaCrosse are headed to Hutch CC. Sounds like that place will be (picture Comedian Ron White saying Loaded) loaded. They picked up almost ever player in the state of Kansas, it sounds like. And they have awesome uniforms, too.