Not off the Press: A week of high school sports reviewed, a look ahead and thoughts on the second week of the NFL
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
It's safe to say I covered a wide variety of sports this past week with football, soccer, tennis, golf and volleyball all on the list, along with seeing all five Highland County high schools along the way.
As for football … as a preview to my Week 5 SCOL Football Notebook (which will be posted later in the week), I can say without a doubt that Clinton-Massie is the real deal. They are the fastest team I've seen in eight years of covering various high school football games.
The Falcons are that good. Again, I'll write more about them and the entire SCOL later this week, along with weekly football predictions and previews.
Now on to the week that just took place.
• The Week That Was
I began the week with covering golf not once, but twice in the same day at the Hillsboro Elks with Whiteoak and Lynchburg-Clay hitting the links. First, the covering golf twice wasn't what I planned, but after 40 minutes of photos, I left and returned to the office … let's just say my former card reader somehow erased all the pictures on my camera card … so luckily I returned and got a second round of photos. (At least it was a nice day outside.) Later that day, I helped cover a Hillsboro City Council meeting … I think there were more folks at the golf match than the city council meeting who actually weren't involved with the said meeting. (Folks must only attend council meetings if they are wanting to make some noise. I prefer consistency, myself … makes more of a point that way.)
FYI … the golf match was more exciting than the city council meeting, though I'm intrigued and possibly excited about the new traffic flow that could happen one day in the future. Seems like it would make life easier, and there would be less turtle-like traffic around the Southern State area than we currently have at various hours throughout the day.
What stood out last Tuesday was the girls soccer match and how the team responded after a long fair break with a dominating win over Madison-Plains at Richards Memorial Field (the boys won as well, but I was at volleyball at the time). I think it is safe to say the Hillsboro girls soccer program is the most consistently winning program in all of Hillsboro athletics. No matter the year, this team is always near or at the top of the SCOL standings, and I think head coach Leslie Molen deserves a lot of credit for the success of the program. She always has her players prepared to play. Their match with Clinton-Massie this Thursday at Clinton-Massie will more than likely settle who will win the league title again this season. CM won against the Lady Indians earlier this year at HHS, 3-1. (More on that matchup later in the column.)
I got to see another inter-county sporting event when Hillsboro volleyball hosted McClain on the same Tuesday. Like I always say, I like when teams from Highland County face one another. Also, though HHS won in three sets, the match itself was competitive. However, Hillsboro was able to rally for points. MHS made up for that loss later in the week with a win against London in four sets.
Wednesday was more inter-county volleyball with LC hosting Fairfield, and Thursday was tennis action in Washington C.H. as the Lady Indians faced Miami Trace.
Also want to send congrats to the LC Mustangs golf team as they are currently second in the Southern Hills League golf tournament as rounds three and four will be Tuesday and Thursday this week.
There were more events, but that's all I got from this past week.
• The Week Ahead
There are events everywhere this week for Highland County teams … here are the games that stand out to me:
- Monday, Sept. 17 — Volleyball: Hillsboro vs. London … this is big as far as standings in the SCOL go.
- Tuesday, Sept. 18 — Golf: SHL Tournament (Day 3) … Headed into Day 3, North Adams leads with LC in second and Whiteoak in fourth.
- Tuesday, Sept. 18 — Volleyball: Whiteoak vs. Fairfield … These are two of the better volleyball teams in Highland County. WHS is having a very good season thus far, and this match will go far in the SHL standings. Game is at WHS.
- Tuesday, Sept. 18 — Boys soccer: Hillsboro vs. Washington … In their first meeting, the Indians rallied to tie the Blue Lions, and HHS is also undefeated in SCOL play. I'm sure Washington has one SCOL loss … lots on the line in this match.
- Wednesday, Sept. 19 — Soccer: LC vs. Ripley/FHS vs. Fayetteville … Both in boys and girls soccer, these matches are for a SHL win/loss, so any league game means a lot.
- Thursday, Sept. 20 — Girls Soccer: Hillsboro at Clinton-Massie … This is possibly the Match of the Week. This game pretty much is for the SCOL girls soccer title, as it has been one of these two teams (or both) winning the title the past few seasons, and after half the schedule, it looks to be that way again. CM won the first meeting in Hillsboro, and I don't expect anything less than the absolute best from these two teams in this meeting on the field turf in Clarksville. These are two of the best and well-coached soccer programs in the area. Folks who are fans of just good, athletic competition should attend this match.
- Thursday, Sept. 20 — Boys Soccer: Hillsboro at Clinton-Massie … Earlier this season I had the opportunity to see these two teams play to a 3-3 tied score. Both of these teams are atop the SCOL standings and are having very quality years. Don't expect anything but great soccer in this match as well.
• Looking back at Week 2 of the NFL
*This will not include the Monday Night game but will include thoughts on all games up to Monday Night Football and a Monday Night Football prediction.
- Packers 23, Bears 10: I'm writing this on Sunday night, and I have a feeling Bears QB Jay Cutler is still sore after the beating he took from Clay Matthews and the Packers defense. I don't blame Cutler absolutely one bit for yelling at his offensive line … the guy was sacked seven times. Hint to the Bears for the next time they play Green Bay … Block No. 52. His name is Clay Matthews, and he's really good.
- Seattle 27, Cowboys 7: I wrote this on my Twitter @hcpsportseditor following the Cowboys game — "The #Cowboys headline should be 'Sleeping in Seattle.' ... Waited 11 days to watch this ... not worth the wait today. #HCPSPORTS" … That explains my feelings on this game. I'm gonna stop before I'm banned from my column.
- Bengals 34, Browns 27: I picked the Bengals to win, but the Browns' offense played better than I thought they would. Brandon Weeden (322 passing yards) gave his fans hope, at least. The Bengals showed they can played well against not so good teams (last week they showed what they do against good teams), but 27 points to the Browns is worrisome, though Browns rookie Trent Richardson gained his first TDs and had 109 yards of rushing. But a win is a win, right? Still, "Who Dey" needs a lot of defensive work … I like the Cincinnati offense, though, for the most part.
- Colts 23, Vikings 20: Remember when the Vikings made the NFC title game a couple years ago? Yeah … those days are loooong ago. The Colts, though rebuilding, gained a win in the second week with Andrew Luck going 20-of-31 for 224 yards, TDs and a QB rating of 107.5. Luck is the real deal.
- Dolphins 35, Raiders 13: The Oakland Raiders win the Worst Defense of the Week award. How they let the '12 Dolphins look like the Dolphins of the '70s on Sunday is beyond me. Just from the highlights it looks like the (in a Chris Berman voice) Raaaaaideeeeers need to practicing tackling. As for the Dolphins … I still think they are the fourth best team in the AFC East.
- Cardinals 20, Patriots 18: Holy "wow" (not really "wow" but you get the point) is what I said when I was looking at live updates of this game. "Wow" is all I can really say. When the Cards win a game with their best player in Larry Fitzgerald gaining one catch for just four yards, something either went really wrong for the Patriots (see: Aaron Hernandez injury), or everything went the way of the Cardinals. I'm pretty sure of this … the Cardinals used all their good luck in this win, and I wouldn't want to play the Patriots in Week 3. The Cards are 2-0 … holy "wow."
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- Giants 41, Buccaneers 34: This game wins the most exciting game of the day and the no defense allowed awards. Goodness … I kept a close eye on this game all day mostly because of fantasy football purposes (I have Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks), and I'm glad I did. With just the updates and highlights, I was shocked how it went … Manning, 510 yards passing with three TDs and three interceptions … 295 of those yards in the second half … again, all I can say is "wow."
- Eagles 24, Ravens 23: Two of the best teams in the NFL, but someone had to win. Following two weeks, both of these teams are showing they could be in the playoff talk as the season continues, but again, with the Eagles, it all depends on the health of Michael Vick (371 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INTs), and they really need to cut down on their turnovers. Just my thoughts, but the Eagles will go as far as Vick takes them. As for the Eagles defense, holding the Ravens to just over 100 yards rushing as a team is a win in my book because they did (barely) keep Ray Rice to under 100 yards rushing. Though the Ravens lost, right now, I think they are the best team in the AFC, with the Broncos, Texans and Patriots right behind them.
- Panthers 35, Saints 27: The Saints are in trouble. They really need Sean Payton, and that is very easy to see. I never thought an NFL head coach made that much of a difference, but you can see he is the "Saints." One plus for the Saints was their running game from Pierre Thomas with 110 yards on nine carries. Darren Sproles played very well too, but the Saints need their coach. The Panthers, on the other hand, can score points and could have the most exciting QB in the NFL in Cam Newton. His line was 14-of-20 for 253 passing yards, one TD and zero interceptions, with 71 yards rushing and one rushing TD.
- Texans 27, Jaguars 7: Not much of a test for the Texans in Week 2. Love their running game (Arian Foster 110 yards, Ben Tate 74 yards) and they get the job done at QB with Matt Schaub. This stat stands out for me … Total Plays: Texans 83, Jaguars 38. This does too: Texans total 411 yards, Jaguars 117 total yards. That shows another thing … the Texans' defense is good.
- Rams 31, Redskins 28: I think the Rams were lucky in this one … but they won, and that's what matters, right? Josh Morgan needs to learn to not throw the ball in a fit of anger at his opponent because it can cost you 15 yards and move your kicker back 15 yards … to a 62-yard attempt, and then he could miss that and lose the game. Hey, it could happen … oh wait, it did. One plus for the Redskins … they have a QB, that is for sure. Robert Griffin III is the second most exciting player to watch in the NFL.
- Steelers 27, Jets 10: The Jets were held scoreless in the second half … so in my best Denny Green voice, "The Jets are who I thought they were!" But again, it is week two, so who knows with either of these two teams. The Steelers were balanced on offense (31 passes, 28 runs), and their defense caused one turnover. Think of this .. the Steelers held the Jets to 10 points with James Harrison and Troy Polamalu out with injuries.
- Chargers 38, Titans 10: Didn't expect any different from this game. For the Titans, it's never good when your leading rusher is Jake Locker with 21 yards and your big contract running back Chris Johnson had 17 yards. Not good at all. Best part of this day was the retirement of the No. 55 of the late Junior Seau. For the Chargers, Philip Rivers passing for three TDs and 284 yards without the services of Antonio Gates was huge.
- 49ers 27, Lions 19: The 49ers' defense, in my opinion, is the best in the NFL. I didn't think a defense could lead a team to the Super Bowl, but after watching them control the Detroit Lions, a very good football team, this defense possibly can. They are just so dominant. I mean, they held Calvin Johnson (the best WR in the NFL) out of the end zone, and QB Matthew Stafford to 230 yards … that's something most teams don't do or can do.
- Monday Night Prediction — I'm really looking forward to watching this game for the quarterback play of Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning. I have the feeling this could be a big numbers game offensively, but … watch it be a defense game. If I had to guess, I'd say this game comes down to the QB play. Prediction: Falcons 35, Broncos 31.
• A few non-high school sports thoughts
- Only one week away until the new fall TV lineup. I usually never look forward to these things, but CBS has three shows I want to see in "NCIS," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Criminal Minds." Fox has "Family Guy," so I have that to look forward to as well.
- Am I the only person not annoyed by the Ric Flair style "WOOOOOOs" at baseball stadiums?
- Stanford beating USC for the fourth straight year … is that an upset? Still, I didn't figure it could be done this year.
- The Buckeyes need a lot of work on tackling.
- The Big 10 needs a lot of work on winning.
- Finally, a win as a Penn State fan! I know it was against Navy, but it was a much-needed win.
- Looks like Florida State is back.
- I'm not sold on the Fighting Irish yet. They've beaten two Big Ten teams and Navy. Join a conference in football already.
- As for Division III football, I hope my college alma mater can get a football win before the season ends. Keep on fighting, Quakers! This is the year!
- Has college football ever had this much parity like this season?
- I have a feeling I watched too much football this weekend.
- The baseball playoff races are still fun to watch a week later.
- I swear, I do have a social life (somewhat) and sleep (very little) in between all the sports writing and watching.
- Pumpkin flavored beverages are back. The best I've had so far is Holtfield Station's Pumpkin Caramel Pecan latte.
- It is also hoodie weather at nighttime too … I've missed them.
• Stat of the Week
The Clinton-Massie football team has outscored their opponents 217-21 this season in four games. They've also won 26 straight SCOL games dating back to Week 9 of the '07 season.
• (A second) Stat of the Week
7-0 … the record of the Hillsboro Lady Indians girls golf team in the SCOL after defeating the Miami Trace Lady Panthers 207-251 this past week.
• Quote of the Week
"We are playing so many young players right now, plus injuries and medical issues have hurt us a lot this season. This is a rebuilding year, but the girls are really working hard. We are looking to start the second half of the season with our entire lineup, and we are healthy again. We'll keep competing, and the girls are showing more promise with each match." — HHS girls tennis coach LaRue Turner, following their match with Miami Trace on Thursday.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"We played well. Our starters played well the first two games, and in the third we started mixing things up, going deeper in our bench. We got the chance to play sophomores and juniors in the third game. What pleased me was when we mixed the lineups around, they meshed. As a coach, that makes me feel good, knowing I can go seven players into the bench if need be." — Fairfield volleyball coach MaryBeth Hodson, following their win at Lynchburg-Clay.
• One last item of business
I'm looking forward to this next week of high school games. There are many games of the schedule that I spoke about earlier that will go a very long way in the standings. This is the exciting part of the season, with the second half of league play and the start of the weather change, and I hope the fans continue to support their schools, win-or-lose. Also, anyone can feel free to send results and stats from games to sforsha@gmail.com or call (937) 840-9490 for the ways to submit game information. Remember, every time results are called in, it can turn into a clipping for a scrapbook.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.
As for football … as a preview to my Week 5 SCOL Football Notebook (which will be posted later in the week), I can say without a doubt that Clinton-Massie is the real deal. They are the fastest team I've seen in eight years of covering various high school football games.
The Falcons are that good. Again, I'll write more about them and the entire SCOL later this week, along with weekly football predictions and previews.
Now on to the week that just took place.
• The Week That Was
I began the week with covering golf not once, but twice in the same day at the Hillsboro Elks with Whiteoak and Lynchburg-Clay hitting the links. First, the covering golf twice wasn't what I planned, but after 40 minutes of photos, I left and returned to the office … let's just say my former card reader somehow erased all the pictures on my camera card … so luckily I returned and got a second round of photos. (At least it was a nice day outside.) Later that day, I helped cover a Hillsboro City Council meeting … I think there were more folks at the golf match than the city council meeting who actually weren't involved with the said meeting. (Folks must only attend council meetings if they are wanting to make some noise. I prefer consistency, myself … makes more of a point that way.)
FYI … the golf match was more exciting than the city council meeting, though I'm intrigued and possibly excited about the new traffic flow that could happen one day in the future. Seems like it would make life easier, and there would be less turtle-like traffic around the Southern State area than we currently have at various hours throughout the day.
What stood out last Tuesday was the girls soccer match and how the team responded after a long fair break with a dominating win over Madison-Plains at Richards Memorial Field (the boys won as well, but I was at volleyball at the time). I think it is safe to say the Hillsboro girls soccer program is the most consistently winning program in all of Hillsboro athletics. No matter the year, this team is always near or at the top of the SCOL standings, and I think head coach Leslie Molen deserves a lot of credit for the success of the program. She always has her players prepared to play. Their match with Clinton-Massie this Thursday at Clinton-Massie will more than likely settle who will win the league title again this season. CM won against the Lady Indians earlier this year at HHS, 3-1. (More on that matchup later in the column.)
I got to see another inter-county sporting event when Hillsboro volleyball hosted McClain on the same Tuesday. Like I always say, I like when teams from Highland County face one another. Also, though HHS won in three sets, the match itself was competitive. However, Hillsboro was able to rally for points. MHS made up for that loss later in the week with a win against London in four sets.
Wednesday was more inter-county volleyball with LC hosting Fairfield, and Thursday was tennis action in Washington C.H. as the Lady Indians faced Miami Trace.
Also want to send congrats to the LC Mustangs golf team as they are currently second in the Southern Hills League golf tournament as rounds three and four will be Tuesday and Thursday this week.
There were more events, but that's all I got from this past week.
• The Week Ahead
There are events everywhere this week for Highland County teams … here are the games that stand out to me:
- Monday, Sept. 17 — Volleyball: Hillsboro vs. London … this is big as far as standings in the SCOL go.
- Tuesday, Sept. 18 — Golf: SHL Tournament (Day 3) … Headed into Day 3, North Adams leads with LC in second and Whiteoak in fourth.
- Tuesday, Sept. 18 — Volleyball: Whiteoak vs. Fairfield … These are two of the better volleyball teams in Highland County. WHS is having a very good season thus far, and this match will go far in the SHL standings. Game is at WHS.
- Tuesday, Sept. 18 — Boys soccer: Hillsboro vs. Washington … In their first meeting, the Indians rallied to tie the Blue Lions, and HHS is also undefeated in SCOL play. I'm sure Washington has one SCOL loss … lots on the line in this match.
- Wednesday, Sept. 19 — Soccer: LC vs. Ripley/FHS vs. Fayetteville … Both in boys and girls soccer, these matches are for a SHL win/loss, so any league game means a lot.
- Thursday, Sept. 20 — Girls Soccer: Hillsboro at Clinton-Massie … This is possibly the Match of the Week. This game pretty much is for the SCOL girls soccer title, as it has been one of these two teams (or both) winning the title the past few seasons, and after half the schedule, it looks to be that way again. CM won the first meeting in Hillsboro, and I don't expect anything less than the absolute best from these two teams in this meeting on the field turf in Clarksville. These are two of the best and well-coached soccer programs in the area. Folks who are fans of just good, athletic competition should attend this match.
- Thursday, Sept. 20 — Boys Soccer: Hillsboro at Clinton-Massie … Earlier this season I had the opportunity to see these two teams play to a 3-3 tied score. Both of these teams are atop the SCOL standings and are having very quality years. Don't expect anything but great soccer in this match as well.
• Looking back at Week 2 of the NFL
*This will not include the Monday Night game but will include thoughts on all games up to Monday Night Football and a Monday Night Football prediction.
- Packers 23, Bears 10: I'm writing this on Sunday night, and I have a feeling Bears QB Jay Cutler is still sore after the beating he took from Clay Matthews and the Packers defense. I don't blame Cutler absolutely one bit for yelling at his offensive line … the guy was sacked seven times. Hint to the Bears for the next time they play Green Bay … Block No. 52. His name is Clay Matthews, and he's really good.
- Seattle 27, Cowboys 7: I wrote this on my Twitter @hcpsportseditor following the Cowboys game — "The #Cowboys headline should be 'Sleeping in Seattle.' ... Waited 11 days to watch this ... not worth the wait today. #HCPSPORTS" … That explains my feelings on this game. I'm gonna stop before I'm banned from my column.
- Bengals 34, Browns 27: I picked the Bengals to win, but the Browns' offense played better than I thought they would. Brandon Weeden (322 passing yards) gave his fans hope, at least. The Bengals showed they can played well against not so good teams (last week they showed what they do against good teams), but 27 points to the Browns is worrisome, though Browns rookie Trent Richardson gained his first TDs and had 109 yards of rushing. But a win is a win, right? Still, "Who Dey" needs a lot of defensive work … I like the Cincinnati offense, though, for the most part.
- Colts 23, Vikings 20: Remember when the Vikings made the NFC title game a couple years ago? Yeah … those days are loooong ago. The Colts, though rebuilding, gained a win in the second week with Andrew Luck going 20-of-31 for 224 yards, TDs and a QB rating of 107.5. Luck is the real deal.
- Dolphins 35, Raiders 13: The Oakland Raiders win the Worst Defense of the Week award. How they let the '12 Dolphins look like the Dolphins of the '70s on Sunday is beyond me. Just from the highlights it looks like the (in a Chris Berman voice) Raaaaaideeeeers need to practicing tackling. As for the Dolphins … I still think they are the fourth best team in the AFC East.
- Cardinals 20, Patriots 18: Holy "wow" (not really "wow" but you get the point) is what I said when I was looking at live updates of this game. "Wow" is all I can really say. When the Cards win a game with their best player in Larry Fitzgerald gaining one catch for just four yards, something either went really wrong for the Patriots (see: Aaron Hernandez injury), or everything went the way of the Cardinals. I'm pretty sure of this … the Cardinals used all their good luck in this win, and I wouldn't want to play the Patriots in Week 3. The Cards are 2-0 … holy "wow."
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- Giants 41, Buccaneers 34: This game wins the most exciting game of the day and the no defense allowed awards. Goodness … I kept a close eye on this game all day mostly because of fantasy football purposes (I have Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks), and I'm glad I did. With just the updates and highlights, I was shocked how it went … Manning, 510 yards passing with three TDs and three interceptions … 295 of those yards in the second half … again, all I can say is "wow."
- Eagles 24, Ravens 23: Two of the best teams in the NFL, but someone had to win. Following two weeks, both of these teams are showing they could be in the playoff talk as the season continues, but again, with the Eagles, it all depends on the health of Michael Vick (371 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INTs), and they really need to cut down on their turnovers. Just my thoughts, but the Eagles will go as far as Vick takes them. As for the Eagles defense, holding the Ravens to just over 100 yards rushing as a team is a win in my book because they did (barely) keep Ray Rice to under 100 yards rushing. Though the Ravens lost, right now, I think they are the best team in the AFC, with the Broncos, Texans and Patriots right behind them.
- Panthers 35, Saints 27: The Saints are in trouble. They really need Sean Payton, and that is very easy to see. I never thought an NFL head coach made that much of a difference, but you can see he is the "Saints." One plus for the Saints was their running game from Pierre Thomas with 110 yards on nine carries. Darren Sproles played very well too, but the Saints need their coach. The Panthers, on the other hand, can score points and could have the most exciting QB in the NFL in Cam Newton. His line was 14-of-20 for 253 passing yards, one TD and zero interceptions, with 71 yards rushing and one rushing TD.
- Texans 27, Jaguars 7: Not much of a test for the Texans in Week 2. Love their running game (Arian Foster 110 yards, Ben Tate 74 yards) and they get the job done at QB with Matt Schaub. This stat stands out for me … Total Plays: Texans 83, Jaguars 38. This does too: Texans total 411 yards, Jaguars 117 total yards. That shows another thing … the Texans' defense is good.
- Rams 31, Redskins 28: I think the Rams were lucky in this one … but they won, and that's what matters, right? Josh Morgan needs to learn to not throw the ball in a fit of anger at his opponent because it can cost you 15 yards and move your kicker back 15 yards … to a 62-yard attempt, and then he could miss that and lose the game. Hey, it could happen … oh wait, it did. One plus for the Redskins … they have a QB, that is for sure. Robert Griffin III is the second most exciting player to watch in the NFL.
- Steelers 27, Jets 10: The Jets were held scoreless in the second half … so in my best Denny Green voice, "The Jets are who I thought they were!" But again, it is week two, so who knows with either of these two teams. The Steelers were balanced on offense (31 passes, 28 runs), and their defense caused one turnover. Think of this .. the Steelers held the Jets to 10 points with James Harrison and Troy Polamalu out with injuries.
- Chargers 38, Titans 10: Didn't expect any different from this game. For the Titans, it's never good when your leading rusher is Jake Locker with 21 yards and your big contract running back Chris Johnson had 17 yards. Not good at all. Best part of this day was the retirement of the No. 55 of the late Junior Seau. For the Chargers, Philip Rivers passing for three TDs and 284 yards without the services of Antonio Gates was huge.
- 49ers 27, Lions 19: The 49ers' defense, in my opinion, is the best in the NFL. I didn't think a defense could lead a team to the Super Bowl, but after watching them control the Detroit Lions, a very good football team, this defense possibly can. They are just so dominant. I mean, they held Calvin Johnson (the best WR in the NFL) out of the end zone, and QB Matthew Stafford to 230 yards … that's something most teams don't do or can do.
- Monday Night Prediction — I'm really looking forward to watching this game for the quarterback play of Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning. I have the feeling this could be a big numbers game offensively, but … watch it be a defense game. If I had to guess, I'd say this game comes down to the QB play. Prediction: Falcons 35, Broncos 31.
• A few non-high school sports thoughts
- Only one week away until the new fall TV lineup. I usually never look forward to these things, but CBS has three shows I want to see in "NCIS," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Criminal Minds." Fox has "Family Guy," so I have that to look forward to as well.
- Am I the only person not annoyed by the Ric Flair style "WOOOOOOs" at baseball stadiums?
- Stanford beating USC for the fourth straight year … is that an upset? Still, I didn't figure it could be done this year.
- The Buckeyes need a lot of work on tackling.
- The Big 10 needs a lot of work on winning.
- Finally, a win as a Penn State fan! I know it was against Navy, but it was a much-needed win.
- Looks like Florida State is back.
- I'm not sold on the Fighting Irish yet. They've beaten two Big Ten teams and Navy. Join a conference in football already.
- As for Division III football, I hope my college alma mater can get a football win before the season ends. Keep on fighting, Quakers! This is the year!
- Has college football ever had this much parity like this season?
- I have a feeling I watched too much football this weekend.
- The baseball playoff races are still fun to watch a week later.
- I swear, I do have a social life (somewhat) and sleep (very little) in between all the sports writing and watching.
- Pumpkin flavored beverages are back. The best I've had so far is Holtfield Station's Pumpkin Caramel Pecan latte.
- It is also hoodie weather at nighttime too … I've missed them.
• Stat of the Week
The Clinton-Massie football team has outscored their opponents 217-21 this season in four games. They've also won 26 straight SCOL games dating back to Week 9 of the '07 season.
• (A second) Stat of the Week
7-0 … the record of the Hillsboro Lady Indians girls golf team in the SCOL after defeating the Miami Trace Lady Panthers 207-251 this past week.
• Quote of the Week
"We are playing so many young players right now, plus injuries and medical issues have hurt us a lot this season. This is a rebuilding year, but the girls are really working hard. We are looking to start the second half of the season with our entire lineup, and we are healthy again. We'll keep competing, and the girls are showing more promise with each match." — HHS girls tennis coach LaRue Turner, following their match with Miami Trace on Thursday.
• (A second) Quote of the Week
"We played well. Our starters played well the first two games, and in the third we started mixing things up, going deeper in our bench. We got the chance to play sophomores and juniors in the third game. What pleased me was when we mixed the lineups around, they meshed. As a coach, that makes me feel good, knowing I can go seven players into the bench if need be." — Fairfield volleyball coach MaryBeth Hodson, following their win at Lynchburg-Clay.
• One last item of business
I'm looking forward to this next week of high school games. There are many games of the schedule that I spoke about earlier that will go a very long way in the standings. This is the exciting part of the season, with the second half of league play and the start of the weather change, and I hope the fans continue to support their schools, win-or-lose. Also, anyone can feel free to send results and stats from games to sforsha@gmail.com or call (937) 840-9490 for the ways to submit game information. Remember, every time results are called in, it can turn into a clipping for a scrapbook.
Stephen Forsha is the sports editor of The Highland County Press. He can be reached at sforsha@gmail.com. Follow Stephen on Twitter @hcpsportseditor.