In the Air Tonight

I guess "I feel it coming in the air tonight" as the Phil Collins song states. That's because the busiest time of a sports writer's year has just begun. The next eight or so weeks will be full of game attendance, frantic scrambling to track down game info. and hours of writing. Bring it on. I am ready.

As for the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs I was right on half of the games. I picked Denver to upset Pittsburgh and New Orleans to take care of Detroit. However, I picked Atlanta over the Giants and the Bungals (don't deserve to be called Bengals after that performance) over the Texans.

This week I will pick the Saints to upset the 49ers, the Packers to breeze past the Giants, the Broncos to fall mightily to the Patriots and the Ravens will easily take care of the Texans.

This past week I made one trip to Westhope, two trips up to Bottineau High School and a short trot over to the Lumberdome for some 19U hockey.

Tonight I will be covering a doubleheader of hockey between Bottineau and Bossevain and Dakota College at Bottineau and Williston State.

My mother and perhaps my godmother are coming to visit me this upcoming weekend for my birthday, and to bring all the stuff from Christmas I couldn't handle on the train. I'm looking forward to it, but not the cleaning that precedes the visit.

I have many photos from this week's work. Here are some samples:

Westope-Newburg sophomore Hunter Braaten dishes a pass last Monday against Bishop Ryan in Westhope.

Sioux junior Kodie Hancock lays in two over the Lions' Will DeCoteau.

Hancock scores two more.

Braaten calls out the play.

Karlie Hancock puts up a shot after a rebound.

Senior Wyatt Kitzman tries a jumper in traffic.

Kodie Hancock attempts to drive past a Lions defender.

Stars junior Katryna Hahn goes for a tip last Tuesday against Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood.

Senior Trista Bjerk chases down a loose ball.

Freshman guard Steph Brenden attempts to beat the buzzer at the end of a quarter last Tuesday in Bottineau.

Senior Whitney Page attempts a three.

Bjerk tips the ball while going for a rebound.

Brenden attempts a trey.

Hahn plays tough defense.

Braves senior Devon Grenier tries to block out Randy Hunt of Dunseith last Thursday in Bottineau.

Bottineau senior Justin McCloud eyes the opening tip last Thursday.

McCloud calls out the offense in the first half.

McCloud tries to make a move inside.

Senior guard Matt Bowers drives past Devon Bercier of Dunseith.

McCloud drives past a Dragons defender.

McCloud drives on the left side.

Braves senior Mark LaCroix rips down a board last Thursday.

Sonja Gilje chases down a puck last Saturday against Miles City.

Ashley Blue prepares to shoot in the first period last Saturday.

Captain Morgan Klebe flips it toward the Lady Generals net.

Klebe fights for the puck.

Blue skates into the zone.

Blue hits a slap shot at the goaltender in the first period.

Klebe prepares to shoot.

Karlee McCloud tries to drive past a Miles City defender.

Erin Severson skates toward the goal last Saturday.