The Boys of Fall

This week I chose the song "The Boys of Fall" by Kenny Chesney because the football season has begun in North Dakota and the NFL is right around the corner.

I had two fantasy football drafts the past week, and I feel fairly good about them. I will be putting up my weekly picks for the NFL this year, week one will go up soon.

This past week I had a busy Saturday and Sunday covering games and races and trying to get stats and keep everything all straight.

The good news is I have a ton of pictures from everything. Here you go:

Bottineau running back Matt Bowers grins as he sees a wide hole for him to run through last Tuesday against Westhope.

Sioux junior Tyler Henry attempts to burst through a sign last Tuesday in their home and season opener in Westhope.

Henry breaks through a little better before the game.

Sioux lineman Josh Farmer fights to wrap up Bottineau quarterback Justin McCloud.

It takes three Bottineau defenders to take down Sioux junior Karlie Hancock last Tuesday. (No. 23 is BHS senior Mark LaCroix).

Hancock stiff arms his way past Braves safety Brock Hiltner last Tuesday in the second half.

Taylor Kersten watches as fellow senior Ashley Miller tries to dig out a Tioga shot last Saturday afternoon.

Stars hitter Katryna Hahn prepares to slam a shot last Saturday morning during pool play.

Stars front line players Whitney Page (left) and Danielle McDonald (right) attempt to block a Maverick shot.

Stars players Trista Bjerk (left) and Hahn (right) watch as a North Star shot sails out of their reach.

Newburg-Westhope Eagles junior Jade Teske smacks a hit last Saturday in Bottineau.

McDonald pushes a shot over the net last Saturday.

Teske passes a ball.

Teske to serve.

Kersten serves hard toward the Tioga side last Saturday.

Dakota College at Bottineau quarterback Jose Sanchez releases a pass last Saturday afternoon in Bottineau's game against the North Dakota State College of Science.

Jacks freshman Mathis Thomas about to field a kick against the Wildcats last Saturday.

Jacks sophomore Keith Osgood gets molested by a Wildcats defender.

Sanchez unloads a pass in the second half.

Sanchez rolls out of the pocket.

Play stops as the Wildcats commit a penalty in the second quarter.

McCloud stiff arms a Williams County opponent en route to a touchdown last Saturday evening in Bottineau.

Braves receiver Harrison Aide hauls in a pass and runs for a 53-yard touchdown.

Braves tailback Trevor Wettlaufer tries to leap past a Firestorm defender at the end of a long run.

Ryan Schroeder rides on three wheels around the fourth turn last Sunday at Thunder Mountain Speedway.

Russ Reimer (left) and Brady Soland (right) tap into each other after Soland got loose coming out of turn two last Sunday.

5000

Thank you to everyone who has viewed and hopefully enjoyed my blog. It will be nearly a year now since I created the "Gottoknow Bouttineau" blog and I have recently just hit 5,000 views on the site.

I am really happy to add an online presence to the work that I do at the Bottineau Courant, and I am looking forward to the next year of sports.

Thank you all so much!

- Tyler Ohmann

Summer's end

The crazy wrath of summer boredom is nearly extinct and with practices for most fall sports beginning this week, I will be doing fall previews before I head home for a wedding.

Last week I covered the turtle races in Upham, which was a fun and unique experience. I also covered the races and a few other things.

Here are a few pictures from the race:

Russ Reimer (right) and Ryan Schroeder (middle) toss candy to the kids after the trophy dash last Sunday.

Byron Lesmann avoids Travis Lehman as Lehman spins out around turn two last Sunday at Thunder Mountain Speedway north of Bottineau.

The sport stock division got a little bumpy as Cody Smith (middle) got cozy with Nick Monson (left) and Erik Blada (right).

Mike Lemay was right on Ryan George's tail during the second heat of sport stocks.

Mike Sivertson got nudged a little wide around turn four by Ray Smith.

The crowd was a plenty last Sunday at TMS.

The sport stock trophy dash race gets the green flag.

Centerfield

This week I chose the classic John Fogerty tune "Centerfield."
I had the pleasure of covering the Class B State Legion Baseball Tournament, which was held right here in Bottineau. Most of my pictures this week were of the several games I went to from that.

Bottineau fell just short of a title, losing 9-5 to Casselton in the championship.

Here are the pictures:

Bottineau's Justin McCloud slides safely into third after a triple in Thursday's win over Wahpeton.

Taylor Milbrath raps a base hit during this past weekend's state tournament in Bottineau.

Bottineau firstbaseman Cody Brooks flips the ball to first for an out.

Hunter Braaten begins to unwind a big swing.

Brooks dives back to first Thursday.

McCloud looks on as Braaten tracks down a flyball.

Julius Baker motors around third base toward home.

Casselton catcher Zach Prante blocks a pitch in Sunday's championship game.

Bottineau's Andrew Hill smacks a pitch against Casselton on Sunday.

Logan Millican rips a shot in last weekend's tourney.

Brooks fields a ground ball.

Devin Bercier releases a pitch in game one against Casselton.

Braaten catches a flyball Wednesday night against Casselton.

Baker awaits a pop fly.

Millican makes a diving stop at third to end an inning.

Baker again tracks down a fly ball in left field.

Hill snatches up a groundball for an easy out at second base.

Bercier prepares to deliver a knuckler.

LaCroix hurls a pitch toward the plate.

The wind blows the American flag that stands outside the centerfield fence at the Lumberyard on the campus of Dakota College at Bottineau.

Bottineau bat boy Walker Braaten drags a bat in from the on deck circle.

LaCroix delivers a pitch in Friday's win over Velva.

Hill rips a line drive against Velva on Friday.

LaCroix slides safely into home on Saturday against Grafton.

Hill scores one of 13 Bottineau runs against Grafton.

Bercier smacks a high pitch right up the middle.

Bercier easily tosses out an opponent from his second base position.

Baker prepares to unload on a ball against Grafton on Saturday.

Kids receive candy at the Lake Metigoshe State Park celebration of "Halloween in July" last Saturday morning.