A Long December

It really has been a long, exciting year and December for everyone, and since the world didn't end December will come to a close without an apocalypse, and a new year will begin. Happy New Year to everyone.

Last week I covered the Sioux basketball team and the 19U hockey team before I headed home for Christmas with my family. I made it there and back and had a great time. I may head back for New Year's as well, but we shall see. This week I have a few stories to draft up, but no pictures to take. However, I am going to delay the 19U pictures until next week, because they won't be in the paper until next week, and I've never had a blog without at least one picture.

In the past week I won the consolation or "toilet bowl" title in both of my fantasy leagues, so despite a down year in fantasy, I can at least be happy I'm king of the losers. I went 12-4 in week 16 pick 'em, but 14-2 won the week, so no real great news there. I am 14th out of 27 for the year.

Anyway, here are a a few pictures from the Westhope-Newburg vs. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood game, which took place on Tuesday, Dec. 18:

Sioux junior Ethan Miller puts up a jumper in the first half against MLS on Dec. 18.

Junior Hunter Braaten delivers a pass.

Westhope-Newburg senior Jon Sivertson hesitates before going up for a layup.

Miller releases a jumper.

Senior Karlie Hancock drives to the hoop on a fast break.

Braaten goes up for a lay in.

Westhope-Newburg's Jade Teske (left) gets ready for the game by going for a 'high ten' to teammate Molly Lodoen (right).

Lodoen tries to drive past MLS guard Shania Brackenbury.

Last Christmas

For this year's Christmas edition blog, I chose "Last Christmas" by Wham! Taking a look back at last Christmas, many things were better in my sport life, my fantasy football team was heading toward a fantasy championship, I was covering some really good teams and I was about to ride a train home for a five-day break.

Well the train turned out to be a bust, so at least that will be improved this year. However, instead of a fantasy championship, my team is playing in the consolation bracket championship (in both leagues). I had a decent week in pick 'em with 11 correct picks this week.

Last week I covered the narrow defeat of the Bottineau Braves basketball team as well as a sweep by the Dakota College at Bottineau Lumberjack hockey team.

For this week I am off to Westhope to cover a doubleheader between the boy's and girl's teams of Westhope-Newburg and Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood.

I have many pictures from this past week, oh and Merry Christmas to everyone.

Bottineau senior Jeremiah Aberle calls out the play last Friday against Des Lacs-Burlington.

Parker Engelhard fires a three-pointer from the corner last Friday.

Garrett Pollman pulls up for a jumper in the first half.

Pollman puts up another jumper in the lane.

Senior Trevor Wettlaufer goes to the hoop.

Aberle (left) and Jake Carroll (center) fight with Thomas Steenstrup (right) for a rebound in the second half.

Jacks freshman Logan Millican collides with the Finlandia JV goaltender.

Jacks forward Michael Adams prepares to fire a shot toward the net (he scored).

Adams slides it toward the goal.

Sophomore Cole Reisenauer tries to make a move past the Lions defender in the second period on Sunday.

Reisenauer attempts to maneuver past the defender.

Sophomore Robin Danielsson drives to the net.

Millican skates into the zone.

Seth Serhienko speeds into the zone.

Ryan Schaner chases after a loose puck.

Millican engages a Lion player after the goalie ripped off his helmet.

Zach McDonald fires a shot as he speeds toward the net.

Millican skates around a defender.

Millican fights between two defenders.

Millican speeds down the ice.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Christmas is right around the corner and as the song says "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and it has been up her in North Dakota. With lows below zero and high's in the single digits and teens one can tell it is definitely winter in Bottineau.

This past week I covered the Jacks hockey team, Bottineau boy's basketball team and a 19U hockey game. On the docket for the week ahead is another BHS boy's basketball game on Friday and DCB hockey on Saturday and Sunday.

As if the fantasy sports gods haven't tortured me enough this season, it happened again this week. They already didn't allow me in the playoffs in any leagues, but to make matters worse, I had my best week of the year in my Bottineau league. I was on bye. What a cruel fantasy world. Hopefully the team bands together again this week.

Things crumbled in pick 'em this week with one of those, 'wow, what was I thinking?' weeks. I picked Houston to upset the Patriots. Wrong. I picked Jacksonville to upset the Jets. Wrong. I picked Kansas City to beat the Browns. Very wrong. It all added up to a 7-9 week, the lowest total of the week.

I have quite a few pictures of athletes from the past week's events:

Bottineau 19U forward Paige Vad hits the back of the net past a diving Watford City goaltender in a 6-3 win.

Bottineau goaltender Jacie Ceglowski deflects a puck during last Sunday's win over Watford City.

Natalie Bahr skates toward the Oilers goal on a fast break.

Victoria Gullett dumps the puck into the zone.

Erin Severson takes a shot.

Ashley Blue looks for a teammate to pass to.

Karlee McCloud threads two defenders with a pass.

Blue prepares to shoot with Oilers on her heels.

Blue lifts the puck and puts it past the netminder.

Vad tracks down a pass.

Bottineau junior Garrett Pollman puts up a jumper last Friday against Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood (MLS).

Senior Trevor Wettlaufer fights off MLS's Adam Undlin as he drives to the hoop in last Friday's 49-29 win.

Parker Engelhard drives the hoop on a fast break.

Jeremiah Aberle puts up a jumper.

Wettlaufer drives past Undlin baseline.

Jake Carroll goes up and get a block.

Senior Ian Snodgrass tears down a rebound in the second half.

Referees chat before last Tuesday's Dakota College at Bottineau hockey game. From left: Matt Johnson, Andy Freeman, Norm Reitan and Jon Beyer.

DCB goalie Cody Brooks makes a last second stop in last Tuesday's 9-2 loss.

Sophomore Cole Reisenauer drives with the puck.

Why Do I Keep Counting?

This week I chose The Killers' song "Why Do I Keep Counting?" as this very blog is nearing 20,000 page views since it's inception in September of 2010. I want to say thanks for the continued views from many of the readers who like the blog and the pictures.

This past week I covered both 19U and Bottineau-Rugby hockey, as well as Dakota College men's basketball. They all happened in a six hour span, so it made quite a jumble of a day.

This upcoming week I have a Dakota College hockey game tonight, a Bottineau boy's basketball game on Friday and a 19U game on Sunday.

I was finally eliminated from the playoffs in all leagues in fantasy football. I now have to focus on the consolation or "toilet bowl" playoffs. I have byes in each league in them, so at least I get a week off.

I went 10-6 in pick 'em this week, and the winner had 12, so I wasn't too far from the top. I'm still a long way's back overall in 15th place.

Anyway, have a number of photos from the past week:

Sonja Gilje tries to beat a defender into the offensive zone for Bottineau 19U in a 21-1 last Saturday against Williston.

Ashley Blue looks to beat a Cougar defense last Saturday.

Sophomore Luke Amsbaugh narrowly misses a shoot out goal last Saturday against Dickinson.

From left: Amsbaugh, Harrison Aide and Cody Longie celebrate after a goal last Saturday.

Aide flips the puck toward the net.

Andrew Hill fires a shot at the net in the third period.

Aide shoots.

Longie skates toward the net during the shoot out.

Amsbaugh skates toward the net during the shoot out.

Jadyen McMillin looks to win the tip last Saturday against Minot Air Force Base.

Ben Veith passes to a teammate.

Billy Engel drives into the lane in the first half last Saturday.

Kristoff Walker, a freshman, goes up for a dunk on a fast break.

Walker shoots a jump shot.

McMillin goes hard to the hoop.

Marquis Thomas shoots a fade away.

Veith goes up for a left-handed lay in.