AM720 KDWN

Heidi's Blog

The pups all got spayed and neutered yesterday. I picked them up from the Nevada SPCA, and they were very glad to be home in familiar surroundings. I noticed that spaying seems to be harder on females than neutering was on the males. My two males were ready to wrestle, and the females just wanted to sleep. Looks like I've got some very nice people who want to adopt them, and I'll be meeting the prospective parents at the Nevada SPCA Friday afternoon. I'll miss my babies, but they're old enough to go to their new families now. 
< Check out Heidi's New Blog here!

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Mitch Kelly's OJ Simpson Blog

Game over. That was the attitude of most in attendance for the sentencing of OJ Simpson last Friday. By now, we all know The Juice will be locked up for at least nine years for the incident involving sport's memorabilia that happened at Palace Station two Septembers ago. I was in the courtroom as Judge Jackie Glass handed down her sentence. I was 20 feet away from what some have called the most notorious criminal of the latter 20th century. Yet it wasn't the least bit exciting. In fact, it was more sad to me than anything else.

It's not necessarily sympathy I have for Simpson, who many think should've been in jail for murdering his ex-wife and her friend 15 years ago (has it really been that long?). I will say that I thought the emotion he gave in his speech to Judge Glass before sentencing was pronounced seemed genuine to me. It's just that this is now the end of the line to a story that has brought so much sadness (and profit) to so many. It's over now. Once the greatest running back in football, reduced to buying his fellow cell mates Snickers bars.It's sad and appropriate and mesmerizing and final.

In his glory years, he ran to daylight. Now, he won't see daylight again until 2017.  

Mitch Kelly
News/Talk 720 KDWN

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BRIAN PING’S HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK BLOG

Friday, October 24, 2008

Del Sol vs. Basic

            Looking over the pre-season prognostications, you wouldn’t have read much about the Basic Wolves making a lot of noise in the state title race.  But there they were, taking the field in front of a rowdy Homecoming crowd on the second-to-last week of the season, just two wins away from running the table in the Southeast Division.  You probably could have predicted a successful season, as members of last year’s 8-1 JV team were now populating the varsity ranks, but that doesn’t always translate to success on the big level.  It’s been the hard work of new head coach Jeff Cahill, and the execution of the players on the field, that had the surprising Wolves in this position.

            Speaking of those early predictions, you’d have thought it was going to be a two-team fight in the Southeast, with Del Sol and Silverado slugging it out for the title.  Instead, we have Green Valley and Basic, with Del Sol suddenly on the outside looking in after a heartbreaking loss, and injury-plagued Silverado out of the postseason entirely.  It made this game all the more intriguing.  Was Basic for real?  Could Del Sol rebound?

            Homecoming at Henderson’s original high school brought the standing room-only “Blackout” crowd.  There’s a lot of tradition here, in an area that’s not too long on it.  The white B is still carved on the side of the mountain.  Generations of Basic grads were on hand to cheer on their Wolves.  Campus sits in the foothills, and from behind the press box you could see a spectacular view of the entire valley.  It was a crisp cool evening---actual football weather for a change.

            The game was back and forth the entire night, but Del Sol had a number of chances to pull way early.  A number of bad penalties, including a roughing the punter call, gave Basic the chances they needed to hang in there.  Despite having a smaller roster, the Dragons have more firepower.  Derek Eamon was outstanding, rushing for more than 200 yards, and using his lean 220 pound frame to both sweep on the outside and pound on the inside.  Jon Kirschbaum, the fullback with halfback agility, got some big gains of his own, with a couple home run plays (by a fullback!) to keep Del Sol in a constant position to threaten.  Saei Huihui doesn’t throw it much from the QB position, but thanks to the guys behind him, he doesn’t need to.

            Basic’s offense is spread out evenly, without a lot of star players.  WR Anthony Lessier was an exception in the second half, with several good kick returns and runs from the slot.  QB Robby Faiman was constantly under pressure from the Dragon pass rush, and took some hard hits, some legal, some not.  But none of it seemed to affect him.  As Del Sol was driving late in the 4^th to put the game away, you could see him on the sideline, helmet on, ready to generate some Homecoming magic.

            Del Sol pushed forward deep into Basic territory with a couple minutes left, but their attempt to put it out of reach fell short.  Flash back to the previous week: Del Sol led Green Valley by a touchdown with a minute left.  Green Valley drove the length of the field to score a touchdown, and for the last blow, went for 2 and the win, and got it. 

Final score: 28-27. 

Now, the Dragons were in a similar position, but had just a one-point lead.  Faiman led his Wolves down the field, working the two-minute drill flawlessly.  But Del Sol’s defense snapped out of its funk just in time to stop Basic’s drive in the Red Zone.  A field goal attempt was off the mark, and Del Sol escaped more heartache with a much needed win.

Final score: 28-27

It was Basic’s homecoming crowd that could feel the pain this week.  Now, they’ve got a chance to deal some hurting to their archrival, Green Valley, in the Henderson Bowl, with the division title on the line.