March 29, 2024

Heat is on in prep fall sports, NASCAR

The Pressbox

Yes, it is falls sports season. No, here in Iowa, the fall sports teams haven’t had much fall-like weather to compete in. The excessive heat reached even inside to swim meets and volleyball matches. Air-conditioning in gyms hasn’t always been cool.

Let’s hope there’s finally a break in the weather soon so we can get excited about fall sports. You know — a little nip in the air, the changing of the leaves. That all leads to football, cross country and golf weather that the participants and their fans can enjoy. Athletes always sweat because they are working hard but this is tough on them.

The heat turns up on the area high school football teams this Friday. They enter district play. Newton is at home for the 2013 NHS Fall Homecoming game against Boone Toreadors in Class 3A, District 4 action.

Colfax-Mingo and Pella Christian open Class 1A, District 7 play Friday with home games. The Tigerhawks have Van Meter while the Eagles entertain Central Decatur in Pella.

Collins-Maxwell/Baxter and Prairie City-Monroe have their Class 2A, District 6 openers Friday at home. CMB’s Raiders have Bondurant-Farrar coming to Baxter. PCM’s Mustangs host West Marshall.

Lynnville-Sully is at home also to start Class A, District 6 action. Pekin Community comes to Sully.

AREA CROSS country teams have had a tough time opening the season. The first meet was cancelled because of the heat. Last week’s meets weren’t much better than five of the six schools competed on one of the hottest days of the summer/fall last Saturday at Central College in Pella. Teams hit the courses today at Grinnell and Pekin. On Thursday, Newton, Colfax-Mingo, PCM and Pella Christian are at Johnston while CMB runs at Greene County in Jefferson.

NASCAR confuses me.

Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers took “taking one for the team” to a new level last Saturday night at Richmond. I realize there are “teams” in NASCAR with owners and all but I’ve always viewed racing as an individual sport. If you are in front, you don’t pull back and let another driver — even a teammate — take the lead and a win from you.

NASCAR investigated the mishaps late in the Sprint Cup race at Richmond by Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer’s spin out and Vickers’ pit stop. With Bowyer’s spin out — for no apparent reason — caused a caution and a possible win by Ryan Newman was wiped off the board. Newman, who drives for another team, was in the lead and a good position to find a way into the Sprint Cup Chase. With the caution, Bowyer’s teammate Martin Truex Jr. gained points on the restart and finish to move him in to the Chase.

It makes my head spin. After things were said and done by NASCAR, Truex is out and Newman is in the Chase. Bowyer and Vickers were docked points and fines were levied but Bowyer is in the Chase also.

Let’s go back to racing as it was back in the day. You know I watched some racing on television and Richard Petty was out for himself. I don’t get the team system in car racing.

JUST A personal note on wrestling back in the Olympics — YES!!. I know my father and all the state of Kansas is happy this week after the IOC voted to keep wrestling in the Olympics. What a sport to even think of taking out of the Olympics.

Wrestling is a universal sport that has involved to include women’s competition at all levels, including at the Olympics.