Well, the Boys of Summer are done. With the Houston Astros winning Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday night in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, the 2017 baseball season officially ended.
What a roller coaster of a ride the Astros and Dodgers took us on in the 2017 World Series! I wouldn’t have cared one way or the other in terms of which team won this one. I do cheer for the American League because my team — the Kansas City Royals — are in the AL so I’m partial to those teams.
Also, the Astros were the underdogs, if there were any in this World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers were said to have the best pitching and the best record in baseball, etc. I pull the underdogs, as long as one of my teams is not the favorite, in these situations. Isn’t that why the games are played?
Fall sports are concluding for area high schools. We have one football team remaining in the playoffs. Lynnville-Sully’s Hawks is headed to Hudson on Friday for a quarterfinal game in Class A competition. It’s the final week of outdoor play for all high school football teams.
Teams winning Friday night will be in the semifinal games of their respective classifications which means its all about the Dome. The UNI Dome in Cedar Falls plays host to all Iowa high school football semifinal and championship games.
Also, girls’ swimming wraps up its 2017 season on Saturday with the state meet in Marshalltown. Lindsey Blommers represents the NCMP — Newton/Colfax-Mingo/Pella — Aquagirls. The junior is making her second trip to the state meet in the 100-yard breaststroke event.
Next week, the Newton Daily News will start running the all-district football teams and conference volleyball honors as they come in. On Tuesday will be Newton’s football honors — 15 Cardinals earned Class 4A District 4 honors.
Winter sports for high school swing into action on Monday with the start of practices for girls’ basketball, girls’ and boys’ bowling and boys’ swimming. A week later boys’ basketball and wrestling join in with the start of practices.
Newton and Prairie City-Monroe’s girls tip off the season in Newton’s tournament Nov. 17-18. Lynnville-Sully and Baxter’s girls open their basketball season on Nov. 17 also. Colfax-Mingo follows on Nov. 21 as does the NCMP boys’ swim team.
After Thanksgiving it gets busy again with Newton’s boys and wrestling opening up on Nov. 28 along with Colfax-Mingo’s boys and wrestling teams, and the boys’ basketball teams for Baxter and Lynnville-Sully. Newton’s bowling teams begin their season on Nov. 20 and so does Lynnville-Sully’s wrestling team. The wrestling teams for PCM and Baxter get things going on Dec. 2.
The Newton Daily News’ Jasper County Winter Sports Preview is set to hit the news stands on Nov. 22. The NDN sports staff will be busy the next couple of weeks gathering information on your favorite Jasper County high school winter sports teams.
Speaking of winter sports, I’m getting a pretty stoked about the 2018 Winter Olympics. They run from Feb. 9 to Feb. 25 in PyeongChang, South Korea. I love to curl up under a quilt on my couch and watch some skiing, ice skating, bobsledding, and all the rest.
Lindsey Vonn is attempting to come back for Team USA after suffering another injury. I’m pulling for this American skier to do well in 2018. Team USA expects to send 245 athletes to the Games. There won’t be any NHL players in this Winter Olympics as the league decided not to schedule a break to allow stars to go foer the gold.
Team USA’s men’s hockey team will have on it free agents, college players and Americans who play professionally in Europe. The USA women’s team is a strong medal contender again. Look for co-ed curling as one of several new sports this time out.
It should be fun.
At least more fun for me than the “winter sport” called the NBA which long goes into the summer. It’s my least favorite sport to ever be on television. Sorry basketball junkies, but everybody talk about the millionaires in the NFL being cry-babies, but the NBA is nothing but..’they traded my buddy… he gets more playing time… I don’t like my coach talking to me like that.” It’s endless.
Thank goodness still for college football and the NFL.
Contact Jocelyn Sheets
at jsheets@newtondailynews.com