More on Korte's big night and other GLIAC tidbits

While I try to find a few natural doses of "15-hour energy" to propel me to the finish of an entire high school football preview for the county and begin to hit up the local fields for action some drool over and some yawn about, there are plenty of bigger, more substantial stories that get lost in the shuffle.

Good thing I'm not the only one who cares about what goes on down in the 'Dale, especially the college. If you live somewhere other than under a rock (or Waldron for that matter) you already know that Tom Korte is making Charger crazies proud. He picked off a Colt Brennan pass and returned it 47 yards during the Pittsburgh Steelers second preseason game.

Here is the full-text of a delightful and insightful post by Brian VanOchten of the Grand Rapids Free Press. I also took the liberty to keep other useful snippets on several other GLIAC players chasing the same dream as TK.

Catholic Central's Tom Korte intercepts a pass during Steelers' preseason loss to Washington

Tom Korte is living the NFL dream as a free-agent linebacker attempting to earn a roster spot with the Super Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

So far, so good.

The former Catholic Central High School standout had an interception for the Steelers in a 17-13 defeat at Washington on Saturday night in preseason action.

He stepped in front of Washington quarterback Colt Brennan's pass at the Pittsburgh 5-yard line with 4:13 left in the fourth quarter and returned it 27 yards.

"A lot of young guys were out there," Korte said of the third-team defense. "I was just reading the quarterback's eyes and I made a good break on the ball.

"It was a good play for me. I needed that. I was just in the right place at the right time."

Korte, 23, hopes that Pittsburgh is the right place for him.

The 6-foot, 239-pound undrafted rookie from Hillsdale College is fighting for a spot on a team loaded with defensive stars such as veteran linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley and safety Troy Polamalu.

"It's a tight race. It's really going to come down to who makes the plays on special teams," Korte said of claiming one of the final spots on the 53-man roster. "I'm just trying to play my hardest. Hopefully, the breaks will continue to come my way."

He had two tackles, including one solo, against Washington.

He also contributed one special teams tackle while helping the Steelers earn a 20-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in their Aug. 13 preseason opener.

"It's just a dream come true to be in camp with a team like the Steelers," Korte said. "I'm just trying to keep living that dream every day."

Here's how other GLIAC players fared in Week 2 of the preseason:

Joe Berger, Michigan Tech, Miami Dolphins
The fifth-year offensive lineman from Michigan Tech helped the Dolphins prevail, 27-17, against Carolina on Saturday night. The backup guard/center recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter to preserve Miami's final scoring drive. He also played as a reserve for the Dolphins in a 12-9 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 17 in the preseason opener.

Brandon Carr, Grand Valley State, Kansas City Chiefs
The second-year starting cornerback did not record a tackle in Friday's preseason contest against the Minnesota Vikings. The Chiefs lost, 17-13.

Eric Fowler, Grand Valley State, Detroit Lions
The second-year wide receiver caught three passes for 23 yards in a 27-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Saturday night. He is third on the Lions in receiving with four catches for 44 yards in the preseason.

Todd Herremans, Saginaw Valley State, Philadelphia Eagles
The fifth-year starting left guard from Saginaw Valley State missed his second consecutive preseason game with a foot injury. He is not expected to play this weekend.

Derrick Jones, Grand Valley State, Buffalo Bills
The free-agent defensive tackle played as a reserve but did not record a tackle Saturday in a 31-21 loss to the host Green Bay Packers. He has one tackle in three preseason games.

Dan Skuta, Grand Valley State, Cincinnati Bengals The rookie free-agent middle linebacker combined with Chris Harrington to sack New England Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer on the third-to-last play of the game Thursday. It helped preserve as 7-6 win against the host Patriots. Skuta finished with two tackles, one on special teams, and a half sack.

Also:
Free-agent offensive lineman Brandon Barnes (Grand Valley State) was waived Aug. 17 by the Indianapolis Colts.

For those of you who are having visions of Vinnie Panizzi and Drew Berube as you drift off to sleep...Check out ChargerBlue.com right now. or just continue to hit REM and uncover the possibility of reliving last years Ashland, HC game...

Here is a bit of a scouting report on St. Joes, who the Chargers play in four days..(albeit it from the school Web site, so consider the bias)

and

Thanks to A-Lo here is this as well:
St. Joe's provides the following links for visiting fans:
Tickets
Maps/Directions
Lodging/Dining guide (two words: roller rink)
Fan Guidelines (You crazy Hillsdale fans better watch it!)

I'll have plenty of original content to put on here before the end of the week. But until then, I'm glad I'm just lost, not lost and alone.

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It's good to be good

Charger-land continues to pump out the awe-inspiring stories and motivating life journeys. The preseason is a time to eat up as much positive coverage about hopes and dream as possible, and I certainly won't be the one to squelch that. Here are a few nice snippets of info to take some time to look at regarding a handful of current or former HC studs.

Gugino signs professional contract
The Italian Stallion as I like to call him, Tony Gugino, is headed over to play in the top professional basketball league in Switzerland, for a team called BC Boncourt.
He is already on the team's Web site, ranked as one of their "Top Players."
Gugino's uncle played ball in France for 11 years and the lanky center who led the GLIAC in scoring his junior year hopes to make a career out of hoops for as long as he can. For the whole story on Gugino's opportunity, click here.

Three Chargers named Preseason All-Americans
If you haven't heard - more Hillsdale College football players have been named Preseason All-Americans than at any school in all of Division II.
Seniors Jared Veldheer, Drew Berube and Mark Petro were all named First-Team preseason All-American by D2football.com, one of the most highly respected news organizations covering Division II football. Veldheer is an offensive lineman, Berube is a defensive end, and Petro is the Chargers' placekicker.
All three guys have started for Keith Otterbein since their freshmen seasons. Preseason All-Americans on offense, defense and special teams - not bad. Now they just need their fans to play an All-American every down of every game.
For the entire release, click here.

More Korte coverage
Two tackles in a preseason contest and everybody is all over the former Charger stud and rightfully so.
A few days ago A-Lo put up a nice little postgame piece on Chargerblue.com, with an interview with Korte.
Yesterday some solid pics, although not professionally done, were posted here. Take a look and consider the surreal feeling of going from playin in front of 900 to playing in front of 60,000 on a nationally televised stage.
As Reggie Miller will say on ocassion during his NBA on TNT telecasts...."WOOOAAOW."

A quick hit on a smooth AD
Two weeks ago marked the one-year anniversary of the hiring of Hillsdale College Athletic Director Don Brubacher.
He has proven to be guarded at times, but a democratic leader who values staff input. His hair is rarely out of place and he's a man who works well in the shadows instead of under the spotlight.
There's a few cool facts you may or may not know about the man who called Hillsboro College (Kansas) home for nearly three decades:

1. Soccer is by far his favorite sport and he laughs at the way it is played in America. He played soccer for over 20 years and traveled a good part of the globe with various teams. He said he loves the physical aspect of the sport, but a lot of East Coast soccer is fully of cheap hits and low blows that are uncalled for. He prefers West Coast soccer bar none. He coached soccer at Hillsboro and said he would like to see if soccer could come to HC as a varsity sport, but he's not going to push it just because he thinks it's the most beautiful, strategic sport on the globe.
2. Brubacher is a sucker for vintage cars. He actually owned a car shop near his house in Kansas but couldn't keep it up from all the way in Michigan. He knows model numbers like the alphabet and his face lights up when you ask him to talk about his favorite old rides.
3. He is not satisfied with the status quo at Hillsdale. He wants more varsity sports, better facilitites and constant interaction between the athletes and non-athletes. He believes the Chargers can be a consistent model of success at the D II level and with the coaches they have on board I tend to agree.

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The Calm Before the Storm: Former Chargers star staying cool prior to Steelers camp

In 10 days former Hillsdale College star linebacker Tom Korte will face 11 straight two-a-day practices with a spot on an NFL roster up for grabs.

But for now, the Pittsburgh Steelers' undrafted rookie signee is just keeping his cool, reminding himself of how he got this far in the first place, and using his newfound status as a professional athlete to his advantage — as a Detroit Tigers fan of all things.

Although he has a two-year rookie contract, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, and even with his name on the official Steelers Web site, Korte has plenty to prove and a whole lifetime of believing in himself is coming to a head. Two weeks of nothing but football against some of the world's best athletes are his challenge and he's as amped up and confident as ever about his chances to make the team.

"I've always thought I was a Division I athlete even though I was a Division II athlete. I overcame that and now I'm an undrafted free agent and I feel like I have the skills to be part of a good NFL team. So it's on me to come in and to develop myself and my skills in order to prove to just myself that I'm able to play this game at this level," he said. "I've always felt like I had a skill set to be one of the best and play with the best and now here's the point in my life where I'm actually in the position to reaffirm all of those thoughts I've had about myself."

While camping and hanging out with his family in Grand Rapids the past few weeks Korte has been mixing in plenty of a dates with the Steelers' defensive playbook and physically he said he feels "100 percent, as good as ever."

When asked what he imagined Steelers' coaches thought about him as a player after the initial minicamp in May, Korte had this to say:

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Returning from the DL (a.k.a. the Dreamy Life)

No, I didn't get suspended 50 days for using a banned substance, although I think malt-based energy drinks could qualify as that and I did use one of those against my better judgment while staying up late pretending I was in college again. Which for me means going to Walmart with my bro at midnight on the release date of NCAA (Football) 2010, picking up some McDoubles and playing on a 42-inch HDTV LCD at my parents house while my wife sleeps at her parents' house down the road. I digress.

The point is I took my own little All-Star Break from everything you know me to be a part of, and despite the fact that Hillsdale County high school and college sports are at a standstill in late July - I'm back. My boss obviously knows I'm back as he has me dabbling in some news in my spare time. I'm learning that the city government and things like healthcare are PROBABLY more important than who can throw the best curveball or do the best bicycle kick, but the personalities are much more guarded in the political arena. People's answers are more predictable than coaches yawning while in the midst of saying "The better team won, it is what it is." But, there are just as many facts to provoke questions, just as many in-depth strategies to analyze and a whole lot more at stake than school records or banners for the gymnasium. I'm a sports fanatic, but value the truth, so figure what you may.

That said, here are a few quick hits on some sports notes of local interest from the last few days, followed by some of my work on the news side just to change things up a little and prove I can hit left handed, even though my skills may reflect in my average.

Nicolet strikes again

Sure former Chargers QB Mark Nicolet is still a backup in the AFL2, but he's made some major strides since last year. Last week he made the Green Bay Blizzard's highlight reel once more, going 3-for-4 for 49 yards and a TD in relief duty, during his squad's 60-20 drubbing of in-state rival Milwaukee. To make things even sweeter, the Blizzard clinched their fifth straight playoff berth. The only thing holding Nicolet back right now? Record-setting starting QB Gino Guidugli, who now has the Blizzard's single season passing yards mark. Still, Nicolet is one play away from being THE MAN on a professional football team headed for the postseason.

A future Charger getting some ink

Zach Cherocci wasn't one of the main guys Keith Otterbein was talking about on signing day and the only reason I remember the soon-to-be defensive lineman is because of his hard-tof-forget last name. Apparently he's a likeable guy who several papers feel the need to say goodbye to, so good for him. Here's a piece in the Oakland Press, which interestingly was written by one of my newspaper buddies by Northern days, and yet another — this one from one of the Eccentric papers.


Hillsdale wins Major League softball title

From a recent edition of the HDN...yeah it's rec league softball, but I much prefer this to Michael Jackson coverage, so watch what you holla on this inclusion: "Alexis Michael crushed a bases-loaded triple to drive in three runs in the top of the seventh inning and give Hillsdale's KL&T Transporting softball team the Girls Major League Softball County Championship trophy.
Hillsdale downed Pittsford 9-5 Thursday, with Jamie Davis making a diving catch on a line drive in the bottom of the final inning to end the contest.
"They were ecstatic to be able to win this thing," head coach Scott Crawford said. "Everybody just peaked at the right time to get it done."
Jenna Crawford picked up the win on the mound and Hannah Cleveland was clutch at the plate going 4-for-4 with a triple.
Jamie Davis, Libbie March and Kim Sanderson all added hits in the win.
"The girls worked very hard all season and we had practice or games four or five nights a week since this started," Crawford said.
The following girls are part of the championship team: Kim Sanderson, Colleen Hastings, Alexis Michael, Christina Craig, Jamie Davis, Brooke Gibbs, Shelby Gibbs, Hannah Cleveland, Lauren Chase, Jenna Crawford, Libbie March and Shay Kunkel.
Crawford gave a big thanks to KL&T Transporting for all of the support throughout the season."

Running, swimming and diving oh my!

Charger sophomore takes Cherry Fest gold: As a resident of Traverse City, Hillsdale College sophomore Jacob Secor knows all about that city's great Cherry Festival tradition. Over the weekend, Secor became a part of that tradition. Secor finished first in the Festival of Races 5K event in Traverse City. The race is a regular part of the Traverse City National Cherry Festival, one of the top festivals in the northern Michigan city each year. Secor, who completed his freshman year with the Chargers' cross country team in 2008, finished the race in 15 minutes, 25 seconds, more than nine seconds ahead of the second-place competitor in the event. Around 2,600 athletes competed in the various races around the Cherry Festival over the weekend. Secor's time of 15:25 was a personal best in the 5K event.

All-Academic accolades for swimming and diving: Two members of the Hillsdale College women's swimming team - Meredith Scott and Linda Okonkowski were recently honored by being named Division II Academic All-Americans by the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of America. In addition, the Charger team, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.28, was named by the same association as an Academic All-American Team. Scott and Okonkowski, who were both also named Academic All-GLIAC, were two of the four national-qualifying members of the 2008-09 women's swimming team from Hillsdale, and both will be returning to the program in 2009-10.

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Catchin' up on 'Dale-related action

Unfortunately I can't make up news, coaches and athletes are busy pretending they can play golf and working on their tans and I've managed to fool my boss into actually believing I can write hard news stories.

In the meantime there have been several interesting tidbits of information that I feel obliged to pass along. If you've already seen it or heard it then good for you. If not, at least it's something to chew on — albeit only about as tasty as those cardboard cookies you find at the dollar store.

FORMER CHARGER NICOLET BREAKS GREEN BAY BLIZZARD RECORD

[caption id="attachment_470" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Mark Nicolet"][/caption]

Former Hillsdale College star Mark Nicolet had one of his most memorable games as a professional football player last weekend.Against the AF2’s top­ranked defense of the Milwaukee Irons he got in the act late, during the Green Bay Bliz­zard’s 86-42 blowout win.
In backup QB duty he threw only five passes, but went 2-for-5 for 78 yards and two touch­downs.
The real kicker though was that Nicolet also took a quarterback draw 44 yards for a score, setting a Bliz­zard record for the longest run from scrimmage.
The Blizzard are now 8-5 on the season.

HILLSDALE TEEN EARNS PTHA WORLD CHAMPION TITLE

Roni Jo Roth, 19, daughter of Troy & Renee Roth, has earned the title of Pinto Horse Association of American (PtHA) World Champion. Roth earned her title showing her nine-year-old gelding, Chero­kee, in English riding classes at the annual World Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 2009 competition was simulcast in 52 countries around the world with 7,585 entries. During the 12 day competition Roth competed at the junior amateur level, ages 19-39. Her World Champion title was achieved in Disciplined Rail English. Additional placings included 3rd in English Pleasure, 4th in Ideal Pinto English, and 9th in Hunter Under Saddle. Roni is a 2008 graduate of Hillsdale High School and currently a sophomore at Hillsdale College studying pre-veterinary science.

LOCALS NAMED TO ALL-STATE BASEBALL TEAM
A pair of recently graduated Hillsdale County stars were named to the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association All­State teams earlier this month. After being named to the MHS­BCA All-State Second Team as a sophomore and junior, Reading’s Ryan Dillon was named to the Division 4 All-State First Team as a catcher. Likewise, Hillsdale senior Scott Lantis was named a utility player on the Division 3 All-State First Team. He will play baseball at Hillsdale College next year.

GLIAC COUPLE WINS FREE TV WEDDING
Ashland University cross country/track and field coaches Leigh Daniel and Nick Cordes have captured the hearts of viewers during the 10th annual NBC's 'Today Throws a Wed­ding.' The Ashland cou­ple have won a free wedding and the oppor­tunity to get married live on national televi­sion on July 15.
Following tradition, viewers will plan the winning finalists' wed­ding by texting and vot­ing on TODAYShow.com for the couple's rings, the wedding gown, the attendants' attire and the honeymoon.
Cordes and Daniel have dated for five years.
They met at an Olympic Development Program, but dating was prohib­ited so they had to keep their relationship silent.
Check out a video about the couple on MSNBC here if interested.

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Tickets for tokens: The quest for a summer of Midwest sports for $100 or less

Cuts are being made all over the place.

In offices and factories, with budgets and loans, and to the hearts of many Americans who are struggling to pay their utility bills, let alone find extra cash to have some fun.

This is a juncture in our country's history where resourcefulness is at a premium and people are looking for cheap pick-me-ups more than ever.

Lucky for area sports fans, I've found a summer solution that is easy on the pocketbook, full of adventure and requires only an Internet connection.

I decided to budget myself $100 to go to professional and college sporting events from now until the middle of September, while going no further than Columbus or Indianapolis.

With online resources such as StubHub.com, StubSearch.com, Ebay and Craigslist it's basically a "Google-me-a-ticket" world, where the nimble fingered take charge.

With this I want to prove that having a good time doesn't always mean sending your savings account to Haddes  and I also want to remind you of just how many great sporting venues we have within a three-and-a-half hour ride.

Here is my itinerary for a fantastically sportarific summer. Feel free to hop on board.

July 7: Louisville Bats at Toledo Mudhens Price: $9
Location: Lower level behind bullpen
Source: Mudhen’s box office
There's no better way to keep tabs on up-and-coming Tigers than to hit up gorgeous Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo. And the way things are going this year you may even get a chance to see the likes of a Dontrelle Willis, Clete Thomas or Marcus Thames. Although the way things are going, watching Willis pitch is kind of like watching your dog get hit by a a car.

July 11: Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers
Price: $10 for two
Location: Right field grandstand
Source: StubHub
This is possibly the steal of the bunch. At just five bucks a pop for lower level tickets close to concessions and restrooms you can't go wrong. That's why I'm grabbing two of these. My wife isn't a sports fan, although I'm working on it. But she loves getting a good tan and likes hanging out with me, or at least she pretends to.

July 18: Real Salt Lake at Columbus Crew (MLS soccer)
Price: $10 for two
Location: Upper sidelines
Source: Ebay
The Americans beat Spain, oh my word! American soccer is soaring to new heights.....wrong. There's a reason you can get a pair of tickets to the best soccer in America for the same price as a medium pizza. I personally appreciate some quality fútbol though, and I'll take my grandpa in Columbus with me to guarantee a good time.

July 19: Syracuse Chiefs at Columbus Clippers
Price: $10
Location: Lower level, third base
Source: Clippers’ box office
If I'm going to travel to Columbus, why do a hit-and-run? Instead I'll check out some more Triple-A action, with the Yankees farm team playing host. Plus I am a Brighton High School alum and still fondly remember Drew Henson striking out three times a game for this club.

August 7: Charlotte Knights at Indianapolis Indians
Price: $10 for two
Location: Box seats
Source: Craigslist
After taking a few weeks off and resigning to my couch and big-screen for my sports fix I'm back on the road.
More International League Triple-A ball is my fancy. I was able to find a season ticket holder on Craigslist who apparently could find better things to do with his money than watch baseball. I can't. That's why I'm taking my old college roomy who lives in Indianapolis out for a night on the town.

August 15: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions (Preseason)
Price: $8
Location: Lower level end zone
Source: StubSearch.com
I know it's the preseason, and believe me, I know it's the Detroit Dandelions, but still it's NFL football for $8 with a good view to boot. I'm headed here to get a first-person perspective on the QB battle and to get autographs before the players start getting hated on and return the favor to the so-called "fans."

August 19: Seattle Mariners at Detroit Tigers
Price: $8
Location: Lower level bleachers
Source: StubHub
Seeing Ken Griffey Jr. and his tantalizingly beautiful follow-through at the plate is worth the price of admission by itself. Plus in the middle of August Ichiro may appear more as a mirage than a person on the base paths and in centerfield in the smoldering heat. One Tigers game a summer is the equivalent of watching only the first in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Once you've got a taste you surely must go back for more. Thus, here I come Comerica.

September 5: Toledo at Purdue football
Price: $6
Location: Home end zone
Source: StubHub
Marching bands, tailgating, warpaint and Big Ten action all for the cost of doing a load at the local laundromat? Toledo took advantage of a Wolverine tailspin in 2008 to pull a major stunner, and the Boilermakers are a team who graduated its starting quarterback, top two receivers and all-purpose yardage leader from a year ago. I'm not predicting anything, but for six bucks I'll take a chance that Toledo could provide a wild and crazy time in West Lafayette.

September 12: Central Michigan at Michigan State football
Price: $18
Location: Visitors end zone
Source: StubHub
With $29 still to spare I decided to splurge. For less than $20 I'm treating myself to a more intriguing contest then most people realize. The Chippewas are lead by Hesiman trophy candidate Dan Lefevour at QB and like it or not Wolverine fans, the Spartans are the state's most talented team in 2009. Given that I'm an NMU alum maybe I'll even give Tom Izzo a call and trade stories about jumping off dorm roofs into the snow.

There you have it, $89 for nine sporting events, three with friends. With the extra $11 I can buy a foam finger, splurge on the super ultimate supremely stale ballpark nachos, complete with discolored olives, or just stash it away for next summer.

To keep costs at a bare minimum I recommend eating ramen noodles or hitting up bagel shops just before close, driving a friend's Smart Car or hitchhiking, and finding family members or even friends of friends to stay with.

Obviously my having your best interests at heart stopped with the ticket recommendations, but you get the point — a little legwork can go a long ways, and if you lay off the $10 brewskies and aren't a prima-donna who requires luxury suites stocked with 12 types of sausage, you can do a lot of living without a lot of spending.

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Serving a legend: Bobby Allison makes visit to local eatery

[caption id="attachment_752" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="1983 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Bobby Allison (left) had dinner with a group of about 20 people at Margarita’s CC and Co. in Hudson Friday and took time to chat with fans and sign autographs.   "][/caption]

Quite a nice little blurb from fellow HDN reporter Amy Bell, on the rare sighting of a real sports legend visiting The 'Dale.

When Chris Cruz came to his restaurant on Friday, he expected it would be a normal evening with his regular customers who come in to eat, drink and sing karaoke.

However, little did he know that he would meet one of the racing world's most famous figures who was in town for the races at Michigan International Speedway.

Bobby Allison, the 1983 Winston Cup Series champion, stopped in to Margarita’s  CC and Co. restaurant in Hudson, bringing with him an entourage that helped Cruz bring in double the amount of business he normally does on a Friday evening.

"How many legends from racing do we get around here that stop in?" he said. "He's one of the big ones."

Cruz said Allison, who was inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, stopped in with a group of about 20 people, including three country singers from Nashville and two NASCAR drivers.

While at the restaurant, Allison signed approximately 75 to 100 autographed pictures, Cruz said.

Before Allison's arrival, Cruz said the restaurant was "pretty dead" until a members of one of NASCAR's charter families showed up around 8 or 8:30 p.m.

Once Allison came in, people from all over started flooding in and he had more than 100 customers when normally he has about 35 to 40 on a Friday night, he said.

"We were packed to the gills," he said. "I don't know where they came from or what but somehow or another they got the word out that he was there and the race people started coming in."

To top things off, Cruz said the next day, a courier came to the restaurant with six tickets to the race on Sunday which Cruz gave them to one of his employees.

Cruz said the employee, which was the only one who did not have to work on Sunday, took five of her friends and were treated to the VIP suite at the race.

"They said they treated them like royalty when they got there," he said. "That's great because you don't have too many kids around here that get to have that experience."

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Success in this neck of the woods and beyond

It's been a good 24 hours for Hillsdale County sports and HC alums. As I sit on my old futon watching "Kobe: Doin' Work" for the second time (you say pitiful, I say phenomenal. For some reason I am obsessed with success in so many forms. Not really with being uber successful with what I personally do, but just seeing what makes successful tick — and Spike Lee does a killer job once again in this two hours of mono et mono with KB8) there are several good things from the area sports scene to report on from the past day. Here are a few snippets of the best of the good, with a promise of more on the way.

Reading Ranger girls are regional champs

Deb Price doesn't mess around when it comes to success, speaking of that one attribute we all strive for, and her all-around great Ranger girls track team helped add to her trophy collection Saturday. Reading (149) was 56 points better than any other school (Hillsdale Academy, 93 points) at Hillsdale College Saturday to win yet another regional championship.

They had five individual champions crowned and won two team relays as they took control of the competition early and never let up. Tessa Pridgeon was possibly the star of the meet with victories in the 200 meter and 400 meter dashes, while also anchoring one of the winning relay squads.

The Rangers are undefeated this season, have a Big Eight tile to their credit, a runaway victory at regionals now and only the state meet in two weeks will truly tell how impressive this group of girls is.

The Reading boys came almost frustratingly close to a regional title of their own, taking second to Sand Creek by a score of 117-106.

If not for Sand Creek's Brad Smith winning both the discus and shot put who knows what could have transpired. Nonetheless, the Ranger relay teams were strong throughout, piling up points and Trent Morris was tops in the pole vault competition.

It was also exciting to see Hillsdale Academy senior Thomas Lundberg win the 800, with his father Bill on hand, the man who will be his head coach on the very same track just months from now.

An entire rundown of the event, with commentary from Deb Price will be posted shortly.

Nicolet throws another touchdown, this time in a Blizzard blowout

It wasn't necessarily the circumstances former Hillsdale College QB Mark Nicolet probably wanted to see the playing field again, but I'm sure he'll take. After Green Bay Blizzard starting quarterback Gino Guidugli tore up the Peoria Pirate defense for three-plus quarters, Nicolet came in to relieve him.

Nicolet did throw his first interception of the season, but went 3-for-4 for 37 yards, including an 8-yard TD toss. Nicolet has now thrown six touchdowns against one interception in both spot and starting action for the AFL2 squad, and equally important is the fact the Blizzard are now 4-3 overall, right on target for a division title at this point in the season.

What should also be noted is that Nicolet was playing in front of a crowd of 6,376 at the Resch Center in Green Bay and whether you think so or not, that is something to write home to mom (and fellow Hillsdale College buddies) about. During the 2008 Charger football season, an official total of 9,488 fans attended the six Hillsdale College home games, or on average a little under 1,600 fans. The only time Nicolet played before such a large crowd in his entire college career was in Allendale against Grand Valley, where they regularly pack in 15,000-plus fans, something the Detroit Lions would be proud of.

A few more track stars rise to the occasion


In Friday's division 3 track and field regional at East Jackson a few well-known local kids stepped up in the clutch.

Hillsdale senior Joe McAvoy, one of the area's most decorated runners of all-time, advanced to the state meet in two weeks with regional final victories in one and two mile races.

Fellow Hornet Hilary Kast did the same, although she had to settle for second in the 3200 and a first-place finish in the 1600.

Jonesville's Amber Smith won the regional crown in discus and the Comets Kristyn Jones was tops in the region in the 100 hurdles. Although no area teams had quite the success Reading did Saturday, there were plenty of memorable performances that could ultimately lead to medals at the state meet.

For now, it's off to finishing some real work, finding a tape to record this Spike Lee joint, and getting some rest so my wife and I can go to the ordination of our associate pastor tomorrow. God is always present in my life, even when I forget to give Him due credit, and this young man getting ordained is a strong example of what can happen if you let the Lord direct your ways. In a sentence: He went from being a U of M grad with a good-paying accounting job who was on his way up,  to being convivted by the Lord's call while on a field trip with some church kids one day and now he's being ordained and is moving out to Kansas City in June where he will direct a new inner-city satellite church for one of the largest United Methodist churches in the nation. Only through Christ...

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The GB microphones find Nicolet yet again

Sorry for exiting the virtual world for a few days — but that's what will happen when the hugs and laughter of my grandparents from Ohio and uncle from Northern California replace the love I have for my MAC.

While I was out though, Andy Losik found a small gem of a video, with none other than Mark Nicolet as the subject, a Charger alum I've been following a lot as of late.

WLUK-TV 11 in Green Bay put together a 90-second video briefly discussing the QB battle between Niolet and Gino Guidugli. As it turns out Guidugli returned from injury to throw for 326 yards and five touchdowns in a 46-41 home loss to Iowa on Friday, but he didn't throw an interception and had a stellar second half.

Nonetheless, as this video shows Nicolet is still putting the heat on Guidugli to perform at a high level because he did lead the Blizzard to win as the starter just over a week ago and a few bad quarters from Guidugli is all it might take for fortunes to be reversed.

Whatever the case may be, it is fantastic to see Nicolet progressing and getting some of the attention deserves. He is an extremely intelligent football player, but more importantly, an incredible young man who focuses on faith, family and football with  ferverent dedication that we could all learn from.

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Nicolet returns to backup role as Blizzard comeback falls short

In one short week Mark Nicolet went from backup QB to a starter who won his first AFL2 start, and now, it's back to the sidelines.

Green Bay Blizzard starting quarterback Gino Guidugli returned from injury and played extremely well, but the offensive firepower came just a little too late for the Blizzard.

Guidugli went 25-for-37 for 326 yards and threw for five TDs, while avoiding an interception, the kind of performance that had solidified the starter role for him prior to Friday.

Unfortunately for Green Bay fans, four of his touchdowns came after the intermission, which the Blizzard trailed 30-13 at, and they couldn't quite complete a comeback in a 46-41 loss.

Coming into this week the Blizzard (3-3) were ranked 12 of the 25 teams in the AFL2 coaches poll and next week they get division rival Peoria, who is just 1-4 and currently unranked. Maybe Green Bay can open up a blow out and Nicolet will get a chance to strut his stuff again, but remember, in arena ball a four-touchdown lead is about the equivalent of a seven-point lead at the NFL level.

If I hear or see any updates on everybody's favorite Charger you know where to look and I'll be efforting an interview with Nicolet sometime next week.

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Nicolet featured in GB Press Gazette

Nicolet went from being cut by the Lions to being an emergency QB on an arena league squad, to a national champ in Sweden to where he is now — a backup in the AFL2 who has been thrust into the starting lineup thanks to injuries, and succeeded I might add.

As I said earlier today, Nicolet may get his second straight start tonight, as the Green Bay Blizzard's starting QB Gino Guidugli is listed as questionable for the team's tilt with the Iowa Barnstomers.

Whatever the case, he has garnered some regional attention and here is the pleasant little piece from today's Green Bay Press Gazette.

By Weston Hodkiewicz

After failing to receive a contract offer from the Detroit Lions following rookie camp last May, quarterback Mark Nicolet received a phone call.

It wasn't another NFL team. It wasn't even a team from the Arena Football League or arenafootball2.

Calling for Nicolet was the nine-time Swedish national champion Stockholm Mean Machines.

Stockholm knew relatively nothing about Nicolet beside the impressive numbers he put up at Division II Hillsdale College, where he shattered seven school records his senior year in 2007 en route to Great Lakes Conference player of the year honors.

Following a one-game stint with af2's Tulsa Talons as an emergency backup, Nicolet accepted the offer and made his first trip overseas.

"From what they told me, the hardest part they have is just getting a guy to say yes," said Nicolet, the only American on the Stockholm team last year.

"There's plenty of good quarterbacks graduating out of college. It's just the matter of trying to find a guy that's willing to spend three to six months in another country."

Earning 1,000 euros, or around $1,400 to $1,600, a month, Nicolet played seven games for the Mean Machines and led them to their 10th national title.

He was invited back this season but decided to return to the United States in hopes of getting a look from North American teams.

With the cancellation of the AFL season, Nicolet found his way to af2 and the Green Bay Blizzard, where he began the season as the backup to incumbent Gino Guidugli.

With Guidugli sidelined because of a pulled groin muscle, Nicolet received his first af2 start last Friday in a 56-28 rout of Milwaukee. He threw for 175 yards, passed for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another score.

The game didn't come without its hitches. The Blizzard struggled near the goal line and settled for five field goals within 30 yards.

But given it was his first start, Blizzard coach Bob Landsee was pleased with the 23-year-old Nicolet.

"I think Mark did a great job," Landsee said. "It's like with any rookie quarterback, he's nervous as all getup. But once he settled down, he did a good job."

Landsee wasn't sure whether Guidugli would be available for today's home game against Iowa (3-3), but he was confident in Nicolet's ability to lead Green Bay (3-2) if needed.

Nicolet said he will be ready.

"It's about knowing you have to be ready whether you're starting or you're coming in — if that's what needs to happen," he said. "Either way, you have to be ready to go and taking the same mentality because that could be your only opportunity. You have to be ready, week in and week out."

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Is start number two just hours away for Nicolet?

Nicolet or Guidugli as the main man? Nicolet this year   (3gms) 26-50, 52%, 284 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT, Passer efficiency: 94.1, 2 rushing TDs Guidugli this season               (5 games) 67-128, 52%, 774 yards, 11 TD, 6 INT, Passer efficiency: 72.9, 1 rushing TD For more information on the QBs or the Blizzard click right here.

A little blurb from WBAY ABC 2 TV in Green Bay for all you Hillsdale College Charger fans, especially the football fanatics:

Fresh off their win over the Milwaukee Iron, the first-place Green Bay Blizzard are back at the Resch Center Friday night to host the Iowa Barnstormers.

Who will start at quarterback for the Blizzard is still up in the air.

Mark Nicolet started for an injured Gino Guidugli last week and helped lead the Blizzard to a win.

Guidugli was back at practice Wednesday and has a chance to play on Friday. If not, Nicolet is once again the starter.

"It was hard to sit there and watch, but Mark came in and did a nice job and got us the win," Guidugli said.

"I'm preparing. You're always one play away from being in there, so every week I prepare as if I'm the guy," Nicolet said.

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