Spring break means a break in high school sports

Clinton County students are on spring break this week, which translates into there not being much local action available to talk about.

Still, getting back in action next week, there should be plenty of activity on tap from then to the end of school, on the courts as well as on both diamonds.

Take a breath, check out the schedules, and get ready to enjoy some outdoor baseball, softball and tennis action.

What a finish to a not so great tournament

I don’t talk much here outside of high school sports, but with the break in local sports activities, and the way the NCAA men’s basketball finished, what else could one talk about.

At first I guessed I probably wouldn’t even watch Monday night’s game, like most of the world, figuring the Tar Heels would be picking up another big trophy and that would allow them to inch even closer to the U.K. mark.

On that note, and being a U.K. fan, you gotta pull for Villanova.

The other train of thought amongst Louisville fans (yes, there are still two at the Gibson house), is that if North Carolina wins the championship, the NCAA will likely not be inclined to come down so hard on the reigning champions in light that the investigation into 30 plus years of academic fraud is surely coming to an end (finally) and some sort of penalty is on it’s way.

That would be good for the Louisville Cards considering the self-imposed ban they placed on themselves this year. More than likely, it would be penalty accepted, everyone move forward.

In that scenario, I have to try and pull for North Carolina. Just can’t do it.

Going back and forth between the game and other programs Monday night, we finally landed on the game and in the end, it was an enjoyable back and forth, hard fought contest.

The double comeback seemed to set up an eventual overtime in the championship game when that final play produced the Villanova win and what likely should be considered perhaps the best championship game finish since at least the 1983 North Carolina State dunk win over Houston.

Nice finish to a strange NCAA season. Here’s hoping “wait ’til next year” proves true for the Cats and Cards.

Youth League action just ahead

There is more action on the local diamonds in the near future with the planned April 23 opening day of our local youth league baseball and softball action.

A separate front page article appears this week beginning on page 1 giving some insight into the changes and plans for the upcoming youth league season.

It’s been three decades or so since I spent much time on those fields, but I do remember it being some of the best fun I ever had.

Get out to some of these games this spring – I guarantee you won’t find any better level of true determination to learn and play anywhere else around.

Good luck to this year’s group of volunteers who are doing difficult and often thankless job of keeping this program up and running.

From this office – thanks to you all!