Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts

Friday, September 19, 2014

Montana State TD

It wasn't a win, but a touchdown is a TOUCHDOWN! Looking for a big win this weekend as they play Missouri State at home.
We will be in the stands cheering along with Jim's uncle, aunt, grandma, brother, sis-in-law and nephew hanging with us. We are trying to make up for the last two seasons that Justin had very little family to watch him play.
I love having family close- can't imagine if we were still in Germany how crazy we would be missing out on this special time. We are so grateful for our friends and family who have been able to both make the time to go watch him live or watch/listen on tv or online. Thank you. xo  
These pictures were taken by the UCA photographer. I love them.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

it's a TD @ MONTANA STATE

Justin didn't do too bad this past weekend either.

Traveling to Montana State, we were not able to make the game. Grandma and Grandpa came to the rescue and made the trip to watch. The game was crazy loud with close to 20,000 screaming fans.
We also had friends from Germany who now live in Montana make the game. I was so sad to miss it and miss them!

Most exciting was watching (on tv for us) Justin catch his first touchdown!
A win would have sweetened it, but we are still pretty proud.
This weekend, we head to Conway for a home game v. Missouri State.
Kick-off is scheduled for 6pm CST.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

our little W I L D C A T

Caden and Justin both have their games on Saturdays. Caden missed his first game since we had to hit the road for Conway to watch Justin play. He was ok with it, but super excited to be able to play his first game this last weekend.

They had the announcer, real refs, music and cheerleaders.
They lost, but he is in his element. I look at him and think he's waited his whole life for his own games. He's such a little leader. LOVES this game.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

a very dramatic W I N

Yes, our world is now revolving around football. It is that season. Not sure we would have it any other way.

Behind the entire game, Central Arkansas pulled out the win scoring a touchdown followed by an interception in the last minute to take the lead and the victory.

It was the first home game of the season and Justin's first time playing on the "Stripes" as they call their purple and grey field.
The first half was pretty stressful- dropped balls, missed catches and a few penalties.
But, they stuck with it until the very last minute. Talk about drama. This weekend, it is up to Montana State for the Bears. We will stay home and watch online.

Exciting times. We love our #89.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

INCREDIBLY proud of our #89

It was absolutely incredible. An evening we will never forget. We feel so blessed to have been able to watch our big guy play the biggest game of his college career thus far.

He definitely made us proud. It ended in a 42-35 loss, but the Bears never gave up in front of a record-breaking attendance for a season opener of 60,778 fans. We were a speck of purple in a sea of red. Lots and lots of red.
 
photo credit to Josh Goff, UCA Athletics
Here are just a few of the bold predictions in the media before the Texas Tech v. Central Arkansas game Saturday night.

"Give me Texas Tech 70-13. I have a lot of faith in this offense and I think the defense, as always, will be looking to prove they’re better this year."

"48-17 Red Raiders. I see this as a similar game to Texas State in 2012 when Tech traveled to San Marcos in terms of scoring, but not quite as bad. Could see Tech go up 21-0 and just coast."

"Texas Tech will come away with an easy victory with the final score being 50-10. This game will help the team keep their momentum going strong."

"Final score – 56-13. One game closer to a bowl, zero games closer to learning anything about this year’s team."

"I’ve said from the beginning this spells blowout due to UCA’s new coaching regime. If Patrick Mahomes is as good as he’s been advertised in fall camp, you could see big numbers put up from the 1′s and 2′s. 70-7 Tech."

Bold Predictions that turned to shock and embarrassment as our Bears not only held their own, but almost pulled out an upset against this huge Big 12 team.

From the beginning, Caden knew his big brother would do well. His prediction was that Central Arkansas would win. Along with admitting he was embarrassed, the Tech coach also had this to say...

"I felt like too many guys were just coming out there thinking it was UCA and we were going to run all over them, but we didn't."

Our Bears kept it exciting from the beginning to the end.

With games every weekend, we have a busy fall. A busy fall that we are so excited to watch unfold. This week is their first game at home. We are all {Caden especially who was not happy with the Tech fans and their "guns up" cheers} looking forward to be a part of the majority surrounded with purple.

It has not been an easy transition to retirement. I'd like to say we have been strong and gone on without missing a beat. The truth is it has been incredibly difficult and we have struggled.

Being able to get Ty into Wichita State and the opportunity to be close and watch Justin each week has made it worthwhile- our main motivation to retire and start this new stage of life. 

There are no regrets. It is going to be an exciting fall. We can't wait!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

crazy playoff G A M E tomorrow

No football today because Justin is playing in the PLAYOFFS!

The semifinals start tomorrow {Sunday} in a game that is expected to be crazy. I am sure both teams are pumped up and ready to play. Let's just hope Highland is more ready. 

Highland is the only team to beat Butler this year, so they know they can win. 
I'm sure Butler is not happy about being beaten this year and is ready to redeem themselves. 
It is going to be huge- a great time for Justin to shine as he did the last time they played Butler. 

He likes this field and their beautiful, new stadium. 
We just think he really likes playing on the big golden arches on the turf.

It looks like both Butler and Highland are going to broadcast it. We are looking forward to the clear screen and graphics, instant replay and overall excellent coverage that Butler puts together.  
 
2013 NJCAA REGION VI FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Sun. Nov. 3 Region VI Semifinals
#RV Highland (6-3) at (7-1) #8 Butler 1:30
KFH Radio -ButlerLiveStats -ButlerVideo -ScottieSports

#19 Hutchinson (6-3) at (6-2) #18 Dodge City 1:30
BlueDragonSports-Live Stats - ConqSports-DodgeVideo

Sun. Nov. 10 Region VI Championship
at Highest Remaining Seed  






Here is the link to watch the last meeting between the Scotties and the Grizzlies, in case you missed it:
http://www.ihigh.com/butlergrizzlies/broadcast_562588.html?silverlight=1

Our favorite play of the game is in the 4th quarter with less than a minute to go. If you forward to about 1:05 in the online video you can see the most exciting final minutes of the game and Justin's play at 3rd and 19... It's a big play. Huge.

{pictures courtesy of the most adorable nephew and niece Connor and Abigail... we started photography lessons during my visit to Kansas. When Justin saw them he had to ask Connor, "Why did you take a picture of my butt?"}

Update: It  started off strong, but ended in a loss. It was nice to have so many of our friends go and watch Justin. Can't wait to see what is in store next for our big kid...

Saturday, October 26, 2013

should be a W

It's Saturday which means it is game day!

Highland plays at home in a game that should be an easy win. These games are the ones that often stress me out the most.

Overconfidence can be such a bad thing. Hopefully, they don't have it.

Win or lose {which really better not happen} Highland made the playoffs, so their season will continue!

It's Independence (1-5, 2-6) at (4-2, 5-3) Highland.
It's an early one with kick off at 1:30 Kansas time.

As always, technical difficulties are always a possibility. They are broadcasting from Highland. Let's hope the announcer remembered batteries for his mic this week.

It was the end of Caden's flag-football season today. No playoffs for our little guy.
Both Jim and Caden are very happy that the next roster he is on will be tackle football.
He was not a fan of playing with those silly flags. 
I'm not sure how lucky he knows he is to have had both his daddy and big brother out on the field coaching this season. I love my family.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

missing our J U S T I N and G A M E day

It's Saturday- game day for Justin.

A big part of scheduling our trip to Highland was to catch a home football game and see Justin play.

Unfortunately, he was hurt in the previous game against Hutch and not only missed a whole week of practice, but the game last Saturday as well.

While going up for a catch {ended up being 34-yard reception} the defender from Hutch ran in to him at full speed hitting knee-on-knee.

Instead of watching him play, we ended up in the doctor's office with him and the hospital getting an MRI on his knee.

As it turns out, it was just sprained so no tears or major damage which is huge. Just hearing the news that it was not any worse was a relief.
It was still nice to hang with him and watch his team pull out a big win against Coffeyville.
It is so nice to have a quarterback who can throw well and to be winning a few games.


They are shocking people all over while pulling out big wins.

When talking about what school he will move up to, he's let it be known he's really not wanting to do this rebuilding thing again if he can help it.

He's been warming up and started back at practice this week.

Hopefully, he'll get on the field today.

Today, it is Highland (3-2, 4-3) at (2-2, 4-2) #RV Garden City.

2013 JAYHAWK CONFERENCE STANDINGS
Regular Season Standings
As of Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013   1:14 PM
ConfAll Games
WLWLPSPAOADA
Butler #1441512576742.811.2
Dodge City #12415119317932.229.8
Hutchinson #RV313216413932.827.8
Highland324320119728.728.1
Garden City #RV224220412334.020.5
Coffeyville223318020230.033.7
Fort Scott151622328831.941.1
Independence0516583618.351.6
#-KJCCC Champion  **-Region VI Champion
(#) Indicates Current NJCAA/JCFootball.com Ranking

It's a huge game- they need a win to keep their hopes alive for a play-off spot. Caden's game did not go as planned last week either- being cancelled due to the government shut down. He was more than upset being the intense little guy that he is.

No games this weekend due to the holiday. Hopefully, he will be on track next week...

Thursday, October 10, 2013

chick-fil-a and N F L players

It was a quick week.
A really quick week.
Ty and I are still struggling to get back in the right time zone.

With Jim home {to be with the little guys} and mom ready to go back to Utah {after six weeks in Germany visiting}, we planned for Ty and I to fly back to the United States together with a weekend in Kansas.

I knew it would be a quick trip with just four full days to cram everything in.

The main objectives included:
- getting Ty's driver's license
- catching one of Justin's football games
- time with family
- time with friends

Fortunately, we were able to accomplish everything and more on our list while creating some pretty amazing memories on the side.

Jim has said it is way easier to get adjusted to US time, than it is to adjust back to Germany time.

He's so right.

As the first time back to the United States for Ty and I since moving to Germany {almost three years ago}, we did alright adjusting to Kansas time.

It was a ten-hour flight to Atlanta, then an hour and a half from Atlanta to Kansas City. We left Germany early in the morning and arrived in Kansas in the early evening.

It worked out well to go to bed at a normal time. I did not feel jet-lagged at all which was nice since we didn't have time to catch on sleep even if we wanted to!

Our flights went smoothly.
No lost luggage.
No delays.
All on time.

It felt strange to plug the laptop into the wall without a converter.

We were super excited for some Chick-fil-a in Atlanta.

We were more excited while waiting to board our flight to discover two NFL football players standing in front of us on the flight from Atlanta to Kansas City.

I knew they were big boys. I had to ask if they played football, then what their names were. Of course they play football.

I asked the bigger guy if I could come bother him for a picture or autograph once we got up in the air.

He graciously did both and talked to us for a while in flight.

He gave me some football advice for Justin (work on his hands, work on being physically aggressive, follow the dream), talked to us about his cousin in the Army stationed in Germany and told us his mom doesn't know football so not only does she not stress out, she doesn't watch him much.


It was a pleasant conversation with a really nice guy who happens to play football.

At the end of our conversation I said, "I'm really sorry I didn't know your name."
His response, "That's ok, it's Tyson."

Both play for the Kansas City Chiefs- Tyson Jackson {3rd overall pick in first round of the NFL draft in 2009} and Justin Houston {AFC Defensive Player of the Month- September, 2013}.

Chick-fil-a and NFL players in the same afternoon?

Welcome to America.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

H I G H L A N D v. Hutchinson

It's game day with Justin and the Scotties as they travel to Hutchinson for a 7pm (CST) game.

It's a big game, especially after a huge upset last week over nationally-ranked Butler.

Last week, Caden is the only one who stuck up for his brother. The rest of us were just wondering how much they would lose by.

Caden said they could win and they did.

It was incredible.

It is being broadcast on Hutchinson's network, should be a quality broadcast.
It will be another all-nighter for us here in Deutschland.

Here is the link:
http://www.bluedragonsports.com/broadcast-and-media
Thank you, Debbie for not only going to watch Justin, but for these fabulous photos.
I love them.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

S T U N N I N G

The video streaming did not start up online until the third quarter, so we listened to the radio until then.
Oh, what a game it was and oh what a game Justin played.
He had some beautiful receptions.
So, so proud.
So, so exciting!

Here is Butler's re-cap of the game.
September 21, 2013

Highland stuns No. 4 Butler with 23-21 road win


EL DORADO, Kan. – The No. 4-ranked Butler Grizzlies were stunned at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex on Saturday, falling 23-21 to visiting Highland after the Scotties scored the go-ahead with eight seconds to play in the game.
The loss is the first for Butler in a home game since 2005 and the first-ever loss for the Grizzlies in 11 games played in the new stadium.
The game-winning score came on a 5-yard pass from Brandon Bergeron to Desmond McGee in the back corner of the end zone. It capped a game in which Highland built a 17-0 lead and then saw Butler come all the way back to  lead 21-17 late in the contest before the late-game dramatics.
Butler fell behind early as Highland scored on a 3-yard run by Marlon Mitchell with 2:45 left to go in the first quarter. The Scotties added a 31-yard field goal with 1:31 to go in the first half and Highland led 10-0 at the break. It is the second time this season the Grizzlies have been held scoreless in the first half.
Highland added to its lead early in the second half. The Scotties intercepted a short Butler pass and returned the ball deep into Grizzlies territory. One play later, Highland's Brandon Peters cashed in a 2-yard touchdown run to make it 17-0.
The Grizzlies eventually responded. Butler kept the ball on the ground and pounded the Highland defense, going 59 yards in 11 plays capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Miles Thomas to make it 17-7.
Butler got the ball back promptly on a 35-yard interception return by Tyler Hayes. Two plays later, Chris Carson ran in from two yards out to make it 17-14.
Butler would take advantage of another interception in the fourth quarter and score another touchdown on a four-yard run by Chris Carson to give Butler its first lead at 21-17 with 8:55 to go in the game.
Butler had the momentum and seemingly had the game in control, especially after Bergeron was sacked by Nick Cook and Ulric Jones and fumbled near midfield with 5:02 to go.
Butler, though, would fumble the ball back to Highland with 3:21 to play. The Scotties then embarked on their game-winning drive.
Butler falls to 4-1 overall, 3-1 in Jayhawk Conference play. Highland improves to 3-2 overall, 2-1 in conference play. The Grizzlies are off this weekend and will travel to Garden City for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Oct. 5.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Highand v. NEO


Excited to watch Justin play tonight as Highland takes on nationally-ranked Northeastern Oklahoma at home.
Jim is on his way to watch the game from Alabama via Granny's in Illinois. We will be watching online here in Germany!

Kick off is at 7:00pm Kansas time, that is 2am here in Germany! Yikes!

Justin is #82, 6'5", 220 pound TE

Here is the link to watch live online:
https://highlandcc.edu/pages/sports-live-stream

Saturday, July 20, 2013

the F A C E of HIGHLAND

Football season is right around the corner.
I just wish it wasn't so hot in Kansas.
I bet the boys wish it was a little cooler too.

Check out these videos of the Highland Scotties.

The Face of Highland

2013 HCC Fall Trailer

Are you Ready?

We are impressed with these coaches turning this program around.
It should be an exciting year.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

A great W E E K

It's been a really great week.

Justin got home.

Ty qualified and competed at  Europeans for track.

Coleman and Caden had baseball games.

The sun even came out a couple times.

Tonight is prom for Ty.
He looks really, really great.

We are off to take pictures with the parents.

Hopefully, the rain holds off.
I'm not betting on it.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

a little S K A T I N G

The boys love ice skating and begged to go back to the Olympic rink for an afternoon.
 With the Germans on holiday this trip, it was a little crowded. Last year, we had the whole rink to ourselves- it was really nice. This time was still fun minus the sore feet and bruised knees.  
Caden and Ty were last to come off the ice- they especially loved it.
I can't seem to get enough pictures of all four boys together.

Monday, January 14, 2013

W O R L D cup ski jumping

I'm SO happy for the fun we had during our winter break.

If you are going to live in Europe, you have to travel.

That’s all there is to it. It’s a trade-off being so far from family in the states and makes it worth being over here.

We are absolutely amazed each time we visit a new place.

This time with Justin home and the boys out of school, we planned another trip to one of our favorite spots: Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the Bavarian region of southern Germany. 
 
Staying at the military resort, it is the most central, most convenient spot. With a small base, we can shop at the commissary and get our rationed gas {saving a ton of money}. 

As a bonus, we always seem to meet up with friends staying there at the same time. It makes it so much fun for the kids to hang with their friends.
 About the only thing we do the same each time we visit Edelweiss is the hot tub and pool. There are so many things to do that our day trips and sightseeing is different every single time. 
 
For this three-night, four-day trip the survey of favorites ended up as follows:
Jim: Italy/Ötzi
Sheila: World Cup Ski Jumping
Justin: Italy
Ty: Olympic Arena Ice Skating {duplicate from a trip last year}
Coleman: Ötzi
Caden: Olympic Arena Ice Skating

I think it is super important when trip planning {especially with kids} to balance the busy with the relaxed. It is tempting to plan an agenda getting up at the crack of dawn every day to get as much in as possible.
 
This time around, it was nice to sleep in a little. It was nice to watch movies at night. Other than our four-hour drive down to Garmisch, it was nice to stay within a two-and-a-half hour drive radius of our hotel. Needless to say, we still saw a lot.  
Day One was my favorite hands down.
 
We drove straight to the hotel, parked and called a taxi to take us to the venue. With 30,000 people attending, we decided not to try to find a parking space.
The Germans were so excited. I loved the energy in the air. They were especially excited when their German competitors were up to jump. They started singing and waving their flags. It was great. The jumpers were amazing- even from a distance to see them take off and go so far was incredible.
It was cold.
It was even a little crowded.
The boys were a little bored, but did alright. They were much better with a hot cider in their hands and German kuchen in their mouths. It was fun to have our friends Randy, Michelle and Ryan to hang out with too.
The taxi let us know where he would pick us up in an attempt to avoid some traffic.

We called him and what was supposed to be a 15-minute wait turned into an hour. The boys might have liked my plan a little better had we not froze waiting for the taxi.
Oh, well.
 
It was a once-in-a-lifetime thing that we can check off our list. No regrets, right? 

Check out this brotherly love- melts my heart.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Glückliches neues J A H R

H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R!
Glückliches neues Jahr!

We are on our way to southern Germany to get away for a couple days.
It is one of our very favorite places to go. Everyone is excited!

First up on our quick trip is the World Cup Ski Jumping finals at the Olympic Ski Jump arena in Garmisch-Partinkirchen. It's a tradition every New Year's Day- even televised for Europe to watch.

Last year, we checked the arena out with Starr and Mac. This time, there will be snow, ski jumpers and lots of Europeans. Even with standing-room tickets {the only affordable way for a family of six to attend}, it should be a memorable time.

When do you get the chance to see World Cup athletes?
They'll be competing just ten minutes away from our hotel. 
I'm sure it will be crowded. It might be really cold, too. But, we have to experience it!

At the World Cup ski race every year starts a who's who of Alpine skiing.

Total height149 m {489 feet}
Tower height60.4 m  {198 feet}
Starting length103.5 m  {339 feet}
Bounce rate92 km / h  {301,837 feet/hr}
 
Height of takeoff3.13 m  {10 feet}


Hopefully, we don't have to witness any crashes. I just hate it when they get hurt! Scary stuff.

Happy New Year! 2013 is going to be exciting- I can tell already!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

a little R A C Q U E T B A L L ?

Jim has been studying like crazy.
He tests for his job next week.
We are also at the end of two very difficult classes.

Throw a little work in there and it hasn't been too much fun around our house.

We can't wait until it is over.

We're ready to play.
We're ready to travel.

We're really ready for Justin to come home so we can hit some Christmas markets.

Last weekend, we took Coleman and Caden to the gym for a little racquetball. They loved it and woke up begging to play every morning of their long weekend. Three days in a row and they still didn't get enough.
So much fun. We even wore the goggles. Aren't we cute? It's all about the memories.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

a S L O W E R pace

It's been busy lately.

I think I might possibly have overused this short sentence in the last couple of years. As I look back on the last couple of months, we truly have been running all over the place.

It has been too busy.
I'm tired of busyness.

Caden has had soccer- that has been two nights each week.

Coleman has had swimming lessons one night and baseball one day each week.

Ty has had football every single night with games on Saturdays.

Even being seventeen, he doesn't drive which means picking him up every single day.

Jim is plugging along on his Master's Degree with two intense classes this semester.
They have required a lot of time. Too much time.

I've been the fall coordinator for our Imbiss {German word for our high school concession stand} which has been a big job on Saturday home games.

I started working three weeks ago as a substitute teacher at the elementary school.

and...

As a captain's mom I was in charge planning and executing our huge end-of-the season football banquet.

I tried to delegate to the other moms, but for some reason, I still ended up taking on the bulk of it.

I did it for Ty and for no other reason.

The banquet was last night.

We had 214 guests.
It turned out really nice.

Twenty {20} seniors which means 20 senior gifts.
Seventeen {17} coaches and supporting staff gifts.

Decorations.

Coordinating the location/menu/time/publicity.

I'm exhausted.

One of the academic coaches who I adore came up to me and said I need to stick around next year to help. Then she joked that they could hire me as the party planner. I laughed.

NO way.
The tradition is for captains to get up, present gifts and give quick speeches.

Last year, Justin was among the shy boys who didn't want to talk. It was painful.

This year, Ty was maybe too comfortable in front of the crowd. He did a great job and had no problem talking.

He also got an academic award {which he should have} but, we're proud of him. 
Today, I'm very happy.

Soccer is over.
Football is over.
Imbiss volunteering is over.
Coleman will finish this session of swimming up in a couple weeks. We intentionally did not sign the little guys up for basketball so we could take the winter off.

One day of baseball- I can handle it.

I'm excited to cook more. I'm excited to have a hot fire in the fireplace ready when the boys come home from school and Jim comes home from work since we won't have to go anywhere.

I'm excited for a slower pace.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

F O O T B A L L sunday

Update: Bummer... another HCC loss with the final score of 24-31 Independence.

I found a VIDEO link for Justin's game: http://www.ihigh.com/independencecc/broadcast_257689.html?silverlight=1
 
It's the Super Six finals for Ramstein with another win yesterday- they remain unbeaten and headed to play Patch {that team I really don't like} next Saturday. We had snow yesterday and even bundled up were freezing.

As much as The Water Boy is one of Ty's favorite movies, he didn't think he'd be the actual water boy. He's doing ok, taking his new role on the sidelines in stride.

A visit to ortho this week along with new x-rays confirmed that his collarbone looks like it is healing well. In three weeks, he might be able to move and even lift light weight.

That makes him happy. For now, he still has pain any time he moves his arm or shoulder wrong.

I don't think next weekend will be much warmer here in Germany.

It's the final game of the season for the Scotties. They didn't make it to the play-offs. Justin was pretty bummed about that. There is next year.

Highland (1-5, 2-6) is playing at Independence (1-5, 3-5), Kick-off is at 2:00 Kansas time. It's a team they should be able to beat with a similar record. Ending the season at 3-6 overall sounds a tad better than 2-7.

I'm really hopeful for no injuries- a football mom's biggest worry. In last week's game, the Benedictine guy taken off in the ambulance broke his leg. Highland's LT hurt his knee and was taken off in the gator.

Especially with Ty's fractured clavicle injury this last week, I'm reminded of how rough sports are.
I'm also a little more nervous.

I'm not sure if we are going to be able to watch or see Justin's Highland game tonight, or not. It is their last game and his last game as a freshman- he's more than a little excited about that.

The Scotties are playing Independence and have a good chance of winning.

I emailed the Independence coach several days ago, called the athletic office and have searched their Web site for a link with no response or results.

On the Jayhawk conference Web site, they have a link posted for KKOY radio. That link is not working for me now. Might be because it only works once the game starts.

If you follow the link below it will take you to the Jayhawk conference.

http://www.kjccc.org/football/fbindex.html

On the left-hand side of the page is a list of links for each team in the conference. I am hopeful that this link for Independence Radio will work once game time rolls around.

Independence Hot 105.5FM - KKOY Radio

Kick-off is at 2pm CST time. I'll keep looking for a better link and will update if I can find one.

Go Scotties!