It was an interesting weekend in college and pro football.
In the pros, San Francisco and Cincinnati were winners while Pittsburgh and New England lost.
If nothing else, it was a great day for quarterbacks, maybe more than usual. Folks in fantasy leagues likely are aware of some of the feats and may have been lucky enough to have one of the leaders on their roster.
Some of the top efforts:
• Kurt Warner broke a 16-year-old National Football League record with a 92.3 completion percentage, completing 16 straight passes as he went 24 of 26 for 243 yards and two touchdowns in Arizona’s victory at Jacksonville.
• Matt Ryan completed 21 of 27 passes in Atlanta’s victory over Carolina, hooking up with new receiver Tony Gonzalez on one of his three touchdown passes in the first half.
• Brett Favre established a league record by starting his 271st game and was good on 23 of 27 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings’ victory over the Lions.
• Drew Brees continues on a record pace, hitting 25 of 34 passes for 311 yards and three scores for New Orleans and now has nine touchdown passes in two games.
• Eli Manning was efficient for the New York Giants, completing 25 of 38 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns as the Giants spoiled Dallas’ party in its new home.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady did not have a great game for New England as the Patriots lost to the unbeaten Jets, completing 23 of 47 passes for 216 yards.
And so it went as we awaited game time to see what Peyton would do in Miami.
• Coaches named — Two veteran high school coaches have been named to fill vacancies in the area.
Chip Sweet will be the baseball coach at Shakamak again, returning to the coaching ranks and succeeding former assistant Matt Fougerousse, a former player who had succeeded him.
The Lakers won lots of games under both coaches and were highly successful in the state tournament, winning the Class A title under Fougerousse after being runner-up in the past.
Tom Anderson has been named the girls basketball coach at Cloverdale after serving in that same capacity at Owen Valley and taking the Patriots to the 3A state finals.
He joins another veteran coach, Pat Rady, as basketball coaches at the school.
• Jones, Brown do well — Tom Jones and Dave Brown both have had good summers in golf and are competing in the WTHI-TV City Championship that winds up this weekend.
They were members of Indiana’s winning team in action against Kentucky and Ohio teams last week as players competed in alternate-shot and best-ball competition at Four Bridges Country Club in the Cincinnati area.
Brown and Jones were in the top five both days and had low score in the alternate-shot action.
This competition has been going on for 69 years and the seniors from Indiana unofficially set a record with their score this year.
In the current state senior amateur standings, Brown is seventh, Ted Kaperak eighth and Jones 11th. Kaperak will be competing in a tournament of champions this week and could move up in the totals.
• Big games — Some big high school football games will be played in the area Friday night.
South Vermillion goes for a 6-0 start and its best start in years at Rockville, which is 4-1. Cody Mumaw has caught 10 touchdown passes for the Wildcats.
Linton and North Daviess both are 4-1 and unbeaten in the Southwest Seven. They meet at Linton.
Northview has lost only to Terre Haute North and takes on Vincennes Lincoln in Clay County. The Knights should win this one since the Alices still are winless.
West Vigo and Edgewood both have one defeat in the Western Indiana Conference and meet at Ellettsville.
Terre Haute North and South will be in Marion County for Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference games. South plays Ben Davis and North takes on Warren Central.
• Tom-Cattin’ It — The Indiana High School Athletic Association has ruled that potential Indiana University recruit Matt Carlino will be eligible to play for Bloomington South.
The 6-foot-2 junior will join three players back from last year’s 4A champs: senior Erik Fromm, who says he will go to Butler; junior Dee Davis, who has committed to Xavier; and junior Spencer Turner, who is being recruited by several Division I teams.
On a side note, one top prospect, New Jersey guard Kyrie Irving, says he has taken IU off his list.
• Former Illinois State standout cager Doug Collins received the Curt Gowdy Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame this year.
• One IndyCar Series race remains to be run. Scott Dixon holds a five-point lead over Ganassi Racing teammate Dario Franchitti and is eight ahead of Team Penske leader Ryan Briscoe.
It should be quite a finish at Homestead-Miami next month.
Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at (812) 232-3231, by e-mail at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 South 5th Street, Apt. 3, Terre Haute, IN 47802.
Ramblin' Reck
Ramblin' Reck: Quarterbacks take center stage during wild week of pro, college football
- Ramblin' Reck
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Castroneves a safe bet at Indy 500
The field is full for the Indianapolis 500 and the race should be another good one.
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RAMBLIN’ RECK: A good week to be a Sycamore
This week is a big one for sports fans and is off to a good start, particularly for Indiana State fans.
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RAMBLIN’ RECK: Clauson, 22, to make rare jump from USAC to Indy 500
Bryan Clauson will be a busy young man this month.
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RAMBLIN’ RECK: May means it’s time for some thoroughbred horse racing
It’s May, it’s May, the wonderful month of May as the words sort of go in a famous musical.
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RAMBLIN’ RECK: Following the changing Illinois coaching scene
Catching up on some coaching changes and some other business:
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Golf battle at Rea Park
The high school sports schedules are busy again this week, with local boys golf teams playing two matches at Rea Park.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Here’s to hoping for more Hoosier magic
Another NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship is history and fans already are talking about next season.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Retiring Casey football coaches Sinclair, Vidoni will be missed
An era ended in Casey last week when Keith Sinclair and Gene Vidoni announced they are retiring as football coaches at Casey-Westfield High School.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: NCAA Final Four down to UK & everyone else
The Kentucky Invitational, officially known as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, is down to The Final Four.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: One man’s vote for public schools in the IHSAA tournament
The basketball season has ended for most high school and college teams, but fans in the Wabash Valley still have teams to root for this weekend.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Terre Haute great to be inducted into college Hall of Fame
One of Terre Haute’s all-time greats will be honored again later in the year when Clyde Lovellette will be inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big Ten tourney wide open
Selection Sunday is coming and action in some of the conference basketball tournaments could play big roles in determining the field for the NCAA’s Big Dance.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big week for preps, ISU, Rose-Hulman
Monday began one of the biggest weeks ever in basketball in the Wabash Valley or at least one of the biggest.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: No guaranteed wins in difficult Class 2A Casey regional
Let’s talk high school basketball.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Assessing the NCAA tournament jumble
The college men’s basketball schedule is in its final month with Selection Sunday less than four weeks away.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: And now, on to the next beloved winter sport
The final football game finally has been played, meaning folks in the Valley can concentrate on basketball this week.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Indianapolis is looking mighty good this week
It’s Super Bowl XLVI week … in Indiana for the first time.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Fox gives TH punter kudos
The stage is set. It’ll be the New York Giants against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl that will be played for the first time in Indianapolis.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big Ten shaken up last week
It was a very interesting week in men’s college basketball, especially in the Big Ten.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: A fresh round of predictions as the NFL dwindles to 8
More National Foootball League playoff games are slated this weekend, with the number of postseason teams down to eight following an interesting weekend of wild-card action.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Hile inducted into Hall
Indiana State grad Amy Lynn Hile will take her place in another Hall of Fame this year.
Inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005, the former Sycamore standout has been named as one of the 2011 inductees into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: It’s time now for some intraleague hoops rivalries
It’s the final week of 2011 but it is the first week of conference basketball games for most colleges, particularly those in Indiana and Illinois.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: A long distance relationship
Indiana State’s trip out West to play basketball at Boise State brought back memories of one of the trips I made to that city.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Indiana Mr. Football still has big decision to make
Some awards in high school and college football were announced last week.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: No dearth of good basketball
Based on early games, the college basketball season is going to be very interesting for coaches, players and fans, particularly in the Big Ten and Missouri Valley.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Big Ten-ACC challenge gets under way tonight
Conference championship football games and challenge action in basketball will make for a busy week for college teams.
Wisconsin and Michigan State will meet in the very first Big Ten football championship Saturday at Indianapolis. Kickoff is 8 p.m. and the action will be carried by Fox.
Michigan State nipped the Badgers in the regular-season contest at East Lansing. We like Wisconsin to win and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Other games and picks:
SEC — LSU over Georgia on Saturday
Mid-American — Northern Illinois over Ohio U. on Friday
Pac-12 — Oregon over UCLA on Friday
ACC — Virginia Tech over Clemson on Saturday
Conference USA — Houston over Southern Mississippi on Saturday
Western Kentucky will not play for a championship but the Hilltoppers won seven of their last eight games to finish with a winning mark. That’s the same team that lost to Indiana State, you will recall.
Meanwhile, the hiring and firing already has begun with Urban Meyer coming out of retirement to accept the job at Ohio State. That was a no-brainer.
Illinois is bowl-eligible but Ron Zook is out. Ditto for Turner Gill at Kansas and apparently Dennis Erickson at Arizona State.
In basketball, the first games in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge will be played tonight. The biggie tonight is Duke at Ohio State. Miami of Florida is at Purdue and Illinois plays at Maryland.
On Wednesday, Indiana is at North Carolina State, Wisconsin is at North Carolina and Michigan State goes to Florida State.
Indiana State is at Boise State on Saturday for a Missouri Valley-Mountain West Challenge game,
It was fun and gratifying to be able to watch the Sycamores on national television as they took third in the Old Spice Classic. The team got tons of favorable publicity and comments from the three games.
And what a game for Jake Odum and his triple-double. Wow.
I I I
n White honored — Taylor White of Casey has earned academic all-state honors in Illlinois football.
White was one of the top players at linebacker and fullback and was one of the captains on the team but did not play as the Warriors lost to Morrison in the Class 2A title tilt.
He was sidelined by injury in the game against Marshall and underwent surgery.
The Warriors gave Morrison all it wanted in the final game, concluding another banner season for coach Keith Sinclair and the team.
Nice work, Warriors.
I I I
n Tom-Cattin’ It — Carmel was the only public school to win a prep football championship in Indiana and was impressive in its 54-0 victory over Penn in the 5A finale.
Other winners — all private schools — were Lafayette Central Catholic in A, Fort Wayne Luers in 2A, Indianapolis Chatard in 3A, and Indianapolis Cathedral in 4A.
n Sullivan puts its undefeated girls basketball record on the line tonight at West Vigo. Its victory over Terre Haute South last week was its first over the Braves since 1992.
n Terre Haute North grad Steve Weatherford, now punting for the New York Giants, was featured in a nice story in The New York Times on Monday.
He was singled out for his conditioning program and called the strongest player pound for pound — at 210 pounds — on the team that met the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.
n Jim Rathman died last week at 83.
He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1960, edging Rodger Ward in a race in which there were a record 29 lead changes.
Rathman also was runner-up in the race in 1952, 1957 and 1959.
n Flora has been tabbed by one newspaper as the preseason pick to win the Little Illini Conference boys basketball championship and to make it to the Final Four.
The Wolves play Marshall, off to a 3-1 start, next week.
Tom Reck may be contacted by telephone at (812) 232-3231, by email at tm_reck@yahoo.com or by mail at 4284 South 5th Street, Apt. 3, Terre Haute, IN 47802. -
RAMBLIN' RECK: Sinclair: ‘Never underestimate the heart of a Warrior’
Casey’s high school football team will have one more week of practice, including a workout early Thanksgiving Day, but the players don’t mind it.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: MVC’s quick start brings hope
Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball teams and others are off to a good start.
Valley teams were 9-2 in games played through Sunday. Two teams picked up some very nice victories.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: ISU’s ranking solid heading into basketball season
The college football season still has a few weeks to run for most teams, but the basketball season starts for real for a lot of teams this week; a few still have some exhibition contests left on the schedule.
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RAMBLIN' RECK: Terre Haute native had memorable career at Red Hill
When Red Hill played its final football game of the season last month in Illinois, it marked the end of an era for a friend of mine and for the high school.
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