Props, congrats, and kudos to many here in the Chippewa Valley:

To the high school athletes who competed at the recent state tournaments: thanks for providing a lot of people a tremendous amount of entertainment this past season.   Special mention goes to those track & field athletes who dealt with seriously wet conditions on the Saturday of the state meet– coping with adversity is one of those life lessons that sports can teach quite well.   Also, hats off to all the local teams that competed at state softball and state baseball.   Only Grantsburg was able to achieve its goal of winning a state title, but all the teams represented their towns, schools, and the area very well.   As one who did not distinguish himself with sportsmanship and class at the end of his own high school career (a story for another time), I’m always happy to see the local kids handle the very difficult task of losing in their final high school game with dignity.

To the players and coaches of the Eau Claire Express:  a number of key individuals have left after being drafted, because of school obligations, or with injuries, but the train has continued chugging along…the team has won 19 of its first 25 games, and is closing in on a Northwoods League South Division first half title.   If you call yourself a baseball fan but haven’t gone to Carson Park yet to see an Express game, you are missing out big-time.   Dale Varsho’s team plays great defense, the pitching has been outstanding, and it’s a team capable of scoring runs in a lot of different ways.  Bottom line, it’s a team that is flat-out fun to watch.

To the players and coaches of the Chippewa Valley Predators: this team made a statement in its very first Northern Elite Football League game, by going on the road and blowing out the defending NEFL champs.   Since then, the Preds have been a team on a mission…Saturday’s win over the crosstown rival Crush gives Chippewa Valley home field advantage through the NEFL playoffs.  

Lastly, to the other members of the News 18 Sports team: Bill Port, Stephen Kelley, Lee DeJarlais, and summer intern Gary Davis.   Thanks to your hard work and enthusiasm, we’ve been able to continue to bring viewers outstanding local sports coverage.   More than a few fans at the WIAA State Baseball Tournament commented to me about the difference in how the event was covered by Green Bay-area stations compared to how our station did it.   There’s no question that covering local sports takes a lot of time and effort, but for those of us who consider it truly a labor of love, it’s well worth it.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

We’re in week three of the four busiest weeks for high school spring sports…and the action’s been very entertaining, to say the least.

Spring sports may not get the attendance of some that take place in winter, but there are exceptions.  State Track & Field in La Crosse always packs them in, and that was the case this past weekend, even with some difficult weather conditions last Saturday.   Tuesday’s baseball sectional semifinal between North and Memorial at Carson Park was one of the best attended high school games I’ve ever seen, with estimates ranging from 1,250 – 1,500 fans to watch the Huskies play the Old Abes for a final time this season.

Spring sports present their own unique set of challenges–starting with weather.   On top of that, the school year is winding down, which means athletes, coaches, and administrators are all looking ahead to summer.  High school seniors are busy with graduation, and everything that goes along with that rite of passage.   Many students are juggling jobs along with their athletic and academic responsibilities.   For those that are multi-sport athletes, off-season training means little to no downtime–ever.

Yet, the contests never fail to produce their share of dramatic and heart-warming moments.   Like me, you may have become a little jaded watching the choreographed celebrations of professional sports–but watching high school athletes celebrate victory or deal with a tough defeat never gets old.

There are a few state tournaments remaining this spring.   Congratulations to the local teams that are getting ready for state competition:

                BOYS TEAM TENNIS: Eau Claire Memorial

                SOFTBALL: Chippewa Falls, Altoona, Grantsburg, Thorp

                BASEBALL: Eau Claire North, Bloomer, Elk Mound, Chippewa Falls McDonell 

If you can’t make it to those latter two tourneys, News 18 Sports will be on hand, so make sure to watch our coverage either on the air or online.   In addition, on our website, we’ll provide a link to live, streaming video of all the state tournament softball and baseball tournament games.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the spring sports as much as we in the News 18 Sports department have enjoyed covering them.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports