After sharing the News 18 in-house picks  title with Bill Port (selecting winners in the games we covered each week on Sports Overtime),  it’s high time that we turn our attention to the postseason.

Here are my picks:

Division 1

Level 1 winners: Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Bay Port, Appleton North, Homestead, Germantown, Manitowoc, Marquette, Hartford, Middleton, Verona, Arrowhead, Milwaukee Riverside, Kenosha Tremper, Badger, Kenosha Bradford

Level 2 winners: Wisconsin Rapids, Bay Port, Homestead, Marquette,  Hartford, Arrowhead, Kenosha Tremper, Kenosha Bradford

Level 3 winners: Bay Port, Homestad, Arrowhead, Kenosha Bradford

Level 4 winners: Homestead, Kenosha Bradford

State finals winner: Kenosha Bradford

Division 2

Level 1: Marshfield, Hortonville, Menomonie, Merrill, Ashwaubenon, Cedarburg, Menasha, Kimberly, Waunakee, Milton, DeForest, Monona Grove, Franklin, Brookfield East, South Milwaukee, Greendale

Level 2: Marshfield, Menomonie, Ashwaubenon, Kimberly, Waunakee, Monona Grove, Franklin, Greendale

Level 3: Menomonie, Ashwaubenon, Waunakee, Franklin

Level 4: Ashwaubenon, Franklin

State finals: Franklin

Division 3

Level 1: Xavier, Waupaca, New Richmond, Rice Lake, West De Pere, Two Rivers, Luxemburg-Casco, Kewaskum, Delevan-Darien, Wisconsin Dells, Jefferson, McFarland, Plymouth, Catholic Memorial, Wisconsin Lutheran, Brown Deer

Level 2: Xavier, Rice Lake, West De Pere, Kewaskum, Delevan-Darien, McFarland, Plymouth, Wisconsin Lutheran

Level 3:  Rice Lake, West De Pere, McFarland, Wisconsin Lutheran

Level 4: West De Pere, McFarland

State finals: West De Pere

Division 4

Level 1: Northwestern, Bloomer, Baldwin-Woodville, Somerset, Omro, Roncalli, Wautoma/Faith Christian, Kewaunee, River Falley, Brodhead/Juda, Nekoosa, Marshall, Big Foot, Racine St. Catherine’s, Montello/Princeton/Green Lake, Lakeside Lutheran

Level 2: Northwestern, Baldwin-Woodville, Omro, Kewaunee, River Valley, Marshall, Big Foot, M/P/GL

Level 3: Northwestern, Kewaunee, River Valley, Big Foot

Level 4: Northwestern, Big Foot

State finals: Northwestern

Division 5

Level 1: Colby, Elk Mound, Osseo-Fairchild, Mondovi, Bonduel, Niagra/Goodman/Pembine, Peshtigo, Tigerton/Marion, Darlington, Stratford, Arcadia, Pardeeville, Brillion, Martin Luther, Waterloo, Oostburg

Level 2: Colby, O-F, Bonduel, Tigerton/Marion, Darlington, Arcadia, Brillion, Oostburg

Level 3: O-F, Bonduel, Darlington, Brillion

Level 4: O-F, Darlington

State finals: Darlington

Division 6

Level 1: Blair-Taylor, Thorp, Hurley, Regis, Edgar, Wild Rose, Pacelli, Florence, Bangor, Whitehall, Mineral Point, Necedah, Coleman, Ozaukee, St. Mary’s Springs, Lake Country Lutheran

Level 2:  Thorp, Regis, Edgar, Pacelli, Bangor, Necedah, Ozaukee, St. Mary’s Springs

Level 3: Thorp, Edgar, Bangor, St. Mary’s Springs

Level 4: Edgar, St. Mary’s Springs

State finals: Edgar

Division 7

Level 1: McDonell, Clayton, Elmwood, Gilman, Randolph, Assumption, Suring, Living Word Lutheran, Plum City, Hillsboro, DeSoto, Greenwood/Granton, Catholic Central, Ithaca, Seneca, Potosi

Level 2: McDonell, Gilman, Randolph, Suring, Plum City, Greenwood/Granton, Catholic Central, Potosi

Level 3: McDonell, Randolph, Plum City, Catholic Central

Level 4: Randolph, Catholic Central

State finals: Catholic Central

Agree? Disagree?  Feel free to post your comments below.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

(note: I’ll be adding to this blog as the game goes on, so keep refreshing this screen for further observations.   FYI, these “observations” will be posted in chronological order, from oldest to newest as you scroll down the page)

I MUST BE IN THE FRONT ROW
How about this? A perfect storm of Minnesota media combined with our “Official Packers Station” status,  has several of us from outstate in the front row of the Lambeau Field pressbox.   Call it karma, after the awful sight-lines of Soldier Field’s pressbox.   Hopefully, I can channel this great view into even more astute observations than usual.

INACTIVES
Packers: Quinn Johnson, Brady Poppinga, Maurice Simpkins, Mark Tauscher, Nick McDonelad, Marshall Newhouse, Mike Neal, Michael Montgomery.
Vikings: Joe Webb, Hank Baskett, Lito Sheppard, Albert Young, Husain Abdullah, Erin Henderson, Chris DeGeare, Fred Evans.

ENEMY TERRITORY
As has been the case in the last few years, there’s a fair amount of purple sprinkled into the predominantly green & gold crowd.   15-20% Vikings fans, I’d guess.

BUT THE GREEN & GOLD FANS MAKE MORE NOISE
A hearty chorus of boos as the Vikings take the field.

ONE MORE CROWD COMMENT
The number of Vikings fans at Lambeau Field tonight is still quite a bit lower than the average number of Packers fans who get into the Metrodome.

VIKINGS WIN THE TOSS
And we’re ready to get this game going.

GOOD START FOR GB’S D
Forcing a 3-and-out on the Vikings’ 1st drive.  Minnesota helped by playing it very conservatively, starting that drive at its own 16.

UNTIL THAT, IT WAS A GOOD START FOR GB’S O
Packers dodged a bullet at the start of their first drive when they recovered Brandon Jackson’s fumble…but after a really nice pass from Aaron Rodgers to James Jones for a gain of 13, Rodgers threw a screen right to Vikings defensive end Jared Allen.   The pass was intended for Dmitri Nance, so you wonder if there was a miscommunication between the QB and a little-used running back.

BUT THE GB D HAS 12′s BACK
Aaron Rodgers has his defense to thank for forcing another 3 & out by the Vikings.  However, the Rodgers INT cost the Pack a great scoring opportunity, as well  as field postition.

BACK TO THROWING DARTS
It sure helps your field position when you have a QB who can zip a pass for gains of 24 & 45 yards.

IT’S EARLY, BUT
It sure looks like the Packers can have a field day throwing the ball against the Vikings secondary, provided the protection holds up.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT
For all the weapons the Vikings can put on the field, the most explosive may be Percy Harvin, who showed his speed on a 48-yard kick return.  That time, not good lane integrity for the Packers kicking.  Add that to the long list of GB’s special teams gaffes in 2010. 

SPEAKING OF NOT GOOD LANE INTEGRITY
Harvin had a wide path to the end zone on his 17 yard touchdown run up the middle…gap control could also have been to blame.

SO MUCH FOR THOSE DEFENSIVE STRUGGLE PREDICTIONS
After one quarter, the Packers have 200 total yards (166 via the air).   Minnesota has not had a whole lot of success slowing down Green Bay’s offense so far.

WATCH OUT FOR THAT YARD LINE
Oh, those tricky Packers…on a well-designed fake field goal, a seemingly perfectly thrown pass by holder Matt Flynn falls incomplete when intended receiver Andrew Quarless trips and falls.   Typical of this Packers season: close, but not quite.

THAT WAS FAVRE-LIKE
Rodgers pass for Jennings in the end zone was deflected and picked off by Madieu Williams.  Granted, the game looks a lot easier from up here, but Rodgers should have just thrown that one away and lived to play another down.   Can’t fault a guy for trying to make a play, but the way GB’s been moving the ball, throwing that one up for grabs in the end zone was a risky move that didn’t pay off.

FIVE FATEFUL PLAYS
There’s a lot of game left to be played, but if the Packers don’t rally, they’ll look back on some mistakes and missed opportunities in the first half, including: Rodgers throwing 2 INT’s on potential scoring drives, Tramon Williams missing out on an potential pick-6 interception on a poorly-thrown ball by Favre, Quarless tripping and not catching the pass from Flynn, the late hit by Collins which tacked on 15 yards to a 12-yard gain by Harvin.

KEY STATS
Rodgers: 13-21, 227 yds., 1 TD, 2 INT
Favre: 6-11, 70 yds.
Peterson: 14 rushes, 68 yds., 1 TD
Harvin: 41 yds. rushing, 81 return yards

THE VALUE OF A PASS RUSH
Green Bay’s pressure on Favre leads to A.J. Hawk’s INT.   Minnesota’s lack of pressure on Rodgers lets him sit back and dissect the back end of the Vikings’ defense, which is their weak spot.

THAT JUST HAPPENED
Favre threw one directly into the breadbasket of Desmond Bishop…the classic, suck-the-life out of the offense INT that #4 has that nasty habit of throwing.  The 2 Favre picks have completely turned the momentum.

SO DID THAT
Favre responds by leading an efficient 6-play, 58 yard drive, in 3:33, with the key play being a nice toss to Harvin for a 37-yard gain.   Again, Harvin is the MDV: Most Dangerous Viking, and that’s saying something, on an offense that includes Favre & Moss.

TIPPING YOUR HAND
The Packers are able to convert on 4th down once, but not twice.  Anyone else figure that with Dmitri Nance at running back, that the play would either be a Rodgers QB sneak or a quick handoff to Kuhn?  Vikings got great penetration and stopped Kuhn cold.

BAIT AND SWITCH
Nick Collins takes a page out of Charles Woodson’s book, baiting Favre into a throw over the middle (intended for who else, Harvin), and intercepting the old gunslinger.   Switch the momentum meter back to the Packers’ sideline.

ATTENTION TED THOMPSON
That last drive, which could have gone a long way toward sealing this game, stalled after 22 yards, largely because your team has no credible ground game.   Packers needed to use some clock there, but didn’t use enough.

MDV Now MRIV
Percy Harvin, the Most Dangerous Viking, has limped to the far sideline, thereby making him the Most Recently Injured Viking.

A QUICK HEALER
Harvin’s spent a whopping one play on the Vikings sideline,  and is now back in.  MDV status restored.

BALLGAME
Favre gave everyone some thrills on that last pass, scrambling around, before his toss to Moss sailed incomplete.   Time to pack up the computer and head to the locker room for postgame coverage.

Posted under Hometown Sports

Saturday night’s Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game at Camp Randall Stadium provided an interesting contrast in quarterbacks: Terrelle Pryor of the Buckeyes, and Scott Tolzien of the Badgers.

Pryor:  2007′s top HS football prospect in the nation, Parade All-American & National Player of the Year, MVP of U.S. Army All-Star Game
Tolzien:  in 2005, was ranked among top 70 HS QB’s in the nation by Scout.com, once drove past U.S. Army Recruiting Station

Pryor: Had two live, televised news conferences to announce his college decision, the first to break the news that he had yet to make a decision
Tolzien:  Wisconsin letter of intent signing noted in the William Fremd H.S. newspaper, “Viking Logue”

Pryor: Had offers from every major college program in the country
Tolzien: Bypassed offers from Kentucky, Toledo, Western Michigan, received offer from Wisconsin one week before signing day

Pryor: household name among college football fans
Tolzien: well-known in his Rolling Meadows, IL, household 

Pryor: may or may not play QB in the NFL, but at 6’6″, 233 pounds, and running a 4.4 40-yard dash, will wind up playing professional football for some team at some position
Tolzien: hoping to score tickets to a few NFL games

Pryor: always on the Heisman Trophy Award Watch List
Tolzien: may watch the Heisman Trophy Award ceremony

Pryor’s signature throw vs. Wisconsin:  3rd quarter, rolling right and throwing off-balance  back over the middle, bailed out by wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher with spectacular catch for a 24-yard gain
Tolzien’s signature throws vs. Ohio State: 4th quarter, on 3rd & 3 from the UW 34, after OSU had made it a 3-point game, a perfectly thrown ball to the right sideline to Nick Toon that gained 20 yards.   Also 4th quarter, 1st & 10 from UW’s 32, a nice toss under pressure to Jacob Pedersen for a 33-yard gain.

Pryor’s stats vs. Wisconsin: 18 carries for 56 net yards (94 gained, 38 lost), 14-28 passing, 156 yards, 0 TD’s, 1 2-point conversion, 1 INT, 3 sacks  
Tolzien’s stats vs. Ohio State: 3 carries for 7 yards (0 lost), 13-16 passing,152 yards, 0 TD’s, 1 INT, 0 sacks

Pryor’s 4th quarter stats vs. Wisconsin: 4 carries for -15 yards, 4-11 passing for 52 yards & 1 INT, led 1 scoring drive on 3 posessions
Tolzien’s 4th quarter stats vs. Ohio State: 1 carry for 1 yard, 5-6 passing (incompletion was a dropped pass), 78 yards, led 2 scoring drives on 3 posessions (took knee twice on final posession)

One word to sum up Pryor’s performance vs. Wisconsin: uneven
One word to sum up Tolzien’s performance vs. Ohio State: efficient

Compared to Tolzien, Pryor’s had the far more decorated past, and probably has a much brighter football future.  But on the evening of October 16, 2010, Tolzien’s team scored 31 points to the 18 tallied by Pryor’s.

Winning quarterback: Scott Tolzien
Losing quarterback: Terrelle Pryor

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

One of most-repeated questions to Packers players following the loss to the Bears at Soldier Field, was whether Chicago won the game or Green Bay lost it.  Unlike that night, I was not in the visitor’s locker room Sunday at FedEx Field, but I’m guessing that question came up again, because for a second time this season, it’s very relevant.

There were  four obvious key plays in the Packers loss at Washington:

1-Mason Crosby’s missed FG at the end of regulation

2-Aaron Rodgers’ INT in OT

3-Donovan McNabb’s 48-yard, 4th quarter TD pass to Anthony Armstrong 

4-McNabb’s 30-yard pass to Chris Cooley in the 4th quarter that helped set up Graham Gano’s game-tying FG

As important as those four plays were, you wonder what would have happened had Green Bay made a play with just over two minutes left in the 3rd, when the Packers, leading 13-3,  faced a 3rd & 1 from the Washington 29.

Rodgers threw a slant to an open Donald Driver at the 10, and the normally-sure handed, veteran receiver flat-out dropped it…his fourth drop of the game.   Granted, if he makes the catch and Green Bay gets its first down, there’s no guarantee that the Packers finish that drive with points…but I like their chances.

After Driver’s drop, Crosby missed from 48 yards.  The next five drives ended this way: punt, punt, punt, missed FG, INT.  To me, the Driver drop was the turning point of the game.

Football, of course, is a team game, and plenty of other Packers had a hand in losing a game that was there for the taking.   Injuries, obviously, were a factor.   Going back to the 3rd & 1 play, Andrew Quarless lined up on the right side and appeared to be open running a deep out–you wonder whether Rodgers would have looked that way had Jermichael Finley been in there.  Also, on that fateful play, Greg Jennings appeared to be open beyond the first down marker on a drag route going from right to left.  Still, Driver was open, and the ball was there. 

With eleven games left, Driver and the rest of the Packers will have plenty of chances for redemption.   The reality is that the Packers are 3-2 after five games.  They’re not that far from being 5-0, but then again, they could also be 2-3.   Maybe there’s a game down the road when Green Bay is able to steal a win, and it eases the pain of this loss–maybe not.  Maybe we look back at this game as the season’s  turning point, or maybe we look at it as part of a trend of frustrating losses.  Maybe the Packers get healthy, or maybe they don’t.

There’s a lot that will be out of Green Bay’s control from here on out…but plenty of things are right in the Packers’ hands.

The question is, will they hang on or drop the ball?

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

Barry Sewall slugs a base hit

Mark Daly waits on deck

Sometimes, you have to play this game in pain, which is what Mark Daly did, after getting beaned in the left arm.  Fortunately, Dr. Barry Sewall was not only able to offer a diagnosis, but also recommend a post-game regimen of nachos and beer at the Reub ‘N Stein in downtown Northfield.

Brado delivers an RBI base hit

I think I've finally learned how to take an outside pitch the other way

 Officially, I went 1-3 with a walk and an RBI, against four different Knights varsity pitchers.  Not a bad day at the plate, especially since I was able to work the count in all four plate appearances, and made contact in both times I was retired.   The hit came off a very talented lefty, freshman Michael Holter, who went 15-4 in his senior season at a Denver, Colorado, high school.   Considering that he’s the type of pitcher who can paint the outside and inside corners with fastballs at the knees,  I’ll consider that a success.

Barry Sewall was one of my senior year roommates at Carleton, and back in his day, he could paint the corners with fastballs in the mid-to-high 80′s, and buckle hitters’ knees with a big-time curve ball.  

Barry Sewall back on the mound

At Sunday’s game,  I think the only knees buckling were those of the alumni fielders.   Sorry, Barry, but a younger version of Brado at shortstop probably could have gotten to a few of those ground balls into the hole and up the middle.   Feel free to adjust the “hits allowed” category of your alumni stats accordingly.

All in all, there weren’t enough alumni hits, runs, or defensive plays.  Final score: Varsity 12, Alumni 1.

Besides connecting with old friends, the alumni game gives us all a opportunity to connect with current and former Carleton players–all good guys.   I may have even convinced Alex Wirta ’11 to explore a summer internship in the sports department of WQOW News 18.  

Old School/New School: Bob Bradovich '82 & Kilian Murphy '11

 I also enjoyed the chance to chat again with Kilian Murphy ’11, a key member of this year’s Knights football team.   Back when he was at Eau Claire Regis H.S., I tried to provide Kilian with some advice and guidance during his college decision process and after he’d been accepted at Carleton, so I’m very happy that his experience there has been fulfilling.

To Kilian and all the young guys: don’t sweat those trips to the Dean of Students office.  Those of us who made that journey multiple times as undergraduates have all managed to lead productive adult lives.

Total old-school (L to R): Bob Bradovich '82, Barry Sewall '82, Mark Daly '84

Big thanks go out to Aaron Rushing, baseball coach at Carleton, for organizing the alumni baseball game and bratwurst cookout afterward.   Good luck to the current players, both on the baseball field and off. 

 ”Let’s play two!”
-Ernie Banks

Great idea, Ernie…but just not in alumni games.   Thankfully, I had ibuprofen and a hot tub awaiting me back home in Eau Claire.

Still, I’m already looking forward to the 2011 Carleton College Alumni Baseball Game.  My goal is to get so many of the guys from my era back that we’ll have to form Alumni Team A and Alumni Team 2…much like then-coach Bob Sullivan divided us for our varsity intrasquad game many, many years ago.

Baseball is a game of statistics.   Still, as time rolls by, I don’t remember those details as much as I recall the experiences, the friendships, the stories, and the laughs.  

Here’s to more of those in the future.

 -BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports