The championship game

In the spur of the moment, a friend and I decided to drive to Casper Saturday evening to watch "our team" play in the 2A Championship game.  The kids beat team after team during tournament play who had defeated them in the regular basketball season...and now, here they were...having earned the chance to play for the state championship.  Our teams have made it to the big dance in the past, but never have taken home the trophy.  We just couldn't seem to close the deal in the final minutes. But this time it was different.

The kids on this year's team are very talented and driven.  They were behind for the 1st quarter, but then inched ahead, staying only a basket or two ahead.  In the final 5 minutes, it looked like they could lose the lead...what a sinking feeling.  But I don't think the boys felt that at all.  With confidence and determination, they played hard to the very last seconds.  It payed off.  And in the first time in the history of our school, the boys' basketball team won the Championship Trophy.

 A big crowd of supporters were there to cheer them on, and they made a lot of noise.  Our music teacher started a Drumline this fall, and by golly, they are fantastic!  Their contribution to the excitement of the game cannot be overstated.  They were awesome, and I loved hearing them play.  In the last minute of play, I wonder if everyone else in the crowd was feeling like me.  Wide-eyed, we stood, with the apparent reality that, indeed, we had won this game!!  Did the kids really do this??  Yes, they did.  What an accomplishment!  It was great to be a part of the crowd to witness it all.

On the soccer field

Soccer has been gaining in popularity in the state, but only the big schools have a program in the spring for the kids, as an alternative to track.  Having worked in a small school for my whole career, I've watched a LOT of track, but never a soccer game.  Enter: my cousin's daughter.  Her team from Casper came to play Riverton, and so to visit with my cousin and also watch his daughter play, I met them in the stands. 

Fortunately, my cousin was nice enough to explain the rules and important points of the game as the action on the field commenced.  It was a good game, although I thought the Riverton team was excessively rough.  My cousin's daughter was purposely pushed to the ground just as she was attempting a goal.  Her arms and hip received nasty scrapes; we were relieved to see her return to the field. In the end, the Casper team won the game 3-1, so that felt good.

A soccer game -- It was a good introduction into another competitive sport.  One more note:  Hitting the ball with one's head....   how can that be a good thing???

My cousin, his lovely wife, and his very athletic daughter had time for a quick photo before the team got back on the bus and the parents headed out on their 2 hr. drive home.