Another Football Post

As a fan, I've got to slip in a bit of football now and then.

At the high school level, it was disappointing to see our local team, the Columbus North Bulldogs, drop a winnable state semifinal. They played exceptional defense and scored two touchdowns in the first half to seem well in control of the game that could qualify them for the state 5A championship in the RCA Dome.

Unfortunately, things unraveled late in the third quarter, when quarterback Mike Hladik threw an interception that led to a quick touchdown by Indianapolis Pike. That touchdown was followed by two more very quick touchdowns by Pike, which found its offense and rattled the North defense with some big plays. A missed extra point on their third touchdown left Pike ahead 20-14.

But North wasn't done yet. They managed a good kickoff return and had a solid drive going, finding themselves well within Pike territory with about 2 minutes remaining in the game. But their quest for a championship ended with two dropped first-down passes in their last four plays.

I could only imagine how difficult that was for the players and coaches, to see the victory within reach and lose because of a couple of dropped passes. Ouch.

In college, it's nice to see Indiana qualified for a Bowl game for the first time in many years. It was a great tribute to Coach Hef, who passed away before the season.

In the NFL, the hated Patriots have shown some chinks in their armor the last couple of weeks. They've begun to look beatable, and for once I sort of hope the Steelers take them down next week.

The Colts have struggled since their own loss to the Patriots, which left them physically and mentally crushed. The Colts lost some key players to injury, and the physically able played liked whipped dogs the following week in San Diego. Even so, they had the Chargers beaten except for a missed chip-shot field goal by Vinatieri. Since then, they've been gradually regaining their injured players and improving. But they're still not the same Colts we saw prior to the Pats game.

It will be fascinating to see what happens in the playoffs, where a rematch between the Colts and Patriots is very likely. The Steelers have a chance to play a role, but there doesn't seem to be any other team in the AFC able to compete with those powerhouse teams.

The sports commentators are sort of comical, as they root for the Cowboys and Packers and openly hope one of those teams can beat the AFC champ. Sorry guys, not going to happen. Whether the Patriots, Colts, or Steelers win through to the Super Bowl, I've got to predict the NFC team will lose again.

All that's left are the college bowls, then the NFL playoffs. After that, I'll have to catch some Indiana basketball to feed my sports addictions until the sports desert of spring and summer arrive.