THE LAW FIRM OF HITEM, STICKEM & BEATEM AKA THE FORT SCOTT COACHING STAFF

My plate is full this evening, with Fort Scott pulling out the 13-12 Region VI win over Butler and the KCAC getting two bids to the NAIA playoffs with undefeated, No. 5 Ottawa hosting Hastings (Neb.) andNo. 12 McPherson traveling to MidAmerica Nazarene for the first playoff appearance in school history. That’s 87 years, if you’re counting. Here’s the full NAIA playoff schedule, if you’re interested.

I covered the Ottawa-Friends game yesterday and I’ll tell you what … Ottawa looked really, really good. Like they got up 42-0 in the first 16 minutes good. And as far as finally getting to see Ethan Haller play? Dude could start for most of the teams in the MIAA, no doubt. He’s that good. Their defense? Not so much. And as far as Friends — if they would have finished that comeback, as one of our page designers told me — that’s the kind of thing you could go 40 years as a sportswriter and never see. Just nuts.

So … Fort Scott. Brooks Seeley covered that game today and yes, it was cold, and yes, he whined the whole time (LOL) but he got to see a great one. And because No. 3 Blinn beat No. 1 Navarro on Sunday in the SW Region title game, that means, no matter what, the Greyhounds are gonna be No. 1 in the next poll and get to play for the national title at the Citizens Bank Bowl in Pittsburg on Dec. 6 — let’s just hope they can get the No. 2 team to come play them, whoever that may be (Likely Blinn). Couldn’t have set itself up any better for Fort Scott.

I’m out. TA.

PS. I’VE BEEN SAYING ALL YEAR … HE’S NICE!!!

Here’s how it breaks down — an anonymous bowl committee set up a game, the Mid-America Bowl — that was supposed to be played at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium on Dec. 6, 2009. The NJCAA said that the powers-that-be behind this game called them and said it wasn’t going to go off, and the national office didn’t get much more than that.

But, that leaves two bowl games left in Kansas. The Citizens Bank Bowl in Pittsburg (Dec. 9) that will be played at PSU’s Carnie Smith Stadium, and the Salt City Bowl in Hutchinson. Presumably, these are bowls set up to facilitate the local schools — Fort Scott for the game in Pittsburg and Hutchinson for the game in Hutch. Under that same presumption, I’m assuming the Wichita bowl game would have been a vehicle for Butler. And, of course, there’s a chance that one of these game could end up the national championship game featuring the Region VI champion, because hey, that’s where the champ has come from the last two years.

One thing to ponder: Who was behind the Wichita game and why did it fall apart? Were three games just too much for one state? Anyways … more on this later. But having these bowl games can only help. Gotta think Hutch’s new digs are set up perfectly for an event like this.

OUT. TA