Presented on this Labor Day are another batch of “David’s Appetizers,” assorted musings and observations on the sports scene:
With football season and Tropical Storm Isaac approaching, was to try to figure out the best way to mitigate the former Hurricane juking behavior as it moved inland and adjust junior high and high school schedules on the fly last week.
Do you play Wednesday, Thursday or Friday?
Many decisions were based on whether teams wanted to play on their suddenly waterlogged fields after a few hours or rain or a few days. Those with artificial turf had to make a guess which rainy night would best for players and fans.
It was a guess and I’m not sure there was a right answer as Isaac approached. By Friday, it became obvious as Isaac made a quick sidestep and made a hasty exit. Friday night was much nicer than Thursday night.
Temporarily.
Several games, including all three involving Faulkner County teams, had to be halted in the second half because of Isaac's remnants bringing lightning and more rain.
Thursday was highly irritating. Friday was more dangerous.
But Thursday was a bonus for the umbrella industry, which has suffered over the summer.
During many of the games, the fans, as the umbrellas folded like tissue on toothpicks in the driving rain and wind, had as great a challenge as the players.
As far as the games. The coaches crossed their fingers and hoped they could get out of it without damage.
“We just need to put a good drive together and get out of here and get home and dry out,” said (appropriately) former Vilonia athletic director Matt Sewell, an analyst on for radio broadcasts of Eagles games said late in the game after he watched Vilonia slog to a 7-0 win over Sylvan Hills on Friday night, a game that had 14 fumbles.
During an appearance last week before the Conway Kiwanis Club, University of Central Arkansas football coach Clint Conque talked out excited he was about the Bears’ current recruiting class.
“Athletically, it is the best class we have ever signed, particularly on the defensive end, the area that we concentrated on,” he said. “Sometimes, you come out of preseason camp and try to project a couple years down the road and you evaluate that there was probably a recruiting miss or two. We ca’t say that about any of these players this time.”
Zach Conque, the coach’s son who was a star quarterback for Little Rock Catholic last season, has begun his college career at Texas-San Antonio, one of the newest members of NCAA FBS. He’ll be redshirt, as expected, this season.
His father reports Zach is now 6-foot-5 1/2, 223 pounds, runs a 4.62 40 and was measured at 6.6 percent body fat.
And he reportedly loves San Antonio.
(Sports columnist David MCCollum can be reached at 505-1235 or david.mccollum@thecabin.net)