Smattville: October 2006

Monday, October 30, 2006

Rambler's Revenge

Elusive like white pandas Ramblers spray paint Kerrobert streets red, white and blue. But with no warning on the sleeping giant, the Tigers dig in their claws. Ramblers slip in the 3rd period, as the score was evenly tied 5-5, Tigers pounce and sink their teeth into victory 5-6.
Two days pass, Ramblers recover, and are in home territory. This time they come prepared with catnip. Ramblers score 7-4 final. Leaving with the satisfaction this cat is extinct. Ramblers next game Friday November 3rd 8:00 pm in Leader. Don't be disappointed; Ramblers come back home to play Macklin at 8:00 pm.

posted by Matt @ 9:54 AM 1 comments

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Switzer's Sidelines

Hey there and welcome to another exciting adventure with coach.

Volleyball was the name of the game for this weekend, and what an exciting weekend it was. One full of grit and hard work, a little disappointment and celebration, and a little history making. When it comes to Storm volleyball, the past years have been full of defeat and disappointment. But this weekend we had a chance to change the history of the past couple years.

We went in with a few key players missing, Brad Quist, who is one of our team captains and an all-star middle. And also we were missing Phillip Vanderberg, who is hands down our best setter. Even though we were missing some big players, some of our rookies stepped up to the plate and filled the gap tremendously. Our biggest surprise was Simon Golom, who played one of his first games, really came through with some timely blocks and some big hits. And also with the leadership of the Deano Drinnan, and Gregory Moore, we were able to squeak out a key victory against one of our rivaling schools, Millar.

There was a seven-team draw in the tourney, with a new team that came out of Brandon Manitoba. Our first five games, although close in the score were all losses. And with one game left, we decided as a team that we were going to still leave it all on the court, and have some fun. So we came out with big smiles, and decided that we would finish with those smiles. With that attitude we came out in the first set with a commanding lead, and went on to win the first set 25-18. With a little headway we came out slow in the second set, and a few frustrating errors lead to a loss in the second set 17-25. But with one set left in the tournament and with our fans behind us we decided in our hearts that the victory was ours for the taking. Storm came out strong in the third and deciding set, and found ourselves up 13-9. Calling a timeout, Millar tried to get us off our game. But it didn’t work so well, as we brought the score closer to home at 14-10. It was Millar’s serve and we rallied and threw up a prayer, sent the ball back to their side and won the final point. Victorious! We felt as if we were little gophers that had just abolished a four-year-old wolf. (Zach)

Anyways, we look to the future now, with a victory under our belt, our next goal is to make the playoff round in a tournament. So stay tuned to see how we do! I must run now and do my duties. So keep yer chin held high, and keeper tight! That’s all for now.

Coach

posted by Matt @ 10:09 PM 2 comments

Friday, October 27, 2006

Draft Day

Picking a winning hockey pool involves more than simply going online and downloading last year's scoring statistics and starting from the top down. Anybody can do that! To be a successful hockey prognosticator, you must be able to find players who show they are ECFHA material and show they why they deserve to be on the team. The ECFHA player draft has been held for two years now. GM's select in order of their picking pool balls numbering from 1-8. Number 1 obviously gets to pick first.

The GM's held a draft conference on Wednesday and consisted of (Left to Right) Brad Quist - End Times, Sean Jennings - Hanson’s Heroes, Joel Switzer - Aslans Arsonists, Kyle Lomenda - Might Gophers, Greg Moore - ABHE Letters, Jonathan Scholar - Ermel Express, Nathan Frank - Forza & Craig Knudson - Powershots. The pool of draftees consists of all the Veteran players. Listed below in order from pickings are the number one selections from every draft.

1. Ermel Express - J. Cooper
2. Mighty Gophers - L. Pederson
3. End Times - C. Rotchford
4. Powershots - G. Hamilton
5. Hanson’s Heroes - D. McLean
6. Forza- T. Clarke
7. Aslans Arsonists - M. Nickle
8. ABHE Letters - S. Tesarski

Being held on Monday 6:00 pm the GM's will be meeting in the conference room and discussing the draft for all Rookies. Live feed in Room 3.

posted by Matt @ 8:49 AM 3 comments

Monday, October 23, 2006

Switzer's Sidelines

A word from the coach…

Hey all, and welcome to Switzer’s Sidelines.

With a collective sigh of relief it seems like this last Stubble Bowl weekend has gone by without any major problems. And what a weekend it was. Our day was filled with everything from the beginning stages of a snow storm, to a tiny ounce of sunlight, to a little bit of glory and a whole lot of fun and laughter. The Storm really came out to play this weekend, and with a little bit of blessing from above, we even came away with a trophy and some much needed rest.

We began our tournament off by playing a great team that comes every year, a team that is made up of alumni from the past years. We came out a little slow in the first half, which eventually caused us to come a touchdown short of the win. Next we moved on to play Beechy, who brought out an army worth of players from all over. The story was almost the same as Alumni, we came out slow in the first half, and a lot of mistakes were being made. But with a rousing speech at half time, and a little miracle running by our very own Greg Moore, we beat Beechy and made ourselves a proven threat to the rest of the tournament.

The next game was our biggest game; it was the semi-finals against our archrivals, Saskatoon, which proved to be a heartbreaking game. Not because of the loss but because of the lack of integrity and sportsmanship that was shown by the Saskatoon squad. It seemed that every play and everything the Storm did as a team was complained about and put under a microscope. And even worse yet, they were very chippy and cheap, tripping or pushing our players when they couldn’t reach our flags, and throwing our flags back in our faces when they could reach them.

I told our players this and it stills holds true, I see us, the Storm, as the winners over all. Not because of the way Saskatoon carried themselves, but because we held ourselves to a level that was honorable, and even though we didn’t attain first place, our shear heart and character makes us the true winners, and will continue to make us the winners in the future.

I am going to go get some rest and regenerate myself, stay tuned for the next Switzer’s Sidelines regarding our success in PAC league Volleyball. So until next time, keep yer chin held high, may the best coach win, and don’t tell me what to do!

Coach Switzer

posted by Matt @ 12:09 PM 1 comments

Ramblers Return

On winter mornings, in homes across Canada, a weekend ritual begins with an alarm clock piercing the darkness. A sleepy child is coaxed into clothes. The car slowly warms while parent and player navigate icy roads to the arena. Sometimes you wonder, "Why on earth you do this". A special bond is forged in those early hours. They don't do it for the hockey-rink coffee. They do it for the love of the game.

Ramblers got that early start just like when they were kids, and it wasn’t even a whole day before the ice was in. It was great to witness those Ramblers skates once again touched down on the arena ice. Something I can really emphasize on is every time there is a Ramblers game in Eston, everyone comes out to support them. It's the one thing the town of Eston can truly say they are proud to be a part of. This bond we share with one another is tight. And when the Ramblers play this week on Sunday here in Eston, we will be ready to cheer them on. So make sure to come out Sunday night at 7pm. And if you’re really ambitious they play in Kerrobert on Friday 8pm. We'll see yah there.

posted by Matt @ 10:29 AM 1 comments

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Storm'in' the Stubble

Violent whether on Stubble Bowl weekend, does that stop a Storm? No. It just starts one. The Storms seem to be reeling from their devastating Saturday loss to Saskatoon. It was absolute mayhem in the fields, as Storm was in the lead for the first half of the highly talked about game. The second half Saskatoon owned, Storm had the passion to keep going, but it was something in Saskatoon’s drinks that may them more attentive. Let's give Saskatoon some credit. The questions is, are the Eston Storms good enough to beat Saskatoon from their 7th year winning streak, and take themselves onto their lead? Must wait 364 days to find out…

The Storms did a nice job defensively, taking advantage of a communication breakdown between all of the teams. And one cannot help but admire the Storms. With some early leads in most of the games, they did not go conservative. They were extremely aggressive, throwing the ball ... and making big plays to deliver the knockout blow.
Greg Moore picked the perfect day for his breakout game. He is running all over Saskatoon’s defense, and his second touchdown helped snuff out their flame for a bit.

The Storms coughed up the ball and had many consecutive injuries on the team. Nigel Richards threw his arm the day before Stubble Bowl and as a result was out for half of the games. Phil Vandenburg injured himself just two practices before the weekend. He somehow twisted his ankle in practice and is suffering from swelling, and now is on crunches. Doctors say he will be back in a couple weeks.
So with football behind us we can all relax a little before…next week…Volleyball.

posted by Matt @ 6:08 PM 3 comments

Saturday, October 21, 2006

RAD FEST 2006

If a tour's opening night is supposed to set the stage for what to expect along the journey of shows yet to come, then Steven Curtis Chapman may have his work cut out for him. Kicking off RAD FEST TOUR 2006 October 20th in Eston, Saskachewan, Stevens Camp and company offered a contagiously energetic show to a Eston College packed with fans. This tour offered something for any type of music fan, with ingredients including rock, pop, power praise and acoustic worship. Forty-four year-old Steven took the stage appearing confident and at ease in front of the large crowd. Electric guitar in hand, he sang strong vocal performances of tracks from his latest CD Steven Curtis Chapman Greatest Hits. He opened the RAD FEST TOUR with his set with the chart-topping "The Change".

Next, Christian music's favorite Boy Band DC Talk took the stage to bring an atmosphere of rock-driven praise and worship to the evening. DC Talk set the precedence of combining enthusiastic praise and powerful guitar chords to make an undeniable atmosphere of worship. They kicked off their set with an admirable display of energy, opening with "Love is a Verb," and “She’s that kind of Girl” from their latest release DC Talk The Hits. The crowd responded eager with excitement when they played out their popular worship hit, "Jesus Freak." With even a little crowd surfing for the fans to enjoy.

It was not until the last band appeared on stage the place went wild. Avalon displayed Roaring guitars and the very familiar "Speed of light" anthem intermixed with a pumped-up version of "Give it up" kicked off an unforgettable set of music. Avalon playing everything from his latest radio hits to favorites from his first release, the crowd relished every lyric and note along the way. Blinding seizureistic strobes accompanied "Everything", adding an effect of realism and diversity to the well-produced show. Lights, intense flashes and smoke, and even with the crowds protesting wanting “one more song” during "Testify to Love" got everyone to their feet. RAD FEST set out to create a night of memories. It happened.

posted by Matt @ 9:19 PM 1 comments

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Coach's Corner

A Word from the Coach:

Hey all, and welcome to coaches corner! Coming up really soon is, as you all know, is Stubble Bowl Weekend. Which is probably more popular and sought after than the Olympics, and chocolate treats combined! A weekend where glory shines through blood, grit, sweat, and even a lowly farmers field. A weekend that every professional athlete looks to as a pinnacle of success, but has a very slim chance of ever competing. This is football weekend!

We have always had a lot of success on our home turf, and even a little bit of success away from home, but this year will leave no doubt. This year we have a group of very large men, (especially myself!) that have picked up the game well, and not only that, I would say that our worst athlete could probably compete in any professional sport of their choosing and dominate! We are the home team, the favorite team, and the best looking team. We are the STORM! Sure there are a bunch of teams here that have proved themselves in the past, but this year is the year of the Storm! We will leave no doubt.

With our strong defense, that has brought in greats such as; Luke Moore, and Trevor “the Treasure” Williams. And our strong offense that has brought a brand new philosophy and is ready to run up and down the field without stopping more than once. Watch out for our special teams, they’ll gitcha! We got some trick plays up our sleeves!

What I am really trying to say is if you happen to be chillan out in the Western hemisphere this weekend, this great weekend. You besta get your big behinds out to Eston, Saskatchewan, if you wanna be awestruck by shear talent and determination.

It’s going to be a crazy weekend! May the best coach win! This has been coaches corner, keep yer chin held high, and don’t tell me what to do!

- Coach Switzenator

posted by Matt @ 11:35 AM 4 comments

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Stormy Courts

Team Storm won a set of volleyball in the opening match against Miller Friday & Saturday in Bethany Saskatchewan. Scores were 25-19, 19-25, 10-15. The generalship of Joel Switzer, pinpoint passing of Tyler Clark, Dean Drinnon, solid hitting of Luke Moore, Zach McLeod and Joseph Santiago was supported by solid setter play of Philip Vandenberg and middle play of Brad Quist. The Miller teams hitting failed to click as the blocking and passing of the FGBC Storm squad provided a wide array of offensive options. However in the end, Storm ‘broke down’ and lost to Miller.

Head Coach Joel Switzer expressed his thoughts on the wins and loses to the press. “We played like valiant knightsmen, however we became overconfident. We did as well as I knew we could do, however we did underestimate Cypress Hills. We just made some errors.” FGBC’s Storm continues to practice and press on to greater heights as they plan to play again Friday & Saturday two weeks time in Miller Saskatchewan.

posted by Matt @ 12:39 AM 2 comments

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Storms A Brewin'

One week till the boys down here in Eston show us what they have been practicing for this past month. The whole team is counting on their quarterback Brad Quist to lead Storm to victory. Also there may be a few latecomers, their names remain confidential for now, but are said to bring our team some new twists. The Storm team is thriving with its new spread offense. And with so many wideouts, Robbie Trost thinks some of the Storm's could be out on the bench, due to sickness, but they probably won't be. Chris Nordquist got his first start for the Storms and almost led them to a huge upset. It seems he may not be getting enough practice time with the team. But don't forget about the other rookie (again) QB & running back, Brad Quist have seen his fair share of playing time this month. "I feel confidant Storm is ready". Head coach Joel Switzer wonders which team in Stubble Bowl 2006 will score their first touchdown. "We have been always one step behind Saskatoon every year. This year we are walking one step ahead" One week and counting. Stubble Bowl 2006. October 21, 8 am.

posted by Matt @ 9:25 AM 1 comments

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Crisis

On the heels of Monday's disappointing 4-1 loss to San Jose, there was head coach Jim Playfair saying his team needs to find its identity.

Come again?

The Flames identity is hardly a secret. You don't need Indiana Jones to help find it. It's not a case study for the cast of CSI. Even the popcorn vendor in the nose bleeds can tell you what the Flames identity is. It's about pursuit. It's about effort. It's about that old campaign slogan, 'All out, every shift.' One would think, knowing how to play to the Flames identity would be simple. Or is it?

"It's a really hard way to play," insisted Playfair after yesterday's practice. "With the new rules, it looks like you should be able to play an easier-tempoed game but it's not that way. It's about closing down ice, making the battle areas confined and winning the puck battles. It's not hard, it's really simple in looking at it, but the hard part is convincing ourselves that's how we have to play at the beginning of the game." But that doesn't mean skating from one corner of the rink to the other in a mad dash for the puck. Centre Stephane Yelle, who may be the most cerebral player on the Flames roster, insists more attention to details is involved than at first glance. "When you don't have that execution, you get away from the game plan and then you're stepping away from your identity. That's when you get in trouble".

The work ethic. itself, hasn't been up to snuff through the first three games of the season, two of which ended as losses. That trend is setting off alarms. "Just because we added a few different parts this year, our team doesn't change from what it was last year," said right winger Tony Amonte. "We have to fight for everything we get. That's the way it's gonna be. We're not gonna be fancy and make tic-tac-toe plays, it's not the way this team is built." If reminders were needed, Playfair has doled a couple out following the final buzzer in Monday's defeat to the Sharks. One was the half-hour bike ride for all the players immediately after the game. Another was a hard practice yesterday, with effort and determination more the focus than anything else.

"Our responsibility now is to re-establish that (identity)," Playfair explained. "We've been wanting it to come back, we've been hoping it comes back but now it's non-negotiable, we have to go get it and find it. It's not the end of the world Calgary, it's just a matter of getting their focus back and finding ways to get some results.

posted by Matt @ 11:05 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

How to save a life

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

How to save a life
How to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life

-The Fray

posted by Matt @ 2:59 PM 1 comments

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Time Out

The male mind is a stunning piece of human anatomy. Ever since the beginning of time it has been driving women mad. Sports, women, food, and power dominate the brainwaves of the masculine intellect. Daydreams are a common occurrence. In fact, a good majority of our day is spent tuning out the opposite sex just to meditate over such topics. But don’t fret ladies, this isn’t a knock against you - we just don’t know any better.

Yet there is one thing about us that I do not understand - a mystery that lingers within. Something surrounding television sets that can’t be explained. Two simple words ladies - sports highlights. Sure, sounds simple doesn’t it? But don’t be fooled - there is a lot more going on here than what first meets the eye. This simple production holds supernatural control over the brainwaves of the average man. We’ve missed suppers, birthdays, dates, and countless conversations to the soothing sound of sportscasters worldwide. As any women can attest, a man can sit down at any time, anywhere, with anybody and be absolutely, completely mesmerized for whole hours at a time. But really, why watch another program when you can watch the exact same highlights over and over…….and over…….and over again. It makes sense doesn’t it? Who knows, maybe the third time over, Derek Jeter will drop that ball. Maybe just maybe, if you watch enough times, Alexander Ovechkin will fall over and miss that OT winner. Or maybe just maybe, if you watch long enough, Tie Domi will finally convert that perfect pass from Mats Sundin to actually give the cellar dwelling Leafs a W.

Yet amazingly enough, day after day, the highlights stay consistently the same, never changing, gluing men to their television screens just long enough to ignore enough information from their spouse to keep them in the house for another weekend - where the cycle will begin all over again. A mystery indeed. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is Ned McLean and I'm out.

posted by Matt @ 7:54 PM 2 comments

Monday, October 02, 2006

Sexy Back

We're Bringing Sexy Back, Them other teams don't know how to act. With the new student body, classes and soon to be professional Football team, how can we not be expected to bring something? However, not everyone is expected to be on top of things. Meet the two bachelors who forgot to 'bring it'. They choose to remain anonymous, however, they did mention they are on the "lookout for brides". Need I say anymore? Yah. "Watch out Justin! We Brought Sexy Back" In other news, 2 weeks till Stubble Bowl and counting. Expecting big things and big wins. Don’t Miss Out! October 21st all day. However, you may want to watch out for these two.

posted by Matt @ 4:52 PM 2 comments

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Why Not Us?

With the new Football team in charge of Hanson Lake, practices seem to never end. And with just 3 weeks till Stubble Bowl, Eston Storm tested themselves and made a trip up to Saskatoon to challenge their skills on the field. First up was Saskatoon's Elim Tabernacle. Both teams fought hard, Storm somehow was ready, but not on top of their defense. The outcome only was a defeat for Eston's Storm. Final score 32 – 14 for Elim.

Not long after Eston was once again challenged by the undefeated champs of Stubble Bowl as they have been for 3 years. Every year they seem to come out on top. However last Year Storm came close by coming in Second. This years battle in Saskatoon proved again they are champs, by crowning themselves with a score of 35 - 14.

Finally with 2 games behind them and both being loses, Storm prevailed this time astonishing the crowd with their never ending passion and pull for football. Bethany didn't know what hit them. They managed to walk off the field knowing their still is hope. Final score for Eston, 21 - 7. Until Stubble Bowl you'll find these temporary Estonians battling it out by Hanson Pond. And in 3 weeks come out and support our Eston Storms. Who will come out on top this year?..."why not us?"...It may be us...

posted by Matt @ 3:31 PM 2 comments

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: Name: Matt; Location: Eston, Saskatchewan, Canada

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