SPORTS COLUMNIST PETER JAKEY:
Chiefs and Blue Devils to join SAC
There are going to be some changes to the Straits Area Conference in the coming years which will bring some tougher competition for current member schools, including the Rogers City Hurons. Schools with larger student populations, Cheboygan and Sault Ste. Marie, have voted to accept an invitation to join the SAC and leave the Big North Conference. The Cheboygan School Board made it official last week on a 5-2 vote. The Chiefs will participate in the Big North for one more year and then join the SAC for the 2004-05 school year.
According to RCHS athletic director Pat Lamb, the Soo had already voted to leave the Big North, but only if Cheboygan did so as well. Cheboygan?s position is that they wanted to trim travel time to conference events, to allow students to get home earlier and stay in school longer.
Another reason may be the lack of success the Chiefs have had since joining the BNC. The school has not won a conference title in any sport. So is this an opportunity for the bigger schools to fatten up on their smaller neighbors to find a lost ?winning tradition??
That might be one way of looking at the situation. Another way to assess the growing conference, which could have seven schools ? four in the lower peninsula and three in the upper, as Alcona is considered for full membership ? is that the tougher competition will make Rogers City and others, better. ?I see it as a win-win situation for both them (Cheboygan and the Soo), and the conference as a whole,? said Lamb. ?In Rogers City, we?re definitely not going to shy away from competition.?
One of Lamb?s concerns was in football, and how the Hurons would match up against bigger schools such as Cheboygan and the Soo, but both have soccer programs.
?That means their numbers are down somewhat in football. Obviously, they are not reaching the low numbers we have at this point,? said Lamb. ?It does make it a more even playing field.? The SAC doesn?t offer soccer or hockey, so Cheboygan and the Soo will participate as independents until other arrangements can be made in those sports.
The only remaining question is whether Alcona will be offered a full membership. Lamb believes Cheboygan and the Soo will vote in favor of inviting Alcona as a full member.
?The Newberrys and the Rudyards have been fighting that because of the travel,? said Lamb. ?But when talking to the people from the Soo and from Cheboygan, they expressed interest that if they have to travel to Alcona once a sports season, it?s not going to break their hearts because they are used to traveling to Cadillac and Traverse City. ?We?ll have to work out some imaginative scheduling.?
*** *** ***
There have been some terrific power hitters on the Rogers City softball team in recent years. Emily McLean is the record holder for home runs over the fence and Karla Fairbanks could blast the ball out if she got under it. I think senior Renee Romel might add that punch at the plate this season for the Hurons.
I saw a glimpse of some of that power in the second game of the doubleheader against Posen, when Romel hit a high towering fly to leftfield. It was well clear of the fence, but foul. She?s got that home run swing.
*** *** ***
From the ?did you know? category: Saturday was the one week anniversary of the Detroit Tigers? first victory of the season. The Tigers have been making the Twins, White Sox and Royals look good this year, but what?s New York going to do to Detroit when they play them?
The Yankees destroyed the Twins on Monday. It?s going to be ugly. In reading Lynn Henning of the Detroit News, he said the situation is going to get worse before it gets better, but to expect the Tigers to improve by mid-season.
*** *** ***
The Cincinnati Bengals are prepared to sign quarterback Carso
Rogers is considered one of the finest athletes to ever wear an MSU uniform.Rogers is described as a consummate team player who is a sensational ?home run? threat bursting down the sidelines, according to CBS.Sportsline.com. I agree with reports that Rogers would fit in nicely with young QB Joey Harrington.
*** *** ***
I had the pain of an early first round exit by the Red Wings eased a bit when the ?Avs lost! Avs lost! Avs lost!?
Minnesota bounced Colorado in overtime 3-2 Tuesday, after the Avalanche led in the series three games ot one. How sweet it is. It?ll be interesting to see who the Wings pass the cup to now that Colorado is gone. Go Senators.