A couple weeks ago, as the B-B-E Jaguars football and volleyball teams were heading into postseason action, a number of B-B-E fans would often quiz me on what I felt the chances were of either team making it to state.
I said they both had a good shot at state.
I was right.
Both lost out of the playoffs by the smallest of margins. In both cases, the team that beat them advanced to the state tournament. I really thought both football and volleyball could beat LP/HT and Nevis. Both teams put their hearts and souls into their playoff games. No one could have asked for a more terrific performance from both the football and volleyball teams. They played their hearts out and lost games that will be remembered for years to come.
Taking a great team into the playoffs and losing short of the state tournament is bloody hell! I've seen our football program in the depths of misery. In the 2004 season opener, I drove out to Ortonville from Montevideo, where I was living at the time, and watched the Jaguars get blanked 32-0 to the Trojans. Ortonville went on to finish 4-5 while picking up three more wins. They weren't that great of a team. But there's no reason they shouldn't blanked us! And turning to volleyball, which has been on the other spectrum of the success meter at B-B-E...I've now witnessed all 9 section final matches, including all 5 losses in that span dating back to 2002.
While it is terribly painful to me that both teams will not be in the state tournament this year, I can safely say that we could not have asked for any more than what we got out of our B-B-E Jaguars.
Once again, they made me proud to be their sports reporter.