Football

We have something unique and special going on in our little corner of the world. I am not sure what I want to put first: the amazing run of the Velva Aggie football team or the amazing coach(es) who has/have made this possible in the high school football arena.

Maybe you, as the reader, can be the decision maker of the who or what should sit in the high seat of this barouche.

Before I proceed, keep in mind I very seldom go to an Aggie football game. I follow, and not too damn closely either, the Vikings, Seahawks and the Bears - because the Vikings are a mainstay for Fargoans (most of us, anyway) and I have family in Seattle and Chicago. If one of the family should relocate to another football town, well, you know what would happen. Carsten played Aggie football for a time and so did my brother Tom (go Bruins!)back in his high school days. Synopsis: I am no football junky, expert, guru or authority. So as the horses head down the road... here are some of the components at play:

1. We have a football team with an almost unbelievable record of wins, excuse me "shutouts." By the way, I've just learned the word this year. A shutout is a score of something to zip. We have total points in eight, maybe nine, games of 297-7 since last year. Last week Des Lacs Burlington scored a touchdown, hiking that little trailer of seven behind the 297.

2. Velva Aggies, today, are ranked No. 1, in the state, as they were last week and the week before, etc.

3. We have a soft spoken, considerate, humble coach. His assistant coaches are former students and players.

4. We have had nine Class A football state titles in the last twelve years - eight of them under Coach Larry Sandy. TBD, this year's title is a few days out in the future.

5. Coach Sandy's brother, Brad, is also a coach of a rival football team - the Harvey Hornets. The Hornets, whose hive is fifty miles down the road, are ranked #2 in the region and #5 in the state - class A division.

Tonight, in Harvey, the Hornets and the Aggies meet up - two brothers, two teams. In this morning's Minot Daily News Coach Larry Sandy said for both teams winning today is secondary to the coaches and players feeling satisfied with the way their teams performed.

WOW!!

How lucky are we to have a coach who lives and breaths the right reasons for high school sports? And then, to ice the cake, a brother doing the same, in the same profession and in the same region.

In this day and age we have had parents, teams, players, coaches, fans, who knows what else go postal over sports. From a lightweight sporting parent's perspective there are some dangerous things going on in the name of school sports and professional sports is even more whacked out.

With so many wins under our belts I don't feel we have an arrogance, and if we do, it certainly isn't condoned from the coaches corner of Sandy, Weidler, and Kvamme. The coaches promote teamwork, skills, and hard work. To be on top is fragile and to be respected. Isn't that what we want to spew forth from sports on a high school level, any level?

And tonight, what a superior example for the teams to see - two brothers facing off against each other. One will win and one won't. When it is all said and done they will still be brothers, still be coaches. Velva and Harvey will still be teams who have to coexist in a community, and if either Sandy has his way, the loser with be happy for the winner.

Life does go on, even with successes, wins, mistakes, heartbreak and failures. The lessons we learn as young people carry us through. Coach Sandy(s) is showing us how sports should work and how to be a grateful winner or a classy loser, whatever the case may be.

I believe good begets good, hard work begets rewards and skills should never be taken for granted, just continually worked on. I see these ideals shinning forth from this football team. Thanks Mr. Sandy for being the leader of these young adults. You have shown them winning isn't everything but with the key ingredients in place - it really can happen, and just maybe, over and over again.

So who gets to sit in the high seat?

And yes, the game is over. Velva 21 - Harvey 8.