3/1/08: Best Day Ever?

Since moving to Eau Claire in September of 1996, I've had the opportunity to cover plenty of great moments in high school sports.   But I can't remember a day quite like this past Saturday, with Memorial winning a state hockey title (the 1st state championship for an EC high school in a team sport since North girls golf in 1996), North and Regis winning boys sectional titles, while the Memorial, North, and Regis girls all won girls basketball regional titles.

I had the opportunity to witness two of those accomplishments.   It was a thrill to have the play-by-play call on the state-wide network as the clock ticked down to zero, while watching the Old Abes hockey team stream onto the ice for a wild celebration.    Afterward, in a medium-sized room off the arena's lower concourse, the players traded in their skates for athletic shoes, but they kept their uniforms on for a spirited reunion with their families.   I've gotten to know a number of the parents over the years, and seeing the joy and pride on their faces is something I'll never forget.  The same goes for the players, who were experiencing the whole range of emotions--you could tell they didn't want the moment to end.

Speaking of emotion, there was no shortage of that later in the day in the cavernous Marshfield High School Fieldhouse.  After I left Madison, I drove straight to Marshfield to catch the end of the Division 1 boys basketball sectional final.   In the same facility where the North girls had experienced a gut-wrenching loss in a sectional final not that long ago, the Huskies boys made sure there was no end-of-game drama by combining an efficient offense with a suffocating defense in a 20-point win over Wausau West.   Even though I didn't get to Marshfield until partway into the 3rd quarter, there was no shortage of highlights: two thundering dunks by Evan Anderson, Tyler Brown barreling to the hoop for the finish and the foul, plus several nice backdoor cuts by North.   But I'll never forget the sight of head coach Pat Hammond, standing on a ladder, snipping the final strand of the net and then shaking his fist much to the delight of his players and the North fans.

We call this the Magic Of March....clearly, it's more than just a line in a promo.

Hopefully, Eau Claire fans can have more moments like these in the coming weeks.  Thanks in advance for tuning into all the state tournament broadcasts.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Comments

[Diane Scanlon]

What a lovely article. I am not a basketball parent and can only imagine how proud they are of their kids, but I am a North graduate and a dance team parent and can say that this has just been the best basketball season ever. Both of the Boys and Girls Basketball Teams have just the best kids on them. They have some pretty awesome parents and grandparents. Both teams have some pretty awesome fans (students) that are usually at every game and are as much fun to watch sometimes on the sidelines as the boys/girls that are playing on the court. GOOD LUCK to both of our teams on their pathways to the State games, as well as to the REGIS Boys Basketball Team.

Congratulations to the EC Memorial Hockey Team. What an amazing accomplishment for them.