Hawks vs Clones, T-Mac Wins, Coach Honored

It's that time again!  The biggest game in college football (around these parts anyway) is only days away.  Iowa vs. Iowa State!   Hawkeyes or Cylcones?  Who is it going to be? I will be cheering for the Hawkeyes, cause that's just how I roll, but my head is telling me that Iowa State will win this one.  My biggest fear is that it won't even be close. Judging from last weekend's games, the Hawkeyes, and their fans, look like they're in for a long season.  The Cyclones, however, managed to roll up some offense, albeit on lowly Tulsa.  But still, if Iowa's defense plays like they did last week and Iowa State's offense plays like they did last week, it could be ugly for the Hawkeyes.  But the team that both of these squads may need to look out for is the UNI Panthers, who took a big, bad Wisconsin Badger team to the final bell, only to fall less than a touchdown short of pulling off the huge upset.  Anyone who has the Panthers on their schedule will NOT be overlooking them now.

The 2012 Lucas Oil Cup Series Season Championships at Knoxville Raceway saw an amazingly close points battle but it was the track veteran Terry McCarl claiming is seventh track championship at his home track edging out Davey Heskin by a mere 11 points.  T-Mac is now just one track championship shy of the all-time record which is held by Danny "The Dude" Lasoski.  Oh, and by the way, McCarl also managed to win the track championship at Huset's Speedway over the weekend as well, beating out his own son, Austin, for the title.

Over the Labor Day weekend, I was able to attend a field dedication for my old baseball coach, Dave Jauron.  He retired years ago, but had been coaching at Essex High School in Essex, Iowa since 1962.  Not only did he coach baseball, but he also coached football, track, and basketball; pretty much every sport the school offered.  He was the only coach  to ever take teams to state in 4 sports.  He also coached the 1965 "Cubs" youth baseball team that won the state championship and was presented with a baseball bat signed by surviving members of that team who were in attendance.  The field, now known as Jauron Field, looked absolutely perfect that night, from the MLB-style backstop to the perfectly formed mound and bleach-white bases, to the green grass of the outfield and the newly-remodeled dugouts.  It really is one of the best ball fields in the state, due mainly to Coach Jauron and the 15+ hour days he would put in to make sure the field and the players were always ready to go.  During the dedication, the Coach hit a brief infield practice to some of the 1965 Cub players who were willing to do it. (FYI Coach Jauron is in his seventies and still looks like he could be coaching full time.)  After the dedication, they held a "home run derby" for alumni who had played for Coach Jauron.  I played for him from 1986-1988, so of course I had to give it a shot. (I actually hit pretty well).  I didn't win, but by all accounts from those in attendance......I was robbed.  ;)

If you're ever driving by Essex (which is about all most people do), located along highway 48 between Red Oak and Shenendoah, make sure you check out Jauron field, the Jewel of Southwest Iowa. 

Coach Jauron at the Jauron Field dedication