Small College Corner

I’ll be trying out a new live blog tool, which I picked up by reading Grand Forks Herald preps writer Tom Miller’s blog, for tonight’s Fargo South vs. Fargo North boys and girls basketball games.

Please join me tonight. As always, feel free to shoot me questions. This new live blogging tool appears to have instant access for questions and answers.

Keep it here for a live blog from the Fargo South boys hockey team’s game against Moorhead at the Urban Plains Center.

The game, which starts at 7:30 p.m., is the season opener for both teams.

There are several subplots in this one:

-It’s the first game of the Dave Benson era. Benson, a 25-year-old, was hired to replace longtime South coach Dean Wilson. Wilson, by the way, is attending the game. He’ll be honored during one of the intermissions.

-The Spuds beat the Bruins 7-0 last year. Benson said his kids are looking at this game as "payback time." Tidbit: South had two wins and two ties in Wilson’s 18 years as Bruins head coach.

-Moorhead, which always seems to be battling Roseau for the opportunity to play at state, has lost 50 percent of its goal scoring from a year ago.

We’ll be back later with the game.

Any questions or comments are welcomed.  

Due to the Fargodome presenting Sesame Street Live all day next Saturday, the Fargo South football team will host it’s North Dakota Class 3A semifinal game against Bismarck Century at Fargo South High School.

The elements could really play a part in this one (Especially for the poor scribes who have to bundle up to cover the event).

The forecast calls for a high of 34 degrees, with a few snow showers possible. I hope the pen doesn’t freeze up on this one.

South (8-1) has been dominant on defense the last two games, but its offense has sputtered at times. This could open the door for the Patriots.

Century (7-3) defeated Wahpeton 27-21 last weekend.

Minnesota State Moorhead will have a football scrimmage Saturday as the Dragons attempt to cement their depth chart before opening the season Aug. 30 at Valley City State.

Here are a few questions that need to be answered in the next couple weeks.

1, Starting quarterback: Craig Kutz appears to be the front runner at this point, but Dragons head coach Damon Tomeo said incoming freshman Tyler Wegner is expected to challenge for playing time.

2, Offensive line: Junior Ryan Chatterton (6-0, 285) is the lone returning starter along the offensive line. "If you asked me about the depth chart I could give you 15 names, including some true freshman," Tomeo said.

3, Defense: The Dragons return 10 starters, but the unit allowed 30.6 points per game last year. Tomeo hopes continuity and maturity will help the defense improve on its productivity. In addition, All-American safety Josh Jones returns after sitting out the final eight games last season with a broken arm. "Defensively, I think this is our year," Tomeo said.

Here are a couple more numbers Tomeo highlighted during Thursday’s Dragons media day.

–Tomeo said the cumulative team GPA is above 2.9 and the goal is to get that number above 3.0.

–Tomeo was very proud of the fact that only one player came to camp and quit at this point of the preseason.

This isn’t really my area any more, since my move to North Dakota preps was official on Aug. 1, but I’ll give small college fans a little something since the new small college blog has yet to be created.

The following are the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football coaches’ polls:

Overall Poll

What do we think Dragons fans? Too high? Too low? Are the Dragons going to come back with a winning season, despite the additions of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State Mankato and St. Cloud State to the schedule?

By the way, Duluth is ranked No. 22 in the latest AFCA preseason poll. MSUM hosts the Bulldogs on Oct. 4.

Eat up small college fans.

The folks at the UP Center announced this week that their "major concert" event to mark the opening of the 5,000-seat hockey arena in October is an all-acoustic set from folk singer-songwriter Jewel.

Forum collegues Mike McFeely, Kerry Collins and I had a gentleman’s bet going on this one. McFeely had Mini Kiss, Collins had pan flute master Zamfir and I had Sha-Na-Na.

An all-acoustic set from Jewel seems an a little odd considering the audience here. We’re talking about rabid hockey fans. Wouldn’t a rock or metal band be a little more appropriate?

Anyway, Jewel (who is known to yodel from time-to-time) has had a handful of radio-friendly hits in the past 10 years. She came onto the scene with "Who Will Save Your Soul" in 1996. Other songs include the light-pop hits "You Were Meant For Me," "Foolish Games" and "Hands."

What do we think hockey fans? Any interest?

The Brett Favre soap opera is spiraling out of control, with minute-to-minute updates from his talks with Green Packers brass and the possibility of a trade to Tampa Bay or Minnesota.

But, to me, the most interesting thing to come out of Tuesday’s Favre-a-palooza was the photo of him leaving Lambeau Field. See it below.

The question is this: What’s in the bag Brett?

Is it a Packers sweatshirt from the Pro Shop? Is it his bagged lunch? Hey, a guy can get hungry after hours of chatting about how he has been done wrong. Maybe its a Packers playbook that Brett cleverly snuck past Green Bay security.

My theory is that the bag contains the pieces of Brett’s massive ego that have seeped from the all-star quarterback’s head since he was spurned by the Packers.

Let’s have some fun. Any other ideas as to what’s in the bag?

It’s official. … The Small College Corner, in its current form authored by yours truely, will so go dark.

But don’t fret my loyal readers (stop laughing), you’ll still be able to find me on the Web.

Starting this school year, I’ll be moving over to North Dakota preps at The Forum and my collegue, Eric Peterson, will be moving over to cover small colleges. He’ll have a blog of his own on the subject, and I’ll have a North Dakota preps-based blog.

I hope everyone comes over to support my new prep endevour.

I’ve had a great time trying to bring you some inside info and insights in the small college world, and I hope to do the same on the prep scene.

I’ll update later to give you my new blog spot.

Fargo’s Dave Schultz is tied for the lead at the Nationwide Tour’s Children’s Hospital Invitational after he fired a 4-under 67 at The Ohio State University Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio.

Schultz had six birdies and a pair of bogeys during his first round.

Schultz has been having a very solid first year on the tour, but he’s still looking for his first victory.

He’s had two top 25 finishes, including a top 10 so far this year.

Schultz is currently 88th on the Nationwide’s money list with $40,931. The top 25 in the final standings earn their PGA Tour card for next season.