Recently my carrier was bought out. The new company overnighted my new phone two months before I could use it — I’m still wondering why.

So, I thought a group thank you letter was in order to all the Union and Wallowa County coaches, team and faculty that made for an amazing season.

I’m once again almost at a loss of words.

Almost.

I have been to two NAIA national tournaments, the NBA playoffs, different levels of the NCAA tournament and played in some small college and high school basketball tournaments, but the experience last week in Baker City was in a league of its own.

It’s all come down to this.

Ninety-seven days after the season began, there are only four teams left playing out of the state’s 149 Class 1A teams.

Out of the four teams there is a team attempting to win its third title in a row, a team trying to win its second title in a row, another that hasn’t won in 15 years, and one that has never claimed a Class 1A title.

When driving to games all I ask for is a good game. A lot of times it doesn’t happen. But lightning struck this weekend — three times.

It was the sportswriters’ equivalent of hitting the jackpot.

The father of basketball would have been happy to have seen his creation in North Powder.

If you were not one of the 800 to 900 people crammed into the Powder Valley High School gymnasium Friday night, then you missed the game of the season.

You missed the closest re-creation to the movie classic “Hoosiers”.

You missed one of the greatest – almost – comebacks.

You simply missed out...

Area athletes learned this fall that life isn’t always fair.

There could be another version of the same story coming later this month.

During the football season the OSAA allotted the Special District Four two playoff spots.

The following column is a somewhat “behind the scenes” look at a normal winter weekend working with The Observer sports department.

I’ll be honest, last weekend was not exactly normal. But, as it was unfolding I knew it would be classic column material.

By now you have eaten all the ham you could want and then have tried to forget that there is still some in your fridge.

You’ve figured out that sweet potatoes next to green beans on a plate can make for a pretty good mixture in the middle.

And, you have probably been fine with the absence of Christmas movies the past couple of days.

It’s the best time of the year: the college football bowl season is here.

You didn’t think I’d say because it’s Christmas did you? No, this is the time where a person can escape from what I like to call “F.F.T.,” or forced family time.

So, get ready to grab your remote, something to drink, a ham sandwich with that leftover holiday ham and find your spot on the couch.

ENTERPRISE — Mac-Hi took home the Enterprise kickoff Classic team title Saturday.

The Pioneers finished with 263 points.