During section basketball playoffs at the RA Facility in Marshall I have the best seat in the house! You can’t ask for a better seat. I am courtside, between the two teams benches. You can’t help but get caught up in all the emotions of playoff basketball when you are basically on the bench.

Last Thursday will live in my memory forever. It was so much fun. I of course follow the Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks and have for years. The Blackjacks have a really good team and have been so much fun to watch all season.

I have also taken an interest in the Montevideo Thunder Hawks and have followed them too. My son Brandon is an assistant coach and my grandkids go to school in Montevideo. On Thursday they both played for the section championship and won! Montevideo in Section 3AA and Dawson-Boyd in Section 3A. Both teams I follow are going to state! Does it get any better than that? I was front and center Thursday evening and took it all in. I love broadcasting from the floor at the RA.

The first game Thursday was Montevideo taking on Jackson County Central. The finish to that game was amazing, when Griffin Epema made a basket with just two seconds left, and JCC got a half court shot off that almost went in at the buzzer. We sat right next to the Montevideo bench and watching everyone celebrate when the buzzer went off was the best. Seeing my son celebrate a state trip brought some tears to my eyes. I know how hard the coaches and players work during the season and how much time they put into the sport. It was amazing to see everyone smiling and hugging each other and the pure joy of going to state. I hugged my granddaughter Gretta and grandson Eli, memories they will remember forever.

When the buzzer went off after Dawson-Boyd beat Hills Beaver Creek. I felt more relief than joy to be honest. I was happy and excited but the pressure on the Blackjacks to go to state had to be incredible. I told Coach Larson and some of the guys afterwards I don’t know how you handle the pressure. Everyone knows that you are one of the top teams in the state and should make it to state tournament! But you have to go out and do it. So when the buzzer went off I noticed the joy on all the players faces and what seemed like relief also. They really let it out celebrating. It was a joy to witness that. I felt so happy for them.

Back to broadcasting from the media table courtside. I can’t thank the people enough who stopped by while I am sitting there thanking me for broadcasting the game, or they were listening to the Montevideo game while driving to Marshall. Everyone is so kind. Friends of mine will stop by and say hi and visit. I get to visit with other radio broadcasters and newspaper people. I enjoy that very much. My grandkids came by before the games and gave me hugs.

During the Dawson game, I sat next to Jason Boike. Jason is an assistant coach and keeps the book. I enjoyed visiting with him before and during the game. I noticed Jason likes to eat cuties or clementine’s, I think that’s what they are called. He loves his mandarins. I might have to swap my Snickers for a cutie at state.

Some of the players moms stopped by, Crystal and Sadie, Sadie gave me some of the basketball cards of the boys. Crystal cuts my hair. My friend Kim and I took our usual selfie. We have taken a number of selfies at high school events over the years. Chatted with Steve Bruce at courtside, who is a basketball junkie and run the MN ScoreFeed App. I had Avery Koenen for a halftime guest during the Montevideo game. Avery plays division one basketball at NDSU. I loved that she shared how important her faith is and shared that with me on the radio.

Also, at the table courtside with me is my broadcasting partner Mitchell Syltie. Mitchell knows his stuff and does his homework on each team. He is a great addition to the broadcasts. We sure have fun together.

This blog is already too long, but I wanted to share what goes on courtside during my broadcast from the RA. See you at Target Center and Williams Arena this week. Go Blackjacks and Thunder Hawks!