Friday was a long, fun, and memorable day. I started the morning by broadcasting the Vikings state football championship from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and ended my evening covering the Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks and Montevideo Thunder Hawks girls’ basketball game back home.

I left Madison at 5:30 AM for the cities. Much like the week before, the three-hour drive was incredibly quiet; I practically had Highway 7 to myself that early. I pulled into my usual parking ramp across the street from the stadium at 8:30 AM—amazingly, into the exact same parking spot.

​Going through security this time, however, was more time-consuming than usual. A little white-haired security person requested I empty my entire radio bag out onto the table! I was slightly irritated. Normally, I just unzip it, show the contents, and they poke around with a stick. Not this time. “Can you please remove the items from your bag?” she politely asked. I reluctantly complied, which took much longer than the usual routine.

​Media pass secured, I made my way to the elevators and up to Section 124. I arrived at the press box area around 9:00 AM, an hour before kickoff. It was great to visit with the radio crews from Breckenridge and Josh from Marshall before the game began.

​The Minneota Vikings were simply outstanding, defeating Breckenridge 49-14 to claim their fourth straight Class A championship. It was an impressive performance against a very good team. My favorite play? The double reverse flea flicker pass to Landon Esping. It was a brilliant call, perfectly executed.

Following the game, I attended the press conference. I truly enjoyed listening to Viking Joey Lacek describe how he doesn’t even know what it feels like to lose a varsity football game. He was fun to listen to. The Vikings currently hold an incredible 46-game win streak. That is absolutely amazing.

For years, I’ve made a tradition of stopping at Taco John’s in Hutchinson on the way home to celebrate championships! This tradition covers Minneota football and volleyball state championships, LQPV-DB Shadows dance championships (which are numerous!), and last year’s Dawson-Boyd boys’ basketball state championship. I feel so blessed to cover all these incredible teams.

I always take a selfie in the parking lot of Taco Johns and post it on social media. For some reason, people really enjoy that! I usually order the same thing: a chicken burrito and a large order of Potato Olés! I’ve certainly celebrated a lot of championships with that combo over the years!

​My day wasn’t over when I finally got home. The Dawson-Boyd girls’ basketball team was opening their season Friday night hosting Montevideo. I covered the game and finally arrived home around 9:30 PM, completely exhausted. My 68-year-old body was definitely calling it a day, but my mind was full of joy and happiness from the day’s experiences. I finally went to bed around midnight!

​A World of Wonderful People

My job allows me to meet so many great people. On Friday, I spent time with fellow broadcasters at U.S. Bank Stadium in one of the nicest stadiums in the world—and visited with Minneota fans after the game. The Vikings coaches and players are amazing people, showing such kindness to me every year. Later, back in Dawson-Boyd, visiting with both Blackjack and Montevideo fans was a real pleasure.

​You hear about turmoil and hate in the world, but not in my world. I am surrounded by wonderful people. I love where I live and work. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.