Going Deep...
with Mike Bauer

With the start of the National Football League's pre season it's also time to start drafting your fantasy teams. For those of you who have never been in a fantasy league you probably don't catch as much grief from your wife as me. This time of the year she always asks me which day this weekend is your draft. I like Friday nights the best because you have all weekend to recuperate from the draft party.

On Thursday I had a chance to visit Raider football practice for the better part of the day. It was a beautiful day to snap about 200 pictures of the kids in action with and without their pads. Coach Defilippi and his staff run a very organized practice. Aside from the drills and agilities, the coaches teach something else very important to a good football team's success. That something else is discipline. Like I said before, I smell something special brewing from this group. This Saturday morning (Aug. 19th) you can catch a glimpse of the team at the Kane middle school as they will scrimmage the Wolves at 10:00 am. You can also see them in scrimmage action Friday evening (Aug. 25th) at home against Ridgway. Don't forget next weeks edition of the Endeavor for an in depth look at the team and the upcoming schedule.

A week ago Thursday I had to miss the Senior Little League banquet at the Cameron County Country Club. I hadn't missed a single event associated with that group in two years. Luckily my wife got away from work in time to take my son to it. When he came home wearing a t-shirt like the boys got and a ball signed by the entire team it was like Christmas to him. Then he turned around and asked me to read what it said on the back. On the back side of the shirt it read: 2004 district 10 champs, 2005 district 10 champs, 2006 district 10 champs, 2006 section 2 champs, and 2006 state tournament. PRICELESS. I guess until I read it for myself even I didn't put into perspective what those kids had accomplished over the span of the last three years. My guess is that the kids haven't yet either.

The Alle-Cats won their league Championship last Sunday afternoon at the Portage field. I only made one game this year and it was the very first one played on their schedule. Every time I made my mind up that nothing was going to interfere with a Sunday afternoon with the Catts something did. My hats off to Coach McKimm and his team.