The Jock Strap

Through Tuesday night's (01/27) game versus the No. 7-ranked Urbandale J-Hawks at Evans Middle School in Ottumwa, the Ottumwa Bulldogs' overall record on the 2008-2009 season was 8-7. In Metro Conference play, Ottumwa was 3-4.

By simply looking at the numbers, it's obvious that this season has seen its high and low points. A big win on the road in non-conference play at Ottumwa rival Valley, mixed in with a very disappointing setback on the road in non-conference play at North. There are plenty more examples, but the bottom line is that this season has been a winding road for the Bulldogs.

One constant this year for Ottumwa has been the Bulldogs' starting junior point guard, Michael Wetrich. Now, as a junior, Wetrich's confidence and comfort on the court have continued to grow, and he has started to establish himself as one of the best guards in the Metro Conference.

Need some numbers to prove it? Through 14 games, Wetrich was averaging 12.8 points per game, and was burning the nets from three-point range, hitting 46.7% of his shots (28-60). Anywhere 35% or above is very solid, but nearly 47% is ridiculous. Absolutely outstanding.

Wetrich (again, through 14 games), was also averaging 3.1 assists per game. And, he's had huge scoring nights, primarily through the use of his sharpshooting abilities from beyond the arc.

He had five 3-pointers and 19 points versus Roosevelt in an eventual 70-57 Metro Conference loss at Evans Middle School on Tuesday, January 6th. Then, stepping up in an effort to replace the loss of scoring due to senior shooting guard Sam Heinrichs being out of the lineup with an injured right ankle, Wetrich lit up the Fort Madison Bloodhounds for a game-high 23 points and five 3-pointers in a 60-42 road victory on Wednesday, January 14th.

But, all of this being said, the most impressive thing to me about Wetrich's game this year has been his unselfishness and constant effort to be the floor general for Ottumwa, getting the ball where it needs to go at the right time, incorporating the other four players on the floor into Ottumwa's motion offense, and reining himself in offensively so as to make sure that the team functions properly as a whole. With Wetrich's ball-handling and shooting abilities, he could definitely try to take over games offensively, putting everything on his own shoulders. But, quite to the contrary, he's very selective about the shots he takes and only takes them when they come naturally through the flow of the offense. A forced shot from Wetrich is a rarity.

Next time you're at a Bulldogs game or when you're listening to my play-by-play, pay special attention to the skills of Michael Wetrich. Ottumwa is in good hands with him running the point through next season.

In an earlier post on The Jock Strap, we talked about the 2008-2009 season for the Ottumwa High School girls varsity basketball team being part of "a process." We discussed how the team is loaded with young, yet inexperienced talent, and how they were going to take their lumps at times, but that you needed to stick with them because they're going to be a very good basketball team in a few years.

Well, the first sign of how good they will be occurred at Des Moines North in a Metro Conference game on Friday night, 01/16/09. The Bulldogs, led by 6th-year head coach Stan Rupe and assistant coach Jeff Smith, defeated the Polar Bears, 56-42, earning their first victory of the season. Even more impressive, and another example of the team's constant improvement, is that the very same North team had beaten Ottumwa at Evans Middle School, 52-36, on December 12th. Ottumwa's victory at North was a 30-point improvement on the loss from December.

All of that being said, the most exciting thing about the victory at North, above and beyond feeling great for the players, who've continued to work hard and keep a positive mindset, and the coaches, who pour their heart and soul into the program, is the fact that the three players who led Ottumwa to victory are all freshman.

In the 14-point win over the Polar Bears, three players scored in double figures for Ottumwa. Freshman shooting guard Kelsey Nickerson had a career-high 21 points, including a huge 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that stretched Ottumwa's lead back to 6 points. Freshman point guard Ashley Salgado had 11 points, including seven consecutive free throws during crunch time late in the game. And, freshman power forward Rachel Hinebaugh had 11 points as well, including 5 in the 4th quarter. Hinebaugh also led the Bulldogs in rebounding, and was a force to be reckoned with in the paint all night long.

Leading the way was a freshman, a freshman, and yes, another freshman. After seeing the freshman step up and lead Ottumwa the way they did on Friday night, nobody can convince me that this program doesn't have a great shot of going to the Class 4A State Basketball Tournament in two years.

Get out and support the Bulldogs, at home and on the road! And if you ever can't make it to the game, tune in to 1240 KBIZ for my play-by-play!

Go Bulldogs!

"The Bruce"

Hey there sports fans! With tonight being the beginning of the second half of the high school basketball season, it's time to break down the boys and girls teams for Ottumwa High School as we look forward to the rest of the season and tournament time.

Just like in football with Zach Wigle, the OHS boys basketball program has a brand new, young head coach in Chris Gravett. And, much like in football, it seems that the transition is going rather well. Through the holiday break, the Bulldogs sat at 4-2 overall and 1-1 in CIML Metro Conference play.

Coach Gravett has tweaked a few things here and there, but he has stayed firm in his beliefs of the system that previous head coach Mike Holmes put in place in Ottumwa. That system includes a rugged man-to-man defense, a ball-control offense, and a stern adherence to fundamentals. Coach Gravett is obviously well-prepared for his current role as a head coach, and it shows in many different aspects, including in-game adjustments that he makes on the fly, as well as his amazing work in preparing his team before games with incredibly detailed scouting reports on the Bulldogs' opponent. Gravett has done nothing short of an outstanding job so far in his young career as the Bulldogs' head man.

Meanwhile, the OHS girls program has a very bright future. The team was winless through the holiday break, but at times have had 3 freshman and 1 sophomore in the starting lineup. No seniors starts for the Bulldogs this season. And, while Ottumwa will take its lumps this season due to inexperience, there is no lack of talent on the floor. The future holds a very good shot at a state tournament run with the group of kids that are now in the program. On top of that, Stan Rupe is one of the best coaches and motivators in the state. He's in the IGHSAU Hall of Fame for a reason. So, even though the team will struggle this season, keep those facts in mind as you watch the OHS girls steadily improve throughout the course of the 2008-2009 campaign.

Enjoy the season, and I'll see you at Evans Middle School!

Go Bulldogs!

Brian Bruce
Voice of the Bulldogs
1240 KBIZ

The 2008 Ottumwa Bulldogs football team is the outright CIML Metro Conference champion for the first time since 2004. Ottumwa has experienced quite a bit of success on the gridiron since Tom Kopatich took over a struggling program in 1989 and quickly turned it into a state power. But, that being said, what Wigle and his team have accomplished in his first year at the helm of the program is noteworthy.

When you have a brand new coach and a brand new coaching style, offensive scheme changes, etc., you expect some stumbles and a building process. You expect a few more losses than you're used to. You expect a tough season as all the kinks get worked out. But, 2008 for Ottumwa has included very few stumbles, very few kinks, and only a few losses. For a first-year head coach in his first-ever head coaching job, Coach Wigle has done an outstanding job. He has done the job you would expect out of a proven, veteran coach. His accomplishments and those of his team this season need to be recognized and appreciated.

In fact, Ottumwa hasn't skipped a beat. Going into Week 9 on Friday, 10/24/08, Ottumwa is 5-3 overall, 4-0 in the Metro, and has already locked up the Metro Conference title and the automatic 4A Playoff berth that comes along with it.

Even better news for Bulldogs fans out there is that Wigle is only 28 years old, likes Ottumwa, is building a family, and is laying down roots in the town. Therefore, things look very good for the future of the Bulldogs football program.

Kudos as well to Dave Clement, athletic director at Ottumwa High School, for having the keen eye for coaching talent that he has. Clement always had his eye on Wigle as Tom Kopatich's successor, and made the decision to hire him when the position came open. Great decision.

Congratulations to Coach Wigle and his Bulldogs on a fine season and a conference title. Good luck in the playoffs!

Unless you live under a rock, you know by now that U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, a Baltimore native, has taken home 8 gold medals in the Beijing Olympics, the most gold medals by any athlete in one Olympics in the history of mankind. He won every way possible. He blew away the field, he won by .001 seconds, he won on his own, he won with his team.

In winning the 8 gold medals, he broke Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals at the 1972 Olympics. Phelps, only 23 years old, now owns 14 gold medals and 16 medals overall, having competed in 16 Olympics events, with Athens (2004) and Beijing combined. In Athens, he won 6 golds and picked up 2 others medals in the same 8 events in which he competed this year in Beijing.

All of these facts beg the question? Where does Phelps belong in the conversation about the greatest athletes of our generation? Not the greatest Olympians, as that is already established. And, after the 2012 Olympics in London, it will be a foregone conclusion that he's the greatest Olympian, period, of all time. But, I want to know where he belongs among the greatest athletics, period.

You know the list...........Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Walter Payton, Alex Rodriguez, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, etc., etc. Where does, if he does at all, Phelps belong in that group? Now? After the 2012 Olympics in London?

These are questions I'd love to hear opinions on. Comment on the blog, write me an e-mail, call me and let me know what you think, etc., etc. I'd love to hear your opinion. As far as e-mail is concerned, just type: bbruce@ottumwaradio.com and get to typing. As for me, my opinion is still yet to be completely formulated on the topic.

Happy Olympics watching, and have a good one! :)


"The Bruce"

You know, during my travels around the Hawkeye state since beginning my professional sports broadcasting career in June of 2003, I've been north, south, east, and west. I've covered events in Fort Dodge, St. Marys, Clinton and Burlington, and Sioux City. I've also been pretty much everywhere in-between, including Des Moines, Iowa City, etc., etc. And, of course, chasing the teams I've covered around the state puts me on a tight schedule, which doesn't lend itself to too many sit-down family-style meals. As many coaches well know, a lot of my meals come at the stadium, the ballpark, or in the lobby of a gymnasium. In other words, I many times pray to the great god of the concession stand.

This being said, I feel that I am am expert on high school sports concession stands and the quality and variety of their menus. And, this past weekend, while covering the Bulldogs' three games at the Cedar Rapids Jefferson J-Hawk Softball Classic, I encountered the best of the best.

When you head down to get a hot dog and a drink at "The Cabin," the affectionate name for the concession stand at the C.R. Jefferson softball diamond, you encounter a menu that many small restaurants would be envious of. Quickly, you realize that simply ordering a hot dog and a Coke might be the biggest mistake you've made in your life. For example, when I was leaving the ballpark on Saturday evening, a Jefferson assistant coach and a team Mom who helps run the concession stand insisted that I order whatever I want from The Cabin before leaving to head back to Ottumwa. I'm thinking pizza, a cheeseburger, maybe even get fancy with a giant pretzel and some nacho dip. But oh no, I was at Jefferson High School, and the concession game is played at a different level around there. Natalie Niemeyer, the head coach's daughter and freshman team assistant coach for the J-Hawks, throws out a recommendation for a piece of their gourmet cheesecake. So, before I leave the ballpark, while watching some of the BGM vs. Mount Vernon game, I enjoy a piece of gourmet cheesecake with cherries and cherry topping.........At a high school softball game! I'm telling you, the cheesecake was excellent, but I was more shocked by the fact that you can actually order cheesecake at a high school softball game, and the concession stand has it in stock. Absolutely amazing.

Now, let's get back to the menu at "The Cabin." It's broken down into sections, including drinks, breakfast, food items, desserts, and candy.

Under food items, one finds a ribeye steak sandwich for $5.25, a Philly steak sandwich for $4.75, a grilled, boneless chicken breast sandwich for $4.00, and a grilled fish sandwich for $4.00. Get the idea? This place is unreal.

Under breakfast, you have donuts, rolls, pancakes, and french toast sticks.

Then, when you turn to drinks, you'd think, "Well, they'll have the usual soft drinks, bland coffee, etc." Wrong again. They have 7 different soft drinks, sun tea, generic lemonade, bottled water, Gatorade, Country Time lemonade, Snapple lemon tea, strawberry banana smoothies, apple, grape, and Sunny D juice, milk and chocolate milk, coffee, and hot chocolate.

How 'bout desserts you ask? Well, let's get down to business. Cheesecake (with cherries or strawberries.......As mentioned, I went with cherries), apple, cherry, peach, and blueberry pie (available ala mode), strawberry shortcake (available ala mode), brownie sundae, rootbeer float, frosty malt, drumstick, ice cream sandwich, ice cream cone (2 dips), ice cream cone (3 scoops in a bowl (available with chocolate syrup, strawberries, or both)), and freeze pops. Are you serious?

Then, for candy, you have: Dots, Hot Tamales, Mike & Ike's, plain and peanut M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, Skittles, Snickers bars, Twix bars, Twizzlers, blue, green, and purple Sour Punch Straws, Fireballs, caramel apple suckers and lolly pops, and Laffy Taffy. Whew!! That took a lot of effort just to type out!

Again, this is at a high school softball stadium!

In conclusion, this was easily the most amazing high school concession stand experience I've ever had, inside and outside the state of Iowa, and including high school, college, and professional sports. Quite honestly, "The Cabin" at Jefferson is better than most Minor League Baseball park concession stands I've been to, and has a greater variety of items than any Major League Baseball park I've ever been to.

All the respect in the world to the founders, purveyors, and workers at "The Cabin," you have all created an absolute masterpiece that goes down in all-time concession stand lore!


"The Bruce"

As you know, Tiger Woods locked up his 14th career major with an epic victory at Torrey Pines in San Diego on Monday (6/16), defeating Rocco Mediate on the 91st hole of competition in a sudden-death playoff that followed that day's 18-hole playoff between the two men.

Tiger, only 32 years of age, now owns just four fewer major championships than Jack Nicklaus, who won his 18th and final major, The Masters, at the age of 45 in 1986. With the U.S. Open win on Monday, Woods also joined Jack as the only men to ever win the career Grand Slam three times over (Grand Slam includes all four majors......U.S. Open, Masters, PGA Championship, and British Open). Just to hammer that point home, Tiger and Jack each have at least three titles at each of the four separate events. Just incredible.

And, while Jack Nicklaus' brilliant career was highlighted by six wins at The Masters at Augusta National, Tiger's win at Torrey Pines was his seventh on the famed public course in the San Diego area, including not only this U.S. Open, but five Buick Invitationals and one Junior World Championship won when he was a teenager. Again, seven wins on the same course, another all-time record.

Now, all of this being said, Tiger Woods recently let it be known that the evident knee pain he suffered from at Torrey Pines, while walking 91 holes to finally earn the victory, was actually a very serious ACL tear in his left knee that will now require season-ending surgery. Meanwhile, he was also playing with a double stress fracture in his tibia. He has come out recently and admitted that a few weeks ago, when a doctor told him to take 6 weeks off for the stress fractures to heal properly, he looked him straight in the eye and said, "I'm playing in the U.S. Open, and I'm going to win." So, ignoring doctor's orders and a severe amount of pain that limited his game, he still beat the best in the world and won our nation's golf championship, for the third time.

Anybody have any more questions or doubts about Tiger Woods? Care to question his talent, his ability, his heart, his toughness, his singleness of purpose? Care to question his desire to become the greatest golfer of all time? I would love to field a comment from someone who questions any of those things.

And, above and beyond everything just mentioned, I believe the one attribute that makes him truly special is his ability to live in the moment, and nowhere but in the moment. Just like Michael Jordan had the ability to do, Tiger has an almost superhuman ability to slow things down, purely focus on what he's trying to do, and seemingly get things done by sheer will. To me, he has more control on the outcome of whatever he's involved in than any other sportsman ever has. He ALWAYS comes up with the exact thing he needs at the exact time in which he needs it. A perfect drive on the 18th hole when he must birdie to keep the competition alive, a 15-foot putt on the 18th green for a tie and a forced playoff, a 65-foot eagle putt earlier in the round and a 35-foot double-breaking eagle putt on the 18th hole Saturday to take the overnight lead, and these were all things he just did in this last tournament, let alone all of the highlights we could come up with for his career. Oh yeah, by the way, I forgot the birdie chip-in he made this past Saturday at Torrey Pines as well. Just thought I'd throw that in.

Tiger Woods cannot be considered the greatest golfer of all time until he eclipses Jack Nicklaus' major championship record of 18 or Sam Snead's all-time tournament wins record of 82 (which he's quickly approaching with a current total of 65......Jack has 73), but I think it's pretty clear that you are watching the greatest golfer who's ever picked up a club. It's really not even much of a stretch to make that claim at this very point in time.

My words to you......Take in every moment, watch him as much as you can, enjoy the moments and cherish the memories as much as possible, because individuals like this come around once and once only.

"The Bruce"