SR: More to the future

Minnesota got some good news today as star Safety Anthony Harris finally signed his franchise tender. The best-case scenario would be to sign him to an extension that wouldn't be as much of an expense this year so that an extension could happen with Dalvin Cook. That has it's own risks but since they didn't go running back in the draft is now the best option. Regardless of those potential next steps, it's a bit of good news as we all wait to find out how much 🏈 will be played and when it will happen!

NDSU had their 2020 graduation this week and the teams celebrated by recognizing the many seniors who would have been a part of the festivity.

There were also some extra attention given to a couple of the Spring athletes. Cara Beatty & Charley Hesse were each recognized for their academic achievement in the district.

And just in case you missed it, a broader look was taken at how next April could play out for NDSU 🏈

Moorhead State also had its version of graduation this week and similarly recognized its lot of graduates. Between Fall, Winter and Spring the group totaled 38 and all were represented & recognized.

Concordia already had their grad events but again made plenty of news with the announcement of their next recruiting call for Terry Horan's team. Clocking in with a whopping 56 fresh faces for Fall, 🏈 is pushing forward with the kind of effort required to play with St. John's. As usual, there are plenty of names on the list from the Red River Valley but the most surprising is NDSU transfer Ben Hoggarth who will be going back to the position he excelled in before going to college. I'm not saying that he'll instantly be a 1,300+ yard rusher for the Cobbs, since he had been training as a Safety for the university but the D1 training will still make him an even better performer than before so I'm not not saying that he won't make an immediate impact at the D3.

On the court, Tyler Bormann got a commitment from the engine of the Deacons push into the state tournament as Talon Hoffer decided to make the jump across the river from Shanley.

Due to their preexisting relation with Mayo, the Wolves are among the teams to help pioneer the research into antibodies of the virus. As great as it would be to have playoff 🏀 on TV instead of just the 90's flashback, that research is of more significance than any of those series would be. And let's be honest, positive history by this organization is still in short supply so it needs to be appreciated when it happens!

Progress toward the season taking place happened this week but we're all still waiting to find out the particulars. I'm resolute that there will be 🏈 in the Fall but until activities, including but not limited to sports, are actually happening, I'm simultaneously skeptical about them happening. So hopefully there will be ⚾️ in the not too distant future but nothing is certain.

This week Fargo announced that they would be rewinding the clock to their 2018 championship in a Facebook Live cast. If that's your cup of tea, you can send your questions on social media or to fans@fargoforce.com by Tuesday at 2 PM. The stream is set to start on Tuesday evening at 7 pm, Central.

Speaking of 🏒, a couple Spud standouts had their futures made public this week. Goaltender Hudson Hodges was selected by the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League. As one of the closest branches of the league he'll have the chance to continue improving while traveling North, South, East & West. The other is Maccoy Gregoire who will be making the move to Phoenix to play for Grand Canyon University. GCU will be in their second year in Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association as a club sport for the 20/21 year.

In sad news, the axe fell on all the North Dakota all-star games that had not already been announced as not happening. In other words, all of them except Softball. In a way the most deflating is the decision about the Badlands Bowl because it was set to be the last one after it had been held for 27 consecutive Summers. The participants from the area who were set to take part had not yet been named here, until now:

Tommy Bright ⏺ Sheyenne

Peyton Fisher ⏺ North

Marcus Gulley ⏺ West Fargo

Talon Hoffer ⏺ Shanley

Jack Ihry ⏺ F/S/H/P

Joe Kava ⏺ Shanley

Elijah Kirkeby ⏺ Sheyenne

Dustin Mertz ⏺ West Fargo

Zach Rodgers ⏺ Sheyenne

Jamal Spiyee ⏺ South

Tyler Terhark ⏺ Sheyenne

Gavin Wright ⏺ Hillsboro/CV

Not to be a jinxer, but I think that cancellation is the last loss for the senior class, sports-wise. A handful of these young men will continue their competitive playing at the next level, be it 🏈 or otherwise but it is a loss nonetheless. Many of you, maybe most of you, maybe even all of you might feel the same way but I'm getting pretty darn tired of so many losses stacked upon each other. I know there isn't an absolutely better fix for the situation the world is in but this crap needs to stop! Losing with no wins really blows.