Bayside Chatter: Mariners to battle Falcons

Talk about it

The Mariners continue the football season tonight at AlBrook as they take on the AlBrook/Cotton Falcons. Both teams are winless so far this season. AlBrook lost 46-8 to unbeaten Littlefork-Big Falls, 34-8 to once-beaten Mountain Iron-Buhl, and 41-0 to once-beaten Cherry. They played Cook Tuesday before hosting the Mariners.

AlBrook is paired with Cotton for the first time this season and has a new coach in Dan DuPay. They graduated quarterback Cody Anderson and top receiver Kolten Karppinen, who lit it up last season.

Anderson completed 203-of-334 passes for 2,604 yards and 33 TDs with Karppinen catching 72 passes for 1,067 yards and 15 TDs. Last season the Falcons defeated the Mariners 36-8 as Anderson was good on 23-of-38 passes for 330 yards and four TDs. Karppinen caught six passes for 115 yards and two TDs. Of the Falcons first 50 plays, 38 were in the air.

This season the Falcons had planned to run a spread and option offense, but, since they’ve playing from behind most of the time, they’ve had to go to the air a lot once again.

They have two QBs in Bryce Karppinen and Dan Wood. Defensively they are led by James Feltus, Ryan Smith, and Devon Lee. Lee is also the main ball carrier.

New London-Spicer lost 28-6 to Albany, leaving Minneota with Minnesota’s longest winning streak at 18 games.

Running it up

I had to laugh when I read about Mountain Iron-Buhl’s coach, Wally Kostich, getting all upset and accusing Floodwood of running up the score in their 36-8 victory over the Rangers.

Floodwood scored on a halfback option late in the fourth quarter. This from a team that beat Silver bay 60-0 last season. MIB called off the dogs after the first half, and a halfback option in that situation is a questionable call. But big scores, long memories, and payback are the norm in nine-man football. Benches are short and when they are emptied you still have starters on the field many times.

Rukavina Arena

The ice will be in Rukavina Arena by the end of the month as Silver Bay once again hosts a power skating clinic Oct. 29-31.

The cost is $15 for players registered in the Silver Bay program and $25 for others. Deadline to sign up is Oct. 15. For more information, call 226-4214. For information about the upcoming hockey season in Silver Bay, visit www.silverbay.com/arenasch.html.

College hockey

College hockey began last weekend with some of the Division I women taking to the ice. Most of the rest start play this weekend. The men will have exhibition games this weekend. Division III play is still a month away.

Coaches’ picks to win the women’s conferences are Mercyhurst in the CHA, Cornell in the ECAC, UMD in the WCHA and Boston University in Hockey East. Waldorf College of Iowa has announced their intent to start a hockey program.

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