Sports

Story and Photos by Chris Tomlinson of the 'Busco Voice, a Talk of the Town partner through the Whitley News Network

LAGRANGE, Ind. (Oct. 16, 2009) — Churubusco won a dramatic, come-from-behind victory tonight over Lakeland to force a 3-way tie for the NECC championship in football.

Here is a quick game recap: Lakeland scored first, Busco answered but missed the two point conversion, both defenses beat the snot out of each other until finally Kyle Monk hit the Laker QB hard enough to make him wish he had never gone out for the position, he fumbled, Busco drove it down and scored.

Busco defense continued to beat the tar out of the Lakeland quarterback, clock shows 0:00 . . . am I forgetting anything?

Churubusco ends the regular season 8-1, winning the conference championship. Is that even possible? Losing a vital player to a horrific car wreck before the season begins, then losing their best lineman to a back problem, then losing a team captain to a brain cramp.

The talk along “the railing” (where all the most knowledgeable guys in town watch the game (second guess the coaching staff, stand all four quarters, and never agree with a referee’s call that goes against us) was that a winning record would be a successful season.

So, I guess a conference championship is pretty good. Are you kiddin’ me?

Coach Lee Etzler has built an amazingly successful program, which over the last 5 years is among the top ten percent of teams in Indiana in win/loss percentage.

Coach Zach Dock’s defense was giving up a little over ten and a half points a game this year, so I guess that will improve also. Don’t anyone tell the team they only have one starter over 200 pounds, and he is a freshman!

These guys are a pleasure to watch, and it all starts with an energetic coaching staff who’s oldest member is 40-year-old Coach John Schmidt (280 in dog years), who has been on the sidelines when things weren’t nearly this much fun.

Congratulations on the conference championship. Everything else from here on out is gravy.