Sports commentary: A day to remember

Someone pinch me. I feel like I’m

dreaming.

Could it really be true that the

Bigfork Vikings football team is hosting the state championship

game Saturday?

The season feels like a blur, despite

the fact that it has lasted four weeks longer than most.

I guess somewhere in between all of the

victories even I, with my stacks of stats and results covering my

desk, lost track of how far Bigfork football has come. I am not

alone in this, though.

Victory after victory this season I

have asked the Vikings’ head coach Todd Emslie why the team didn’t

appear more excited after winning.

Each time the coach, who has made it

through Bigfork’s so far 9-2 season without having the water cooler

dumped on him even once, usually gave me an answer something along

the lines of, “I don’t think they know what they have done.”

While the past two games the boys have

finally started to show emotion similar to the overtime win last

year against Plains that broke their 28-game losing streak, I think

it is now those on the sidelines and in the stands who are in

shock.

As parents milled around after

Saturday’s game they greeted each other with the question: “Can you

believe this?”

No matter what the final score is

Saturday when Bigfork hosts Fairfield, it will be a special

day.

This is only the second time in school

history that Bigfork has ever made it to the state championship

football game. In 1995 the Vikes traveled to Frenchtown to vie for

the championship, but lost 12-0 after several controversial calls

were made against them.

It is rare that a team gets to host

straight through the playoffs, which is a matter of seeding but

also location. This year happens to be the west’s turn. However,

since Fairfield entered into the playoffs as a No. 2 seed and

Bigfork is a No. 1 the Vikes were destined to host this game either

way.

Hosting the past three weeks has helped

the Vikes gain momentum as much as it has helped their fans. They

have tailgating down to a science and the decorating of the town in

school colors is getting more and more impressive each week.

Bigfork is the first town in the Valley

to host a state championship football game since Whitefish did so

in 2001, when Fergus (Lewistown) traveled west and beat the

Bulldogs 12-9.

Since Bigfork is known for getting into

the spirit of the holidays, its residents are certainly prepared to

make Saturday a big deal.

A stadium that just two years ago saw

nearly only parents, now has people arriving an hour-and-a-half

early to stake out a seat. Bigfork alumni of all ages have returned

to watch the Vikes play the past few weekends.

As my friends discuss ditching their

tickets to the Griz/Cat game to watch Bigfork play in the state

championship, the magnitude of the day becomes even more real. It

is not just important to the players, their parents, the school and

those in the world of high school sports. It is important to

Bigfork.

On Monday I asked Emslie what he

thought about how far these boys have made it. After all, every

team talks about making it to the state championship, but the

Vikings have actually done it.

“Every once in a while I stop and think

about that and I’m just in awe of those kids,” Emslie said. “I hope

they stop every once in awhile and think about it too and take a

good look around. Especially hosting it. That never happens.”

There is no doubt that Saturday will be

a tough day for the Vikings, but I, like Emslie, hope that the boys

and those close to them take time to enjoy it.

We only get a few opportunities in life

to be a part of really big moments, and in even fewer of those do

we get to be active participants.

This game will be all about every one

of those Vikings leaving everything on the field, and every fan

watching every play and doing all they desire to get into the

spirit of the game. Living in a small town, we are afforded the

opportunity to get an up close view of often otherwise out-of-reach

events. Take the time to enjoy it.

Win or lose, it will be the last time

you will get to see Travis Knoll, the boy who has scored 32

touchdowns and rushed for more than 2,000 yards play for Bigfork’s

football team.

Christian Ker, who has evolved into a

steady leader at quarterback, will walk off the Vikings’ field for

the last time Saturday afternoon.

Linemen Jerry Rose, James Vale, Anthony

Curtis, Jessie Kelso and Anthony Baker will clear the path for

Bigfork for their last game.

It will undoubtedly be a game to

remember as these seniors, as well as the other June 2011 graduates

on the team, cap off their high school football careers playing in

the big game of the year.

While I have a great deal of respect

for the Bigfork Elves and Decorating Day, I’d like to repeat the

words of a man that once held my same position at the Bigfork

Eagle.

“This weekend...should be proclaimed

‘Bigfork Viking Days,’” wrote Kevin Crough in his sports column in

the Nov. 15, 1995 edition of the Eagle, which came out days before

the Vikes’ last appearance in the state championship football

game.

That year, the Elves had even

rescheduled Decorating Day to allow for the number of people that

would be missing from the Village to travel to Frenchtown.

With Bigfork hosting, and plenty of

time between the start of Decorating Day and kickoff, there is

clearly no need to reschedule the town’s annual event this

year.

However, all other tasks ought to be

put on hold. Your relatives will understand if your house is a mess

next week when they arrive for Thanksgiving, there are plenty of

people who will buy your Griz/Cat game tickets off of you and ski

season is still two weeks out.

So go get layered up for the cold

weather and come watch the big show. It’s going to be a good

one.

The boys have repeatedly told me they

are looking for some revenge on this team who handed them their

only other loss besides Missoula Loyola this season, and they are

confident that the title is within reach.

Don’t miss out.