FRIDAY, JULY 27:
Baseball:  District 1B Amateur playoffs @ Bryant
   State “B” American Legion Tournament @ Milbank
    10:00am: McCook/Miners vs. Flandreau
1:00pm: Corsica vs. Vermillion
5:00pm: Webster vs. Winner/Colome
8:00pm: Groton vs. Milbank
   VFW State “B” Junior Varsity Tourney @ Mt. Vernon
    Noon:  Alcester vs. Canova
2:30pm: Gregory vs. Volga
5:30pm: Selby/Eureka vs. Parkston
8:00pm: Mt. Vernon vs. Garretson
   VFW State “A” Junior Varsity Tourney @ Humboldt
Noon:   Tyndall vs. Big Stone City-Ortonville
2:30pm: Madison 14s vs. S.F. Christian
5:30pm: Vermillion vs. Spearfish
8:00pm: Humboldt 14s vs. Irene-Wakonda
   Brookings Bullets 16’s vs. Bullets 15’s, 7:00pm

SATURDAY, JULY 28:
Baseball:  District 1B Amateur playoffs @ Bryant
   State “B” American Legion Tournament @ Milbank
   VFW State “B” Junior Varsity Tourney @ Mt. Vernon
   VFW State “A” Junior Varsity Tourney @ Humboldt

Golf:   SDGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, The Bluffs, Vermillion
    (Brian Berkenhoff, Scott Holm-Brookings, Bryan Guisher, Dell Rapids)

SUNDAY, JULY 29:
Baseball:  District 1B Amateur playoffs @ Bryant
   State “B” American Legion Tournament @ Milbank
   VFW State “B” Junior Varsity Tourney @ Mt. Vernon
   VFW State “A” Junior Varsity Tourney @ Humboldt

Golf:   SDGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, The Bluffs, Vermillion
    (Brian Berkenhoff, Scott Holm-Brookings, Bryan Guisher, Dell Rapids)

MONDAY, JULY 30:
Baseball:  State “B” American Legion Tournament @ Milbank
   Mitchell @ Bullets 15’s, Bob Shelden Field

Golf:   USGA U.S. Amateur Qualifying, Bakker Crossing, Sioux Falls
    (Nolan Meyer-Sioux Falls, Drew Trautman-Clear Lake) 

TUESDAY, JULY 31:
Baseball:  State “B” American Legion Tournament @ Milbank
   Yankton @ Bullets 16’s (DH), 4:00pm
   Bombers Black @ Huron (DH), 4:00pm
   Bombers Maroon @ Huron (DH), Noon

BANDITS…After falling 16-6 to Watertown in the first championship game, the Post 74 Bandits rebounded in a big way, posting an 18-4 win over Post 17 in the second (if necessary) championship game and claiming the Region 1A championship.
    After trailing 3-1 early in the second game the Bandits posted their first big inning of the game - a seven-run fourth inning - to take the lead for good at 8-3. Two big blows highlighted the inning - a Kelby Beste three-run homerun, and a Riley Bullington bases clearning three-run triple.
    Watertown would score a run in the fifth to creep within four at 8-4. Both Brookings and Watertown posted scoreless half-innings, setting up the even bigger bottom of the sixth for the Bandits. Paced by a Landon Busch grand slam the Bandits blew the game wide open - scoring ten - and extending to an 18-4 lead. Three outs later and the game ended via the ten-run rule and the Bandits claimed the region championship.
   Brookings heads to the state tournament next week in Aberdeen with a 39-9 record.  Brookings will play the newly established wild card game winner in the opening game of the tournament, starting at 10:00am on Wednesday, August 1.  Watertown draws the winner of region 3.

REGION 2A LEGION…Sioux Falls East defeated Valley Springs 8-5 Thursday to win the Region 2A American Legion baseball title in Mitchell.  Both teams advance to next week’s state tournament in Aberdeen.

REGION 3A LEGION…Thursday scores from the Region 3A American Legion baseball tournament in Sturgis:
Rapid City Post 22  12, Rapid City Post 320  2 (Rapid City Post 22 qualifies for state tournament – Post 320 @ Sioux Falls West
Saturday in wild card game for state tournament berth)
Rapid City Post 22 vs. Spearfish Friday for championship – both teams advance to state tournament)

COACH AWARDS…Beresford’s Jim Sorensen was named the golf coach of the year by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association at the organization’s national convention in Fargo.
   Kelly Flynn of South Sioux City, Neb., was named the girls basketball coach of the year. He is a Parker High and University of South Dakota grad. He stepped down as South Sioux coach after the 2010-11 season. The Cardinals had 508 wins and 11 state titles in 27 seasons under Flynn.
   Other national Coach of the Year finalists from South Dakota were Arlin Likness, Yankton, football; Jim Drake, Winner, boys basketball; Cal Schubert, Sisseton, girls basketball; Deb Thill, Mitchell, volleyball; Bob Hirsch, Watertown, wrestling; Terry Dosch, Aberdeen Roncalli, boys track; Bob Bennett, Garretson, girls track; Chuck Seurer, Hoven, girls cross country; Jason Olson, Rapid City Stevens, tennis; Lynn Gudmundson, Deuel, special sports-gymnastics; Virg Polak, Watertown assistant in boys sports; Tom Prendergast, Sisseton assistant in girls sports; and Jim Dorman, Lincoln, athletic director.
   Jim Eekhoff, longtime coach at Hull (Iowa) Western Christian, also was a finalist for the boys basketball award.
   Chris Dummermuth of Sioux Falls and Gale Lundberg of Clear Lake were among those inducted into the NHSACA Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

MADISON ASST COACH…He started at Dell Rapids St. Mary's as a volunteer basketball coach. This season, Madison High School graduate Ross Huska will be the new Madison Bulldogs assistant boys' basketball coach.
    He returns to Madison after spending 10 years at Dell Rapids Public as an assistant boys' coach and junior high coach.  He wil not lave his full-time post at CitiBank.

STORM TROUBLE…The quarterback who led the University of Sioux Falls to two NAIA championships and was suspended from the Sioux Falls Storm indoor football team following accusations he sexually exploited a minor is facing new charges.
   Lorenzo Brown Jr. was arrested last month on charges of sexually exploiting a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a child in his job at the Minnehaha Juvenile Detention Center. The 24-year-old Brown was a receiver and backup quarterback for the Storm before he was suspended following the arrest.
   Brown appeared in court on Thursday and faces additional charges, including possession of child pornography and sexual acts between jail employees and detainees.
   A phone listing for Brown in Sioux Falls could not immediately be located.

MONTANA COACH…Montana is extending football coach Mick Delaney's contract through the 2013 season.
   Delaney was chosen as the interim head coach for the 2012 season after coach Robin Pflugrad was fired in late March.
Interim athletic director Jean Gee announced that the "interim" tag has been removed and Delaney has signed a two-year contract that expires in January 2014.
   Gee says Delaney brings expertise, mentorship, leadership and integrity to the job.

SoCON POLL…Georgia Southern and Appalachian State were again picked as preseason favorites to battle for the Southern Conference football championship. How much longer that'll be the case beyond 2012 is anyone's guess.
   The Eagles made the national Football Championship Subdivision semifinals last season and won their first league crown in seven years, ending Appalachian State's six-year run of earning at least a share of the SoCon title But since last season ended both small-school powerhouses expressed interest in moving up to the Football Bowl Division.
   And that's not the only uncertainty in the 12-team Southern Conference as non-football playing members College of Charleston and Davidson are wooed by the shrinking Colonial Athletic Association.
   SoCon commissioner John Iamarino says holding together his group has nearly become his fulltime job.

BIG SOUTH POLL…Defending champion Stony Brook has been tabbed the preseason favorite to win the Big South Conference as voted by the league's head coaches and a media panel.
The announcement was made Thursday at the Big South Conference media day in Charlotte.
It's the first time since joining the Big South as associate football members in 2008 that Stony Brook has been picked to win the conference. They received 15 of 18 first-place votes. The Seawolves, which became the first team in Big South history last season to go 6-0 in league play, enter the 2012 season with 41 letter winners returning, including 17 starters.
Stony Brook senior running back Miguel Maysonet and Charleston Southern senior defensive back Charles James were named preseason players of the year.

PENN ST MEDIA…Penn State coach Bill O'Brien says he doesn't know who is recruiting his Nittany Lions and he doesn't care.
   O'Brien said at Big Ten media day that he expects to keep his team intact, despite sanctions handed down this week by the NCAA that will keep Penn State out of bowl games for four years and allows players to transfer immediately.
   The punishment stems from the university's handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
O'Brien says he doesn't expect to "losing any core, key players."

DAY CAMPS…Five South Dakota state parks are hosting nature day camps for kids ages 7-12. Two are in the Brookings area.
   Oakwood Lakes State Park near Volga is hosting a day camp from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT on Tuesday, Aug. 7. Bring a sack lunch and meet at the welcome center for an afternoon of games, crafts, and campfire cooking. Call 605-627-5441 to register.
   Lake Poinsett Recreation Area near Arlington is hosting a day camp from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT on Aug. 9. Bring a sack lunch and enjoy a day of outdoor activities. Call 605-983-5085 to register.
   While the camps are geared for kids ages 7-12, younger children may attend if accompanied by an adult. Kids are reminded to wear clothing appropriate for the weather, and also bring bug spray, drinking water and shoes comfortable for walking. Sandals are not appropriate. No snacks or refreshments will be provided, but kids are welcome to bring their own. There is no fee for the camp; however a park entrance license is required to enter state parks and recreation areas.

BOWLING RECORD…Katie Verbil had the best three-game score in women's bowling history, finishing with an 879 series in a Battle of the Sexes league competition.
   A former Wichita State bowler from Phoenix, Verbil opened with 33 consecutive strikes Wednesday night, then left a 10 pin on a solid pocket shot in the 10th frame.
   The left-hander had games of 300, 300 and 279. She broke the record of 878 set by Karen Rosenburg of Rolla, Mo., on Dec. 12, 2001.

CURTIS OBIT…Bob Curtis, who during one stretch called 540 consecutive University of Idaho football games, has died at 87.
    The school announced Curtis' passing on Thursday. A statement from the university said he died at his home in Colfax, Wash., on Wednesday night. No cause of death was given.
    Curtis called Idaho games for more than 50 years until his retirement in 2004. He's a member of the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame, North Idaho Hall of Fame, Inland Empire Hall of Fame and was the 2008 recipient of the National Football Foundation Chris Schenkel Award. Curtis was voted the Idaho sportscaster of the year 33 times by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.