Going out on a limb for this one

I begrudgingly make picks for football games each fall because I know it’s something that readers like to study.

They enjoy the feeling when one of my co-workers or I pick their team to win. They like it even more when we pick against their team, and then said team wins.

That’s the fact about prognosticating. There’s a very good chance that you’re going to be wrong.

That’s fine. I can live with being wrong.

With that being said, I am now going to make a bold prediction. Check that. I am going to make a guarantee.

The 2011-12 high school sports season in the Sauk Valley will officially end on June 14. I’d say the buzzer will sound at about 9:30 p.m. or so.

OK, I’ll admit it. It’s really not that bold of a guarantee.

That’s the night of the annual Sauk Valley Media All-Star Basketball Classic. The girls game will be at 5 p.m., with the boys game to follow at 7 p.m. Both games will be at Sauk Valley Community
College.

I won’t lie. The game nearly became another victim of the economy, but a few generous sponsors in the community have provided it a new life.

For us manning the sports desk, the games have always felt like the best way to end the school year with a bang. I am notorious for going through team rosters the night of the games after the paper has been put to bed to see what the next year’s games will look like.

For the players, it often is the last time to play an organized game in front of a gym full of fans. These seniors in the area have filled up our pages for the last 4 years.

We also get the chance to see rivals join together as teammates. Sterling and Rock Falls players join forces after being opponents for their entire lives.

You also get friends who’ve played for different schools get the opportunity to play together. That’s the case this year with Newman’s Mike Lee and Dixon’s Scott Goad. The two will team up on the court, then become roommates next fall at Drake University.