Volume XXI, Number 2

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Sports at a Glance

All stories by Jean Schurman

Montana State BBQ championship results

Sports Talk: The Competition Gene

Bucs take second at State Tourney

Creamery Picnic was the site of the Montana State Barbecue Championship this weekend. Teams traveled from near and far to compete in the four-part contest. There were three teams from Calgary, Alberta. They had to purchase their meat after crossing the border while most of the other teams brought their meat with them. The competitor who came the longest distance was from Molalla, Oregon, 750 miles away.

Each team had to prepare beef brisket, pork shoulder, chicken, and ribs. They were judged on presentation, texture, and taste. Last year's winner, Grub Rustlers, repeated as the overall champion this year, too. The team, comprised of Phil and Lynette Glidon of Sandpoint, Idaho, ran a brisk business of selling pulled pork sandwiches as well as doing the competition cooking. In fact, most of the teams sold their product while competing.

The reserve overall champion was Stevensville's own Grumpy's. John Ray and company took first in the brisket division and earned several other ribbons.

Winning the chicken division was Woody and the Boners. Lester Helmig of Molalla, Oregon was the team captain. Grub Rustlers won the pork ribs and the pork shoulder divisions.

There are those who think competition is a dirty word and that we should do everything possible to avoid competition. However, I have come to the conclusion even noncompetitive people are competitive, they just work harder at suppressing their competitive drive.

Unless you were under a rock somewhere, it was difficult to miss the Creamery Picnic last weekend in Stevensville. For the competitively inclined, there was lots of activity. The Milk Run was Saturday morning. Each year, the field grows with both those who compete against each other and those competing with themselves, trying to achieve their own goal.

It is this competing against oneself that I struggle with. I grew up in a very competitive family. Our family 'walks' turned into almost a race by the time we got back to the house. No one wanted to be the last one back.

Whoever lost at cribbage or pinochle had to do the dishes. I lost a lot and so I'm sure that's why I didn't like to play cards for a long time -- or do dishes. The association between cards and dishpan hands took a long time to overcome. I wasn't competing against myself, it was Mom and Dad that I wanted to beat.

The BBQ competition seemed unlikely a few years ago. I mean, what kind of a competition is done in front of a smoker or charcoal grill in August? Well, after a couple of years of observing this competition, it is obvious these competitors are tops in their field. They may not have the athletic build, but they definitely have the competitive gene. Anyone who stays up for 24 hours mopping a bunch of ribs with apple juice time and time again may be competing against themselves but you can also bet they want to be the best in the field as well.

Even the parade brings out the competitive genes in some. I found myself morphing into the designer from the Rose Bowl Parade on Saturday morning. The idea began early last Tuesday morning or late Monday night. As I drove to Hamilton and then Missoula, ideas jumped through my head, each more outlandish than the last. But, Saturday morning, the staff and support staff of the Bitterroot Star made my ideas real.

Being in the parade, rather than watching the parade, was an experience. It was fun to see friends and neighbors wishing us well. As we traipsed down Main Street, one thought came to me. "I'm sure this is the best boat in the parade." But following right on that thought, was "It doesn't matter, this is fun."

Who knows, maybe I have suppressed the gene just a bit. (But did you see the size of the fish Michael caught? I think I could have caught a bigger one.)

Oops, back to squashing that competitive gene.

by Cameron Edman

Eleven of the best teams from around the state met at faraway Sidney on July 29 for the American Legion Class 'A' State Tournament, but only one team would be crowned as the state champions. The Bitterroot Bucs entered the double elimination tournament as the No. 2 seed from the West after placing second to the Bitterroot Red Sox in the district tourney.

The Bucs took on the defending state champion Glendive Blue Devils on Friday for their first game and were promptly sent down to the loser's bracket after a tight 11-10 loss. They faced the Vauxhall Spurs, a Canadian team, on Sunday after enjoying a day off and managed to stay alive with a 3-2 victory.

Bitterroot confronted the Billings Cardinals the next day and exploded for a 20-5 win. The Bucs hot bats continued later that day against the Havre North Stars. They once again emerged victorious by a score of 15-5. Both games were shortened due to the ten-run rule.

The Bucs then faced cross-town rival Bitterroot Red Sox, who also dropped their first contest, in the quarter final game on Tuesday. The Bucs came out on top by a score of 10-4 and moved on to meet the Belgrade Bandits in the semifinal game later that day. The Bitterroot Bucs remained hot and took down the Bandits 13-8, earning a berth in the state championship.

After a 4-hour rain delay, the Bucs put their five game winning streak and the season on the line Wednesday against the Gallatin Valley Outlaws. The Outlaws were undefeated in state tournament play. The Bucs had to beat the Outlaws twice to take the crown. However they came out sluggish and couldn't recover. Gallatin handed Bitterroot an 8-5 loss and the Bucs walked away with the second place trophy.

Bucs Manager Kevin Chick praised his team's gutsy recovery after a first round loss. "It was a huge comeback. Our pitching staff came together. We came all the way back," said Chick.

This is the Bitterroot Bucs' second state runner-up finish in the last three years. Last Five State Champions:
2005 - Gallatin Valley Outlaws
2004 - Glendive Blue Devils
2003 - Bitterroot Red Sox
2002 - Glendive Blue Devils
2001 - Glendive Blue Devils.