ISU Wins UTPA Tournament, Crushes Lamar in Final

ISU won the UTPA Tournament Saturday, beating Lamar 3-1 in the tournament final! This marks the second straight year ISU has won a tournament title, where we won the UniWyo Cowgirl Classic last year to start the season. The first game saw the win against UTPA (University of Texas Pan-American, for those who are totally not in the know) and a dramatic come from behind win over Oral Roberts University, winning the match 3-2 after falling behind 1-2. The set scores of that game were: 25-18, 21-25, 27-29, 25-14, and the 15-7 score that sealed the deal. ISU then played Lamar Saturday for the right to take home the tournament. And now, I'll turn it over to our correspondent, Arthur Wellesley, the legendary Duke of Wellington, for the breakdown!

Other Stuff You Missed Because There Was No Road Coverage (But it's OK because that shit's expensive, yo)

Victory March!!!

Like Soccer, Volleyball shall have a victory march. But it won't be a German march...in honor of our volleyball correspondent, the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, we at the Wide World of Idaho State have christened "Cock of the North" as the victory march for ISU! Enjoy!



(Enter the Duke of Wellington)



Freshman Abound!

Lori Mendenhall and Jennika Wright, both fresh out of high school playing in their first college games, did not disappoint in the finale of the tournament. Mendenhall, a chip off the old block, brought the fire against Oral Roberts with 51 assists and 10 digs and showed no mercy with 43 assists and 12 digs against Lamar. Wright showed her fire as well, averaging 7 kills (8 against ORU) and made a sizeable contribution to the victory.

Experience Counts

Not to be shown up by the upstart freshmen, the upperclassmen stepped up and began a marvelous siege of the other contenders. Against ORU, Britta Bartschi-Rhodehouse and Haylee Thompson-Brock had game highs of 14 kills apiece and Sarah Carson contributed with 13 kills of her own. Junior Jaclyn Hone, recently engaged (congratulations as well, Lady Hone! What a lucky young man your fiance is!), pelted ORU with a double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs. Jenna Proost had a game high 18 digs as well, making the game sheer overkill. Against Lamar, the upperclassmen (minus poor Karissa LeGeaux, who could not march against the Cardinals because of migraines), Bartschi-Rhodehouse posted a game high 14 kills and making All-Tournament in the process, while Jenna Proost posted a tournament-high 21 kills, making it quite a weekend for our libero. Carson also made Lamar feel folly for starting the battle with 3 solo blocks and 12 assists.

A Stout Defense

ISU held Oral Roberts to a paltry .173 hitting percentage, which means ORU had to work to score against our brave forces. Lamar really felt the brunt of ISU's defense by being held to an incredible .093 overall though Lamar, in the set they won, had a .237 hitting percentage. Their counterattack only served to make our troops fired up by blasting Lamar with cannon regiments and a .448 hitting percentage. Overall, the Cardinals were held to 40 kills on 136 attempts.

Order of Placements

Here are the final standings of the tournament:

1.) Idaho State
2.) University of Texas Pan-American
3.) Oral Roberts
4.) Lamar University

Well that does it for me! But before I turn it back over to our good lad Ross, I should mention that this week is no walk on the Cliffs of Dover. ISU will be playing Cal Poly who is on a 2 game win streak, Brigham Young University, traditionally a strong program and the great behemoth that is #2 Nebraska. A tough weekend to be sure but the regiments are ready! I will see you next week, all! Ta for now!

(Exit Arthur Wellesley)

Well that is indeed it. ISU wins the UTPA Invitational and will be playing in Provo against some very good teams. Let's have a great week of practice and be ready to go!!!

Soccer Ties USU, Shows Great Effort

Feldmarschall Ali Gibson and ISU tied Utah State yesterday in an exciting and stalemated match that lasted all of regulation and two overtimes. ISU played very well, as did Utah State; both teams were very scrappy and physical (including a beautiful hit by #28, freshman Laura Benson). Also, both teams felt the total anguish at hitting the crossbar in hopeful oh-so-close goals (Rachel Strawn grazed the crossbar in the first overtime and USU almost got theirs in the second overtime round). This was a highly anticipated game, as Utah State entered the game with a #1preseason ranking in the Western Athletic Conference. I don't believe in moral victories but that we tied with what should be the WAC Champion says a lot about our competitiveness.

Other Stuff You May Have Missed Because A Tie Merits More Breakdowns:

Housekeeping

Bailey Williams had a field day protecting the goaline. In fact, it was definitely one of the best outings I have ever seen from a goalie for any team. She really kept the house clean Sunday, saving 7 shots all on her own. This shutout of hers was her 5th career shutout, as it should also be mentioned. Basically, she's a kickass goalie!

In Honor of Our Family

ISU played the game in honor of Ashley Askwig, who learned last week she was no longer able to play the game she loves so much. In one of her most memorable highlights, Skwig scored the gamewinner against Utah State in 2008, her freshman season in (guess what) double overtime with 16 seconds left. We love you Ashley and you will always be family!

A Hard-Fought Rivalry

ISU and Utah State have always been ferocious rivals in soccer. The game for 3 out of the last 4 has gone to overtime and the overall series is an even 5-5-1, with that lone tie coming yesterday.

Crossbars...Nuts!

ISU and USU kept hitting the crossbars at the most heartrending moments, all of them potential gamewinners in the overtime period. For the whole game, USU outshot ISU 17-13, and led ISU in shots on goal, 7-2 (see how awesome Bailey is?).

No Victory March Today

As the Koniggratzer Marsch is the victory march, and ties are not victories (even though this was one great game) there shall be no march today. Hopefully this Friday will see the images of Prussian awesomeness return to ISU Soccer.

ISU should hopefully have a great practice and win the Govnah's Cup this weekend, which would be our first since my freshman year in Fall 2007. Let's get it guys!

ISU Wins, 4-1 over C of I! Victorah!

So yesterday Feldmarschall Ali Gibson and ISU laid waste to College of Idaho, 4-1. But you never heard of it because of a blatant lack of respect and coverage from the Journal, who never even bothered announcing there was a game in the paper because apparently ISU football practices are just SO important! As for the high school football heyday (my alma mater won...good job Indians!)...is it possible to spend the extra money to have a special edition section for them, considering how special the day was for them to play their first game since last November? Not to belittle anyone here, but it does seem rather insane to say nothing about soccer or volleyball, who work just as hard as everyone else. But I digress.

So anyways...on to the recap (and if you want the fancy version, look up this game on the isubengals.com website for the full stats and numbers...just for you stat junkies out there...holla!)

We scored very early and often, and stayed right on top the entire game. The first goal came barely 8 minutes in the game when Laura Perez knocked in a goal after taking the pass from Kiley Godfrey, making it 1-0 ISU. It was her 3rd goal of her Bengal career. The second goal came when Rachel Strawn sent an airborne gift to Tara Bice, who promptly blasted it in with her head to make things 2-0. That goal came at the 23:25 mark, still in the first half. The third goal of the half also belonged to ISU when Rachel Strawn took a corner kick from Lauren Ryan, and sent it through the net. That goal, which came with 8:50 left in the half, was off of a set play...which makes it even better because we didn't get one off a set play last season until the final non-conference game. The second half was fairly uneventful, save for the occasional Irish/German folk song from yours truly to entertain the College of Idaho bench (mission accomplished with honors, heh heh). Macy Egerman from C of I took a very nice shot from out of bounds and scored unassisted from 20 yards out, and just barely beyond freshman keeper Carly Hutchings, who came in at half to relieve Bailey Williams. The final nail in the coffin came with 2:50 remaining when Kiley Godfrey took a pass from Laura Perez and booted it right on in to make it the 4-1 final of the day.

Other Stuff You May Have Missed Because Jay Heater Doesn't Think "Minor" Sports Matter

Victory March!!!



Another day of Artillery Accuracy!

ISU outshot the Coyotes 13-5 (9-1 in the first half alone), scoring 4 times. Clearly, this team continues to improve on its killing accuracy the same way the Prussians improved on their rifle and infantry tactics right before crushing Austria in 7 weeks in 1866. If we can maintain this, we will be a force to be reckoned with come conference time (after hopefully disposing USU and our sister schools in the Governor's Cup).

AJ's Back :)

Yes, Ashley Jones, the Newcomer of The Year last year, is back from her concussion and although she was a little rusty, she should be back in form tomorrow against Utah State (and if not, then definitely by the Governor's Cup). Welcome back AJ! Glad to have you back. Now go celebrate by spreading terror and fear!

A Clean Game

There were remarkably few fouls today in a fast-paced free flowing game. ISU led the foul score, 11-5, which is a stark difference from last week in our win over Loyola Chicago; we had 21 fouls (and 3 golden yellow cards)

Rachel Strawn is Everywhere and Nowhere at the Same Time

Rachel Strawn, for someone as small as a Merlin bird, played very aggressive soccer yesterday. She scored, she assisted, and she was in the face of many C of I players. So great was her hustle that she has earned this writer's Alpo Award. The Alpo Award is an award given for "Dogged" pursuit of victorah over an opponent. Congratulations Rachel and chow down!

Well that's it concerning soccer for now. Tomorrow ISU plays Utah State, a game with more meaning than usual as Ashley Askwig, one of the most beloved players on the team, cannot play the sport she loves anymore due to a heart condition. It will be an emotional day as Skwig will be on the sidelines for the game in a special "Senior Day" dedicated to her. I would like to personally thank Skwig for all that she's done (including the awesome goal that won the game against USU in double overtime as a freshman) and for being such a wonderful person on and off the field. I and so many others will miss you Skwig. We love you!

A Quick Note Concerning Coverage, in Case You Were Wondering

As the Journal, God save those souls, will be offering uber-coverage on the Austro-Hungarian forces (football) and basketball (Dan Angell), I will only be offering basic coverage of those sports. The primary focus of this blog until November will be the adventures of Feldmarschall Ali Gibson and her Bengal Death Battalions (Soccer), Sir Chad Teichert and the Royal Orange Fusiliers of the Black (Volleyball), and the Armee d' Bengal (Rugby). Also, I will try to keep coverage up on cross country (as I run in the alumni meet every year) and whatever tidbits come up.

-ISU Superfan,
Ross Cunningham

A Quick Disclaimer for Those who Doubt My Loyalty

Erhem...

(Play this as you read it, it adds to the effect)


We here at the Wide World of Idaho State, from our correspondants such as the Duke of Wellington to Otto von Bismarck and Ron Burgundy, all emphasize blatant nationalism and flag waving when it comes to college sports. However, we also stress the need to laugh at ourselves every now and then (because if you cannot laugh at yourself, you are not trying). It has come to my attention this past weekend that certain high ranking individuals do not appreciate my, quote, "negative" humor and demanded to know if I am on the ship or not.

Answering said question, yes. Those of us here, including Admiral von Tirpitz and Admiral Jellicoe, along with Isoroku Yamashita, are on board, guns at the ready, actively looking for enemy Grizzly ships and Wildcat cruisers, with the occasional Bobcat drunken rowboat raider. However, just because we're diehard nationalists and devotees to the cause, does not mean we will not pick out the feebles and foibles of ISU. As a matter of fact, we insist on it. We do that to one, lighten up about things and keep a proud head strongly rooted in reality; and two, to bring attention to problems that must be fixed. Why? Because that's how we roll here at the Wide World of Idaho State.

With regards from the top "study cave" in the Rendezvous Center,

ISU Superfan Ross Cunningham and the General Staffs of every military of the 19th and early-to-mid 20th centuries, plus their respective monarchs and naval staffs.

VICTOIRE! SEIG! VICTORY!

SIEG FUR PRUSSIA!

So, our Idaho State soccer team won the first victory over Loyola of Chicago today, 2-1 when Taylor Powell nailed the final score to seal the deal at the 78th minute (late in the game). Taylor, who has been struggling with injuries the past 2 seasons, finally got onto the field (as a redshirted junior) with, according to Ali, lots of enthusiasm and pride and played one outstanding game. Adding to today's effort, Alisha Cairl (AC to fans and friends alike) scored her very first goal for ISU today! Congrats to you AC! Adding to my personal excitement was the sheer aggression of the team in the match today. We were whistled for 21 fouls and collected 3 yellow cards (the proud offenders were Morgan Olson, Liv Zabka and Megan Stainbrook) and the Ramblers' assistant coach had gotten a card on him for acting boorish (I can only assume). Scoring for Chicago was Kristin Papierski on a penalty kick, coming in on a substitution.

Props for ISU having far better accuracy despite being outshot 14-5. Scoring 2 goals in 5 shots is much better than outshooting a team 21-7 with only a goal that should have been called but not. If ISU can build off this accuracy and develop it, then God help the Big Sky Conference and the soccer world at large (OK maybe the implications aren't that big but still, if ISU can keep up that accuracy, then we'll be NCAA tournament bound for sure!)

Getting a split here (ISU lost to #22 Marquette, 0-5 on Friday after hanging with them for awhile) is vital to the season's success. This is arguably the hardest road trip of the year, save for the usual fights and such on the road in the conference. When the team gets back for classes Tuesday, the morale should be at a decent level as they prepare for their home stretch against College of Idaho and Utah State.

Other stuff you may have missed:

For Every Victory in Soccer...

There shall be an obligatory Victory March song that will be linked on here. That march is nothing less than the totally epic Koniggratzer Marsch, a march written in 1866 to show tribute to Prussia's victory in the Battle of Koniggratz.

Lots of Baby Bengals!

Ali Gibson decided to start 4 freshman today (that's right...4 of them) and they played extremely well. Liv Zabka (proud yellow card holder), Kelsea Godfrey, Tara Bice, and Laura Benson were the young combatants in today's match and they all did very well, contributing to the vital win over Chicago.

No AJ?!

For the diehard followers of ISU soccer, Ashley Jones did not make this trip as she is still recovering from her concussion in a practice the week before the Westminster exhibition. Rest assured, AJ should be good to go by the College of Idaho game to add to the attack.

Aaand no Hough or Donya!

A few others who did not make the 18-player travel roster were notable, including JUCO transfer Anna Pingree, freshman Allyson Stainbrook (Megan's sister), senior Lauren Hough (back problems) and Donya Oliviera, who was in Portugal. They should all be ready to go for Friday's match against C of I.

Laugh for the Day, Because We're SO Evil Like That

So earlier today (or, Monday as this post is now concerned, myaw), at the soccer match vs Westminster, Jason Enes of The Bengal (school newspaper) decided to look up the 1-AA polls for 2010-2011. To note, there are 4 Big Sky teams in the Top 25. They are:

#2 Montana Grizzlies

#13 Eastern Washington Eagles

#19 Weber State Wildcats

#24 Montana State Bobcats

Now, look further down in the "Votes Received" section. There's not a lot that's surprising right? Just the usual stragglers and hopefuls that often crowd the polls outside of the Top 25. Northern Arizona comes in at 28th. Keep looking...oh my...WHAT IS THIS?! Idaho State?! 15 votes? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Either someone at sportsnetwork knows something we don't or they were on some serious narcotics, man!

Anyways, just a laugh for the day/night. Enjoy!

Season Starts, War Clouds Are Here At Last

So the season began today with a beautiful day and it was a mixed bag of feelings for ISU. On the way out after the 0-0 tie to Westminster, I asked Feldmarschall Ali Gibson what her opinion was of today's effort against Westminster in an exhibition. Her simple yet powerful response: "Unsatisfactory" (I'll have a full interview ready, hopefully within the next few days). Ali was actually very pleased overall with the effort (lots of shooting, creating opportunities, a very sound defense that frustrated Westminster time and again) but there were some things that stood out that attracted her ire. The full report, complete with numbers and all that, is hyah.

The Fun Stuff, Broken Down for the Masses:

Defend the Forts! Aux Armes!

ISU frustrated Westminster today on the defensive side of the ball, holding the Griffins to no goals and 2 shots on goal with only 7 shots allowed to be taken by Westminster.

A Shootout with Blanks

ISU outgunned Westminster, 21-7, and failed to get it in past the goaline. Clearly, we must capitalize if we are to win games this season and become Big Sky Champions/TOTAL MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (myaw).

Speaking of Shooting...

Sure 21-7 with no goals to show for it is bad but it shows that we are always on the attack and looking for the score every time. To be noted, 6 newcomers contributed to those 21 shots, which is a good sign of things to come (a core of aggressive young players which will, if everything rolls our way, develop into a lethal group of players in the future and a steady supply of subs to keep the pressure on in the present).

What? NO AJ?!

For those who follow the program regularly (a shoutout to Jason, Bob and Heath hyah), it was noted that Ashley Jones, one of the most feared raiders on Earth and who was reared by wolves and tended to by falcons, under the supervision of Odin, had a concussion sustained in practice and was therefore not cleared to play. She had hoped to be ready by today but such was not to be. However, she shall likely return to once more set on the warpath against Marquette this weekend.

Nerves? Put those away! RIGHT MYAW!

One of the reasons Ali was not too pleased with today's exhibition was, to quote: "I think we had some great opportunities. I was a little disappointed with our upperclassmen and their lack of composure in front of the box. We rely on that," said Gibson. "A freshman may have a little bit of nerves, but upperclassmen have to put those away. There are no excuses."


Big Sky Soccer: Your thoughts do not count from this point. EVER.

And for those who have paid attention to the preseason polls, we were picked 5th in the Big Sky...for soccer. Yes, that's right. A team that's returning 13 starters, the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, and a whole assortment of very skilled players, many who will merit some sort of attention for conference honors...is picked 5th. Talk about motivating a dangerous group of soccer players. Thanks Big Sky, and if we win the conference we will be demanding a written apology. Signed with your blood, because that's the only way we can consider it a legit signature (because you all lack souls).

ISU Soccer to add exhibition game and other news

As reported on the ISU website, ISU Feldmarschall Ali Gibson has added an exhibition game, to be played on the 16th (Monday) at 12pm at Davis Field. The opponent for the demonstration of our military might is Westminster.

And now for the other news with Ron Burgundy

TRUTH, bitches!

In other news, we sent one of our intrepid reporters out to the football camp to see how things were going. Yesterday, we saw some of the offense vs defense drills and the defense dominated the offense, which must have pissed off Coach Earley in the process. We also caught some glimpses of Tavoy Moore, (wearing #10), and boy oh boy can he run! He's very impressive and will likely surprise many this year (so we are hoping).

Other than the usual stuff, for the camp junkies (we know you're out there), check out Jay Heater who posts often on the ISUVoice website, this websites...er...how do we put it...sister website. (It's ISUVoice.com for those who cannot piece it together...like my friend Brick here)

This is Ron Burgundy signing off for now, more to come!

Thanks Ron!

Missions...Really? (An actual Op-Ed)

It has been confirmed that Mike Davenport, a former Highland High School quarterback (and quarterbacked them for 3 years, started as a sophomore), has left the team. Jay Heater reported:

"...Unfortunately, Zamberlin also had to deal with some bad news on Friday as freshman quarterback Mike Davenport, out of Highland High School, decided to quit football. After returning from a two-year mission, Davenport informed Zamberlin that his heart isn’t in it. Davenport’s decision leaves the Bengals dangerously short on quarterback depth."

Really? This is exactly why ISU should never recruit mission kids in any sport, ever. Yes it sounds harsh and it is. I don't care. You see, when the God you pray to every day and night gives you the opportunities to play sports, especially at the advanced levels, it's usually a good idea to take Him up on it. You can find other ways to serve Him, like doing good things for your local community.

ISU, unlike BYU and Utah and Utah State, cannot afford to wait 2 years for players who will end up leaving anyway. We are in a dire situation. We need players and wins now. Like, RIGHT NOW. Time is not a luxury we have. Also, it's damned unfair to hand out scholarships to kids who will be gone for 2 years when there are other willing athletes we can stock the rosters with. It should also be noted that those kids are gone for 2 years. That's 2 entire years of football they miss, and football is much harder to keep up on than in basketball. When you do get back, you're 2 years behind in experience. That's a virtual death sentence to a career. If a mission kid really wants to place his priorities with his life outside of football, he should hang up the cleats after high school and tell coaches and recruiters what he's doing and why so schools don't waste precious time with him and vice versa. We have already lost a promising young runningback (Skylar Morgan) to a mission so we're also down a runningback.

So that's my stance. ISU should never recruit kids who will be going on missions. Nobody is worth waiting two years for.

-Ross

Some Birthday News!

Happy Birthday to meeee!

So it's Atomic Bomb Drop Anniversary Day, otherwise known as my birthday. Also, the Holy Roman Empire came to an end today as well, in 1806 after Napoleon totally owned Europe.

One little tradition I have that has been done for the past 3 preseasons is going to the ISU Soccer Fall Camp and meeting the new freshmen, seeing friendly faces again and getting the feel for how the season will go. Because the first few camps always fall on my birthday, the soccer team will sing me "Happy Birthday." It's our little tradition!

I guess you all are expecting some news, so I'll get on that...eh...should be anytime now...oh hey there we go!

Lauren Hough, as I reported a month ago, was not going to be playing this season due to her back. Well, as I learned today when I stopped by the camp, she has decided to play after all!!! *Crowds by the Brandenberger Tor erupt in a frenzy* She is a senior so I speculate that she wants to play regardless of the pain because this is her last hurrah and she wants to play. Godspeed Houghie, and I'll be rocking #24!

Frank Mercogliano, as I found out today after dropping by the first official football camp, will be taking off to assume SID duties for New Mexico Lobo Basketball. He will be here for a few days and then 13 days from today he will be in Albuquerque. Frank has done a lot for ISU and given the work he has done over the years (all 13 of them) you wonder why this didn't happen sooner. I've had a lot of fun with Frank in my time here and I wish him the very best in New Mexico, where the Lobos only went 30-5 last year in basketball. No big deal, really. ISU will sorely miss his experience, his tempo, his enthusiasm and general awesomeness. We all have our "Frank Moments" (I have plenty and I'm sure if you compiled them all you'd fill volumes) and I will miss him. Best of luck my man! And thanks for everything!

Also, ISU Football will be saying goodbye to Brad Bugger, who is stepping down from color commentating with their games. It was fun Brad and I'll miss your voice on Bengal Football as will many other faithful listeners. The announcement in the link comes at the bottom of the entry, past the stuff about Sac State potentially joining the WAC plus a full analysis of who they are this year (courtesy of "The Bengal Blog!")

Training Camps Underway, Mobilizations Inevitable...and the Lights Go Out in the Big Sky

Mobilizations are underway...For the Kaiser!

Ah, the month of August. The month of high summer, with the heat in midday and pleasant relaxing time on the porch to enjoy the cooler evenings. Alas, because of the never-ending war for supremacy that is college sports, it is the month where war clouds begin to gather on the horizon, heralding the resumption of open hostilities to fight for the rights of ownership over the many fantastic wooden trophies handed out at the end of the long season courtesy of the Big Sky Conference, which is, appropriately enough, the dead of wintertime when everything is dead and dormant.

ISU Soccer has started their fall camps today, which the first rounds are physicals meant to see who actually worked out this summer enough to not die within the first few days. Football's first day is much worse, because they are shacked up in meetings all day in stuffy rooms and auditoriums. Only beginning tomorrow do the boys report to training to begin the full scale mobilization for the annual war that takes place from August to January (and in our little division's case, it's December). Volleyball begins next week when everyone is back in town and they are very eager to get their camp underway for the start of a very optimistic season, one which hopefully will culminate in a Big Sky crown, the first since 1990. Rugby will also be getting underway within the next two weeks to begin a hopeful campaign of resurgence to the ultimate goal of the National Championship tournament.

Mobilizations are underway throughout the conference as well, with camps opening up throughout the continent, each filled with optimism, dreams of Wooden Trophy Glory, and for football, the dream of "Who gets the honor and infamy of knocking off Montana and NOT sharing the Conference championship with them, so it actually counts?" In Missoula, the Emperor O'Day I is confident of retaining total hegemony over the continent even under the direction of the new Field Marshall Robin Pflugrad. Meanwhile, down south in Bozeman, the always-rebellious Bobcat Battalions mobilize to fight for their independence from Griz hegemony and their return to power under Robert II "Man of the Ash". In Ogden, King Ronald I McBride hopes to recover some territory lost to the Griz and stave off talk that Weber will slip once their fearful leader Cameron Higgins is past of age in the Weber military. Out west, the sea-born republic of Portland is struggling to survive and remain a legitimate player in the Big Sky balance of power. They have said in the past if their recent Elector, Nigel Burton, doesn't get the job done then they will likely reduce their army to bits and pieces and withdraw from general operations to create a more streamlined, professional army. The Confederation of Eagles under Beaumont Baldwin in Cheney is optimistic at a resurgence to knock off Montana and take over as the main power. And in Sacramento, Lord Sperbeck is wanting a great campaign to become more relevant in Big Sky affairs. Down in Flagstaff, the always scheming Jerome Sauers is practically begging for a war, in hopes he can halt the downslide of his shrinking empire. Northern Arizona has a well-trained and dangerous military, however their effectiveness is limited by dubious decisions of their leaders. Also, a winning campaign for NAU would bring in money and stave off chronic underfunding of the general army there. At Northern Colorado, the Army of Greeley is hoping to expand their territories after taking a beating on the battlefield for so long. They are a hungry, healthy little empire with aspirations, being urged ever onward by their leader, King Downing I "The Scotsman." And for Idaho State under Archduke Zamberlin I, a war is the only way to survive as an empire, which is beset with too many problems to name.

Within a few weeks, these young men and women will be flinging themselves at each other on various battlegrounds as the great melee unfolds as time goes. War is in the air! The Big Sky is up in arms once more! The lights are going out in the Big Sky Conference, and we shall not see them lit again until May, when the leaves have fallen off the trees and have grown BACK AGAIN!