Denim Millward
Sports Editor
In a lot of ways, and for a lot of teams, the most enjoyable time of the season is just before it begins.
Before a single minute of a single game is played, the unique amalgamation of eager anticipation of and soaring optimism for the upcoming season is at an all-time high.
After what has seemed like an eternity to fans and athletes, we’re finally on the cusp of being in the thick of new seasons for fall sports.
While the hope and optimism is present across the board, realistic expectations vary widely here at Idaho State University.
For the volleyball team, which happens to be the defending Big Sky Conference Champions and fresh off a trip to Hawaii to compete in the the NCAA tournament, anything short of a repeat conference championship could be seen as a disappointment.
For the football team, which has struggled mightily for conference relevancy for over a decade, a .500 record would be considered a monumental success, and would more than likely be enough for head coach Mike Kramer to earn a contract extension similar to the extensions signed by men’s basketball coach Bill Evans, women’s basketball coach Seton Sobolewski and head volleyball coach Chad Teichert.
For the soccer team, which was predicted to finish sixth in the conference in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches poll yet added freshman phenom Maria Sanchez to the already-talented squad, expectations likely are quite varied.
While sixth would be good enough for a spot in the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the first time, as the conference playoffs expanded from four to six teams this season, it seems too low for a team with so much goal-scoring potential.
Sanchez is just one reason for healthy dose of hope and optimism for fans and supporters of ISU athletics. The football team knocking on the door of Big Sky relevancy is another, and is perhaps the most promising beacon of hope for ISU faithful.
The team should not be judged by last year’s 3-9 record, and the assumption should not be made that the Bengals are in for yet another dismal season, although statistically the case could be made.
Coach Kramer has a track record of rebuilding Big Sky football programs, to which his stints as head coach at Eastern Washington and Montana State will attest.
While it is true that in his previous stops the improvement was more immediately seen in the team’s overall record, he also had a larger hole to climb out of upon taking the reins of the Bengals.
Kramer took over a squad woefully bereft of Big Sky quality talent with academic concerns. Impressively, and some would argue most importantly, Kramer quickly assuaged any concerns about the team’s academic standards by dramatically increasing the team’s overall APR.
In his third season at the helm for Idaho State, it appears that the team’s talent level has finally caught up to where Kramer feels it needs to be to compete with conference foes.
Heading into my final fall semester at Idaho State and final fall semester as Sports Editor of the Bengal, the bittersweet reality of my time at this post rapidly coming to a close is setting in. Perhaps it is this and the mixed feelings of melancholy and fondness for Idaho State University athletics that motivated me to implore you, the reader, to cherish, enjoy and revel in the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming fall sports season.
Once the season starts, disappointments are sure to crop up. Unforseen circumstances will undoubtedly present themselves at most inopportune times, and the lofty goals we have for our athletes will sadly go unreached. On the flip side, surprises, over-achievement and unsung heroes coming out of nowhere to save a game, or possibly even a season, could also be in the cards.
Enjoy the ride, Bengal fans. You only get to take it so many times.
