Thursday Grab Bag: Change Is Coming

I'm eating a bowl of Potato Soup with roasted garlic as I type.

It's one of the colder Octobers in a while according to the Weather Channel, especially for our northern neighbors in the Colorado Mountains.

It's hard to believe it's already snowed multiple times there. But then, I saw it snow on Mt. Sneffels on July 31, so it can snow any day of the year.

Hopefully it doesn't snow too soon here -- I need to get used to driving my new ride first. It's a '95 Mustang GT Convertible, and I must say it's nice to be back in a vehicle that's not a rental.

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Football power poll: Expect some movement in this poll during the next couple weeks. We're about to get into district play, and the schedule vs. results quadrant will begin to get easier to figure out.

Week 7 Rankings

1. Aztec (3-3) -- The Tigers got the first plank out of the way with a blowout win to start the final six games of their schedule. They have a great chance to run the table and get some players back for the playoffs. Things look much better than they did three weeks ago. (Previous: 1)

2. Farmington (2-3) -- The Scorpions have moved a long way since the beginning of the season, in part because of their competitive games against good teams and in part because of the rest of the area's futility. FHS plays Silver this week, a team that handled KC until the final six minutes earlier this year. (Previous: 3)

3. Kirtland Central (2-4) -- The Broncos lost a game they shouldn't have, 13-10, to Bernalillo. "Shouldn't have" is a relative term -- KC will continue to experience inconsistency this season with their youth and inexperience, but they'll need to avoid another letdown like that if they want to make the playoffs. (Previous: 2)

4. Bloomfield (2-3, 2-0 District 1-3A) -- The Bobcats are into the meat of their schedule. In other words, the other teams are the steak and BHS is full of carnivores. They won't play another meaningful game until the state playoffs. (Previous: 4)

5. Piedra Vista (1-5) -- Beating a team with fewer than 20 players isn't going to leapfrog the Panthers up this list. But 1-5 is better than 0-6, especially for the team's confidence. The question remains: Can they beat any of the other teams in the district? They'll need to make sure Richard Gonzales progresses as a QB and teach him to avoid risky throws. (Previous: 5)

6. Shiprock (4-0) -- The Chieftains have had a few weeks to prepare for the crux of their season, a two-week stretch including a game at Kirtland Central. First they have to face a Bernalillo team that surprised the Broncos, which should give fans an indication of their chances against KC. (Previous: 6)

7. Navajo Prep (4-2, 2-1 District 1-2A) -- The Eagles proved that Bloomfield isn't the only team that can put up video game numbers, beating Ramah 65-6 a week after handling Navajo Pine. (Previous: 7)

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Football polls: KC's loss didn't do the district well. Aztec dropped a slot to No. 6 despite a big win and the Broncos fell out of the poll, leaving the Four Corners with one team in the top 10 for 4A. Bloomfield fell to No. 8, the only other area team ranked.

4A
1. Belen (12) 120 points
2. Goddard 96
3. Artesia 89
4. Volcano Vista 79
5. Silver 70
6. Aztec 64
7. St. Pius X 54
8. Moriarty 15
9. Deming 14
10. Del Norte 13

3A
1. Lovington (8) 98
2. Raton 85
3. St. Michael's 73
4. Albuquerque Academy (2) 60
5. Socorro 55
6. Portales 46
7. Cobre 39
8. Bloomfield 37
9. Robertson 24
10. Hatch Valley 19

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Aztec girls flaunting it: What kind of fertilizer are they using to treat Aztec's new soccer field?

Whatever it is, make sure the Olympic Committee knows about it -- and the World Cup organizers -- otherwise, we're going to see a new wave of performance enhancers.

Seriously though, the Lady Tigers are doing work. They started the season 4-6 and have won five of their last six games.

That includes home wins over Farmington and Piedra Vista, the latter by a shocking 6-0. The Tigers are preparing to face Kirtland Central at home Saturday, and we'll see if there really is something in the grass. The Lady Broncos are playing well, dropping a 1-0 contest at Farmington this week.

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Real Broncos, stand up: The Denver Broncos are 4-0. They've won a few coin flips (Dallas and Cincinnati) and beat a few bad teams (Oakland and Cleveland). Now they have to face the New England Patriots.

These aren't your 2007 Patriots, namely because Tom Brady looks more skittish in the pocket than a man during a Thanksgiving sale at the mall and because their defense is older and missing chunks of leadership and production from that team.

These aren't your 2007 Broncos, either. Maybe the worst defense in football the past two years, this team couldn't pressure the QB and couldn't stop the run. Now, under defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, running a 3-4, suddenly they're No. 2 in the NFL in total defense, giving up 239.8 yards a game.

There are some people that still don't believe these Broncos are a Super Bowl contender. The stat machines, and they've got credibility as sophisticated as they've become, say otherwise. Still, I'd like to see how they do against the Pats.

New England's offense has shown better balance in recent weeks. Randy Moss is starting to get his connection back with Brady and his 29 catches are second in the NFL. And the defense isn't as porous as I expected. In fact, they're giving up 17.8 points a game, ninth in the league.

They manhandled a decent Falcons team and got by a Super Bowl contender in the Ravens last week after a weak start. We'll know if the Broncos are legit after this game.

It should be cool: Sunday's forecast for Denver features a high of 51. Better than Saturday, when it's supposed to stay between 29 and 34 degrees with snow showers.

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Links of the week: This article on the Barefoot Burglar, a teenager allegedly responsible for about 50 burglary cases in 18 months, should be a must read. I'd call it the most fascinating story I've read in 2009.

I won't give away all the best parts, but here's a taste, in the form of a quote from his mother, Pam Kohler:

"I hope to hell he stole those airplanes -- I would be so proud," she told a reporter, noting her son's lack of training. "But put in there that I want him to wear a parachute next time."

* ESPN came out with a "Body Issue" this month. Think Sports Illustrated swimsuit, a bit more modest, with all athletes. One of the best things to come out of it: Rick Reilly's column on his experience with naked athletes (and a certain big time college basketball coach) as a reporter.

* For those of you that follow the NFL, check out this blog maintained by a "single white fan" attempting to find a team to root for.

Stay true and keep pounding,
Christopher