This is Busted Pencils, fully-ledded education talk.
Here are your hosts, Dr. Tim Slecker and Dr. Johnny Lupinacci,
educated educators talking education.
Yeah, that's what we do.
Busted Pencils fully-ledded education talk,
educated educators talking education.
Friday, you know what that means?
First downs and Friday night lights.
Johnny Lupinacci, how are you doing, my buddy?
I'm doing well, man, and you know what?
As it gets colder and all these regions listeners out there,
I know in Wisconsin, it's getting chilly.
You know, here in Washington, where I am,
it's getting chilly and the snows even started coming down.
So as we wind down, football season,
we're gearing up for winter sports really quick here.
So it's an exciting time to be talking first,
downs and Friday night lights probably soon enough
to transition to face-off some free throws,
but you know how it goes.
There's so many great things,
and we're still rocking and rolling with the tail end
of football right now, Sue.
So Tim, it's exciting times.
It's incredibly exciting.
And for that, we have, yes,
civic media's own chat homes.
Chad, what's happening, our buddy?
It is a great time of yours at transition time.
Going from the other football,
then actually this week I got underway dodging the deer
to travel to some girls' basketball.
Yes, yes.
I mean, the first night I go off on this county road to loyal,
and it's about an hour drive from where we are
in Warsaw for a game.
And I get on this county road for about 14 miles
on the way there, huge deer.
I just dodge on the way home at about 9.30, huge deer.
So now I am just paranoid for the rest of the winter.
I'm glad I'm starting because they can take care
of a few of the deer out there.
And maybe I can get back and forth safely.
Send them out, or Chad, you know what?
I mean, take one out and then throw it in the back
and take it home for dinner, man, you know?
Hey, I got myself another vehicle just last summer,
and I don't want to have any dents this quickly.
Oh, man.
Well, it is.
It's busted pencils.
It's our number 6085578577.
That is the busted pencils mailbag.
Drop us a question, especially for Chad,
you got questions about football,
and where we're heading with more sports here
into the winter.
Again, the number 6085578577.
Okay, Chad, we are finishing up football in Wisconsin.
I'm just going to lay it out there.
Tell us what's happening, what's going on?
Who's in the championships?
Where should we be looking?
Where are the best games coming?
As we close down the season?
Well, the good news is all the best games are at one site
at Camp Randall Stadium with the championship round
for the seven 11 player divisions.
And as we, as I was looking at all the matchups
for this weekend, I don't think there's anybody that,
I'd consider a major Cinderella.
I think some of the best football programs
in the state of Wisconsin have made it down to Madison again.
In fact, in our area here in Central Wisconsin
in Warsaw, a couple of the small school powerhouses
that have been around for years and years
and years are back in Madison, Edgar.
I think they're going for their ninth state championship
and they got strapped for just looking for their third straight.
And they had a run of about six in a row a decade or so ago.
So those two programs outstanding.
But if you look down, up and down,
some of the programs that have just been known
to be very, very good.
I think the cream has certainly risen to the top
when it comes to 2024 state football.
John, you're the pinotu.
What do you think, man?
I mean, I just think it's an exciting time
and it's always fun, folks.
If you can't get out to an event like that,
it is just one of the, like, you know,
purist forms of not only joy,
but of, you know, of the ups and down,
the triumphs and tribulations of youth athletics
and school programs.
And so you see a lot of great stuff.
It's always a hallmark of coming into the Thanksgiving season.
Also, if you're not in Wisconsin, right?
This happens in every state, this is the time of year.
So look around and see if you want to see a great day,
you know, of some really amazing football
and just the culmination of hard work
and effort from all of those programs around our states.
It's always a great, great way to spend that day.
And see so many students enjoying it
because you really do.
You see all the families and the students coming together
and we always talk about it on here.
Yeah, we get excited about sports.
Sports is our thing.
We love it.
You can't imagine schools without it.
So it's a stalwart of not only democracy,
but of our public education system,
but the same thing can be said really
for so many other programs, right?
So we always talk about it too.
Remember, folks, if you're listening
and you want to join the conversation,
you can give us a caller text at 608-557-8577.
And let us know about some of the other big events
that happen through high school extracurriculars
in your community because I'm remembering too.
Like this is also the time of year
where we have Christmas concerts coming up or holiday,
sorry, let me crack myself, holiday concerts,
because not just Christmas,
we'll get into that later and bust the pencils
and other episodes as we, you know,
respond to the, you know, Christian nationalism
and our public schools are at least the effort
to put that there, but these are great ways
that folks from diverse backgrounds get together
and celebrate not only sports, but, you know, music
or all of the ways our young people connect
into those essential curriculas that we talk about here
on busted pencils.
So Chad, it's good to see you.
Tim is always great to be talking about what's happening
and this is a special time of year.
So we're gonna have some state champs.
We're gonna have some state champs in Chad.
I can point that out camp Randall
where to see that and as you point out, Johnny,
this is happening all over the country, all 50 states.
I know to my own home state of Pennsylvania,
the idea to get to play in such a cool place like that
and in Pittsburgh, they will be playing at,
well, it used to be the Hind Stadium now
at some kind of like Accenture,
but where the Pittsburgh Steelers play.
So if you're in that area of, you know,
the Western side of Pennsylvania,
you'll be having your championships at, you know,
where the Pittsburgh Steelers play and think about that too.
I remember to all the way back 1983, it was a sophomore.
We were in a championship for our high school football,
got to play at the University of Pittsburgh's field on turf.
It is just an awesome thing to be able to do those things.
So look around wherever you are,
there are going to be some really cool places
and some of these students and kids who are playing,
get to play on some incredible fields like camp Randall
like that and what a great way to support and show everybody
how much you really do.
And again, you know what,
it's not just football too, especially this.
Hey, guess what?
How many of those marching bands
are going to be also participating in this?
So again, essential curriculars we're always talking about.
So looking forward to that.
But Chad, we're making a change now.
You know, the weather is changing.
And with that, with the end of football season,
we're about to start the winter sports.
Give us a little bit of preview.
What's coming up?
What should we be watching for?
You know, share a little bit of a behind-the-scenes secrets
with us.
It's really interesting things about this time of year.
This week is the first week,
the first nights of the girls basketball.
Really, it's all girls basketball
in terms of winter sports.
This week and the next week will be the first chance
for boys basketball and also girls and boys hockey
to be out there as well.
And it's always interesting to, too,
because I'd mentioned one of the area teams
that's playing in the state football finals this week, Edgar,
because, you know, when a team makes it to the camp Randall
and makes it to the state finals,
they want everybody to go.
They want all the students to get on the bus and head down there
and support their classmates and their friends.
And there was a game that was supposed to be played
at the end of this week, featuring one of those schools.
So they have to postpone it because they're a football team.
A girls basketball game was supposed to be played
on Thursday night and for Edgar at Marathon,
which is a team that we cover here on WXCL.
But since everybody's going to the football game,
they said, well, we got to postpone it.
So they're going to play it in a couple of weeks' time.
So there's not a lot of time between seasons.
When I was younger, felt like there was a lot more time
between seasons, between fall and winter and then winter
and spring.
Nowadays, it feels like they just go back to back
because they're playing more games.
When I was going to school, you mentioned 1983.
I went to school at DCF,
which is here in Central Wisconsin.
And our football team made it to the state finals
that year, went down there.
Remember that?
It was cold.
I remember that much.
But nowadays, it's like these guys,
some of these guys who are playing this weekend,
they have to go right back to practice for basketball,
or wrestling, or hockey, or whatever.
You may be playing in the winter.
So that's one of the aspects that I try to talk to student
athletes about because we have a weekly high school sports show
and every week we bring on a student athlete guest.
And how they handle their time is such a very important factor
because you have your sports, you have your studies,
you have your life.
I mean, you want to do some fun things,
have you know, hang out with your friends and such,
but you have to really,
and I think this time of year can be a challenge
for those who are very successful in the fall,
and they're going right into the winter.
Yeah, I mean, all that, Chad,
the enthusiasm you bring to talking about this, man,
it's exciting.
It gets me going like that.
And yeah, you know, if you want to have a comment,
you know, if you got a question,
you like first downs in Friday nights, Friday night lights,
we'd love to hear from you 608-557-8577.
Yeah, Chad, and you make me remember that too.
Yeah, playing, you know, football and being a wrestler,
that idea of literally going from, you know,
that state championship in 1983,
I was already four weeks behind all of the,
you know, the wrestling exclusives who only did wrestling
and had to come right in there, right off the field.
And boy, what a season.
I tell you, that's the other thing too,
with the winter sports,
is the length and the commitment
that those athletes are putting in there,
because in the, imagine two, two sport athletes like that,
like you say, football, into basketball,
or wrestling and something like that,
they will have been practicing from summer
until February, sometimes into March,
and thinking about that.
And so the commitments that these students put in,
and the coaches, again, too,
think about all the coaches and all of the efforts there.
I just want to kind of highlight that again,
listening to remind everybody, you know,
what's going on when you're talking about this.
And boy, Johnny, you know, think about that, man,
two sports, I remember that.
It was like, you know, what, I, you know,
I didn't go home after school until like March or April,
you know, it was just like, it was just,
you know, it was waking up, going to school,
and then not coming home till seven o'clock at night,
every night, all the way from, you know,
summer through August, September, October,
November, December, January, February, March.
And then finally, maybe in April,
I got to walk home with my buddies.
Well, Tim, you probably didn't play
the cross-erun track then, because it was like, you know,
it was, there was always a fall sport,
a winter sport and a spring sport.
That's a rotation.
And there was always clubs and other activities
and great ways for our young people to connect.
And don't forget, for so many teachers to coach,
to be part of that process that rounds out
public education in this country.
I mean, we're proud of it.
It's part of being a patriot is, you know,
being proud of the things that are the fabric
of our democracy.
And I know some cringe when we say this,
but sports are part of that.
So are the clubs that are like our debate teams,
our quiz bowls, right, our yearbook team,
like all of the ways that we come together,
extracurriculars as part of schools.
We call them essentials.
They're really part, there's a fabric of our democracies
because everyone out there in the workforce knows
it's just not about going to work
and only doing your job.
That's not how we are as a community.
We have passions, we have things we enjoy.
And those things are noteworthy.
So we celebrate them here on busted pencils.
I'm excited, man, it's a great time of year.
I'm excited.
Yeah, jumping, Chad.
One thing I wanted to add, because I was really glad
that you guys talked about, you know,
when you bring me on, you want to talk about sports,
I was really glad that you talked
about the other extracurriculars
because I do a daily show as well.
And one thing that I do, and especially this time of year,
because again, this time of year,
usually in November, the schools have their theatrical productions.
And I bring in a couple of the cast members
and they come in and they're just,
they have as much passion as the athletes
that I get a chance to talk to.
And it's just wonderful to hear from them
and their experiences because they put in
an incredible amount of time as well.
I mean, when you get into a show,
it's like you have the auditions,
you have six weeks basically of rehearsals
and then you do the shows and the incredible talents
and the fact that, you know, I'd love to have them on
and I'd love to tell folks,
hey, if you want to go out on a Friday night
and see a football game, that's fantastic.
But then Saturday evening, go over to the auditorium here
in Wassa West or wherever it may be here in Central Wisconsin
and see those kids as well.
Because, I mean, the kids these days and again,
I often hear people, oh, the kids, you know,
not the way it used to be.
These kids are fantastic.
Yeah.
I just think the talent and the amount that they give
to everything that they do should be always rewarded.
And really, again, I just, I love hearing about that
in addition to the sports as well.
Absolutely.
And you see so much young talent that, you know,
this is, it's just a gift in our community
to be able to go to those theatrical productions,
those choir concerts, those band performances.
They're, they're riveting, they're amazing
and they're truly a gift.
Excited, so excited.
Chad is, we kind of, you know,
we kind of wind down this episode.
But, you know, I, you know, not, I just got to talk,
you know, I'm a hockey fanatic.
So I am too, I feel like that.
Haswick, so, and I'm, and I'm not a Wisconsinite, right?
But I follow some Wisconsin hockey.
So, you know, I think it was Chippewa Falls.
It's a big program.
I was, I've heard of guys coming out of superior,
a mass memorial, a Hudson, right?
I know, Hudson, they, they, they, they, they ruined my winter
last year because my people off the west went over there
and lost in the playoffs.
So, there you go.
So we're going right through the, the heart there.
So we'll be reaching back out for folks, for our listeners,
you know, Johnny here, big hockey fan, big hockey fanatic.
I'm going to give a shout out to the girls side
because I've been very lucky last season,
the team that I covered, the co-op between Wasa West,
Wasa East DC Everest and Mozini
called the Central Wisconsin Storm
and they won the state championship last winter.
And their first game is coming up on Tuesday of next week
and I'm looking forward to seeing them again.
And, and I just, I think the, the young ladies
on that storm program are just fantastic
and they've had such an incredible run over the years.
I think that way, I should, I should know this.
I've been to all of them.
I think that was their fifth or sixth state championships.
The program got underway a couple of decades ago.
But so again, it's not just the boys' hockey,
it's the girls' hockey as well.
Absolutely.
And all the UW programs all have great hockey teams.
I know I've caught some of the UW superior
women's games up there and that full snow.
It's so great.
So I'm going to be watching now Chad.
That's what I was going to ask for, who to keep an eye on.
And I'm going to be keeping an eye on the storm
because that's right up my alley too.
I love watching women's hockey.
It's great hockey.
The sport is growing so fast around our country.
And it's because of all of the ways
that the young people are really carrying that sport
into the future.
And, and you know, it's known as Canada's sport,
but I know in Wisconsin and in Michigan and in Minnesota,
and all across the coast and all these big hockey states,
we got something to say because Team USA, both men's
and women's just keeps getting better and better.
So exciting times, it's citing times in sports.
I'm stoked Chad to follow the storm.
Thanks for that pro tip because I'm like,
my eyes got really big if you're watching on the YouTube.
My eyes got big because that is exactly what I want to be able
to follow.
We'll be following up on that here on Busted Pencils.
Yeah, tune in on our app Tuesday night.
You can listen to me do the broadcast.
All your listeners out there get the civic media app downloaded
and then go to WXC on you can listen on Tuesday night.
That sounds like a great plan.
I'll be listening.
I got a promote whenever I can here.
Yeah, I get those listenership.
That's exactly what I know.
Obviously it's like we want to have as many of those hits as possible.
Well, let's do it Chad.
Let's let listeners tune in Tuesday night.
Johnny, I'm going to be listening and Chad will check back in
and talk about it.
We'll do a recap.
But Chad, give us the give us the full info.
Get the promo for all our listeners who are going to tune in
and listen to the storm on Tuesday.
Yeah, I mean, that's their season opener.
And we do a few of the storm games.
We do a lot of the Bossa West hockey games.
So if you're a real hockey fan, we will be covered
between late November and then hopefully into early March.
But yeah, Tuesday night, the storm take on the beheading down to
Stevens Point, take on the Wisconsin Valley Union.
Again, it's a co-op.
And that's one thing about the girls hockey
that I think that I would be great to see the growth continue
where you can see some of these schools be able to go solo.
But at this point, it's still not at the level where a lot of
these schools can have their own team.
So we have these co-op teams.
And that's basically almost every team in Wisconsin when it
comes to girls hockey or co-ops.
There's only a few, I think, superior is one.
And Hudson is another that are solo teams.
But yeah, I'll be doing it on Tuesday night.
So we'll opening face off at seven o'clock.
And we're really looking forward to it.
Last time I saw the storm, they were lifting that state championship
trophy in Madison last March.
So curious to see how they look starting off the new season.
Oh, I love it.
I love it.
Chad, I'll be tuning in and listeners.
You heard it.
Get the Civic Media app if you don't already have it.
Because that's a way you can listen to the storm game on Tuesday night.
Chad, thanks for joining us here on busted pencils.
Listeners, you know, you can always call our Texas at 608-557-857.
This is Busted Pencil's fully-letted education talk.
Thanks for joining us.
And now, for our moment of Zen, Patriotism
doesn't mean support of government.
Patriotism means support of the principals it's supposed to stand for.
This is Busted Pencil's fully-letted education talk.
Don't forget, you could catch us on Saturday with Kevin K and
don't be late for home room on Monday.
And of course, every Wednesday, class and session.
Now, keep Busting Pencils.
The kids are playing, it's a great time.
Good night.
See you.
Good night.
Good night.
Good night.
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