3-21-15

Me: Bob & I are already back to Phoenix after < 24 hours in Missouri. We made the quick trip to Columbia to support our nephew, Robby (head coach of the Bolivar Liberators), at the high school boys state tournament.  Robby & his team made it to the final four (Class 4A) by winning some close games against some tough teams (many who were taller and more experienced). Robby's team has 4 sophomores and 1 junior as their starting line-up. This was the first time since 1960 that the Liberators have made it to State. So for all of that, we are quite proud of them! We were nervous for Robby and I'm sure they were too. They were playing on a big court; The University of Missouri at Columbia arena before a large crowd. We joined Robby's mom, Susan, Robby's dad, Rod (my brother), Robby's brother, Reggie, his wife + 3 kids, Robby's cousin, Jerod (Janna's brother), Robby's wife, Erin + 2 boys and the rest of the Bolivar fans to cheer loudly. The winner of this night's game would play on Saturday for 1st place in state. The loser would play Friday for 3rd place. I wish we could say we went on to play on Saturday but we didn't. It was a rough game for Bolivar where their shots were not falling while St. Charles was on fire. Despite the loss and disappointment, Robby & his team held their heads high and had great sportsmanship. Congratulations, Robby & Liberators. We are so proud! It sure was fun to see Robby coach & great to see some family that we haven't seen for quite some time. We flew home on Friday while Bolivar played for 3rd place. They had a much better game, it was close but they take home a 4th place state trophy. Congratulations!