Thrilling end to an important football game

Talk about thrilling! The final few minutes of Monday night's McCook-Holdrege playoff battle carried players, coaches and fans on a whirlwind ride of emotions, with the fate of both teams riding on every play.

McCook's game-winning drive will live vividly in the minds of Bison fans for years to come, with the thrust to victory defining the never-quit spirit that has been the mark of McCook teams for the past four years.

In high school sports -- especially during the playoffs -- agony and ecstacy are often only inches or seconds apart. We applaud the Bison for their last-minute comeback, and we compliment Holdrege for putting up such a valiant effort.

Now, it's on to the semifinals, with McCook hosting Beatrice Saturday, Nov. 12, at Weiland Field. Good thing we have five days until the next kickoff. With the kind of exciting season the Bison are having, we need time to catch our breath ... and rest our vocal cords.

Civic leader will be missed

McCook was saddened this week by the death of Dal Wood, a life-long resident of the community who had a legal career that spanned more than half a century.

Dal, 75, died Sunday afternoon at his home.

His many accomplishments included 14 years as the Red Willow County Attorney, from 1958 to 1972, and many years as a member of the McCook Civil Service Commission.

Dal was also a fervent supporter of McCook Community College, serving for many years on the foundation and standing up firmly when the college's future was threatened by name changes or reduction in service.

While non-yielding on important causes, Dal was also a fun-lover, inspiring a lot of laughs over the years with his practical jokes. He teamed up with Sheriff Jim Short, who is deceased, on several of the pranks, including ones feeding far-fetched news stories to former McCook radio reporter, John Holm.

Dal Wood gave a lot to his family, his community and his profession. We are saddened by his passing, but grateful for the years he spent among us.