'America's 50 yard line' has a nice ring to it

We haven't had a chance yet to read a new book about football in McCook, Nebraska, as well as Linton, North Dakota and Canadian, Texas, but we like the title.

"Prairie Blitz: high school football on America's 50 yard line" by David Almany is ready to be released.

Almany made several visits to McCook as well as the other towns during the 2011 season, and his book "chronicles not only the season's wins and losses on the scoreboard, but also the joys and the heartbreak of each of the three schools, highlighting the drama involved in this unique slice of Americana: the love affair small towns have with their teenage football heroes."

We've watched a number of slogans come and go -- "McCook: City Without Limits" "The American Experience," "Nebraska's Hot Spot" and now "the Go-to City of Southwest Nebraska," each with varying amounts of success.

For Highway 83, already designated the Nebraska Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Highway, promoters might do well to give "America's 50 yard line" consideration. A football team on the 50 yard line is going somewhere, not a bad position for anyone to be in.

If you'd like a signed copy of Almany's book, he and some of the coaches and senior players mentioned are scheduled to be at the Sports Shoppe in downtown McCook at 3 p.m. March 14 and books will be available at parent-teacher conferences from 5 to 7 p.m. March 15 in the high school commons area.

More information is available at the Prairie Blitz blog: rollingdownhwy83.blogspot.com