For those who don’t get Sports Illustrated, or haven’t heard, the Kodiak football team is featured in the high school section of the Oct. 15 issue.

The magazine, from what hear, did a preview for last week’s small school state championship game against Soldotna because it was the first state title game in the country.

We all know how that game turned out.

The biggest sports magazine in the country even had a picture of quarterback Jimmy Eggemeyer in it.

Now, that is about all I can say, because I’m still waiting for my issue to show up in the mail and in Kodiak stores. The one time I’m actually anticipating the arrival of the magazine it gets delayed by the Postal Service. Just another reason why I love this island.

Without my magazine in hand, I really can’t go into any further details, derailing my plans for this week’s column — I’m really disappointed in myself that I didn’t pick up the issue while in Anchorage. Good thing I punched a column out that appeared in Monday’s edition (so if you are looking for something newsworthy, go ahead and re-read the missed opportunities Kodiak had in the state championship game).

Without a backup plan in place, my mind started wandering over what the athletic program at KHS has been able to do over the past two years.

The Bears have three state team titles: the ’06 cross country and track team and the ’07 cross country team. They have a pair of runner-up finishes (’06 and ’07 football), two third-place finishes (’06 baseball and softball) and one fourth (’07 baseball).

Kodiak also has eight individual state champions: Five in track, two in cross country and one in wrestling.

Every sport has been represented at state except girls’ basketball and volleyball (hopefully, that will change this year).

What amazes me is how well sports teams do in Kodiak given the amount of travel each team does. You figure it would eventually wear out the players, but it doesn’t — at least from what I can tell.

Take, for instance, this year’s volleyball squad. This weekend will mark their sixth consecutive road trip. The last time they played at home was Sept. 1. Do you remember that? The Bears will end the drought next Friday when they finish the regular season against Homer.

Despite the travel, Kodiak posses an 8-5 record and has faired consistantly well at invitiationals. The one positive I take out of playing on the road this much is they are going to be battle-tested when they head to the Region III tournament in Palmer.

It seems like the perfect situation to end their nine-year state drought and add to Kodiak’s recent success.

World Series

The ALCS is not over, but by this time next week the World Series will be under way. Therefore, I must make my guess on who will walk away with the title this week.

I think with Thursday night’s victory, the Red Sox will keep winning to knock off the Indians; however, they will not overtake the red-hot Rockies.

Colorado in six games.

Mirror writer Derek Clarkston can be reached via e-mail at sports@kodiakdailymirror.com.