Notes from the Sports Desk by Tyler Julson

 

I’m just getting back from my fishing vacation up north, and I’m ready to get back in the swing of things. I was only gone five days, but it feels like I missed a ton. All the area teams have gotten started on the second half of their seasons after the winter break.

The boys’ hockey team has started off the new year on a hot streak with two blowout wins over Red Wing and Faribault, winning by a combined score of 11-2 in those games.

The girls’ hockey team is well past the halfway point in its season and currently sits with a 5-10-2 record. However, the team has a couple of winnable games coming up in the next week that could boost its standing.

Albert Lea wrestlers have been busy over the break participating in a couple different tournaments. Zach Glazier has continued to run through all competition this season, beating last year’s 182-pound state champion twice. There’s a strong possibility we could see these two in the state championship match this year.

At the college level we saw Clemson and Alabama play in the national championship — shocker — and what a boring game it was. As someone who would normally never miss a college football national championship, I stopped watching after the first quarter to read a book. College football needs an eight-team playoff.

It was a pretty wild weekend for NFL playoffs. Philip Rivers got one step closer to getting that coveted Super Bowl. I know I’ve said this before, but if the Chiefs don’t win it, I would love to see Rivers get his due.

How about that Bears and Eagles game? A heartbreaker for Bears fans. I was watching with a few Bears fans and it was pretty silent for a while after that kick bounced off the upright. Although it didn’t end how they hoped it would, Bears fans should be overjoyed by how the team turned the season around from last year.

As for Vikings fans, well, you better hope the front office gets some work done with that offensive line in the offseason. Maybe getting a little protection for Kirk Cousins will improve his game and will in turn bolster the run game.

Of the eight teams left in the playoffs, I correctly predicted four of them in my preseason picks. The Chiefs, Patriots, Eagles and Rams still remain and I have the possibility to be 3/4 in the conference championships. Only time will tell.

Tyler Julson is the Tribune sports reporter. Contact him at tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com.