For the past four or five summers, Tim and Scott Bless and their families have spent moratorium week vacationing together in South Haven, Michigan.
Tim Bless is the football coach at Columbus North, and Scott Bless is the football coach at Bloomington North. The schools have met each year in the Conference Indiana opener since Scott took over the Cougars in 2005.
Friday night, they’ll meet again when the Bull Dogs host Bloomington North on Senior Night.
“It’s never something that I personally enjoy, but I try to keep it under the perspective that it’s Columbus North against Bloomington North and not Tim Bless against Scott Bless,” Tim Bless said.
Scott, who is six years older, was an assistant for Tim at Columbus North from 2002-04. Their oldest brother Mark, who is the coach at Avon, came up to Michigan to join them for a couple of days of their July vacation.
They played golf, went to the beach on Lake Michigan and hung out with their families. Inevitably, they also talked some football.
“We’re Blesses, so football always comes up,” Tim Bless said.
North to host special night
Friday’s Columbus North-Bloomington North game also will be Youth and Middle School Football Night for all area youth players.
Players are encouraged to wear their game jerseys or team T-shirts, enter the stadium through the team gate and are welcome on our field during pregame warmups from 6:15 to 6:40 p.m. The game begins at 7 p.m., and middle school and youth players will be recognized on the field at halftime.
Bull Dogs hosting classic
The Columbus North cross-country teams will host the Columbus North Classic for the second year Saturday at Ceraland.
Along with the Bull Dogs, among the boys and girls teams competing will be Columbus East and Jennings County. North’s boys and girls swept the inaugural races last season.
Saturday’s competition will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Walk-in clinic available
Southern Indiana Orthopedics is once again this year offering a walk-in clinic on Saturday mornings for athletes injured in football and other fall sports.
The clinic is available from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturdays at 940 North Marr Rd., Suite C. Dr. Cary Guse, the team doctor for Columbus East, Columbus North and Brown County, runs the clinic.
