How about those Falcons

J's World, by Jeremiah Bartz

I have quickly found myself becoming a Bowling Green fan.

I am not to the point where I am going to sport the Falcon orange over the Notre Dame blue -- even though as long as Carlyle Holiday is quarterback, the Irish will stink.

Every week I eagerly check out the BG web site to see how Cole Magner did over the weekend.

And this weekend I am hoping that Magner and the Falcons can pull off the upset over the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

Magner is just one of several Alaskan athletic success stories.

The lanky kid that used to run away from opponents on the Colony High School football field is now the top receiver for a Division I football team.

In the world of athletics, Alaska is finally getting a spot on the map.

The state has always been known as the place they race the dogs, but in the last several years Alaskan names have been popping up in national basketball, football and hockey stories.

Hoops stars Trajan Langdon and Carlos Boozer as well as hockey guys such as Scott Gomez, Scott Parker and Brian Swanson have earned the 49th state national recognition.

On the collegiate level, the Valley is becoming well represented. In addition to Magner, former Colony hoops standout Jessica Moore has won two national titles and Kerry Weiland of Palmer and Ryan Quinn of Colony have been earned All-America status in

hockey and cross-country skiing.

While covering the various prep sports in the Valley it is interesting to watch and see who might be the next superstar athlete to go Division I.

After watching Ray Schafer conclude a stellar basketball career at Wasilla, I will be keeping tabs of his progress at the University of Oregon.

In the next two years I will be watching Schafer's younger brother Luke, who is in my eyes another Division I prospect.

And, hopefully, in the future I will have dozens of athletes to watch out for as I update the weekly feature,

Hometown Heroes.

Jeremiah Bartz is the sports editor for the Frontiersman and predicts Bowling Green will defeat OSU 24-23 and Magner will catch the game-winner.