I've bore witness to many special sporting events in my life which will never fade from memory. Ray Bourque leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 2001 Stanley Cup win and John Elway holding the Lombardi Trophy above his head after defeating the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII were both fantastic moments.

I coached little league basketball for three years for kindergarten through second grade. During our last year, I had a little girl named Erin join the team who hadn't touched a basketball in her life. This young lady worked her rear-end off learning the fundamentals but lacked the strength and coordination to be a consistent shooter.

I had her shooting lay-ups in practice until she was dreaming about them. The season wore on and Erin did her best to apply what she had learned in practice to the games. With the end of the season looming, she had yet to score one bucket in a game, yet I never saw quit in her eyes. We played the final game and with one minute left I called a time out. Huddling the team together, I asked who had scored during the year and saw hands from everyone except her. I explained what it was like to be a team and that she was just as important as any other teammate.

I asked Erin if she had done everything she had came to do and she looked me dead in the eyes and told me, "Not yet coach." I informed the squad to get her the ball at all costs and with the final seconds winding down, this young lady brought the entire gym to their feet and tears to my eyes as we watched her drive to the hoop and lay the ball in like she'd known how to do it since birth.

My team didn't lose a game for three years and yet I will never forget Erin's triumph for the rest of my life.

Thank you to Ray, John and Erin for the joyful rooms you opened in my mind. I often visit those rooms and they will always be wonderful memories.

A new room has been under construction since my son joined a group of guys called the Arvada Bulldogs. A football team made up of players who lead by example, hustle, commitment and rock-hard GUTS.

I have watched this team for darn near three months and from beginning to present, I knew they were special. A perfect season followed by a commanding win in last week's quarterfinals earned the Bulldogs the right to play in the semifinals against the Golden Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies were in fact the only team to come close to "competition" during the regular season when the Bulldogs faced them on Oct. 13. The game was a close one with the final score of 18-13 giving the Dogs the win. Members of the Grizzlies coaching staff were reportedly seen scouting the last two Bulldog games in hopes of finding some chink in Arvada's armor.

I had predicted a meeting in the Carnation Bowl between these two teams but as fate would have it, they met in the semifinals, which promised to be a hard-fought game. Just as I asked Erin if she had done what she had come to do, I wondered if the Bulldogs had reached their own goal ... apparently they hadn't.

The first half was all defense as neither team could sustain a drive for a score. Near the end of the second quarter, Arvada's running game finally began to wear down the Grizzlies defense with a long drive resulting in an 18-yard touchdown run by Rielly Hauptman. Anthony Berry would shoot the gap for the extra point conversion, giving the Bulldogs the 8-0 lead going into the half.

As has been the case for most of the year, if you don't have the lead against the Bulldogs going into the second half, you might as well pack it in because the fat lady is warming up. Anthony Berry loves hearing her sing because he scored an 8-yard TD run in the third quarter and rolled for a 34-yard TD in the fourth, giving the Dogs a 22-0 lead.

Ryan Naulty would finish the Grizzlies off with a brilliant 68-yard punt return to the end zone. The final score of 30-0 gave the Bulldogs their third shutout of the 2007 season and sends them to the Carnation Bowl held next week.

Top Dogs of the game: Ryan Naulty had the punt return, but his running game and defensive sticks made him the all-around player for the Bulldogs. Anthony Berry's speed was unstoppable once he hit a hole. You can tell he really sees the prize when he has the ball.

Big Dogs of the game: You just can't develop any type of a game plan without a great group of lineman. The entire team feeds off the these marauders. Kenny Shinley, Dominic "Dominator" Alvarado and Max Tromp are the leaders of this group. Together they had more sacks on Saturday than a grocery store bagger.

Mr. Dependable: Wiley McLaughlin has played center with a cast on his hand for many weeks, but I have yet to see him botch a snap while playing offense or snapping punts. You want to talk about tough? Ford trucks have nothing on this kid!

The standings unofficially indicate the Lakewood Tigers as Arvada's opponent in the Carnation Bowl, which will be held at 5 Star Stadium located at 9351 Hoffman Way, Thornton CO 80229 (time to be determined).

Whoever earns the right to battle the Bulldogs for the 2007 II-D title, I'm certain I speak for the entire team when I say,

"Come get some!"