Imagine fulfilling a bucket list dream where the ground below is moving slowly beneath the wings of a perfectly good airplane. Temperatures are mild and light fluffy clouds beckon you to join them.

Recent play at Devil's Thumb Golf Club included the sun-bathed Devil's Thumb Open (June 17-18) and the June 24th Elks Tournament.

In what was once a huge tournament played on the now-abandoned Cottonwood Golf Course, this year's version of the Delta Open tournament featured 38 participants.

A team of Delta County men held off a late-game rally to defeat a Montrose team and win the Cherry Days men's division of the wood bat softball tournament. The win came with a $500 cash prize.

Delta's Ethan Keller, second from right, signed to attend Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Neb. Keller will be working toward a culinary diploma while attending school and is expected to see plenty of baseball action for the Hawks in their inaugural baseball season.

Paonia girls head basketball coach Scott Rienks has one of the most athletic teams of his career. The Eagles were league and district champions, and last weekend they won their 22nd consecutive game of the season to qualify for this week's final 8 state tournament.

Colton Godwin is about to become a Grizzly. Last Friday the Paonia senior signed to play soccer at Adams State University in Alamosa, which competes in the NCAA Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Godwin plans to study business marketing after taking a business class this year with Brent McRae.

Five Delta County wrestlers were recently named to the Colorado High School Activities Association All-State wrestling team. From Paonia, senior heavyweight Trevor Smith received Class 2A First Team honors, and Sackett Chesnik (138) was named All-State Second Team.

The first quarter start wasn't fantastic, but the No. 14 Bruins led 10-8 at quarter's end. A pair of three-balls, one from Hailey Henrie and another from Makayla Mckinney, helped achieve the short-lived lead for the Bruins.

Delta High School's girls team lost four of its last five games but had high enough RPI points to make it into the field of 32 of post-season play.

The Panthers (13-9) were seeded 26th in last week's regional play in Denver.

Under second-year head coach Eric Hollembeak, the Hotchkiss Bulldogs ended the basketball season with a 16-7 overall and a 9-3 record and in fourth place in the 13-team 2A/1A Western Slope league. That is the Bulldogs' best record since the 2009-2010 season when Hotchkiss posted a 19-5 record and qualified for the 3A state tournament.

Last week's regional playoffs were held throughout the state of Colorado. Delta joined Bayfield, Alamosa and Rye in a regional challenge in Bayfield. Alamosa (No. 12) and Rye (No. 21) played in the first game on Friday. Alamosa emerged the victor, 52-44, in that contest. Delta and Bayfield played in the evening's marques matchup.

The Paonia Eagles will make their sixth consecutive trip to the girls state basketball championships this week after defeating Center, 78-37, Saturday at the West Slope regional tournament at Gunnison. They enter the Great 8 bracket as the No. 2 seed and with a 22-0 record.

The Hotchkiss Bulldogs earned a berth in this week's Western Slope Region basketball tournament at Gunnison.

In district quarterfinals Hotchkiss pulled off a 65-63 win last Wednesday to eliminate Vail Christian.

There was some doubt as to whether or not the Delta Panthers' girls basketball team would be in the round of 32 post-season playoffs following a 55-35 loss to Olathe last week.

That doubt was erased on Sunday when the Panthers were paired against The Academy (18-4) for this Friday's opening round of 3A state basketball playoffs.

The Cedaredge boys' basketball team made a trip to Carbondale on Tuesday (Feb. 21) for a play-in game against Roaring Fork's Rams. The winner would advance to the 3A WSL district tournament held at Central High School in Grand Junction.

Paonia girls head coach Scott Rienks is eyeing his sixth consecutive trip to the Class 2A state basketball tournament. With an undefeated season and a top seed at this week's Western Slope regional playoffs, odds are they'll get there.

Despite a rough weekend of basketball Delta High School's boys hoops team will be moving on to regional play this weekend. The Panthers got past Grand Valley in a play-in game on Feb. 21 with a score of 56-45, a far cry from the 68-32 win on Feb. 18.

Cedaredge High School's girls basketball team won its play-in game against Gunnison (33-21) on Tuesday but lost to Moffat County on Friday (49-42) and Olathe (41-38) in Saturday's third-place game.

Paonia head basketball coach Chase Roeber knew ahead of post season play that there would be no easy games on the road to the state tournament. Of top seven teams vying for the 2A District 5 title, the tournament could go to any of them, said Roeber. "They're all right there."

Craig Cerise's Cedaredge Bruins boys basketball team fell to a tough Roaring Fork team, 59-42, on Friday of last week and hosted Moffat County on Saturday emerging with a solid 65-47 victory.

A tough final weekend of hoops caused Delta's girls basketball team to finish fifth in the 3A WSL standings and changed the site for this week's play in games to the district finals to be played in Grand Junction (Central High School) on Friday and Saturday.

Delta's boys basketball team needed two wins over the weekend to secure fourth place and a chance to host for a spot in this weekend's 3A district tournament held at Central High School.

Senior Conner Collins is a three-time state qualifier for Hotchkiss.

Paonia's Eagles kept a stranglehold on 2A District 5's top spot with a solid 61-45 win against Rangely on Feb. 17 and will host a first-round playoff game on Wednesday (Feb. 22).

Last Friday's game, played in Rangely, wasn't in doubt after the conclusion of the first half. Paonia was comfortably ahead 38-23 heading to its locker room after the first 16 minutes of play.

Paonia's boys basketball team was expected to win last Friday in Rangely. A 66-36 decision was as lopsided as it sounds with everyone on Coach Chase Roeber's roster seeing action.