John remains on vacation, so Trent Singer and Patrick Lalley took to the mic at "The best bar in Sioux Falls," according to Trent, the Orion Pub.

The conversation began with a rundown of the stories that Trent has been working on over the past month, including the Sioux Falls wrestling scene. They then shifted the conversation in the Little League World Series.

Similar to how the 2021 Little League World Series team was led by their pitching, Trent says this year's team is similar in that way and believes they could make a run.

Their first game is on August 14th at 6:00 PM CT against the Mid-Atlantic Region, and their next game is on Sunday, August 17th at 2:00 PM CT. You can watch them both on ESPN.

There will be no Happy Hour on Friday, and John returns next week.

As one of the top teams in preseason polling, the South Dakota State Jackrabbit football team comes into the 2025 season with high expectations.

Those expectations were voiced by many of the players and coaches throughout media day as they voiced their goal of playing for a national championship.

Part two of our Jackrabbit fall media day coverage includes Quarterback Chase Mason, who has big shoes to fill after Mark Gronowski moved onto Iowa.

Mason has been described as an athletic specimen who's already showcased his ability to run the ball; now he aims to display his ability to sling it as well.

Matt Goehring, a transfer from the University of Sioux Falls, hopes to play a large role on the defense. The NSIC 2nd team linebacker talked about being a part of turning around the USF football program and the excitement he has for taking the field wearing a blue jersey.

We heard from defensive lineman and captain Kobe Clayborne at MVFC media day, and he echoed his same sentiment Tuesday that SDSU wants to compete with the best of the best even after a difficult offseason. He also voiced his belief that Iowa wrestling is the best in the region.

Lastly, Julius Loughridge, a transfer from Fordham University, discussed where the running back room sits after the tragic loss of Nate White. Loughridge enters his final year of eligibility and looks to showcase what he can do on the ground.

We also heard from SDSU's other fall coaches for women's golf, soccer, and volleyball.

Tuesday's Happy Hour takes us up to Brookings, South Dakota, home of the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits.

The Jacks hosted their fall media day, allowing media personnel to get an inside look at a football practice before hearing from each of the coaches for the fall sports.

Today's portion of media day coverage will include Quinten Christensen, Alex Bullock, Coleman Kuntz, Dan Jackson, plus coaches from equestrian and cross country.

Offensive Lineman Christensen comes into the year as a vocal leader for the Jackrabbits after a chaotic offseason that ended with the loss of their head coach and several players.

The Wessington Springs graduate talked about his playing days in high school, growing up on a ranch, and what he plans to bring to the trenches this year.

Nebraska wide receiver transfer Bullock talked about what it meant to be a Cornhusker as a Nebraska native, and how the team has already come together during two weeks of fall camp.

Sacramento State tight end transfer Kuntz didn't have much to say about his time with the Hornets and appeared to have a chip on his shoulder heading into his last year of eligibility.

Coming up tomorrow on Happy Hour, we'll hear from Quarterback Chase Mason and members of the running back, defensive line, and linebacker rooms.

Up until Saturday, South Dakota State legend Mark Gronowski had said all the right things and made all the right moves as Iowa's new $2 million quarterback — including a seemingly breathtaking, tight-window sideline laser last week that made viral waves.

But until Saturday, the Hawkeyes' eigth August camp practice, Gronowski had not performed in front of the media nor Iowa fans.

So, how'd he do in a non-contact, 11-on-11 scrimmage? The numbers: 10-for-20, 134 yards and a pick-six. Not awesome. But there were highlights that should have Hawkeye fans excited.

Why? Veteran Iowa reporter Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register breaks down Gronowski's first public quarterback performance in black-and-gold, plus offers a litany of reasons why Gronowski should be the first Hawkeye QB in a decade to make the long-downtrodden offense move if not sparkle enough to make Iowa a Top 25 national team near the top of the Big Ten standings.

In other words, Gronowski has some tools to be not just a breath of fresh air that can cross a low QB bar at "Punt U," but a bona fide difference maker like he was with the Jackrabbits.

Before Leistikow, Happy Hour host John Gaskins delivers local highlights of the first NFL preseason games over the weekend. While these games are mostly non-reflective of what we'll see on real NFL Sundays, a couple of former South Dakota State running backs had their time to shine.

Amar Johnson is playing to make the Green Bay Packers' final 53-man roster, and he took a giant leap — and a Lambeau Leap! — in scoring the only Pack touchdown against the New York Jets. Hear legend Kevin Harlan's call, plus what Johnson said after the game. In the same game, Johnson's SDSU RB teammate Isaiah Davis, threw a block on a Justin Fields touchdown that you'll also hear and/or see.

Meanwhile, hear what did Minnesota Vikings radio analyst and former linebacker Ben Leber say about J.J. McCarthy's one and only series leading the Vikings against a mostly third/fourth string Houston Texans defense, plus who were other "winners" of Saturday's scrimmage in the Purple Palace.

A few blocks away, the Luke Keaschall Lovefest continued as the flourishing fresh face of the "call-up" group after the trade deadline fire sale hit a walk-off home run on Sunday to give the Minnesota Twins a dramatic series win over Kansas City. How excited and invested does this make us for the rest of the season for a squad that has won five of seven games and is "just" 5.5 games back of the last American League wild card spot?

Locally, the legend of Jabari Henry just keeps growing, as a week full of epic "Bari Bombs" at The Birdcage continued for the playoff-bound (for now) Sioux Falls Canaries.

We finally had a chance to see some NFL football games over the weekend, and while preseason games are mostly meaningless and non-reflective of what we'll see on real NFL Sundays, a couple of former South Dakota State running backs had their time to shine.

Amar Johnson is playing to make the Green Bay Packers' final 53-man roster, and he took a giant leap — and a Lambeau Leap! — in scoring the only Pack touchdown against the New York Jets. Hear legend Kevin Harlan's call, plus what Johnson said after the game. In the same game, Johnson's SDSU RB teammate Isaiah Davis, threw a block on a Justin Fields touchdown that you'll also hear and/or see.

Meanwhile, hear what did Minnesota Vikings radio analyst and former linebacker Ben Leber say about J.J. McCarthy's one and only series leading the Vikings against a mostly third/fourth string Houston Texans defense, plus who were other "winners" of Saturday's scrimmage in the Purple Palace.

A few blocks away, the Luke Keaschall Lovefest continued as the flourishing fresh face of the "call-up" group after the trade deadline fire sale hit a walk-off home run on Sunday to give the Minnesota Twins a dramatic series win over Kansas City. How excited and invested does this make us for the rest of the season for a squad that has won five of seven games and is "just" 5.5 games back of the last American League wild card spot?

Locally, the legend of Jabari Henry just keeps growing, as a week full of epic "Bari Bombs" at The Birdcage continued for the playoff-bound (for now) Sioux Falls Canaries.

Up until Saturday, South Dakota State legend Mark Gronowski had said all the right things and made all the right moves as Iowa's new $2 million quarterback — including a seemingly breathtaking, tight-window sideline laser last week.

But until Saturday, the Hawkeyes' eigth August camp practice, Gronowski had not performed in front of the media nor Iowa fans.

So, how'd he do in a non-contact, 11-on-11 scrimmage? The numbers: 10-for-20, 134 yards and a pick-6. Not awesome. But there were highlights that should have Hawkeye fans excited.

Why? Veteran Iowa reporter Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register breaks down Gronowski's first public quarterback performance in black-and-gold, plus offers a litany of reasons why Gronowski should be the first Hawkeye QB in a decade to make the long-downtrodden offense move if not sparkle enough to make Iowa a Top 25 national team near the top of the Big Ten standings.

In other words, Gronowski has some tools to be not just a breath of fresh air that can cross a low QB bar at "Punt U," but a bona fide difference maker like he was with the Jackrabbits.

It was a scene made for a Hollywood movie if Hollywood producers wouldn't reject it for being too corny.

The slumping Sioux Falls Canaries, losers of seven of their last nine games, had not mustered one hit all night — and hadn't scored one run the previous 19 innings — and were down to their final strike in a full count with two outs in the 11th inning.

The air was filled with dark, disturbed, disappointed, distraught, downtrodden, and most of all desperate tension.

One crack of the bat changed everything.

Leave it to the American Association of Professional Baseball's all-time home run king Jabari Henry to blast a hooking moon shot that was on line for the right field foul poll. Could it stay fair to give the Birds their only hit all evening and as epic and improbable a victory any baseball purist could imagine?

It could. The latest "Bari Bomb" at The Birdcage instantly ignited the hearty hundreds of fans who waited all night to see if the Birds would be on the wrong end of history.

Instead, Henry made uncommon history. It'd be considered a miracle if came off the bat of almost anyone else.

Happy Hour host John Gaskins, who was there, gives his up-close commentary and surmises what this could do for the rest of the Canaries regular season run — 24 games remaining until the Sept. 1 finale — to a third straight playoff berth.

Despite a litany of key losses to the transfer portal in the offseason, the South Dakota Coyotes will be the No. 4 ranked FCS team in the nation when they kick off the season at Iowa State on Aug. 29.

But with the exception of proven senior quarterback Aidan Bouman returning to the Big 12 school where he started his college career, there is a lot to learn about USD between now and then.

Who is on an almost entirely-revamped offensive line blocking for Bouman that saw one graduation and three men move to the FBS for plenty of money? Who will be catching passes from Bouman now that he won't have last year's top target Carter Bell and sure-handed tight end J.J. Galbreath — now a Pittsburgh Steeler — to throw to?

Who will be the "2" in the "1-2 punch" at running back now that Travis Theis has graduated while Charles Pierre, Jr., enters his senior season with plenty of hype?

What about the defense, which lost some of its best players at all three levels?

Fortunately, veteran Midco Sports USD play-by-play voice and regular practice reporter Jay Elsen provides all the answers in this 30-minute depth chart deep dive.