So long, hoops season.

It has stopped a bit suddenly for our area teams this year. I mean, it actually ended in February for Matt and Dennis and me. Last Friday (Feb. 22), this office was buzzing. The Routt Catholic girls were in Normal, playing in the Class 1A Final Four, several area boys teams were tipping off in regional championship games, and the Jacksonville High boys were finishing their regular season at Springfield Lanphier.

Only a week later: Nothing.

For the first time I can remember, there’ll be no March Madness in our sports department — unless the annual bloodletting that is our all-area meetings counts: There will be differences of opinion, impassioned arguments and rebuttals, rigorous rereads of minute statistics, yawning, raised voices, stale pizza, hurt feelings, tactless sarcasm and finally, finally, a consensus that the three of us can live with.

Only after that meeting can we finally put the long winter behind us and start focusing on spring.

But for now, we’re kind of shocked. It’s over? Basketball season is OVER? As in no more games? Not even one more holiday tournament? Nothing going on in Waverly? Why am I craving popcorn?