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Sure, 2006 was jolly, but maybe, just maybe, 2007 will hold some surprises in the bag.Ê Here are myÊ predictions for the upcoming year in the sports world.Ê Everything you read here you can take to the bank.Ê It will happen (as long as you say that to yourself enough).

WeÕll start with some basketball.Ê Starting the year with a meager 0-4 record, things didnÕt look too bright for the Kalkaska Blazers.Ê Facing devastating losses and scores closer than theyÕd prefer, the Blazers are now, in my humble opinion, a battle-hardened team.Ê TheyÕre going to take their hard-earned experience and utilize it to propel them forward to victory.Ê I predict a very low amount of losses for Kalkaska here on out.Ê Heck, there arenÕt many reasons to validate this claim, except that I think they have immense talent.Ê Like a tantalizing mirage in a desert, the BlazersÕ early season woes are just that: a mirage.Ê Look for them to bounce back in a big way.

Moving on down the spectrum, I foresee yet another bright future for those willful Bellaire Eagles.Ê Led by a strong cast of shooters, the Eagles are soaring thanks in part to a stifling defense and a propensity to show up when it matters the most.Ê Another Ski Valley Conference notch in the belt is not by any means a leap of faith, but rather a lock.Ê Heck, maybe weÕll even see an undefeated season again.Ê Oh, and congratulations to Bellaire head coach Stan Sexton for his 300th victory.Ê ItÕs truly something special to have longevity of that magnitude.Ê His coaching tactics and extraordinary amount of wins speak volumes. On the volleyball court, IÕm singling out Forest Area.Ê After losing an inordinate amount of seniors to graduation, the normally prideful Forest Area volleyball heritage could have easily slipped into the abyss.Ê But head coach Ron Stremlow has his team believing, and I also believe.Ê Look for Forest Area to repeat as conference champs and bask in what is now becoming an annually quality program.

To those Mancelona Ironmen, I predict a healthy season.Ê In what may ultimately fall just short, I still believe the Ironmen have a good team, indicated fully by their last two games that pulled them to a .500 record.Ê I predict an enjoyable season full of thrills and kills for Mancelona.

Oh, those Trojans.Ê Those dear Trojans.Ê It seems that this year is eluding them faster than they can blink.Ê With a roster chock full ofÊ talent and a diligent coach thatÕs seen it all, itÕs a wonder how theyÕre struggling to the degree that they are.Ê This, however, cannot last long, because my prediction is that theyÕll rebound hastily, escaping the season with a second place finish in the conference.Ê Once the playoffs start, itÕs a mere crapshoot from there.Ê With an abundance of potential on the TrojansÕ side, itÕs not implausible to see a possible deep run in the playoffs.Ê TheyÕve just got to get it together and become a cohesive unit.Ê I believe they will.Ê As a matter of fact, I see Central Lake, come seasonÕs end, delving deeper in the playoffs than Bellaire.Ê Call me crazy, but this is my sleeper pick.Ê May the insults fly.

Now, on to the professional scene.Ê Yes, after lightly bashing the Detroit Lions in a previous article, I must now repent and ask for the forgiveness of all the Lions fans.Ê If you havenÕt picked it up already, IÕm a rather large (editorÕs note: make that Super Sized) Dallas Cowboys fan.Ê And after the Lions promptly spanked their behind, it is my unadulterated obligation to give them some props. They played a heck of a game, and beat my Boys rather handily (WeÕre still in the playoffs, though.Ê I had to mention that.).Ê Now if they could replicate that on a consistent basis.

Oh, and my Super Bowl pick?Ê IÕm going with the San Diego Chargers to represent the American Football Conference and the Philadelphia Eagles in the muddled National Football Conference.Ê Winner?Ê The Chargers nab the Lombardi this year, all on the back of workhorse running back Ladanian Tomlinson.

With my predictions neatly out in the open, IÕll gladly take some flack if they turn out to be horribly misplaced.Ê We all make mistakes, right?Ê But when they all turn out to be right (confidence is a thing of beauty, eh?), IÕll also gladly bask in some heaping praise.Ê Thanks in advance. To comment on this article or to simply call out his numerous outlandish sayings, you can contact Paul via email at pdonathan@michigannewspapers.com.