My Top 20 Games of 2013

Let me start off by saying that this is not a top 20 list of ALL games in 2013. It will not include the Iron Bowl or the Louisville-Notre Dame five overtime basketball game. Instead, I decided to rank the top 20 games I actually attended in 2013.

I went to 266 sporting events last year. In early January, I decided I would keep a journal of all the games and events I went to. I thought it would be fun to look back on in 20 years, but it was actually fun to look back at all of them at the end of the year.

As you read this, I hope you feel inspired to go to more sporting events in 2014. Whether it's a high school football game, college basketball game, professional golf tournament or even a little league baseball game, go to it with an open mind.

The reason I love going to games is because no matter what sport it is, no matter what level of competition it is, there is always a chance for you to see something you've never seen before.

With so many games to choose from, I had a hard time narrowing down the list and an even harder time determining the order. Here are my 20 favorite games. There were fantastic finishes and other memorable games. Enjoy...

Honorable Mention: September 2 - Shiloh Christian vs. Siloam Springs

The Shiloh-Siloam game was the first game of the 14th Annual Hootens.com Kickoff Week at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. It did not count toward my 266 game total because I got there during the fourth quarter (my rule is that I have to see at least half of the game for it to count toward my total). My papa and I were going to the Fayetteville-Warren game after this one, but I am glad we got there for the end of this game. Shiloh led 35-14 as we walked into the stadium, but Siloam quickly cut the lead to 35-21 with 8:01 left in the game. The Panthers scored against with 1:40 left to make it 35-28 and then recovered an onside kick. However, Siloam's quarterback threw an interception close to the end zone and the game appeared to be over... except it wasn't. Siloam's defense made a stand and forced a punt with 45 seconds left. I thought the Panthers might have a chance to make a last second drive, but it wasn't needed. They blocked the punt and returned it 48 yards for the game-tying touchdown. Believe it or not, Shiloh had a chance to redeem itself with a few Hail Mary attempts, but Siloam's Chandler Gregory came up big with a pass deflection and an interception in the end zone. Unfortunately, Arkansas doesn't allow overtimes in nonconference games, so it ended in a 35-35 tie. It was easily the most exciting tie I have ever witnessed (much better than the two 0-0 ties I played in during eighth grade).

20. August 2 - Los Angeles Dodgers @ Chicago Cubs

The Dodgers won this game pretty handedly, beating the Cubs 6-2, but that's not what made it memorable. I went to this game with my family while on vacation in Chicago. The trip also included a Chicago Sky WNBA game and a Brewers game in Milwaukee, but the highlight was easily my first game at Wrigley Field. If you've never been, I highly recommend it. The game itself was highlighted by the Dodgers' Mark Ellis and Don Mattingly being ejected and a couple of rookies: Junior Lake for Chicago and Yasiel Puig for Los Angeles. In just his 16th career game, Lake went 4-for-5. Puig went 2-for-3 and improved his season batting average to .371 at the plate and made a diving catch in right field that was the No. 3 play on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays the next morning. Another bright spot for the Cubs was former Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Blake Parker, who needed only 11 pitches to strike out all three batters he faced.

19. September 7 - Westminster College @ Hendrix College

Hendrix, a small Division III school in Conway, Ark., last played football in 1960... until the 2013 season. The game against Westminster College was the Warriors' first of the year and nearly 3,000 people attended the game, including me and my grandparents, who I talked into going to the game before heading to Little Rock to watch the Samford-Arkansas game at War Memorial Stadium. One thing I'll never forget about the game was the heat: the game time temperature was 96 degrees. Unfortunately, because we had to go to Little Rock, we had to leave at halftime. That means I missed Hendrix's 25-yard field goal with one second left to give them the 46-44 victory. Otherwise, the game would be higher on my list.

18. October 23 - Miami Heat @ New Orleans Pelicans

In October, I was given opportunity to travel to New Orleans for a journalism convention. Naturally, I looked up what was going on in New Orleans when I would be there and I found a Tulane football game and a Pelicans preseason NBA game. I went to both games, but the Pelicans game was the memorable one because they were playing the Miami Heat. It was the first time I got to see LeBron James play in person and he did not disappoint. He finished with 27 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals and 2 blocks in only 29 minutes of play. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh also played well, scoring 25 and 14 points, respectively. For the Pelicans, Anthony Davis and his unibrow finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Because it was the preseason, the final score doesn't really matter, but despite the Pelicans leading by five after three quarters, Miami outscored New Orleans 31-13 in the fourth quarter and won 108-95.

17. April 13 - Toronto Blue Jays @ Kansas City Royals

For my birthday, I got to go to Kansas City and watch my favorite baseball player: Toronto's R.A. Dickey. Dickey is the last knuckleball pitcher in the Major Leagues and was coming off of a stellar 2012 season, in which he won the NL Cy Young Award. While 2013 wasn't nearly as good of a year for him, he pitched well in this game. He earned the win by allowing one earned run on five hits and two walks, while striking out four in 5.1 innings of work. Kansas City's pitcher, James Shields, also pitched well, tossing a complete game two-hitter and striking out six. However, he gave up three earned runs and the Royals lost 3-2. Two runs came off of Jose Bautista's two-run home run. Interestingly, the Royals outhit the Blue Jays 8-2.

16. October 13 - Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs

The atmosphere at Arrowhead Stadium was so awesome that I wrote a blog post about it. As mentioned in the post I linked to, I'd estimate that about 70 percent of the crowd was at least somewhat intoxicated. Whether or not the crowd was sober did not affect the noise level of the stadium, which reached 137.5 decibels, a world record for an outdoor sports venue. The game itself was mostly a defensive struggle, before the Chiefs pulled away for a 24-7 win to improve to 6-0. Kansas City's defense sacked Terrelle Pryor 10 times and intercepted him three times.

15. December 12 - Jenks vs. Union

The Jenks-Union rivalry is considered one of the best high school football rivalries in the country and the two teams have dominated Oklahoma's highest classification. In fact, either Jenks or Union has won the last 18 Oklahoma 6A state titles. The streak was guaranteed to continue this season, as they met in the championship game. Originally scheduled to be played at Oklahoma State's stadium the week before, a huge snow storm delayed the game and moved it to Tulsa's H.A. Chapman Stadium. Despite super cold temperatures and snow still on the ground and in the stadium, 12,648 people came to the game. Jenks won the game 38-22, but it was a lot closer than the score shows, as the outcome was in question until the fourth quarter. During the game, I talked to a couple of Ole Miss assistant coaches who were there watching a couple players, which isn't surprising because there was a ton of college talent on the field. Jenks running back Cameron Booty ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns (according to Rivals.com, he is being looked at by Houston, Kansas, SMU and Tulsa). Jenks' Steven Parker caught five passes for 164 yards and one touchdown on offense and had three tackles and an interception on defense. According to Rivals.com, he is a four-star defensive back and has 27 offers. There were players committed to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, too. There was also a junior, rated as a 4-star defensive tackle, that already has nine offers (Marquise Overton). The list goes on and on.

14. April 14 - LSU @ Arkansas

This game would probably be higher on the list if the outcome was different. Even with LSU coming out on top, it was still a great college baseball game that matched up the No. 2 Tigers and No. 10 Razorbacks (some polls had LSU No. 1 and some had Arkansas as high as No. 8). I was covering the game for The Arkansas Traveler, but due to a mix up, I wasn't able to sit in the press box. Normally I wouldn't complain about being forced to watch the game from the stands because I would be able to cheer and yell, but I was prepared to be in an air conditioned press box and was wearing jeans. Instead, I had to sit in the heat. The game almost made up for it, as the Razorbacks jumped out to a first inning lead, but LSU's stud freshman, Alex Bregman, hit a 2-run home run. Arkansas tied it back up later in the game with a home run and RBI-single by freshman Jordan Farris, who was making his first career start. Ultimately, the Tigers won the game in the 10th inning, but not until after Dave Van Horn was ejected for arguing a (terrible) call at first base.

13. August 11 - Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis Cardinals

My first Cardinals-Cubs game was also my fourth MLB game in 10 days. Through five and a half innings, it was tied 4-4 and shaping up to be a great game. However, the Cardinals pulled away by scoring one run in the sixth and seventh innings and two in the eighth. Starlin Castro went 3-for-4 for the Cubs, while Matt Carpenter, Allen Craig and Matt Holliday had solid games for the Cardinals. Carpenter went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI, Craig went 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and a pair of walks and Holliday went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks.

12. October 10 - George Jr. High @ Bentonville Black Jr. High

Don't judge me for putting a junior high football game in my list. This season, I covered all of Bentonville Black's and Bentonville Gold's home games for the local paper. The sixth game I covered was pretty cool for me because George Jr. High was playing. Only five years before covering this game in the press box, I was playing in it on the field for the Wranglers. It made me feel really old and realize just how far I had come. I also saw how far the George Jr. High football program had come. When I was a ninth grader, we went 1-9. This year's team went 5-5, the first time George had a non-losing record. Unfortunately, this game wasn't one of the five. It was, though, a very close and entertaining game. The score was 7-7 at the end of regulation and Black scored on its overtime possession to take a 14-7 lead. George answered with a touchdown, then went for the two-point conversion and the win, but the attempt failed. Click here to read my short recap that appeared in the paper.

11. September 28 - Texas A&M @ Arkansas

This is one of the games that I hated being in the press box during. Fans had not lost hope yet, as the Razorbacks were 3-1, with the only blemish a four-point loss on the road with a backup walk-on quarterback, and Texas A&M entered the game as the No. 10 team in the country. There was also excitement because of the Aggies' quarterback: Johnny Manziel. I won't recap the game (but you can click here to read my game story for The Traveler), but I will say that the atmosphere was unreal. When Arkansas sacked Johnny Football, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium erupted into one of the loudest cheers I've ever heard. It took every ounce of energy I had to keep myself from cheering in the press box. Johnny Football was mesmerizing and inspired me to write a series of blog posts about the best opposing quarterbacks to ever play in Fayetteville. The atmosphere was great enough to make up for the fact that Arkansas lost 45-33 and make my list at No. 11.

10. February 16 - Missouri @ Arkansas

B.J. Young scored only 11 points in the first 39 minutes of the game, but the last minute is what counted. He scored seven points, including the game winning three-point play with 19 seconds left. The final minute also included a play where the referees didn't know who the ball went out of bounds off of, so they called a jump ball. Young finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists and Marshawn Powell added 24 points. Missouri's leading scorer was Keion Bell, who scored 25. Adding to the drama was the fact that it was the first time head coach Mike Anderson faced his former team. The game would probably be ranked higher if it wasn't for two other great Arkansas basketball games.

9. September 20 - Bixby @ Springdale

Sadly, this game is most memorable as one of the most epic meltdowns I have ever seen, and it was at the expense of my alma mater. The game lasted nearly three and a half hours because of penalties (Springdale: 17 penalties, 145 yards, Bixby: 6 penalties, 50 yards), countless injuries and turnovers (eight combined). In fact, during the fourth quarter, there was a span of 17 plays that resulted in four total turnovers (two by each team). The last turnover was an interception by Springdale's quarterback at his own 7-yard line with less than two minutes remaining, which led to Bixby's game winning touchdown. Springdale held a 31-7 lead late in the first half, but ended up losing 45-38. Bixby ended the game with 28 unanswered points. As I said: meltdown of epic proportions.

8. November 22 - Har-Ber @ Conway

I wrote in my journal that this 7A second round playoff game was an "instant classic." It was cold and rainy, but that didn't slow down Har-Ber's and Conway's offenses, as it turned into a shoot out. The teams combined for 990 yards of total offense and the game featured ties of 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42, which was the score at the end of the third quarter. However, the Wampus Cats (one of the best mascots in the state) scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to win 52-42. Har-Ber running back Sain Mathew ran for 233 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, despite missing nearly a quarter of play with an injury. The Wildcats also had big plays from Matt Garrison (55-yard punt return for a touchdown) and Gus Vitt (three receptions, 97 yards, one touchdown). Conway had a pair of receivers with big games. Sidney Moore hauled in five passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns, while A.J. Burton caught four passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns.

7. November 16 - Mid-America Christian @ Arkansas Tech

Never heard of Mid-America Christian? Me neither... until I traveled down to Russellville, Ark., for a basketball-football doubleheader at Arkansas Tech. Arkansas Tech lost to Harding 28-17 in the football game, but the basketball game is the one I remember most. It turns out that Mid-America Christian is an NAIA school that is coached by Willie Holley, who has been there for 41 years and is the second winningest coach in NAIA Division I history. The game was a shoot out from the beginning, as Arkansas Tech took a 53-47 lead at the half. The scoring slowed down in the second half and MACU made a comeback that ended with Jarius Wilson hitting the game winning three-pointer with 4.1 seconds remaining to give them an 89-88 upset victory. On top of the thrilling finish, the game was also memorable because there were players at opposite sides of the size spectrum. MACU's Semar Farris led all scorers with 17 points, despite standing only 5-foot-5 and weighing 140 pounds. Arkansas Tech's Charles Mells contributed 12 points, four rebounds and several blocks with his 7-foot, 260-pound frame.

6. January 16 - Auburn @ Arkansas

Much like the Arkansas-Missouri game that came in at No. 10 on this list, the Arkansas-Auburn game would be ranked higher in any other year. Regulation wasn't enough to determine the winner. One overtime wasn't enough, either. Finally, Arkansas pulled away to win 88-80 in the second overtime. It was the first double overtime game in Bud Walton Arena history and I was sad to see it end; I thought it would just keep going. Marshawn Powell had a double-double, with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while B.J. Young chipped in 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Frankie Sullivan led the Tigers with 26 points and nine rebounds.

5. September 27 - Rogers @ Springdale

A week after the epic meltdown against Bixby, it appeared that the Bulldogs would lose their second straight game, as they trailed 14-10 after three quarters. Finally, with 8:11 remaining, Springdale took the lead with a touchdown... then gave up a touchdown to Rogers... then took the lead with a touchdown... then gave up a touchdown to Rogers with 1:02 left. The Mounties led 28-25 when Springdale took over. After a couple of passes, the Bulldogs ran the ball and were tackled inbounds. They had to rush to the line of scrimmage and spike the ball to stop the clock with eight seconds left and get its field goal unit on the field. However, before the 41-yard field goal could be attempted, Rogers called a timeout to ice the kicker. Well, to my disbelief, Springdale trotted its offense back on to the field out of the time out. Quarterback Fuller Chandler took the snap and hurled it into the end zone, where it appeared to be intercepted, but wide receiver Drake Wymer wrestled the ball away from the defender and, after a few moments, the referees signaled it as a touchdown. No time remained. Springdale was victorious 32-28. Five touchdowns were scored in the final 8:11. Lost in all of that craziness was the game running back Deandre Murray had: 312 yards and three touchdowns on only 18 carries. His touchdowns came on runs of 77, 65 and 48 yards. I don't know if I'll ever see such amazing games in back-to-back weeks.

4. February 5 - Florida @ Arkansas

The Razorbacks were unbeatable at Bud Walton Arena in 2013. Literally. They won all 18 games at the Basketball Palace of Mid-America. One game no one expected Arkansas to win was the matchup against No. 2 Florida, but that's just what they did. The final score was 80-69, but it wasn't even that close. Arkansas dominated the entire game. At the beginning of the game, the Razorbacks were shooting over 80 percent from the field and behind the three-point line. Eight different players scored at least seven points, but none scored more than 13. Coty Clarke had a dunk that was No. 3 on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays the next day. It was just the sixth time in Arkansas history that it beat the No. 2 team in the country. After the game, the students tried to storm the court, but security held us back, so the team came up into the student section. It was pure pandemonium.

3. March 9 - NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships

It's not every day that you get to see your favorite school win a national championship. While I'm still waiting for a football, basketball and baseball championship, I can cross track and field off the bucket list. The Razorbacks are a track and field power house. Actually, Fayetteville is the track capital of the world, as Arkansas has won over 40 national championships. However, the Razorbacks hadn't won one since legendary head coach John McDonnell retired. During the actual meet, I witnessed feats of athleticism that I will probably never see until I go to the Olympics. If you want the specifics, click here to read my story for The Traveler. The coolest moment of the meet came after the Razorbacks clinched the title and the 4x400m relay was the last remaining race. I was out of the press box and standing down by the track, waiting to get quotes from head coach Chris Bucknam. Even though the title was already won, Arkansas went out and won the race. The entire team rushed to Bucknam and started going crazy. When they gave him the "Gatorade shower," I was standing only a few feet away and some of it splashed on me. It was a surreal moment.

2. November 29 - Pine Bluff @ Greenwood

My dad and I have a tradition of going to small school playoff games once Springdale's season is over. This year, we went to Lincoln High and Greenwood High. The most memorable was easily the latter. Greenwood entered the game with a 50-game winning streak. With a win over Pine Bluff, the Bulldogs would tie the state's second-longest winning streak and earn a spot in the 6A state championship game. But it wasn't meant to be. Over the course of the game, there were two ties and four lead changes. Greenwood led by four at the half and 11 after three quarters of play, but Pine Bluff dominated the fourth quarter. The Zebras scored a couple touchdowns to take a three point lead, but the Bulldogs tied it up with a field goal with 1:04 remaining and overtime seemed imminent. However, Pine Bluff got into kicker Austin McGehee's field goal range and he made a 42-yarder as time expired. McGehee is committed to Purdue. After the field goal barely went over the cross bar, the Greenwood fans went dead silent for about 20 or 30 seconds, before finally cheering for their players. Greenwood and Tulsa-commit quarterback Jabe Burgess completed 21 of his 29 passes for 332 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw two interceptions, both of which were returned for touchdowns (91 and 26 yards). Pine Bluff tight end Will Gragg, the younger brother of Chris Gragg, caught two passes for 14 yards. Only a junior, Gragg already has offers from Arkansas, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.

1. June 27 - Midland Rockhounds @ NWA Naturals

Last year was my second season as a part-time cameraman for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, the Kansas City Royals' AA affiliate in Springdale, Ark. In the 11th game I worked in 2013, I witnessed something I had never seen before and have been waiting to see my entire life. I am one of those people that, as soon as each team gets a hit, I say, "Well, there goes the no-hitter." This game, I never said that. The Naturals' starting pitcher, Brooks Pounders, tossed a complete game no-hitter. Obviously, I noticed the no-hitter after just the first inning, but didn't really get nervous until about the fifth inning. That's when most pitchers lose it, but not for Pounders. By the seventh and eighth innings, I was a nervous wreck. I am very superstitious, so every time I heard fans behind me say, "Hey look, he has a no-hitter," I wanted to jump in the stands and punch them. After Pounders got through the top of the eighth, I wanted the Naturals to go in order in the home half because they already held a comfortable 5-0 lead. Instead, they tacked on another six runs and there was a pitching change. It seemed like that half inning lasted 12 years. Finally, the ninth inning started. I was still working a camera, but I was beside myself. With two outs, I took out my phone and recorded the final out. When the final Rockhounds' player grounded out, the team stormed Pounders on the mound. For a moment, I got caught up in the moment and forgot about the camera. Luckily, I regained my composure and finished my job. Midland had only two base runners all game: one reached on an error and one reached on a hit-by-pitch. It was the third no-hitter in Naturals' history, but the first complete game no-hitter by a single pitcher. I'll never forget this game.

Now that you've read about my games, think about all the games you could go to this year. If you get home from work and don't have anything else to do, take a trip to your local high school and take in a basketball game.

Plan a day trip to Tulsa with your buddies and go to an Oral Roberts and Tulsa basketball game, like I did last year. When you take a family vacation, find a game to go to. You, your friends and your family will enjoy it, I promise.

If you have an idea for a trip, but don't have anyone that will go with you, let me know and maybe we can go. There are still several "bucket list" games and trips I haven't gone to or taken.

Happy New Year and may your 2014 be full of buzzer-beaters, walk-offs and Hail Mary's.