The Sweet 16 have been whittled down to the Elite 8 and before the weekend is over, we’ll have our Final Four. I don’t know if this will hold through the weekend or through the end of the tournament…..

But for Today…….

THE DOEBLER HOUSEHOLD IS 1-2-3 in the Coach’s Corner Standings.

That’s right, my offspring and myself hold the first three spots. I’m getting a little misty-eyed just thinking about it. Brandon, my youngest (although 14 isn’t as young as it used to be) is in 1st. I’m holding down slot #2 (I’m still going to win though), and Zach, my eldest (17 and growing) is in third. This is a Kodak moment….the kind of moment that every self-respecting father dreams of. Sniff, Sniff. And I’m proud that you could all share this glorious moment with me.

Now, it’s off to clean toilets somewhere…and other non-glamorous duties.

Tournament madness resumes tonight as they begin to whittle the Sweet 16 down to the Elite Eight. I’ve still got a fighting chance in both brackets I’m in, mostly because I’ve still got 7 out of 8 teams left that I have picked for the Elite Eight. If they hold serve, I’ll have a good chance to win both. Here are my teams for tonight:

• Xavier - didn’t have them playing WVU, but if they win, it doesn’t matter
• North Carolina - thought they’d be playing Notre Dame
• UCLA - Did anybody have them playing Western Kentucky? Anybody? Don’t lie!
• Tennessee - Had this game picked right, but after the way Louisville annihilated Oklahoma, this could be trouble.

Anybody got it different?

I’ll have some thoughts about Easter and what this day has been for us and for me later tonight in Sunday Night Lights. But I thought I’d add a quick update or two on the tournament.

I woke up from my nap just in time to see Davidson put the finishing touches on Georgetown…(take that Mark Batterson). He’ll need an extra cup of coffee or two at Ebenezer’s to help him wake up from his NCAA hangover after that game. That’s what happens when you pick with your heart. I know all about that…since I’m a South Carolina fan. Anyway, I just love pulling for underdogs. I know it makes a mess of the brackets, but I love seeing them overcome. I saw a blog earlier that mentioned that Jesus’ resurrection was the ultimate come-from-behind victory. Maybe that explains my penchant for underdogs….I don’t know. But it was pretty cool to see Davidson whip some Georgetown butt!

My brackets still don’t have me at the top, but my secret weapon is that I still have more remaining points than most in both brackets I’m in. My entire Elite Eight is still playing…so I haven’t lost any chances from the last several rounds, which is where the points really add up. So I’m hanging in there.

On the Coach’s Corner front, as of right now, Jon Hartman and my youngest, Brandon, are tied for 1st, but I’m breathing down their necks. On the “Blogging Church Planters” bracket, I’m still in 48th, but have more points left than most.

Make sure you check back tonight for the Sunday Night Lights recap.