The 2010 Benny Awards mark the third year the Saturday Morning Sports Show has honored the best of the year that was with the invisible trophy.

This year's program will see a great group of awards honoring the best on and off field accomplishments by Northeast Colorado's athetes this year.  Among the categories to be named:

Next Award - Honoring the best team for 2011 at the end of 2010.

EMS Award - Honoring the most injury-riddled team who faced obstables all year.

Commitment Award - Honoring the team who showed commitment above and beyond.

Comeback Player - Honoring the player who overcame the biggest obstable to achieve greatness in 2010.

Biggest Collapse - Honoring the biggest fall apart that left us shaking our heads in disbelief.

Best Individual Performer - Honoring the player who stood head and shoulder above everyone in the area.

Best Play - Honoring the most-memorable single display of skill in any contest.

Best Finish - Honoring the greatest single moment ending a contest in 2010.

Best Year - Honoring the program or school who had the best 2010.

This year, we'll also have two awards that you will vote for the best of the best.  The awards for your votes are in two categories (Biggest Heartbreak and Best Game):

Biggest Heartbreak - Honoring the biggest letdown of 2010:

• Heartbreak #1:  NJC Women's Basketball Loses 74-69 to Casper in the Region IX Semifinals.  All yeah long, we knew NJC Basketball was NJCAA Nationals bound.  Only Casper stood in their way.  And while they outplayed the T-Birds in virtually every category, there was just not enough in the tank to shut them down defensively in the waning seconds.  An inbound pass fluttered through Sabelle Diata's fingertips and allowed Casper to lay in an easy bucket for the victory.  Click here for the audio.
• Heartbreak #2:  Peetz Baseball Gets Another Shot and Comes Up Short.  With 9 seniors on their roster, Peetz looked to be one of the contenders for the District IV Baseball title.  But they fell to Haxtun in the semifinals.  After Haxtun was disqualified by CHSAA, Peetz got one more crack at a gold ball.  But they came up one run short falling to Caliche 6-5 in the regional qualifier.  Click here for the audio.
• Heartbreak #3:  NJC Volleyball's Rotation Error.  The Plainswomen had Western Nebraska on the ropes at home on October 20.  Just three points away from the 4-set win, NJC committed a costly service rotation error that not only cost them the set, but the match and eventual seeding in the Region IX Tournament where they couldn't outdo Western Nebraska to get to NJCAA Nationals.  Click here for the audio.
• Heartbreak #4:  Caliche Football's OT Despair.  Caliche was the top-ranked 8-man football team all year and showed why for 45 minutes against Hoehne in the championship game.  They outgained Hoehne in yards, field position, time of posession and game efficiency.  But Hoehne scored in the final minutes, Caliche committed a costly penalty marching within the final seconds sending it to OT, and Hoehne scored on the first play from scrimmage in OT to knock Caliche down 14-8 in OT.  Click here for the audio.

Best Game - Honoring the best non-championship game of 2010.

• Game #1:  Sterling Does it in 2OT to get to Elite Eight.  Even without their star Xavier Talton, Sterling was still able to find a way to down Centaurus in the second OT frame to advance to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row.  Click here for the audio.
• Game #2:  Fleming Takes Haxtun in Come-from-Behind Fashion.  For the District 4 Baseball title you expected drama.  And Fleming delivered coming from a 9-5 defecit to bring the title to the North Central League for the first time in 1A Baseball history.  Click here for the audio of the come-from-behind win.
• Game #3:  Otis and Merino Showcase 5-Set Thriller.  Rarely does a regular season match make the cut for the best match of the year but Otis and Merino's showdown in late September did.  After Otis got up 2-0, Merino battled back and sent it to a fifth set.  Otis and Merino battled back and forth with Otis taking the close fifth.  Click here for the audio.

Vote for the two best performances in the poll on the sidebar and tune in this Saturday on 104.7 King FM at 8am to hear the 2010 Benny Awards!