"You'll never get ahead if you don't take care of what you have." - Doris Waddell, RIP

The late Ralph E. Williams with "Heidi" - morris mn

The late Ralph E. Williams with "Heidi" - morris mn
Click on the image to read Williams family reflections w/ emphasis on UMM.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Tigers dominate foe in wet home opener

The above photo shows the Tigers, wearing the black uniforms, playing offense during the 28-0 win over BOLD Friday at Big Cat Stadium. Photo by B.W.

Morris Area 28, BOLD 0
The Tiger faithful were a hardy lot Friday as their team made its 2010 home debut amidst rain. The intensity of the rainfall varied throughout the game. At times it stopped and at times there was an onslaught.
"Onslaught" also describes what the Morris Area football Tigers did, in the eyes of the visiting BOLD Warriors. BOLD looked pretty meek on this night. They in fact scored zero points while coach Jerry Witt's Tigers rolled up 28. It was a show that certainly compensated for any of the adversity caused by Mother Nature.
Yours truly arrived at the game at halftime and found it to be fun. This is the closest I've been to Tiger football since my career in the legacy media was winding down in 2005. - BW
It was a terrific spectacle at Big Cat Stadium Friday. I got to see a Tiger defense that was just as overpowering as what BOLD's "zero" on the scoreboard suggested.
BOLD was held to just 128 yards running the football and 14 yards in the air.
The Tigers scored in three of the four quarters. Eric Riley, who would be a special force all night, scored on a run from the two to begin the Morris Area scoring in quarter #1. Jordan Fletcher's toe was true for the conversion point. The tone was set for the evening as the heavens spelled "rain" (or mist).
Riley rolled up nearly 200 yards from scrimmage on the night. As a team the Tigers rolled up 306 rushing yards on 43 carries, in this 28-0 win. There were nine pass hookups good for 150 yards. A big chunk of that passing yardage came on a 75-yard scoring play that had Ryan Beyer throwing the football and Eric Riley catching. That big play came in the closing minutes of the first half.
The opening of the second half brought perhaps the most intense rain outburst for a while. But the orange and black faithful were unfazed. Their team had lost its season opener the week before, to a defending state champion. The Friday turnabout in fortunes against a historically stubborn BOLD program was truly savory. BOLD won the previous five meetings between these teams. The Warriors have become a more familiar foe since joining the WCC-South five years ago.
Let's review the four touchdowns that the Tigers scored Friday: Riley had his two-yard scoring scamper in the first quarter. Beyer tossed a 13-yard scoring pass to Mitch Kill in the second quarter, and later in the quarter we had that big 75-yard scoring pass from Beyer to Riley. The last TD came in the third quarter and featured a Beyer pass to Brady Valnes covering three yards.
Fletcher kicked successfully after each of the four scores.
Riley set the pace running the football with his 120 yards on the night, and Tyler Hansen came up just shy of a hundred yards. Tyler's 17 carries netted him 93 yards. Tim Ostby was handed the football six times and this Tiger accelerated for 54 yards.
Fletcher wasn't just a kicking specialist on this night, and his ballcarrying work produced 23 yards on two carries. Three other Tigers each had one carry: Tom Holland (10 yards), Ethan Bruer (three yards) and Cody Hickman (two yards).
Beyer was efficient with his throwing arm, tossing eight completions in 13 attempts for 140 yards. Mitch Kill completed his only attempt for ten yards. The MAHS passing offense was interception-free.
Two Tigers had multiple pass receptions: Ethan Bruer (three catches, 18 yards) and Mitch Kill (two for 41 yards). These Tigers had one catch each: Eric Riley (75 yards), Tyler Hansen (three yards), Tim Ostby (ten yards) and Brady Valnes (three yards).
Hansen and Beyer did the Tigers' punting.
These Tiger defenders achieved quarterback sacks: Tyler Moser, Cody Hickman and Tim Ostby.
Other Friday pigskin action included Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City steamrolling LP-GE 56-0, and Lac qui Parle Valley edging Montevideo in a 16-13 final.

Next: home game vs. Minnewaska Lakers
Odds are we won't see another deluge from the heavens this coming Friday, when another home game is set. Rival Minnewaska Area is coming! Game-time is 7 p.m. at Big Cat.
The Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta volleyball Tigers had mixed fortunes this past week, winning Tuesday over Paynesville 3-0, then getting edged Thursday by Benson, 3-2.
Get in the groove with Tiger spirit for 2010-11!
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

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