Tigers fall to Braves in 5AA game, here

Daniel Nelson makes a stop for the Tiger defense. (Photos by B.W.)
Jordan Staples pursues the Benson QB.
Tim Ostby aims for more rushing yardage.

Benson 30, Tigers 14 (5AA quarter-finals)

The Benson Braves came on strong in the middle two quarters Tuesday evening at Big Cat Stadium. There was a slight feel of early-winter in the air but overall the conditions were pleasant.

Benson scored 14 points in the second quarter and 16 in the third. The host MACA Tigers, the slight on-paper favorite, scored six points in the first quarter and eight in the fourth. Add these numbers up and you get Benson winning 30-14.

Thus the MACA season of 2011 is done. It ends in an anticlimactic way because the Tigers seemed so fueled by momentum coming down the home stretch of the schedule. Not only were the Tigers winning, they were winning with a dramatic flourish.

But no such magic emerged to lift them Tuesday in the face of the Matt Ahrndt-led Benson crew. Ahrndt is a supremely gifted quarterback.

Scott Gonnerman, a UMM product, is coach of the Braves and on this night he out-dueled fellow former Cougar Jerry Witt.

The first quarter ended with Morris Area Chokio Alberta having assumed a 6-0 lead. That initial MACA score came on a six-yard pass from Jake Torgerson to Chandler Erickson. The Tigers tried a pass on the conversion and were unsuccessful.

The early glimmer of hope for MACA subsided in the second and third quarters. Turnovers hurt. Logan Connelly returned an interception 33 yards for Bensons' first touchdown. Jacob Huston kicked the point-after.

Ahrndt clicked with pass-catcher Luke Schwarz for Benson's second score. Schwarz reached the end zone on a 22-yard pass, and this score was followed by another successful Huston PAT kick.

Huston began the second half scoring with a 27-yard field goal.

Benson continued taking command of this playoff game with a two-yard TD run that had Ahrndt clutching the football. Huston's toe was true again for the point-after.

Benson's final score came on an Ahrndt one-yard carry. This time the PAT try was no good.

MACA got its point total up to 14 when Torgerson passed ten yards to Erickson, and Torgerson passed for two points to Logan Manska.

Torgerson on the whole had his struggles on this night, untypical for him, as his stats showed nine completions in 23 attempts for 117 yards and four interceptions. His receivers were Jordan Staples, Erickson, Manska and Tom Holland.

Tim Ostby was tops in rushing with 19 carries for 74 yards. Staples had eight carries for 35 yards.

Tanner Picht did the Tigers' punting. Zach Gibson had a fumble recovery. Picht had a quarterback sack. Standouts on the tackle chart were Holland, Picht and Connor Metzger.

This game was in the 5AA quarter-finals. Benson advances to play BOLD this Saturday night, 10/29.

The Tigers end the 2011 campaign with a 5-4 record.

A personal note:

This was my second season covering Tiger football since my hiatus from journalism. It was enjoyable but there was a down note.

I rely on other media, mostly, for the raw information that I use in writing my posts. The other media can be very fallible.

There is a regional newspaper that purports to cover the Tigers along with other area teams. There may have been a time when this system was the best available to share game information broadly. Remember Bruce Strand? Those were the good old days.

The problem with this newspaper's system is that it largely relies on home team coaches calling in information. Often it seems to work. But when it fails it can fail badly. We saw the undesirable scenario during the 2011 season.

I appreciate the MACA coach who contacted me to make sure I could at least correct a couple of the more glaring errors after a game. There was another game review where I could spot two problems just in my initial reading. This is disheartening.

I have already suggested to a Morris Area school board member that our school strongly assert a policy of having game information reported only from our own coaching staff. Our athletes deserve it. Online would be the reporting vehicle. The particulars would be worked out with time.

Obviously there would be a link or links on the school website. Eventually we'll probably see advertising on the school website. Nationally this is happening.

Why not keep advertising dollars here, in our own community and helping our school? Coaches have to deal with media relations no matter how it's done. So there's a time investment regardless. Having the information processed here means quality control which is what our student athletes deserve.

Don't think of all this stuff as "work." A lot of it is fun.

It would also be nice to hear the pep band a little more in the future. What about cheerleading? How about a male/female "cheer team?"

Thanks to Boe and Tina DeToy for their post-game receptions for players and fans at their DeToy's Restaurant.

Cross Country: Tigers first to the chute

An MACA Tiger won the individual championship in both the boys and girls divisions of the WCC-South cross country meet. Those titles were enjoyed by fans lining the course at our Pomme de Terre Golf Course.

Runners from around the conference came here on Tuesday, Oct. 18, for the big and colorful spectacle.

The orange and black got to the finish line first in the boys and girls races. It was Roy Reese entering the finish chute No. 1 in the boys race. His time: 17:36.0. Teammate Aaron Goulet was No. 2 with his 17:53.0.

The MACA boys as a team were second behind the purple-clad Montevideo crew. There were six teams in the running.

Reese and Goulet were joined in the MACA effort by Beau Keimig (8th place, 18:28.0), Greg Anderson (11th, 18:41.0) and Brody Bahr (13th, 19:02.0).

Makenzie Smith continued her top-flight running in the girls race, getting into the chute with her first place time of 15:36. The MACA girls had a fourth place team showing.

The champion girls team was from LQPV-DB.

Also running for Morris Area Chokio Alberta were: Rachel Rausch (14th place, 17:34), Julia Sauder (24th, 18:42), Becca Holland (26th, 18:58), Adrianela Mendez (31st, 19:56) and Tahni Jungst (32nd, 19:57).

Volleyball: Tigers dealt setbacks

The fall break week wasn't kind to the MACA volleyball team. The Tigers were swept on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 17 and 18.

Sauk Centre came at the Tigers with a relentless offense in the Monday action. The Streeters prevailed by scores of 25-13, 25-7 and 25-16.

Terianne Itzen was the most productive hitter for MACA with 29 good in 30 attempts and five aces. She and Katie Holzheimer did the setting, following the usual script.

Paige Schieler and Holzheimer each had an ace block. Mikaela Henrichs led in digs with 15 followed by Itzen with eight. Courtney Ehleringer had eleven good serves in as many attempts and chalked up an ace.

Nicole Strobel and Itzen each had a serving ace.

The Tuesday volleyball story had the Tigers playing conference champion BOLD in Olivia. There would be no turning back the kingpin Warriors on this night.

The Warriors made another strong statement in WCC-South play, downing the Tigers by scores of 25-21, 25-21 and 25-17. It was their eleventh conference win against one loss. In 2010 their conference mark was 12-0, so it's quite a run of success there.

They had too many weapons for the Tigers to overcome Tuesday.

Paige Schieler got in with the setting to join Itzen and Holzheimer. In hitting Itzen was at the fore with her 33 good in 38 attempts and eight aces. She and Sydney Engebretson each had an ace block. Henrichs was at the fore in digs with her 20. Katie Holzheimer showed an aggressive flair at the serving line, chalking up five ace serves.

But it was BOLD with the superior overall attack.
The post-season is next and the Tigers' initial foe will be Benson at Benson.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com