The MACA girls soared up to win No. 16 with a most impressive win over the
Falcons of ACGC. Coach Dale Henrich's crew entered mid-week with an overall
record of 16-7, 12-2 in conference.
The Tuesday success over ACGC was by a score of 77-36 at home.
Fans of the orange and black cheered early and often as they watched their
team assume a 42-17 halftime lead. The game seemed over. MACA applied finishing
touches in the second half, displaying the same caliber of play as in the first.
The MACA scoring advantage was by 35-19 in the second half. The Tigers roared!
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City is having a down season - just two wins.
It isn't too early to start thinking about the post-season. In the
meantime, though, the conference race deserves our attention. The Tigers are in
the ranks of the West Central-North. Their 12-2 record obviously puts them at or
near the top. Sauk Centre entered Tuesday at 12-1 in conference, and Monte owned
a 13-2 mark.
We'll be hosting New London-Spicer tonight (Thursday). We hope the home
surroundings will be just as friendly as on Tuesday.
On Tuesday the success came in spite of one made three-pointer in six
tries. Beth Holland had the make. Beth had a hot hand offensively and topped the
team scoring list with 24 points. Abbie Olson was No. 2 with her 15 points.
The list continues as follows: Rebekah Aanerud (8), Becca Holland (6),
Lacee Maanum (6), Lauren Reimers (5), Nicole Strobel (4), Correy Hickman (2),
Liz Tiernan (2), Kayla Pring (2), Kaitlin Vogel (2) and Moira McNally (1).
Indeed it was a night for many Tigers to get into the scoring action.
Olson topped the rebounding with six followed by Strobel and Maanum each
with four. Olson also led in assists with three followed by four Tigers each
with two: Reimers, Beth Holland, Becca Holland and Strobel.
Reimers played aggressively and picked up eight steals. Becca Holland
shadowed the Falcons and picked up seven steals. Olson stole the ball three
times.
The Tigers put up 75 field goal attempts and made 30. The freethrow stats
were 16 of 28.
The Falcons had a bright spot in the three-point shooting of Jacey Nelson.
Jacey had four makes from beyond the three-point arc - pretty nifty. She scored
a team-best 16 points. Kendra Miller and Marlee Lee each made one '3'.
Miller and Lee each scored six points. Bailey Klinghagen put in four
points. Katie Peterson and Payton Wilner each scored two points.
Boys: Tigers 68, Minnewaska 57
The MACA boys surged after a halftime deficit to
upend the host Minnewaska Area Lakers. MACA trailed by three at halftime, 36-33,
in this Tuesday, Feb. 18, action.
Could the Tigers summon come-from-behind form as the visitor? Coach Mark
Torgerson had considerable reason to smile in the second half. He coaxed his
team to the superior position. MACA outscored the Lakers 35-21 in the second
half. Thus they won in the 68-57 final.
It was the ninth win for the orange and black.
The Tigers had to survive horrific three-point shooting: just one make in
ten tries! It was Noah Grove who had that make. The Tigers were 32 of 52 in
total field goals. In freethrows their numbers were three of eight.
Eric Staebler and Noah Grove each had five rebounds. Grove was tops in
assists with seven. Grove and Staebler each had two steals as did Andrew Goulet.
Staebler is the Tigers' sophomore center and he can go on a tear
offensively. He came at the Lakers with 30 points scored. Noah Grove was second
best on the team list with 20. Nathan Anderson put in 12 points.
These three Tigers each scored two points: Bryce Jergenson, Jacob Zosel and
CJ Nagel.
While the Tigers were putting up bricks from three-point distance, 'Waska
was doing quite fine in that department, making eight of 17. These Lakers each
made two 3's: Austin Ostrander, Austin VerSteeg and Jayden Beecher. Riley
Thompson and Matt McIver each made one '3'.
It was Ostrander leading the Lakers in scoring with 21 points. No other
Laker scored in double figures. Thompson scored nine points, and VerSteeg and
Beecher each scored eight. Matt McIver scored six points, Thorin Erickson three
and Alex Elwood two.
Ostrander snared seven rebounds, and Beecher led 'Waska in assists with
five.
'Waska was 22 of 47 in total field goals and five of seven in freethrows.
The Tigers entered mid-week with a 9-14 overall record, 6-8 in conference.
The 'Waska numbers: 10-13 overall, 6-9 in conference.
A sensitive topic
I indicated recently that I would be writing no further on this matter
involving the MAHS principal. I'm not sure I can remain distanced. Morris High
School has been a journalistic priority of mine since I was 16 years old.
I have seen our public school deal with various controversies over time.
Wally Behm was never in a bind like what we see now. Ol' Wally was the principal
for the boomer generation in Morris. Thus he has an iconic position in our
memories.
The boomers swarmed in the MHS hallways in their teeming numbers, in a time
when school amenities were fewer than today. Students who today would get
"special education" attention had to make do, to survive, amidst the regular
student body, and in many cases this might have been to their benefit. They
escaped the stigma of needing special attention. In some cases, of course, that
special attention was probably warranted.
There was no Morris FFA when I was in high school!
The high school building included only grades 10 through 12. The younger
kids were in that old building. We had a junior high and then a middle school
although I'm told that legally speaking, we never had a "middle school," and by
the same token we were never legally recognized as "Morris-Donnelly," even
though the press reports referred to "Morris-Donnelly." It was a gentleman's
agreement. There is no such thing as gentleman's agreements anymore. Everything is
legal today.
Today our high school principal is the focus of legal charges that could
send him to prison for many years. Except that I'd be willing to bet he doesn't
serve a single day. The circumstances leading to these charges seem too murky.
If Nancy Grace of HLN were to read the most recent newspaper account of
what happened that night, she'd laugh this case right off the TV screen. The
story strains credulity. There is too much ambiguity. There was alcohol
involved, a factor that law enforcement usually has no tolerance for. And yet,
law enforcement won't cite alcohol as a clouding factor making stiff legal
charges unreasonable
People do stupid things. We may have a stupid principal. We may have a
stupid police department. But it's terrible to see the continuity of the school
year so completely disrupted. Kids are going to be hurt by this, even if school
officials won't admit it. You can't simply lose your high school principal in
such abrupt fashion and see no negative consequences.
Is he still on "paid administrative leave?" How much longer can be stay on
paid leave before the school can sever its ties to him? The legal system can
move slowly.
Does the system allow for charges to be dismissed on the day of the
pre-trial hearing? Even so, can the community now welcome the principal back? What if
he's convicted but wins on appeal? Can he sue for back pay?
Perhaps I shouldn't be writing any more about this. But what the heck? I
have no job, no friends, no future. I might as well share what's on my
mind.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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