Benson couldn't summon much of a challenge against our MACA Tigers Friday night (1/30). The Braves are groping to find a competitive stance. Meanwhile the Tigers are showing lots of pluses with their play.
Coach Dale Henrich's Tigers achieved their eighth win at the expense of the Braves. The score was 58-22 in front of an appreciative home crowd. Benson was held to nine points in the second half. The game's complexion slowed down in the second half.
The Tigers own a 6-2 conference record.
We had a share-the-wealth type of offense in the win over the Braves. Liz Tiernan topped the scoring list with her ten points. Lauren Reimers, fresh at the thousand-point scoring plateau for her career, scored nine. Becca Holland was right behind with eight, and Correy Hickman scored six. Four Tigers each scored four points: Courtney Storck, Tracy Meichsner, Kayla Pring and Nicole Solvie. Three Tigers each added two points to the mix: Moira McNally, Lacee Maanum and Madi Wevley. Piper Gibson put in one point.
Here we go again: These point totals add up to 56 points, not 58, but that's how it was reported in the ragged West Central Tribune newspaper of Willmar.
Holland made two 3-point shots and Reimers made one. McNally was tops in rebounds with six followed by Pring and Hickman each with five. Reimers led in assists with four and in steals with four.
When the final horn sounded, the orange and black had clear command with the final score of 58-22.
Our field goal shooting numbers were 23 of 58. In freethrows the stats were nine of 12. The halftime score was 38-13. The squad has a Saturday game set for today (1/31) against West Central Area.
Benson's scoring was topped by Krista Motzko with six points. Hannah Ricard scored five followed by Amanda Nissen (4), Addie Forbord (3), Danielle Himley (2) and Rachel Lee (2).
Forbord made a three-pointer to give a little feeling of spark in the face of a bleak offense. Programs all go through this sort of thing once in a while. Better days will come.
Samantha Payne was Benson's top rebounder with six, and Motzko had four. Motzko executed a steal. Alas, Benson is winless. The first modest goal will be to get one win. Eventually Yellow Medicine East football won a game. (That was against our Tigers, sigh.)
Eating while driving: an offense?
Did you catch that news item recently where the guy got a citation from police for eating a cheeseburger while driving? I guess this is perceived as a form of distracted driving. I suppose it's possible to get overly involved with a snack while driving.
I wonder if this case is really egregious. Would the ticket have been issued if the motorist were a woman? Or a senior citizen? Males in theirs 20s through 40s - oh heck, into their 50s - seem the most prime target. Such was the status of the driver I'm reporting on.
We're all concerned about distracted driving. Certainly there are serious forms. A big problem here is how broad the term "distracted driving" can be. It's highly subjective. Capricious?
I tend to get my gas at Casey's. Often I'll get a slice of pizza before driving off. And, I'll take some bites as I drive slowly over the 4-5 blocks on my way to the next destination. Often I'll stop at Willie's because that's on the way home. I'll take the last few bites of the pizza slice in the Willie's parking lot. It appears that I will now have to keep an eye out for the police as I'm en route. I wonder if driving with one hand will come to be viewed as an offense.
There have been rumors going back a couple years about how pets will have to be put in carriers, or else. The rumors have suggested very large fines. Unless we the public rise up to stop such trends - trends of overzealous law enforcement - we're going to develop a complex as we set out to drive. Aggressive law enforcement spells money that supports the agencies who give out these tickets, often in an onerous way. I mean, many of these citations in a previous age would have been seen as nit-picking.
Oh, but we must maximize safety, right? Really? Is that your standard? Well, then we'll have to make requirements more rigid for renewing our driver's license. Make the eye exam more demanding. Do you know how much anxiety this would cause for older drivers?
The simple fact is, there are many drivers out there who for a variety of reasons aren't 100 percent attentive or competent for driving a car. We get old. We can be short on sleep. We can be taking medications. We may have consumed a beer or two with a pizza meal, which means that if police pull you over for some reason, like a burned out headlight, you'll have a heart attack, or maybe you'll be tempted to flee like that assistant Stevens County attorney. That individual is now deceased.
The best example of overzealous law enforcement is the seat belt thing.
Many of us might have to start considering a car-free lifestyle. More senior citizens might have to be forced to consider this. The ideal will be "safety" - that mantra that gives cover for law enforcement to give out tickets as if it's a scourge from god.
Just watch what happens if more seniors are forced off the road. Their children will rise up and scream about how older adults need to be allowed to continue with reasonable independence. But wait, what about "safety?" It's really a bunch of hooey. Eating while driving? Be careful. Pet in the car? Be careful. Most of all, be very careful every time you see a police car (or a school bus). The cops will be looking to get you for some minor reason.
Cash registers ring for law enforcement.
- Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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