Times will get better. We are just having our patience tested, supremely really.
And the pandemic: talk about "inching along!" That would describe the vaccination process. I personally am on the waiting list at SCMC. Hopefully my senior status will help. I'm 66.
Amidst our current challenges we have the satisfaction of following high school sports. The Tigers took the trip south to Thunder Hawk country on Thursday. They were a hair's breadth from victory. They led by one point with eight seconds left. But the home team summoned the focus to wrest the advantage back.
It was Avery Koenen coming to the fore for Monte. Koenen drove to the basket. She succeeded with a shot as time expired. Monte prevailed 55-54. It was a night of coming from behind for the Thunder Hawks. The halftime situation had Monte down by seven, 28-21. Koenen executed sharply throughout the game as she posted the game-best 28 points.
The MACA scoring was topped by LaRae Kram: 19 points. She stood out on the scoring list. She had our only three-pointer. She was complemented by: Maddy Grove (8), Cate Kehoe (7), Sydney Dietz (6), Shannon Dougherty (6), Kaylie Raths (5) and Emma Bowman (3).
Our won-lost record coming out of this game: 3-8. Monte's 8-2.
Koenen clearly stood out on Monte's scoring list. Other T-Hawks who scored: Tenley Epema (9), Hailey Dirksen (9), Teagan Epema (7) and Kassey Pauling (2). Teagan Epema made the only '3' for Monte. Koenen had the team-best seven rebounds.
Annika Randt showed a hot hand shooting for Minnewaska Area Thursday. This Laker's hot hand produced four 3-pointers in a 53-24 win over Benson at 'Waska. Randt's four 3's pushed her point total to 14.
A great many Lakers contributed points. This share-the-wealth proposition included Maddie Thorfinnson with nine points and Isabella Ortendahl with eight. Brecklyn Beyer put in six points. Then we see Addy Randt and Avery Hoeper each with five, Makena Panitzke with three, Olivia Richards 2 and Madalynn Meulebroeck with one.
Annika Randt's four 3-pointers were complemented by one each from Panitzke and Addy Randt. Meulebroeck led the rebounding effort with five. Thorfinnson topped assists with five. Panitzke and Thorfinnson each had four steals. Thorfinnson and Ortendahl each blocked a shot.
This was a matchup of sub-.500 teams: 'Waska has a 3-7 record, Benson 1-9.
Benson had no double figures scorers. Here's the list of the Braves: Mya Kurkosky (7), Marley Rush (4), Madi Wrobleski (4), Susan Knutson (3) and Kimmy Pagel (3). The individual totals from the Willmar paper add up to 21 points, not 24.
These three Lakers each made a '3': Knutson, Kurkosky and Pagel. Marissa Connelly wasn't in the scoring list but she co-led in rebounds with her four. She co-led with Rush. The Lakers were on their way to victory at halftime, up 29-11.
Football in harsh spotlight
We continually get reminders that we ought not cut slack for the sport of football. Warnings have become amplified over several years.
It seems harsh to express skepticism about a sport that is such a fixture in high school life. You feel like you're raining on someone's parade, like you're a stick in the mud, like you're sort of a Grinch (from Christmas).
I remember seeing large posters of MACA football players at the entry at Big Cat Stadium. Very slickly done. Not only does this build enthusiasm for football, it makes the players rather like celebrities on the local level. Even without the serious health concerns connected to the sport, the puffing up of the athletes is questionable.
It has been hard to take a long look at ourselves with our devotion to football. It took time for yours truly to acknowledge the facts in the proper way and to develop an aversion to the sport on the tube. Football has been so imbued in us. Listen to WDAY radio on any given morning and the guys are probably hashing over football.
The players themselves? They probably know full well the dangers of their activity. But the sport showers them with adulation of the kind they'd be hard-pressed to find any other way. They were endowed by the Lord with strength, speed and dexterity. They receive showers of cheers from admiring fans. How could any of us not be influenced by this kind of attention, by society putting such a solid imprimatur on the sport?
Of course, any player's active days come to an end. And then the sobering realization arrives: society is basically done with me unless I can find a new talent to fill the void. Hey, no cheers anymore - I'm no longer the subject on sports talk shows. New names come along, new guys ready to risk their bodies. They risk their bodies and brains, the latter spelling special concern. When your mind is affected, your whole existence is affected.
The death days ago of Vincent Jackson reminds us of all this. Jackson played receiver for the NFL's Chargers and Buccaneers. Just 38 years old, he was found dead in a Florida hotel room. "My NFL brothers continue to die," retired player Ryan Leaf said.
Now we learn Jackson's family has donated his brain to science. The brain is in the hands of Boston University's CTE Center.
What will it take for our high schools to simply find a substitute like soccer for the dangerous game? I advised our Morris Area school board several years ago to "do something." I suggested that at least one brave board member could say something. It appears the climate of thinking is now changing to where most of us can at least listen to these suggestions.
That's how change happens: too slow most of the time. Many people would have sneered at me years ago. I guess I don't care. Fortunately I never had the talent to play football.
I guarantee you, if I had shared my concerns and suggestion with any school board member ten years ago, the immediate response would have been a condescending smile. The smile would be to say "oh how cute, you just don't like football. Well, the rest of us are excited about it!"
Better look out or you'll get run over by the train of progress. That wouldn't look good, considering we're the home to UMM.
My podcast for Feb. 19
Ash Wednesday was two days ago. We think a lot about spirituality this time of year, or ought to. My "Morris Mojo" podcast for today, Friday, puts emphasis on the ELCA synod, its shaky present and how it might stay viable in future - not an easy task. We must be hopeful! Here is the permalink:
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment