The MACA football Tigers are done with the 2021 season. They traveled to Pierz on Saturday for their second playoff contest. It did not go as well as the first. They were stopped by the Pierz Pioneers, score of 29-6, in evening football.
The crowd at Pierz cheered their team's balanced rushing attack: three ballcarriers with over 100 yards. They cheered lustily for their team's kicker too, an exchange student from Germany.
Pierz was the No. 2 seed in Section 6AAA while our Tigers were No. 3. So on paper it looked to be a close game. But we succumbed to the three-pronged rushing attack of the Pioneers: Trevor Radunz (15 carries, 119 yards), Reese Young (15-114) and Jacob LeBlanc (14-100). Zac Jones and Derek Stangl carried for a few extra yards.
The Tigers had to watch the ball sail through the uprights as Pierz kicker Linus Heidemann excelled. The assortment of weapons was too much. And Pierz emerged from the night with its seventh win against three losses. Now their playoff task will be to play New London-Spicer, the No. 4 seed, on Friday. MACA has a final won-lost of 6-4.
Pierz rushed for 351 yards on 51 carries, compared to the MACA numbers of 166 yards, 33 carries. We put the ball in the air more often: 20 times of which there were seven completions, no INTs, for 80 yards. I have scant individual stat info for MACA because my main info source is the Brainerd Dispatch. Our kmrs-kkok site reports that Durgin Decker rushed for 94 yards and a TD on 15 carries, and Brandon Jergenson completed eleven of 18 passes for 78 yards.
The two completed passes by Pierz were caught by Isaac Walcheski and Kirby Fischer.
Yes, the passing game was minimal for Pierz, but it was a five-yard pass that netted the Pioneers' first score: Winschler to Walcheski. Also in the first quarter, Pierz struck for six on a Radunz one-yard run. Bring on the kicker! Linus Heidemann kicked the point-after.
That's sort of cute: a player named "Linus" kicking the ball through the uprights on Halloween weekend! Remember ""Linus" and the "Great Pumpkin?"
Saturday was overall a time to shine for this young man from Germany. He kicked three field goals which is a rarity for a high school game. His reliable toe also generated two extra points. His toe generated eleven points in all, a stat that broke the school record for most points in a game by a kicker. The previous mark of ten was set in 2003. It isn't often we see a kicker with a major presence in a prep game. It's exciting to see IMHO. I remember a Morris kicker whose last name was Schaefer who kicked soccer-style.
So the first quarter ended with the Pioneers up 13-6. We'd be outscored 16-0 the rest of the way. Nine of the 16 points came from Heidemann and his kicking. His three field goals
were from 36, 26 and 22 yards. There was also a fourth quarter rushing touchdown by LeBlanc, eleven yards. And yes, Heidemann kicked the conversion to wrap the night's scoring.
Heidemann is from Ofen, Germany. A headline from October 23: "German exchange student in Pierz turns heads with impressive football kicking skills." His host family is Zak and Sara Otremba. Linus has an older brother, Hannes, who was an exchange student in Ohio a few years ago.
Linus was discouraged he wasn't going to be able to play soccer, he was quoted saying in the "Hometown Source" article by Sheila Bergren. No soccer, maybe, but a golden opportunity to showcase an effective kicking toe in football! We hope he has continued success as play continues vs. New London-Spicer, 7 p.m. Friday.
Remember the charming story line of "Linus" and the "Great Pumpkin?" "The Great Pumpkin" is an unseen character in the comic strip "Peanuts" by Charles Schulz. According to Linus Van Pelt, the Great Pumpkin is a supernatural figure who rises from the pumpkin patch on Halloween evening and flies around bringing toys to sincere and believing children. The Great Pumpkin was first mentioned in the strip on October 26, 1959.
Linus Heidemann with his host family, Zak and Sara Otremba and dog "Neeko." Photo by Sheila Bergren of "Hometown Source." The Otrembas have no children of their own.
Cross country
MACA cross country runners placed fifth in the girls division of the Section 6A meet, held Friday at Minnewaska Golf Club. The MACA boys placed eighth. Our Hailey Werk was the No. 10 female runner. Meredith Carrington placed 17th and Kendal Fischer 33rd.
For the boys, we saw Gavin Stallman in 25th, Matt Giese 42nd and Charlie Hanson 53rd.
Staples-Motley topped the team standings in both gender divisions. Also advancing to state: the West Central Area boys and Minnewaska Area girls. The individual section champs were Landon Kampsen of Sauk Centre and Caroline Kehne of LP-GE.
Swimming/diving
Our "Gators" of the pool world took third place in the conference meet. Making all-conference were three swimmers and one diver. Congrats to Shannon Dougherty (second in 100 free and 50 free), Audrey Dorweiler (second in 100 butterfly) and McKenzie Luetmer (second in 200 free), along with Clare Barnstuble who was second in diving.
The softball complex
The softball complex on east edge of town is on my regular walking/bicycling route. So I can't help notice the progress or lack of same, on developing the place. I have been highly critical in the past. Well so what? The developers could step in and do something super-special at any time. But it just isn't happening.
How long ago was it, when the school board voted in less-than-unanimous fashion to release an additional $220,000 toward this undertaking? Several months ago? When will we see some tangible steps forward? Even one or two? How about one? I have noticed no new work.
I realize that Morris has a long-time reputation for apathy, but don't you all even care about your money? A long winter is upcoming. Then what? Softball action begins as soon as conditions are barely adequate. So, will construction efforts get going at that time, in early spring? Wouldn't fall have been a much more opportune time? I mean, when the place isn't even being used?
Many of us are assuming that the severe parking issues are going to be addressed somehow. Somehow. . . Mark Ekren has made a public statement about this. I believe he said "someone's gonna get run over." Pretty direct words. What has been done to ease the safety concerns? I thought I saw barricades on one day, and then no more, so vehicles got back to flooding the grassy area in a haphazard way.
And my God, the rows of parked vehicles on both sides of Prairie Lane, going out toward the bypass. And if this situation is seen again with night games being undertaken at the new fields, the dangers will be greatly increased.
My opinions started out with focus on the horribly poor fan seating provisions at the new varsity field. What are visiting fans going to think when they come here for games?
So, I shared some of my concerns about the non-progress with a well-known community leader with whom I often break bread. I won't publicly name him, but I don't see why I shouldn't. I suppose I'd be getting him associated with my pronouncements, but I'm just sharing frank opinions. I'm not just kow-towing to the community's intelligentsia or whatever you want to call it.
My friend stated the following: "I am told there may yet be some fall action on the new softball fields. We shall see."
Addendum: At one time I was assured during an informal contact with Marshall Hoffman (or "Marshall Tucker" as a friend and I refer to him) that "we'll keep reporting on this." Yes, the softball complex. I took that to mean the radio station might pin people down more on what will happen there. That was just my interpretation, but I haven't seen what I was coming to expect.
Remember when Marshall interviewed Jeff Backer and Backer announced he wasn't getting the vaccine? Backer gave some lame background where he argued that maybe he had natural immunity, based on being "tired" for a short time, as I recall. Had I been the interviewer, I would have pressed him to the point I would have seemed argumentative. That would have been the logical and courageous thing to do. But sometimes you're walking on eggshells in small town media.
I might make assertions like "you don't get vaccinated just for yourself, you do it for the people around you." People have died locally from covid, so it's a supremely serious matter.
Had Marshall (Tucker) did what I would have wanted him to do, Backer would have courteously finished the interview and then he would have contacted the station manager to say he would never do an interview with that person again. The manager's stance would then be, to put the heat on Marshall rather than on the pain-in-the-butt interviewee. Because that's just the way life is sometimes. Marshall might get marginalized. He might have to mosey on.
Backer speaks for local Republicans who don't like having their ideas challenged for any reason. Yours truly has been marginalized. I deal with that every day, even in the low-profile lifestyle I have now. I once had to fight a local union (the teachers). Certain people will read this and laugh at me. Just keep following the script.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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