I personally have traveled along I-29 many times, would listen to the old Garner Ted Armstrong radio show. This was in the 1970s. These days I try to stay put.
But what an adventure the MACA fans had last night up north. Absolutely, totally unforgettable. The Tigers were playing the high-quality Green Wave team of East Grand Forks. So East Grand Forks is separate from the main Grand Forks. The Wave had a win skein of three going. These three wins were over Perham (13-9), Fergus Falls (17-14) and Thief River Falls (23-14). Their season had started out with a 33-7 win over Crookston.
So this was an oft-potent team that the Tigers were facing. The Tigers have shown to date that they can score a lot of points but also give up a fair number. How would they fare in their big Friday test? Incredible: we won at the end with the final score 15-14. We snatched victory from the jaws of looming defeat. I can imagine the exhilarated feelings of MACA fans on the long ride home.
MACA has a 4-2 record now, 3-2 in conference. We're doing well as road warriors, now with a 3-1 showing in road games. We're 1-1 at Big Cat Stadium. We now have two games remaining. Next up: Perham at home on Friday. Then it's Fergus Falls on the 18th, Wednesday, also at home. We hope the weather facilitates.
What a game!
Now let's plunge into the most satisfying details of the Tigers' 15-14 win at EGF. A poised quarterback Drew Huebner connected with an equally poised receiver Riley Asmus with just four seconds left. Asmus made his catch in the back of the end zone. This was a 30-yard completion.
But we're still not on top with the score. We'd need to grind things out some more. So we lined up for our essential conversion play. Essential for tying the score? It could have been that way with a conversion kick attempt. But no, the orange and black lined up for two!
Going for the win! You know that if this had failed, the second-guessers would be out. I'm sure the old Vikings' coach the late Bud Grant would have gone for two! In that spirit, our coach "went for it" along with his totally focused group of Tigers. They weren't about to make the long trip home having been denied.
Coach Pope called for the offense to be "spread out wide." The pigskin got handed to Owen Anderson. The run went "up the middle." Failure on a play like this would no doubt bring hand-wringing by our fans. A run up the middle? But the coach is a wiser person than I. His scheme worked. Anderson's run worked.
The play was strategic but most of all, the kids executed. Two points for the Tigers! A win in the final 15-14 score. Incredible!
Coach Pope said he did not hesitate in making the decision to go for two. "Two to win," he commented to a newspaper reporter. "You're on the road. We have faith in the guys."
I believe Tulane University also goes by the "Green Wave" nickname. The EGF facility is called "Senior High Field."
Our fans had some worry late in the game that the EGF offensive line was wearing us down. This looked to be a factor as EGF scored on a two-yard run on third and goal by Clyde Anderson. At this point we are down 14-7. The time remaining: 67 seconds.
The kick return had no promise for us, as it was short, so we took over at our 30. No timeouts remaining for us! Goodness! The Tigers advanced big on the second play with a 29-yard pass, Huebner to Jackson Hallman. It was an over-the-middle pass. Now the ball is at the EGF 38.
Huebner-to-Hallman worked again for eight yards. Not entirely good news because the clock kept running. This was because Hallman was stopped short of a first down.
The Tigers assembled for a rushed final snap. Paydirt! Huebner sent the ball in the air a fair ways. Meanwhile Asmus found himself double-covered. Recipe for failure? It was a recipe for success. Asmus is a 6 feet-4 sophomore. The EGF defenders collided with each other. Asmus gathered in the precious pigskin at the very rear of the end zone.
Drama enough, but the Tigers would have to succeed on the two-point conversion. Owen Anderson finished things off to put this key game in the win column.
The MACA volleyball team won by sweep over Benson on Thursday. Please click on permalink below to read my wrap on "Morris of Course." Thanks so much and God bless.
Surveying local media
I am finishing my first draft of this post on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. So what are the other media doing on the Tigers' big game? It's nothing but fun to write about this, isn't it? Just my opinion.
The kmrs site has a heading "Friday night high school football." And what do we get? Scores. Just scores. What a letdown. Shall I even check the Morris newspaper website? I will waste a few seconds doing so. Yawn, you know what I find there, nothing but UMM. People need to start getting on the paper about this. We see "Volleyball rocks North Central." Obviously UMM. UMM has its own totally go-to website with all the bells and whistles. So strange how our local commercial media just chooses to duplicate that. A real head-scratcher.
The Morris print paper only comes out once a week.
Our MACA athletes ought to be front-center. Even if the coverage is not always perfect or timely, just give it a try. Just "riff" a little. The commercial media outfits have people who are paid to do this.
So my role is what? An independent unattached journalist? Well so what. People might say "Well you're not with the paper any more." Well so? Today's upperclassmen were born at about the time I left the Morris paper.
Just because I left does not mean my brain cells have deserted me for writing. I hope some local people are aware of what I do. Further, I wouldn't mind getting some formal acknowledgment sometime. Maybe this is drastic but I wouldn't mind getting a mention at the fall sports banquet/program. Like in the old days? Someone told me Jerry Witt did this once after I left the paper.
I really poured it on with coverage of MAHS Homecomings. Oh, C-A too! I still have vim and vigor today.
Addendum: I mentioned being very familiar with I-29 from my travels in the 1970s. I did that in my 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado, perhaps the greatest car ever made! Our family acquired it from the late Bill Dripps. You see a photo of it below. I pose with my mother Martha. This was during the "disco times" of the 1970s. You had to be there to understand the decade. For example, "The Gong Show."
Note my "1970s look."
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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