Thunder Hawks come out like houseafire

Fortunes took a turn for the MACA Tigers Thursday. I should write that fortunes turned against the Tigers, at least on this night. So the Tigers learned they may have a few areas of their game to work on, this in spite of the steamrolling way they began their 2024-25 campaign. 

The orange and black lost for the first time. Well it's hard to maintain winning success indefinitely. So the bubble burst in the 70-62 loss that coach Jacob Torgerson's squad was dealt. They were dealt the loss by Montevideo. The Thunder Hawks came here to the Tiger Center for this contest. Prior to this game the orange and black had disposed of three opponents in pretty commanding fashion. 

The T-Hawks were unfazed by that. 

My report on the big 68-45 win over Eden Valley-Watkins is on my companion blog of "Morris of Course." I invite you to read with link below. God bless and happy holidays. - BW

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2024/12/maca-boys-own-night-vs-eden-valley.html 

 

"Minnesota Scores" has the wrong score of 75-62 for the Monte game.

MACA will seek to resume winning ways on Saturday, again at home vs. Dawson-Boyd. 

The Tigers really were staggered early in Thursday's game, I mean right at the outset. Holy cow we were down 31-7 at one point. Shiver me timbers. Monte was up at halftime 40-20. 

Four players finished in double figures scoring for the T-Hawks. That charge was led by Brody Dick who put in 19 points. He further contributed with eight rebounds and three steals. Griffin Epema was right behind with his contribution of 18 points along with five rebounds, four assists and six steals. Adam Binsbergen scored 15 points. Gannon Reidinger put in 12, plus he had ten rebounds and four assists. 

Jackson Koenen scored four and Nels Baukol two.

Really, all was not glum for MACA as we outscored Monte 42-30 in the second half. The first half staggered us. Monte and MACA both entered this game at 3-0. A re-match would be most interesting to watch. 

Our Tyson Grove impressed with his four 3-pointers. Uh-oh, the West Central Tribune has "Asmus" making four 3's also, but which Asmus? We have Riley and Alex to consider, both capable of making waves offensively. 

This is something you always have to watch out for as a sportswriter: siblings on a roster. I remember when the MACA girls had two "Holland" girls on the roster and it wasn't even enough to use first initials to separate them! Both had a first name beginning with "B." I caught the WC Tribune at least once using the "B" initial and of course it was no help. 

Newspapers gravitate to using abbreviations because they have limited space in their print product. It's an old ingrained habit. But, in the age of posting sports news online, there is no need to abbreviate anything! The space is unlimited! But newspaper people have a hard time wrapping their arms around that. They can go ahead and type first names of everyone! 

I saw a commentary about the old ways once, about how newspapers stuck with abbreviations even with classified ads when they're online. So we'd see "frplc" for "fireplace." No need to do that at all! 

The Stevens County Times newspaper has unlimited opportunity and space to put sports material online. Of course they don't do that, certainly not for MACA sports and I think that's a shame. Do you agree? You should know that many newspapers out and around are not behaving like this. When the Tigers play on a Tuesday night, why should we wait a full week for the next print edition of the SCT? 

Why don't the coaches get assertive about this, to demand better? Sometimes the explanation is political. If the newspaper publishers are popular around town, people won't listen to somebody like me. Our Morris has been absolutely notorious for this kind of a dynamic over the years. We're kind of a "Peyton Place." I think a lot of people are hardly aware of it. They just want life to proceed in "Petticoat Junction" in its predictable way. Don't make people think too much.

 

MACA stats

Grove and Mr. Asmus (first name not provided) each made four 3-pointers in the losing cause. Tyler Friesen made two shots from behind the arc. Tiernan made one. And it was Tyson Grove leading us in scoring with 16 points. Alex Asmus put in 14 and Riley Asmus 12. Friesen's contribution was eight. Then we see Jonah Huebner with six points, Tiernan with three and Jack Kehoe and Jorge Alejandro Rodriguez each with two. 

It's nice to see some MACA  numbers in the West Central Tribune report on this Friday in holiday-time.

 

Addendum: As far as rolling over and accepting the SCT policy of making everyone wait to BUY the Tuesday print edition, remember that if you're on the school board, you should observe everything from the standpoint of how it benefits the students. This, as opposed to attitudes of "we like the newspaper publishers so let's just allow them to keep raking in profits." Eventually the public sniffs out what's going on, I'll advise you, and there is precedent here in Morris. I won't name names but we had a superintendent long ago who had a gregarious personality but that didn't save him, as the board came to realize that he was too cozy with the local banks. 

I was filled in on the whole story by the late Harold Luthi. Harold and I would often sit at the counter at Atlantic Avenue Family Restaurant. 

Frankly I think the SCT staff should enjoy putting material online. Would build up good will. They shouldn't be scared of doing this. Instead they allow UMM to monopolize the sports link. How do they respond to people who might make this an issue? I have to believe some have. But remember, this is Morris.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com