Boys overcome Trojans' box-and-one defense

Weather loomed with potential to nix the high school sports events on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The thumbs-up was given for the home MACA boys game.
Ortonville is an annual non-conference opponent. The game gives us an opportunity to renew our acquaintance with the Fellows family. The Tigers hosted and defeated the Trojans of Ortonville in this hoops play. The score was 63-56.
Coach Mark Torgerson was pleased to see an upped caliber of play from when his team fell to Lac qui Parle Valley. Four days after the disappointment vs. LQPV, MACA was solid in its execution, solid enough that we overcame the mere three points scored by our Eric Staebler, typically a scoring standout!
Senior captain Staebler had gotten the attention of Ortonville in pre-game preparations. The Trojans came at the Tigers with a box-and-one defense targeting Staebler, the center. Staebler's three points was his career low, but surely he was happy for the winning outcome.
"It was up to the other Tiger players to step it up for the win," coach Torgerson said.
Robert Rohloff helped pick up the slack for Staebler's diminished scoring. Robert put in 16 points, his career-best. But it was Sean Amundson posting the team-best point total: 19. Camden Arndt, freshman forward, gave spark with his nine points and ten rebounds. Torgerson was quick to note that Staebler was hardly dormant in this game, as he contributed 13 rebounds, eight assists and four steals. These three stats were team highs.
The first half had a close complexion until the closing stages when MACA went on a nifty run. We led 32-23 at the halfway mark.
"Fast-break points were a key to the Tigers gaining the lead going into the locker room," Torgerson said. "In the second half the Trojans battled back in the game with an abundance of three-pointers."
Britton Conroy emerged as a Trojan with real impact. Conroy is a junior forward and he was quite dead-on with his long-range shooting. Four of his game-total six 3-pointers were in the second half. Close to the hoop it was Nate Treinen having impact for the visitor. Together, Conroy and Treinen spurred an Ortonville comeback effort that had our home fans a little nervous. Oh my, the score was tied 50-all with just under six minutes left!
"From there, the Tigers' Sean Amundson led the way with his drives to the basket, and the Tigers held on for the win," Torgerson reported.
Conroy had a game-total 19 points while fellow Trojan Treinen had 18. Here's the Morris Area Chokio Alberta scoring rundown: Amundson (19), Rohloff (16), Arndt (9), Jacob Zosel (7), Philip Anderson (6), Lukus Manska (3) and Eric Staebler (3). Three Tigers each made one 3-pointer: Rohloff, Amundson and Manska. We made ten of 18 freethrow attempts.
 

Goodbye to "The Snake"

Ken Stabler has gone to a better place. The old lefty quarterback doesn't have to worry about getting splitting headaches now. His brain was examined after his recent death. Add his name to the sad list of former football players with advanced signs of CTE. It's the result of brain trauma resulting from playing the game of football.
Are we getting the message? Let's all boycott this coming Sunday's Super Bowl game. How can we continue supporting this barbaric sport? It's unconscionable. I was in denial for a while about this. It is hard letting go of a sport we have enjoyed for so long.
Let's fight the addiction. Plan something special to do on Sunday, so you aren't even tempted to watch it. How easy it would be for all of us to live without football. Once we have accomplished this recovery, and found better ways to spend our Sunday time, we will wonder how we ever fell under that spell in the first place.
Ken "The Snake" Stabler, RIP. You picked apart our Vikings in the Super Bowl. I could not care less about that now. It's sad you became a casualty.

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