It was the Tigers prevailing in this, their last regular season game for the 2019-20 slate. It was a game organized into quarters and not halves. Halves is the Minnesota system. I'm not sure why it matters so much.
Anyway, the Tigers took control pretty well early-on, as we led 22-13 at the end of one quarter. Somehow the Redmen clamped down on us in quarter No. 2, in which we scored a mere three points. Sisseton scored 14, but after that the first quarter complexion returned for quarter No. 3. The Tigers outscored the Redmen 17-8. The fourth quarter story was a 16-12 Sisseton advantage, not enough to bring the host victory. So we won in the 54-51 final.
"Redmen" might be seen as an objectionable nickname in today's environment. But it probably has the blessing of area residents, a fair number of whom are indigenous people who give a sense of identity. That has been my understanding.
I remember when Carthage College of Wisconsin came to UMM for a football game and an issue was raised with their "Redmen" name. UMM is a place where such issues are likely to be raised. Indigenous people have a distinctive role in our campus's past. Carthage does not have the rationale of acknowledging natives in this way.
I remember writing about the little dust-up here. I remember speaking with a local clergy person who resented the issue being made by UMM-oriented people. Agree or not, many reasonable people will say a team nickname is such a benign thing, just leave well enough alone. Wasn't it like pulling teeth, to say the least, to get UND to drop "Fighting Sioux?" I wrote about that too when it was a big imbroglio.
It's the kind of thing where, much of the time, I can see both sides. I guess when in doubt, just adopt a "cats" nickname. When the NFL expanded to Carolina and Jacksonville, both new teams coined "cat" names.
I would never suggest that a Native American nickname be worth fighting for. I still wonder about the Benson Braves. They have hung in there with little to no controversy. I think it's understood that no harm was ever intended. Benson is just a small school so why subject them to the hassle of changing name/mascot, because it's a true hassle involving more expense than you might think.
One can assume that Sisseton adopted "Redmen" as a gesture of genuine pride and not in homage to old movie westerns. Notre Dame's "Fighting Irish" reflects died-in-the-wool pride. Sisseton's symbol or logo on "Maxpreps" is of a Native American with headdress in fact.
Tigers 54, Sisseton 51
The Redmen of Sisseton did in fact put up a fine battle vs. our cat-themed MACA team on Monday. Our Tigers overcame their mysterious slump of the second quarter. A player like Jackson Loge can help a team overcome lots of lapses. Loge poured in 35 points this time. He made 12 of 21 shots from the field, 57 percent.
No other Tigers scored in double figures but Thomas Tiernan came close with nine. Teirnan made three of six shots. The rest of the team only supplied spare change offensively. Toby Gonnerman, a former Benson Brave, and Cade Fehr each scored four points and Durgin Decker had two. Our team field goal numbers were 19-for-39, 49 percent.
In 3-pointers we made four of 15 with Tiernan having three of the makes and Loge the other. Our freethrows ended up pretty important. Here we see 12 of 15 numbers with Loge having ten of the makes (in 13 attempts) and Decker the other two. Loge had three offensive rebounds and 13 defensive for 16 total.
Fehr snared three rebounds, all on the defensive boards. Our rebound total was 24. Loge made his presence felt in assists with five, of our team total 14. Brandon Jergenson and Loge each had a steal. Loge had our only two blocked shots.
Injury setback for MACA girls
Some bad news from MACA girls basketball: I am informed by Meredith Carrington's grandfather Tom that Meredith has now suffered the same injury as her sister Maddie: a torn ACL. Very unfortunate. I'm told the injury happened late in Saturday's Litchfield game.
The Carrington sisters are both cross country runners. Maddie's misfortune happened during the Homecoming powder puff football game. I questioned the very existence of that game at the time. But of course I question the existence of football, period! I will continue to write about Tiger football for as long as the school sponsors it. You have to respect that.
The MACA girls basketball Tigers will play Eden Valley-Watkins on Thursday evening at Minnewaska. Tom says he'll be there.
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| Carthage College as represented today |
Writing about the Sisseton Redmen brings back memories for me, from when Carthage football came to UMM. My clergy friend, who was contrary to UMM's sensitive stance, suggested before the game that maybe Carthage should cancel out.
Email was still a rather new novelty (quaint). I emailed a Carthage spokesman who I thought might give me a reaction to the "controversy." I got an answer and this individual said a statement would be forthcoming from a top administrator, probably very top. But I never learned of any further statement being made. I think they were just glad to get the game played and return home.
This had to be before 2005. In 2005 there were developments that caused the school to make a constructive adjustment. Here's the deal: In 2005 the NCAA ruled that Carthage along with several other colleges would be ineligible to host NCAA-sanctioned playoffs and tournaments because of the nickname "Redmen." I respect Native American assertions that "we are not mascots."
Carthage, a private Lutheran college in Kenosha, had coined "Redmen" in 1920. I remember a logo complete with a feather. Guilty as charged, I guess.
Carthage "re-articulated" its nickname as "Red Men" - two separate words - and removed any connotations that might be associated with the old version. It's all about the simple color now. So it's "Red Men" and "Lady Reds." Except, holy cow, use of "lady" with a college sports team seems horribly retro to me. I know some people have made an issue of that. OK some people cringe! Imagine "Lady Cougars." No, don't.
Carthage's old logo with the feather was replaced by a new one with a torch, a shield and a 'C'.
Carthage is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the ELCA (my own church synod, First Lutheran in Morris). Carthage has adjusted to the times, but they probably have a bad taste in their mouths re. UMM. Unfortunate.
OK, now it's the post-season
The Tigers are seeded No. 2 in Section 3AA-North. We'll host the No. 7 seed, New London-Spicer, at 7 p.m. Saturday. All the quarter-finals games are Saturday. A slam-dunk for us to win? Don't ever be premature, even though we did beat those Wildcats of NL-Spicer 74-47 in December. Our girls team couldn't take anything for granted against Litchfield.
The Tigers' won-lost record is 14-10, NL-Spicer's is 4-21. As they say, all teams are 0-0 for the playoffs.
Other sub-section action will have Minnewaska vs. Montevideo, Redwood Valley vs. ACGC and Benson vs. Paynesville. 'Waska has the No. 1 seed.
The sub-section semi-finals are set for Thursday, March 5.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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