James "Doc" Carlson, RIP

UMM jazz was pride and joy of Jim Carlson (photo courtesy Del Sarlette)

The post-Christmas letdown is accentuated this year by sad news: the passing of Jim "Doc" Carlson. He was a member of my father's UMM men's chorus for the Seattle World's Fair trip in 1962. But you probably don't remember him for that. The musical whiz seized on jazz as a vital musical program, right when society was first ready for it. Society was not ready in the 1960s. 

Jazz education crept along in sort of a nascent way in the '70s. John Woell introduced this at the high school level but he suppressed the word "jazz." The high school had a "stage band." There was a time when "jazz" seemed out of the boundaries of decent society. Well, rock 'n' roll was most certainly there too. 

Jazz had an imprint at UMM before Jim came on board as faculty. I have written about what I consider a historic performance, Clyde Johnson directing, of the Don Ellis tune "Final Analysis." I was there at the recital hall to witness this history. "Final Analysis" was an esoteric piece but also a crowd-pleaser. Del Sarlette joked with me "the only time we got the ending right was in the concert." It probably wasn't a joke. Great there was a "happy ending," as it were. 

Carlson seized jazz as a full-fledged dynamic program at UMM. You are most familiar with that if you are a long-time Morris resident. Doesn't seem so long ago in my mind. Then again, many things that are distant in time seem fresh in my mind, like "Y2K." I remember Dad joking with me the next morning about how our dog "Sandy" thought it to be no big deal: snored right through!

Prairie Pioneer Days, the classic PPD at the park, is fresh in my mind. We ought to feel astounded how this went into such a steep and embarrassing decline, until it just seemed to go "poof." 

Well, long-time residents can most certainly remember Jim Carlson's UMM Jazz Festival. It was a huge springtime highlight on UMM's calendar, a highlight of the whole school year really. Which is all well and good, although I suspect - I know the nature of people in academia all too well - there was jealousy about this. 

Carlson's jazz program was many-tiered. Not all elements were set up to be totally crowd-pleasing. Had Jim been oriented to constantly excite audiences, we would have gotten more of the "Jazz I" ensemble. That was the equivalent of the "varsity team." 

But Jim knew all along that the objective was education, to enrich the lives of all the charges under him. He even directed a band made up of 1) non-music majors and 2) music majors who wanted to experience a secondary instrument. Maybe this group wasn't scintillating. But audiences soaked it all in, including the "combos" who sometimes could not be scintillating either, especially in the early years of the program. 

The last time I attended a Fest - Byron Stripling was guest artist - the combos had come a long way. Each rendered something distinctive, for example Dixieland. Whereas, in the early years of the program, I personally found the combos to be, if I may use a word I learned from Woell, "non-descript." I mean, a melody would be established and then members would simply improvise. 

It was explained to me years later that this approach was essential for getting the students acclimated to jazz, as it was the essence of jazz: improvisation. 

I have a friend whose family is a UMM benefactor, whose name I won't type here although you might guess, who said he stopped attending the Jazz Fest because he got tired of the combos. That's disappointing to hear but I can actually understand. I grew frustrated over time that we could not get a bigger dose of the "Jazz I" ensemble. 

But Jim never retreated from the broad-based educational approach. He was no sell-out. 

"Jazz I" was so good, I'm sure people bought tickets just to hear a relatively short program. But doggone it, I wanted to hear more of it! 

Now we are left with memories of "Doc" Carlson after his passing. My testimonial will be one of many. I wish Jim had stuck around in the Morris area longer. His sense of humor was infectious. It was a little on the edge with being cynical at times - all right, often - and there was a time in our culture when this sense was pretty mainstream. You have to be careful showing that kind of humor today. 

Perhaps Jim adjusted. I'm afraid I have not, in large part. 

The Carlsons retired to Florida.

My father Ralph had the kind of background where he could have directed some jazz. He had performed in such groups himself. I have a classic photo of him from 1940 that I will share here sometime. I only recently discovered it. My father directed a range of ensembles in UMM's early years - he was in fact the sole music faculty in the initial year. But jazz would have been off the table in UMM's first decade. Our culture was not ready. How to characterize the public perception of jazz then? I'm groping a little. Perhaps "low life" or "lowbrow" or some such words. And to be frank, association with non-white cultures, yes. 

A youth rebellion built up that gave us the rainbow of cultures consciousness. The rebellion was below the surface for a long time. It finally went mainstream. I worry at present that we are backtracking some with the Trump revolution, if you want to call it that. 

The counterculture would have blessed "CRT," no hesitation. But now we are seeing huge pushback from the white, non-apologetic element of society that pushes Trump and his kind. 

The music aspect of the counterculture will stay with us, I am confident. I once read that "the new left" died but the counterculture had staying power. I'm inclined to use the past tense: "had staying power." 

I think UMM will continue to have jazz indefinitely. I have heard that high schools have backed off some with their commitment to jazz. I have often told people that one thing I love about jazz in high schools is that the musicians are arranged in tiers onstage - you can clearly see and hear all of them. 

When the MAHS concert band gave concerts at the high school auditorium, pre-concert hall, I'd get frustrated because we could only see the front row of clarinet players. I actually felt that concerts were better when they were in the 1968 gym! But Fred Switzer went through a lot of heartache, as he himself would be the first to tell you, getting the auditorium built. He'd say over and over that it almost cost him his job. 

And yet the auditorium is now dwarfed and outclassed by the concert hall. And UMM doesn't even have a concert hall. UMM does have its "ghost of Christmas future" though, which is "Humanities Phase III." Yes, only a ghost. 

I'm wondering if there will be a push to get the HFA recital hall named for Carlson. Let me suggest that college administrators toss and turn at night because of suggestions for naming stuff. Any name that is put forward is worthy, of course. But any institution of higher learning has had a great many make significant contributions. So how to proceed with naming? Glad I asked. I can suggest an answer: It's about money. If certain people want the recital hall to be named after "Doc," they and their friends can pony up. We'll see what happens. 

I'm thankful that photos that include my father are at the recital hall entrance. Oh, a nice photo downstairs too. By the recital hall is a photo of the 1962 UMM men's chorus that includes Carlson. You might have a hard time picking him out. His appearance "morphed" through the years. The names are underneath the photo! All of those souls are indelibly etched in UMM history. (Should I be typing "UMN?")

I'll cherish the memories of Jim's laugh, his often irreverent sense of humor, but most of all his contributions to the art of jazz among UMM students. He came along at just the right time. But he left us too soon. 

I wondered at first about covid. I thought of the Florida governor who has become famous for intransigence with covid coping measures. This DeSantis fellow is in the mold of Trump of course. A lot of these people seem willing to literally risk their lives in order to support Trump. I'll never understand it.

But it was not covid that brought down "Doc" at the end, it was a cerebral hemorrhage on Christmas Eve. I was just informed of this, 9 a.m. Monday. So sad to die at such a festive, family-oriented time, of course. 

Jim Carlson RIP. Heaven will be a nightclub of jazz virtuoso performances for you. Or, involving you!

Jim Carlson is in this photo of the UMM men's chorus that performed at the Seattle World's Fair, a.k.a. "Century 21 Exposition." They opened the Minnesota Day program at the Fair. My father Ralph is at left. The U.S. was at the height of Cold War tension with the Cuban missile crisis. JFK canceled his appearance for the end of the fair, claiming to be sick, but really he was preoccupied with the missile crisis. The Minnesota Twins were in their second year and took second in the American League, just five games behind the New York Yankees! Vic Power was our first baseman and team MVP.

A recent photo of Jim and Kay Carlson. They retired to "The Villages" of Florida. Can you believe I have typed this far and not mentioned golf? How many people remember Kay's father, Mr. Joranger? I do. I can visualize him like it was yesterday.

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

Tranquility of Bethlehem

Feel like Christmas to you? We are all trying best we can. We have had hardships and literally lost friends to the pandemic. Friends and for many people, family. Some of these wounds cannot be healed. We can only look ahead and try to take the most prudent actions, to preserve what we have. 

Should we "build back better?" Looks like Joe Manchin put the kibosh on that. He's concerned about the cost? What did our 20-year war in Afghanistan cost? George W. Bush said "freedom will prevail." It did not. So we are sorting through all the various realities in the year 2021. 

Last year's Christmas might have had a little more merriment, on the belief that we were facing a one-time challenge. We would "just have to get through it." So I wrote my annual Christmas song entitled "A Social Distance Christmas." The rhyme of the last two words was irresistible. 

But alas, we all have not climbed out of the hole of the pandemic. This time around there is more of a sober depression, unspoken maybe, rather than our typical wellspring of optimism. We must be prepared for sad endings? And how might we emerge in a more upbeat way? In my humble opinion, perhaps with focus on the Bethlehem story, the birth of Christ, the baby Jesus in the manger. Because, the scene is the epitome of peace and tranquility. 

My Christmas song for this year is centered on the Bethlehem story. Perhaps I was attracted to the story by the annual TV Christmas special from when I was a kid: "The Little Drummer Boy." It was narrated by Greer Garson. I cried at the end. The little boy's sheep was healed. 

Another inspiration for my song was borne of the days I drove cross county at night in the Morris Sun Tribune van. The Sun Tribune does not exist any more, it is the Stevens County Times. I saw colored lights at farm places in the distance. 

So I began pondering: why not an illuminated Star of Bethlehem decoration on a farm building? A barn? Not only that, why not have kids of the immediate vicinity don costumes representing the humble assemblage that was at the manger? Even the "Three Kings of the Orient" were humble. 

The kids could make their way toward the star decoration, safely of course. They could assemble at a stable replica. 

A sense of total peace and brotherhood, a wellspring of the hope for mankind. We need so much hope now. Can we put Donald Trump and his foul mouth and crudity aside? 

My church of First Lutheran chose to have my song played as part of Sunday's service. I wasn't there, because I wasn't seeking any attention for myself. But I hope the lyrics had a soothing effect in these non-normal times. 

My song "Star on the Barn" was recorded at the Nashville TN studio of Frank Michels. The singer is the outstanding Debra Gordon. Thanks to Gulsvig Productions of Starbuck for getting the song on YouTube for me. They are the "geeks." Please consider them for any media transfer work you need done. They are located along the mill dam road. You'll see a sign. 

I invite you to listen to my 2021 Christmas song, "Star on the Barn." Thanks and God bless. You may click on permalink:

https://youtu.be/Fa2OAXlTUVw 

 

You might check my companion blog "Morris of Course" for updates on MACA Tiger athletics. The year 2022 will be the 50th anniversary of the start of my writing about the Tigers for the local media. Today my journalism is online.

 

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

An award remindful of "green community"

Remember when the "green community" plan for the old school property got ballyhooed for a time, propped up of course by the local commercial news media? The media can get played on these things. Glory-seekers on behalf of various projects work to ensure their work gets "recognition." 

In the case of the green community, this even won some sort of award. The award was really puffed in the media, as I recall. The green community ended up as real as a unicorn. We ended up with totally typical development of the property. The apartment buildings there appear to have worked out terrific. Years from now, Morris residents will need a reminder that this plot of ground was once the hub of so much public school activity and excitement. 

But, a "green community?" It was a bureaucrat's pipe dream, a glory-seeker's pipe dream. Snare an award and put on your resume. Neat little racket IMHO. 

These thoughts are prompted by a new award that has similar underpinnings. Now we're talking the softball complex. Something about that place rubbed me the wrong way right from the start. The long row of people assembled for the "ground-breaking." Hardly any ground needed to be "broken" for this thing. The shovels were cute, though. 

The people in photo want to be associated with the project: good for their resume. They are always so resume-conscious. 

The softball project looks like a big mess now. The former UMM field has gotten torn up. It had brick dugouts. Have those been moved yet? And if they do get moved, is it worth the trouble? I personally stopped by for three UMM softball games last spring and the fans appeared totally happy with what was there. It is certain that the fans will not be accommodated as well at the new varsity field, the field named for the high school coach. 

I am told that I am far from being the only person having expressed concern about fan seating at the new place. Are we "stuck" with it? I repeat: are we "stuck" with it? Will fans from other towns come here and cuss out the place? The old UMM field had fences that were short enough that adults of average height could watch from over them. 

So what are we seeing on the radio station news website? Are we seeing a constructive exploration into how progress will be made at the place? Enough funding for this? Work to facilitate fan viewing, even if it means alternatives to what's there now? I had read that the new softball field in Hancock has dugouts that fans can sit on. That's enterprising. I should take a look sometime. 

I was sports editor of the Hancock newspaper for about 15 years, did not miss a single week, as I recall. Forum Communications killed the Hancock newspaper. The Forum made the Morris newspaper a mere weekly. It killed the free weekly shopper. Good sources indicated the Forum was planning on closing the Morris paper when the Anfinsons swept here, on Gossamer wings. 

So, is Marshall of the Morris radio station taking an objective view with issues related to the softball complex, asking why its present state is so limited? No, because you see, when you write for the commercial media, there are certain forces pulling at you. If you do not reinforce the glory-seekers and award-winners, if you actually choose to question them sometimes, you're branded a "negative" person. You will be shunned, at least by that class of people, the kind of people who gave us the "green community" for the old school property. 

You'll find that the common people such as those at the Eagles Club on Friday night will consider you quite normal and reasonable. But these are not the people who will hold your fate. 

The trendsetters throw their weight around. So right now they're crowing about an "award" that I place in the same category as the green community thing. 

Marshall of the radio station previews a school board meeting set for Monday. We see a photo of the smiling school board members. It isn't out of their pockets that the softball complex is being underwritten. And hey, if this project were actually impressive by now, I'd certainly comment appropriately. What about parking there? Next spring, will rows of cars continue to be seen on both sides of Prairie Lane going east toward the bypass? With kids dashing in and out between parked cars? 

And if lights get established for games at the main fields, will such a scene happen after dark? The media should of course be asking these questions, and now. Oh no, instead we get a posting by Marshall announcing that, as part of Monday's agenda, there will be "a presentation by Minnesota Community Education Region 9 representative Matt Dickerson of an Outstanding Project Award for the Morris Community Softball Complex." 

Like crime, death and taxes, this sort of stuff continues to go on. As "Dr. Evil" of the "Austin Powers" movies would say, "let Daddy do his work." 

This project has already crossed a line for impropriety when the superintendent - shall we say the former superintendent - went on a Marshall interview and suggested a re-design. The interview was irritating with its glibness. "Re-design" was Marshall's word, and the real suggestion (veiled) was a downsizing. It was downsized from the original grandiose drawing that was used to lure donors/suckers. 

Less parking? Parking is the No. 1 problem area there now. 

So the award on Monday will be for an "outstanding project." These people throw around the word "outstanding" the way the former U.S. president throws around the words "fuck" and "fucking." It's disgusting. 

Marshall could have become a little confrontational with that Ferguson fellow, when Ferguson was suggesting the downsizing. Just like Marshall could have taken on Jeff Backer when Backer was making statements suggesting skepticism about the covid vaccine. I wonder if Backer is as fond of the "f" word as the leader of his political party. 

Problem for Marshall would be, such a stance might cost him his job. I understand what it's like being on that turf. Once you sense a "party line" among the stuffed shirts of this community, you'd better go along with it. The nice folks at the Eagles Club won't be able to bail you out. I could substitute the Met Lounge. Actually I don't patronize either. 

I fondly remember the days when, as a "working person," I'd stop by the Met in late afternoon on Christmas Eve and get my complimentary Tom and Jerry. Makes me misty.

 

Addendum: I probably learned the "glory-seeker" term from the late Morris Mayor Merlin Beyer. He used it in the same context as yours truly. He set the standard as a community leader. Even after wading into a school district-based controversy in the late 1980s, he showed his stature by getting elected mayor on a write-in basis. So, the teachers didn't run the town after all.

 

Addendum #2: So this morning there are news reports blaring that the U.S. president from 2016-2020 says that Jews are in charge of the New York Times. Is it possible for the Christmas spirit to overcome some of this stuff? I really don't think so. It's getting worse.

 

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

Dickens ghosts could calm the storm

Interesting how an artist can do a career-defining work and lack the understanding at the time about how significant it will be. Charles Dickens produced lots of great stuff. I'm sure he wrote "A Christmas Carol" with the same spirit as always. An artist like Dickens taps into his usual wellspring. He is motivated by art, not a desire to become a household name. 

Celebrity can be a curse. Had the Beatles disbanded back before "Beatlemania," John Lennon would almost surely have gone on to live a great many years. I did not care for how the movie "Yesterday" had an actor portray Lennon as if he were still alive. It was too depressing. The manner in which Lennon died is something I don't even care to think about. 

The Dickens story "A Christmas Carol" actually served to prop up Christmas as a holiday, above where it had been. And we're all thankful? Seems like the Christmas holidays are disruptive as much as anything. Is there anything wrong with having our normal "routine?" Shut-ins and the elderly must feel more isolated than ever. "Meals on Wheels" gives out some canned items to help tide these people over. It's inferior to the usual service. 

Thanksgiving was bad enough: people who are alone are challenged to get by with decent meals. Plus there's the depression one is likely to feel, just knowing that a typical cute young family is getting together with an abundance of food and festivity. The holidays are clearly for them, not the shut-ins. 

The suspension of normal business, by itself, is an inconvenience for many. It's not as if we know when exactly Christ's "birthday" is. We don't, not even close. It's arbitrary. 

Public institutions go into contortions not to acknowledge anything religious. This is quite justified, as there are many Jews and other non-Christians among us. Trying to treat "Hanukkah" as equal is not a solution. Religion should stay as a private thing. Bill O'Reilly used to clamor to the contrary, but then the blowhard had to pay something like $32 million to a woman, Lis Wiehl, to avoid a sexual harassment lawsuit. This is not a spokesman for Christianity that I would want to accept. 

Ghost of Christmas yet to come

It would be nice to think that the Dickens ghosts of Christmas past, present and future could visit Donald Trump and make him wake up in the morning as a cheer-filled, altruistic and uplifting soul.  But certainly we must all acknowledge, even many of Trump's supporters, that such a scenario is off the table. Trump couldn't even act the part. He and his cohorts today are nothing but angry, simply flailing away using foul language like the "f" word toward anyone who their whims suggest should be a target. 

I'm depressed this Christmas because, if the Republican Party is really going to be so powerful, why can't we have a First Family like Ronald and Nancy Reagan? They'd project the fundamental cheer of the season. Not like Trump, who in recent days has called General Mark Milley a "fucking idiot" and said of Israel's political figure Benjamin Netanyahu, "fuck him." 

I cannot dissuade many of my Stevens County friends from their reverence toward Trump, one of the strangest phenomena I have observed in my life. These people go to church. And it's fine to have faith, beyond science some even, but cult-like allegiance is dangerous beyond words. 

I sense the cult-like allegiance among the local Apostolics. Oh, but they have no monopoly on this. A great many local residents join hands with them on this. They got Collin Peterson tossed out of office in favor of a challenger who would not vote to certify election results. And we slide into the 2021 Christmas season with these realities around us. 

Don't you shudder about what America will be like a few years down the road? When Republicans will have "rigged" the system so we end up with "sham" elections of the type normally associated with dysfunctional places around the globe? Are you prepared to instruct your children about what Fascism is, and how we may fall into such a system, sooner rather than later, with Trump's foul mouth resonating across the land? Are you all proud of yourselves? 

The ghosts of Christmas past, present and future could do much to remedy our state of affairs, were they to make the rounds. The ghost of Christmas future could warn us of the ominous road ahead, perhaps reflecting Nazi Germany itself. It would be a warning, a "firebell in the night." But it's only lodged in my own dreams as I try to say a prayer for humanity. Merry Christmas? We'll see.

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

Media bias: they sanitize Trump

I don't understand this: a word beginning with "f," ending with "k" and having a couple "squiggles" or asterisks in the middle. Oh, we all understand it: the word is "fuck" or its variant of "fucking," chosen by the former president to express his views in a manner we might expect from a seventh grade boy in the lavatory.

It is grating on me now. I'm just curious: is a preponderance of the U.S. population starting to feel concerned? The headline in "Mediaite" has a two-word Trump quote that was directed at Benjamin Netanyahu. A real flourish of the language here: "F*ck him!" complete with cute little asterisk. 

I would like to suggest at this time that we are seeing serious media bias. The media takes it upon itself to judge that certain language is unacceptable to put in front of the public. Who is the media to intercede in this way? Why is it their place to protect us in such a manner? Donald Trump was president of the U.S. for four years. What he says matters. 

There are people in our community of Morris who would furiously disagree with me on any skeptical statement I might make about Trump. Their minds are so rigid, so if I were to suggest that "fuck him!" is not an appropriate statement to make about a prominent world figure, they'd have a retort. I would guess: "Oh, you just have to understand about Trump, that's just the way he is." 

No argument from me about that. That's how he is. On that basis, I voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I still have a little "Kamala" decal on the back of my car, from when she was running for president herself. Which prompts me to wonder: Why does the media seem to be so hard on Kamala? Is there really grounds for this? And by the same token, why does the media give a break to Chris Christie? 

Is it all gender-related? Like the way the media seemed hostile to Hillary Clinton? To blow Hillary's email thing way out of proportion? Didn't Trump promise in his 2016 campaign to name a special prosecutor on the Hillary email matter? What happened to that? 

Didn't Trump say on the Today Show that he had sent investigators to Hawaii to look into Obama's birth certificate? And didn't Trump say in that interview that it's "unbelievable" what the gumshoes were finding? Really? He had to have paid them, right? So why has there never been any disclosure of these "unbelievable" things? 

Hope Hicks was pressed on this once, and I recall her quote being "when the time is right." 

Why would Trump pay investigators to go to Hawaii - he is notorious for not wanting to pay anyone - and then sit on the sensational revelations, the "unbelievable" stuff? So, Trump was lying? On a matter of substantial import, on the Today Show? And Hope Hicks by extension was lying too? And this doesn't seem to matter at all to a substantial percentage of Americans? 

About 40 percent of the populace will support Trump no matter what he says or does. In Stevens County the percentage would appear to be substantially higher. Our area's "conservative" churches are full of people who filled in the box next to Trump's name, twice. They voted for Michelle Fischbach to replace the long-time congressman Collin Peterson. No issue of gender bias there, at least. 

So that's heartening? Well, no. Fischbach talked about all the serious issues with voting procedures for the 2020 election. She saw such alleged problems as "too voluminous to ignore," as I recall. Oh, "voluminous." How have all the lawsuits turned out on this? 

What did people like Fischbach want? To have the usual procedure of people crowding polling places with the virus being spread so badly and taking lives? Really? No one can seem to prove "voter fraud" now. You should know that it is in the DNA of Republicans to talk about "election fraud," has happened for a long time. 

Stephanie Miller

A guest on the Stephanie Miller podcast misspoke and referred to "erection fraud." Panel had a robust laugh over that. You should check out Stephanie's podcast or radio show. She's the daughter of the 1964 GOP vice presidential candidate, William Miller. Mr. Miller ran with Goldwater. Today Stephanie is a total progressive or liberal, and loving it. And I'm sure William would be proud of her.

So Fischbach did not want the 2020 election results to be certified. Even Tom Emmer voted for certification, based on a simple understanding of the law. 

What was Fischbach hoping for? For Trump to simply get an extension of his presidency? Indefinitely? And she'd have no problem with that? Would she really want the election to be "federalized?" No knowledge of the inherent dangers with that? 

And we went and elected her? Because all the churchgoers in these parts worship the Republican Party along with God and Jesus? What hath God wrought? 

Regarding the media's handling of Trump and his affinity with the "f" word, I communicated once again with nationally-known commentator John Ziegler. He writes for "Mediaite" and uses other channels as well. His best-known work has been as the evening (7-10 p.m.) host of a radio talk show called "The John Ziegler Show" on KFI AM 640 in Los Angeles CA. He made a priority out of the Jerry Sandusky matter once. What I wrote to Mr. Ziegler:

 

Hi John - Regarding the Sandusky matter, I had a memory flashing back of Chris Matthews saying one day "coaches are gossips, they have to know everything." I covered small town sports for the media and the comment made me smile.

To the present: Has any well-known columnist penned a piece suggesting that the media stop "cleansing" Trump's language? Thought dawned on me long ago, that media was actually helping Trump - i.e. "bias" - by using  "squiggles" for the letters when Trump uses the F-word, which lately has become real common. He called Milley a (bleeping) idiot and I use "bleeping," but why are we softening the tone by doing this? Maybe the public deserves to know clearly that Trump said "fucking idiot," and that today he's quoted saying of Netanyahu "fuck him." "Mediaite" uses asterisks to cover up the language. Why the alteration? Maybe that's just not real journalism. Oh, to "protect the public?" Is that the media's job? The president of the U.S. for four years allows people to take notes when he speaks like this, so why can't the public just know it?

Matthews was once the pride and joy of MSNBC. How the mighty can fall in that universe. There are certain of his qualities that I miss. I guess his big problem was that he was continuing to discuss politics like it was still civil.

- Regards, Brian R. Williams

 

How Ziegler responded: "Thanks Brian. I miss Chris, though he is a bit nuts."

  

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

GBB: tale of two halves, indeed

Willmar 57, Tigers 30

It is not often we go head-to-head with Willmar. We took on the "big town" Thursday in girls hoops action. It was not a night for the smaller town to surprise. No "Hoosiers" magic. Welcome to the real world. The Cardinals executed smoothly in their 57-30 win over the Tigers. We can accent that statement for second half play. 

So now we're 2-2, having been dealt back-to-back losses after a 2-0 start. Willmar too is 2-2. 

Some really big news in Tiger hoops this week, is Jackson Loge of the boys becoming the all-time leading scorer in the program. This could not have happened when I began my career at the Sun Tribune. At that time, the school's BBB program had a policy that only juniors and seniors could play varsity. To be honest, I could have cried about that. 

I remember when Paul Libbon was coming up. I asked Bob Mulder directly if young Mr. Libbon might be promoted. "We don't do that here," the coach said in brusque fashion. That was then, this is now. 

I invite you to read my current post about Jackson Loge from my "Morris of Course" blog. Quite the accomplishment for the son of Kevin. Here's the permalink. Thanks, God Bless and happy holidays. - BW

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/12/jackson-loge-reaches-heights-with-his.html

 

Amazingly, the MACA girls played dead-even with Willmar through the first half. So halftime arrived with a deadlocked score, 21-all. We led by as many as three. Hope for the second half? It faded. The Cardinals got the Tigers figured out and outscored us 36-9. A buzz saw. A friend tells me the Tigers were relatively competitive until the 10-12 minute mark of the second half. 

"Then we could not buy a bucket and started to turn the ball over."

No one with the Tigers finished the game in double figures scoring. Meredith Carrington scored nine and made our only three-pointer. Maddy Grove put in eight points. Others: Lakia Manska 4, Shannon Dougherty 3, Kaylee Harstad 2 and Cate Kehoe 2. Lakia is pronounced la-KY-a. (The individual scoring totals from the Willmar paper's website add up to 28 points, not 30, sorry.)

Our shooting stat: 26 percent. In 3's the story was a dismal one-for-12.

The Cardinals had two in double figures: Ella Shinn 13 and Jaida Reiman 10. The two were complemented by: Kenedee Salonek 9, Sammy Christopher 8, Ellary Lange 5, Brielle Ogdahl 4, Zoe Schroeder 3, Grace Haugen 2, Maycee Gustafson 2 and Telilie Lange 1. 

Four Cardinals each made one 3-pointer: Lange, Schroeder, Salonek and Reiman. Schroeder and Shinn each had six rebounds. Christoffer dished out five assists. Haugen and Shinn each had four steals. Christoffer and Schroeder each blocked a shot. 

The game was played in Willmar.

Let's say we showed a "Hoosiers" look for one half of play. This is not to be discounted.

 

New London-Spicer 84, Tigers 55

This past week was indeed challenging for the GBB Tigers: New London-Spicer on the slate in addition to "big school" Willmar. It is a constant in life that the Wildcats are solid in girls hoops. Yes, rather dynastic. 

The Wildcats lived up to the reputation on Tuesday. Fans at our Tiger Center watched. Unlike Willmar, the Wildcats would not need time to find their stride. Coach Mike Dreier had them in stride from the get-go. So the halftime score was 46-16 - yawn - Wildcats in driver's seat. In the end the score was 84-55. 

So let's look at the stats where we see Maddy Grove as a bright spot with 25 points. Sydney Dietz put in nine, then we see Meredith Carrington with seven and Lakia Manska with six. Four Tigers each put in two: Cate Kehoe, Hannah Schutz, Shannon Dougherty and Kaylee Harstad. 

Manska drilled two 3-point shots. Carrington, Grove and Dietz each made one long-ranger. 

There are three "Rich" girls on the NL-Spicer roster: Avery, Dakota and Courtney. Avery was atop the team scoring list Tuesday with 26 points. Jaden Coahran was second-high with 18, then we see Dakota Rich with 12. Continuing: Delaney Hanson 7, Brooke Adelman 5, Kaylee Thorson 4, Ellary Peterson 4, Courtney Rich 4, Zoe Arnold 2 and Katelynn Tortorella 2. 

Coahran and Avery Rich each buried four 3-point shots. Courtney Rich and Adelman found the range from 3-point distance also. Aubrey Schneider and Hanson co-led in rebounds with six each. Avery Rich and Hanson co-led in assists, each with four. Avery Rich picked up eight steals to lead. Schneider blocked two shots. 

A "rich" team indeed.

 

Boys: Tigers 43, Litchfield 32

It wasn't pretty but the orange and black ascended to 4-0 in the young season. Fortunately the team applied the clamps on defense. This offset our cool 32 per cent shooting stat. We put up plenty of three-point attempts but plenty were bricks: we were five of 20. 

But defense can solve a lot of things. So that attribute helped lead us to our 43-32 win at home over the Dragons. We crept out to a four-point lead by halftime. Then our defense really came to the fore. Whatever it takes. 

The Tigers are ranked fourth in Minnesota. Jackson Loge was team-high in scoring, though he didn't burn the nets on this night. He scored 14. Other point totals: Thomas Tiernan 9, Brandon Jergenson 8, Cole Wente 4, Sam Kleinwolterink 4, Durgin Decker 3 and Tyler Berlinger 1. 

Jergenson was two of seven beyond the 3-point arc. Wente, Tiernan and Loge each made one '3'. 

The story in freethrows was 12 of 18. Loge sank five of seven from the charity stripe. (I haven't used the "charity stripe" term in ages.) Tiernan and Jergenson were each two of two. 

Loge accounted for 15 of our 33 rebounds. Decker collected six rebounds. Loge performed two assists of our team total seven. Wente had two steals of our team total five. We turned the ball over seven times. Loge blocked two shots.

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

Relish music at U of M-Morris, with mask on

There was an incredible succession of music events at our UMM in the past few days. We're talking consecutive days. What could be better, what could be more joyous? 

My personal challenge is to remember my mask. I joked how this requirement could be misunderstood around Halloween: "masks required." So we all groan, I guess, and remember to have our "face diaper" with us. I think many of us wonder how effective masks really are. Nevertheless, I'm happy to get on board if authorities dictate.

On Sunday I entered the HFA maskless but a friend quickly accosted me about the matter. It was a friend from my church. "Where's your mask?" It really isn't a short jaunt back to the parking lot. I was able to handle the jaunt (in the face of my advancing years) and get a mask from the car before concert-time. A little like life on a tenterhook, eh? 

Sunday's occasion was the symphonic winds concert, what we once called "band." The word "winds" might seem foreboding because of course the virus is an airborne thing. And of course it seems ironic that the mask-wearing audience sits so close to the maskless band members who are blowing air or "wind" through their instruments! 

The "winds" term always reminds me of Spinal Tap's "Break Like the Wind" tour. 

Once seated, and once acclimated to my face diaper - breathing a little more labored - I enjoyed the concert totally. The guy with the baton did not have the kind of advanced degree one might expect for a UMM concert. Maybe that's a bunch of hooey, this business of "degrees" or "stud papers," eh? A typical director with the advanced degree might well choose some esoteric musical fare. On the other side of the coin, we might enjoy some real crowd-pleasing stuff. I say amen and hallelujah to the latter. That's what we got. 

No wonder there was a standing ovation at the end. There will be a time for the more esoteric or rarefied stuff. We must accent that now and then for an august institution of higher learning, right? And UMM is most certainly that. 

Am I dating myself by saying "UMM?" Seems that "UMN" is taking over as standard. I'm rather puzzled by this, but people more intelligent than me make these decisions. I do not care for the present-day UMN slogan of "in the middle of somewhere," because it's a naked take-off on the expression "in the middle of nowhere," which we all know has been a dismissive remark about our campus, among those not in position to appreciate our attributes. And if you appreciate the attributes, you don't need a slogan. 

Last fall, director Mike Odello ended the concert with a Sousa march, a guaranteed way to entertain everyone. John Philip Sousa was a commercial kind of guy. The audience responded enthusiastically then, just as they did on Sunday with the concert closer "Sleigh Ride," complete with the "whinny" at the end. About four trumpet players stood up to do the whinny. No surprise there was a standing ovation after all this. 

The audience size seemed impressive at the recital hall. "Humanities Phase III" is just like the ethereal "ghost of Christmas future." We don't appreciate being reminded of it. 

Bizarre, how it was the public school that got the full-fledged concert hall and not UMM (or UMN). I had thought when the Edson facility got re-named for the Morrisons, more music discipline events would be held there. Appears not to be the case. 

As a true old-timer, getting more long-of-tooth all the time, I remember when all the music events were at Edson. HFA not built yet. I frankly thought it was a wonderful place for music and theater. I'm still not completely sure how the Morrison and Edson names are supposed to be juxtaposed there. 

I probably would not have established the Ralph and Martha Williams Fund if it were not for the Morrisons. The two families had a seminal role with our local institution. I am also indebted to the Morrisons because they allowed me to establish an identity in the community separate from my parents and UMM. I became a journalist borne of the turbulent late 1960s and early '70s, when writers were really supposed to have an "attitude." I kid you not. 

It is not the kind of attitude that young writers are supposed to have today. Today's writers, and all young people really, are coached to be idealistic and respectful toward those in authority. I came of age for the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam, highly belated, and Watergate. Writers were heroes, going beyond what even the nation's top lawyers could accomplish. Can you believe it? Can you believe I'm in league with lawyers? Some local lawyers will gnash teeth at the thought. 

My generation learned not to trust authority, at least not automatically. In fact we were encouraged to discard "convention" everywhere. I mean everywhere, like even in architecture. So it seems this is how we got the HFA with its way-too-large hallway and too-small recital hall. Priorities screwed up. And to top that: the science auditorium with its disregard for 90-degree angles. Bizarre. But we maintain these facilities to the highest of standards, to be sure. Still it's weird. 

The Morrisons gave money to spruce up the art gallery. Pictures that include my father, the late Ralph E. Williams, are on the wall across the hallway. Bless UMM for making this kind of gesture. 

But the best way to honor the Williams name is to keep presenting concerts of the type last Thursday through Sunday. Jazz, choir and symphonic winds. 

I hung around in the hallway for a short time after the Friday choir concert, and a nice young man from the choir walked up and said "are you Ralph Williams' son?" Heh, heh. 

Laura Wiebe was terrific directing the choir. Ditto with Derek Ziemer with jazz.

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

Maddy Grove scores 20 as MACA stops Osakis

Tiger Center was alive with basketball excitement Friday. It was another winning night for coach Dale Henrich's orange and black. On the heels of the season-opening win over Breckenridge, the Tigers kept on with a winning flair at the expense of the Silverstreaks of Osakis. Love that nickname. 

The game's final score: 54-48. Maddy Grove supplied lots of the winning flair on Friday. She put in 20 points. Overall though the Tiger attack was characterized by balance. 

Osakis assumed an early advantage. But their scoring pace slowed while the Tigers started finding traction. Let's keep fingers crossed that we can keep enjoying the home hoops in-person. In other words, without the pandemic raining on the parade. Could be a long winter. For the time being, let's just try feeling the holiday spirit. 

The Tigers got out in front of Osakis 26-18 by halftime. Osakis shooting had cooled. Or rather, MACA played a tight defense. Our momentum accelerated as we got into the second half. The lead swelled to 14. But the Silverstreaks had fight left in them. Our advantage got trimmed down to a mere six. The orange and black held on and emerged from the night with 2-0 W/L numbers. 

Can they stay perfect going into the holidays? We'll see. Osakis sits at 1-1. 

Maddy Grove with her 20 points was followed by: Sydney Dietz (11), Meredith Carrington (9), Cate Kehoe (8), Shannon Dougherty (4) and Brianna Marty (2). Kehoe and Grove each made two 3-pointers. 

Dietz was the team leader in rebounds (9), assists (6) and blocked shots (3). Dougherty led in steals with three. We'll be hosting New London-Spicer on Tuesday. 

The Breckenridge game on Tuesday had a score of 50-43. Meredith Carrington was hot in this winning effort as she made ten of 16 shots. Her point harvest: 24. Fans at Tiger Center cheered as our team shot 43 percent vs. the Cowgirls. Maddy Grove put in ten points while Cate Kehoe and Sydney Dietz each scored six.

 

Boys basketball

My coverage of the Tigers' season-opening BBB win, 60-37 over Lac qui Parle, is on my "Morris of Course" blog site. I invite y'all to click and read. Thanks, God bless and happy holidays. - BW

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/12/maca-boys-down-lac-qui-parle-60-37-in.html

 

Tigers 84, Paynesville 57

The offense turned on the jets for MACA in Friday's BBB action. It was a real showcase that had Jackson Loge in the type of role we'd expect. 

The Bulldogs were pretty futile as they tried to stop Loge. Loge's point output was 35. He was a force too with rebounds: 17. He made 13 of 27 shots from the field. He was a factor everywhere including from beyond the three-point line. Loge made four of nine long-range tries in front of the Paynesville crowd. 

The Tigers and Paynesville are Section 3AA rivals. Don't ever underestimate those green-clad Bulldogs. We have learned that in the past, the hard way. Yes, even with Paynesville seeded eighth. For now we can savor the Friday success which had us shooting out to a 43-22 halftime lead. 

The game stats show Loge as one of three double figures scorers. He was complemented by Thomas Tiernan with 14 points and Brandon Jergenson with ten. Tiernan was six of eight in total shots, Jergenson four of seven. As a team the Tigers were 34 of 65 in shooting, 52 percent. 

Tyler Berlinger and Cole Wente each scored eight points. Also joining the parade were Sam Kleinwolterink with seven and Drew Storck with two. 

We put up a fair number of three-point tries, 23, and made nine for 39 percent. Loge with his four was joined by Wente and Tiernan each with two, and Brandon Jergenson with one. 

The freethrow department saw the Tigers make seven of ten. Loge was the clear standout in rebounds, with five of his boards coming offensively. Kleinwolterink was second-high in rebounds with eight, five offensive. Jergenson and Loge each had seven assists. Jergenson and Tiernan each came through with three steals. Loge blocked five shots and Wente one. 

Paynesville sits at 1-1. The Bulldogs' leading scorer was Max Athmann with 14 points. The green had no three-point makes. Eli Nelson had six rebounds to lead. 

A pleasant surprise this morning (Saturday) to see both the boys and girls Friday games covered with a fair amount of thoroughness on the West Central Tribune website. Things had looked grim on that front. The paper has announced its All Area football team and no Tigers. That confirms what I had learned about our status relative to the Willmar paper. We weren't represented on the All Area volleyball team either. But it looks like at present, we can see some decent coverage of Tiger hoops. 

Sometimes their spelling is off. They gave us, for example, "Maddie Grove" (should be "Maddy"), "Kate Kehoe" (should be "Cate Kehoe," short for Catherine) and "Tyler Burlinger" (should be "Berlinger"). It is tough to get everything right. I suppose I shouldn't root for the West Central Tribune, owned by Forum Communications of Fargo (known to be an ass), but I feel good about today's coverage.

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

Benson girls down D-B in hoops opener

Regarding the logo you see here, the Benson school might be reminded we're in the year 2021.

 

The Benson girls gave their fans a basis for optimism in the upcoming season. We're off and running with a new season of prep hoops. For sure, the usually uplifting activity is under somewhat of a cloud: we are hearing of the new covid "variant" - groan - but for now, fans are streaming into their gymnasium seats. 

So on Tuesday, Nov. 30, fans of the Braves watched at the home gym as victory was achieved 55-28. The opponent: Dawson-Boyd, the Blackjacks. I have always enjoyed the D-B nickname. As for the Benson nickname, that is a story unto itself. Might the "Braves" name have its days numbered? I wonder what the Benson school board and administration say to people inquiring about this. 

The old line "Braves are a symbol of pride" does not pass muster. The defenders are having to be a little creative IMHO, but surely they are ready to field inquiries, somehow. It wouldn't persuade yours truly. I am reminded of the school that had the "Satans" nickname: the issue kept coming up until the board decided to just get rid of the issue, the controversy, and move forward with a new nickname. 

I think it is becoming embarrassing to even remember when student bodies made a big deal about nicknames. Best example: University of North Dakota with their old name which I won't even type here. A whole body of people associated with UND once made such a huge deal out of this, emotional. What a relief for the school, to have finally made the decision move on. Do UND people even want to talk about it anymore?

So Benson, please take heed of this. Don't wait until the state passes a law. Just do it. 

In July I wrote a post for my "Morris of Course" blog site with the heading, "Benson High School is holdout w/ Indian-themed name." Please click to read:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/07/benson-high-school-is-holdout-w-indian.html 

 

What about the need for nicknames themselves? Can't we just refer to the schools? 

None of this is the current athletes' fault. 

The Benson fans cheered Marley Rush as she put in 17 points vs. D-B. Also in the Tuesday action, Madi Wrobleski contributed 16 to the winning effort. And, Mya Kurkosky supplied 12. Benson charged out in front 23-11 for halftime. Let's complete the Benson scoring list: Adysen Himley (8) and Kaida Helgenset (2). Benson's success was with no three-point shots. 

Rush with her 17 rebounds led there. Presley Nygaard supplied five assists. Rush had five steals and Kurkosky four. Himley blocked two shots. 

Critics of Native American mascots say they are dehumanizing. Some background: Many of the names/logos were adopted in the late 19th Century and early 20th. This was when the Federal government conducted initiatives to suppress indigenous culture. One practice was to take Indian children from reservations and send them to government-run boarding schools to remove them from tribal traditions. 

Today most Native Americans live in West and Northwest states. However, "most of the 1,870 teams across the U.S. that have Native American mascots are in the Midwest and East," according to Madison Eagle, a Cherokee heritage specialist.

It can be done: retiring a nickname/mascot. Consider Devils Lake ND where "Satans" was once the name. Look at their old logo below!

 

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

New variant while holidays beckon

We might have expected the "new covid variant." Whatever it's called, it won't be the last word. We can probably count on that. 

Are the new variants a way for this bug to get around the vaccinations? A means of evolution? Do we know yet for sure how this menace got thrust upon us? The Wuhan lab? A lab leak? Bats? Wet market? Given the gravity of the matter, you'd think the powers-that-be would summon the means to get an answer. 

Gain of function research? I mean, is there maybe a grain of truth, at least, in the suspicion being leveled by Rand Paul vs. the venerated Dr. Fauci? I had a line in my annual Christmas song last year that was quite respectful toward Dr. Fauci. Trying to guard him from some slings and arrows. But what about "gain of function research?" And was Dr. Fauci a party to that? 

We don't know the full answer on origin yet. Thus we entertain all sorts of speculation. 

Yours truly theorized early-on that space aliens might have thrust this menace on us. Such a move would have a purpose of saving the planet. The most powerful person on Earth, the president of the U.S., proclaimed during 2016-2020 that climate change is a "hoax." This individual took us out of the Paris Climate Accords. Were the space aliens paying attention? Did they decide that something had to be done with urgency, lest this planet meet its end for living things? 

Such a scenario would follow perfectly the plot line for the original "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and its sequel. The movies by themselves show that we, the human race, are not clueless about our environment. 

But it is we of the United States that chose a particular president for 2016-2020, as if we were just trying to amuse ourselves. A president who apparently seriously considered employing nuclear weapons toward the end. To the extent that a high-ranking military person felt he had to share a heads-up with other world leaders. 

So, we hear about this on the news and then just sort of shrug? File it away with other crazy things coming out of that presidency? Is it that important for us not to be bored? 

The space aliens are surely aware that the president of 2016-2020 did not get the most votes in 2016. The opponent did. The opponent would have been a "proper" president. And in many people's minds, that would mean "dull." This individual would have tackled the pandemic in a way that surely would cause some inconvenience and annoyance in the short term. The effort would probably have gone beyond short-term, given the extent of the danger. 

This individual would have used the Defense Production Act in the proper manner. Everyone would have just nodded with understanding. It's a crisis and we must respond with prudence. Government 101. Not the kind of approach that yields a gold mine for the media. The media instead salivates over an inexperienced reality star president who acts in a provocative way constantly. It appeals to our limited attention span, keeps us occupied. Gives the media "eyeballs" which in contemporary times, is judged essential by those denizens e.g. Chuck Todd. 

We had a president pre-Biden who used the Defense Production Act to direct meat processing plants to continue operating. What does this have to do with combating the pandemic, "fighting the war" against the bug? "Defense" means there is danger at our doorstep. That's the whole point. It is invoked when our normal capitalistic processes aren't going to cut it. 

Donald Trump's supporters have vilified states that adopted special means for voting that might not be totally in line with state constitutions. It was an emergency. We don't want people streaming into polling locations, or streaming into meat processing plants to work, if a substantial percentage will have their health threatened. Or to die. Such reasonableness. 

Mark Zuckerberg led an effort to facilitate voting under the cloud of the pandemic, clearly non-partisan. The Trump crowd shouts him down. 

Can't we all get along eating a little less meat? Think of the sacrifice this nation made for World War II. 

The Republicans scream about spending proposals they judge "socialism" from the Democrats. What did the 20-year war in Afghanistan cost us? The monetary cost. Can you suggest a figure? A Republican president got us mired over there because, well, he just had to. He had to make sanctimonious pronouncements about "fighting for freedom." He always talked about "freedom." Like freedom from regulations that might ensure a healthy planet. 

Why are so many of us so obstinate in not recognizing the stark reality? People stream into their conservative churches out here in red state country, western Minnesota, and so much of their thoughts are applied toward attacking "critical race theory," for one thing. Ignoring things like the genocide of Native Americans will not make that chunk of history go away. 

Ken Burns is arguing that a really great nation is classy and honest enough to recognize its missteps, its warts from history. But the conservative churches like around Morris are full of people who want to stomp on gay marriage and gay rights. The space aliens may be paying attention. 

I pray that my theory about the space aliens, their possible effort to cleanse the Mother Earth of homo sapiens, is not true. Can you actually swear that this theory cannot be true? Can you explain the crop circles?

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

Replay giveth, replay taketh away

Chatfield 14, WC Area-Ashby 13

Replay review for high school football games? I didn't realize such an animal existed. The system generated headlines in connection with the AA state championship game. Isn't this rather deflating? If replay is not the practice during the regular season, why should it be thrust at us for Prep Bowl? The powers-that-be decided it must be so. 

And so it was that West Central Area-Ashby was denied a two-point conversion run. The play was initially ruled good. WC Area-Ashby fans reacted with the emotions you'd expect: jubilance. Were their Knights on the way to victory? Such hopes proved fleeting. The emotions now? The media reported that even WC Area coach Nate Wood was crying. 

Anthony Sykora was the Knight who clutched the football on the fateful conversion bid. The time remaining in the game: 3:51. The conversion followed Evan Paulson's one-yard run for the touchdown. Paulson is the quarterback. At this point the score is 14-13 with the Knights trailing. All eyes would be on the conversion play. 

Did Sykora reach the end zone? Refs thought yes at first. but then the matter was turned over to replay. It was thumbs-down. The Chatfield Gophers would win this game 14-13. The game was the ultimate in how fans' emotions can be drained.  For the loser, it had to be excruciating. Action was Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The occasion was Prep Bowl 2021. 

Replay was at centerstage more than once. Chatfield got denied the other time, which happened not long before the Knights' conversion play heartbreak. In Chatfield's case, an apparent 74-yard fumble recovery return got nixed. What a dramatic play that may have seemed. But aha, replay enters the picture and "hold everything." Which in this instance, buoyed WC Area-Ashby. 

But alas, replay giveth and replay taketh away. The tables would be turned via "the eye" of the video camera. I suppose this can be humbling for the on-field referees. Should the practice continue, I mean even for this one day? Yes it worked both ways in Friday's AA showdown. But does it have a deflating effect for fans and TV viewers? I mean the loss of certainty with the initial call made by refs closest to the scene, "in the heat of battle?" 

Fans might even become reserved in how they react sometimes. A corner of their minds will ponder "will there be replay?" Will there be a (possibly excruciating) wait? Maybe the replay is an experimental thing for H.S. ball. Drama? Yes the replay instills a little drama of its own. I suppose it's a godsend when you win because of it. On Friday it seemed rather a "push" in the AA game, advantages shifting. 

Either way, one team has to win, the other to lose. The winner takes the outcome regardless of how it comes. I hope Sykora doesn't replay the pivotal run in his mind indefinitely, as he might wonder how one little extra bit of daylight could have come about. It's like in baseball where a long drive gets snared by a leaping outfielder at the fence, alas. 

But West Central Area-Ashby most definitely had a sterling season. Final won-lost of 13-2. 

Even more drama can be reported in connection to Friday's game. As I have written previously, the Chatfield quarterback situation was unsettled. I wrote on Nov. 25 that star quarterback Sam Backer had gotten benched because of misbehavior. This happened in the state semis vs. Barnesville, a game won by Chatfield 22-18. Backer may have been Chatfield's best player. He was called for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the Barnesville game. What got his dander up so badly? Evidently he took umbrage when Barnesville players were too slow letting him go after tackles. 

Backer got the heave but would he be back for Prep Bowl? Would you believe, the matter ended up in court? Backer and his family awaited the ruling, I would guess with not much optimism. A U.S. District Court judge weighed in. The judge turned thumbs-down on Backer's bid to play. The drama could have been a distraction for the Gophers. But coach Jeff Johnson commented "we had lots of kids ready to play ball, and excited." 

The semis game with Barnesville saw Backer replaced at QB by a sophomore. This was Parker Delaney, not exactly seasoned. Basically he had done mop-up duty. He did terrific in the Barnesville game. And then, under the state title game lights, he held his own by completing five of 13 passes for 67 yards. 

WC Area-Ashby scored its first touchdown in a thrilling way: a 30-yard touchdown pass, Paulson to Cole Anderson. 

Evan Paulson (MSHSL image)

The teams struggled with turnovers. Chatfield scored on a 31-yard fumble recovery return by Carter Daniels. The score was good for putting Chatfield up 14-7 for halftime. 

The Knights succeeded with an onside kick to start the second half. Eventually they got within a point of the Gophers but then needed the conversion run in order to accomplish their objective. Enter the replay camera drama. To repeat: it "giveth and it taketh away." Nuts. 

The "Minnesota Football Hub" summary had this headline: "One good overturn deserves another." Chatfield was ranked just seventh in Minnesota. Their 2021 state title is their fifth. In 2021, defense asserted itself in a big way for the Gophers. Friday's game was the tenth time this season they've held an opponent under 20 points. 

The Daniels fumble recovery return for six came when WC Area-Ashby was facing third-and-eight. Grady Schott and Campbell Berge converged on Knight QB Paulson. The result was the fumble. Daniels was in perfect position to seize the ball, then he turned on the jets for 31 yards. Later, Cole Johnson forced a fumble and Daniels got another recovery. This recovery snuffed out a promising WC Area-Ashby drive. 

Paulson attempted 29 passes, completing 15, but had three picked off. Sykora completed his only pass attempt. Here are the receiving stats: Hunter Norby (four catches, 71 yards), Cole Anderson (4-67), Mattson Hoff (4-33), Sykora (3-33) and Ryder Staples (1-17). Sykora's rushing stats were 21 carries, 63 yards. Hoff, Norby and Paulson had negligible rushing stats. 

The WC Area assistant coach is Todd Hickman, former UMM coach. Head coach Wood is also assisted by David Stone and Brandon Gruchow. 

What a 2021 season for the Knights of West Central Area-Ashby! Now, on to the Christmas holiday season.

 

Meanwhile, at Morris Area

Mark Ekren has submitted papers toward retirement. Mark Torgerson has been "overheard at Willie's" saying this basketball season will be his last. There's a slam-dunk source: "overheard at Willie's." The school district will be losing lots of experience. 

I remember writing a little profile of "Ek" as a new teacher way back when. My relationship with him was always 100 percent enjoyable. So often he'd just call me by my initials "B.W.," probably based on an on-again, off-again column I wrote. The column used a graphic of an old-fashioned typewriter. They weren't old-fashioned when I started at the paper! 

The developments with "Ek" and "Torgy" inspire my new blog post on "Morris of Course." I invite you to read:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/11/ekren-and-torgy-heading-toward-sunset.html 

Congratulations to the West Central Area-Ashby "Knights" of 2021.

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