The state basketball tournament should do a lot to create a local sense of euphoria that will counter the blues of the pandemic and its limitations. At least this is what we hope. We really hope for "normal life," right? Sorry to say, it might be wishful thinking to put that scenario in front of us now.
Will the state boys basketball tournament be a totally healthy experience for all who take it in? By that I mean, will we all be able to guard our health well enough?
A local restaurant plans a buffet for Easter Sunday. It's a place which in the past can get packed for this sort of thing. My church plans two services for the sacred Easter Sunday. The church requests sign-up beforehand. To what extent will the sanctuary be filled or close to that?
We feel ecstatic about the Tigers, and about upcoming Easter Sunday with its buffet afterward. A lot of the more conservative political minds are inclined to defy the restrictions of the pandemic, to almost be in denial. It's nice to have a rosy outlook, all things being equal. All things may not be equal at present. But the Tigers surely won the section title in BBB.
The orange and black prevailed over Pipestone Friday at Montevideo. We overcame a halftime deficit of four points. We overcame with a 30-18 scoring advantage in second half play. Bravo! We're on to state. The 3AA title is ours.
It's our fifth trip to the big show, the last having come in 2004. The Class AA tourney will also include: Caledonia, Waseca, St. Croix Prep, Minneapolis North, Annandale, Moose Lake-Willow River and Fergus Falls.
Our overall won-lost is now 19-2.
Oh, the final score from Friday: 57-49!
Jackson Loge led our three double figures scorers. He was 7 of 17 in shooting for 18 points. Thomas Tiernan was 3 of 6 for 14 points, and Brandon Jergenson 5/9, 12 points. Toby Gonnerman scored seven and Durgin Decker six. Our team field goal shooting numbers were 21 of 44, 48 percent. Jergenson was 2 of 5 in three-pointers, Tiernan one of four. We weren't sizzling in 3's on this night: three of eleven, 27 percent.
Tiernan was definitely sizzling at the freethrow line: 7-for-7. Loge made four freethrows and Gonnerman one. As a team we were 12 of 22, 55 percent.
Loge topped rebounds with eleven, four offensive. Our team rebound total was 25, six offensive. Loge was the top assist producer with six. Jergenson added three assists to the mix. We had 13 total assists and 13 steals. Jergenson and Loge each had three steals. Loge blocked four shots while Jergenson and Gonnerman each blocked one.
Pipestone ends its season with the lukewarm W/L of 11-11. The Arrows must have stepped it up a notch for the post-season. Yes, they stepped it up for Friday's first half as they shot 52 percent in the half. Dawson Kellen was on a roll as he put in 14 first half points. We were down by four at halftime but it could have been worse.
Bring on the second half. The Tigers took on a renewed look and pleased fans with a 19-4 run. Our lead swelled to eleven before the Arrows found some new life. The Arrows enjoyed an 8-0 run. But the Tigers had an answer with a 5-0 run. Suspense over.
Kellen finished with 18 points for the Arrows. Aaron Lingen put in eleven.
Hancock's Owls are in for state too. Those Owls beat top-ranked Mahnomen-Waubun 77-71 in Fergus Falls. The Owls own a 17-5 record now.
MACA's win vs. Redwood
My summary of the Tigers' previous game, the win over Redwood Valley, is on my companion website or blog, "Morris of Course." I'll remind you occasionally to check there. This post includes a link to a YouTube post showing old video footage of a Tiger basketball game from March of 1971. Ancient times! Hey, I was a sophomore in high school. We were the "MHS" Tigers then. We sang those initials neatly in the school song. Will that day ever come back?
Here's the permalink to my writing about the Redwood Valley game. It's a pleasure for me to continue doing this.
Side effects today? None yet
Got my magic second vaccination shot on Friday. So we're supposed to be on guard for side effects. It's Saturday morning and I detect none thus far.
An old newspaper compatriot of mine from Central Minnesota shared some advice and background. He starts out this message with "I'm under the gun now" and that's a reference to wrapping up some newspaper work under deadline. I once did that a lot myself, to a fault really because I would have been justified slowing down sometimes. Stop and smell the roses.
Here's the message from my sage friend, a Bonanza Valley fellow:
Hello Brian! I'm under the gun but wanted to reply quick and say that with jab No. 2 today, now the clock ticks for at least 10 days where there's basically no added protection. Then it goes up almost exponentially after that. I've read a lot of charts that show how it plays out.
So with 5 more days left in March, then add a good week after that. I'd consider you vaccinated by the area of April 7 to April 10. At that point your mask is just for show, and just a courtesy in certain places where they require them. I see nothing against a vaccinated person having it at the grocery store line, or in a school or perhaps some crowded area where you wouldn't want to stick out like a sore thumb.
We're getting there, it's just taking a little time.
Past April 10, I encourage you to breathe freely and enjoy time at a place like DeToy's "like the old days" before last March struck.
(end of quoted material)
Boy, so nice to think of the "old days" coming back, walking freely in and out of the public library etc. Right now it's just a dream. Speaking of newspapers, how is our newspaper doing with getting the MACA news on the website? Well it's noon Saturday, just took a look and really it's threadbare, basically just an announcement that we made state. The minimal text reports Hancock first. I would get some derision doing that.
Come to think of it, I do feel a little listless. But no nausea.
Remember the 1955 Tigers
My seventh grade social studies teacher Bill Coombe made sure we knew about the fabled climb of the 1955 Morris High School team. Fans did not specify "boys" in the 1950s. Those were the "Hoosiers" days, and speaking of the movie, our Tigers made the climb to state IN THE OLD ONE-CLASS SYSTEM.
It is an extremely important chapter from Morris history, lest we forget. Some of the shine came off when Morris lost rather badly to a Minneapolis school in round #1. Well so what? Winning the overall championship only happens in the movies when Gene Hackman is the coach.
Mr. Coombe liked to refer to himself in the third person and he'd say "Mr. Coombe." His name would grace our football field for many years. He was the MHS athletic director in 1955. I don't know how he fell all the way down to seventh grade social studies by 1967. He was very personable. He coached me in elementary basketball.
The '55 team might have lost some of its luster by the perception, which I became aware of, that maybe some of those guys got big-headed. Well I sure wouldn't make an issue of that. We all have human failings, hubris being one.
Our gym in 1955 was in the old, now-razed school building. It was a gym/auditorium. It would have looked appropriate in "Hoosiers." Harriet Stevenson told me there was a time when the bleacher seats on the east side weren't even there. So it was just the auditorium seating, which meant the interest level must not have been very high. Harriet said "it was just a wall" on the east side.
In 1968 we got a new gym at the new location, seemed like the greatest thing since sliced bread. But years later what happened? We got a still newer varsity gym. We set the bar higher all the time, don't we? And now we hear about the need for a new gymnastics gym? I guess I'm channeling my inner Ken Johnson and Warren Luebke.
Well, best of luck to the 2021 Tigers. They won't be facing anyone like Minneapolis Washburn.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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