MACA girls surge to 9-0

The Tigers have done nothing but win through the 2021 softball season. Fans are also keeping an eye on the new softball facility on the east edge of town. Our local media covers that like it is truly spectacular. The real test for judging will come once the games start there. 

The MACA softball Tigers climbed to 9-0 with doubleheader success on Tuesday. They played Sauk Centre at Wells Park. A big inning did the job in game 1. The Tigers plated four runs in the fifth to down the Streeters 5-2. 

Shannon Dougherty smacked two hits in three at-bats and drove in a run. Brienna Dybdahl had an RBI and also handled the pitching work. She pitched the whole way, setting down nine Streeters on strikes. Cortney Lehman chalked up an RBI. 

Sauk Centre's Lanna Wolters went four-for-four including two doubles. Jaden Struss hit safely. Their pitching was done by Maddie Nelson who struck out five. 

The story of game 2 was unstoppable MACA bats. The onslaught was led by Brianna Marty who hit safely in all five of her at-bats. She scored three of the Tigers' runs in this 12-3 triumph. She also drove in one. Emma  Bowman's bat was authoritative again. This time she had a three-for-five line including a triple. She drove in two runs and scored one. Others with multiple hits were Dybdahl, Makenna Hufford, Hannah Fischer and Sydney Dietz. 

Dybdahl got the pitching victory and fanned four batters. Yasmine Westerman also pitched. 

Brenna Bick went two-for-three for the opponent. Maggie Warring was their pitcher and it seemed like she pitched batting practice: 14 hits allowed, all 12 runs earned.

 

Champs of Morris Invite

We're definitely into the heart of the softball/baseball schedule, and games can be played fast and furious. It's fun if demanding. 

The players are doing the real work and yet yours truly as a scribe can feel overwhelmed! I'm 15 years older than when I last wrote for the Morris newspaper. The times got difficult for me toward the end there. The company that owned the paper then has since left town. Strange series of events. The paper seems quite stable now. Wonder why the Forum couldn't cut it. 

Saturday saw our Tigers play three games in their home invite. It was a 3-0 day for coach Mary Holmberg's team. They reached the top with a dramatic 4-3 win over the Valley City Hi-Liners. (I love the distinctive school nicknames.) 

Eight innings were required. Victory came walk-off style. I don't recall hearing the "walk-off" term in my youth. Katelyn Wehking socked a double in the eighth inning to finish the Tigers' business. Emma Bowman crossed home plate and the Tigers with fans could celebrate. The game was played at Wells Park. That venue seems quite agreeable for everyone. 

Hailey Schaefer pitched for Valley City and was effective. She held the Tigers scoreless through five innings. MACA bats got to her in the sixth for four hits that resulted in three runs. This gave us a 3-2 lead. Those Hi-Liners fought to get the score tied in the seventh. So we needed one last burst in the eighth to emerge with the win and the Invite title.

Wehking's game-inning double was among three total hits by her. She drove in two runs. Bowman doubled as part of a 2/4 showing. She crossed home plate twice. Hannah Fischer went two-for-three with an RBI. LaRae Kram added to the mix with an RBI. Dybdahl pitched the distance and fanned six batters.

 

Two other Saturday wins

The Tigers beat Paynesville 6-1 as part of Saturday's action. The score was tied 1-1 when Wehking drove in a run on a ground ball. We assumed command after that. 

It was Brienna Dybdahl doing the work in the pitching circle. (Years ago I'd write "pitching rubber" just out of habit from baseball!) Dybdahl set down six Paynesville Bulldogs on strikes. 

The boxscore showed LaRae Kram and Brianna Marty each coming through with two hits. Each scored twice, and Kram had two RBIs. Other RBIs were picked up by Emma Bowman and Hannah Fischer. 

The Tigers had one blow-out win on the day. It was achieved with a 21-5 score over Wheaton-Herman-Norcross. We saw a parade of batters as the runs accumulated. Brianna Marty was "in the zone" with her bat as she produced four-for-five numbers. She scored three and drove in three. 

Yasmine Westerman was a factor with the bat and she also showcased her pitching arm. With the bat she went three-for-four. She scored two runs. She got the pitching victory. Katelyn Wehking drove in three runs. Tigers with two RBIs were Kram, Sophia Carlsen, Leah Staples and Camryn Ostby.

 

The new softball complex

The news media in small communities tend to get mesmerized by positive talk about new projects. The spokespeople for such endeavors insist on this. A media person who simply chooses to ask a tough or frank question can feel on the defensive. 

My daily walking route goes past the softball facility and I wonder repeatedly how fans are going to be accommodated at the main new field. I noticed yesterday that cement has been put down in the area between home plate and the concession window. Even if some bleachers were to be squeezed in there, it seems inadequate for space. 

Should we assume some fan seating in the area behind home plate? Look how Chizek field for baseball is laid out: an ample section of bleachers. I would have assumed that this ambitious new softball facility would at least have that. Are we supposed to assume that softball does not draw as many fans as baseball? I feel that would be a mistake. 

Some space will have to be allowed for people to walk back and forth in front of the concession stand. Simply having a concession stand means you're anticipating a fair number of fans. I just don't see where they will position themselves. The dugouts are large and would be a serious obstruction to fan viewing from the sides. Looking through the fence from an angle is difficult. Bleachers out by the outfield fence? I notice the ground slopes down going away from the fence, so this would seem to be no-go at present. 

There are no sidewalks and look out for mud. It's not handicapped accessible, is it? Is there a special parking area? Shouldn't the local commercial news media be asking some questions like this? If the answers address all concerns, wonderful. The promoters should be eager to share this info. But maybe they don't want us to ask. Mary Holmberg did not answer an email I sent her. 

A friend mentioned to me that the current Morris paper has a puffy piece on the whole thing. He cited the "big half-page/front page article on the new Mary Holmberg/softball complex." I went to the public library last night. For a long time you couldn't see the Morris paper there - virus phobia - but now you can. The spread was what I expected. 

So an "anonymous donor" arranged for the field to be named for Holmberg. I wonder how big that donation was. It's called a "complex" but that would seem hyperbole now. Outside of the main Holmberg field, nothing else there seems substantial or impressive. 

The UMM field already existed. Cougar fans seem quite happy attending games there. They may not like it if the viewing opportunities are more limited at the new field. Some Cougar fans have been parking just outside of the outfield fence. They drive down a little slope on a rough path that has been established by construction vehicles. Not sure if this route was intended for the general public. 

I'm still not sure why the City of Morris had to pitch in with $150,000 for this. The city was requested to make a second contribution and this time said "no." Might the city be getting a little disillusioned? 

Honestly, I was expecting this whole "complex" to have a "wow" factor by now. 

As I walk by each day, I can only shake my head. The news media should not hesitate trying to get all the promotional happy talk underscored by facts/reality. Really, the public appreciates this. Substantial public money is invested. And if everything turns out peachy-keen, no harm will have been done. The project will speak for itself!

 

Addendum: A friend has emailed me whose spouse had the opportunity to inquire face-to-face with Holmberg about the fan seating at the new field. "Mary Holmberg told (name withheld) that spectator seating is in the works for the (new) softball fields," my friend wrote. "Be interesting to see where they're put up. We've driven by and I don't see much room!"

 

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

Brady Backman pitches the distance in win

The springtime sports slate is getting fast and frenetic. I remember the feeling of exasperation I could get as sportswriter for the Morris newspaper. Of course I did about a hundred other things too. But here I'm addressing sports, where on the one hand it's nice to see the kids involved in such a healthy activity, but I personally could get a little overwhelmed at times. 

Seems like games are on the slate for any days other than Wednesday or Sunday. Frankly I'd like to see Wednesday opened up too - treat it just like any other day of the week. Why not? Church night? Seems like a questionable justification these days when our Christian faith has gotten intertwined with politics so much. 

Opening up Wednesday would relieve schedule congestion and give breathing room for non-sports like band and choir, wouldn't you say? 

Well, the Tigers of baseball were quite active through this past weekend. The Saturday chapter had two games which resulted in a win and a loss for the MACA crew. Let's begin with the win which was by a score of 8-2 over Hancock. Brady Backman worked on the hill the whole way. One of the two runs he allowed was unearned. He fanned three, gave up four hits and walked none. 

At the plate, Zach Bruns gave support with his two hits in three at-bats. He scored three of the Tigers' runs. Durgin Decker and Noah Erickson each added two RBIs to the mix. 

The Hancock side had Devon Schroeder with an RBI. Their pitcher of record was Kody Berget who fanned six in the losing cause. He walked just one, and three of the runs he allowed were unearned. 

MACA fortunes turned dim for the day's second game. All this action was part of the two-day Morris Invite at the Eagles complex. The weather was on the chilly side. The Tigers fell to the Arrows of Ashby 7-4. Brandon Jergenson supplied a bright spot for MACA with his home run, one of his two hits in the contest. 

Bruns and Sam Kleinwolterink each had a three-for-four boxscore line. Ross Marty and Durgin Decker each added two hits to the mix. But it was not to be a winning mix for coach Kirby Sayles' crew. 

Key Ashby contributors toward the end were Torin Olson and Carter Spangler. I remember a Houston player from my youth named Al Spangler. Houston started out as the Colt .45s before they became the Astros. Remember the Astrodome? Before the dome the games were played at a place where you had to look out for snakes! Ashby's Carter Spangler drove in the go-ahead run. 

Our pitcher of record was Josh Rohloff who appeared in relief. The starter was Dylan Rose. Ashby's winning hurler was Hunter Norby. Olson started the game. Ashby climbed to 4-0 on the season while the Tigers were left at 3-3.

 

The Friday Tiger win

My summary of Friday's 9-2 win for the Tigers over Pelican Rapids is on my companion blog, "Morris of Course." Here is the permalink:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/04/maybe-not-no-hitter-but-maca-baseball.html

 

Track and field update

Things went well for MACA track/field on Thursday at Sauk Centre: first place by the boys, second by the girls. It was a memorable day for Kenny Soderberg as he was No. 1 in the 110m and 300m hurdles, plus he was on the 4x100m relay unit that placed first. He was joined in the relay by Derek Waldbeser, Trey Hunt and Ethan Lebrija. Derek and Trey are new names for me to type. 

Lebrija was the top performer in the 200m dash. The 100m event saw him take runner-up. 

The MACA girls team was second behind Minnewaska. Kaylie Raths performed the hurdles well as she was No. 1 in the 100m and 300m. Claire Reed pole vaulted to No. 1. Lydia Fynboh topped the 100m dash and she ran with the 4x100m relay that took first. On the relay she was joined by Crystal Nohl, Callie Snell and Olivia Lebrija. 

There were five schools in this meet. Warmer temperatures ahead, maybe?

 

All those police shootings

Maybe we should ask: are we safe here in Morris from police-involved shootings? Are we safe if we get pulled over for a traffic stop? Is it risky to reach for your wallet in the presence of a police officer? Sometimes we feel such issues don't arise in our pastoral Morris MN. It can be folly to think that way. 

Were we insulated back when all the revelations were coming out about Catholic priest misconduct? Was all that stuff confined to places like Boston? Oh no, it most definitely did arise here. A priest had to be spirited away. I wonder where he is now. Last name of Caskey. 

The best advice is that when you're out and about in your car, stay under the speed limit, wear your seat belt and make sure your headlights and taillights are functioning. Otherwise you may be at risk. It is highly risky to even have air freshener hanging from your rear-view mirror. One casualty can be chalked up to that. Should we be nervous if we see law enforcement people with guns in holsters at a place like Don's Cafe? Good question.

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

No pleasant surprise w/ local Covid trends

Speculation that Covid and its associated disruptions would dissipate with the warm weather was premature. Make that inaccurate too. The local word on the health situation is not heartening. 

A friend of mine predicted a while back that by midsummer, not only would Covid be marginalized in its effects, we would have basically forgotten about it. Granted we're a ways away from summer still. The temperature has remained cold in a stubborn way of late. We Minnesotans are supposed to be resilient with this. But doggone it, we'd like a feeling of summer to lift our spirits. 

Another friend who happens to be an attorney says, "I hear Stevens County has a serious increase in Covid cases." The top headline in today's Star Tribune is grim. (I see it under the window at vending machines.)

High school sports has gone on with a tentative air through much of this academic year. Look around and you still see a halting pace. Look not far away to KMS, the Saints of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg. The Saints played just their first two games of the season on Thursday. The twin bill was against Dawson-Boyd. 

Coach Eileen Suter said "we were down to ten players. Considering we had three JVers out there it was very good." 

Final scores of games ought to get the least of our attention now. But the KMS crowd certainly went home happy as the greatly depleted roster sure didn't hurt their team's fortunes. For the record, coach Suter's Saints won 21-1 and 19-0. 

Games with such scores might not be good for anyone, wouldn't you say? Obviously both games were just five innings. The site was the Murdock diamond. That's the hometown of our MACA coach Mary Holmberg. 

We're all wondering here in Motown when the new softball facility will be used for games. Or if? I wonder if anything is officially set for there yet. Sure looks like a lot of work remains to be done on the whole place. Is there enough money socked away to do all this? If the whole thing comes up short, maybe our local government should launch an inquiry. Government is heavily into this: three entities. 

I still wonder how the main high school field is going to accommodate fans properly. Looks to me like the secondary field might actually have a better viewing opportunity for fans. Obviously I am sharing these comments early-on in the process. Or is it so early? Didn't promoters announce that the facility would be in use for this spring? 

The UMM diamond is in use like always with no noticeable improvements or embellishments. To the casual observer the UMM field looks inferior to the new "Holmberg Field," and that should be an issue for UMM in case UMM cares. While Holmberg Field looks sharper, there remains the issue there of fan accommodations. I'm just not seeing it. And be aware of mud these days. I thought there would be at least one sidewalk. 

Will fans park along the road leading out to the bypass? Various questions hover indeed. 

So KMS was reduced to its skeletal roster of ten in the face of pandemic protocols. The protocols meant that all the other players had to sit out because of potential exposure. Suter said "we had to borrow some seventh graders so we could have a JV." 

She further explained (to the West Central Tribune) that 18 of the 39 players in the program practiced Wednesday. The rest were all quarantined. Remember the basketball post-season where 'Waska and Paynesville had to forfeit their scheduled game vs. each other? Does anyone have any idea how the next academic year is going to go? 

But for sure we're not on the downside of the pandemic at present, and my friend's rosy prediction for midsummer seems at present, wildly over-optimistic. 

We have to face facts. The U.S. could have been like Australia and taken on this menace more aggressively from early-on. That's what a Democratic Party president, whether Hillary or anyone else, would have done here. That individual would have required that Americans, to use the words of Obama from during his presidency, "eat their peas." Some real wisdom here: the most successful and wealthy people in our society get that way because they are willing to "defer gratification." Take that to the bank. 

We chose another course with our choice of Donald Trump for president. He used the Defense Production Act not to mandate manufacture of the most effective masks, but to order meat processing plants to stay in operation. Our media respectfully reported this without seizing on it for ridicule. The media might have a guest or two slamming this, but otherwise they stayed passive for fear of angering Republicans, Republicans like the person or persons in Morris who insist on keeping the big "Trump-Pence" sign on the north edge. 

We've made our bed. Now you know what we can do. 

An important Morris school faculty member stalled on getting the vaccine, reportedly because this individual "wanted to get more answers about the J&J." That person ended up in the ER with Covid and is missing classes. Maybe teachers should have been mandated by law to get the vaccine as soon as possible. 

A popular local restaurant waitress has gotten ill and reportedly had to go to St. Cloud with clots. Our state representative has said he is not getting the shot. He's a Republican which most likely explains it. These are life and death decisions. Forget about Donald Trump and/or Fox News. Jeff Backer could listen to The Reverend Franklin Graham who recommends the shot. I would guess his mind is closed.

 

Tigers 23, BOLD 0

Speaking of one-sided games - ahem - there's the Tiger game of Thursday as an exhibit. Holy cow, the MACA girls plated 23 runs while slamming the door on the BOLD Warriors at Olivia. Yasmine Westerman was the pitcher who slammed the door. She allowed not one hit. 

Emma Bowman and Shannon Dougherty were the big bats generating RBIs.  Dougherty's bat resonated with a home run. She had an RBI total of four. Bowman rapped three hits in five at-bats, and included in the hits were a double and triple. Her RBI total: five. 

Adding to the barrage were LaRae Kram and Brianna Marty, each with three hits. Reilly Gibson scored a run, Katelyn Wehking stole a base and crossed home plate twice. Sophia Carlsen had a hit in her only at-bat. Sydney Dietz had a hit, a stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI. Makenna Hufford had two hits, three runs and two RBIs. 

Hannah Fischer stole a base and scored twice, Bailey Hottovy scored a run. Cortney Lehman drove in a run. Brienna Dybdahl picked up an RBI. Brianna Marty had a hit and three runs scored. Our biggest inning was the third with 12 runs scored. 

Pitcher Westerman fanned nine BOLD batters and walked three as she threw a total of 66 pitches. BOLD struggled mightily in the field. MACA remains undefeated at 4-0.

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

Barrage of extra-base hits in 16-2 Tiger win

Ah, springtime and the sound of bat meeting ball! Now if only we could see temperatures hiked a little. But the ball diamond action is uplifting, a prime example being the 16-2 win by MACA softball on Tuesday. It was a road game at Montevideo. 

We truly knocked the cover off the ball. Not only did our bats resonate with 17 hits, a total of eight were for extra bases. Emma Bowman connected again for a home run, a two-run job in the first inning. She also powered two doubles in a memorable day, part of a memorable win. How soon will we in Morris start seeing such heroics at the new softball diamond? Any day now? 

Shannon Dougherty slammed a solo home run in the third frame.

The one-sidedness of Tuesday's game limited the action to five innings. Bowman's boxscore line was a perfect three-for-three. The line also includes two runs scored and five RBIs. Will opposing pitchers start pitching around this Tiger? Maybe not, based on the other very potent bats in the lineup. The following Tigers each had two hits to complement Bowman: LaRae Kram, Katelyn Wehking, Dougherty, Makenna Hufford, Brienna Dybdahl and Bryanna Marty. 

Kram sped her way to four stolen bases. She was a perfect two-for-two with the bat and scored three runs. Wehking stole a base while going two-for-four, scoring a run and driving in two. Dougherty had a double to go with her round-tripper. She drove in two runs and stole a base. 

Sophia Carlsen had a hit in her only at-bat and scored a run. Hufford had a two-for-three line that included a double. She stole a base and scored a run. 

Dybdahl complemented her pitching work with a triple in her two-for-four performance. As for her pitching, she set down five Thunder Hawks on strikes in her five-inning job. She walked just one. 

Hannah Fischer socked a triple. She scored two runs, drove in a run and stole a base. 

Bryanna Marty had a two-for-four afternoon with two RBIs, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Camryn Ostby and Cortney Lehman each scored a run. Our line score was a super 16 runs, 17 hits and zero errors! Monte's line: 2-7-1. Our biggest inning was the third: seven runs in. 

Montevideo's Alyssa Sachs went two-for-two. These other T-Hawks also hit safely: Zola Olson, Kassey Pauling, Lexi Brockmoller, Mathea Jorgenson and Cali Molde. Monte's pitchers were Megan Anderson and Pauling with Anderson taking the loss.

 

Baseball: Minnewaska 8, Tigers 4

Chizek Field was the site for prep baseball action involving the Tigers and Minnewaska Area Tuesday. The visiting team prevailed: an 8-4 win for the rival Lakers on a cold day. Brrr! The cold was no hindrance for Mitchell Gruber's bat, as this Laker went three-for-four. 

Minnewaska got its third win in as many games. 

Maybe the cold affected our play as our hurlers struggled with control. Zach Bruns and Tristan Raths combined for ten walks and a hit batsman. Raths was the pitcher of record. The Tigers came out of Tuesday at 1-2. We scored our four runs on eight hits and committed one error. The 'Waska line was eight runs, ten hits and three errors. 

Our hitting shows Ross Marty with a double. Brandon Jergenson cracked two doubles. Bruns doubled, drew a walk, stole a base and scored two runs. Sam Kleinwolterink went two-for-three including a double and drove in three runs. Will Breuer had a two-for-three line. 

Darion Alexander got the pitching win for 'Waska. Just one of the four runs he allowed was earned. He set down six Tiger batters on strikes.

 

Our elusive Chamber?

I thought for a few days I might have been "punked" by someone telling me the Morris Chamber of Commerce office had moved out to Greeley Plumbing. It did not seem real logical. Also, there is no conspicuous sign outside Greeley's heralding this move. However, there sure as heck is a conspicuous sign nearby, and that's the one touting "Trump-Pence." 

For what? Isn't the election long over? Is it laziness that explains why the sign is still there? Or is it a message that the sponsor agrees with the ignorance about the election being "stolen?" Maybe this individual feels Trump ought still be president. Trump is not president. His flailing lawsuits failed all over the place. 

And would Pence even wish to be associated with Trump now? Pence's very safety along with his family were endangered on Jan. 6. 

Maybe our local sponsor of the "Trump-Pence" sign out along the highway, north end of Morris, regrets that the VP didn't meet his "hanging" fate that was sought by many of the rioters. Pence was supposed to deny Biden's victory, even though Pence made clear he had no such power and attempted no such action on Jan. 6. 

Are there a substantial number of Morris area people, including maybe the Apostolics, who were rooting for the mob on Jan. 6? To keep Trump in office as leader of the nation's "evangelical Christians?" Is violence really the answer? What is the Trump element of our society doing to tarnish the image of Christianity itself? To bewilder the young folks, folks who are receptive to many new waves of thinking like about climate change and gay rights? 

We have an LCMC church in the Morris area that got established because of gay-bashing. We probably have a state representative in office who rode the wave a homophobia a few years back. That rep at present pretty strongly reflects the ethos of the Trump/evangelical crowd. 

Can you look me in the eye and really tell me that Trump is a model Christian? Oh but his own behavior doesn't matter, you'll probably say. And that's because he'd just be delivering to the evangelicals what the evangelicals want. Besides, Christ forgives us all our sins so it don't matter that Trump shops around for porn stars and Playboy models to have sex with. 

Purely personal morality is a difficult thing to manage for all of us, but a national political leader should strive to put his best foot forward when it comes to public morality. Anyone with a fraction of a brain would realize that national political leaders ought to try to set an example. Set an example for our youth. So please recognize this and do what it takes to prevail on the appropriate party to take down the Trump-Pence sign out by Greeley's. 

And incredibly, it has now been confirmed to me via the contact page of the Chamber of Commerce that the Chamber is now out at Greeley's. Strange I guess, but true. Does the Chamber realize yet that 2021 is Morris' Sesquicentennial year? It shouldn't be up to the city manager to announce this, it should be the Chamber, if in fact we have one. 

Has State Representative Jeff Backer finally gotten his vaccine shot? Did someone finally talk him into it? I suggest he has been one of those who are unduly influenced by Fox News which is attached at the hip to Trump and his people. Republican men nationally are the biggest holdouts on the vaccine - a tragedy.

 

Bury April Fool's Day?

From an April 14 email to yours truly:

 

Funny thing on the KMRS news this AM. Marshall Hoffman had reported yesterday (I must’ve missed it) that Superior had contracted with NASA for some work on an upcoming Mars mission. Today, Marshall started out by retracting that news item from yesterday, saying that it was an April Fool's prank. He closed by saying that “apparently KMRS does not have a sense of humor.”

 

I assure you that when a commercial media enterprise uses the word "retract," it's serious business and it could mean the enterprise actually feared legal repercussions from the faux pas. Time to shelve the April Fool's tradition, eh?

 

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

Dummer strikes out side to end doubleheader

The sun was out for Saturday softball action at the U of M-Morris. "Let's play two," the late Ernie Banks was famous for saying, and indeed the Cougars and the U of W-Superior took the diamond for two games. 

It was a split for the Cougars with the success coming in game 2, score of 4-2. 

UW-Superior is known as the "Yellow Jackets." They struck right away with a four-run first inning in game 1. This set the tone for the final 8-2 score with Superior being superior at least in this game. 

But it was the Cougars who demonstrated superiority in game 2. Mollie Dummer came to the fore as pitcher for the home team. UMM fans watched approvingly as Dummer throttled the UW-Superior bats. We gained our eighth win with the 4-2 final score. We're 4-4 in league play. The Yellow Jackets stayed above .500 at 11-7 and 4-2 in the UMAC. 

 

Game 1

Our losing pitcher in game 1 was Abby Wothe. Superior's bats weren't overpowering but they had finesse. Singles fueled the initial rally, largely on bunts. Fielding woes hurt the Cougars in the middle innings. Superior seized on this to extend their lead to 7-0. 

Dummer and Morgan Mathews singled in the fourth, then a Superior error allowed a run in. The fifth inning saw Lydia Mann score on a Dummer single. So the score is 7-2 and the deficit proved too large. Superior plated a run in the seventh. The Cougars' hopes were snuffed out by a twin killing that ended the game. 

A bright spot was Mann's bat which generated a 3-for-3 boxscore line. She also reached on a walk while scoring a run, all this as UMM's leadoff batsman. 

 

Game 2

On to the second chapter of the day's action, a better one for the Cougar cause. Dummer neutralized Superior's bats at the outset - a 1-2-3 first frame, then the Cougars showed life with a Mann double. Eleanor Steinhouse laid down a sacrifice bunt, then Tori Nichols-Kraft drove in a run with a grounder. 

The Yellow Jackets scored their only runs in the top of the second. They used three hits. They seized a temporary lead at 2-1. 

The third frame saw Cougar Jasmine Jensen rap a single to start things off. She came home on a Steinhouse single. Up to bat comes Nichols-Kraft who brought Mann in with a base hit. So the Cougars are up 3-2 and maintained the lead en route to the 4-2 final. Olivia Diver tripled in the fifth to score Steinhouse who had singled. 

The game's highlights were not over for UMM as Dummer struck out the side in the seventh, a nice flourish! Dummer's pitching record was evened at 5-5. Her complete game in game 2 was a 5-hitter. The boxscore shows Mann and Steinhouse each with two hits. Fans enjoyed the action on this pleasant day. 

 

Challenge of spring sports

My "Morris of Course" blog post continues on the theme of spring sports. In particular I wonder about the feasibility of spring outdoor sports considering the weather just doesn't seem ready, so much of the time. I also weave in more thoughts on the softball "complex" east of town, a bone of contention at least for yours truly. Wake up and smell the coffee? Here is the permalink:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/04/spring-weather-tough-on-high-school.html 

 

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

Bowman hits ball over fence in 12-0 triumph

Tigers 12, Hancock 0

A little chilly, yes, especially by game's end (and for the walk home) but enjoyment was high for MACA Tiger softball action Friday. 

The school's website reported this game would be at Eagles Park but it was at Wells. I can see Eagles from my residence well enough to tell if anything is going on there. I deduced the action would be at Wells and embarked by foot. 

It is my habit to take walks. I thank the good Lord I'm still hearty enough to do this, even though 40 years ago I was at Wells as media person to cover this. Forty years ago! Time seems to have been kind to both myself and to Mary Holmberg, who was the coach 40 years ago at Wells Park when the seeds were planted for Tiger softball. She worked with assistant George Graff. 

Fast-forward to 2021 and there's Mary coaching with as much energy as ever from the third base coaching box. And there's yours truly, not working nearly as hard, not working at all actually. Was very fortunate to find a wide-open bench spot to sit very close to home plate. I appreciate this being saved for me - just kidding! 

The game action was very enjoyable even though a one-sided complexion developed. MACA ended up owning this game. It could have gone on longer whereupon we'd all feel a little colder. But the Tigers took care of business in five inning vs. the Owls, score of 12-0. 

It was thrilling to see Tiger Emma Bowman "really get ahold of one" and send the ball over the left-center field fence! What a wallop. She glided around the basepaths with moxie. The homer was the highlight of the game for me. 

Not that there weren't other significant strong suits in the Tigers' play. Like, the pitching of Brienna Dybdahl: five innings, just two hits allowed. The second Owl to bat did get a hit off Dybdahl. From there she went to work to set down the next 12 batters. Her strikeout total for the game was eight. She walked none. Her pitching win was her second. 

Bowman's round-tripper was in inning No. 4. She had three hits total. Makenna Hufford's bat resonated with a two-run single. The two Hancock hits were by Lexi Staples and Alexa Meierding. Carlee Hanson took the pitching loss.

 

The Tigers' win over Minnewaska

Previous to the Hancock game the Tigers took care of business 13-9 over Minnewaska Area. Click on the permalink below to read my summary of that win. The summary is on my companion blog, "Morris of Course." Thanks so much. 

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/04/tigers-overcome-cold-and-waska-to-post.html 

 

The track and field scene

With all the talk of the new softball facility east of town - actually I've heard almost no talk about it - we might overlook track and field some. The spring sports action is surely not confined to "diamonds." Let's salute our Tiger track and field athletes who are off and running for 2021. 

Track and field has a spring advantage over the diamond sports in that indoor fieldhouse meets avail themselves. The weather needn't be a hindrance at all. 

On Thursday the MACA athletes vied at Melrose. And the boys were the team champion among the four teams. The Tigers were buoyed by five event winners: In this circle: Monte Fehr in the discus, Evan Oberg in the shot put, Austin Clemenson in the triple jump, Ethan Lebrija in the 100m dash and Kenny Soderberg in the 300m hurdles. Way to go! 

Our MACA girls fashioned a second place finish. BOLD edged our Tigers by one point. We had six event winners: Meredith Carrington was No. 1 in the 1600 meters. Claire Reed was the champion pole vaulter. Kaylie Raths took No. 1 in both the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles. Also taking No. 1 were our 800m and 4x400 relay units, sorry I don't have names.

 

A final anecdote

Sound systems for music interludes were unheard-of when I was in high school. Part of the reason was tech: we had no CD-based sound systems then with all their efficiency and quality. Music on the contemporary systems can be played loud with no irritation, whereas in the "old days" the "loud" sound would be accompanied by distortion - totally unpleasant except for the hippie-types who abused themselves this way (and with headphones). 

So today we hear crystal-clear and rather loud sound during breaks at all sorts of sports events, softball included as we were reminded Friday. It is a delightful embroidery on the experience, one that I'm sure all the modern folks take for granted. 

On Friday a little ditty played that had a naughty word. It's the naughtiest word imaginable and it was just a mistake to have it aired of course. The sound was cut off immediately. The ump and the P.A. announcer looked at each other like "well, that was a mistake" but they were not distraught! It was done with a smile. 

My point is, people in my day, from when I was in high school would explode with disapproval - the ump might even declare the game immediately over and everyone should go home! Could you imagine how one-time AD Truman Carlson would react? Well, times change. 

No one would argue the word is acceptable of course! That's not the point. But people today are "cool" about such things, they can laugh. We cannot pretend the word does not exist. All kids surely become familiar with it early-on. Let's not cover our eyes or our ears. 

Parents of an earlier time were Victorian and wanted to cover their eyes and ears regarding all things connected to sex. As if they'd never dealt with their own sexual feelings! The Victorian attitude with its denial and shame actually did a lot of psychological harm to young people. We must look this liability in the face, now that we can reflect. 

Similarly we must look on the liability of the U.S. government prosecuting the Vietnam War, I guess because people didn't get quite enough thrills winning WWII with its (expletive) "landing crafts" which became fodder for cowboys-and-Indians type movies. Shame. I repeat: shame.

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

Still waiting for unveiling of softball facility

Looks like we can put off the start of high school softball/baseball a while longer. The weather has dealt a curve, so to speak. We cannot be surprised by this in Minnesota. We sure got teased by a couple days of temperature in the 80s, at least according to my thermometer. 

We can be in denial about this being a tease. Even us lifelong Minnesotans can get deluded into thinking the mild weather had set in for the long-term. I plead guilty for 2021. Who can blame us for being anxious in light of the toll the pandemic has taken on all of us? So I had a contractor come to the house to do an estimate for something. Such was my anticipation of pleasant spring being in the works. 

Well, a little delay is called for. Put on the brakes, stay indoors longer, deal with the doldrums longer. I was in our public library a few days ago and actually thanked two of the staff members for just being available to engage in a conversation. I really meant it. 

So we aren't getting an early glimpse of the new "softball complex" on east end of town. So I'll have to wait to see if this place really will have adequate accommodation for fans. I did learn recently that UMM softball fans watch just like before, standing, sitting on rear end in the grass or in (your own) lawn chair. UMM is a partner in the thing, n'est-ce pas? 

Don't you think the whole thing is a muddy mess now? What about sidewalks? Money doesn't go as far as it used to. So maybe the $1.4 million project isn't going to deliver anything breathtaking. Or, maybe we'll just be continually told or lectured "the project isn't done yet" and then they'll say "fundraising will continue" - can sometimes be translated to mean "famous last words." 

Maybe we'll be told certain things have to be done according to law - sidewalks for the handicapped? - and then if private funds cannot be raised, well, government will just have to cough it up. Are the local government entities wary of this? The City of Morris has tried to back off on further financial backing, and the city manager felt he had to make a public announcement re. this through the radio station and its site. 

Wariness? Some seeds of doubt? How long is the girls fastpitch high school season going to be this year? A friend informs me: "It was announced that the high school softball games would be at Wells Park to start. Use of the new fields would be dependent on weather and progress with finishing the remodel." 

Ever hear of cost overruns? Let's not be Pollyannish. 

We all want the best for our community's youth, no doubt. But let's remember that fastpitch softball is just one sport and it involves just the female gender. Assuming that football stays in decline nationally - a good thing - we may find in Morris that girls have better facilities than boys! Funds are being raised for a new gymnastics gym, to my knowledge a girls-only activity. 

OK, so it's nice to have facilities for girls. Poetic justice if they end up in superior position? Many will smile at this thinking, but seriously there needs to be an even-handed approach. If football survives, it just means more boys will be getting hurt, some seriously. The effects can crop up later. And no one is going to remember that your son's team beat Montevideo 20-12 ten years ago. 

And why do we still have the model of "town vs. town?" Strikes me as a little anachronistic, like it's from the movie "Hoosiers." Provincial pride, bragging rights, chest-thumping at the barber shop! 

Again I'll try to pump up soccer. Anyone listening? Talk to the Reverend Chris Richards about this. Problem is, too many of the influential people in Morris are softball-oriented. I could name names of course. It matters who you are in this town. So I'm amused considering how the Morris newspaper continues going out of its way to puff Hancock, a town markedly smaller than Morris. You wouldn't know this looking at the Morris paper. From an email from a friend:

 

You should purchase a copy of yesterday’s Stevens County, or rather the Hancock, Times. A photo of the Hancock basketball team with the runners-up trophy on the front page, a full half-page photo above the fold. Then in the sports section, 4-1/2 pages of articles and photos of the team. I wonder what the coverage would’ve been had they won. One of the advantages of having Ms. Erdman as editor, I guess.

 

(Katie Erdman's personal background is in Hancock.)

I like the Morris radio station and the work done by Marshall there, but it can be corralled by certain community do-gooders sometimes IMHO. This sort of thing might seem innocuous but I would demur. The public purse is being deployed. We must be serious. 

An article from Jan. 24, 2020, on the kmrs-kkok site, I feel bent over backwards presenting the softball complex as something that the late Willie Martin would call "astronomical." The article touted "improved bleacher areas for spectators." So the project is on the record, and the radio station along with it, saying that accommodations for fans will actually be better. I suggest you go out there, walk around the place if you don't mind sacrificing a pair of shoes to the mud, and tell me where the fans are going to gather. 

The dugouts are an obstacle for viewing. View from just outside the outfield fence? That looks workable but would this be close enough for the parents/fans? I won't rule it out but it seems dubious and I suspect the sun being low in the sky would be an issue from there. 

Obviously all of this remains to be seen, to be learned. But we need to pose the appropriate questions now before government entities get hit up for $ again, wouldn't you say? Weren't a lot of you appropriately vigilant re. the proposed county jail a few years ago? 

And the City of Morris says it has "difficult budget decisions" ahead?

Please penetrate the cloud of "happy talk" coming from community leaders who may not have the most objective perspective on things. The fund-raising is being led by a person who has a senior on this year's MACA softball team? Ah, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts. . .

Life would be a party!

The late Rick Lucken would be amused reading my blog posts about this.

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

Memories march on of MHS marching band

Would Morris kids take to marching band today? Good question. Marching band is a significant chapter in Morris history. Former director John Woell is now age 91 and still getting around, content with life, nice to see. So he made a point to visit our community recently and had two priorities, to visit Sarlettes Music and Don's Cafe! 

The photo you see is at Sarlettes, the local music hub. You know Del at right. People don't just buy stuff there, the music aficionados spend time to visit and reminisce. Reminiscing seems all we are left with, when it comes to marching band. Woell was the last of the directors when the program really had legs. He shepherded the program at a time when the concept of marching band was starting to face headwinds. 

This was during the 1970s when, for one thing, girls got varsity sports opportunities. Sports seemed to have an ever greater allure for kids. Probably a good thing as long as it doesn't become a bridge too far. We hear over and over these days about the need for more $ for sports facilities/amenities. My online writing lately has cast a critical eye at the new "community softball complex." 

We hear too about fundraising for a "new gymnastics gym" and this has puzzled me, because I thought that program basically owned the 1991 gym at the high school. Jim Morrison once wrote an editorial wondering if Morris was trying to become "the gymnasium capital of western Minnesota." If we achieved that, it still wasn't enough in terms of optimal sports facilities, I guess. 

Be careful how you talk to sports parents about this - they seem insatiable with their demands - the status quo is never good enough. But we must be determined not to put aside the non-sports assets for our young people. 

Woell ran quite the summer marching program in which kids were so devoted, they could be disciplined sharply sometimes, even kicked out of practice, and they'd want to stay in it. This during the summer, keep in mind. Amazing! 

Today kids deal with the allure of sports camps and other summer outlets for action. So we must ask: at what point are things getting out of proportion? 

Our City of Morris must have gotten its arm twisted to supply $150,000 for the softball complex, at a time when various sidewalks and streets need work. Look at Iowa Avenue going past the old Heartland Motors location. We have seen stop-gap fixes there but these are not holding. Maybe could throw off alignment with your car? Be careful. 

We must keep in mind with new sports facilities, that the cost of getting them established is one thing, but then surely they will require maintenance and management. Opponents of the proposed Stevens County jail several years ago made this an issue, as they pointed out that the facility would require a manager and such a person would not work for free. 

The girls high school fastpitch softball season does not last all that long - it is at the mercy of weather, and in order to play much beyond graduation-time, you have to win because it's the tournament. The softball complex is a pretty elaborate commitment for such a narrow sports cause: girls fast-pitch. I thought we had perfectly fine facilities up to now. Where do we stop? 

I take no pleasure in coming off as crotchety about this. A scoreboard is already up with Mary Holmberg's name on it. Did anyone propose selling the naming rights for the field, a standard practice today? How about "Federated Telephone Field" or "Town and Country Field?" I gather the proponents are still looking for money. 

  

Variety of "looks" for band

Note the three marching band uniforms hanging in the background of the photo that is shared here. Del and yours truly wore all three of those at various times in our school years. Let history document this and let history acknowledge Woell as having done yeoman's work keeping the program going until our youth culture changed to shift priorities. 

Close your eyes and remember the MHS marching band tune "Marcho Vivo." Some of us would get misty! The value of marching band wasn't really in the music, as we tended to play the same tune or chart all summer. I guess it was just discipline and camaraderie. Those rewards were nothing to sneeze at.

 

Happy birthday, Melissa Yauk

Today, April 12, is the birthday of former Morris library director Melissa Yauk, now a resident of Boise, Idaho. She was the librarian during normal pre-pandemic times, times which I'm sure we took for granted. My birthday greeting for Melissa is in my "Morris Mojo" podcast episode. I invite you to click on permalink:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Happy-birthday--Melissa-Yauk-euocad 

 

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

BBE claws back but falls to Minneota

Minneota 48, BBE 45

BBE mounted a valiant comeback that came up shy Friday in the game for No. 1 in Class 'A'. This is what it's all about: playing on one of the "big time" floors in the Twin Cities. It's the home of the Timberwolves: Target Center. 

Minneapolis is in the news quite a bit for reasons both depressing and fear-inducing. The verdict in the Chauvin trial could have a greatly upsetting effect in the Twin Cities. Fortunately this did not coincide with the state girls hoops tournament. I will not say one way or the other that rioting would be justified. We all hope there is no further loss of life. Grievances against the police are legitimate. 

The scoreboard told a dreary story for the BBE Jaguars with eleven minutes left to play Friday. The Jags trailed Minneota by 16 points. Insurmountable? The Jags would pay no heed to that word. High school sports is full of the "never say die" attitude. Ah, the vigorous nature of youth! So with the score 40-24, BBE went to work to chisel away at the deficit. 

The work and focus resulted in an "anybody's ballgame" situation with under ten seconds left! It was a one-point game! Incredible. Minneota was considered the class of Class 'A'. 

 

Ends up a squeaker

Minneota emerged with its third state title, owner of the 48-45 final score.

The Jaguars are coached by Kristina Anderson. She showed evidence of tears as she gave post-game quotes. No one associated with the Jags could be blamed for such emotions, including my old newspaper compatriot, the indefatigable Randy Olson. 

Olson shows the ideal attitude for keeping the community press relevant in the year 2021. He blogs in addition to turning out his excellent Bonanza Valley print product. He's recovering emotionally now like all the BBE faithful in the wake of such a dramatic final game, and in the wake of such a long and exciting season: perfect antidote for our health circumstances, eh? 

Coach Anderson was quoted saying "I've been so proud of this crew." 

Minneota's Abby Rost made a layup in transition to create the imposing 40-24 score. The time remaining: 11:30. Let's note that Minneota carted in an unbeaten season record. The Vikings were hitting on all cylinders as the second half unfolded. Their outside shots were connecting. Their head coach: Chad Johnston. Johnston always feels comfortable with his players launching the long-range shots. His players have proven caliber. They would need every last '3'. They had to hang on.

And how did the Jags turn things around? It was with defense largely. The defense asserted itself starting right after the Rost layup. So the Vikings got contained pretty effectively: no field goals in a span of nearly ten minutes. 

BBE has a reputation for shining in second half play. Karissa Jones got some "mo" established for BBE with two freethrows. A layup followed, and then a pair of freethrows by Abby Berge. The game was steadily becoming more interesting. The deficit got whittled down to less than ten. The scoreboard showed 1:09 left when Josie Knutson really brought vocal approval from the BBE crowd with a '3'. It was BBE's first successful three-pointer. The score now? 43-41. 

Maybe Minneota was caught off guard by the BBE surging, as the top-ranked Vikings are used to putting opponents away, even to have opponents lose some heart. Surely this would not be the scenario with BBE on the other side. 

Coach Anderson cited her team's full-court pressure as an important factor. It resulted in Minneota turnovers that the Jags could capitalize on. Minneota righted its ship with a Jeren Rost layup to gain a four-point lead. The teams exchanged freethrows. The score became 46-43. They huddled for a timeout. What followed was a dramatic layup by Knutson that startled the Minneota faithful, as now the score is 46-45! Seven seconds left. My goodness! 

Minneota's Abby Hennen scored two freethrows to deflate the Jags. Hennen effectively iced the game. The Jags were left with a hail Mary type of shot that was short of the hoop. 

Minneota's previous state titles were in 2019 and 2013. 

BBE says goodbye to a senior group of seven. BBE finishes with a 23-2 record. Allisa Knight and Josie Knutson each scored eleven points in the final game. Then we see Karissa Jones with eight followed by Jackie Lindsay (6), Liz French (4), Abby Berge (3) and Karlee Kampsen (2). 

Knutson had the Jaguars' only three-pointer. Berge and Knight each collected ten rebounds. Knutson provided three assists and also had three steals. Knight blocked four shots. 

Let's turn to the Minneota Vikings where we see "the two Abby's" on top of scoring: Hennen and Rost each with 12 points. Natalie Rolbiecki put in ten points, McKenna Yost seven, Kennedi Jurrens four and Jeren Rost three. 

Three-pointers probably made the difference for the Vikings. Rolbiecki and Abby Rost each went two-for-three in long-rangers. Hennen and Yost were each one-for-two. Abby Rost led in rebounds with nine. Hennen with her five assists led there. Rolbiecki had two steals, and Hennen blocked two shots.

Hancock plays today (Saturday)

Well, this is news: the Hancock Owls are in today's championship game for boys. A friend says "the pep band can't even go play for the game." That's unfortunate. The friend also noticed the very strange score in the Pelican Rapids vs. North Albany - North Albany? - girls game in state: 41-12. Holy cow, just as strange as some of the weirdly high-scoring games in high school football last fall (the pandemic season, if that was a factor). 

Oh, North Albany beat Pelican Rapids. Twelve total points by the loser!

 

The BBE semis win vs. SESM

My review of BBE's 51-50 win over Sleepy Eye-St. Mary's is on my companion blog, "Morris of Course." This success was in the state semi-finals at Target Center. Please click on permalink:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/04/bbe-jaguars-ascend-to-state-hoops-title.html 

 

My podcast for April 10

Well we are in the up-and-down period of early April (with the weather). The oncoming spring means we're thinking of fastpitch softball. Morris has a developing new facility with this. Let's take a look and see just how impressive it is. I invite you to click on the permalink to this "Morris Mojo" podcast recorded from beautiful Northridge Drive:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Thoughts-on-April-10-eul3sm

 

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

UMM softball experience is the same as always

A friend emailed me this photo which he said was on Facebook. At first I wondered if it was legitimate or a doctored photo. A couple years ago I was sent a "University of Minnesota Morrison" logo which of course was altered. I am informed this photo is legitimate. I might question it because it seems premature.

 

UMM softball had a home doubleheader with Martin Luther on Monday. I was lucky enough to happen by on my bicycle, as both my walking and bicycling routes go past the softball facility. We're supposed to call it a "complex" now. 

UMM softball is a delightful thing to be around - it always has been. You might describe the facility as modest but who cares? It's small college softball at its best really, and my comments would end there were it not for the fact that a ton of local money from government entities has gone into developing a "complex." 

The story behind this might be "complex." 

Observing the softball action Monday evening, it was apparent that fans of the Cougars have no more amenities than they ever did. There was a delightful little assemblage there, people in good spirits, even a couple of dogs. One of the dogs reminded me of President Biden's dog and hopefully it's more friendly. So it was fun to be there, but what's with this "softball complex" project that was supposed to deliver such a superior experience, with amenities. If no amenities, what was the point? 

Fans Monday evening were either sitting cross-legged on the grass, or in their own lawnchairs, or they were standing. Nothing wrong with any of that, but what happened with all the public money like with the $150,000 from our City of Morris? The city recently announced that it has said "no" to a second request for money. Was the city blindsided by this request? Is there some friction now? 

If I am wrong in how I am perceiving any of this, I'd appreciate someone getting back to me to clarify and enlighten. What am I missing? I see almost no consideration for fans' interests at the place. The "dugouts" appear overbuilt (with doors) and I'm guessing that's where a lot of the money went. I was expecting to see sidewalks. On the whole the place doesn't look much different than before - a whole lot of flat ground with some fences and dugouts. 

The little building at the center? With what appears to be a concession stand window? What of the cost for ongoing management of this whole place, including concessions? And if it isn't fan-friendly, how will this impact demand for concessions? 

It's raining out as I write this Wednesday morning, and I'll bet the place will be a muddy nightmare. 

We are applying so many resources to fastpitch softball now, but this is a gender-specific sport, for girls/women, whereas soccer involves both genders. My personal push has been toward soccer. You win some, you lose some. 

I finally located a Morris newspaper article online from a while back and of course it's written like a press release to promote the whole thing. Newspapers are on the retreat - it's a fact - and they are scared to alienate people in power. As a writing product of Watergate, I have no such outlook. Sometimes people in power can sell us a bill of goods. 

The Morris public school superintendent has spoken in such an effusive positive way about the project. Is he seeing a whole different place from me? Do I need my eyes examined? Maybe I just don't understand the timetable. Maybe in a year or two all my concerns will be addressed, but I still don't see how fan seating can be handled, not the way it's laid out now. 

The large dugouts are an obstruction for fan viewing IMHO. Couldn't the players just sit on benches? I'd like to see a specific cost figure for the dugouts. 

 

I'm not a stick in the mud

I have a background of being a benefactor for school and youth-related things. I contributed money for the hockey arena. I have made Morris school scholarship contributions in the past. For a time the checks were written from a joint account that had my late mother's name on top. Most notably I have supported UMM, specifically its music. 

So the movers and shakers behind the softball thing might contact me and straighten me out, if such a task can be accomplished. Was Holmberg a prime lobbyist for it? And now a portion of it is named for her? And she unabashedly poses in a picture with the sign? I think I'd rather support the University of Minnesota Morrison.

 

Addendum: Some people might respond to my gender-specific comments re. fastpitch, by saying "well, football is gender-specific for boys." Touche? Well, my response to that would be "the sooner we can get rid of football, the better." No one can look me in the eye and say football is acceptable for our youth from a health standpoint.

 

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