MACA boys build win skein to ten

High school sports resumed on Friday as we all deal with this late-winter blow. The Tigers took to the home court for BBB action. It was a hard-fought game that had the Tigers prevailing 67-65. The opponent: CMCS. 

The non-conference success pushed our overall won-lost to 18-6. In conference we own 8-4 numbers. 

We trailed by two at halftime, 35-33. Riley Asmus the freshman gem made 10 of 16 shots as he led the team in scoring: 25 points. Drew Huebner made 8 of 12 as he finished with 17. Then we see Tyler Berlinger with a point total of 15 on 6 of 11 shooting. Charlie Hanson put in eight points and Jack Tollefson two. 

The team shooting numbers were 28 of 53, 53 percent. We made half of our 3-point attempts: 7 of 14. Here we were led by Asmus who made four of six. Hanson was perfect at two-for-two, and Huebner likewise was dead-on at one-for-one. Berlinger made three of his seven freethrow attempts. Asmus had our other freethrow make. 

Rebounds! We had 21 total rebounds with six coming offensively. Huebner and Kyle Fehr led, each with five. In the assists category, Berlinger was tops with five of our 13 total. In steals the pace-setters were Berlinger with five and Asmus with four. We stole the ball 14 times. Huebner had our only blocked shot. Our turnover total was 12. 

All the success has led to bright news in seeding. On the heels of our ten-game winning streak, we're designated No. 1 in 3AA-North. Looks like we'll be playing Minnewaska, a team that has really stumbled through the season. Not sure what has befallen that program in Laker country. But the Lakers are 1-22. 

Looks like we could breeze through round 1 which will be at home. We'll be playing the Lakers at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 4.

 

Boys hockey: W-DC 4, Storm 3

MBA boys hockey had a heartbreaking end to the season with a double-overtime loss. Evan Lunde dashed the Storm's hopes for playoff success in this 6A quarter-final game. The site was Wadena. We skated vs. the W-DC Wolverines. Our season is done. 

The Storm fueled hopes with a pair of goals that erased a deficit. We were down 3-1 with under 12 minutes left. Trevor Buss and Blake Bruns each got the puck in the net to draw the Storm up even, 3-3. This set the stage for OT. Initially the teams were stalemated. 

Bring on OT No. 2. Let's let Brett Miller describe what happened: "Lunde ended it with a blast off a faceoff that snuck just inside Chris Danielson's left pad and into the back of the net." 

Ryan Tolifson had a goal for the Storm. Conner Goff, Kaleb Breuer and Brady Pederson had assists. Danielson in goal had 46 saves. 

The curtain comes down with our won-lost record at 15-10. 

Lunde was joined in the goal-scoring category for the Wolverines by Conner Davis, Jaeger Petit and Peyton Mithun. Their Gunner Olson had 34 saves in goal. 

The Storm had a mighty satisfying season with a won-lost of 15-10.

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

Winter howls but high school wrestling thrills

This looks like reality but it's a put-on. I got fooled momentarily Monday night.

 

Is high school sports the No. 1 antidote for dealing with the besieged mentality we can have when dealing with the weather? Not only can winter deal serious blows this time of year, we are worn down by the sheer length of winter. But remember the old sign at the HHH Metrodome, Minneapolis: "We like it here." 

So now as we plod through mid-February, we're contemplating the state wrestling tournament. I have been there a couple times. I was there when it was held at the old "St. Paul Civic Center." 

People involved with wrestling can sometimes get too pumped up about their own sport. Don't argue with me on this. But we can still be justifiably excited about the state tournament when it arrives. The big question is this: will spring ever arrive? The temperature has plummeted down as I write this early Tuesday morning. Yesterday the wind howled. 

Yesterday the word was we might not have school all week. More punches are about to be thrown, CW has it. 

I enjoyed writing about BBE volleyball and its exciting ascent last fall. BBE has more headliners this winter. Let's take a look at wrestling where the ascent has been most dramatic and exciting. In BBE the teams are called "Jaguars." 

The wrestling Jaguars are No. 1 in Section 5A. Their first sectional success was against ACGC, win by a 57-24 score. Then the action moved to Benson. February 18 saw the Jags get past Canby, score of 40-19. Then came the section climax with BBE pitted against KMS. Success this time by a score of 38-25. BBE wrestling is in the state spotlight for the third straight season. 

I am lucky this morning as the West Central Tribune has the paywall down for its website. You never know about that. 

The Tigers' loss is the Jags' gain. Let me explain: I was unable to find MACA boys basketball stats in the usual "Maxpreps" place for the last two games. Those games were on Thursday and Friday, both exciting wins. Were those stats to be posted, I'd be rolling up my sleeves this morning to try to provide quality coverage of the Tigers. As with the WC Trib paywall, there is a hit-and-miss quality to the MACA coaches' commitment with Maxpreps. I sure hope the relationship hasn't ended permanently. 

Do you suppose someone got to the coaches and said: "Stop doing that because you're just helping Brian Williams show up the Morris newspaper." Well, I certainly have been able to do that. Of course, the best attitude by school administration would be to accept with open arms, anyone's efforts to put MACA athletic accomplishments in front of the public. 

In the real world, people do not always function in the most idealistic way. Certain well-placed people might read this and laugh at me, because there are certainly people who would laugh at me for whatever I say about anything. But my money is still good: I contributed $1000 to the Morris Area School Foundation in December. Money can calm the seas in many situations. 

Over the years I have had clashes with people who wanted to cover up certain deficiencies in both our school system (especially) and other areas. All I ever cared about was the truth, not who my "drinking buddies" were. 

So if I'm not writing about MACA boys basketball this morning, I'm shining a light on the BBE Jaguars. On the wrestling mat. My goodness, the Jags were seeded a mere third in section! Joe Brown described the Saturday action at Benson as the Jaguars' "revenge tour." Hmmm, "revenge" is kind of an ugly word. I'll pass on that. I'll opt for "surprise." 

BBE now has a string of 14 straight wins in duals. Their last loss was on January 27 to Canby. The BBE head coach is Jordan Fester. The win over KMS had a downbeat start for coach Fester's crew. KMS got the early 16-0 lead. 

KMS sent Tanner Wilts onto the mat at 126 pounds. Wilts took command momentarily with a 10-1 lead. BBE had Louie Tensen on the mat. Tensen was in the down position for the start of the third period. This is the stuff of sports movies: Tensen gained a reversal and then pinned Wilts, time of 5:32! Incidentally the best high school wrestling movie is "Win Win." Check it out. 

Tensen injected a sense of mo and the Jags found themselves leading 18-16 at the midway point. Tensen told the WC Tribune he sensed a rise in confidence. 

The score became deadlocked at 22-22. Four bouts left. The BBE top weights were up to the task. BBE surged out front 28-22. But KMS had some spark remaining: the Saints won at 195 pounds with a 4-0 decision. 

The decisive match for BBE proved to be 220, where Ethan Spanier pinned his foe in the first period. Section title assured for the Jags! The Jags took a victory lap at 285 where Harley Weber got a 10-7 decision win. 

So now I'll roll up my sleeves and take you match-by-match through the section title win. This stuff always needs careful proofreading. I'm sitting inside during nasty weather. I can get focused. If not for the benefit of MACA boys basketball, then for BBE wrestling. Congrats to the Jaguars. 

The little guys at 106 pounds were Colton Noble and Aiden Mueller. Noble of KMS won 12-4. Cole Froehlich (113) of KMS won by fall over Noah Welte in 5:52. Then at 120, Trey Gunderson of KMS kept the ball rolling for them: A fall in :14 over Elliot Spanier. 

Bring on the Jags and their winning momentum! Louie Tensen got his fall win over Tanner Wilts, time of 5:32. Then it was Ryan Jensen at 132 pinning Taytan Nielsen in :54. Brett DeRoo won by a 3-2 decision over Noah Johnson. The 145-pound bout had Wyatt Engen beating Jett Olson in a 5-2 outcome. 

KMS began answering as their Chase Magaard downed Tanner Viessman 4-3. Then at 160, Luke Froelich of KMS decisioned Hunter Lange 6-3. Bring on the Jaguars again: Maximus Hanson won by major decision 21-9 over Aaron Jones. Carson Gilbert of BBE won by fall in :44 over Collin Johnson. 

At 195 it was Masyn Olson of KMS prevailing 4-0 over Talen Kampsen 4-0. BBE 220-pounder Ethan Spanier pinned Owen Kidrowski in 1:27. The big guys were Harley Weber and Jason Jones at 285 pounds. BBE's Weber won 10-7. 

What a day of thrills for the BBE fans at Benson! Does Benson still use the Native American nickname for its teams? Strange.

Words to inspire in this prolonged winter, eh? The sign was at the Metrodome. Baseball stat genius Bill James commented on it once: "It's like you're saying 'we don't care what everyone else thinks.' "
 

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

Frozen mailboxes and helpful neighbors

Of course this winter has gotten long. But it's like this every year? No two winters can be judged exactly alike. But over the long term there really is a norm. Stuff evens out? Maybe. 

My mailbox got frozen shut Wednesday morning. At the time I noticed, I don't think our road had been plowed yet. My neighbor to the east appears to have been out of town. This morning (Friday) I noticed their driveway is drifted over. It dawns on me: if their mailbox got frozen shut, I wonder if it even got unfrozen yet. I used simple hot water to solve my issue. Maybe I should check theirs. 

My neighbor to the west blew out my driveway. Much appreciated. 

Doesn't it feel like this now?

Our city manager said a year or two ago that "if you have a snowblower and your neighbor doesn't, go over and blow out their driveway." An admirable piece of advice, 100 percent, but maybe a little inconsistent with 2023 America? Our litigious society? What if something gets damaged? Is it true you can't mow someone's lawn for money unless you have insurance? 

Shall we pine for the old days when more judgments were based on common sense and wisdom? There were pluses and minuses with all that. 

So it's Friday which always feels good even among those out of the weekday work habit. I was in the habit up until mid-2006. 

 

To elaborate

Let me say that my lack of a snowblower is not due to being lazy or cheap. And I may change that situation any year, take the plunge. But a snowblower is a bulky piece of equipment that I'm sure can break down. It's yucky being around stuff that needs gas and oil. So I'm not lazy. As for being cheap, perhaps some concession toward being guilty. 

I would have been happy to pay to send a token of affection to a female on Valentine's Day. It's important to specify "female" in our present day. Discussions about gender have been going over my head, and I say that as someone who really does follow current events. 

Young people born as male need to stick with male sports teams. I cannot fathom the counter argument. So I break ranks sometimes with those of a progressive political stripe. 

I'm progressive in our community full of naysayers on that. The naysayers test my ability to state that I am more or less a Christian. The winter has seemed long and burdensome for me because I brush-blocked my way through Christmas. That's a football term. A brush-block is a less than hearty block thrown by an offensive lineman. 

Maybe I should say I paid lip service. I wrote my annual Xmas song and did so with enthusiasm, but more for songwriting than for Christmas reverence. 

Christianity has developed problems in our America of 2023.  I have ruminated on this before, multiple times I guess. My critics would say "fine, we'll go on worshiping without you." 

Yes, and surely the vast majority will go on voting for Donald Trump and others of that strain. Jeff Backer, though he doesn't represent us in Motown anymore - he of the "no" vote on condemning violence at the capitol. So Backer and his supporters would be good with a violent overthrow of the U.S. government. Trump is now talking of firing squads and even the guillotine. 

Still I'm certain I cannot talk any of my MAGA acquaintances out of their devotion. They'd smile if I brought it up. A smile of dismissiveness. "Oh, isn't that cute." I know of a retired and actually quite venerated Morris schoolteacher who is like this. I got the impression he'd be fine with a person being elected Senator from Alabama who had credible accusations of child molestation against him. You see, all that matters was that the candidate was a Republican. 

That's the kind of people who make up so much of my environment. We're in rural outstate Minnesota. But it did not used to be like this. We tossed out our Democratic congressperson, Collin Peterson. Peterson was so shaken by this new environment that he couldn't bring himself to act like a reasonably proud Democrat. I would much rather he had gone down with dignity, not trying to pretend he was something he was not. 

The "killer" of Peterson's campaign was a photo, a simple photo, brandished by the reactionary crowd: Peterson standing there and smiling next to a smiling Nancy Pelosi. That's all it took. 

So on came a new congressperson who voted not to certify the 2020 election results. Based on all this, based on how so much of the Christian faith got mobilized to support MAGA, it is hard for me to feel good calling myself a Christian. 

Yes I wrote my Christmas song, enjoyed sending YouTube links to a great many people, many of whom were from my past when I circulated as a Morris Sun Tribune representative. Do I miss those days? Well of course I do. It's not good for me to ponder if I could "do it again." I'd be tempted to say "yes." But I'd be like the retired general character in the movie "White Christmas." 

Remember when he sat down with Bing Crosby, and he had Crosby read a letter to him? The letter to the general was from a military higher-up. The general had inquired about "getting back in" to some extent. The general was nervous about reading the response. Crosby started out "Why you old (son of a gun)." I think he only got as far as "old." The general had him stop. He knew what the message was going to be. 

So the scene sticks in my head as analogous to yours truly. How many thousands of feature photos had I taken through the years? And I was incapable of taking just one more? I'm incredulous. But like the general I must acknowledge reality and the facts. "Why you old son of a gun."

 

Epilogue

OK I ought to wrap up my day's thoughts here, but wait, I did not disclose who the recipient of my Valentine's token would have been. Shall I? Am I at risk for doing so? Might I get the "El Kabong" treatment? That's an old character from the "Quick Draw McGraw" cartoon. Fewer people will remember that. It was actually Quick Draw's "alter ego." He'd smash his guitar on the head of wrongdoers. 

I do court such a risk. But the person with whom I would have shared my affection is Wanda Dagen. 

"Kabong!" Maybe. Wanda recently had her students put on a jazz concert at the MAHS concert hall. Oh, she and I are already friends. Is that level of friendship wholly satisfactory for me? Not really. But "Mongo just pawn in game of life." That's Alex Karras from "Blazing Saddles."

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

Shades of judgment made over time

A Star Tribune op-ed was reflecting on the Sara Jane Olson matter one day. It was on the heels of legal consequences hitting the fan for this otherwise model citizen. She had the alter ego that got her into trouble. It was from her past. And that's what got the op-ed writer reflecting. 

You'll recall that Olson was the former Symbionese Liberation Army member from America's fragile times of around 1970. Hey, I can remember the name she went by when she was showing her rebellious "alter ego." It was "Kathleen Soliah." I can remember the spelling of both names. My memory can be reliable, sometimes, in these "data overload" days. 

So Soliah was shown to have done some pretty bad stuff. Are there really "two sides" when it comes to entertaining thoughts of placing explosives on the bottom of police cars? To those totally attuned to 2023 America, well they'd say "no." Unequivocal, for sure. 

People my age grew up in a cauldron of evolving values and judgments. Such an environment can get dangerous. Think of William Ayers, the lightning rod guy who was propped up by the antagonists toward Barack Obama. 

Ayers had to fight to keep from being condemned in certain quarters. Based on his behavior from the bygone time, you might well think such a thumbs-down judgment is prima facie. Just as pointing fingers at the Symbionese Liberation Army would seem wholly spot-on. 

Was the past notorious behavior justified? We'd have to say "it's not that simple." 

The op-ed writer noted that people of a certain generation - the boomers - would not wholesale condemn some of the drastic or seemingly insane things that were done. But in the next breath or next phrase, the writer added "those were different times." And the writer felt that was a reason why society seemed not to be stampeding toward immediate drastic punishment. 

You'll recall that Olson/Soliah spent years with a new identity to escape her past. Morally wrong for her to do so? Well, someone of my perspective - I'm a boomer - would again say "it's not so simple." Indeed there is a disquieting reaction but not one that trumpets "thumbs-down." Perhaps what we're trying to say is that the 1960s tested us and pulled us in directions that we were not wholly proud of. 

Olson ended up "serving her time." Governor Jesse Ventura as I recall seemed of the school of thought of not wanting to forgive her at all. Maybe it was just political necessity to speak that way.

 

Getting into music

Let me point out why I'm writing on this today: just did some research on a musical group that had its start in the late '60s. 

First of all, the late '60s were a tremendous wellspring for creativity in popular music: unique. Rock was well-established but not fully mature. So we waited to hear a group that incorporated brass in a dramatic way. The music had flirted with this but not fully showcased it. So along came "Blood, Sweat and Tears." 

I got into researching one of my favorite songs of all time: "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know." The song was from the first phase of BST, or to use the contemporary parlance, "first iteration." The first phase was impactful but very meteoric. Al Kooper was on the scene. He sings in my cited song. So important at BST's start, it's surprising he ended up being let go as the band developed. 

Not a good enough singer? A bone of contention, yes. But no one disputes Kooper's genius through his long career. He sings my favorite song in the distinctive 6/8 time. Now for the time being, I'm in love with 6/8. 

Click on this link to read my blog post "Al Kooper and his BST song classic in 6/8 time." This post is on my companion blog "Morris of Course." Thanks. - BW

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/02/al-kooper-and-his-bst-song-classic-in.html 

 

After Al Kooper we came to the iteration of BST that is best remembered by most people, or most people my age. I'm thinking of the David Clayton-Thomas time period. The very distinctive singing voice with the "gravelly," intense sound. The '60s were restless times, got it. 

So did BST beget Kenny Rogers or was it the other way around? And then came a group of great importance to yours truly, "Chase" led by Bill Chase. They had a vocalist sort of cloned from BST and Rogers. Chase featured Terry Richards and then G.G. Shinn, the latter who I was delighted to meet personally when they had a reunion concert in St. Paul in 2007. 

David Clayton-Thomas

Now I'll weave in how the David Clayton-Thomas "epoch" relates to the societal turbulence of the late '60s (into the early '70s of course). BST went on a U.S. Department of State-sponsored tour of Eastern Europe in May/June 1970. Wikipedia tells us "voluntary association with the U.S. government was highly unpopular with 'underground' rock fans at the time, some of whom were engaged in radical politics. 

Indeed. Plain as the nose on your face for the people who were around then, were attuned to anti-war. Need I remind you the U.S. government prosecuted the tragic war in Vietnam that took the lives of about 58,000 young men. A bigger tragedy could not be envisioned. 

Think of the most depressing Vietnam war-themed movies you've ever seen, and realize that the reality was worse. Countless vets who had "survived" the war but really they did not. Myriad health problems, then death. So, many people on the domestic front felt they needed to take drastic actions. 

Now, so many of us might want to make judgments without the needed historical lens. Does the context make the actions right? You might say "no." But "those were different times." 

Yours truly ended up with a legacy of cynicism. I'm not terribly trusting. 

I exchanged emails over Christmas with a person I hadn't seen for a long time, may never see him again actually. This fellow's brother was killed by friendly fire in Vietnam in 1966. My family attended the funeral in Brainerd. It probably should not have been open-casket. 

The deceased was the son of the sister of my mother's best high school friend. I had to wonder: what was the point of his death? The years passed and I couldn't shake the illogic of the Vietnam war. 

My friend at Christmas said it's probably time to get over that. Get with the present, I guess. His name is Lyle. 

"Thanks for the message you sent," Lyle wrote on December 23. "It was good hearing from you. Molly and I have moved to Independence OR, a small town a few miles southwest of Salem. Only been here a couple months but really like it. Keep smiling, stay cheerful and think positive. Life flies by too quickly to not enjoy every day. Have a very Merry Christmas and fun and prosperous new year."

 

God bless Lyle and his late brother Richard who we called "Dicky." So we called them "Dicky and Lyle."

 

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

Minnewaska boys athletics in a nosedive

Here's a heads-up to check out my coverage of the Morris Area Chokio Alberta girls basketball game against Minnewaska Area on Friday. The Tigers were on the short end 71-42. This post is on my companion blog "Morris of Course." It also includes some MAHACA wrestling coverage. I invite you to click:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/02/another-down-note-for-maca-girls-at.html 

 

So the Minnewaska girls have some spark in spite of a 9-12 season record. We can surmise that our Tigers have some challenges too. 

Ahem, Minnewaska is having a woeful year in boys athletics. Maybe we should commend the male student-athletes for just "sticking it out." But it has to be an ordeal for a lot of the parents and fans. 

From an email from a friend on Friday:

 

‘Waska sports – a teacher over there that I know was on the verge of retiring, but also coached track and football. So he decided to stay on another couple of years in order to coach football – he had been one of the coordinators there for many years. But, they hired a new head coach last fall, and he told my friend that he was no longer needed – they were “going in another direction.” Yeah, down.

 

My late father was in academia but never directly in sports. One time he said as we were watching Gophers basketball, "what a way to make a living." He was referring to the vicissitudes of being a coach of course. 

Let's delve into how the Lakers have been struggling. The football team went 0-9 in the 2022 fall. They were 0-5 in section, 0-5 in conference and 0-4 on their home field. So to the extent there was a "shakeup" in coaching, it sure appears to have backfired. "Crashed and burned" you might say. 

The coordinator who was let go: I wonder what he was thinking after the season opener, a 52-0 dud loss to Royalton. Would the home opener be any better? That was in Week 2. Well, the Lakers got manhandled 43-14 by Pierz. Then came a 32-14 loss to Melrose and a 45-18 thumping at the hands of Montevideo, before another shutout disaster: the Lakers lost 43-0 to Rockford. 

Had enough? Maybe, but the road continued. It continued here in Morris at Big Cat with a score that was moderately better for them: 28-14. Maybe the Tigers turned down the jets? I remember only one thing from that game: a scary situation in the late-going where the 'Waska quarterback got thrown down on the turf. Our Hunter Gibson made the play. The QB stayed down to be attended to, then left the field with assistance, as I recall. The scene had all the looks of a concussion injury. 

Forget the score that night or on any other night: a player's health is paramount. Some of these kids who get injured badly: someday as they might continue to nurse effects of the injury, they'll get bitter at our culture which seemed to tell them it's admirable to be in school activities, even football where the physical/health risk is demonstrably great. 

All the fans who gather and cheer will just move on in life. Games will be forgotten. In the short term the community gets a "sugar high" from winning a game, from defeating another town. This is benign in basketball and volleyball and really any sport other than football. 

Our culture hangs on to football. Mainly that's because we continue to be thrilled watching "big-time" football on TV. It's vicarious for us. We watch in a risk-free way while the gridders do battle. They hear the cheers and decide that it's virtuous what they're doing. What we need is volleyball offered for boys on a serious level in fall. I really think that would push football over the edge. It's about time. 

I entertain no arguments about how I'm over-reacting or just fail to see the plus side of football. If it has a plus side, it is to no greater extent than for any other organized activity. Like marching band. 

Anyway, there was no light at the end of the tunnel for 'Waska football. The Lakers lost to Howard Lake-Waverly 43-16 and to Eden Valley-Watkins 50-14. Then came the 6AAA playoffs which had 'Waska getting crushed 59-12 by Albany.

So now it's basketball. No ray of hope at all. The Lakers came here to Morris on Thursday and - you guessed it - were dealt defeat 76-54. The 'Waska boys sit at 1-20. My goodness, who did they beat? It was something called "Hope Academy" of Howard Lake. Outside of that game, the Lakers have been futile. 

The Lakers' fifth game of the season was against our MACA Tigers and the score was 69-31 at 'Waska - futility reigns in Laker country. 

So the new head football coach, whose name I don't know and I couldn't care, turned thumbs-down on an established assistant. I can tell lots of stories from my many years of being close to area high school sports. Success is never certain in the sports universe. Disaster can never be ruled out. 'Waska is having "one of those years" and it's brutal.

 

Addendum: My father was a 1934 graduate of Glenwood High School. Those were John Dillinger times in America. My late uncle was Howard Williams the Glenwood banker. I always thought a new high school should be built on the outskirts of Glenwood.

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

 

Charlie Hanson's 3's lead charge for Tigers

Different names pop up for team-best scoring totals in MACA boys basketball this season. This certainly underscores a balance in talent which is a strong suit. So on Thursday it was Charlie Hanson leading the way in an impressive win at Tiger Center. 

Busy night at the school as there was also a band concert. Tables set up outside of the gym for a special promo too. Such an abuzz atmosphere at the school. It's a joy of course. We all got rather depressed at the height of the pandemic. We all must take care still with our health. But all things being equal, it's great to see the school be such a lively "people" place. With accent on the kids of course! 

The band concert featured the youngest for this program: grades 5 and 6. Neat to see how these kids are beginning to master their instruments. The director is Andrea DeNardo who like me is a regular customer of Caribou Coffee between 7 and 8 in the morning. I was later than usual this morning (Friday) to catch my breakfast there. I recommend the bacon-egg-cheese bagel. Two of those can almost carry me through my whole day. Or maybe it's the coffee that does that! 

Senior high band director Wanda Dagen was present for the Thursday doings. She said "hello" to me as I was proceeding from the hallway into the auditorium. That elevates my cheer level considerably as we try to get through the closing stages of winter. My goodness, about ten degrees this morning? We accept it and adapt as Minnesotans, don't we? 

So on Thursday night the Tiger Center had our Tigers of MACA winning handily over the Lakers of Minnewaska Area, 76-54. Not a great year for 'Waska boys athletics. Our win was our seventh straight! That cheers me almost as much as Wanda's "hello" and smile. (Almost.) 

The Tigers sport a 15-6 W/L mark. Anticipation will be high for the post-season. Alas, 'Waska languishes with a 1-20 record. Hang in there, 'Waska fans. 

The Tigers owned a 40-28 lead at halftime. The second half story was a 36-26 scoring advantage. Hanson topped our scoring but there were five in double figures. Hanson led the charge with his 17 points. He was five of eleven in shooting. More importantly he was very sharp from 3-point range. He got the refs to signal '3' on four of his shots, among seven attempts. 

Kyle Fehr made three 3-pointers and Riley Asmus one. In 3's the team was 8 of 19, 42 percent. Our overall shooting numbers were 26 of 57, 46 percent. 

Let's proceed down the scoring list from Hanson: Asmus 16, Drew Huebner 12, Fehr 11, Tyler Berlinger 10, Owen Anderson 4, Rylan Larson 4 and Jack Tollefson 2. The Tigers were sharp at the freethrow line too, making 16 of 20, 80 percent. Asmus stood out here with seven makes. Rebounds! Here we see Asmus as the standout with 12, five offensive. Huebner had five rebounds and Tollefson four. The Tigers had 31 total rebounds, 15 offensive.

Asmus dished out five assists and Berlinger and Fehr four each. Our assist total was 17. Then in steals we see Berlinger leading the way with five of our 17 total. The Tigers asserted themselves with blocked shots: six total. Anderson had two of those. Our turnover total was ten. 

It was great to hear the fifth grade band because these kids are just in the discovery process for their instruments. The Thursday concert had the wrinkle of some Christmas-themed tunes. The fifth graders played "Jingle Bells" at the very start. I'm sure kids at the fifth and sixth grade levels progress a lot from the fall to the winter concerts and on to spring! 

I hope the band program has its ice cream social with the spring concert to follow tradition. Spring! I guess we can only have visions of it now. The weather was good enough recently to get out for a hike or two. Of course we always get "teased" with some nice late-winter or early-spring weather. 

I finally made it as far as the first bench along the biking/walking trail. Snow wasn't yet moved from around the bench so I couldn't sit on it. Looks like snow removal gets done to a degree along at least part of the trail. But it's not down to the pavement. I see lots of footprints in the snow, indicating that the allure is year-round. 

Look for MAHS faculty member Sharon Martin and her dog "Goldy" out along there. She has friends with their own charming canine companions. Two in particular I will name: "Jack" and "Midge." Jack is a small white dog that absolutely charms me. That was my late father's favorite type of dog. 

I'll remind you that my coverage of the MACA girls game against Montevideo is on my companion blog "Morris of Course." The permalink:

 https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/02/maca-girls-fall-to-11th-ranked.html

 

Girls hockey: River Lakes 12, Storm 0

The end of the road for MBA Storm girls hockey in '23: a loss at Paynesville to River Lakes. It was a shutout for the River Lakes skaters in this 6A quarter-final game. The Storm could not contain Sofia Hess who got the puck in the net four times. Madi Wendlandt scored two goals and supplied an assist. Abby Storms added to the mix with two goals. 

In goal for the victor was Kaydence Roeske who turned away all 15 shots that came at her. The scoreboard told a 12-0 story. So the Storm retire their skates for this winter. Their final W/L is 8-14-1. 

Our goalkeeper Thursday was Ava Breuer and she had 28 saves.

A celebration for MBA Storm skater Karlie Bruns who got her 100th point. The photo was posted on January 13, a day after the Storm won 8-5 at Windom. (twitter image)

 

Boys hockey: Northern Lakes 4, Storm 2

The boys game was closer Thursday night but we were on the short end against Northern Lakes. Brett Miller of kmrs-kkok tells us about the hat trick achieved by Logan Verville of the victor. Fans at our Lee Community Center cheered as Cole Blume and Trevor Buss each put the puck in the net. Bryce Lehman and Ryan Tolifson each contributed an assist. 

Our goalkeeper Chris Danielson stopped 19 shots. Northern Lakes has the "Lightning" nickname. They came out of Thursday at 8-13 while the Storm are 12-9.

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

Pederson scores game-winner for Storm

Lots of exciting action in prep sports as we arrive at mid-February.

Here's a heads-up to check my "Morris of Course" blog to read about: MACA girls basketball game against Montevideo, and MAHACA wrestling dual versus Alexandria. The MACA girls lost, the wrestlers won. Here's the link and thanks:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/02/maca-girls-fall-to-11th-ranked.html

 

Storm 5, Prairie Centre 4

The Benson ice was the site for a very hard-fought hockey contest between the MBA Storm boys and Prairie Centre. Overtime appeared to be looming. But Brady Pederson of the Storm got the puck in the net with less than a minute left. This spelled a 5-4 triumph for the Storm. Action was on Tuesday at Benson Civic Center. 

Prairie Centre goes by the "North Stars" nickname. Many people my age have rich memories of when the North Stars were our pro hockey team in Minnesota. Ah, Bobby Smith, Bill Goldsworthy, J.P. Parise, Bobby Rousseau and Ted Harris. 

The Prairie Centre Stars made a statement shortly into the third period as their Eli Fletcher scored to put them up 4-3. But then Zach Wrobleski struck for the Stars at 9:20. So the score is tied. 

Chris Danielson worked in goal for our Storm. He picked up 17 saves. 

Pederson, Charlie Goff and Ryan Tolifson each came through with a goal and an assist. Bryce Lehman added three assists to the winning mix. For the Stars, Owen Christians scored two goals. Their goalie was Carter Holman and he performed 40 saves. Our Storm sports a 12-8 W/L mark. The Stars are 5-16.

 

America past its greatness?

A sea change in American culture? Indicator maybe that we are past our greatness? So a question: how can schoolteachers anywhere discipline their kids on basic conduct? This I ask after what developed with the State of the Union address. I mean the hecklers. This would have been unheard-of when I was young. 

What is all this careening toward? I mean, first with the January 6 near-insurrection and now this? Are we heading toward appreciable fatalities in the name of political ideology? 

But I don't really think it's ideology. That sets the rabble rousers up as being way too sophisticated. The rabble rousers are simply bothered by government, wish it would go away. The people who protest at school board meetings aren't really concerned with the issues they talk about. Those issues are just an excuse for them to assert what they really want: no more government-funded education. 

This sentiment is not totally new. But it's out there in such a corrosive way now. We can fear that the January 6 travesty could expand to more worrisome, more widespread levels beyond D.C. 

But, what are schoolteachers to do when they demand basic etiquette and courtesy among kids, imploring them to behave and respect others? I mean, when our nation's elected political leaders are setting no example in this regard? 

When I was young, all teachers talked about equality, democracy and the common good as if we could all get on the same page with the principles. Can that even be articulated any more? 

All the bad stuff could have been tamped down if Donald Trump had just been indicted for something, anything. Maybe the history books will point out someday that this was the catalyst for things really going bad. Will the history books be written in a nation still called "America?" Will something new have sprung forth, perhaps from the sick dreams of the MAGA crowd? Could America become "Balkanized?" A part of Oregon wants to secede and become "East Idaho." 

Trump appears to have gotten rid of Ron DeSantis by pointing out the latter's inappropriate conduct with high school girls. Can't we at least talk issues a little? Then again, maybe DeSantis has truly done something bad. Meanwhile another potential challenger to Trump, Nikki Haley, was in the crosshairs of Tucker Carlson's Fox News program. Carlson had a guest who trashed Hailey because you can always find someone to trash a well-known politician. 

However, I thought Haley was a conservative Republican governor. Ought to be the kind of person praised on Fox News. Remember not long ago when we heard the Murdochs were drifting away from Trump? Hints like that are never borne out in the "conservative" world. Trump plows forward and he's going to dominate our thoughts again over the foreseeable future. Then he'll get elected again. 

The Koch organization has announced it plans to try to stop Trump. Koch is ultra-conservative of course. Koch plans to pour money into its efforts. Koch could have saved all that money if a prosecutor or two had just indicted Trump on something by now. Trump would finally be hamstrung. But it never happens. It is "Groundhog Day" in a nightmarish way. 

I did not watch the State of the Union. Partly it was because I knew what was going to happen: "bullies disrupting the class." Why can't the plurality of U.S. citizens just insist that all of this madness end?

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

A surprise to challenge Willmar Cardinals?

Many fans might have been surprised at how strong the MACA girls played Monday night. That's because we were playing the "big school" from the big town of Willmar. This might always be considered a challenge. But consider too how the season has not generally been going well for the Tigers. A won-lost record at present of 5-14. A 1-6 mark vs. section foes, 3-5 in conference and 2-6 on the home court. 

Well, ups and downs happen in sports. In light of the background shared here, we might have expected an uphill struggle vs. the likes of Willmar. Well, I did. But my, the Tigers put on a real good show for their fans at Tiger Center. It was a loss but by a mere one point, 60-59. 

A moral victory. Sometimes coaches don't like talking about moral victories. I'll suggest this was one time it be allowed. Willmar is in Section 8AAA. Bigger schools there, than where MACA makes its home. Don't bother trying to predict game outcomes based on such background. Get a group of five girls or boys out there trying to win, and almost anything can happen! 

Our optimism might have been dampened by having lost the previous game to West Central Area by nearly 30 points. Consider too the recent loss to Hancock by 25 points. Ah, but sandwiched in between those games was the 58-29 win over Melrose. 

Again, don't be too scientific trying to sort all this out. A focused group of players can do a lot. As shown by the Tigers Monday night with just a hair's breadth loss to the Cardinals. We're heading into the closing stretch of the schedule. From my perspective, I think MACA fans could feel heartened by how the Willmar game went. Still there had to be disappointment because of how we were a point shy. 

The stage was set for the tense closing moments when Willmar's Allie Rosendahl made a put-back shot to give her team a lead of one. The time remaining: eight seconds. Our Maddy Grove let fly with a shot. Short! Then came a put-back attempt by Kaylee Harstad. The put-back was after time expired, according to the account shared by Brett Miller of kmrs-kkok. 

Brett called the loss "heartbreaking." Given how the game ended, yes it was. 

Maycee Gustafson was a hero coming off the bench for Willmar. She put in 15 points. Her teammate Zoe Schroeder scored ten. Then we see Brielle Ogdahl and Rosendahl each with eight, followed by Kenedee Salonek with seven, Telilie Lange with six, Lyza Gustafson with five and Deshawna Hodges with three. (I guess that adds up to 62 points not 60 - stats from WC Trib.)

Four different Cardinals made a 3-pointer: Rosendahl, Schroeder, Hodges and Salonek. Willmar's rebound leaders were Ogdahl and Schroeder, each with ten. Schroeder led them in assists with six. Ogdahl was tops in steals with three, and Ogdahl also blocked a shot. 

The West Central Tribune review of the game did not have stat data for our Tigers. I personally wish I could find a decent stat summary for every MACA game. The boys do this by submitting stats to "Maxpreps." I compliment the radio station but their online summaries can be quite brief. Still, they deserve a pat on the back. Does anyone think the Morris paper website deserves a pat on the back? The print paper only comes out once a week. 

Willmar's Monday win ended a four-game loss skein for them. The Tigers and Cardinals have been down a similar won-lost path this season. Wins rather hard to come by. 

Tiger Center was rocking in the second half as MACA surged out to a lead by eleven. Willmar found its own ingredients to surge over the last 3:30, Miller reported. 

Our Maddy Grove had 20 points to lead us. Plus she collected seven rebounds. Kaylee Harstad was a big factor with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Maddie Fehr's contributions included 12 points. 

The win for Willmar was just their fifth against 15 losses. The Cardinals made 21 of 58 shots, 36.2 percent. The Tigers' numbers were 19 of 54, 35.2 percent. Willmar had a slight rebounding advantage, 33-30. We turned the ball over 17 times compared to the Cards' 12. The Tigers led at halftime 27-20. 

The game could be watched on YouTube.

 

Boys: Tigers 77, Redwood Valley 59

Our Tigers of BBB made the trip to Redwood Valley on Monday night. A difficult time for out-of-town travel, given all the ice. The Tigers accomplished their mission, defeating Redwood Valley 77-59. The highlights just keep accumulating for the MACA boys hoops squad this season. 

Drew Huebner took his turn leading the Tigers' scoring. This was with 18 points on pinpoint 9 of 10 shooting. He's a sophomore. Riley Asmus was second banana on this night: 17 points on 7 of 15 shooting. The double figures circle also included Tyler Berlinger and Charlie Hanson each with eleven. 

The rest of the list has Kyle Fehr 7, Owen Anderson 6, Derek Waldbeser 5 and Drew Storck 2. Our team shooting numbers were 34 of 64, 53 percent. It was a night for Charlie Hanson to show his 3-point shooting chops: 3-for-5. Berlinger, Asmus and Fehr each made one '3'. 

Asmus was two of four in freethrow shooting, and Waldbeser one of two. The Tigers grabbed eleven offensive rebounds and 24 defensive for 35 total. Asmus and Huebner each had seven rebounds.

Berlinger led in assists with six. The steals category had Asmus with three. The Tigers had ten turnovers. 

Wow, the Tigers are now 14-6 on the season. Redwood Valley's record is 9-11.

 

Addendum: Thinking of Willmar girls basketball being in AAA, reminds me of when the four-class system was first created. The main push for that was from the schools that ended up in AAA. These schools absolutely did not like being in with the very biggest schools, the powerhouses. So they got their own AAA class, but as time progressed I heard these schools were having a hard time generating enthusiasm and fan turnout for the state tournament. Is this still true? Remember the MACA boys in state last year? Remember the little scandalous thing with the text message? We hope that's buried in past times now. 

 

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

They keep rolling along: MACA boys

Bring on February for continuing prep sports excitement! Lots of highlights for Morris area fans to relish. Like, our boys basketball team which is fresh from the successful Friday conquest at West Central Area, Barrett. We climbed to a record of 13-6. We're 6-2 vs. section opponents and 6-4 in conference play. We're 6-4 on the home court, 6-1 away, 1-1 neutral. 

The score Friday; 68-56.

So all that adds up to lots of satisfaction. It helps us cope with the long and arduous winter. I have about had it. But things are getting milder starting today (Saturday), so they say. Pretty soon Sharon Martin will be joined by others out along the biking/walking trail. Sharon is more hardy than I. Her dog "Goldy" is resilient too. 

We often get our hopes up too high for March, alas. But hope ought to spring eternal. We are getting hints today of more pleasant conditions on the way. Not on the thermometer as of Saturday morning, but nigh, it is said. 

Yours truly has been thinking some of the spring softball season. Ahem, on Thursday I put up a post on my companion blog about the "inflatable dome" at the St. Cloud State "Husky" stadium. Mind you I'm not talking about a domed stadium, just an inflatable "cover" for the playing field. The playing field is just like what we have at Big Cat. 

What a dream this must be for St. Cloud: area softball teams can hit the turf running to play under perfect conditions right after basketball season, before the end of March. Think of some of the miserable springs we've had here lately. Sometimes a team will work in a game when conditions are just not hospitable. Cold, mud, wind etc. 

And look at what they have in St. Cloud. Considering how early the MACA girls basketball team tends to lose in post-season, hey these players could get right out for softball pronto! And I repeat: under perfect conditions. My blog post gives background and also tries to apply spurs for getting this idea explored for Morris: an inflatable dome or cover for the Big Cat playing field. 

Think big! Dream big! The "softball complex" is not the answer IMHO. 

You may read my blog post by clicking below, and thanks.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/02/inflatable-dome-not-impossible-dream.html 

 

The girls basketball Tigers are having more downs than ups. They certainly had an up versus Melrose on Tuesday, a 58-29 win here. But the doldrums returned Friday with a 70-42 loss to West Central Area at Barrett.

The sense of being on spring's doorstep might be countered by the specter of Donald Trump heading toward the GOP nomination again, as he most surely is. And, being on the way to being U.S. president with consequences that ought to make us all shiver. Such a scenario does not spell hope, it ought to spell panic. But it won't, not out here in rural western Minnesota.

 

The Morris paper and sports

Last Saturday the MACA boys beat Hancock at UMM, 55-50. Then on Tuesday was the unforgettable game at Melrose, won by the Tigers 51-49 on Riley Asmus' buzzer-beating 3-pointer! Wow! Has our Morris newspaper shared any details of that game with us yet? Or, even of the Hancock game? 

Oh I know the paper publishes once a week (not twice like when I was there) but the paper has a website that is at least set up to report news and sports. There is a sports link. Find anything about our last three games there? Doesn't the paper have someone paid to write sports? 

Oh I know the paper is determined to monetize everything it does. But it needn't be so extreme on this. A sportswriter ought to be anxious to get to the keyboard after a game like the Melrose one. It should be instinctive, irresistible. It is for yours truly. 

You'll find coverage in this post about the Friday win over WC Area. If we can't have sheer fun with all this stuff, heaven help us. 

Are the paper people afraid no one will buy the paper anymore? I wonder if that fear is really well-founded. One might suggest that a little more dedication with the website would be good PR for the business. 

A person finds out quickly that the sports link on the newspaper website is basically value-less. Lots of links about Cougar sports, just like on the kmrs-kkok site. But. . . Everything you could want in Cougar sports coverage - the whole nine yards - is on UMM's own website. 

The GBB Tigers are having more downs than ups. They certainly had an up vs. Melrose on Tuesday, a 58-29 win at Tiger Center. But the doldrums returned Friday with a 70-42 loss to West Central Area at Barrett. 

Our MBA boys hockey team sits nicely at 11-7. Not so rosy for the girls: an 8-12-1 record. 

Want to put aside thoughts of Donald Trump? Grimacing because I'm writing about it? Here's a fresh headline from today, Saturday: "Prosecutors feared they'd have to prove Trump wasn't legally insane, book says." File that away, oh but you won't. Your church pastors are probably telling you to "vote Republican." 

My church of First Lutheran is a haven for progressives or at least for people who just believe in stressing the gospel.

 

Boys hoops: Tigers 68, WC Area 56

MACA boys basketball keeps on accumulating victories. Momentum builds, optimism for post-season builds obviously. The latest chapter of this winning machine was on Friday: a 68-56 win over the Knights of West Central Area. Action was at the WC Area court, Barrett. We were up at halftime 33-21. We cruised in the second half which was a 35-all standoff. 

Riley Asmus again had a key role, this time with his team-leading 20 points. The freshman put up 17 shots, made seven. The "Drews," Huebner and Storck, tied for second-best on the team with eleven points each. The Drews were quite pinpoint in shooting: Huebner made 5 of 6, Storck 4 of 5. 

Four Tigers each put in six points: Tyler Berlinger, Owen Anderson, Charlie Hanson and Kyle Fehr. Rylan Larson put in two. 

Our team shooting numbers were 26-for-46, 57 percent. Hanson and Fehr each connected twice for 3's. Our numbers there were 4 of 13. 

Asmus led the charge in freethrows with his perfect 6-for-6 numbers. Anderson was a perfect 2-for-2. Storck made three of four from the gift line, and Huebner had one make. Our team freethrow stats were 12 of 15, 80 percent. Storck led the way in rebounds with seven of our team total 23. Two of Storck's rebounds were offensive. 

Storck and Berlinger each produced four assists. Asmus picked up three. In steals we see Berlinger with his usual major impact: four. Fehr made his mark too with three steals. 

Storck came on strong with his five blocked shots. Asmus blocked one. The Tigers had 13 turnovers. 

The Tigers' winning ways add to the joy we all feel with the temperature outside getting more pleasant. At least that's what the forecast suggests. I have never been so down because of winter. Hey, the politics weighs on me.

 

The surging Storm boys

The MBA Storm hockey boys are rolling along with quite winning ways. Recent play has seen our skaters win ten games over a span of eleven! Our season record is 11-7. 

Thursday action had the Storm skating on the road vs. Prairie Centre. Our goalkeeper Chris Danielson was perfect - he stopped 28 shots in this 4-0 Storm triumph. 

The kmrs-kkok site reports that "Ryan Tolifson, Trevor Buss and Charlie Goff each had a goal and assist." I surmise from Brett's writing that Tucker Blume scored our other goal. I guess I can't be 100 percent sure and I don't want people to pounce on me. Blake Bruns had two assists. Prairie Centre's Carter Holeman had 35 saves as goalkeeper. Prairie Centre has a 5-14 record. 

The Storm's previous game had them turning back Wadena-Deer Creek. It doesn't get more exciting than a 6-5 score. It was hockey night in Morris Tuesday as the W-DC skaters came to town. A pair of pretty evenly-matched teams on the ice. MBA chalked up a section win. 

Cole Blume sent the puck in the net twice. His second goal broke a tie and made the score 5-4. Brady Peterson followed up on that with a most critical goal that put the home team out in front by two. The W-DC Wolverines scored with mere seconds remaining. The Storm lead held. Final score: 6-5. 

Ryan Tolifson scored a goal and supplied two assists. Other goals were from Zach Wrobleski and Charlie Goff. Other assists were from Tucker Blume, Conner Goff and Hunter LeClair. Working in net was Chris Danielson: 25 saves. The W-DC W/L numbers were left at 11-5-1.

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

Asmus heroics at end propel MACA boys

Tremendous drama at the end of the MACA boys' Tuesday night game. A 3-pointer spelled victory for the Tigers right at the end. Does it get more exciting than that? This hero who sank the shot was Riley Asmus. He's a freshman who had unflinching composure. He sent the ball through the twine from 3-point land, giving the Tigers a 51-49 win over Melrose. 

The Tigers made the trip down I-94 to play this game at Melrose. The team is on a roll with six wins in their last seven games. Melrose was a competitive crew with a won-lost well over .500. The Dutchmen were left at 11-5. Meanwhile the Tigers' stock is certainly rising. 

Success makes it easier to live with our winter that just rolls on - too cold. Maybe a reprieve on Saturday? That's the word. Man, I could use some fresh air from a nice walk. 

Thanks again to the MACA coaching staff for posting stats on "Maxpreps." You'll be asked to sign in as a member but there are no obligations. MACA sports ought to see to it that all reporting and PR be on free-access sites. Let's give our Morris radio station credit for being free-access: no paywall or special sign-in required. 

I have recently found there is a log-in requirement for MAHACA wrestling on Facebook. I do not choose to be a member of Facebook. Is it true that the coverage of MACA on the West Central Tribune site is spotty? It's hard for me to know because I run into their paywall. A couple of my old tricks for getting in no longer work. 

Is MACA still out of the West Central Tribune's official coverage territory? We were removed a couple years ago, so we did not see Jackson Loge on All-Area. I'd just like to suggest here, there ought to be consistent coverage systems for the benefit of MACA sports and its fans, on free-access sites on the web. In theory at least that would be great. 

Has the Morris newspaper changed its philosophy recently? I have basically stopped checking there. No attempt at real timely sports coverage at all, last I checked. The problem with the print newspaper is that it only comes out once a week. The paper presumably has someone paid to cover sports. That person ought to share more online in a reasonably timely way IMHO. I mean, why not? 

Isn't it fun to generate this coverage? Isn't it fun to consume it? The more the merrier - that's how I distill my thoughts on this chilly Wednesday afternoon in Motown. Relax and have fun. And what could be more fun than to write about a win with a 3-pointer at the buzzer? 

Asmus scored 18 points on 8 of 19 shooting. Second-high was Drew Huebner who put in 14 points on 6 of 14. Then we see Drew Storck with ten points on 5 of 8. Charlie Hanson scored five points, and Kyle Fehr and Rylan Larson two each. Our team shooting numbers were 23 of 49, 47 percent. 

The dramatic Asmus game-winner was one of two successful 3's by this Tiger. Hanson made one of his two long-range tries, and our team numbers were a cool 3 of 14. We sure hit paydirt when we needed it! 

Huebner had our only freethrow attempts and he made two of eight. 

Rebounds! Here we see Storck with his six leading the way, three offensive. Asmus and Huebner each had four. Huebner stood out in assists with three. Fehr had an aggressive stance and he was tops in steals with four. Huebner and Storck each blocked a shot. The Tigers had seven turnovers. We trailed at halftime 25-22.

Our won-lost record: 12-6.

 

Girls basketball

What an exciting turnaround in fortunes for our MACA girls basketball squad. We still have the disappointing W/L mark of 5-12. But spirits among the fans jumped considerably with our decisive win over Melrose Tuesday. The fans at Tiger Center enjoyed. 

The game had a quite different complexion from our Saturday loss to Hancock at UMM. So on Tuesday the winning score was 58-29 over Melrose. 

Brett Miller of kmrs tells us Kaylee Harstad topped our scoring with 18 points. We also learn this Tiger had eleven rebounds and four steals. Maddy Grove supplied punch with her 15 points and seven steals. Maddie Fehr put in ten points and Brianna Marty executed eight assists. 

It would be nice to find a more comprehensive stat report IMHO. When will the Morris newspaper report on the Tuesday night MACA hoops? Or the Saturday games either? Well, following standard form, I guess it'll be in next week's print issue. Too long to wait. 

It would cost more for the paper to put out two issues a week. They are grooming their profit margin the American way.

 

Addendum: I just checked the Morris newspaper website. Click on "sports." I don't know why they bother. Seriously, could you contest me on this point? What a non-timely charade of an effort. If I was at the paper and had to answer for this, I'd face a barrage of pointed, tasteless criticism. Could drive me to take drugs. Let's make that Dr. Pepper.

 

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