State softball and a sense of history

The higher you go in the softball tournament, the more you're likely to see pitchers who are close to unhittable, or can seem that way. Jackson County Central is a high-climbing team. The school is quite a ways from our Morris and yet their athletes can get pretty familiar to us. The JCC Huskies defeated our Tigers in the section tournament at Marshall. Ouch: the loss was one of two that the Tigers were dealt that day. 

I feel sorry for the MACA fans who had to drive the considerable distance back home with the bitter taste of two losses. The section tournament is double-elimination. I always get nervous writing about double-elimination tournaments because of the potential (at least for me) of getting confused. 

My background as a community journalist includes making trips to the state softball tournament. In fact I covered the Tigers in the "olden times" when we played in state at St. Cloud. Mary Holmberg developed the program quite far in its earliest days. In fact she developed it to the max when other schools were just edging out of the starting gate if even that. I know our Supt. Fred Switzer was very excited and enthused about Mary's ambitions. He never forgot that either, as his name is among the donors for the "softball complex." His name is on a sign. I don't know if he ever visited the place or made his evaluation. Oh my: there's my setup for yours truly to again suggest negative things about the place. Really there's no need for me to go into "repeat mode" with that. 

Many of us were reminded of Fred and his role here recently - this was with his passing, RIP. He reached a ripe old age. I think the last time I saw him was at Barb Stevenson's funeral. We had very pleasant repartee that day at the funeral home. 

Fred was supt. for a very long time. I scanned his obit online yesterday. I was a little surprised that the community of Morris did not stand out more than it did. It came across as a mere blip really. I have seen a cemetery marker for the Switzers here in Morris. So he certainly built an attachment to this place. I was close in age to his son Steve and I also knew Rod well. 

I remember Fred as adviser to the MHS "Key Club" which was affiliated with Kiwanis. I believe Kiwanis has vanished from the scene in Morris. Like a lot of other things? Ahem. 

Mary Holmberg is still the softball coach of the Tigers - amazing longevity. And to stay so fired-up after so many years. Some teachers get jaded after a long time. 

The JCC "Huskies"

The Tigers of '26 may have been stopped by those Jackson County Central Huskies this time around. As well as by the Pipestone Arrows. 

The section tournament is so far away, reducing the convenience for MACA fans to attend of course. I will repeat that that is unfortunate. And our basketball fans had to go to Southwest State for what turned out to be the boys' final game. And we lost to? Well, it was those Huskies of Jackson County Central. I recall the starting time being at 8 p.m. 

Man I'd need some No-Doz for getting back home. Is that product still on the market? The Star Tribune editorial cartoonist Steve Sack had references to NoDoz in some of his panels. I don't see the Star Tribune anymore. I have completely migrated to online for news etc. The Star Tribune was once a part of my lifeblood. Oh, so was our local Morris Sun Tribune. It was actually my career until things got derailed in 2006. 

For the record, it has been exactly 20 years since I walked out the back door of the Sun Tribune for the last time. The paper is now called the Stevens County Times. It was such an abrupt change in my life. One day I'm in my standard routine for the paper, 100 percent. Then I walk out of the building and I'm totally finished. I had friends telling me "let it go." Easier said than done at the time. 

Each year at the end of May I'd get involved covering the area graduations including UMM. Plus I covered Memorial Day in its various facets. It was hard for me to internalize that "never again." Even now I am troubled. 

 

Joy of C-A 

I'm so thankful that I got invited to the reception for a Chokio-Alberta graduate - it allowed me to be present at the C-A graduation for the first time in 20 years. Man, 20 years seems like a long time. Do I really look 20 years older? I'm thankful my health is as good as it is. 

I gather that some people are concerned when they see me out for my long walks. Maybe I look older than I realize. Denial! My hair is white. Walking seems rather small potatoes for me. In the 1980s I ran the Twin Cities Marathon three times. 

Let me emphasize that I never really trained for a marathon. I did not consider it necessary to do so, because my belief (reinforced by some reading I did) was that you do not have to run very long distances in preparation. And for certain you do not run a marathon in order to try to get better for another marathon! IMHO and based on experience, just run some good hard 10Ks. Push yourself as hard as you can in those and you'll be as ready as you're ever going to be. 

I almost broke three hours in my first marathon in 1984. Interesting way to see a swath of the Twin Cities. I was a good runner considering my size. The sport is really for those who are "wispy." 

Hadley Wachal

Let's take a look at how Jackson County Central softball is progressing in this year's post-season. Hadley Wachal is the premier pitcher. Tuesday was the day of the state quarter-finals for the JCC Huskies. The opponent: DGF. Senior Wachal led her second-seeded squad to a 4-0 win over DGF at Caswell Park, North Mankato. I visited Caswell Park once for state softball when Holmberg's Tigers ascended that far. I remember our ace pitcher had the last name Giese. Sara Giese? 

In the category of remembering trivia, I remember that I had a pen in my shirt pocket that "exploded" and wrecked a very nice shirt! Small potatoes of course. 

Once I walked out of the Sun Tribune for the last time, my self-confidence was never going to be able to return to what it was. I was beaten down so bad. But let's all count our blessings. 

Our ace pitcher for this past spring, Haley Kill, was among the C-A grads who I witnessed getting their diplomas. Congrats to all, especially to Izabelle Motz who had the thoughtfulness to invite me. I also attended the graduation reception for MACA softball player Addison Cihak. The commitment for that?. All I had to do was walk next door! 

The online world means I can still make journalistic contributions. But it will never be the same as being on the go all the time. Thomas Wolfe once wrote "You can't go home again."

Mary Holmberg, MACA coach who has reached tremendous milestones. Fred Switzer was squarely behind her when she started Tiger softball. Are you a cat person? Not everyone is a cat person. Someone told me Mary attends church in a "six-point parish." It's a challenge finding a pastor these days.
  

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

Esau Nelson too much for our Tigers

Oh shoot, the end came too soon for our MACA baseball Tigers. Had a great season, the boys did. Won regularly. Some great individual performances. But in the end, Paynesville got the edge by one run to end it all. The score was 2-1 on Saturday as the green-themed Bulldogs prevailed. The site was Richter field in Granite Falls. 

The Tigers had three games total in post-season. We got past Minnewaska at the start 1-0, then got stopped by top seed Montevideo 6-3. Monte's Griffin Epema fanned 15 batters. A top seed is likely to have a stellar ace pitcher. Well, we had our own pretty high-caliber pitching. But we just came up short in the Saturday effort. 

Two losses means you're out in double-elimination, of course. Just like our MACA softball Tigers had to exit section with two losses experienced in one day. Softball had a familiar problem at the end: struggling against teams from southern Minnesota. I would like to see an analysis sometime of why this happens. 

The books are closed on baseball and softball for our '26 spring in Motown. Lots of great memories of course. 

Now let's enjoy the summer? Awfully wet yesterday (Sunday) and today. Another very wet summer unfolding? A sign of climate change? Our president says climate change is a "hoax." If I suggest anything negative about our president, I'll be on the receiving end of some worn-out lines: "You have Trump Derangement Syndrome," "You're a Trump hater." 

How do you feel about the Iran war? How do you feel about the new round of inflation that will surely be on the way? Are you willing to take it in stride as a gesture of supporting the president? People were already struggling to keep up with costs. 

Government largesse aggravates inflation. Here's a comment I saw to a Yahoo! News article this morning. Please read!

 

So far estimates put the cost of the war at 32B and counting. Oh yeah, no money for health care or to fix our infrastructure, but plenty of money to waste on BS.

11 hours ago · Live tracker of US spending on the Iran war (Operation Epic Fury). Currently $32.94B over 93 days since Feb 28, 2026. Phased model from CSIS, Pentagon, and Penn Wharton estimates.

 

We have a congressperson here in western Minnesota who I don't think has ever spoken a word of criticism about Trump. She has to be worried about getting primaried from the right. Look what happened to John  Cornyn in Texas. And now America's 250th birthday is going to be turned into a giant MAGA rally. This only happens because we allow it to. 

I have wondered for so long how a majority of Americans have lost their basic grasp of good common sense. Maybe it goes back to about 15 years ago when "gay rights" was suddenly such a flashpoint. Looking back, I think this caused something to "snap" in the minds of a lot of people. In their view, the issue was so fundamentally unpleasant, they gravitated to the political party that they felt was most positioned to resist this and other progressive things: the Republicans. 

I will again bring up the late Truman Carlson of Morris. So iconic and respected here. But something in him seemed to "snap." And I'm sure he'd favor Ken Paxton in Texas. Has an "R" next to his name. 

Carlson was a teacher and athletic director here in the days when Fred Switzer was superintendent. Switzer moved on to the next life recently. I remember when the Morris teachers hated the guy and had no hesitation about expressing this all over town. I found that to be an undesirable, dysfunctional situation. 

Even today our teachers act so aggrieved so much of the time, getting in our faces by coming to school board meetings and complaining about their lot in life. Teachers all over are complaining about their health insurance. The whole situation may be solved when "AI" simply replaces teachers. Oh how I'd like to see that. 

Teacher unions have been the bane of our existence. They'll be with us for the immediate future, so try to hold your nose.

 

Paynesville 2, Tigers 1

This was an "elimination game" in the 3AA affair. And it became a pitchers' duel. On the Paynesville side: Esau Nelson. For Motown: Alex Asmus. Nelson's complete game gem saw this Bulldog strike out 13 batters. Asmus did fine by the strikeout yardstick himself: 11 K's. 

 

Esau Nelson is committed to Southwest State University.

 

Heartbreak: the Tigers scored one run in the first and ran up against a brick wall after that. Our line score was one run, three hits and one error. And Paynesville's line was 2-6-0. A cleanly-fielded game. 

Paynesville's Nelson issued no walks. Asmus walked two batters and allowed six hits. 

Our three Tigers who hit safely were Riley Saito, Ozzy Jerome and Kye Suess. Saito stole a base. Jerome's hit was a double. 

Two Bulldogs each had two hits. Reed Johnson doubled as part of going two-for-three. Matthew Hemingson also had a double as one of his two hits. Two other Bullsogs hit safely: Brayden Vanderbeck and Eric Paulson. Vanderbeck's hit was a double. 

A loss at the end for MACA, yes. But look at our final W/L under coach Sayles: 16-8.

   

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

Tigers fall to Monte but it's not over

School is done but high school sports certainly is not. We can say that softball is done for our MACA Tigers. Two losses in one day ended our Tigers' hopes to reach state play. That had to hurt. 

On the baseball front, the Tigers were stopped in Thursday play by Montevideo. End of the season? I might be at risk of assuming as much. Your average fan might be at risk. But you have to be aware of the double-elimination format that can emerge this time of year. It exists for some sports and not for others. I have always confessed that I can get confused by double-elimination tournaments. I'm being honest. 

Right now I can report, as I consult the "Minnesota Scores" site, that the Tigers remain very much alive in post-season. Yes we lost Thursday to Montevideo at Monte, 6-3, but look what lies ahead: a Saturday contest vs. Paynesville. We'll take on the green-clad Paynesville bulldogs at noon. The site: Richter Field in Granite Falls. Go Tigers! The team won its first post-season game on Tuesday, 1-0 over Minnewaska.

 

Montevideo 6, Tigers 3

Oh, here's the name "Griffin Epema" again. Hear that name and you think "Montevideo." With good reason, as Epema has the talent to shine with those Thunder Hawks like in this game versus our Tigers. Wow, Epema set down 15 Tiger batters on strikes. 

Monte owns the top seed in the North. MACA is No. 4. The T-Hawks move on to play Windom at noon Saturday. The site for that is Legion Field, Marshall. The Tigers' game vs. Paynesville is in the "elimination bracket." 

Griffin Epema

Monte won Thursday with a line score of six runs, seven hits and no errors. The MACA line score was 3-7-3. Epema's superb pitching was complemented by the homer bat of Isaac Albrecht. Albrecht brought cheers at the Monte diamond with his three-run round-tripper.

Monte relied on a big four-run third inning. MACA was held to one run until the sixth when their other two runs came in. 

MACA employed three pitchers on the day: Jack Kehoe, Parker Nohl and Ozzy Jerome. I got to see Ozzy get his diploma in Chokio on Sunday. Kehoe was our pitcher of record. Epema not only struck out 15 batters, he issued zero walks. He must be a top college prospect. Good luck to the young man. 

Kehoe struck out four batters in his three innings. Nohl and Jerome each fanned one batter. 

Alex Asmus

Kehoe at bat had a double and an RBI. Jonah Huebner went one-for-three. Jerome went two-for-three with a run scored and two RBIs. Alex Asmus socked a two-bagger. Riley Asmus had a double and a run scored. Riley Saito had a hit and scored a run. 

Monte's Albrecht had a two-for-two line including his big homer, plus he walked and stole a base. He drove in three runs and scored one. Ben Guglogson had a triple. 

It is sad that yours truly cannot continue writing about MACA softball.

 

Media notes

I'm delighted to share timely reports on MACA baseball and softball this time of year when frankly the local commercial media can show shortcomings IMHO. How is the newspaper doing with its website? I find it's a waste of time to even check that. The old "paper" version will (eventually) have a review of all games but how timely is this? 

I would guess that my own writing has advantages much of the time. And I do appreciate any and all who consume my writing, some of whom might "stumble upon it." Whatever it takes! It's here for the reading if you wish. And no paywall, glory hallelujah. Click, read and enjoy. 

Meanwhile I feel some fascination with what is going on with the Willmar newspaper. High school sports has long been a stock-in-trade of that paper. But they suddenly turned thumbs-down on MACA several years ago. Is this because they "fled" Morris after having owned our paper for a time? And they felt bitter? Certainly would be a valid theory. 

But in recent days a strange trend began showing itself from Willmar. They're paying some attention to MACA again or as they errantly call us, "Morris/CA." They don't listen to me - I have tried correcting this. I'd be the last person they would listen to. 

Speaking of "fleeing," that's what I did exactly 20 years ago when I walked out the back door of the Sun Trib for the last time. It was a stunning experience. I had to give up my health insurance. I "survived" for the next several years until I qualified for Medicare. Not an ideal way to live. 

I experienced a "toxic workplace" at the end of my Morris Sun Tribune days. Sue Dieter was not primarily to blame though she was certainly not an ally. The main problem was a different individual. And I figure that person may have gotten "marching orders" from higher up, because Forum Communications is known to have "hatchet men" in the system or hierarchy. They take care of business pretty decisively when they feel it has to be done. I was knowledgeable about this before the hammer came down on me. 

I should not have been surprised based on what all "went down" after the goalpost incident at UMM. My skeptics saw an opening for blood. I was no friend of the Morris public school teachers union. And as you ought to know, unions are all about power - it is their raison d'etre. 

As an isolated person with no one to advocate for me, I was finished. Special interest people with UMM wanted to protect the institution from any suggestion that the football team as a group was involved in the goalpost incident. But to this day I feel the team as a group was implicated. Not that I stated this as fact, because I could not have done that. Some might say it was implied. 

Someone eventually told me that the one person who was held internally responsible for the incident was the athletic director. But that former AD is today in the "UMM Hall of Fame." 

I had no force field protecting me. I was a free agent and I did appreciate the freedom of being a journalist. I was a Watergate era of journalist. I had those stripes. I hope you capture a little of my soul when you consume my writing. 

I'm delighted to follow MACA athletics and to get invited to 3-4 graduation receptions. I even attended a reception in Chokio on Sunday! I covered the old C-A Spartans for the newspaper over many years. This was when the graduation was in the Alberta building. I covered the graduations in Morris and Hancock and covered the Memorial Day program. And in the end, I believe my career got shut down because of one particularly damning letter to the editor from Mike Busian, this after the goalpost incident. 

Is it true that "Dr. Sam" didn't want to operate on anyone whose primary care physician was Busian? Dr. Sam was a lifesaver for both my mom and I. I would choose his judgment over Dr. Busian anytime. 

I shall continue here on the subject of the Willmar newspaper. This I'll do by sharing a portion of an email I sent to my Bonanza Valley friend Randy Olson on May 18. My comments are really about the WC Trib's website, if I need to make that distinction. Thanks and God bless for visiting my blog today.

 

This has been a strange spring for the West Central Tribune online. SOME Morris games are being covered there and when they are, it is with great detail like hit-by-pitch, stolen bases etc. for individuals. But other games are ignored. I can only guess what the system is now. I am sure they get complaints from parents who decide to "subscribe" and then find that a lot of games aren't covered. I wonder what they tell people. I really don't think about the Morris paper much anymore.

I blogged about being at UMM graduation and maybe you caught that. Remember that the chancellor change happened because the U president was insisting on cuts that Ericksen did not want to make. So I'm waiting now for word on what cuts are coming. I would not rule out a dramatic mission change for the place. Maybe we'll become more like NDSCS. Imholte would roll over in his grave. NDSCS really has its act together, I mean for staying viable. What else matters?

No vocal group of any kind for our graduation? Compare that to the past.

I constantly weigh whether I should take a break from blog writing. Might be good for my health. My posture isn't good when I "work" on my laptop. I'm a little concerned about "blue light" effect. I'll let you know if I decide anything. I'm already slowing down a little. My eyesight is badly strained.

I am a "marked man" for getting access to some online platforms. Don't put anything past Trump and MAGA. All my opinions these days are counter to those people. My best theory is that I have been quite critical of Israel and sympathetic to the Palestinians. I tried signing up for Facebook and was rejected on the "community standards" thing. But, I have never contributed any comments through Facebook. Mike Lindell complains how he has been "locked out" of his iCloud account. I tried sending an email to him and got a response from one of his top campaign guys who sympathized with me. I will never be able to escape my past writing. If I try posting a comment to a YouTube video, I am the only one who sees it, it does not get out there like in the past.

My God the wind has been terrible lately. Climate change I think. 

Good luck to the Jaguars.

- BW

The southern Minnesota curse?

The agony of defeat just does not seem right for MACA Tiger softball. What thrills this program delivered over the course of the 2026 spring. And it's so typical of the program too: dominating play through much of the regular season. Then we get into the post-season or the tournament. The Tigers had a sheen through the '26 spring that would befit a team headed for state. Shall I say "the glory of state." 

I am aware of how prestigious the state tournament can feel. I traveled to this event when I was with the Morris newspaper. I made a trip to Mankato when the location was shifted to there. I guess I thought the travel burden was a bit much. It is not a straight shot to drive to Mankato from Morris. 

What a headache with no Interstate highway to use. Just set "cruise control," right? Cruise along at 70 MPH! When going to Mankato I needed a road map on the passenger seat to consult. Maybe that dates me. Today there would be tech resources, right? This GPS thing. I lag with a lot of this staff. I can handle having a laptop device in front of me like right now on this Wednesday morning after the Memorial Day weekend. 

Man, things really slow down for Memorial Day weekend - too much, I would suggest. The area high school graduations reach a crescendo in the week previous. Just as big as the graduations themselves are those "graduation receptions" which seem a bigger deal now than when I was young. I sat next to an old high school classmate at Addie Cihak's wonderful reception on Northridge Drive on Sunday. 

Craig Murphy and yours truly graduated with the Morris High School Class of 1973. We're amused at being able to point out that our class motto was "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." We had to be edgy and unconventional because that was in line with the zeitgeist of the times, i.e. the prevailing mood. Some perspective: Craig pointed out that many years ago if you gave a grad card to someone, it might have a $1 bill included! Oh, quaint. 

Does inflation scare you? Inflation is bound to get worse right now due to the stuff happening overseas. The Strait of Hormuz! But, back to happier thoughts here. And yes we can be happy even with our proud MACA softball team having come up against shoals in the section tournament. 

We can be happy that our orange and black finished with an overall record of 23-5. How many programs would love to be in our shoes? The Tigers fell twice on Tuesday, 6-1 to those JCC Huskies and 7-1 to those Pipestone Arrows. Jackson County Central ended our boys basketball season too. 

The softball action was at the "Schwan's Complex" in Marshall. Our softball facility in Morris does not have overall corporate sponsorship. But various individuals and families are acknowledged for their $ help on the grounds. Not me. I wouldn't want to be associated with the place because I feel it is substandard, not nearly as great as what seemed to be promised at the start. 

You can't fight City Hall? Wait a minute, our City Of Morris actually said "no" to a second request for funds for the softball complex. The school board was a sucker for the whole thing and voted to disgorge more $ even when it admitted that other "partners" were not coming through. The school board probably realized that it's "OPM," other people's money, so what the heck, eh? The fans are screwed at our softball complex. 

MACA softball fans can be proud of our season W/L, most definitely. But I'm struck by how often we get stopped by the southern MN teams. I shot off an email to friend and fellow athletic booster Dan Sayles bright and early on this Wednesday morning. I shall quote from it here:

 

Hello Dan - 

CONGRATS TO THE BASEBALL TEAM, 1-0 WINNER OVER 'WASKA.

Well I have been writing all spring that the big challenge for MACA softball in spite of the usual regular season success is whether we can get past the southern MN teams. I have observed this phenomenon for years and years and years. I got up this morning and went to "Minnesota Scores" and sure enough: the Tigers lost to both Jackson County Central and Pipestone in this double-elimination section tourney. What a downbeat day for the poor Tiger fans. And to add insult to injury they have to drive all the way to Marshall - and back - for top section-level games. Just like in basketball. Our last basketball game there had an 8 p.m. start time. You and I can remember the days when a lot of top-level games were played in Morris like at the P.E.Center. I guess we didn't know how good we had it. We were warned of this when the "section" and "sub-section" format was first announced. 

So the MACA softball team is denied state again. But Mary Holmberg marches forward with her incredible career milestones.

BTW I still hate the "softball complex" here in Morris. I just don't see how the fans are accommodated well enough. To be frank I think it's kind of a disgrace. It was not necessary to tear up the original UMM softball field with the cement dugouts that had "Cougars" painted on the sides. Fans liked that facility. It was planned to get the ideal sun angle for the players. 

The school board blew a lot of money on the complex. Am I alone with this skepticism? Well no, because the City of Morris developed suspicions. The city came right out and said "no" on a second request for funds. I wouldn't have known about this, had Marshall Hoffman not been at the radio station. Hoffman gave me a lot of "tips" for my blogging.

One historic problem with the section softball tournament is that it reaches its climax around Memorial Day weekend when people in the commercial media get "time off" because it's a holiday weekend and everything slows to a crawl. As for me, any time I can get game info I'm happy to type up something even if it's a holiday.

I suppose the next Morris paper will have a dry and routine summary of the Tiger softball games in Marshall. I would recommend they try to interview someone who could shed some light on why the southern MN teams are an obstacle so often. What are they doing down there?

HEY I SAW "IZZY" OF DETOY'S GET HER DIPLOMA SUNDAY IN CHOKIO!

I WAS INVITED TO ADDIE CIHAK'S RECEPTION AND ENJOYED ATTENDING, PLUS I MOWED MY WHOLE LAWN ON THE MORNING OF THE RECEPTION SO AS TO PUT MY BEST FOOT FORWARD AS A NEIGHBOR.

- Brian W.

 

Baseball: Tigers 1, Minneaska 0

It was defense and pitching to the fore in the tournament contest involving our Tigers and Minnwaska Area on Tuesday. And it was the Tigers with the best defense in this 1-0 outcome. Fans at our Chizek Field enjoyed the winning flourish. And it was Alex Asmus getting prime credit as this Tiger threw a five-hit shutout. 

This marked season's end for Minnewaska Area, record of 14-7. The Tigers move on to face Montevideo at 5 p.m. Thursday at Monte. 

The Tigers scored their one run in the fourth against 'Waska. Our line score was one run, seven hits, one error, while 'Waska's numbers were 0-5-1. 

Alex "Legends" welcome Ozzy Jerome.

Hunter Westerman had two hits and scored the run. There are two "Hunters" in the Morris lineup. Hunter Smith went one-for-three. Jack Kehoe worked the pitcher for a walk. Ozzy Jerome had a hit and a walk. 

I was in Chokio on Sunday and saw Ozzy get his high school diploma! My main reason for being in Chokio was to congratulate Izabelle Motz. But I congratulate all the C-A grads. Such an upbeat and inspiring ceremony at the Chokio school. 

Alex Asmus in addition to his pitching had a hit, a walk received and a stolen base. Riley Asmus added a hit to the mix. So did Riley Saito. 

On the hill, Alex Asmus had a strikeout harvest of 13! No walks issued! Five hits allowed. 

Now let's do it again versus Monte, right? Might not be so routine. Good luck.

The Tigers are 16-6. 

 

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

The expected tenor for Memorial Day

There is always a peacefulness and tranquility to Memorial Day weekend. At least this has been my lifelong experience. So many memories covering different epochs of U.S history, differing cultural norms from one time period to the next. For better or worse I tuck away a lot of the memories and do not hesitate to focus on some of the discouraging details. We are supposed to learn from history. 

The culture was so wayward at the time I graduated from high school, my elders thought it important to lower the drinking age. For the benefit of me and my age peers? A favor being done for us. And we heard the rationale: If such young American men are being asked to fight and die in Vietnam, well then the young adults here deserved the privilege of consuming alcohol and all that comes with such behavior. Of course a lot of terrible things came with it. You couldn't deny it at the time. 

But society was even more ignorant about something else: the grounds for prosecuting the war in Vietnam. So deluded we were. Our Good Lord must have been looking down with bewilderment. Were we so influenced by John Wayne's "the Green Berets?" Well, maybe. 

The WWII generation, at the peak of its influence when I was 18, saw Vietnam as some sort of triumphant redux. Maybe the failure was in forgetting that WWII was an Allied effort in which the Soviet Union had a primary role. The Germans feared the advancing Russian army more than us Americans. The purpose of D-Day was to open up a western front to spread out the Germans and give an assist to the Soviets who were having a rough go of it. 

Closing the vise was difficult and tragic: so much suffering and death. 

The Memorial Day and Veterans Day speeches of today can bother me a little because I think they can promote jingoism. War is bad, period. We have not expressed enough concern or regret about our military sending a Tomahawk missile into the girls school in Iran. A mere passing news item. A girls school? A real manly gesture on your part, President Trump. 

My lifetime of experience has taught me that on a primary holiday like Memorial Day, our president sheds his partisan inclinations and seeks peace and brotherhood. Of course the president we have now discards all civilized norms. And we hardly seem to care. 

I have friends who will withdraw from my writing if I simply mention Trump. They in effect say "there you go again." I am a mere "Trump hater" in their eyes. I have "Trump Derangement Syndrome." Haven't Americans always felt free to comment on the president? 

Major holidays up until Trump always promoted a spiritual tone. On Easter the president is supposed to attend the church of his choice, set an example. Trump acts like he's trying to destroy all our standards. 

So what kind of message did DJT issue on this Memorial Day morning of 2026? A soothing one? A patriotic one that we could all rally behind without issuing a call to war or aggression? Well of course not. DJT posted on "Truth Social" just after 6 a.m. Do you ever worry about our young people being influenced by him? DJT wrote "I laugh at all of the 'Dumocrats,' RINOs and Fools. . ." 

He directly attacked Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy and Thomas Massie of his own party. "Mediate" characterized this as "a blistering holiday message." Now Trump wants Ken Paxton to defeat John Cornyn in a Texas primary race. 

Trump called Massie "a major sleazebag." Couldn't Trump have found a more gentle, altruistic and bonding message for Americans on this traditionally hallowed and peaceful holiday? The tenor of his comments contradicts everything I have come to associate with Memorial Day weekend. 

And we have chosen this? Trump has been elected twice. We may be allowing him to set up a massive "slush fund" right now. And how about that "ballroom?" Joe Scarborough calls it "the Marie Antoinette ballroom." You know how Marie Antoinette turned out. But today, it seems more likely that Trump's critics will end up with a fate like being sent to a concentration camp. 

Will people rise up? If the public shrugs about our missile ramming into the Iranian girls school, I wouldn't hold out hope for an awakening. 

Germany had to be crushed in 1945.

My father Ralph E. Williams is at right in this photo taken during WWII. He was a lieutenant in the Navy in the Pacific Theater, tasked with guarding a merchant vessel, an oil tanker. Again I'll ask: Wouldn't it be wonderful to know the names and hometowns of all the guys in photo? Truly "the greatest generation."

Del Sarlette takes a moment to remember my family at our monument at Summit Cemetery. The black bench monument is available to all to sit and relax! Note the American flag in the background.

 

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

MACA baseball prevails with late rally

15-6: Those are the upbeat won-lost numbers for MACA baseball now, as of this big day of the 2026 MAHS graduation. We can watch it on YouTube. This would have sounded so far-fetched when I was young. Speaking of past times, we lost our former Supt. Fred Switzer. Was once quite the iconic Morris resident but I'm sure his name has faded. Such is life with the passing years. 

Do people still remember me covering the Morris graduation when I was with the Morris paper? You're quite forgiven if you do not. I also covered MAHS softball in its very earliest years. I deserve some credit - you're not  allowed to disagree with that! 

I have a post on my companion blog "Morris of Course" on the softball team and how it's gearing up for its very important annual test or tests against the teams from southern Minnesota. It all unfolds tomorrow (Saturday). So we're looking at Pipestone! Action will be in Marshall which unfortunately is a long drive from here. My blog post includes a photo of coach Mary Holmberg at the bottom where Mary is holding her cat! Here is the link and thanks for reading. God bless.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2026/05/maca-striving-to-conquer-southern.html 

  

The Tigers of the baseball world wrapped up the regular season with a close win over Minnewaska Area, 6-5. And now they're ready to play Minnewaska again for the start of post-season. The action unfolds Tuesday here in Morris (much preferable to driving to Marshall). The Tigers and Lakers will vie beginning at 5 p.m. The Tigers are of course in 3AA.

 

Tigers 6, Lakers 5

Let's take a look at how the MACA baseball team defeated the Lakers on Wednesday. Chizek Field was the site. Fans can enjoy grandstand seating there, unlike at our softball complex. I have commented on this but I probably just get people upset. 

I experienced turbulence with my professional standing when Switzer was superintendent. There were some things he should have addressed, at least sooner than he did. Then again, as his son explained to me while we were on our way to a 10K run once, "People don't realize that he works for the board, it isn't the other way around." 

Fred Switzer

Fred Switzer RIP. 

The Tigers beat the Lakers in exciting come-from-behind fashion! This we did with a big five-run seventh! We finished with six runs on five hits and two errors. The 'Waska line score was 5-6-0. We survived our two errors. 

The seventh inning story had Riley Asmus rapping an RBI single that resulted in the bases full. Alex Asmus brought his bat to the plate. A double with the sacks full! This cleared the bases. Score tied! 

'Waska kept unraveling by issuing two straight walks. Hunter Westerman lofted a sacrifice fly to score Alex Asmus. Victory with this "walk-off" run - a term that I do not remember from when I as young. Oh to be young again. 

Riley Asmus finished the afternoon with a one-for-two line, plus he walked twice. He stole a base, scored two runs and drove in one. Alex Asmus had his double and he collected four RBIs while scoring a run. Ozzy Jerome was a perfect two-for-two with one of his hits a double. He walked twice and stole a base. Hunter Westerman drove in a run with a SAC fly, plus he walked. Kye Suess walked and scored a run. Hunter Smith had a hit, a walk and a run scored. Riley Saito walked twice and scored a run. 

Since we won at the end, it was our relief pitcher Brayden Carlson getting the 'W'. He was preceded on the hill by Ozzy Jerome and Jack Kehoe. Jerome struck out three batters and walked none. the losing pitcher was Conner Eerickson. 

Bring on Section 3AA play!

 

You know who this is

Keeping an eye on Caitlin

Is Caitlin Clark going to play for the Indiana Fever tonight (Friday) against the Valkyries? Good question. She is listed as "probable." She sat out Wednesday for the game against the "Fire." 

The issue is back soreness. That is always to be taken seriously. Tonight's game is at home for the "Fever." Below is an email about CC that I sent to my friend and fellow sports enthusiast Dan Sayles on Thursday. You know Dan, the dog training guy. I see him on many mornings at DeToy's Restaurant, along with Neal Hofland.  Sports keeps us young, knock on wood.

 

Well Dan, sad to say but I think Caitlin's career is being derailed by injury. Of course she will always be famous no matter what. She'll be able to make money from that. She could do some limited "barnstorming" I think, like to give clinics at high schools. But I think her body is breaking down under the demands of pro basketball. She was scrubbed from action at the last minute last night. The Fever won easily over Portland, a team that had defeated the New York Liberty.

I was able to watch livestream again.

I've told you before that Caitlin had almost no break between her last college Final 4 and her rookie pro season. I began wondering from early-on if she was pushing her body too hard. And then for her second season, word got out that she "bulked up" to better withstand the pro game. And she was hurt all season. 

And then this new season started with CC doing a reversal and trying to be light and fast. During her "bulking up" period, I wonder if she used PEDs. That is very risky because there can be long-term consequences. The soft tissue injuries would seem very likely to get aggravated. If and when she plays again, fans will be holding their breath about her coming up lame. Such a shame. I hope she socked away some money.

The word last night was that Caitlin has a "stiff back." That makes me laugh because I remember in Jim Bouton's famous baseball book, he told about pitchers who were always saying "My arm isn't sore, it's just a little stiff." Trying to be in denial. I will bet that CC has a sore back and that can really become a chronic problem.

So now the Tiger softball team will play one of those southern MN teams Saturday at Marshall. Another long drive to Marshall for the Morris fans. I bet this cuts down on fan numbers. As much as I have been around, I have never been to Southwest State for a high school game.

Warrenn Anderson told me "the parents are divided up into so many activities these days," we're less likely to see the kind of mass fan turnout like what we saw at Concordia with Kevin Loge.

Does MAHS even have a fall sports banquet or winter sports banquet anymore, or do the teams all have their own banquets? Of course the old banquets could be kind of a sensitive situation. A chance for the coaches to criticize me, even. Someone told me those banquets were a good idea because it gave parents with the different teams a chance to interact with each other, get more familiar with each other. Sports parents all have things in common!

One minute Spencer Yone is public enemy No. 1 in Morris, and a few years later he gets a standing ovation at the Morris banquet! I don't think schools today would put up with some of Spencer's "idiosyncrasies." He was too intense.

Remember Whitey Ford and Dick Hall the 1960s baseball pitchers? Both were noteworthy for pitching to an advanced age like in their late 30s. What did they have in common? Both started pitching late. They spared their arms. If Whitey had started pitching at age nine in Little League, he would have come and gone quickly.

- BW

The week to really feel school joy

The sun is out on this Wednesday morning which buoys our mood even more, a mood that is elevated because of the high school graduations. 

It is nice that we make such a big deal of graduation. I'm not sure the event itself really transforms the kids in any way. But it is put forward as a milepost. And if it makes families and relatives of the grads proud, it's wonderful. 

My spirits brightened this morning as I saw a group of young people at DeToy's Restaurant. Safe assumption that it was a group of choir kids because they were accompanied by the guy called "Mr. K." John Kleinwolterink has been a pillar, both among the school faculty and at Faith Lutheran church. I should say "Faith Lutheran Church of west Morris." West Morris is largely a residential place. But it has a few landmarks like Wells Park, the museum and of course Faith Lutheran. 

"Mr. K"

"Mr. K" I'm sure is satisfied that his church is weathering the storm of the ELCA's broad decline. And ahem, the same cannot be said for the ELCA church on the east side of town. On the east side we have First Lutheran Church, or I guess I should say the former First Lutheran Church. Oh, some people will get mad at me for making such a reference. If the shoe fits. . . 

First Lutheran has not closed its building. . .yet. But it cannot take the trouble to have an organized activity there every Sunday. How pathetic that there are Sundays when the place sits idle. And to think I used to give $ to the place annually. Sad. 

And it is sad that there are two places in town associated with the ELCA, because human nature being what it is, they are going to compete to be seen as the more viable of the two. I felt uncomfortable about that even when First Lutheran was still going. The "capitulation" is over now. First Lutheran made the curious choice to partner with another Protestant church in Morris, Federated, which according to rumor was "circling the drain" with its fortunes. 

So, First Lutheran did this just to "help" Federated so that it might still have a pulse? I would disagree with such rationale. 

Seeing our MAHS choir at the restaurant this morning was invigorating, helped me climb out of the funk caused by so many unpleasant weather days with wind, cold and overcast skies. Such unseasonable cold over a long time, making us wonder how much summer we are really going to get. I'll have no hesitation about getting a deep tan this summer once the temps finally get there. Even a little sunburn? Yes. 

It took time for the MAHS choir group to get processed through at the cash register as they left DeToy's. I then told the server, who was a little harried by it all, that "the whole group could have been put on one ticket" and that "I'd be happy to pay." 

I have made financial contributions to the school's band program like for the New Orleans trip. I might have gotten on board with choir too. I was never in choir at MAHS. Ironic, since my dad devoted his career to choir music and teaching. He taught for a year at Brainerd High School before he answered the call to serve in World War II. He was a lieutenant in the Navy in the Pacific. You'll see a little flag in the ground next to our monument at Summit Cemetery for Memorial Day weekend. I'm proud of that but I am skeptical of war. Oh my, I grew up during Vietnam. 

Right now we have the questionable U.S. incursion (not "excursion") into Iran, despite our president's one-time pledge to keep the U.S. out of "Middle East wars." And now we simply have to brace ourselves for a blast of inflation. It is simply like the law of gravity. It has to happen. The president expects us to pay this price. He thinks he can defeat the Pope in the public conversation. Can he succeed? 

Many of us wait for DJT's reach to start fading. Apparently the polls are really turning on him but look at the influence he still wields. Like in Republican primary races. Like in keeping AM talk radio in line. 

Tune in to AM talk radio in the middle of the night and it's almost unbearable: "piling on" versus anyone who is seen as critical of Trump in any way, shape or form. The talk is like schoolyard bullies. It is directed mercilessly against Republicans who lose in primary races because they refused to talk and act like clones of the orange man (who incidentally defecates in his pants). There seems no reversal. 

Our congressperson Michelle Fischbach goes right along with Trump, although it seems she doesn't mention him anymore in her email dispatches. Have you noticed that? Steve Boyd is waiting in the wings to take over for her, lest she speaks up in just a tiny way vs. Trump. Steve "Life Begins at Conception" Boyd. 

Can any ELCA church survive now? The ELCA does not kowtow to Trump and his ignorant and paranoid crowd. I suspect that the Good Shepherd Church people continue to be reverential toward Trump. I can do nothing about this, pilgrims."Mongo just pawn in game of life." 

But it's really not funny. Y'all will have to make some adjustment for inflation. The Iran situation was completely handled by the "Iran nuclear deal" in 2015. But the problem with that, was that it was negotiated by Democrats so Trump had to discard it. Can't give credit to John Kerry or Barack Obama. So here we are with our current reality.

 

Addendum: Here's a comment to Yahoo! News from someone named Marty. Maybe run this comment past our congresswoman out here.

 

The damage that Trump is causing to America and the world will take decades to repair. Trump needs to be removed from office as soon as possible. In October, check to make sure that you are still on your state's and precinct's voting rolls. In November, if you want to save our country, VOTE BLUE up and down the ticket. 

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - musicstuff54@gmail.com

Boys build their stock with 17-5 rout

First if you'll permit me, which you probably don't want to do, I'll shed some light on our nation's macro picture with this quote from "Justin" on "Yahoo! News":

How are gas prices?

How are grocery prices?

How are housing prices?

How is the current cost of living?

What is the current national debt?

How are our depleted munition stores after starting a war for Israel?

Trump single-handedly turned the United States into a complete dumpster fire.

 

Celebrate school!

We're entering the most exhilarating week of the school calendar for most area schools. Graduations are a real "rush" for everyone. And then there's the hectic nature of spring sports reaching their climax. 

My long walk on Saturday took me past the softball complex in Morris where a tournament created excitement. Fans got in the best position they could for watching - not easy out there. 

Baseball! The boys sport has been going very well for the orange and black. A 4-0 win over Grand Rapids on May 16 put the Tigers' record at 14-5. The schedule says we'll be wrapping up the regular season on May 20 against Minnewaska at home. A 5 p.m. start time. Fans have the benefit of grandstand seating for baseball.

Click on link below to read about the baseball team's 10-0 win over Minnewaska on May 11 at 'Waska. This post is on my companion blog site "Morris of Course." Thanks as always. - BW

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2026/05/three-tigers-combine-to-pitch-shutout.html 

 

I'm very pleased to have been invited to two graduation receptions, with possibly a third invite coming. It costs me a little but it's a pleasure. Some years I get no invites. I was well-known among all the kids and their parents when I was with the newspaper. 

We are past the UMM and Hancock graduations. I have a long memory of covering all area graduations when I was with the paper. That includes UMM. Every year in Alberta for the 2 p.m. start time on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, like clockwork. But these days it's in Chokio. 

I learned that Alberta could no longer have a high school if it was just six miles from Morris. One of the receptions I'm invited to is for a C-A grad. 

I forfeited Memorial Day weekend as a time for "time off" for years and years and years. And in the end, was I shown any appreciation or consideration for that, at least from masters of the newspaper? Well no. Paper was owned by the Forum. The Forum has since disappeared from here, callous souls. 

I remember Lyle Hettver at the C-A event proclaiming with such gravity, "Thank God for small schools." I knew exactly what he meant. I sat along the front row of folding chairs. 

I was a student at the Morris school (eons ago) when it was inclined toward the "liberal" approach to things. I saw kids in the hallway carrying around the book "Autobiography of Malcolm X." I later read that book in college and thought to myself, "My God, was this actually assigned for high school kids?" 

 

Tigers 17, BOLD 5

The MACA baseball Tigers sure took charge in their Friday away game versus the BOLD Warriors. It was a rout, score of 17-5. We hesitated not a bit in showing our superior caliber of play. Seven runs came in, in the first inning. And holy cow, five more runs in the second. 

A bleak afternoon for the BOLD fans who watched at the Bird Island campus. These are stressful times for the BOLD school district: a "criminal investigation" in connection to school finances. The baseball team provided no salve for that. 

The Tigers ended up scoring in every inning. Our line score was 17-9-4. The BOLD numbers were 5-6-1. Congrats to the Tigers who had a number of individual contributors. Hunter Smith had a hit in his only at-bat. He stole a base and delivered a SAC fly. He walked twice, drove in two runs and scored two. 

Travis Buss also had a SAC fly. He got on via HBP, drove in a run and scored a run. Brayden Carlson showed patience at the plate with three walks received. These put him on base to score two runs. "A walk is as good as a hit." I guess we were reminded of that in "Moneyball." 

Hunter Westerman scored three runs, walked twice, got on via HBP and stole two bases. Jack Kehoe had an active bat with his two-for-three showing, and his RBI output was a robust four. One of his hits was a double. He scored three runs, walked and stole a base. 

The BOLD pitching was a little wild as we see that Ozzy Jerome also reached on HBP. He also reached by walk. He drove in a run and scored two runs. Alex Asmus went two-or-four with two runs scored. He walked and stole a base. 

Davis Mundal had a hit in his only at-bat and drove in a run. Riley Asmus had a hit, two runs scored, walked twice and drove in a run. Kye Suess had a hit in his only at-bat. Plus he drove in a run. Riley Saito went one-for-three, drew a walk and drove in a run. 

Carlson was our pitcher and he set down eight batters on strikes in his five innings. He walked only one. Just one of the runs he allowed was earned. 

Lots of highlights for the orange and black fans to celebrate. I wonder how many were present at Lions Memorial Park in Bird Island. Remember the old novelty bumper sticker "Where the hell is Bird Island?" From the 1970s. It inspired a copycat in Cyrus: "Where the heck is Cyrus?" (Cleaned up the language!)

 

Winning softball

Do the MACA softball fans find a lot of the games boring? Such one-sidedness so much of the time. Does Mary Holmberg exude some sort of magic touch or what? She reaches one new career milestone after another. I covered Tiger softball for the Morris paper way back when it all began. 1979, right? Games at Wells Park! State tournament in St. Cloud! Exciting times. 

And here we are all these years later. And how far will the 2026 Tigers go? The real question is: can we get past the southern Minnesota teams in section? Speaking of magic touch, the southern teams so often seem to have that. We'll see. 

"Maxpreps" tells us that Tiger softball blew out two opponents on Saturday here. Man, 15-0 over Alexandria! Over the "big town." And 15-0 over Grand Rapids too. Another big or at least well-known town. We can handle the northern teams. Soon we'll find out about the southern ones like JCC. 

"Minnesota Scores" has our record at 20-3. We won on three successive days with the success coming vs. West Central Area 14-4, DGF 8-4 and Border West 4-3. The Border West game was a rare challenge. They are a top Class A team. Includes Herman, CGB and Wheaton. 

Our pitcher Haley Kill has reached the 500-strikeout plateau. This came in a game versus St. Cloud Cathedral. She passed Mackenzie Weatherly in MACA annals. Kill is over 50 in career wins. On her way up she passed Tammy Kukla who I remember well and wrote about for the Morris paper back in the day. The radio station website has Kukla's name spelled wrong but I of course remember.

(Image from KMRS-KKOK site)

- Brian Willilams - morris mn minnesota - musicstuff54@gmail.com