I often associate Jackson County Central with spring softball because those southern MN teams have been a nemesis for our softball Tigers. Man, the Tigers go through the regular season in such a stellar way, then they butt up against a southern MN foe and it can end.
Jackson County Central sure got our attention in boys basketball this past winter/spring season. You have to climb pretty well to get to play JCC (the Huskies). You also have to travel to Marshall MN to watch the game.
I have never been to Marshall to watch sports. I was there once in the early 1980s for a Maynard Ferguson music concert. Ol' MF was in his prime with his "embouchure!" You remember the guy, right? He is deceased. I saw him for the last time in 2005 when he and his band performed in Dawson. He never had a problem playing in out-of-the-way places. Bless his memory.
Well, right now our indefatigable MACA basketball fans have rich memories of so many wins in the 2025-26 season. Yes, we had our hearts broken at Southwest State University. We lost to the JCC Huskies 59-54. Such an abrupt end to the season. So it was the Huskies taking the 3AA banner into state.
Anything can happen in sports. So the Huskies tasted the agony of defeat.
Wait a minute, this is perplexing. Let's try to figure the following. Wait a minute, there is no figuring certain things. Our MACA Tigers defeated Albany 80-76 on February 2. Albany was the opponent for Jackson County in the opening round of state. Odds good for the Huskies of JCC? Let's note that both Albany and JCC go by the nickname "Huskies." Well, would you believe the Albany version defeated Jackson County? But more surprisingly, it was not close. Albany got JCC by the (insert part of anatomy). So, those Albany Huskies that had tasted defeat against our Tigers defeated the JCC Huskies 85-49!
Ah, the mystery that can be presented by comparative scores! Part of what makes high school and college basketball fascinating. Albany advances now to play Goodhue. That game will be on Friday at Williams Arena. Albany has a 25-6 record.
"Mercury" Morris of the famed undefeated Miami Dolphins NFL team once said that the big number from the historic season was "zero" under losses! So to repeat, the "one" under losses for our Tigers ended up carrying the most weight.
I feel for all the MACA fans who were not only emotionally crushed by the outcome at SSU, they had to drive back here very late at night. You know, I am often concerned about this sort of thing. And it's not like the Interstate highway is available. And why can't more post-season games be played here at UMM? We used to host far more.
First of all, thanks a million to the "Voice of Alexandria" website. "Voice of Alexandria" gives us nice free-access coverage of the Alexandria Cardinals' state tournament games. I gush with appreciation. The Alex newspaper has its coverage behind an infernal "paywall." Maybe newspapers can be forced out of the whole mix at some point.
If papers like Alex and Willmar could make their sports coverage free online, I'd tip the hat to them. Oh, they have to make money? Oh no they don't "have" to. They can insist on continuing to charge - that is their right of course - but new media players can always come along that are not "motivated" by money. And that is certainly their right.
At the end of my time with the Morris fishwrap, management had the idea we were going to shoot video at sports events! Little snippets or samplings really. Well, the students themselves figured out pretty quick that the paper was not going to have this role reserved for themselves. Of course not. So the "YouTube geniuses" were born!
I might suggest one extra little element for what the "geniuses" do. How about periodic video podcast reports with an "anchor?" Perhaps some interviewees? But they're doing great!
Well, the Alex Cardinals of boys hoops came up against a buzz saw name of Max Iversen. Iversen of Maple Grove scored 41 points as his team defeated Alex 82-65 on Tuesday. Target Center was the venue. We're talking Class AAAA, i.e. the "big dogs." Maple Grove advanced from the state quarter-finals.
Iversen made 15 of 23 shots from the floor. In 3's he was six of ten. Maple Grove is known as the "Crimson."
Maple Grove will face Apple Valley in the semis on Thursday.
The Alex Cards are not done. They will play Wayzata on Thursday afternoon in the consolation semis. The Witt boys and their mates now have a 21-8 record.
Thursday's game will be at Concordia of St. Paul. Game-time is high noon.
I wrote this whole post without even having to go to the Alex newspaper website! They'll get their comeuppance.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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