(Note: This post includes updates on M-CA boys basketball, girls basketball, MBA Storm girls hockey, boys hockey and MAHACA wrestling.)
Tuesday, Feb. 15, brought an example of the up and down nature of prep sports. The M-CA boys basketball team absolutely breezed in a game that saw the opponent barely get out of the starting gate. It's almost sad and not very entertaining, really, to see a game like this. but a win got added to the M-CA total and in the long run that's gratifying for the orange and black faithful.
Coach Mark Torgerson's boys defeated Paynesville 82-33 at home.
You might remember that last fall, at Big Cat Stadium, the MAHS football Tigers scored 70-plus points in beating Paynesville. (In football we're still "Morris Area" but next fall we could get Chokio and Alberta tacked on.)
Paynesville Bulldog athletics are paying some dues this year.
While the Tigers had their most "up" night Tuesday, it ended up being a rather devastating day for the MBA Storm girls. The MBA girls took to the ice for the start of playoffs. It's not double-elimination. Therefore a loss spells a quick end.
Yours truly has been writing about some pretty dominating wins by the Storm girls this season. Coming down the home stretch, they had wins by scores of 10-0 and 14-0. The 14-0 win was against Windom in a game that couldn't have been very fun to watch. The Storm should have saved some of those goals for the playoffs.
Coach Jeff Mahoney's usually smooth-skating squad was stunned by Alexandria. The Cardinals downed the Storm 8-3 on the Benson (home) ice.
Early-on there were hopeful signs for the Storm in this Section 6A semifinal game. The Storm skated smoothly in taking a 2-0 lead. Two of the Storm scoring stalwarts, Dani Schultz and Sara Rajewsky, showed their well-known scoring prowess in giving their team that lead. Sam Falk had an assist on the second goal.
Just two minutes had elapsed, not enough time for the Storm's depth and stamina to be tested.
Alexandria is of course a large school and it's in the ranks of the Central Lakes Conference, where team depth is a common attribute. That depth was going to emerge as a factor as the Tuesday game progressed. The Storm's brilliant first line wasn't going to be enough to overcome the Cardinals.
Alex got the score tied but the Storm's Sara Rajewsky struck again, putting the blue and black squad up 3-2 with what the Willmar newspaper described as an "end to end rush." This Rajewsky goal came shorthanded at 12:58 of the opening period.
Alex drew up even again with a Becca Illies goal that came on a power play. Becca is Alex's top scoring threat.
MBA wasn't able to right its ship again. Alexandria began flexing its muscles with that Central Lakes depth. Kalley Kragenbring of the Cardinals, who has strong family ties to Morris, put her squad up 4-3 during the second period. (Her grandmother Bev and I once traveled far and wide following the Tigers!)
Kalley and her mates went on to own the third period, scoring the final four goals while turning the Storm away.
It was truly a bittersweet night for the Storm as they could reflect on a 21-4 season full of exciting memories. But alas, the game at the end put a bit of a damper on that.
One-and-out in the playoffs is hard to spin in a positive way.
The six Morris Benson seniors have now closed out their prep skating careers. There is a question mark hovering over the program as there are zero juniors or sophomores.
Might there be some juniors or sophomores who have been holding back until they can get more playing time? Who knows? But prep sports is by nature unpredictable.
Schultz recorded over 400 points in her stellar career. She led the state with 74 goals this past season.
Sara Rajewsky put the puck in the net 46 times and recorded 48 assists in her outstanding senior season. Sara is the granddaughter of Dave and Yvonne Evenson of the Morris area.
Morris Benson hockey is doing great helping this arduous winter seem shorter than it is! Is it global climate change? (We'd better not get political.)
Boys basketball: Tigers 82, Paynesville 33
The game was a yawner in terms of competitiveness but it was still a showcase for M-CA boys hoops talent. The Tigers downed the green-clad Bulldogs of Paynesville 82-33 to up their season record to 14-6. In conference: 9-4.
The Bulldogs have yet to win a game.
Coach Torgerson had to smile about his team's long-range shooting. The Tigers connected on six of 13 shots from beyond the three-point stripe.
Sebastian Sprouse led that barrage with three successes. This Tiger rarely gets his name into game summaries but he sure had impact Tuesday. Forrest Thielke, another Tiger who is generally low-profile, made two three-pointers, and Alex Erickson made one.
Sam Mattson and Mac Kampmeier each snared five rebounds to lead in that category. Eric Riley was the top assist producer with eight, followed by Cody Cannon with seven. Eric Riley topped the steals list with five followed by Cannon with three.
The Tigers made 36 of 55 total field goal attempts. Lots of individuals got into the act with scoring. Cole Riley led the charge with 17 points and he was joined by two other mates in double figures: Riley Arndt and Cody Cannon each with ten.
Kudos to the Willmar paper every time it has "Arndt" instead of "Ahrndt." We realize it's difficult for them.
Sprouse's three-pointers lifted his total to nine. Continuing with the scoring list we have: Kampmeier (7), Thielke (8), Eric Riley (6), Mattson (2), Dan Tiernan (4), Tyler Roske (4), Erickson (3) and Brody Bahr (2).
Paynesville actually had the game-high scorer: Josh Bungum with his 20 points. He needs a little more help.
Morris Area Chokio Alberta basketball is striving to sharpen for the post-season chapter.
Girls basketball: NL-Spicer 65, Tigers 41
The Morris Chokio Alberta girls became the latest team to succumb to a habitually winning New London-Spicer team Thursday night. The NL-Spicer Wildcats extended their winning streak to eleven at the expense of the Tigers. The score was 65-41 at the Tigers' gym.
The Wildcats' success was in spite of some struggling in three-point shooting in the face of the 3-2 defense that coach Dale Henrich had his team apply. The Wildcats shot often from beyond the three-point line but had only five successes. Fortunately for them, the Tigers were limited to 15 field goals.
The Tigers saw their season record drop to 7-13. The Wildcats, a traditionally very strong program, roll forward at 22-2.
The Wildcats led 39-18 at halftime Thursday.
Morris Chokio Alberta had one double figures scorer: Erica Domnick with eleven points, plus she snared 12 rebounds. Sarah Kuhn scored eight points and complemented that stat with seven rebounds. Beth Holland and Erin Schieler each put in seven points.
The scoring list also included Holly Amundson (3), Kelsey Loew (2), Hannah Sayles (2) and Elizabeth Helberg (1).
The Tigers came up empty on their six three-point shot attempts. In total field goals they made 15 of 50 shots. The freethrow numbers: 11-for-17.
Taylor Thunstedt scored 24 points to lead the Wildcats.
Boys hockey: a win and two setbacks
The MBA Storm boys hockey team defeated Wadena-Deer Creek in an 8-5 final on Tuesday, Feb. 15. Click on the link below to read Gary Hansen's game summary from the MBA Storm website:
http://www.mbastorm.com/news_article/show/78930?referrer_id=217802-morris-benson-area-storm-hockey-news
The MBA boys were edged by the Marshall Tigers 4-3 in Thursday puck action. Click on the link below to read Gary's game wrap-up:
http://www.mbastorm.com/news_article/show/79192?referrer_id=217802-morris-benson-area-storm-hockey-news
The Storm boys were defeated 7-2 by Detroit Lakes on Saturday, Feb. 12. Click on the link below to read Gary's summary from the Storm site:
http://www.mbastorm.com/news_article/show/78624?referrer_id=217802-morris-benson-area-storm-hockey-news
Wrestling: Tigers fourth among nine
Morris Area was "wrestling central" on Saturday, Feb. 12, as nine teams were in action for an invitational here. This much wrestling action always creates an atmosphere of excitement.
The MACAHA student athletes did fine with a fourth place showing. KMS was the champion team. This has been a banner winter for the KMS wrestling athletes, as they have now chalked up five titles in seven tournaments.
Joel Harrison at 215 pounds highlighted the day for MAHACA as he went 2-0 with a fall to garner No. 1.
The upper weights in general had the Tigers doing quite well. At the heaviest weight, 285, Tyler Moser had a fall win en route to placing fourth. Ryan Beyer at 189 won two bouts and lost one to finish third. Connor Metzger at 171 pounds had a 2-1 showing with a fall to place second.
Tim Ostby was the runner-up at his weight of 152, going 2-1 with a fall. Jordan Thooft had a pin en route to placing fourth at 145. Tony Domnick at 135 went 1-2 with a fall to place fourth. Seth Nelson had a 1-1 day with a fall and parlayed that into third place at 130.
Dillan Johnson at 119 went 1-2 to place fourth. Evan Nelson had a 2-1 showing with a fall to finish in third at 112.
These Tigers also wrestled but came up short of wins: Trent Ostby, Aaron Wehking and Jerid Berning.
Viva Morris Area Hancock Chokio Alberta wrestling for 2011!
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
Showing posts with label mahaca. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mahaca. Show all posts
Friday, February 18, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Sports intense as our February thaw arrives
Girls basketball: ACGC 47, Tigers 45
It was anybody's ballgame with under a minute left to play, when the Morris Chokio Alberta girls battled the Falcons of ACGC Thursday night at home. This WCC-South hoops contest was actually close all the way through.
The Falcons had a two-point edge at halftime, 27-25. The suspense level grew through the second half. The scoreboard revealed a 45-all tie with 20 seconds left to play. Overtime? It seemed a possibility.
But ACGC was able to get the basket that broke the deadlock. The decisive basket came on a layup, coast-to-coast style, and the final horn sounded with the Falcons winning 47-45.
The outcome took some of the luster from the outstanding statistical accomplishment of Tiger Erica Domnick. Erica's 14 points and 16 rebounds nearly helped elevate M-CA to victory.
Beth Holland put in nine points and she contributed six assists as well. Erin Schieler scored seven points, Katie Holzheimer five, Shadow Olson and Hannah Sayles four each, and Sarah Kuhn two.
Holzheimer had the only successful three-point shot for M-CA. Sayles was tops in steals with three.
In total field goals, coach Dale Henrich's Tigers made 16 of 42 attempts. The freethrow stats were 12 of 18.
Katie Knisley led the Falcons in scoring with 18 points.
The Tigers came out of the night at 7-11 in overall won-lost and 5-8 in conference.
Boys basketball: Tigers 69, Lac qui Parle Valley 51
The M-CA boys upped their win total to 12 with a Tuesday, Feb. 8, home victory over Lac qui Parle Valley. The Riley boys were on with their shooting as Eric put in 20 points and Cole totalled 18.
Eric complemented his frequent scoring with seven assists.
Also scoring in double figures was Riley Arndt who put in ten points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Reliable shooting was the story of the night for the orange and black unit. Coach Mark Torgerson's squad looked most comfortable in their home gym as they beat the Eagles 69-51.
Coach Torgerson looked on approvingly as his team made 25 of 42 shots from the field (60 percent, good for an A-plus grade) and were good on four of ten from three-point range. Cole Riley made three of the three-pointers and Dan Tiernan had the other.
Morris Chokio Alberta showed a pinpoint eye in freethrows too, as here the stats were 15 of 18. (Let's trot out another A-plus grade.)
The Tigers were showing command at halftime as they led the Eagles 34-21. They went on to outscore the Eagles 35-30 in the second half.
Tiernan finished the night with eight points and Cody Cannon with seven. Three Tigers added to the mix with two points each: Tyler Roske, Mac Kampmeier and Austin Dierks.
Arndt with his nine rebounds was followed by Cole Riley with seven and Eric Riley and Kampmeier each with five. Eric topped the assist list with seven.
Cole Riley and Tiernan each dished out four assists.
Jacob Redepenning was the top Eagle scorer with 19 points.
Girls basketball: Lac qui Parle 58, Tigers 38
The M-CA girls didn't fare as well as the boys in playing LQPV on Tuesday. While the boys were busy winning at the home gym, the girls were on the road and got stopped in a 58-38 final.
Jen Kack was a top performer for the Eagles as she scored 16 points and snared ten rebounds. The Eagles' success kept them over .500 as they closed out the night at 10-8 and with glittering 9-3 conference W/L numbers.
Kacey Struxness impressed for the Eagles with 12 points and ten assists.
Coach Dale Henrich's Tigers entered mid-week with a 7-10 overall record and 5-7 numbers in conference.
Hannah Sayles was the top scoring Tiger Tuesday with 12 points. Hannah boosted her total with two successful three-point shots. She was the only Tiger connecting from three-point range. She also contributed two assists.
Beth Holland scored nine points, Erica Domnick five and Erin Schieler four. Four Tigers scored two points each: Kelsey Loew, Holly Amundson, Sarah Kuhn and Natalie Johnston. Schieler and Domnick each collected five rebounds.
Holland set the pace in steals with four.
The Tigers made 14 of 50 field goal attempts and eight of 13 in freethrows.
Morris Area Chokio Alberta boys and girls basketball are striving to sharpen as the post-season nears. Fans anticipate excitement.
Wrestling: MAHACA fifth in "Big Ole"
The MAHACA wrestlers had a middle of the pack showing in Alexandria's Big Ole Invite. It's an annual trip the Tigers make at this late stage of the winter.
Today's (Friday) mild temperature brings to mind the word "late," which we hope sticks! The winter of 2010-11 has been like a marathon test - a quite snowy one.
The wrestling Tigers had a fifth place showing among the eight teams that vied in the Big Ole on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Frazee ended up atop the standings while KMS took runner-up.
Tim Ostby and Zach Gibson both went 2-0 for MAHACA to take No. 1 at their respective weights. Ostby, the 152-pounder, had a fall for one of his wins. It was ditto for 285-pounder Gibson who pinned one of his foes en route to No. 1.
Evan Nelson at 112 pounds went 3-1 with all three of his wins coming by fall, but this Tiger settled for third place. Ryan Beyer at 189 pounds won one bout, dropped two and also finished third.
Myles Smith worked to a fourth place finish at 125 pounds, going 2-2 along the way. Dillon Johnson finished fifth at 119 pounds, going 1-2. Jordan Thooft at 145 pounds won two bouts and dropped two, a showing good for fifth.
These Tigers also saw action in the 2011 Big Ole: Travis Ostby (0-2 at 103 pounds), Seth Nelson (0-2 at 130), Tony Domnick (1-3 at 135), Connor Metzger (0-2 at 160) and Joel Harrison (0-2 at 215).
It was a rough day for the host Alexandria Cardinal team, which placed eighth and last. Those Cardinals had to take consolation in being good hosts.
Yours truly made at least one trip to Alex for the Big Ole through the years, in my "dead tree" media career. It was always a fun atmosphere.
It's nice to combine this duty with a stroll through one of Alex's "big stores."
I remember that one year on my way home, I photographed a Stevens County 4-H sledding party at Runestone Park.
Great memories!
Boys hockey: Storm 5, Prairie Centre 4
The MBA Storm varsity boys defeated the Prairie Centre North Stars 5-4 Thursday at Lee Community Center. Click on the link below to read Gary Hansen's summary from the Storm's website.
http://www.mbastorm.com/news_article/show/78315?referrer_id=217802-morris-benson-area-storm-hockey-news
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
It was anybody's ballgame with under a minute left to play, when the Morris Chokio Alberta girls battled the Falcons of ACGC Thursday night at home. This WCC-South hoops contest was actually close all the way through.
The Falcons had a two-point edge at halftime, 27-25. The suspense level grew through the second half. The scoreboard revealed a 45-all tie with 20 seconds left to play. Overtime? It seemed a possibility.
But ACGC was able to get the basket that broke the deadlock. The decisive basket came on a layup, coast-to-coast style, and the final horn sounded with the Falcons winning 47-45.
The outcome took some of the luster from the outstanding statistical accomplishment of Tiger Erica Domnick. Erica's 14 points and 16 rebounds nearly helped elevate M-CA to victory.
Beth Holland put in nine points and she contributed six assists as well. Erin Schieler scored seven points, Katie Holzheimer five, Shadow Olson and Hannah Sayles four each, and Sarah Kuhn two.
Holzheimer had the only successful three-point shot for M-CA. Sayles was tops in steals with three.
In total field goals, coach Dale Henrich's Tigers made 16 of 42 attempts. The freethrow stats were 12 of 18.
Katie Knisley led the Falcons in scoring with 18 points.
The Tigers came out of the night at 7-11 in overall won-lost and 5-8 in conference.
Boys basketball: Tigers 69, Lac qui Parle Valley 51
The M-CA boys upped their win total to 12 with a Tuesday, Feb. 8, home victory over Lac qui Parle Valley. The Riley boys were on with their shooting as Eric put in 20 points and Cole totalled 18.
Eric complemented his frequent scoring with seven assists.
Also scoring in double figures was Riley Arndt who put in ten points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Reliable shooting was the story of the night for the orange and black unit. Coach Mark Torgerson's squad looked most comfortable in their home gym as they beat the Eagles 69-51.
Coach Torgerson looked on approvingly as his team made 25 of 42 shots from the field (60 percent, good for an A-plus grade) and were good on four of ten from three-point range. Cole Riley made three of the three-pointers and Dan Tiernan had the other.
Morris Chokio Alberta showed a pinpoint eye in freethrows too, as here the stats were 15 of 18. (Let's trot out another A-plus grade.)
The Tigers were showing command at halftime as they led the Eagles 34-21. They went on to outscore the Eagles 35-30 in the second half.
Tiernan finished the night with eight points and Cody Cannon with seven. Three Tigers added to the mix with two points each: Tyler Roske, Mac Kampmeier and Austin Dierks.
Arndt with his nine rebounds was followed by Cole Riley with seven and Eric Riley and Kampmeier each with five. Eric topped the assist list with seven.
Cole Riley and Tiernan each dished out four assists.
Jacob Redepenning was the top Eagle scorer with 19 points.
Girls basketball: Lac qui Parle 58, Tigers 38
The M-CA girls didn't fare as well as the boys in playing LQPV on Tuesday. While the boys were busy winning at the home gym, the girls were on the road and got stopped in a 58-38 final.
Jen Kack was a top performer for the Eagles as she scored 16 points and snared ten rebounds. The Eagles' success kept them over .500 as they closed out the night at 10-8 and with glittering 9-3 conference W/L numbers.
Kacey Struxness impressed for the Eagles with 12 points and ten assists.
Coach Dale Henrich's Tigers entered mid-week with a 7-10 overall record and 5-7 numbers in conference.
Hannah Sayles was the top scoring Tiger Tuesday with 12 points. Hannah boosted her total with two successful three-point shots. She was the only Tiger connecting from three-point range. She also contributed two assists.
Beth Holland scored nine points, Erica Domnick five and Erin Schieler four. Four Tigers scored two points each: Kelsey Loew, Holly Amundson, Sarah Kuhn and Natalie Johnston. Schieler and Domnick each collected five rebounds.
Holland set the pace in steals with four.
The Tigers made 14 of 50 field goal attempts and eight of 13 in freethrows.
Morris Area Chokio Alberta boys and girls basketball are striving to sharpen as the post-season nears. Fans anticipate excitement.
Wrestling: MAHACA fifth in "Big Ole"
The MAHACA wrestlers had a middle of the pack showing in Alexandria's Big Ole Invite. It's an annual trip the Tigers make at this late stage of the winter.
Today's (Friday) mild temperature brings to mind the word "late," which we hope sticks! The winter of 2010-11 has been like a marathon test - a quite snowy one.
The wrestling Tigers had a fifth place showing among the eight teams that vied in the Big Ole on Saturday, Feb. 5.
Frazee ended up atop the standings while KMS took runner-up.
Tim Ostby and Zach Gibson both went 2-0 for MAHACA to take No. 1 at their respective weights. Ostby, the 152-pounder, had a fall for one of his wins. It was ditto for 285-pounder Gibson who pinned one of his foes en route to No. 1.
Evan Nelson at 112 pounds went 3-1 with all three of his wins coming by fall, but this Tiger settled for third place. Ryan Beyer at 189 pounds won one bout, dropped two and also finished third.
Myles Smith worked to a fourth place finish at 125 pounds, going 2-2 along the way. Dillon Johnson finished fifth at 119 pounds, going 1-2. Jordan Thooft at 145 pounds won two bouts and dropped two, a showing good for fifth.
These Tigers also saw action in the 2011 Big Ole: Travis Ostby (0-2 at 103 pounds), Seth Nelson (0-2 at 130), Tony Domnick (1-3 at 135), Connor Metzger (0-2 at 160) and Joel Harrison (0-2 at 215).
It was a rough day for the host Alexandria Cardinal team, which placed eighth and last. Those Cardinals had to take consolation in being good hosts.
Yours truly made at least one trip to Alex for the Big Ole through the years, in my "dead tree" media career. It was always a fun atmosphere.
It's nice to combine this duty with a stroll through one of Alex's "big stores."
I remember that one year on my way home, I photographed a Stevens County 4-H sledding party at Runestone Park.
Great memories!
Boys hockey: Storm 5, Prairie Centre 4
The MBA Storm varsity boys defeated the Prairie Centre North Stars 5-4 Thursday at Lee Community Center. Click on the link below to read Gary Hansen's summary from the Storm's website.
http://www.mbastorm.com/news_article/show/78315?referrer_id=217802-morris-benson-area-storm-hockey-news
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tigers and Storm put aside winter's chills
Prep sports helps us escape that feeling. So does winning!
The Morris Chokio Alberta girls hoops team made the short trip to Minnewaska Area Tuesday and came away the winner. Coach Dale Henrich's Tigers notched their sixth win of the season at the expense of the Lakers.
Beth Holland was in the groove offensively and poured in 16 points. Erica Domnick added 13 as the Tigers worked to a satisfying 58-36 win. The Tigers were up 24-19 at halftime.
They had a satisfying night in three-point shooting, making four of ten attempts. Those long-rangers were made by Holland and Katie Holzheimer, each with two. In total field goals the Tigers made 21 of 50 shots.
Domnick topped the rebound list with her eleven. Erin Schieler snared seven and Sarah Kuhn six.
Holland complemented her team-best point total with four assists. Schieler and Holland each had three steals.
Holzheimer had a point total of eight while Kuhn had seven and Schieler six. Also scoring were Hannah Sayles with four points, and Shadow Olson and Kelsey Loew each with two.
Minnewaska Area was hurt by ice cold three-point shooting.
The Lakers' top scorer was Kaylee Jacobs with eleven points. The Lakers have had a bumpy road this season.
Boys basketball: Minnewaska Area 68, Tigers 59The M-CA boys had the advantage of playing Minnewaska Area at the home gym Tuesday but they couldn't parlay this into victory. It was the Lakers coming away with a 68-59 win, finding momentum after a stalemated halftime situation (a 25-all score).
This quality 'Waska team, with but one loss in conference, outscored the Tigers 43-34 in the second half.
Coach Mark Torgerson's Tigers stayed over .500 despite the setback. The Tigers entered mid-week with a 10-6 overall record and 5-4 in league.
The home Morris Chokio Alberta fans felt some suspense toward the end, especially when Eric Riley made a three-point shot to shave the deficit to three points. The clock showed two minutes remaining.
The Lakers showed clutch poise at the freethrow line to maintain the advantage. The Lakers used freethrows all night to keep an edge; their stats for the game were 17 for 25.
Eric Riley's three-pointer generated excitement but alas, it was the team's only three-point make of the evening. They had five attempts.
In total field goals the Tigers made 22 of 49 attempts. The freethrow numbers were a solid 14 of 22.
Cole Riley went up to grab nine rebounds. Eric Riley contributed five assists and Tyler Roske had seven steals.
Let's review the scoring where four Tigers broke into double figures: Cole Riley (16 points), Eric Riley (14), Mac Kampmeier (11) and Roske (11). Cody Cannon put in five points and Brody Bahr had two.
The Lakers were led in scoring by Brady Johnsrud with 25 points and Shane Bosek with 20.
Girls basketball: BOLD 52, Tigers 50Suspense was high in the closing seconds of the Morris Chokio Alberta girls basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 29, in Olivia. This was anybody's ballgame with under a minute left to play.
Olivia is part of the BOLD combo - the Warriors.
The score was tied with Warrior Brittany Nissen at the freethrow line with a very clutch opportunity. Brittany capitalized. This Warrior made a pair of freethrows that turned out to be the margin of victory for her team. The home BOLD fans went home happy having seen this 52-50 win by their team.
The bus ride home for coach Dale Henrich's Tigers wasn't as enjoyable as it might have been. The Tigers had been dealt a WCC-South conference loss. A win would have kept the Tigers a hair's breadth from .500 in conference and overall. They entered this week at 3-6 in league and 5-9 overall.
BOLD, by winning, stayed a hair's breadth behind Benson in the conference race.
BOLD was up at halftime 34-28 but the Tigers clawed away to get the score knotted twice in the second half. Even after Nissen's freethrows in the closing stage, the Tigers had their chances, but their shooting eye failed them.
BOLD won despite a cool 35 percent shooting performance from the field.
Erin Schieler was a key contributor for Morris Chokio Alberta with her 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Tigers made two three-point shots, both by the same individual: Katie Holzheimer. The squad was 18 of 65 in total field goals. In freethrows they were dead on at 50 percent, at 12 for 24.
Holzheimer finished the night with eight points and Beth Holland with seven. Sayles posted five points followed by Sarah Kuhn and Erica Domnick each with four. Kelsey Loew and Holly Amundson each put in one point.
There were no double figures scorers in the balanced BOLD attack. Nine points each were scored by Warriors Molly Herdina and Brittany Dahlk.
Boys basketball: Benson 66, Tigers 55
The M-CA boys found victory elusive on Friday, Jan. 28, when they tangled with conference rival Benson at home. This seemed to be a winnable game because the Braves were a team hovering around .500. But the Braves put the needed ingredients together to defeat the Tigers 66-55.
Sam Peterson was a big ingredient as this Brave put in 29 points. Cody Jaeger was another key contributor for the winner with 20.
The complexion of this game changed after halftime. The halfway mark saw the above-.500 Tigers leading and in a pretty promising way, 32-26. But that initial momentum stalled. Peterson showed his hot hand and the second half brought a reversal. Benson outscored the Tigers 40-23 in the second half.
Looking at the game's numbers, you can't help but wince when looking at the three-point shooting category. Here the Tigers seemed to go to the well too often. It wouldn't have mattered had they made more shots, but my goodness, they made just two of 20 shots from three-point land. For the record, the players with those makes were Brody Bahr and Tyler Roske.
The Riley boys, Eric and Cole, each pulled down seven rebounds to lead the team in that category. And Cole's 20 points put him atop the scoring list for coach Mark Torgerson's squad. Eric was the other double figures Tiger with 12.
Continuing with the scoring list we have Roske (7), Dan Tiernan (4), Mac Kampmeier (4), Bahr (3), Riley Arndt (3) and Cody Cannon (2).
Eric Riley dished out four assists. Eric Riley and Tiernan set the pace in steals, each with three.
The Tigers made 20 of 61 total field goal tries. But the department that spoke volumes was three-pointers. The freethrow numbers were 13 of 18.
The Morris Chokio Alberta boys came out of the night at 10-5 in overall won-lost and 5-3 in the WCC-South.
Viva Morris Area Chokio Alberta boys and girls basketball for 2011!
Girls basketball: Benson 72, Tigers 60
The M-CA girls faced conference leader Benson on Thursday, Jan. 27, and couldn't find the upset formula. Coach Dale Henrich's Tigers came out on the short end in this WCC-South game, 72-60. The action was at Benson.
The high-flying Braves came out of the night at 8-1 in conference play and 13-2 overall. The Tigers are shy of .500.
At halftime the upset prospects looked decent for Morris Chokio Alberta as the scoreboard showed a two-point M-CA lead, 32-30. But the Tigers weren't prepared for what turned into the Emma Peterson show in the second half.
Peterson put on a clinic with her three-point shooting. She nailed five of those long-rangers in the second half as part of scoring 22 points in that half. Her hot hand led the Braves to a 42-28 scoring advantage over the stunned Tigers in the half.
Surprisingly, Peterson did not end the night team-high in scoring. That honor went to Emily Auch whose point total was 25, plus she collected 14 rebounds. Peterson scored 24 total points.
Erin Schieler and Erica Domnick paced the visiting Tigers in scoring as they put in 22 and 19 points respectively. Katie Holzheimer and Hannah Sayles each made a three-point shot.
The Tigers made 21 of 59 field goal attempts, while in freethrows their numbers were a quite fine 16 for 20.
Domnick led in rebounds with 14 followed by Schieler with 13. Sayles dished out five assists. Sayles and Beth Holland each stole the ball three times.
Sayles finished with seven points on the night and Holzheimer had six. Two points each were scored by Holland, Kelsey Loew and Sarah Kuhn.
Girls hockey: Storm 5, Luverne 0
The MBA Storm girls took care of business again on Saturday, Jan. 29, skating past Luverne in a home puck contest played at our Lee Community Center. The Storm saw their overall season record soar up to 18-3. They took care of business Saturday in a 5-0 final.
An uneventful first period was followed by a flurry of Storm scoring in the second. MBA outscored Luverne 4-0 in the second period and 1-0 in the third.
The potent combo of Dani Schultz and Sara Rajewsky made another strong statement with their play.
Here's how the second period scoring went: Schultz scored with a Rajewsky assist at 2:59, Schultz struck again with a goal that had another Rajewsky assist at 6:42, Rajewsky scored assisted by Schultz at 7:54, and Rajewsky got the puck in the net with a Schultz assist at 14:56.
Kelly Mahoney scored the Storm's final goal at 4:44 of the third period, assisted by Schultz and Rajewsky.
Brooke Falk put on the goalie equipment again and performed superbly again, getting eleven saves on this afternoon. The shutout was Brooke's 22nd of her stellar career in goal.
Boys hockey: Storm 8, Luverne 5The MBA Storm varsity boys treated their home fans at Lee Center to an 8-5 win over the red-clad Luverne squad on Saturday, Jan. 29.
Click on the link below to read Gary Hansen's summary from the Storm's website:
http://www.mbastorm.com/news_article/show/76934?referrer_id=224055
Wrestling: MAHACA 55, Breckenridge 21The MAHACA Tigers came on strong to defeat Breckenridge in Tuesday, Jan. 25, wrestling action on the road. Travis Ostby got things started at the 103-pound weight slot, pinning Jack Hiedeman in 1:59.
When the night's bouts were completed, the Tigers were the 55-21 victor over the green-clad Cowboys.
Evan Nelson was stopped at the 112-pound class: a major decision loss, 19-9. Dillan Johnson came on strong to win by fall over Travis Miranowski in 1:54.
Myles Smith and Seth Nelson were forfeit winners at 125 and 130 pounds, then Tony Domnick at 135 won by a major over Trayton Hought, 15-1. Jerid Berning paid some dues at 140, losing by technical fall, 16-0, to Jesse Differding.
Tiger Jordan Thooft decisioned Josh Peterson 5-3. Tim Ostby kept the Tigers rolling forward, pinning Zach Willprecht in :48. Connor Metzger won by forfeit at 160 pounds.
Cowboy Cole Praus had his arm raised via forfeit at 171. Ryan Beyer of the Tigers lost by fall to Stephan Erlandson in 3:57. Tyler Moser at 215 got Alex Banken's shoulders pinned to the mat in 5:09.
Big Zach Gibson wasn't challenged at 285 pounds so this was a forfeit triumph, allowing the triumphant Tigers to pull away further.
Viva Morris Area Hancock Chokio Alberta on the wrestling mat for 2011!
Anticipation is building for the post-season in all the Tiger and Storm sports.
-Brian Williams- morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Storm's 10-2 win highlights recent prep action
MBA upped its season record to 13-3 with this success vs. LPGE-WDC. Those initials stand for "Long Prairie Grey Eagle Wadena Deer Creek." Their nickname is "Blue Devils." They have had a rough campaign as they owned but two wins entering mid-week.
The Storm clearly showed an upper hand, out-shooting the foe 41-20.
MBA was out front 4-1 when the first period ended in this game played at Benson. Sam Falk scored the first goal for the confident Morris Benson crew. Sam scored with assists from Monica Lindblad and Sara Rajewsky at 1:58.
It was Dani Schultz who scored next, assisted by Rajewsky, at 6:39. Then Rajewsky took over for a goal that made the score 3-0. This Storm stalwart sent the puck into the net with assists by Schultz and Falk (6:50).
Schultz expanded the cushion by scoring at 11:30 with assists provided by Falk and Rajewsky.
The Blue Devils got on the scoreboard when Katelyn Barthel got the puck into the net assisted by Halley Maas.
The Blue Devils began the second period scoring when Brooke Munland got the puck past the goalie unassisted. So the Blue Devils were able to hold their own through a portion of this game. MBA needed to work to get its superiority established again, and Rajewsky began that process with a goal at :17 of the second. Schultz and Kelly Mahoney assisted.
Then Mahoney scored at 2:36 assisted by Schultz and Falk. Schultz and Rajewsky showed their chemistry for a power play goal at 5:17. Schultz scored that goal with Rajewsky assisting. Then it was Rajewsky, who recently reached the 200-point career plateau, scoring with a Schultz assist at 15:32.
The 8-2 score after two periods pretty much let the Storm go on cruise control. Their fans enjoyed two more Storm goals in the final period.
It was the Schultz-Rajewsky show in the third as each took a turn scoring and assisting. Schultz scored MBA's ninth goal at 4:10 of the third, assisted by Rajewsky. Rajewsky sent the puck into the net at 8:43 with a deft Schultz assist.
This game could be put in the books as a decisive Storm win.
And let's not overlook the work of Brooke Falk in goal! The Morris Benson goalie had 18 saves while her opponent Sarah Holm had 31.
Optimism builds for the post-season.
Viva Morris Benson Storm hockey for 2011!
Girls basketball: Milbank 53, Tigers 38Morris Chokio Alberta played an opponent from "across the border" Tuesday and came out on the short end. The M-CA girls played solidly in the first half which was a stalemate, but the second half was disappointing. The 23-all halftime stalemate gave way to a 30-15 scoring advantage by Milbank, SD, in the second half.
The final horn sounded with the Tigers on the short end of the 53-38 score. The game was played in Morris.
Katie Holzheimer had an impressive offensive night in the losing cause. Katie put in 14 points and had one of the two successful three-point shots by M-CA. Kelsey Loew had the other long-ranger, a department where the team numbers were two-for-four.
In total field goals, coach Dale Henrich's squad made 13 of 26 attempts to get a good grade in terms of proficiency. But the point total was rather anemic.
The freethrow numbers were ten of 19.
Sarah Kuhn attacked the boards for nine rebounds and she was followed in that department by Erin Schieler (8) and Holly Amundson (6). Beth Holland topped the assists with three. Three Tigers each had two steals: Holland, Hannah Sayles and Schieler.
Holzheimer with her 14 points was the only Tiger scoring in double figures. Sayles contributed eight points, Holland six and Amundson four, and the list is rounded out by Loew (3), Natalie Johnston (1), Erica Domnick (1) and Schieler (1).
Wrestling: Benson 40, Tigers 30
The wrestling Tigers of MAHACA picked up momentum late, but it wasn't enough to overcome the advantage that Benson carved out. In the end it was the Braves prevailing 40-30 in the renewal of this mat rivalry.
The Tigers won five matches among the last seven. That flourish included pins by Tim Ostby and Ryan Beyer. But the Tigers had fallen into too deep a hole in this WCC-South action that unfolded Tuesday at Benson.
Let's review the bouts: Travis Ostby lost by fall in 1:28 to Bryce Goff. Evan Nelson lost by fall in 1:04 to Seth Pillatzki. Dillon Johnson carved out a win for MAHACA at 119 pounds, decisioning Grant Ascheman 3-0.
Aaron Wehking came out on the short end by fall against Matt Plumhoff (4:46). The Tigers forfeited to Morgan Staton at 130 pounds. Seth Nelson lost by fall in 1:25 to Ben Lundebrek. Tony Domnick dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to Benson Brave Alessandro Scottini.
Jerid Berning lost by a 4-2 decision to Cody Hammerschmidt. Jordan Thooft was the forfeit winner at 152. Tim Ostby took charge to pin Scott Bridgeland in :27. Connor Metzger dropped a 9-1 major decision to Sam Carruth. Ryan Beyer got Soner Hilal's shoulders pinned to the mat in :36.
Joel Harrison had his arm raised unchallenged (forfeit) at 215 pounds. Big Zach Gibson prevailed in overtime by a 3-1 decision over Tyler Jensen.
Boys hockey: Breckenridge-Wahpeton 5, Storm 4The January 18 game between the Storm and the B-W Braves went into overtime and it ended with B-W the victor, 5-4. This boys puck action was at our Lee Community Center. Click on the link below to read Gary Hansen's review from the MBA Storm website:
http://www.mbastorm.com/news_article/show/75544?referrer_id=217802-morris-benson-area-storm-hockey-news
The pro football beat:
Will Mark Sanchez be the next Trent Dilfer? Will he be the next quarterback of pedestrian abilities to win the Super Bowl because of the very polished system around him?
Sanchez left USC early to go to the pros. His USC coach, Pete Carroll, seemed skeptical of that decision but Sanchez has turned out most fortunate in pro ranks. This Sunday he and his New York Jets will play Pittsburgh for the AFC title.
The Jets will have to try to overcome the Pittsburgh crowd that will be raucous. The Jets are to be commended for getting this far, but I don't think they'll overcome the Steelers and their quarterback who is anything but pedestrian: Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger like John Elway has that intangible called talent, as if he has eyes on the back of his head.
Pittsburgh is coached by former Minnesota Vikings assistant Mike Tomlin. Too bad Tomlin couldn't get the top spot here. Here, the Vikings have no clue when their stadium will be repaired or who their quarterback will be next season.
Roethlisberger and Tomlin will prevail Sunday, I predict, and advance to the glow of the Super Bowl.
The NFC showdown this Sunday will involve the Packers and Bears, two teams from within the Vikings' division. That says a lot for the division but it also says a lot about the mountain the Vikings will have to try to climb, starting this summer.
Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler will duel at the quarterback spot in Chicago Sunday, with Cutler throwing with his usual abandon for the Bears. Cutler has no fear of failure. He can struggle but he can excel.
I think the Packers' Rodgers is more consistent and polished and this will be a factor Sunday. Will it be enough of a factor to neutralize the Bears and their surely-raucous home crowd? My pick is the Packers, so I'm predicting a Super Bowl between the Steelers and Packers, and my pick in the big show would be Pittsburgh.
Roethlisberger has some personal character issues but his feel for the game is unmatched.
I predict an outcome for the Super Bowl as follows: Pittsburgh 27, Green Bay 16.
I couldn't care less about the Super Bowl commercials.
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tigers win on wrestling mat over 'Waska
The MAHACA wrestlers treated their home gym fans to a 41-24 win over Minnewaska Area on Thursday, Jan. 6.
Does anyone find any redeeming value in that string of initials? I'd welcome an alternative but apparently this is the official name. The alternative I'd welcome is "Morris Area."
At 103 pounds it was Travis Ostby of the Tigers pinning Weston Lardy in a time of 3:05. Jacob Braaten of the Lakers won at 112 pounds, by fall over Evan Nelson in 2:53.
Gary Steffenson of the Lakers won by a 2-0 decision over Dillan Johnson at 119 pounds. Myles Smith of the Tigers was the forfeit winner at 125.
130 pounds: Seth Nelson of the Tigers won by fall over Mitchel Manthei in 3:28.
Tony Domnick prevailed for MAHACA at 135 pounds, by a 6-4 overtime decision over Ryan Stottler. Jerid Berning, the Tiger wrestling at 140 pounds, decisioned Brock Wollschlager 8-5.
145 pounds: Patrick Weaver of the Lakers pinned Jordan Thooft in 3:13. Tim Ostby was the forfeit winner for MAHACA at 152 pounds.
160 pounds: Connor Metzger of the Tigers was the technical fall winner over Zach Steffenson - score of 20-5.
171 pounds: Taylor Lundebrek of the Lakers pinned Wade Ehlers in 1:35.
189 pounds: Tyrel Swensrud of 'Waska decisioned Ryan Beyer 6-4.
215 pounds: Joel Harrison of MAHACA won by a 4-2 decision over Micah Klemme. Zach Gibson at 285 pounds decisioned Danny Holtkamp 4-0.
On the pro football beat:
"Wild Card Weekend" has always befuddled me because these are not all wild card teams. "Wild card" suggests teams that are in the playoffs despite not finishing atop their division in the regular season.
I was offended (well, not personally) one year as the sports media built up the hype for Wild Card Weekend and the Vikings were in it. Why the offense? The Vikings won their division. Certainly some of the luster seems taken off that, when you're forced into the same slate as the true wild cards.
One of the most underrated factors in the post-season is the value of getting a bye through the opening playoff round. I'm not sure why some division winners get this and others don't.
Oh, there is a formula. The top two seeds get that bye based on won-lost.
But there are three divisions in each conference. A division winner is forced into the fray for Wild Card Weekend. It's mathematics.
This past weekend we saw the often-woeful Seattle Seahawks host a playoff game because they had won their woeful division. No one could feel sorry for Seattle having to play on Wild Card Weekend.
But most often the division winner that is forced to play on Wild Card Weekend is quite respectable.
I understand that only two teams can get that bye. But it's too bad we have to settle on "Wild Card Weekend" as the term for the opening playoff weekend. Technically it's not precise.
I have long asserted that the first two playoff weekends represent the height of interest in the NFL each year. The games mean a lot so presumably the teams are performing with top intensity.
Don't we all have some doubts about New Orleans, though? That back-breaking long run by that Seahawk had umpteen missed tackles, arm tackles and the like.
Is there some reason why New Orleans seemed to have less than a full tank? They won the Super Bowl last year. Did they not want to go through that whole climb again?
I certainly hope that NFL players are properly incentivized to do well in the post-season.
The Seattle Seahawks are a charming underdog. But serious NFL fans are probably asking questions about how the superior New Orleans team went limp. Surely the Seattle crowd couldn't have intimidated them.
Some of these concerns will be eased if Seattle can continue on a roll. They next play Chicago, a team that is always hard to figure. Maybe Seattle is just jelling in the late stages and has some sort of destiny push behind them. I wouldn't dare try to predict the outcome of that game.
The upcoming playoff weekend, like last weekend, has four games on tap - two each on Saturday and Sunday. It's a lot of football and it generates a lot of stories and analysis.
I consider this to be the peak of the NFL season because henceforth, the pace diminishes markedly. Conference championship weekend has just two games. Then we get that pregnant two-week break which tests our attention span for the NFL product.
When I was a kid there was the phenomenon called "Super Bowl hype." It still exists but it doesn't stand out as much. Our entertainment universe is so much wider now. We can ignore it.
When I was young there were Super Bowl games that seemed very anticlimactic. After all the buildup, we'd get a game with little suspense. The Vikings were involved in some of those.
The Oakland Raiders with Kenny Staebler crushed us.
The Super Bowls of recent years have been more entertaining. I certainly hope there's no conspiracy to ensure this. But there is such a tremendous amount of money invested, it's a legitimate concern to have.
Whenever money gets poured into something, by dump trucks full, the people spending it usually want to make sure they get maximum value. It's just a basic principle.
New Vikings coach Leslie Frazier says he wants to build up the running game. I assume that's a feint. That's not the way you win in the NFL today.
The concept of the marquee runningback like Walter Payton has faded. Today you want a stable of reliable if unspectacular runningbacks. You want them to be reasonably solid ballcarriers while not hurting you, i.e. by not fumbling. You need a stable because the NFL game today is so punishing.
Adrian Peterson is considered a marquee runningback. But has he had enough highlight-reel carries to make up for his fumbles? I would say no. If Frazier thinks he can hitch his wagon to Peterson and win, forget it.
The NFL game today is built around the quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson probably can't handle the starting role consistently enough, although at his best he's impressive. Joe Webb is a project. Frazier says he will not call amateur photographer Brett Favre.
We'll probably see a complete newcomer at quarterback for next fall. Would Sage Rosenfels have been such a bad bet? I wonder if we could get him back.
Rookies are always a long shot.
All in all, the Vikes face the very real prospect of being a bottom-tier team next year and perhaps beyond that. We won't know what hit us. Detroit Lions fans have been through this for years
The Vikings and Gophers could both become total yawners. Maybe that new Vikings Stadium isn't such a priority after all.
Let's adjust our priorities, perhaps?
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
Does anyone find any redeeming value in that string of initials? I'd welcome an alternative but apparently this is the official name. The alternative I'd welcome is "Morris Area."
At 103 pounds it was Travis Ostby of the Tigers pinning Weston Lardy in a time of 3:05. Jacob Braaten of the Lakers won at 112 pounds, by fall over Evan Nelson in 2:53.
Gary Steffenson of the Lakers won by a 2-0 decision over Dillan Johnson at 119 pounds. Myles Smith of the Tigers was the forfeit winner at 125.
130 pounds: Seth Nelson of the Tigers won by fall over Mitchel Manthei in 3:28.
Tony Domnick prevailed for MAHACA at 135 pounds, by a 6-4 overtime decision over Ryan Stottler. Jerid Berning, the Tiger wrestling at 140 pounds, decisioned Brock Wollschlager 8-5.
145 pounds: Patrick Weaver of the Lakers pinned Jordan Thooft in 3:13. Tim Ostby was the forfeit winner for MAHACA at 152 pounds.
160 pounds: Connor Metzger of the Tigers was the technical fall winner over Zach Steffenson - score of 20-5.
171 pounds: Taylor Lundebrek of the Lakers pinned Wade Ehlers in 1:35.
189 pounds: Tyrel Swensrud of 'Waska decisioned Ryan Beyer 6-4.
215 pounds: Joel Harrison of MAHACA won by a 4-2 decision over Micah Klemme. Zach Gibson at 285 pounds decisioned Danny Holtkamp 4-0.
On the pro football beat:
"Wild Card Weekend" has always befuddled me because these are not all wild card teams. "Wild card" suggests teams that are in the playoffs despite not finishing atop their division in the regular season.
I was offended (well, not personally) one year as the sports media built up the hype for Wild Card Weekend and the Vikings were in it. Why the offense? The Vikings won their division. Certainly some of the luster seems taken off that, when you're forced into the same slate as the true wild cards.
One of the most underrated factors in the post-season is the value of getting a bye through the opening playoff round. I'm not sure why some division winners get this and others don't.
Oh, there is a formula. The top two seeds get that bye based on won-lost.
But there are three divisions in each conference. A division winner is forced into the fray for Wild Card Weekend. It's mathematics.
This past weekend we saw the often-woeful Seattle Seahawks host a playoff game because they had won their woeful division. No one could feel sorry for Seattle having to play on Wild Card Weekend.
But most often the division winner that is forced to play on Wild Card Weekend is quite respectable.
I understand that only two teams can get that bye. But it's too bad we have to settle on "Wild Card Weekend" as the term for the opening playoff weekend. Technically it's not precise.
I have long asserted that the first two playoff weekends represent the height of interest in the NFL each year. The games mean a lot so presumably the teams are performing with top intensity.
Don't we all have some doubts about New Orleans, though? That back-breaking long run by that Seahawk had umpteen missed tackles, arm tackles and the like.
Is there some reason why New Orleans seemed to have less than a full tank? They won the Super Bowl last year. Did they not want to go through that whole climb again?
I certainly hope that NFL players are properly incentivized to do well in the post-season.
The Seattle Seahawks are a charming underdog. But serious NFL fans are probably asking questions about how the superior New Orleans team went limp. Surely the Seattle crowd couldn't have intimidated them.
Some of these concerns will be eased if Seattle can continue on a roll. They next play Chicago, a team that is always hard to figure. Maybe Seattle is just jelling in the late stages and has some sort of destiny push behind them. I wouldn't dare try to predict the outcome of that game.
The upcoming playoff weekend, like last weekend, has four games on tap - two each on Saturday and Sunday. It's a lot of football and it generates a lot of stories and analysis.
I consider this to be the peak of the NFL season because henceforth, the pace diminishes markedly. Conference championship weekend has just two games. Then we get that pregnant two-week break which tests our attention span for the NFL product.
When I was a kid there was the phenomenon called "Super Bowl hype." It still exists but it doesn't stand out as much. Our entertainment universe is so much wider now. We can ignore it.
When I was young there were Super Bowl games that seemed very anticlimactic. After all the buildup, we'd get a game with little suspense. The Vikings were involved in some of those.
The Oakland Raiders with Kenny Staebler crushed us.
The Super Bowls of recent years have been more entertaining. I certainly hope there's no conspiracy to ensure this. But there is such a tremendous amount of money invested, it's a legitimate concern to have.
Whenever money gets poured into something, by dump trucks full, the people spending it usually want to make sure they get maximum value. It's just a basic principle.
New Vikings coach Leslie Frazier says he wants to build up the running game. I assume that's a feint. That's not the way you win in the NFL today.
The concept of the marquee runningback like Walter Payton has faded. Today you want a stable of reliable if unspectacular runningbacks. You want them to be reasonably solid ballcarriers while not hurting you, i.e. by not fumbling. You need a stable because the NFL game today is so punishing.
Adrian Peterson is considered a marquee runningback. But has he had enough highlight-reel carries to make up for his fumbles? I would say no. If Frazier thinks he can hitch his wagon to Peterson and win, forget it.
The NFL game today is built around the quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson probably can't handle the starting role consistently enough, although at his best he's impressive. Joe Webb is a project. Frazier says he will not call amateur photographer Brett Favre.
We'll probably see a complete newcomer at quarterback for next fall. Would Sage Rosenfels have been such a bad bet? I wonder if we could get him back.
Rookies are always a long shot.
All in all, the Vikes face the very real prospect of being a bottom-tier team next year and perhaps beyond that. We won't know what hit us. Detroit Lions fans have been through this for years
The Vikings and Gophers could both become total yawners. Maybe that new Vikings Stadium isn't such a priority after all.
Let's adjust our priorities, perhaps?
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
Thursday, December 23, 2010
It was a busy Tuesday in prep sports!
Boys basketball: MA-CA 57, LQPV 43
The holiday break has arrived with the MA-CA boys having a definite feeling of "mo." The squad has been a little streaky thus far, with two wins to open the season, then two losses and now three straight wins. They went 2-0 in the Wahpeton Invite and resumed action Tuesday (Dec. 21) at Lac qui Parle Valley.
There was never any doubt about the outcome Tuesday. Coach Mark Torgerson's boys built a 20-point lead at halftime. Morris Area Chokio Alberta cruised in the second half and ended up winning 57-43. They now have a 1-1 conference record to go with their 5-2 overall numbers. Lac qui Parle is having a sub-.500 campaign.
The Tigers were led in scoring by Mac Kampmeier and Cole Riley each with eleven points. Alex Erickson, who had both of the Tigers' successful three-pointers, scored ten. The Tigers were two of ten in the long-range shooting department.
In total field goals they were 23 of 48, and in freethrows the stats were eleven of 18.
Riley Ahrndt and Travis Rinkenberger each put in six points in the winning effort. Other scorers were Eric Riley (5), Ethan Bruer (4), Cody Cannon (2), Brody Bahr (1) and Dan Tiernan (1).
Ahrndt and Cole Riley led in rebounds with eight and seven respectively. Erickson delivered six assists, and Cannon had two steals.
Eric Paulson stood out for the losing team with a very sharp shooting eye, as this Eagle sank five three-point shots. Paulson finished the night with 21 points.
In other boys basketball action of interest locally, Benson beat YME, Montevideo thumped Paynesville and ACGC got past BOLD.
Morris Area Chokio Alberta boys basketball is on Maxpreps:
http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/IdZz3zpLQEmFULYqjJwnSg/morris-tigers/basketball/home.htm
Girls basketball: MA-CA 52, LQPV 51
Tuesday was exciting on the home court for the MA-CA girls, who beat Lac qui Parle Valley with a dramatic flourish. Erin Schieler made the most memorable shot. This Tiger drained a shot with eleven seconds showing on the clock, giving coach Dale Henrich's squad the lead by one. All they had to do was survive the last few seconds, and this was accomplished as the Eagles misfired on their last two shot tries (from the lane).
The final buzzer sounded with the Tigers triumphant 52-51.
Coach Henrich might have been wringing his hands a little over his team's turnover problem in this game. But the winning outcome negated much or all of that disappointment. The turnover stat was 25.
Ball-handling might get a little more focus now, but in the meantime the Tigers can enjoy the holidays with a .500 record both in conference and overall (2-2 and 3-3). The season had begun on a more downbeat note.
Schieler's dramatic last shot capped a night in which she poured in 19 points. Let's continue down the scoring list: Hannah Sayles (9), Sarah Kuhn (8), Beth Holland (6), Erica Domnick (3), Shadow Olson (3), Holly Amundson (2) and Katie Holzheimer (2).
The Tigers made three shots from three-point range, in five tries, and Olson had two of those successes. Sayles had the other.
Kuhn attacked the boards for ten rebounds and she was followed in that department by Domnick with eight and Schieler with six. Olson set the pace in assists with three.
Three Tigers had two steals each: Natalie Johnston, Amundson and Kuhn. Schieler complemented her 19 points with five blocked shots.
The Tigers made 20 of 60 field goal tries and were ten of 21 in freethrows.
Jen Kack led the Eagles in scoring with 12 points.
Another WCC-South game played Tuesday had Paynesville defeating Minnewaska Area 46-38.
Check out the Morris Area Chokio Alberta girls basketball page on Pheasant Country Sports:
http://www.pheasantcountrysports.com/teamschedule.php?yid=1011&tid=1159&sid=1230274
Girls hockey: MBA Storm 7, LDC 2
Tuesday night was hockey night as both the MBA girls and boys teams glided onto the ice. The girls highlighted the action with their 7-2 win over Litchfield-Dassel-Cokato at Benson.
After a 1-1 stalemate in the first period, the MBA girls took over. They outscored LDC 4-0 in the second period and 2-1 in the third.
The Storm girls can enjoy the holiday break with a shimmering 8-2 record.
The LDC Dragons scored the first goal Tuesday after which the MBA scoring got going, first with a goal by Sam Falk with Kelly Mahoney and Monica Lindblad assisting.
The four MBA goals in the second period were scored by Sara Rajewsky (Sam Falk assisting), Sam Falk (S. Rajewsky and Dani Schultz assisting), Sam Falk again (Lindblad and S. Rajewsky assisting) and Schultz (S. Rajewsky and Mahoney assisting).
MBA polished things off in the third period with goals by Sam Falk (power play, Mahoney and S. Rajewsky assisting) and Kelsey Rajewsky (Schultz assisting).
The dueling goaltenders were Brooke Falk for Morris Benson Area and Kati Hanson for the Dragons. Falk's save total was 28 while Hanson posted 36 saves.
Check out the official website for MBA Storm hockey. It's new:
http://www.mbastorm.com/
Boys hockey: Little Falls 5, MBA Storm 1
There was a turnaround in the boys hockey game played Tuesday night. Things looked upbeat for the Storm boys after one period of play as they led 1-0. But the visiting Little Falls Flyers seized the momentum after that.
The Flyers quieted the home crowd at Lee Center by outscoring the Storm 1-0 in the second period and 4-0 in the third.
All that adds up to a final 5-1 score with the Flyers prevailing (flying).
Luke Schwarz scored that first period goal at 6:08 with an assist from Kelly Enquist. Little Falls' Luke Majerle struck with a second period goal to tie the score.
Which way would the momentum swing now? The Flyers' way, as Mitch Gregory, Sam Rydeen, Mike Holthaus and Joey Hanowski sent the puck into the net to humble the Storm, who nevertheless came out of the night with a season record over .500.
Andrew Fath had 38 saves as the Storm goalie. Mike Stumpf had 12 saves as the Little Falls goalie.
The Flyers' win was their fifth total. They outshot MBA 43-13 in getting win No. 5.
The MBA Storm have some business to complete before January dawns. There's anything but a hiatus for the holiday period as the Storm boys have a three-day commitment for the Northern Lakes Tournament. Dates for this action are December 27-29.
Viva Morris Benson hockey for 2010-2011!
Wrestling: MAHACA 51, YME 27
The MAHACA wrestlers wrapped up the pre-holidays phase with a satisfying 51-27 win over Yellow Medicine East in the Paynesville Triangular.
There was a string of MAHACA wins beginning at 152 pounds. That string began without drama as it was a forfeit that had Tiger Tim Ostby getting his arm raised.
Connor Metzger fought to a 4-3 decision triumph at 160 pounds. Wade Ehlers got his arm raised via forfeit at 171 pounds.
The rest of the dual had the Tigers taking command with wins by fall. Ryan Beyer at 189 pounds pinned his foe in 5:10. Joel Harrison got his opponent's shoulders pinned to the mat in 1:26. Big Zach Gibson crunched his foe, getting a fall win in 1:26 which reflected the way he exceled in the Cass Lake Invite.
Travis Ostby won by forfeit at 103 pounds. Evan Nelson lost by fall at 112 pounds. Dillon Johnson was decisioned by his foe at 119. Myles Smith won by fall at 125 pounds.
Seth Nelson and Jerid Berning were dealt losses by fall at 130 and 135 pounds. Jordan Thooft won by disqualification at 140.
The Tigers forfeited at 145 pounds, and then the skein of success begun by Tim Ostby unfolded, delighting the MAHACA fans who made the trip. Nothing can beat a pin at the top of the weight ladder.
Morris Area Hancock Chokio Alberta wrestling is doing well keeping nearly all of the weight classes filled with well-prepared competitors.
The Minnesota Vikings beat:
It's starting to feel like "Groundhog Day"- remember the movie with Bill Murray? - where each week we hear about Brett Favre being physically challenged and apparently unable to play. After all this dire news, we hear at game-time that this fossil of a quarterback is ready to play again.
But here's the question now: "why?"
The Vikings are out of playoff contention. There is no logic whatsoever behind playing him. It isn't in the Vikings' interests at all.
But. . .
It's in the interests of the NFL to keep Favre high-profile, because the Vikings were booked for several prime-time games and Favre remains good box office compared to the alternative. Also, by keeping the Vikings marketable (for the present), the league feels it has a better chance of selling a new stadium to the lemmings here (i.e. the Vikings faithful).
Rookie quarterback Joe Webb would only be interesting if he plays well and wins. It's possible, but it's too risky (from the league's standpoint) to allow that.
Favre is "box office" and he must play even if he's semi-handicapped or needs to be loaded with painkillers or steroids to perform.
I understand the league's thinking on this. But I certainly don't endorse it.
I'm waiting for the morning when we don't wake up to Sonny and Cher singing "I've Got You Babe" on the radio.
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
The holiday break has arrived with the MA-CA boys having a definite feeling of "mo." The squad has been a little streaky thus far, with two wins to open the season, then two losses and now three straight wins. They went 2-0 in the Wahpeton Invite and resumed action Tuesday (Dec. 21) at Lac qui Parle Valley.
There was never any doubt about the outcome Tuesday. Coach Mark Torgerson's boys built a 20-point lead at halftime. Morris Area Chokio Alberta cruised in the second half and ended up winning 57-43. They now have a 1-1 conference record to go with their 5-2 overall numbers. Lac qui Parle is having a sub-.500 campaign.
The Tigers were led in scoring by Mac Kampmeier and Cole Riley each with eleven points. Alex Erickson, who had both of the Tigers' successful three-pointers, scored ten. The Tigers were two of ten in the long-range shooting department.
In total field goals they were 23 of 48, and in freethrows the stats were eleven of 18.
Riley Ahrndt and Travis Rinkenberger each put in six points in the winning effort. Other scorers were Eric Riley (5), Ethan Bruer (4), Cody Cannon (2), Brody Bahr (1) and Dan Tiernan (1).
Ahrndt and Cole Riley led in rebounds with eight and seven respectively. Erickson delivered six assists, and Cannon had two steals.
Eric Paulson stood out for the losing team with a very sharp shooting eye, as this Eagle sank five three-point shots. Paulson finished the night with 21 points.
In other boys basketball action of interest locally, Benson beat YME, Montevideo thumped Paynesville and ACGC got past BOLD.
Morris Area Chokio Alberta boys basketball is on Maxpreps:
http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/IdZz3zpLQEmFULYqjJwnSg/morris-tigers/basketball/home.htm
Girls basketball: MA-CA 52, LQPV 51
Tuesday was exciting on the home court for the MA-CA girls, who beat Lac qui Parle Valley with a dramatic flourish. Erin Schieler made the most memorable shot. This Tiger drained a shot with eleven seconds showing on the clock, giving coach Dale Henrich's squad the lead by one. All they had to do was survive the last few seconds, and this was accomplished as the Eagles misfired on their last two shot tries (from the lane).
The final buzzer sounded with the Tigers triumphant 52-51.
Coach Henrich might have been wringing his hands a little over his team's turnover problem in this game. But the winning outcome negated much or all of that disappointment. The turnover stat was 25.
Ball-handling might get a little more focus now, but in the meantime the Tigers can enjoy the holidays with a .500 record both in conference and overall (2-2 and 3-3). The season had begun on a more downbeat note.
Schieler's dramatic last shot capped a night in which she poured in 19 points. Let's continue down the scoring list: Hannah Sayles (9), Sarah Kuhn (8), Beth Holland (6), Erica Domnick (3), Shadow Olson (3), Holly Amundson (2) and Katie Holzheimer (2).
The Tigers made three shots from three-point range, in five tries, and Olson had two of those successes. Sayles had the other.
Kuhn attacked the boards for ten rebounds and she was followed in that department by Domnick with eight and Schieler with six. Olson set the pace in assists with three.
Three Tigers had two steals each: Natalie Johnston, Amundson and Kuhn. Schieler complemented her 19 points with five blocked shots.
The Tigers made 20 of 60 field goal tries and were ten of 21 in freethrows.
Jen Kack led the Eagles in scoring with 12 points.
Another WCC-South game played Tuesday had Paynesville defeating Minnewaska Area 46-38.
Check out the Morris Area Chokio Alberta girls basketball page on Pheasant Country Sports:
http://www.pheasantcountrysports.com/teamschedule.php?yid=1011&tid=1159&sid=1230274
Girls hockey: MBA Storm 7, LDC 2
Tuesday night was hockey night as both the MBA girls and boys teams glided onto the ice. The girls highlighted the action with their 7-2 win over Litchfield-Dassel-Cokato at Benson.
After a 1-1 stalemate in the first period, the MBA girls took over. They outscored LDC 4-0 in the second period and 2-1 in the third.
The Storm girls can enjoy the holiday break with a shimmering 8-2 record.
The LDC Dragons scored the first goal Tuesday after which the MBA scoring got going, first with a goal by Sam Falk with Kelly Mahoney and Monica Lindblad assisting.
The four MBA goals in the second period were scored by Sara Rajewsky (Sam Falk assisting), Sam Falk (S. Rajewsky and Dani Schultz assisting), Sam Falk again (Lindblad and S. Rajewsky assisting) and Schultz (S. Rajewsky and Mahoney assisting).
MBA polished things off in the third period with goals by Sam Falk (power play, Mahoney and S. Rajewsky assisting) and Kelsey Rajewsky (Schultz assisting).
The dueling goaltenders were Brooke Falk for Morris Benson Area and Kati Hanson for the Dragons. Falk's save total was 28 while Hanson posted 36 saves.
Check out the official website for MBA Storm hockey. It's new:
http://www.mbastorm.com/
Boys hockey: Little Falls 5, MBA Storm 1
There was a turnaround in the boys hockey game played Tuesday night. Things looked upbeat for the Storm boys after one period of play as they led 1-0. But the visiting Little Falls Flyers seized the momentum after that.
The Flyers quieted the home crowd at Lee Center by outscoring the Storm 1-0 in the second period and 4-0 in the third.
All that adds up to a final 5-1 score with the Flyers prevailing (flying).
Luke Schwarz scored that first period goal at 6:08 with an assist from Kelly Enquist. Little Falls' Luke Majerle struck with a second period goal to tie the score.
Which way would the momentum swing now? The Flyers' way, as Mitch Gregory, Sam Rydeen, Mike Holthaus and Joey Hanowski sent the puck into the net to humble the Storm, who nevertheless came out of the night with a season record over .500.
Andrew Fath had 38 saves as the Storm goalie. Mike Stumpf had 12 saves as the Little Falls goalie.
The Flyers' win was their fifth total. They outshot MBA 43-13 in getting win No. 5.
The MBA Storm have some business to complete before January dawns. There's anything but a hiatus for the holiday period as the Storm boys have a three-day commitment for the Northern Lakes Tournament. Dates for this action are December 27-29.
Viva Morris Benson hockey for 2010-2011!
Wrestling: MAHACA 51, YME 27
The MAHACA wrestlers wrapped up the pre-holidays phase with a satisfying 51-27 win over Yellow Medicine East in the Paynesville Triangular.
There was a string of MAHACA wins beginning at 152 pounds. That string began without drama as it was a forfeit that had Tiger Tim Ostby getting his arm raised.
Connor Metzger fought to a 4-3 decision triumph at 160 pounds. Wade Ehlers got his arm raised via forfeit at 171 pounds.
The rest of the dual had the Tigers taking command with wins by fall. Ryan Beyer at 189 pounds pinned his foe in 5:10. Joel Harrison got his opponent's shoulders pinned to the mat in 1:26. Big Zach Gibson crunched his foe, getting a fall win in 1:26 which reflected the way he exceled in the Cass Lake Invite.
Travis Ostby won by forfeit at 103 pounds. Evan Nelson lost by fall at 112 pounds. Dillon Johnson was decisioned by his foe at 119. Myles Smith won by fall at 125 pounds.
Seth Nelson and Jerid Berning were dealt losses by fall at 130 and 135 pounds. Jordan Thooft won by disqualification at 140.
The Tigers forfeited at 145 pounds, and then the skein of success begun by Tim Ostby unfolded, delighting the MAHACA fans who made the trip. Nothing can beat a pin at the top of the weight ladder.
Morris Area Hancock Chokio Alberta wrestling is doing well keeping nearly all of the weight classes filled with well-prepared competitors.
The Minnesota Vikings beat:
It's starting to feel like "Groundhog Day"- remember the movie with Bill Murray? - where each week we hear about Brett Favre being physically challenged and apparently unable to play. After all this dire news, we hear at game-time that this fossil of a quarterback is ready to play again.
But here's the question now: "why?"
The Vikings are out of playoff contention. There is no logic whatsoever behind playing him. It isn't in the Vikings' interests at all.
But. . .
It's in the interests of the NFL to keep Favre high-profile, because the Vikings were booked for several prime-time games and Favre remains good box office compared to the alternative. Also, by keeping the Vikings marketable (for the present), the league feels it has a better chance of selling a new stadium to the lemmings here (i.e. the Vikings faithful).
Rookie quarterback Joe Webb would only be interesting if he plays well and wins. It's possible, but it's too risky (from the league's standpoint) to allow that.
Favre is "box office" and he must play even if he's semi-handicapped or needs to be loaded with painkillers or steroids to perform.
I understand the league's thinking on this. But I certainly don't endorse it.
I'm waiting for the morning when we don't wake up to Sonny and Cher singing "I've Got You Babe" on the radio.
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
MA-CA boys sweep foes in Wahpeton Invite
MA-CA boys basketball set the tone for an especially contented holiday season with a 2-0 showing in the Wahpeton Invite (NDSCS). The success began on Friday, Dec. 17, with a nail-biting 66-60 win in overtime. Coach Mark Torgerson's boys outscored the Breckenridge Cowboys 12-6 in that OT extension, sealing the advantage.
More success was in store Saturday when the opponent was Fargo Davies. The Tigers built their early-season record to 4-2 with a win by five, 74-69.
Tigers 66, Breckenridge 60
Tyler Roske was a chief standout in this win that allowed the Tigers to creep back over .500. Roske had both of the Tigers' three-point shot successes, a department where the team numbers were two-for-eight.
In total field goals the Morris Area Chokio Alberta numbers were 26 for 61. In freethrows: 12-for-15.
Roske was at the top of the individual scoring list with 20 points. He also had three steals.
Cole Riley joined Roske in double figures scoring with ten points. Riley Ahrndt and Mac Kampmeier each put in eight, and Alex Erickson had seven. The scoring list also included Cody Cannon (4), Dan Tiernan (2), Eric Riley (4) and Travis Rinkenberger (3).
Cole Riley worked the boards for nine rebounds and Kampmeier collected seven. Erickson set the pace in assists with six.
The Tigers led 33-26 at halftime but got outscored 28-21 by Breckenridge in the second half, thus the score got deadlocked. The teams gamely took the court again for overtime. The Tigers seized the kind of momentum they enjoyed in the first half, to put this game in the win column by the final margin of six.
Tigers 74, Fargo Davies 69
Alex Erickson emerged as a prime contributor for Morris Area Chokio Alberta boys basketball Saturday. Erickson burned the nets for 19 points versus the North Dakota foe. He and Dan Tiernan each made a shot from three-point range.
Total field goals saw the Tigers make 24 of 54 attempts, and in freethrows the squad was busy with 24-for-32 numbers.
The Tigers led at halftime 29-22.
Erickson was joined in double figures scoring by Mac Kampmeier with 13 and Cole Riley with ten. Roske kept on making his important contributions, putting in eight points on this night, and Riley Ahrndt had seven.
Scorers also included Cody Cannon (6), Dan Tiernan (3), Eric Riley (3), Ethan Bruer (3) and Travis Rinkenberger (2).
Kampmeier and Cole Riley led in rebounds with ten and eight respectively. Cole Riley and Erickson each delivered four assists to lead there, and Erickson and Roske led in steals with three each.
On the wrestling beat:
It was great for yours truly seeing long-time coach Al Hendrickson and wife Dolora at DeToy's Restaurant in Morris Sunday. I discovered it was a day of celebration as it was Al's birthday!
Hendrickson coached the wrestling Tigers through many memorable campaigns. In those days Hancock was a rival. So were the Road Warriors of CACG.
Times change and today the Morris, Hancock and Chokio-Alberta communities are together in wrestling. The accepted initials are "MAHACA."
I can't be totally sure if the program goes by "Tigers." These things get complicated and change too fast for me.
As I have editorialized before, I believe that all athletic programs that are based in Morris should just be called "Morris Area." This would be nice for casual fans who have a hard time keeping track of all this. We all know that the Morris area includes some wonderful smaller towns.
The Morris Area Hancock Chokio Alberta wrestling team made the long trip Saturday for the Cass Lake-Bena Tournament, a long-time schedule highlight around the holidays. It's a veritable mecca for prep wrestling and this year included 36 teams.
Big Zach Gibson rolled past five opponents while dropping just one bout. Zach took charge in his wins, getting four of them by fall en route to finishing third at his weight.
Tim Ostby was another high-achieving MAHACA athlete, placing fifth at 152 pounds. Ostby had a 5-2 day including three pins.
There were two Ostbys carrying the MAHACA banner. Travis Ostby was at the bottom rung of the weight ladder (the little guys) and he had a 1-2 day with his win coming by fall.
Evan Nelson vied at 112 pounds and placed eighth, winning three bouts and dropping three. Two of Evan's wins came by fall.
Jordan Thooft had a 2-2 day at 140 pounds with pins accounting for both wins. Connor Metzger went 3-3 at 160 pounds with two of his wins coming fall style. Ryan Beyer at 189 pounds won one bout and dropped two.
Other Tigers vying on the mat were: Dillon Johnson (119 pounds), Aaron Wehking (125), Seth Nelson (130), Jerid Berning (135), Wade Ehlers (171) and Joel Harrison (215).
MAHACA as a team had a middle of the pack showing, tying with Detroit Lakes for 20th place. Fergus Falls had the distinction of taking No. 1 in this very large and talent-filled collection of teams.
The holidays can be a trying time for the weight-conscious wrestlers, but surely they can enjoy the season to the hilt with the rest of us!
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
More success was in store Saturday when the opponent was Fargo Davies. The Tigers built their early-season record to 4-2 with a win by five, 74-69.
Tigers 66, Breckenridge 60
Tyler Roske was a chief standout in this win that allowed the Tigers to creep back over .500. Roske had both of the Tigers' three-point shot successes, a department where the team numbers were two-for-eight.
In total field goals the Morris Area Chokio Alberta numbers were 26 for 61. In freethrows: 12-for-15.
Roske was at the top of the individual scoring list with 20 points. He also had three steals.
Cole Riley joined Roske in double figures scoring with ten points. Riley Ahrndt and Mac Kampmeier each put in eight, and Alex Erickson had seven. The scoring list also included Cody Cannon (4), Dan Tiernan (2), Eric Riley (4) and Travis Rinkenberger (3).
Cole Riley worked the boards for nine rebounds and Kampmeier collected seven. Erickson set the pace in assists with six.
The Tigers led 33-26 at halftime but got outscored 28-21 by Breckenridge in the second half, thus the score got deadlocked. The teams gamely took the court again for overtime. The Tigers seized the kind of momentum they enjoyed in the first half, to put this game in the win column by the final margin of six.
Tigers 74, Fargo Davies 69
Alex Erickson emerged as a prime contributor for Morris Area Chokio Alberta boys basketball Saturday. Erickson burned the nets for 19 points versus the North Dakota foe. He and Dan Tiernan each made a shot from three-point range.
Total field goals saw the Tigers make 24 of 54 attempts, and in freethrows the squad was busy with 24-for-32 numbers.
The Tigers led at halftime 29-22.
Erickson was joined in double figures scoring by Mac Kampmeier with 13 and Cole Riley with ten. Roske kept on making his important contributions, putting in eight points on this night, and Riley Ahrndt had seven.
Scorers also included Cody Cannon (6), Dan Tiernan (3), Eric Riley (3), Ethan Bruer (3) and Travis Rinkenberger (2).
Kampmeier and Cole Riley led in rebounds with ten and eight respectively. Cole Riley and Erickson each delivered four assists to lead there, and Erickson and Roske led in steals with three each.
On the wrestling beat:
It was great for yours truly seeing long-time coach Al Hendrickson and wife Dolora at DeToy's Restaurant in Morris Sunday. I discovered it was a day of celebration as it was Al's birthday!
Hendrickson coached the wrestling Tigers through many memorable campaigns. In those days Hancock was a rival. So were the Road Warriors of CACG.
Times change and today the Morris, Hancock and Chokio-Alberta communities are together in wrestling. The accepted initials are "MAHACA."
I can't be totally sure if the program goes by "Tigers." These things get complicated and change too fast for me.
As I have editorialized before, I believe that all athletic programs that are based in Morris should just be called "Morris Area." This would be nice for casual fans who have a hard time keeping track of all this. We all know that the Morris area includes some wonderful smaller towns.
The Morris Area Hancock Chokio Alberta wrestling team made the long trip Saturday for the Cass Lake-Bena Tournament, a long-time schedule highlight around the holidays. It's a veritable mecca for prep wrestling and this year included 36 teams.
Big Zach Gibson rolled past five opponents while dropping just one bout. Zach took charge in his wins, getting four of them by fall en route to finishing third at his weight.
Tim Ostby was another high-achieving MAHACA athlete, placing fifth at 152 pounds. Ostby had a 5-2 day including three pins.
There were two Ostbys carrying the MAHACA banner. Travis Ostby was at the bottom rung of the weight ladder (the little guys) and he had a 1-2 day with his win coming by fall.
Evan Nelson vied at 112 pounds and placed eighth, winning three bouts and dropping three. Two of Evan's wins came by fall.
Jordan Thooft had a 2-2 day at 140 pounds with pins accounting for both wins. Connor Metzger went 3-3 at 160 pounds with two of his wins coming fall style. Ryan Beyer at 189 pounds won one bout and dropped two.
Other Tigers vying on the mat were: Dillon Johnson (119 pounds), Aaron Wehking (125), Seth Nelson (130), Jerid Berning (135), Wade Ehlers (171) and Joel Harrison (215).
MAHACA as a team had a middle of the pack showing, tying with Detroit Lakes for 20th place. Fergus Falls had the distinction of taking No. 1 in this very large and talent-filled collection of teams.
The holidays can be a trying time for the weight-conscious wrestlers, but surely they can enjoy the season to the hilt with the rest of us!
-Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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