CGB softball rolls past two foes in state

CGB softball is making historic waves for their athletic program. Making state is always a thrill. Winning beyond that takes it further up the scale. The CGB thrill-o-meter is high today (Friday) as the Wolverines get set to play their third game at the state level.

The action is at Caswell Park in Mankato. Yours truly once traveled there for the MACA Tigers. A beautiful facility, and as I recall, nice bleacher accommodations for the fans. 

The Wolverines played their last three section games at the softball complex in Morris. A very nice arrangement in terms of not having to travel far for the CGB fans. The MACA Tigers play in 3AA which requires them to play in Marshall for sections. That's a long trip. So ironically, after Morris showed the commitment to get the softball complex established, our own Tigers must travel to Marshall while the CGB Wolverines make the short trip here from the west. 

CGB of course stands for Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley. 

I sometimes hesitate reporting on the softball tournament because I'm not sure if it's double-elimination at a particular level. It's hard enough for the casual fans to follow all the post-season sports, what with so many teams in action. Morris will have boys soccer next year: historic. Adding to the complexity for softball is double-elimination which I'm sure makes many fans wrinkle their foreheads. I suppose I should just speak for myself. 

When things get potentially confusing, we have the "Minnesota Scores" website to help us out. So I see on this Friday morning that CGB has won two games in state. A thrill! Good luck to those Wolverines today as they take the field to play New Ulm Cathedral. Game-time is 4 p.m. at Caswell Park No. 2. I can't remember the exact year I went there for the Tigers. I do remember our ace pitcher had the last name Giese. 

I will remind y'all that state is an elusive place for our MACA Tigers to reach. Our team can be fantabulous in the regular season, yes. But there's something about the teams from southern Minnesota - e.g. Jackson County Central - that stands in the way. CGB got past all obstacles in their 2024 climb and now will seek to win again in the rarefied air of state. 

 

"Retro" newspaper?

Does the "Northern Star" newspaper even have a website? I could not find one. I could not find web-based coverage of the Section 6A games. Would've been nice to find some basic details of those wins. So I went to our Morris Public Library yesterday because the Northern Star comes out Thursday. I almost never look at it. 

I took a look at this week's issue and instantly thought it looked like an old-fashioned town paper. The pages were large, making it a little like a road map to handle. Most papers have shaved down page size, an example being our Morris paper. Of course everything has gotten smaller with our Morris paper as with nearly all papers. Hutchinson and Litchfield have lost their papers. It's not necessarily sad because everything of interest can move online. 

Yes it seems quaint to look at the Northern Star now. But I was happy to find the section game details. Hallelujah! But something needs to be online because that is where the kids themselves turn. Our librarian told me not long ago "I never see kids with the newspapers." I am the opposite of a kid so I still look. I'm 69. But I have gotten attuned to the online world. 

 

Come-from-behind

OK so CGB took care of Red Lake Falls 9-7 in the state opener. What drama with a late CGB surge. Excellence in the clutch! When the chips were down! Red Lake Falls appeared to be in command going into the seventh inning. CGB fans must have been ecstatic as they watched their Wolverines rally for seven runs in the seventh! Unforgettable. 

The Wolverines scored their first run in the second inning, as Makayla Hennessy got hit by pitch and then stole second. She came home on Sadie Wright's base hit. 

Moving on to the third, there were two outs when Addison Ward reached on an error. Chloe Cardwell's bat resonated with a single. Hannah Gary took advantage of another Red Lake Falls fielding miscue to reach base. That same error opened the door for CGB's second run to score. 

Both teams were retired 1-2-3 in the fourth. CGB went down the same way in the fifth. Red Lake Falls got going in this frame and when it was over, Red Lake Falls had the 4-2 lead. CGB threatened in the sixth as Gary was hit by pitch and Jordan Wright singled. No runs came in and Red Lake Falls got all three outs via strikeout. 

 

Unforgettable 7th

I'm licking my chops for reviewing the seventh! Showtime! Imagine the ecstasy among the CGB faithful. CGB coach Brice Hoffman started things off by sending a pinch hitter up to bat. Bristol Paulson singled. Another pinch hitter strode up to the plate: Katrina Johnson drew a walk. Ward singled to load 'em up. 

Nobody out! Up to bat comes Chloe Cardwell who worked the pitcher for a walk. So the runner at third trotted home. Then came a wild pitch by the Red Lake Falls pitcher: another run in! And an error was committed on the same play. Another run comes in and now the score is 7-5 with CGB still facing the daunting task of overcoming this deficit so late. 

Here comes Hannah Gary with her lumber. She doubles! So another run is in. Red Lake Falls was having its fortunes just crumble. Next is a base on balls. Oh my, then an error! Finally Sadie Wright comes up to bat and she singles to put CGB up 9-7. 

Red Lake Falls needed three runs. They did get a base hit at the start. The next three batters struck out! CGB wins and advances. Must have been amazing to be there. CGB now sits with a 19-4 season record. They won again 8-2 over West Lutheran. 

Can they beat New Ulm Cathedral? Ah, sounds like one of those private schools. 

Jordan Wright was the winning pitcher vs. Red Lake Falls: six innings, eight strikeouts, one walk, six hits. Sadie Wright pitched one inning: three strikeouts, one walk, five hits. Wright as a hitter went two-for-four with three RBIs. Seven other Wolverines had one hit each. Good luck to the Wolverines this afternoon!

 

Some video

You can watch the closing moments of the Wolverines winning Section 6A with this video taken by my Bonanza Valley friend Randy Olson. CGB triumphed at Morris.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG1JzwCK8qE 

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

A state's "constitution": How much standing?

Steve Scalise

A lawyer could maybe address this matter: How much weight does a state's constitution really carry? How is the constitution to be understood in comparison to the actual state's laws and legal processes? I'm beginning to think they do not all mesh together. And of course it can be complicated. 

Here I will direct suspicion toward today's conservatives and that maybe should not surprise you. My skepticism toward their leader DJT has been great. Once again I will have to assert that I am fine with the conservative political philosophy. The conservative political and economic philosophy as represented by pillars like the late William F. Buckley. 

The application of such philosophy can be supported in many situations. For example, I am a supporter of putting the brakes on education spending and on compensation for education employees. But let's get back to the "constitution" matter before I veer off into the schools thing. 

Chris Wallace must have asked Steve Scalise of Texas the same question six times one morning. "Can you accept the 2020 election results as being final and official?" That's a pretty good paraphrase. The Texas conservative would only answer by saying "there were states that didn't follow their own constitutions." 

How do we weigh that statement? Maybe a learned lawyer would know. 

Let's drift back to when gay rights was a pretty contentious thing. And of course gays have gotten their legitimate rights over time because it just had to get that way. Just like Jim Crow was going to be eradicated down South. It just had to happen. Apart from the overwhelming moral arguments, from a legal standpoint it just wasn't going to be enforceable. 

Forum Communications of Fargo, the former owner of the Morris paper, which I believe was going to close the paper before it left here ignominiously, waded into the gay rights thing when it was contentious. The Forum attempted to prohibit marriage notices from gay couples. I wrote about one particular gay female couple that was testing this. The Forum had to try to explain. They came up with this, at least for a while: "The North Dakota constitution defines marriage as being between a man and a woman." 

As I recall it didn't take long for the Forum to break down on this. Their firmness was rather like a wet paper bag. They could have chosen to make the right decision immediately. Just like the South could have taken responsibility on Jim Crow. You saw what happened if you saw the movie "Mississippi Burning." Gene Hackman grabbing a bigot by the crotch etc. 

What happened to the Forum's defense? The state constitution would not permit the published notices, we were told at first. It's possible that the constitution does lay out the man/woman thing. It may in fact seem clear as day in writing. But is this the real true legal standard for enforcing? The Scalise response prompts the same question. Should a state's vote totals be nullified after the election because of constitution wording? 

Obviously the states saw fit to try to adjust to the massive public health emergency called covid. States wanted to discourage people gathering in confined spaces in large numbers because that would obviously be a prescription for death, literal death. 

If a state constitution is to be understood as literal law, then why didn't the appropriate authorities like the rock-ribbed conservative Supreme Court step in to remediate? The Supreme Court took the bull by the horns back in 2000 to ensure the election of George W. Bush. You remember George W. Bush, right? The war monger? 

Anyway, I'm beginning to think a state's constitution is not to be interpreted the same way as literal law. Maybe it's just a framework? 

Joel Heitkamp

I am thinking about all this today as a result of listening to Fargo radio yesterday (Monday). There, Joel Heitkamp, working hard to stay on AM mid-morning radio in spite of being an unabashed liberal. Wow! Am amazed. His sister is Heidi Heitkamp. And he's interviewing a current GOP big shot. So we got the test for how Republicans are handling the verdict in the DJT "hush money" case. 

Trump is now a convicted felon. Of course we already knew he was a total bad apple because of the E.J. Carroll judgment. But now there's another reckoning. Let's just say it ought to be a reckoning. But GOP leaders don't want to reckon with it. More than that, they just want to keep waving the flag for the orange Jesus. I only observe. 

And so Heitkamp's GOP heavy-hitter guest had this to say on the fresh Trump verdict: "The judge gave jury instructions that were unconstitutional." 

So here it is again: the guy demurs because of a constitution somewhere. I'd like to ask a learned lawyer: Does this really carry any weight? And if it does, wouldn't a higher court sweep in immediately to take care of the matter? The U.S. Supreme Court with its almost caricature-like "conservative" justices? Three of them appointed by Trump himself? Couldn't they rectify the matter if a "constitution" was violated? 

Don't you all think Judge Merchan is a professional who knows what he's doing? And how can you take seriously this parade of Republican leaders who went to New York literally dressed like Donald Trump, down to the red tie? Isn't it plain as the nose on your face this is a cult? No, you will not see this if you are a member. 

For the time being, Republicans definitely have their "talking points" on Trump verdicts. Find something in the wording of a "constitution" somewhere, then you can go on the air with Joel Heitkamp. 

Maybe someday the responsible and healthy conservatism like that of Buckley and George Will can re-assert itself. Assert itself to insist on less spending for the public education monster. Then I'll be in agreement sometimes.

Public education can "never get enough $."

  

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

Big headlines will budge nothing

Now he's convicted

Oh captain, my captain. It is Friday and a former U.S. president is in the news. Just like he seemingly is every day. Over a span of, what is it now? Eight years? Nine? I saw someone at the Willie's checkout this morning with a Star Tribune newspaper. As big a headline as you could expect there. As if WWIII had broken out or something. 

And I totally understand the size of the headline. If I were to question it, it would be with the phrase "what's the use?" Nothing has worked up until now to try to reveal the danger that Trump poses for America. We wait and wait for Republicans and conservatives to calm down, get a grip and maybe realize that Trump should not be "their man." But of course that time never comes. 

So why should it come today, on a day when our state's flagship newspaper has the WWIII-type headline? I paused for just a moment to wonder if we had really reached a watershed where people like Michelle Fischbach, our Seventh District congressperson, might be willing to retreat from the Orange Jesus. 

I wonder about the older guys who sit in the middle section of DeToy's Restaurant in the morning. Really it's a lost cause to hope for a turnaround there. Now all these people are having to answer for a man convicted of some real serious stuff. It has gotten to that point: conviction. Put an asterisk there, as Trump has been found responsible for sexual assault in a civil proceeding. 

That civil judgment should have spelled the end: no more Trump hovering like an amoral specter over this whole nation. 

Nothing I say in this post or out and around town is going to change anything today. The "conservative churches" dot the landscape around Stevens County and their orientation is not likely to change. The evangelical Christians got Trump elected in 2016. The community of Hancock was really committed to him. 

Trump won but once again there's an asterisk: he got three million fewer votes than the Democrat. 

The word "Democrat" now equates with evil around Stevens County. Listen to the guys early in the morning at DeToy's as they mock Biden. I heard one of them comment on what he called "the black attorney general" of New York state. So it has come to this. 

Fischbach could play a role now if she really wanted to be a leader. How valiant and courageous that would be. 

I personally grew up around the valiant cause of protesting the Vietnam war. Let us note that the same type of people who today support Trump also supported the Vietnam war in the '60s. The irony is that today, Trump who got excused from military service on dubious grounds is totally against U.S. foreign military intervention. It is truly hard to explain these things. People in the '60s who reflected his attitude would have been decried as "soft on communism." 

Today Trump appears to be in full embrace with Putin who of course leads Russia and would like to re-establish the old Soviet Union. Strange. It is futile to try to present rational arguments to Trump supporters. 

I was astonished to read this morning a back-and-forth between Dan Abrams and Megyn Kelly. The Trump people like Kelly will concede absolutely nothing. Her attempted rejoinders with Abrams came across like a boy who says "so?" Almost in the same way a seventh grade boy in the lavatory would. "So?" 

So it becomes truly impossible to have a conversation with these people. 

I remember in Truman Carlson's last couple years, I was made to feel like Dan Abrams. He was having nothing of the skepticism about Trump. No agreeable conversation whatsoever. Finally he would just smile. 

I point out the late and beloved Carlson because he was typical of so many. I have drifted away from a close friend I once had in Cold Spring. He came right out and told me he was starting to ignore my blogs. Yes, ignore the opposing side's arguments. Out of sight, out of mind. Put your head down and root for Trump to become total autocratic leader of the U.S. To take over the Federal Reserve which is something I try to warn about. 

But why do I try any more? This morning's headlines are not going to dislodge anything or anyone. And Thom Hartman is warning "what happens to a cult when it loses its leader?" Indeed, if Trump is forced into incarceration, then what? 

Trump is warning us this morning that "if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone." It comes off as sounding the alarm for Americans paying off porn stars. I have never done anything even close to that. I'm not worried, at least not about that. 

I am becoming worried about what a new Trump regime might do to people like me. First he'll take care of the Bidens, maybe with capital punishment. He'll probably have Paxton the Texas guy as his attorney general. So many "conservative" leaders are from the Deep South states. This has worried me for a long time. They will attach themselves to Trump whatever his agenda is, even if we start to take on the traits of a violent dictatorship. 

Purge your enemies and critics. Poison them maybe. Maybe Trump has learned such tricks from Putin. And we simply will not rise up and object? Object from our conservative church pews? Or, continue to be led along by the orange Jesus? Even if he's in jail. 

I have said all I can. It is futile now to even say a prayer, to even say a prayer to the same God that MAGA people choose to worship. So many of them appear to have no sympathy for the Palestinians. Many of the Palestinians are Christian which is more than you can say for the Jews of Israel.

Michelle Fischbach

For the record:

Congressperson Michelle Fischbach's statement from the last 24 hours:

"The American people are rightfully seeing through the attempt to abuse the judicial system against political opponents."

Ah, makes you wonder what the response of Steve Boyd would be. He's coming at Fischbach from the right in GOP ranks. Well why not? That is obviously the drift out here in western Minnesota. I wouldn't bet against him. And Fischbach voted against certifying the 2020 election results. Even Tom Emmer did not do that. 

And now Fischbach might not be good enough for the area's right wingers? What hath God wrought? Does Fischbach support women's reproductive health rights?

 

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

JCC ends Tigers' state bid

Graduation is past, Memorial Day is past, but exciting stuff still happens with high school sports. We're at the apex of Section 3AA softball play now. MACA fans surely hoped our Tigers would still be in it. Marshall is where everything comes together in section play. A lot of high-level post-season action is at Marshall. I guess I might add "unfortunately." It's a pretty long trip at least in my view. 

Our hardy MACA fans watched three games at the Marshall facilities. My recent writing his proven to be prescient. Well, I have become familiar with a lot of patterns through the years. MACA softball will have a stellar regular season campaign and keep it up through the two sub-section games that are played here. 

The complexion of the games changes when heading to the south. I have written many times that southern Minnesota teams will show a mysterious superiority. I really cannot imagine why. But the pattern showed up again for 2024. MACA was stopped twice which keeps them out of the state tournament. 

Here's an email I received from my Bonanza Valley newspaper friend Tuesday night:

 

Hello Brian, gosh darn it anyhow!

The JCC Huskies erased both MA/CA and also Luverne from the Section 3AA playoffs tonight. I'm sure you've caught up to the scores by now. I believe JCC was a fourth-place team in their conference but have now defeated teams who were above them in the Big South standings and now the West Central Conference champions.

I do like rooting from afar for Coach Holmberg's teams, but in the end it is apparent that a tougher schedule does a better job in fastpitch softball of preparing a team for the postseason.

 

It'll be JCC vs. D-C

JCC won twice on Tuesday and that propels them into the 3AA title showdown. JCC is called the "Huskies." Their Tuesday success was by scores of 4-1 over our Tigers and 3-0 over Luverne. Action resumes at 5 p.m. Thursday against Dassel-Cokato. D-C will enter the day unbeaten. 

We may see more than one game on Thursday. This is a double-elimination tournament. A second game would be played if the Huskies win first. Finally it would be winner-takes-all. 

MACA fans felt some optimism as they saw their team plate a run in the top of the first against JCC. Alas the Huskies slammed the door after that, not only on us but on their next opponent. The MACA first inning run was the only run that JCC would allow all day! 

JCC applied the dagger in the bottom of the third when Bailey Finck hit a three-run home run. Finck flexes her muscle at the plate: this was her eighth round-tripper of the season. She now has the single-season record at JCC. 

Lauren Johnson walked in the fourth and ended up scoring on a ground out. Would you believe: the Finck home run was the only hit allowed by MACA in this game? JCC did benefit from five walks. 

JCC's starting pitcher was Hadley Wachal. She fanned six batters over her four-plus innings. Mady Wachal had her arm called on in the fifth. Mady allowed no runs over the last three innings. 

A downer of a game for MACA fans. 

 

JCC over Luverne

The Huskies bore down again to defeat Luverne, using a big top of the fifth: three runs. Again the Huskies won with a minimum of actual hits. Two Huskies hit safely against Luverne: Hadley Wachal and Brielle Tufvesson. 

It was Mady Wachal pitching. She worked the whole game in the circle. She fanned seven Luverne batters and allowed just three hits. 

Hadley Wachal doubled to start JCC's fifth inning rally. She came home on a Kinley VanDeVere ground ball that resulted in an error. Then VanDeVere scored when Johnson hit a ball that was misplayed. JCC kept playing "small ball" as Johnson scored on a ground out by Sawyer Flatgard. 

The Tigers and their fans had to feel a little downcast with the two losses to end the season. It was so uncharacteristic. Look at our final won-lost numbers for 2024: 21-4 overall, 11-3 in section, 14-0 in conference, 8-1 in road action, 1-2 neutral and 12-1 at home. 

 

"Astronomical"

Coach Mary Holmberg continues to be up in the stratosphere with her career numbers. The late Willie Martin would describe those numbers as "astronomical," for sure. Willie and Rachel Martin's daughters had impact in Tiger athletics including softball. 

Mary was already making news with her career numbers when I was still with the Morris paper. That was a long time ago, so just consider where those numbers are now! To repeat: "astronomical." 

The Tigers buried Minnewaska in a sub-section game. Score of 15-0. And yet we have seen the MAHS athletic director go to Minnewaska for money reasons. And the word on the street is that Mr. Karas is going to make significantly more $ at 'Waska. 

Is there a correlation between this and team performance? Again, our softball team beat 'Waska 15-0. Is there an expectation that a highly paid athletic/activities director will generate superior team performances? You can't lay it all on the coaches or administration though. Might we see some correlation? 

We'll see more answers unfolding in the next academic year. Morris has added boys soccer. That will certainly be an interesting new dimension. A primary question: Will soccer drive boys away from football? I personally think it would be great if it did. 

Our softball fortunes were fodder for some talk at church coffee Sunday. I couldn't help but point out some irony could be found: MACA dominating 'Waska in softball while 'Waska has the very richly compensated AD. A very esteemed person at my table right away blurted out what a great coach we have. It's a fact she's great. 

Nevertheless there has been a longstanding inclination in Morris of giving overwhelming credit to coaches when teams win. That in itself might be harmless or benign. Nice to say positive things about people, n'est-ce pas? But the problem is this: when teams struggle as they did in the 1980s, many people including mostly school staff are so quick to say we "lack talent." 

It was a nice deal for the coaches, eh? Coaches get the credit when teams win, kids get the blame when teams lose. I remember a Morris activities director commenting from the podium at a banquet/program, seeking to point fingers. Namely, about how the boys hadn't been playing basketball over the summer. A school board friend of mine cited for me one of the kids who most certainly played basketball over summer. Some others probably did too. 

Not a cool thing to be spoken at a banquet. 

A major problem of Morris extracurricular in that era was that the staff showed resistance to volunteers taking over elementary coaching. The school had previously funded this. When things started to get bad in the mid '80s, a coach said to me "we could see this coming." Well, sometimes you have to swallow your pride, roll with the punches and acclimate. The volunteer option finally got going and they had me do some special coverage to make clear things were changing. 

We had a problem in that era of an element in town that thought the traditional sports emphasis - i.e. "let's win" - was somehow backward. Seemed to contradict academics, they suggested. And boy, these people could be mean if you questioned their attitude. In the end they lost. 

Through it all, Mary Holmberg just kept winning. But we can't seem to get past those doggone southern Minnesota teams. Something in the drinking water down there? 

The "Minnesota Scores" site tells us that Jackson County Central has a 20-6 W/L. They are 9-5 in section, 7-5 in conference, 8-4 away, 4-1 neutral and 8-1 at home. Now, can they make state?

 

Communicating with Mary

Here's an email I was happy to send to coach Holmberg herself on Memorial Day, Monday:

 

Hello Mary - I was at Pizza Ranch on Saturday and a man and woman came up to me for a pleasant chat: Lee Schultz and Rhonda Cline! That was such a pleasant generation of kids to know in this town. I told Rhonda I remembered the little dance she did as a Miss Morris candidate. My memories of Lee aren't that vivid but I have pleasant impressions.

People can get confused about double-elimination tournaments! Maybe the parents get it all figured out but it's a challenge for other people. I am so thankful to be able to go to the "Minnesota Scores" website. I'd be pretty lost without it. I am assuming that the Morris newspaper had to go to press Friday because of the Memorial Day weekend. That wipes out a lot of coverage of big school doings. I check the paper each week at the library. Anne Barber at the library says "I never see kids with the newspapers."

 

Memorial Day 2024

Del Sarlette is the gentleman seen in photo taken at my Williams family monument at Summit Cemetery. Photo was taken over our tranquil Memorial Day weekend. 

Memorial Day weekend is always uniquely tranquil, as if time slows down. We could use more of that? I selected a bench style of monument for our plot. Everyone, you're welcome to stop by and sit a spell! The monument has names of my parents along with yours truly. It acknowledges my parents' important roles with our University of Minnesota-Morris. The U of M has given my family nearly all of what it has. Note the American flag in photo. It honors my father who was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in World War II, Pacific Theater. I wonder what he would think of the flag displayed upside-down at the residence of Justice Alito.

 

And here's Dad in WWII

My father Ralph is at right in photo below taken during WWII. These guys guarded a merchant vessel, an oil tanker. How I'd love to know the names and hometowns of all the guys in photo!

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

Softball Tigers still in the hunt

Well it is Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Sleepy time everywhere but maybe more than average here in Morris. Doesn't really seem that "lake weather" has arrived yet. 

Memorial Day weekend is not a sleepy time for high school softball. Quite to the contrary, the post-season action is heading toward a crescendo. The Tigers have no games set for Memorial Day itself. That would probably be sacrilege just like flying an American flag upside down. 

I used to be around some veterans service organization people in Morris who could be very sensitive about how the flag symbol was handled. For example, one year I took a photo of a child wearing a little hat made of the American flag symbol. Someone saw me take the photo and advised me I'd better not run it. The guy said "you'll get in trouble." So I didn't run it. I explained to the very sweet parents what I had been told. 

So, what if someone was found to be flying America's hallowed symbol of the flag, for whom many men have died, upside down? It's a question we should weigh.

MACA softball is still in contention as I write this. Anyone with the newspaper working on Sunday morning? Well, I am. 

The athletes' parents should realize that the post-season details can be confusing for non-parents and casual fans. And my, this is especially true for double-elimination tournaments! Thank goodness I can consult with the "Minnesota Scores" website which is such a reliable home base for the basic current information. 

I can be thankful too I have a friend like Randy Olson of Bonanza Valley who emails from time to time. He gave me the current heads-up on our Tigers this morning. Thanks again Randy.

 

Hello Brian, the Tigers are in the group of the last four standing in Section 3AA. They need to defeat vaunted Jackson County Central to get to the loser's bracket final.

To get to state, they'd need to win four straight games across Tuesday and Thursday next week. Tall task. I am unaware if there was any media there from Stevens County. 

  

We're in 3AA

Let's review how the Tigers have done through the entire post-season thus far. First we had the 14-1 thumping over Montevideo on May 23. That same day we thumped 'Waska 15-0. Both these games were at home. 

'Waska of course has the athletic director that gets paid substantially more than here. And that's why we lost Mr. Karas to 'Waska. I wonder if he can inject a little more competitiveness in the 'Waska softball program. Right now we rule. 

Action shifted to Marshall on Saturday. A long drive for the MACA Tiger fans - unfortunate. In Marshall we were dealt a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Luverne. But this is a double-elimination affair. With new life we played Windom Area and won impressively 6-0. 

After the pause for Memorial Day we'll resume against Jackson County Central: 5 p.m. Tuesday again at Marshall. 

"Minnesota Scores" tells us our won-lost is 21-3. In section: 11-2. We wrapped up the conference at 14-0. We might do better playing in a more competitive conference frankly. We'd be tested more.

Baseball: an 11-11 tie

The MACA baseball Tigers played two against Minnewaska on May 23. One ended in an unusual tie, 11-11. Not sure if this is recorded as an official game. "MN Scores" has this game as "PPD" for postponed. We lost the other game to the Lakers 5-3. The games were here at Chizek Field. 

What's next? We'll host New London-Spicer for the start of sub-section play on Tuesday, 5 p.m.

Tigers 11, 'Waska 11

The MACA bats were robust as shown by the line score: 11 runs on 14 hits, but there was a blemish in the form of six errors. 'Waska scored their 11 runs on ten hits and committed two errors. We had a parade of pitchers: Jack Kehoe, Ozzy Jerome, Justin Giese, Kaleb Breuer and Alex Asmus. 

Riley Asmus doubled as part of a two-for-three line. He walked, scored two runs and drove in two. Jerome drove in three runs with his two-for-five line, plus he scored a run. Breuer socked a home run! He drove in two runs and scored one. 

Jonah Huebner had a hit in his only at-bat plus he was hit-by-pitch. He picked up an RBI. Alex Asmus had a hit and a run scored. Jackson Hallman went two-for-four with a walk received and two runs scored. John Kleindl drew two walks, scored two runs and had a hit. 

Ashdon Hacker was busy with six at-bats in which he rapped two hits. He drove in a run. Andrew Marty's details: one-for-three, a run, an RBI, a walk, a HBP and a stolen base. Drew Huebner was one-for-one with a run scored.

High school graduation

Friday night was of course big for our MAHS graduates of 2024. I'm told one of the valedictorians who spoke might seem like a stranger to many. A friend reported to me in an email that this individual "hasn't been attending classes at MAHS for three years as he was going to college somewhere (NOT UMM, which bugs me) on that PSEO tax-supported high school skipping program. I bet some kids in the class didn't even know who he was." 

I'll say this: the two speakers for my own MHS graduation in 1973 were rock-ribbed class members, siblings in spirit! But that's the way it was then. I'll name-drop: Edith Martin and John Martin. They were not related. Edith was the oldest child of the famous Willie Martin of Willie's Super Valu. I'm sure Willie thought graduation in '73 was "astronomical."

Touching base

Maybe Warrenn Anderson is one of those out of town for this holiday weekend. Good for him if he is. I did not see him at Caribou Coffee which he normally graces on Sunday morning. I sent him an email on several subjects prior to leaving the house for Caribou. I touch on some pretty current topics. So here's what I wrote:

She's you-know-who

Hello Warrenn - I see where the Indiana Fever lost by 20 last night. I always hear that their next opponent is really good, but the Fever have had the No. 1 overall draft pick two straight years, so that's two of their five players on the floor. Fever ought to hold their own against anyone. I had a feeling these struggles were going to happen. Fever got their one win with Clark having to make a couple very long 3's at the end and sure that was great fun, but you cannot rely on this regularly. I am happy for Clark and I'm sure she's set for life, but I'm ready to withdraw my WNBA fan interest now. I can't watch any games live anyway. 

Remember the old days when if you had a simple cable TV subscription, you could watch Twins and Vikings and a whole lot of other stuff without complications? It was paid for with all those beer commercials like the classic Bob Uecker Miller Lite commercial. "I must be in the front row."

I have a theory on our softball complex. Maybe the new facilities that are built today have to follow lots of regulations, whereas existing facilities are grandfathered in? That makes the old facilities far superior. The old UMM field had a fence that was short enough that most adults could stand around the perimeter of the field and watch. Same with the Wells Park fields, and many fans did that. I notice now there's a net behind home plate at the new place. Maybe that's a regulation too. Such terrible fear about foul balls that the quality of the viewing experience is destroyed. Of course these days with people looking down at their phones so much, there is more of a danger with foul balls.

I still resent how the softball complex was announced to begin with. The promoters really exaggerated how great it would be, and there was that long line of "VIPs" that gathered for the "groundbreaking" photo. They had shovels. How many holes were actually dug out there? It is a boondoggle and maybe I'm the only person talking about it. If we had a better facility, maybe someday we could get the section tournament here. Man, all these trips to Marshall. Cuts down on fan interest and fan presence.

Morris newspaper has not yet come out with their special supplement for the graduating seniors. It should have come out last week. That was really essential. One theory: maybe the paper is late on paying some bills. They have to pay Quinco for being printed there. Litchfield and Hutchinson have lost their papers and apparently no new buyers have come forward.

The thing you have to understand is that overhead costs are killing newspapers.

I am surprised the state just keeps sitting back and allowing all these terrible headlines to appear about St. Cloud State. Don't you think the state needs to send a new "hired gun" administrator there? 

If UMM loses its music and theater programs, what would become of that big hulking building called the HFA? Del S. has called that building an "albatross" on campus and I agree. I think when it was built it was considered avant garde. However, times have changed and that consideration doesn't matter now. Huge hallways and a too-small recital hall, while meanwhile the public school got the opulent "concert hall." So very, very strange.

I'll be at Caribou in about an hour.

- BW

Pay disparity? Well, Tigers thump Lakers

I walked past our softball complex twice on Thursday. 

I walk by heading out east beyond the bypass and then back again as I go home. Lots of noise and enthusiasm connected to the sub-section softball tournament. 

I expected the day to be pretty suspense-free for our MACA Tigers. Will this post-season follow standard form? We'll come out of the starting gate like gangbusters. Then we eventually run into a buzz saw from southern Minnesota. This pattern has been seen so often over the years. 

Sharon Martin gave me an interpretation of it once. She said our Tigers "play in a weak conference." 

So we just don't get tested enough during the regular season. A boffo won-lost record does not punch our ticket for state. We'll see what happens this year. 

We got a reprieve from the wet and rather nasty weather of late. Thursday turned out fine. I saw a table set up over by left field for taking money from fans. However, it didn't really seem like fans were watching a game, seemed more like batting practice for the Tigers who teed off. No surprise. First we manhandled Montevideo with a 14-1 win. Next was an even more decisive outcome: 15-0 over Minnewaska Area. 

'Waska is where our now-former athletic director Blake Karas has relocated. Kind of concerning. I hate to see these moves based nakedly on money. I hate to see it when someone relocates to a school close by. IMHO seems rather crass. Or maybe not, if you believe what people around Morris are reporting about how much more money Karas is allegedly making at Minnewaska. Heavens to Betsy, didn't 'Waska have two failed school referendums some time back? I remember those. 

And now 'Waska appears to be swimming in money! 

Reports around our town have it that Karas will be making $40 thou more a year. That's what the "shoeshine guy" says. And we've had a parade of school employees coming to our Morris Area school board meetings complaining pretty pointedly about pay, to the point of violating proper decorum IMHO. I was surprised at the football coach. His program might be endangered by the new MAHS boys soccer team. The sooner football dies the better. 

Softball has obliterated two opponents in the post-season. Too bad we do not have a softball facility that serves the interests of fans better. You might say it does not serve the interests of fans at all. So very strange. You'd better bring your own chair. You might want to settle out by the outfield fence. 

I saw fans seated outside of first and third bases but I have checked out those viewing positions and they are problematic. The length of the dugouts forces people to sit out a long ways so you look through the fence at an angle. I know it's tough. But people might not want to complain. Well, follow the example of our teachers! They surely complain publicly. 

The amount of available space for seating behind home plate is tiny, at least if you want to see the entire playing field. Well, I stayed out along Prairie Lane where again I saw lots of cars parked along the shoulder. Is that going to be par for the course? I think there are safety issues with kids maybe darting out from between parked cars. But I am merely an observer. 

Sharon and I enjoy walking along the biking/walking trail east of town. Sharon has "Goldy" with her. She is leaving teaching! Say it isn't so. But it's so. 

The next MACA softball game will be on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Marshall. The opponent: Luverne. How did Marshall become such a hub for high-level section games? It's a long trip for MACA fans. Morris should try to get some of those games here. But for softball, our facility might be deemed mediocre for that. You have to think of the fans. 

 

Where's the special section?

Morris Area graduation is tonight (Friday). I have not seen the annual supplement with the Morris newspaper that honors the graduates. A friend who subscribes tells me this hasn't appeared yet. That's a problem. The next Morris paper will come out four days after graduation. One of the purposes of the supplement is to make sure everyone knows the date and time of graduation, to promote it. 

My, all the years I covered graduation for the Morris newspaper, then known as the Sun Tribune. I covered Hancock's graduation in many years also. All good things come to an end. 

Now I'd like to see a bad thing come to an end: The Indiana Fever's losing streak. They play late tonight out West. Go Caitlin! 

Let's take a look at the game highlights of MACA vs. Minnewaska, the 15-0 win. You'd never guess there was a big pay disparity between the Morris and 'Waska athletic directors, would you? The Tigers buried 'Waska with a 12-run third inning. Coach Mary Holmberg had to smile about the line score: 15 runs, ten hits, a mere one error. Now let's do that to the southern Minnesota teams! 

 

Two Tigers 3-for-3

Lauren Hottovy was a perfect three-for-three in the boxscore. Two of her hits were doubles. She drove in four runs, scored two and drew a walk. Cate Kehoe's bat resonated with three-for-three numbers too. Her hits included a double. She scored three runs, drove in one and stole a base. 

Brianna Marty walked, stole a base and scored a run. Amaya Raths went one-for-three with a ribbie. Nora Boyle walked twice and scored two runs. Haley Kill doubled, scored a run and drove in two. Samantha Konz had a hit, drew a walk and scored two runs. 

Ryla Koehler crossed home plate three times. She walked and drove in a run. Kaylin Steen had a hit, walked and drove in a run. 

Minnewaska's two hits were by Ella Roering and Avery Lewison. 

Kill was our pitcher and she fanned seven batters and walked just one. Mataya Mix took the loss.

Minnewaska came down the home stretch of regular season play with a doubleheader sweep of Benson. My review of that action is on my "Morris of Course" companion blog. Writing about Benson was an opportunity to share further thoughts on their nickname/mascot controversy which is now suspended. I invite you to read my post:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2024/05/waska-sweeps-benson-whose-nickname.html 

 

So we're waiting: Will the Morris newspaper come out with the supplement for MAHS graduation this next Tuesday? It's still too late. People who supported this financially got shorted. It was essential for the publication to appear this week.

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

Bad weather finally moves over for softball

At least we didn't get a tornado yesterday (Tuesday). Have you noticed that the severe weather warning areas have been concentrated in the middle of the U.S.? Maybe just touches the southern edge of Minnesota. And aren't those "storm chasers" something? Find the darkest, most threatening clouds and drive toward it! 

People on "the coasts" who follow the weather are sure being reminded of the existence of the Midwest, those vast and sparsely-populated places that are beautiful because of their serenity. Kansas, Nebraska et al. The University of Iowa with its women's basketball team has helped too! A major team commanding big-time attention even on "the coasts." 

And how invigorating to see Caitlin Clark make one of her "logo 3's" in the pros. It happened the same game where she got her ankle injury scare. I hope proper precautions are taken handling her. Please no "painkillers." The girl could probably use a rest. 

What a day for our weather here in Morris on Tuesday. Dark, wet, windy. And so all this may possibly have rendered our "softball complex" rather a mudhole, maybe? Wet grounds? Sub-section games were initially scheduled to be played there yesterday. Was pretty obvious from early-on they'd be no-go. 

A check with "Minnesota Scores" on this Wednesday morning shows a re-scheduling for Thursday. Is it true that Wednesday has to be left open because that's a day set aside for church activities? I have commented before that this arrangement should end. School activities often fill the available days of the week. I know it can be difficult for getting in the fine arts events. There have been springs when many early-season or even mid-season games are "postponed." 

My, we wouldn't have to deal with that if we had the "inflatable cover" for Big Cat Stadium. The regular season could begin right on schedule, really right after basketball is done. Under perfect conditions. How about that, Mary Holmberg? 

In fact, Big Cat could be a major asset for softball even without the inflatable cover. I have watched UMM softball games played at Big Cat when spring weather fails to cooperate. I was very surprised how good the arrangement was! I wasn't even expecting this to be an option. It is in fact a wonderful option. And for what it's worth, it is tremendously advantageous for the fans. They of course sit up in the bleacher seats just like they would for football - get a wonderful view. 

Fans are of course screwed at the softball complex. No need for me to remind you. 

Let's take a look at our "MN Scores" page and see what's up for Tiger softball on Thursday. OK, the Tigers will play Montevideo at 3 p.m. The location given is "Morris Area" so I assume it's the softball complex. If the pattern of previous years is followed, we'll have one day of post-season play in Morris and then it's off to other locations. 

I believe games are even played over the Memorial Day weekend. I have always been surprised at that. Will we get more weather warnings? 

Sad: I have not been able to write blog posts on MACA softball this spring. I would have enjoyed doing so. I'm not aware of any place online to find timely gave review information. Feel free to correct me on that. In the past we might have expected at least some game info in the Willmar newspaper or its website. The website reviews would be timely. The paper seeks to report the day after a game which is pretty nice. 

MACA has fallen outside the coverage territory of the West Central Tribune. So you can't find it as a matter of habit. Some Tiger baseball info has gotten on their site. That might be because of who we are playing on certain dates. Or maybe the MACA coach is calling in and the paper is taking his calls. Really I can only speculate. 

I was able to write a review of the recent 12-2 win by the MACA baseball Tigers over Lac qui Parle. You might be aware that Bart Hill has retired as LQPV baseball coach. Where does the time go? Bart was coach of the Eagles for 27 years and had a record over .500. Quite a run. I remember writing about Bart when he was an MAHS Tiger student-athlete. I seem to recall his wrestling exploits most of all. 

You may read my post about our 12-2 baseball win with this link, and thanks!

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2024/05/kaleb-breuer-shows-offensive-mastery-vs.html 

 

If you are looking for MACA softball information, you'll find it in the Morris print newspaper - their "dead tree" product - but these articles are way too non-timely. I am surprised that coach Holmberg would be satisfied with this arrangement. Allow me to speculate, and I'd suggest Mary just has old habits? We depend on the newspaper, right? Well in Mary's growing-up days that was certainly a fact. 

I would hope Mary wants to see timely game reports somewhere utilizing the world wide web. The Morris librarian has told me "I never see kids with the newspapers." Don't get ink on your fingers. I'm an old person so I did look at the Morris paper at the library Tuesday. 

I could not find the annual special supplement honoring the MAHS graduating class. Wouldn't this be the week that it came out? I can't rule out that a section of the paper would disappear from the library. That has been known to happen. I'll ask around on this. I saw the Hancock special section on the grads yesterday, so congrats Hancock. 

I covered the Hancock graduation many, many years for the Morris fishwrap. I could have cried the last year I was there, 2006. I couldn't understand why it had to come to an end. 

 

What about buses?

I saw the letter to the editor from Ted Storck in this week's fishwrap. School buses? I have long felt that families should have incentive to transport their own kids to and from school if they can. The families can accommodate their kids' exact schedule this way. In extracurricular? No problem. 

A major reason I disapprove of Wednesday as "church night" - i.e. no school activities - is that the Christian faith in America has taken on such a political tone. Let's say a major swath of it has. And Christianity has done so much to lift up Donald Trump who I consider to be a total mob boss criminal type with zero moral compass. He promotes himself and his own survival, period. 

I can see this but evidently I am in the minority, maybe a small minority. The Christian faith is going to have to answer for this blot on our culture and values. The end just never comes. Trump may destroy our very nation as we've known it. 

So let's get school activities on the calendar for Wednesdays please. It's especially important now that we have new activities like girls wrestling and boys soccer. 

Will our new MAHS athletic director be the soccer coach? Scott Turnbull, formerly soccer coach for UMM? And my, have you heard the reports swirling all around about how much more Blake Karas is being paid at 'Waska over Morris? Is it really $40,000 more? Is it? Didn't 'Waska have two failed school referendums? 

Here's my reaction: We'll have a new girls basketball coach next year in Justin Daly and if he can inject some real excitement to that program, get us to win 2-3 games in post-season, well then I couldn't care less how much the AD is paid. I think our GBB team of this past season had greater potential than what it showed, what with a player like Kaylee Harstad on the roster. 

I hope our new boys soccer program will be like a death knell for football. I will not even listen to arguments from those who continue to back football as a sport. There are no longer "two sides" on that. Whatever benefits football has as an organized activity, those benefits can be duplicated in many other activities. 

The sun is out today. Hallelujah!

  

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