On to state! Tigers get past Redwood 56-54

March Madness has swept over Morris area. No doubt about it: elation high as both the MACA boys and Hancock girls notched high-level wins to advance. 

Great to be enthused, but maybe this ought to be tempered by the thought that we shouldn't literally define success by winning. Or do we? Think of the kids on teams that experienced defeat in the opening round. Can they tuck that disappointment away, or does it linger more than they might let on? 

Our MACA girls did not fare as well as the boys. I personally think the girls could have done better. A fan's prerogative, to share such thoughts! Well, the boys are surely on the climb. They disposed of Redwood Valley on Thursday night, yes, St. Patrick's Day, in a late game played at Southwest State of Marshall. 

I felt for all the fans having to drive home so late at night. It would be an ordeal for yours truly to do that. So I checked the radio for score updates. 

I was concerned yesterday that if the Tigers make the state championship game - more than a decent possibility - it might conflict with the departure date for the MAHS band and choir for their Texas trip. Could all those musicians really miss the "big dance" of title day? Not only would all those young fans be missed, the pep band would be missed! I couldn't conceive of this happening. 

I was originally told the departure date was in fact the 26th. This morning I got an update from a non-official source. Reportedly the departure date is now the 27th, having been changed because of a change of destination. The change was from New Orleans to San Antonio. I heard that a factor in the change was vaccination requirements in one place relative to the other - that's hearsay. 

The state championship game and third place game will be played on the 26th.

The music trip will be a wonderful experience. In San Antonio the kids will no doubt observe the Alamo. We have learned in recent years that so much of the original Alamo story is myth, fed by Walt Disney and John Wayne among others! The anti-CRT people probably would not want the truth to be told. Fascinating issue. The Mexicans were fighting against slavery, while the Alamo defenders had a checkered background and were rather clueless. They had been warned of the approaching army. 

This is funny: there is a suggestion that the famous "line in the sand" was actually for the people who wanted to leave - step over to indicate as much. Isn't that something? 

Anyway, band and choir are a high priority at our school - the trip will surely be enriching. The MACA boys made state with their 56-54 win over the Redwood Valley Cardinals.

Durgin Decker made freethrows at the end to give assurance of victory. Jackson Loge made a field goal with a minute/30 seconds remaining, and this broke a 51-all stalemate. Decker stole the ball, was fouled and in this visit to the freethrow line, made one of two. So we're up 54-51. Charles LaChapelle of Redwood misfired on a '3' attempt. Decker got the rebound and was fouled. That's when he made the two critical freethrows to wrap things up. 

It did not matter that Zack Reck of Redwood made a long shot at the buzzer. So there was a big celebration on court for the Tigers. It's what March Madness is all about. 

(The kmrs-kkok website article spells Zack's name "Zack Wreck." It's hard being totally precise all the time.)

The first half was rather seesaw as initially we led by nine - heartening yes, but we were up against a high-caliber team. At halftime we trailed by three, 27-24. 

The second half was a nail-biter. A sense of rivalry is building with our neighbor to the south. You can always count on a hard-fought battle. 

MACA has an overall record of 27-2 now. We'll be making our sixth state tournament appearance. 

The Hancock girls won in a total blow-out in the state quarter-finals. My goodness, the score was 73-38 over Nevis. Carlee Hanson scored 29 points and stole the ball seven times.

 

Spring has sprung

St. Patrick's Day 2022 is now history. Let's not overlook St. Urho's Day which was the day before! These are occasions when there still tends to be plenty of snow outside, and the snow is getting dirty. In some ways, not so pleasant. But after our particularly unpleasant winter, the uptick in temperatures is nothing but welcome. 

I always try to be one of the first people out to the biking/walking trail this time of year. I can see someone has beaten me. There is no more exhilarating sign of spring than to see "Goldy" checking out the biking/walking trail. Goldy's master is Sharon Martin, MAHS faculty member. 

Someone sent me a current photo of Goldy from Sharon's Facebook page, and I'm happy to share this photo here. It's such a joy to realize that Sharon and Goldy are out on the trail, I'm really a little misty! 

"Goldy" is among the MACA fans hoping to see continued success by the Tigers in state!

 

St. Patrick's Day of the past

Mid-March spells opportunities to get outside, get fresh air, perhaps engage in vigorous exercise. Sharon is very smart about this: nice brisk walks. St. Patrick's Day evokes memories from when my body was more game for the intense stuff. I shared with a friend in an email the other day:

 

This past winter wore on me like no other in my whole life. Weather is improving but not fast enough. In the "old days" I ran the St. Patrick's Day 5-mile run in St. Paul, a point-to-point course starting at U of St. Thomas and ending at the State Capitol. They had fruit waiting for us at the end, then we boarded school buses to be taken back to St. Thomas. A lot of runners wore costumes.

The MACA stats

Thanks to coach Mark Torgerson for making sure the stats are posted on "Maxpreps." I hope this continues if/when "Torgy" retires. I have been wondering if he'll hang in there for a third generation of players! 

The Thursday stats: we see the minimal five players scoring. Loge is atop the list with 27 points on 12 of 22 shooting. Thomas Tiernan was No. 2 with his eleven points on four of eight. Decker scored nine, Tyler Berlinger five and Brandon Jergenson four. Our team field goal numbers were 21 of 56, 51 percent. 

Tiernan made all three of our 3-pointers in his six attempts. Our freethrow numbers were 11 of 17, 65 percent. Three Tigers each made three freethrows: Decker, Berlinger and Loge. 

Loge grabbed 13 rebounds to lead, five offensive. Our rebound total was 26, six of which were offensive. We had ten assists of which Jergenson had four. We had nine steals of which Decker had three. Our turnover total was 14. Loge had all three of our shot blocks.

(image from twitter)

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

Let's get ready to rumble Thursday!

Sure feels like March. Snow is receding, though not as much as we'd like. Ah, "snirt" develops. 

Seems like each year, March weather will be so welcome after the intense winter. However, it seems not quite like that. The cold can still bite. The wind can kill all enthusiasm for being outside. Still too many snowdrifts. Any thaw brings annoying "slush." Potholes get worse. 

But hey, we have prep tournament basketball! It seems almost addictive this time of year. The MACA boys will play for the section title on Thursday. The "Minnesota Scores" site has been announcing the start-time as 8 p.m. I'll assume that is correct. 

I'm very glad I'm not making the trip myself. Game is in Marshall, a considerable distance from here. Seems a long time ago when we could look forward to so many of these games being played at UMM. Hordes of people would stream in and out of there. Atmosphere could be pandemonium, almost to a jarring extent. Hey, these are just high school kids playing a game! Think of the pressure we put them under. Maybe we don't think about this enough. 

The Tigers will vie with Redwood Valley, no slouch to be sure. Redwood has already showed it is capable of challenging the Tigers. Another close game would leave fans feeling drained. I would not want to drive back to Morris at such a late hour. Too bad Interstate highway is not available. I drove to Mankato once for the state softball tournament and I was very annoyed about that. Had to keep my road map on the passenger seat. 

I have practically ruled out nighttime driving for the rest of my life. Stay safe and warm at home. 

The Tigers will have to keep an eye on Redwood's Alex Lang on Thursday. Lang was a key player for the Cardinals in their sub-section triumph over Pipestone. Score was 68-56. Lang showed capability with making long 3-pointers. Just like Dan Majerle, "Thunder Dan?" Remember him? 

Lang pumped up Redwood's fortunes with his 3's in Saturday's first half. Game was at Marshall. Score was tied with two minutes left. Lang by himself proceeded to outscore the Arrows 11-1. He lifted the Cards to a 22-7 record. They have won eleven of their last twelve games. 

The Redwood Valley logo

Lang is a 6-foot guard. Rather than send up 3's, he was driving to the basket in the game's late stages. He "drove to the hole" against man-to-man pressure. Lang observed post-game that he had a mismatch against one of Pipestone's 6-4 forwards. Thus he decided to start driving. 

The score was tied at halftime, 27-all. 

Lang's 22 points topped Redwood's scoring and he was followed by two mates each with 15: Charles LaChapelle and Carson Woodford. Drew Lundeen put in nine points, then we see Zack Reck 3, Bill Jahger 2 and Robert Halvorson 2. 

Pipestone had a dominating scorer: Kaden Musch with 25 points. Merrill Heidebrink put in ten, then we see Connor Zephier 8, Kellen Johnson 5, Rysley Borman 4, Caden Strasser 2 and Jaden Lorang 2. Musch was critical for the Arrows staying close, as he scored a flurry of points late in the first half. 

The Arrows finish their season 22-6.

 

Terrific band concert

An MAHS band concert is just as uplifting as tournament basketball in March. I am convinced! Nice to see a good turnout at the MAHS concert hall Monday for the grades 7-12 event. The musicians performed many of their contest pieces. 

What stood out for me? Well, "Midway March" to be sure. The title did not ring familiar for me, but I recognized the melody immediately. I remembered it from the close of the 1960s WWII movie "Midway" that had Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda in the cast. Such a rousing melody, a melody you'd associate with triumph. 

Yes the American forces won the Battle of Midway in the Pacific Ocean. Our "divebombers" did the job. We sank the carriers of the Empire of Japan. A story of U.S. success, definitely, but it's a tragedy that nations engage in war like this. We're seeing it now with Russia and Ukraine. 

I am highly disappointed that a top U.S. "evangelical" Christian leader, Pat Robertson, has suggested we should root for the Russians. He says Russia is fulfilling Biblical prophecy. I wish he'd shut up. He does not speak for me. 

Evangelicals go out of their way to support Israel for the same reason: "Biblical prophecy." This is the worst of Christianity, extrapolating judgments this way. It is alienating young people from the faith. 

The MAHS wind ensemble performed "Midway March." The concert began with seventh grade, then moved on to eighth grade, concert band and wind ensemble. So many delights. Directors Andrea and Wanda are so gifted and motivated. 

Oh, I also loved "West Side Story" performed by the concert band. It brought back memories of when the Buddy Rich big band performed its West Side Story Medley in the '60s and '70s. Buddy was the "world's greatest drummer." I had the pleasure of hearing his band at the old St. Paul Prom Ballroom and Orchestra Hall. The Prom has come under the wrecking ball, sadly. I've read that there is now an ABRA body shop there. Buddy Holly played at the Prom in his final ill-fated tour. 

Buddy Rich's fans would shout for him to play "West Side Story" along with "Channel One Suite." Also, maybe "Norwegian Wood." What special tunes. Morris music fans would go down in carloads. (I was driving my "legendary" 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado.) 

Congrats to the MAHS band program! Will the Tigers come home a winner on Thursday? Let me remind: the year 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the start of my writing about Tiger sports for the local media. I would be described as an "unattached" journalist now, writing online-only. It is a pleasure. You might say I have outlasted a great many!

From an email from a friend: Yes, Morris boys have done well this year. We shall see if their luck holds out to get to State. This Loge kid is a nice player. The NDSU coach (related to the Herman Viponds) said he didn’t recruit Jackson b/c he’s just another good 6/8” player and there are loads of them. Interesting view.

 

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

 

This photo of Buddy Holly was taken at the St. Paul Prom Ballroom on January 28, 1959. It was my fourth birthday! We lived in St. Paul. Holly and fellow rock 'n' roll notables played at the Prom in the final ill-fated tour. It ended with the plane crash in Iowa. Buddy Holly RIP.

Boys' next playoff game: St. Patrick's Day!

Tigers 82, WCA 49

So much for West Central Area being able to challenge the Tigers. The orange and black was dominant vs. the Knights in 3AA-North play Saturday afternoon. It was nice to see the afternoon start time. This is definitely not the case for the next game. Now we're preparing for an 8 p.m. game back at Southwest State University, Marshall. 

It's a long trip, or so I feel. I wouldn't want to have to drive home from there at such a late hour. The Tigers will vie with Redwood Valley for the 3AA crown. The action begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 17. Yes, St. Patrick's Day. That means that the day before, March 16, is St. Urho's Day. Be reverent toward that if you're Finnish! 

Can the Tigers walk away with all the 3AA marbles? Might we see another "easy" game like with West Central Area? Impossible to know, of course. If you attend, make sure your driver gets good rest the night before. I pine for the days when so many of these games were at our UMM P.E. Center. Will those days ever return? 

So, our team pretty much manhandled the Knights in the Saturday afternoon affair. The halftime score: 34-18. The final score: 82-49. 

The radio station website has no coverage as of Sunday afternoon. It does have coverage of the Hancock girls making state. So congrats to the Owls. I won't even check the newspaper website. Probably just loaded with UMM stuff. So I appreciate everyone who takes the trouble to come to this humble little blog, "I Love Morris." In the old days I wrote for the paper when it was twice a week. Today there are times when I can be more timely than the paper with my coverage. I am proud of that. Thanks for visiting. 

The Tigers are the North Sub-Section champions. As a practical matter, the sub-section finals are the section semi-finals. It can get confusing, especially if you're following more than one team or more than one sport. 

Before getting into the game's stats, I'll remind everyone that the MAHS band has a big concert at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the concert hall, grades 7-12. The musicians will be doing some of their contest selections. Come one, come all, and support music in addition to sports! 

 

Unstoppable Loge

Once again we saw Jackson Loge pour in the points. His output vs. the Knights was 35, as he was spectacular with his precision: 14 of 15! That's 93 percent. He was joined in double figures by two of his mates: Brandon Jergenson 11 and Cole Wente 10. Here's the rest of the list: Toby Gonnerman 8, Tyler Berlinger 6, Thomas Tiernan 6, Sam Kleinwolterink 2, Max Lietz 2 and Durgin Decker 2. 

Our team shooting stats were 33 of 48, 69 percent. Jergenson made two of four from 3-point range. Wente and Tiernan each made one '3'. We were four of eleven in this category, 36 percent. 

Tigers went to the freethrow line 18 times and made 12, 67 percent. Loge led that charge with seven makes. Loge was truly "in the zone" with his shooting Saturday. He swept the boards for 15 rebounds, three offensive. He had all of our offensive rebounds. Our total rebounds numbered 23. 

Jergenson led in assists with seven followed by Loge with five. Four Tigers each came up with two steals: Berlinger, Wente, Jergenson and Gonnerman. We turned the ball over eleven times. Loge had all six of our shot blocks. 

A rundown on the WCA scoring: Cam Anderson 14, Cole Anderson 10, Jacob Strunk 10, Ryder Staples 5, Nas Dotts 4, Bryce Kjesbo 3, Mitch Dewey 2, Ben Bye 1.

I invite you to compare my coverage with what you see on the Morris newspaper website. It's a pleasure for me to do this. 

I'll have you know I went to church this morning. Hardly anyone wearing masks now. Meanwhile the University of Minnesota continues with its indoor mask policy. I attended the choir concert at the HFA last night (Saturday) and everyone was with mask. Fortunately I remembered to put a mask in my pocket before walking over to campus. Wonderful concert. 

 

Speculation re. UMM

My speculation continues on the subject of where UMM might be headed, based on having an executive chancellor who is also the Crookston chancellor. How can we not be intrigued by this? I do have some thoughts, for sure. You can read my "Morris of Course" post of yesterday (Saturday) by clicking this permalink. Thanks.

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2022/03/no-more-funny-stuff-coming-out-of-umm.html

  

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

 

(image from twitter)

Boys surge through 3AA-North semis, 67-42

The Tigers notched post-season win No. 2 Thursday at Willmar. It was a routine victory with MACA showing the kind of command that has become standard for them. 

We shot in front 33-13 by halftime. Wow! Then we polished things off with a 34-29 advantage in the second half. So the final score was 67-42. The opponent was Litchfield, the Dragons. 

Our field goal shooting percentage was 58, on 25 of 43. Jackson Loge added another chapter of his stellar prep career: 30 points on 10 of 16. Thomas Tiernan was in the groove with his 3-point shooting where his numbers were six of nine. Tiernan was second-high in scoring with 22 points. He was 8/11 in overall field goals. 

Let's cite the other Tiger scorers: Brandon Jergenson 5, Cole Wente 4, Tyler Berlinger 2, Toby Gonnerman 2 and Sam Kleinwolterink 2. 

Our team numbers in 3-point shooting were 10 of 20, smack-dab at 50 percent. Loge made three of six long-range tries. Jergenson had one success. Loge had all seven of our freethrow makes in eight attempts. Our rebound leaders were Loge 6, Gonnerman 5 and Jergenson 4. We had 22 total rebounds of which five were offensive. 

Jergenson had seven of our team total 20 assists. Berlinger and Tiernan each had two steals. Our turnover total was six. Loge swatted aside five shots, all but one of our team total. Kleinwolternink had our other shot block. 

The game was in the 3AA-North semi-finals. Tiernan gets defensive kudos for his job on Dragon Alex Draeger who was held to seven points. The top Litch scorer was Logan King with eleven points. Beau Weseloh put in nine. The Dragons close out '22 with a record of 12-16. The Tigers? We have the sterling 25-2 W/L numbers. 

The challenges are bound to get a little tougher now. On the slate now is our Saturday game on the floor of Southwest State of Marshall. We'll vie with West Central Area, the Knights, in the 2:30 p.m. contest. Refreshing to see the afternoon start time. 

Anticipation is high, just like it is for real spring weather! The Knights advanced with a 54-44 win over New London-Spicer.

Focus on music too!

Be sure to consider attending the grades 7-12 band concert at the concert hall on Monday, 7:30 p.m. Look for the musicians to play some of their contest pieces. Should be exciting. Also exciting: the upcoming trip south by the band and choir. It's "destination Texas!" Surely there will be relief from our unusually cold and unpleasant winter of 2021-22. 

I'm writing this on Friday which looks to be the last real miserable day. Forecast calls for sharply moderating temperatures starting on Saturday. 

The MAHS band and choir are headed to San Antonio TX. Shall we assume they'll visit the Alamo? I'm not sure any MAHS faculty would want to deal with this subject, due to the considerable re-thinking that has been taking place. It is largely caused by a new book "Forget the Alamo," by Bryan 'Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford. 

I suggest that school faculty avoid the subject, because the current deconstructions of the Alamo present conclusions not to the liking of the right wing political crowd of today. And make no mistake: that crowd has to be reckoned with. They were fired up for four years by Donald Trump, the bull in the China closet of political discourse. We're not over it yet, far from it. 

These forces are behind the anti-CRT movement and related causes. These people are known to show up at school board meetings in a combative, disruptive stance. They might scream. And it takes only one person to be truly disruptive. This crowd is trying to push bills through various state legislatures. 

So let's review the Alamo: You can toss out the conclusions you may have been taught when you were young and watching Walt Disney. It appears to be total myth: the valiant defenders of the Alamo vs. the hordes of Mexican aggressors. And of course we couldn't root for Mexico to win, could we? No, we rooted for Fess Parker in the role of Davy Crockett. 

Crockett of course did not really "fight to the last" at the old Spanish mission - it was not a fort. No, Crockett did not go down furiously swinging "old Betsy" at the onrushing Mexicans, who were portrayed as pretty hapless, and who only won because of their superior numbers. Reminds me of the Imperial stormtroopers of "Star Wars." An old movie cliche: the inept, faceless enemy. 

Nothing faceless about the Crockett character as per Disney. Heroic. Selfless. Classic American. The one inconvenient fact in all of this, is that the Mexicans were fighting against slavery. They won at the Alamo but finally got overwhelmed at San Jacinto. The year was 1836. America was a long way from shedding the institution of slavery. 

Walt Disney just thought that the Alamo was a nice patriotic little story. Mexicans were brown-skinned, weren't they? Sort of "the other." Let's make them the enemy. Let's prop up the "Anglo-heroic narrative" of the conflict. The old story is being assailed now, thanks largely to the book "Forget the Alamo." 

The book's title is not meant to be taken literally. The Alamo does in fact have an interesting history. What the authors are suggesting is that we should forget the myth of the Alamo. I'm happy to do that. 

But our MAHS faculty members would probably be wise to avoid the subject. It's best not to risk the emotional anger of the Trump anti-CRT crowd. Those people are frothing at the mouth with rabies now, in effect. I'm not kidding. 

I am following these developments. Idaho might have to close all of its public libraries. Proposed laws are calling for jail time. The flashpoint appears to be books that enlighten about LGBTQ. 

I'm told the MAHS band and choir will depart on March 26 and return on the 31st. Have a great time!

 

Ukraine and Russia

So now there's a big new story in the news of course: Ukraine vs. Russia, with the Fox News and Pat Robertson crowd having lined up behind Russia. Tucker Carlson sets the tone for Fox. Maybe this is because of Trump having had such great personal affinity with Putin. Both have autocratic leanings. I guess my sympathies are on the other side, surprise. 

Yesterday (Thursday) I took up pen to write a song. Immediately I was inspired by the line from Rodney King, from quite some time ago, after his vicious beating at the hands of police. I call my song "Why Can't we All Get Along?" I have a nice melody to go with this, of course. To be recorded? Not decided yet. Thanks for reading, and remember the Monday band concert! I'll whisper a little tip: get in your seats a couple minutes ahead of the scheduled starting time!

 

"Why Can't We All Get Along"

by Brian Williams

The headlines from Ukraine

For some of us are just an old refrain

For those of us who lived through Vietnam

We know full well how war can break the calm

We tap the wisdom now

Of someone who could get lost in the crowd

If not for just a burst of fleeting fame

For sure we would not even know his name

CHORUS:

Why can't we all get along?

Why can't we all get along?

Was Rodney King right or wrong?

Why can't we all get along?

He was a challenged soul

Who made the news with wisdom good as gold

So now that war is raging once again

We hope to see our olive branch extend

The thunder claps of war

Remind us of the things we've seen before

And even though we swear we can progress

The bitter truth is sometimes we regress

(repeat chorus)

There is no guiding light

Behind the aims of those who seek to fight

Behind the aims of Russia's Vladimir

No way to make his aspirations clear

We could get tied in knots

To argue why his logic is for naught

When all we need is pleading from the soul

A single line with logic good as gold

(repeat chorus)

I grew up in the days

When Cold War had us shiv-ring and afraid

It got our young men sent to Vietnam

Now how in hell could something go so wrong?

The toll is seen in lives

Erased forever right before our eyes

So even though we're praying for Ukraine

We wonder if our Lord can stop the rain

(repeat chorus)

My generation knows

How senselessness and ignorance can grow

The best and brightest led us into war

The kids kept asking what on earth it's for

The children of Ukraine

Possess the wisdom ev'ry bit the same

There's no one who can doubt the goal they bring

It echoes in the words of Rodney King

(repeat chorus)

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

Tigers dispose of Minnewaska in first round

Tigers 65, 'Waska 41

It wasn't a blow-out in the first half. Minnewaska Area kept things a little more interesting than MACA fans would have liked, for a time. This was one of those No. 1 vs. No. 8 games in the post-season, seeding-wise. 

On paper of course it's a mismatch. But surprises can happen, like when No. 8 Paynesville upended the Tigers at our gym several years ago. I'd hate to try to guess the year. You know how the years roll by. I'm on Medicare and time can just become a blur. 

Minnewaska Area came to our gym for first-round action in the 2022 hoops post-season. How much "March madness" lies ahead for our Tigers in the 2022 spring? It is really spring or ought to feel like it. At least a little? I have never had a winter grate on me so much. My driveway out on Northridge Drive still has slippery spots - I almost fell on my a-- this morning. 

The winter drones on, reinforced by the decidedly pro-Republican talk at a certain local diner. Republicans have all the answers while Democrats are stupid and evil - I hear it nearly every day. I have taken gray duct tape and covered up the small "Kamala" sticker I had on the back of my vehicle for a while. I decided it might be actually dangerous to promote such sentiment. 

In the "old days," Republicans and Democrats could have reasonable disagreements. Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill could act like friends at the end of the day. To the present: Republican leader Jim Jordan, the yapping barking dog from Ohio, is floating the idea that known adversaries of Donald Trump could be executed. Certainly not the America of my young days. 

Are we becoming like Russia with Trump stepping into the role of Putin? Of course, you all could do some re-thinking and cast your votes for Democrats. Would only happen in a fantasy world now. 

It's no fantasy that the MACA boys basketball team is loaded for bear. We needed some time to get going on all cylinders in our post-season debut. We led 31-22 at halftime versus the Lakers on Saturday. Obviously the game was in Motown, the "Tiger Center." Well, the second half was a different story, as we began firing our Howitzers. We won by a 65-41 score. 

Now it's on to round 2.

We had nine players score points. That makes lots of parents happy. I once failed as a sportswriter in keeping enough parents happy. My own family dentist wrote a letter to the editor in the Morris paper describing me as a "miserable failure." Tough to go through life with that recollection. I only wrote for the Morris paper because the owners allowed me to. My dentist probably was/is a Republican. 

Jackson Loge wowed the fans with another top-notch evening of play: 30 points on 12 of 16 shooting - that's 75 percent. The totals are all pretty modest below him. Here they are: Cole Wente 7, Durgin Decker 6, Tyler Berlinger 5, Brandon Jergenson 5, Thomas Tiernan 5, Sam Kleinwolterink 4, Evan Oberg 2 and Toby Gonnerman 1. Our team field goal shooting numbers were 25 of 50, and even I can figure the shooting percentage. 

Loge made two of our four 3-pointers. Decker and Tiernan each made one. We were four of eleven, 36 percent. And in freefhrows our numbers were 11 of 23, 48 percent. Loge had four of the makes. Loge was the standout in rebounds too with eleven, one offensive. The Tigers got 30 rebounds, three of which were offensive. 

Jergenson had six of our 16 total assists. He had two of our seven steals. Again, I hope fans are not chanting "let's go Brandon." This is code for "fuck Joe Biden." The America of today puzzles me in so many ways. I wouldn't put it past the fans. 

The Tigers had eleven turnovers. Loge blocked two shots while Berlinger and Wente each blocked one. 

We are climbing in Section 3AA-North. Our season record now is 24-2. 

Minnewaska's Hunter Kostelecky led his team with 12 points/12 rebounds, in his final game as a prepster. 

OK, what's next for our orange and black? Well, it's a Thursday contest with Litchfield as the opponent. It'll be the sub-section semis. Game-time is 6 p.m. at the Willmar gym. Remember the days when so many of these games, boys and girls, would be played at the UMM P.E. Center? Remember how the place could get packed with absolutely raucous and loud humanity? The good old days? Well it was convenient, certainly.

 

Trouble for UMM?

This is serious. It is no fun to rain on anyone's parade, but we simply must pay attention to what is going on around us. Take a look at South Dakota, our quite nearby neighbor to the west. South Dakotans aren't programmed a whole lot differently than Minnesotans. Donald Trump has set the tone for all this: emboldening the reactionary conservative element of our society like never before. And it is starting to have real consequences. 

Bills are climbing through state houses. I read about one in Idaho just yesterday re. librarians. If passed, it could easily result in the shutdown of all public libraries. But today let's look at South Dakota. The South Dakota senate passed a bill Monday limiting promotion of "divisive concepts" that Republican lawmakers have linked to critical race theory. The vote was 27-8. 

This type of thing, the way it could be interpreted - and just watch the lawyers slice and dice - could be poison for our UMM (or UMN). Maybe we should call the institution "Crookston-South" but let's not get distracted by that now. The South Dakota bill is now headed to Gov. Kristi Noem's desk for final approval. She's the governor who floated the possibility of Trump's face being added to Mount Rushmore. 

Why are so many people so damned scared of "critical race theory?" Can't you at least back off and see it as benign, as at least being well-intentioned? C'mon all you knaves, why so excitable? 

Our UMM or Crookston-South is ultra-"woke," we all know that. I am not even dissing it here, not at all. Some of it might get a little excessive, but if you let the anti-CRT crowd get their way, are you all prepared to accept the consequences? 

I have a theory that the U might already be bracing for this, and may have tasked the Crookston chancellor with re-shaping the Morris campus in Crookston's image. The Morris interests have wanted to be secretive about all this. Therefore I risk becoming a pariah, again, for writing about it. Change is a constant these days, as a realize when I fail to understand how the McDonald's "kiosk" works.

If I had a girlfriend, maybe she could show me how.

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

Shall we send Christianity to the wayside?

Here's a heading from YouTube this morning (Sunday): "Jesus was led by the spirit in the wilderness." 

You know what? I don't care. Maybe I could care about the essence of Christianity again, if it could be removed from the context of U.S. politics. I cannot view Christianity the same now. The Jesus in the wilderness story is probably inspiring for some, or many, although I have always listened to such stuff mostly out of courtesy. I am far more concerned about the impact of one's faith in the present day. 

What matters now is trying to stop a whole new Cold War. "Saturday Night Live" still finds humor in what's going on. So they lampoon Fox News. That's way too easy a target. Though it is still funny. The humor vanishes of course, the instant that Putin goes nuclear. The Cold War gave us the Vietnam war. 

Why does Putin view military action as essential now? Can't everyone just get along? This is not an ideological struggle, is it? If not, what is the point? 

U.S. people who fashion themselves "conservative" once loved saber-rattling. They felt patriotism demanded a military commitment sometimes. Resist that, and those people would pigeon-hole you with the left wing "softies." 

That whole crowd is now being led around by the nose by Donald Trump, who just won't go away. Simple explanation really: the media of America finds that Trump "sells." Trump developed a skill for attention-getting when he was literally in entertainment. "Apprentice" or whatever. He was high-profile for a long time, learned the tricks of the trade. 

And now he has the whole pathetic reactionary element of America eating out of his hand. So now when this Putin-wannabe says "no more Mideast wars," he causes a reversal among his flock. They now see Liz Cheney as part of the "neocon" family that rattled sabers. "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Not sure what that venture got for us. Premised of course on "weapons of mass destruction," a 100 percent dud. 

Let's remember how many lives were lost or permanently damaged. This happens every time there is military engagement. 

Now when Trump trumpets his view of no more wars, he's suddenly perceived as fountain of wisdom, not a "left wing softy" as would have been proclaimed before. So now, Laura Ingraham of Fox News actually "retracted" her support for the Iraq war. You can't "retract" your support for a war, not when the war has totally gotten in the rear view mirror. Nothing can fix the lives scarred by the horrific injuries, or bring back the dead like our David Day. It's just like Vietnam, the quagmire of my generation. 

Christianity became so high-profile in propping up Trump. Most likely he could not have won the highest office without the faith, particularly the evangelicals, the type of Christians who buy into a lot of the voodoo stuff. "Jesus was led by the spirit in the wilderness." Probably an inspiring story of how Jesus came to embrace humanity's capacity for virtue. 

In this context I can go to church and at least pay lip service to this stuff, though I doubt that many of the stories are literally true. I guess that's what sets the evangelicals apart: they go for the more literal interpretation. And if they can believe all that, they can watch Trump on TV at a rally and be impressed, mesmerized by everything he says. Stevens County has many such souls - I have tried reasoning with them. But I am no rival for Pat Robertson. 

Pat Robertson ("wavy" image)

Hoo boy, why do such folks still suck up so much media attention? Robertson like Trump got on big media's radar long ago. They develop a relationship. Robertson learned how the game is played. My own minister here in Morris has vastly more wisdom and acumen than Robertson. 

So why can't my minister get quoted anywhere? He just doesn't. Robertson does. Media people would just shrug and admit that's how the system works: Robertson says something stupid or provocative, and just like with Trump it leaps into the headlines. 

Maybe this shows just how helpless us human souls are, why we need Christ as our savior, because heaven help us if we were on our own. What do you think Jesus Christ would say about Pat Robertson? What would Jesus Christ say in response to Robertson asserting that Vladimir Putin is "compelled by God" to invade Ukraine. 

Robertson felt he had to come out of retirement to make this proclamation. A press account: "Televangelist Pat Robertson came out of retirement on Monday to declare that Russian President Vladimir Putin is following God's wishes by violently invading Ukraine." 

The televangelist feels this is a step toward a global "End times" battle in Israel. I am sick of "Christian leaders" so often invoking the interests of Israel. If it's in the context of religious voodoo, I resent it. "Prophesies" etc. 

Keep the Bible out of foreign affairs discussions. The Bible is a matter of faith. It's harmless if you just put it aside, put it in a different compartment from serious geopolitical issues. 

Robertson asserts with urgency that Putin "went into the Ukraine but that wasn't his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately." 

Robertson sees Ukraine as a "staging area" for one of the great Biblical armies that will gather for "Armageddon in Israel." 

Why is it necessary for anyone to postulate in this way? These are gravely serious matters, life and death matters for a great many. And yet a prominent "Christian" leader "comes out of retirement" to plead along these lines. It's a strong argument for rejecting the Bible, for being just a step away from damning the Christian faith entirely. And that's not fair. 

Why did Robertson's element of the Christian faith get such primacy? Why are we at a point where national media reporters feel it's important to weigh what the "evangelicals" are thinking? As if those are the definitive Christian thoughts. These are the people who were a bulwark behind Donald Trump. I see no evidence this has dissipated. 

Congressman Jim Jordan has floated the idea that Trump's adversaries could be executed. Such things have happened through world history. The guillotine for Liz Cheney? Well, who knows? 

Robertson told viewers to "read your Bible." Why listen to him regarding this? Why listen to Donald Trump about anything? Obviously he lies constantly, evades the law constantly. And yet, I'm certain the local Apostolics would vote for him again, would drive around in pickups (as I personally witnessed) with "Keep America Great" flags (two of them) flapping from in back. 

This is not my late mother's Christianity. It's a far cry. All I can do is write a few words on this blog site. I am doing that on Sunday morning as I skip church. 

Triumphant Love Lutheran Church

The "spirit in the wilderness" heading on YouTube is from Triumphant Love Lutheran Church of Austin TX. God bless those people of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). But is the synod now an outlier? 

 

Addendum: Here's a fresh headline as of Sunday afternoon: "Trump proposes escalating war by having U.S. fighter jets 'bomb the sh-t out of Russia,' try to blame China for it." 

A majority of Stevens County churchgoers would appear to still be in with this guy. I have tried communicating with some of them. These include a retired Morris schoolteacher who I know would have been profoundly offended by someone like Trump in the 1970s, would be disbelieving. Today he's so devoted to Trump, if you try discussing this with him, a little grin crosses his face like he's just shutting you out. Who can explain this?

 

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

MACA boys polish off regular season

The Tigers took care of business nicely on Tuesday to close out the regular season. The focus is now on post-season, a whole new season as they say. The Tigers' stock is high. Expectations will be great. 

Unfortunately we cannot follow the girls team now because they lost in post-season. The MACA boys will seek to fly high as their post-season unfolds. The Tuesday story was a 65-49 win at Melrose. The enthused fans of the Tigers saw Jackson Loge excel again. Loge put in 28 points, the team-best figure, on 11 of 20 shooting. Thomas Tiernan had a total of ten on four of seven. 

Then we see Tyler Berlinger with nine points on four of eight in shooting. The other totals: Brandon Jergenson 7, Cole Wente 5, Toby Gonnerman 4 and Sam Kleinwolterink 2. In team field goal shooting our stats were 26-for-54, 48 percent. 

Tiernan made two of his four 3-point tries. These Tigers each made one '3': Wente, Jergenson and Loge. We were five of 18 in 3's, 28 percent. The freethrow story was eight of 15 for 53 percent. Loge stood out with his perfect five-for-five. 

Loge had the team-leading seven rebounds of which one was offensive. Durgin Decker snared five rebounds, two offensive. The Tigers had 19 total rebounds, six offensive. Jergenson had four of our team total 15 assists. Berlinger had five of our team total 15 steals. Superb ball-handling: only four turnovers. Decker had our only shot block. 

We led by ten at halftime, 34-24. 

We'll enter post-season with the superlative W/L numbers of 23-2. Melrose came out of Tuesday 12-13. We're atop the West Central Conference, record of 11-1. We have the top seed for 3AA-North play. 

The first-round game ought to be a breeze, right? That's never the best thinking, naturally. I still remember when we lost to Paynesville at home when we were No. 1, Paynesville was at the bottom. ESPN's Chris Berman said for a long time: "That why they play the game." I don't know if he's still on. I have no TV now, just Internet access. It's working out pretty well. When last I had TV, Berman was doing commercials for "Car Shield." 

The Tigers will host eighth-seeded Minnewaska Area at 7 p.m. on Saturday. 'Waska has a 3-21 record. The Tigers downed the Lakers in the regular season by scores of 65-30 and 61-22. 

The Wildcats of New London-Spicer have the No. 2 seed in our North Division. Owner of a lukewarm 12-10 record, the Wildcats will face off against seventh-seeded ACGC (8-14). The No. 3 is West Central Area (17-4) and they'll play No. 6 Eden Valley-Watkins (14-10). Paynesville (14-10) is No. 4 and will play fifth-seeded Litchfield (10-15). 

The semis date is March 10, action set for Willmar. Then the North finals, on March 12 at Southwest State University, Marshall. Remember the days when so much of this action was at the UMM P.E. Center? I remember when that place would be rocking for post-season hoops. The good old days? Man, crowds filling both sides, decibels high, pep bands really getting going. What an atmosphere. 

I have never been to Marshall for a basketball game. I was at their arena once for a Maynard Ferguson concert, early 1980s. The top seed in the South sub-section is Pipestone with a 19-5 record.

Inexorable advance of time

Each generation goes through passages. A particular generation might think it is unique. And for a time, such a sense might ring true. Each generation comes of age under particular circumstances in the country and the world. But as time goes by, we all develop a commonality. We get old, slow down, deal with some hurdles in the area of health, then pass on to the next life. 

My late mother would say we're headed to a "better place." She was young in the Depression, truly hardscrabble times. Same with my father. They knew the value of a dollar right up to the end. 

My father enjoyed the free coffee at Willie's while it lasted. That system gave way to the Caribou Coffee national brand. But Caribou has its glitches and challenges, if you've noticed of late. Their coffee-making equipment has broken down. Replacement parts require great patience to obtain. This is from the manager. McDonald's often has the same problem with the ice cream equipment. 

My father and our neighbor Les Lindor enjoyed making "runs" to Willie's with the famous orange Willie's coffee mugs, there to dispense the free coffee for themselves. With the equipment problem of late at Caribou, I find myself pining for the orange coffee mug times. 

Becky Felstul-Burnett

So time passes and we say goodbye to Becky Burnett. I was pleased to attend Becky's funeral on Tuesday at First Lutheran Church. Just happens to be my church. Becky had health challenges in the concluding stages of her life. Now she's in "the better place" that my mom talked about. Becky was a 1972 graduate of Morris High School. It wasn't "Morris Area" then. I was Class of '73. Being one grade apart could really separate kids in those days. 

I still had my typing class with Becky - last name Felstul - under teacher Mr. Roberts. Probably the most worthwhile class I ever had. I remember exchanging glances with Becky sometimes as we monitored how we were doing. Oh my, those were the manual typewriter days. Nothing like our current age with the digital magic. Not remotely comparable. 

Becky and I were a year apart in grades but there wasn't much of an age difference. We really were age peers. 

I continued my acquaintance with Becky through the years in two ways primarily. She was a Chokio-Alberta Spartan sports parent! Anyone has to smile when remembering the Spartans. Each year I'd send my new original Christmas song to her and put at the bottom of the email "Remember the Spartans!" 

Sadly my last email to her bounced back to me as her health travails had begun. I have written a song about this type of thing happening at Christmas: "I Write to You." It was the first song where I arranged for pedal steel. I shared about how sometimes we learn at Christmas the bad news about an old acquaintance, an acquaintance not close enough that family would necessarily inform us. So at Christmas, a card or other communication will go unanswered. So we wonder. "I Write to You" and wish you'd respond. Type the song title and my name into the YouTube search box and it'll probably be at the top, hopefully will be. 

I also knew Becky from when she worked at the Morris Co-op. For a long time I visited there weekly to do "newsstand collections" for the Morris Sun Tribune. She could lift your spirits with her hearty laugh. When I reminisced with her once about C-A athletics, she said "you were a part of it Brian." 

Her funeral was very well-planned and carried out nicely. Family members told stories sprinkled with humor. The fellowship hall was pretty full for lunch. I did not see Dick Felstul. A friend of mine who helped serve the lunch said he also did not see Dick, or sibling Bob either. I didn't know Bob, was just familiar with the name. If Dick and Bob were not there, I wonder why. I know Dick lives a fairly close distance from Morris. 

The lunch wound down with plenty of surplus ham buns! I availed myself to grab a couple, thus honoring the memory of Allen Anderson. 

I always think of Becky as "Felstul," but of course she had the married name of Burnett. Becky's mom was a Sunday school teacher of mine. Becky Felstul-Burnett RIP.

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