Overtime tilts toward Tigers again in win vs. 'Waska

The MACA boys came on strong for their Saturday and Tuesday games. We cruised through the Saturday affair, crushing the YME Sting 72-37. The Tuesday game was no cruising affair as we went into overtime vs. the Lakers of Minnewaska Area. It was a happy outcome as the orange and black prevailed 53-51.
Remember, last year we lost steam at the most critical time against those Lakers. We beat them in the first matchup, played them to the last shot in the second, but then got crushed in the post-season. That's not the kind of pattern we want. We'd like one of our basketball teams, boys or girls, to advance to Southwest State University in Marshall this time around.
Of course, I can remember when post-season games were played right here in Morris at the P.E. Center. That would be the best arrangement - no late-night driving required. But we have to accept reality: drive south.
 

Tigers 53, Minnewaska Area 51 (OT)

Early in this home game, Minnewaska carved out an advantage revealed in a 29-23 halftime score. 'Waska came here with a winning record. The Tigers have been slightly below .500 and they aim to remedy that. Our Tuesday win was our seventh.
Minnewaska outscored us 24-18 in the second half. The 47-all score set the stage for overtime. Camden Arndt was the hero at the end. (The Tuesday Willmar paper spelled his name "Camren.") On Tuesday, Camden put in a buzzer-beating layup vs. the Lakers. Arndt had the game-high scoring total of 17.
Arndt scored the dramatic game-winner after getting a pass from Jacob Zosel who drove the length of the court. Just prior to that, Jackson Johnsrud of the Lakers scored on a put-back to tie the score. The Tigers had to answer and they showed the poise to do that within the final ticks of the clock. The fans tucked away some more special memories.
The Tigers are getting rather accustomed to playing overtime games. We beat Montevideo in triple OT recently. Our won-lost record now: 7-8. Three Tigers each scored ten points to follow Arndt on the scoring list. Those three: Tate Nelson, Zosel and Lukus Manska. (The Willmar paper spelled the name "Lukas.")
Tim Travis put in four points vs. the Lakers, and Jaret Johnson added two points to the mix. Nelson made three 3-pointers while Manska connected for two. Arndt led in rebounds with seven. Zosel was tops in assists with six. Nelson led in steals with three.
Jake Peters was the top point producer for 'Waska with 15. Dennis VanDyke scored eleven points and Matt Gruber had nine. Garrett Jensen scored five points followed by Collin Richards, Ryan Christianson and Jaeger Jergenson each with three. Jackson Johnsrud added two points to the mix.
 

Tigers 72, Yellow Medicine East 37

The Sting of YME showed no sting in their Saturday contest against our Tigers, who surged forward with a 72-37 win. Action was at our "big floor" of UMM. Too bad more prep games can't be played there.
Camden Arndt burned the nets for 26 points. We shot out to a 37-12 halftime lead.
Arndt and Christian Thielke each made two 3-pointers to help build the blow-out. Lukus Manska made one long-ranger. Arndt had eight rebounds and Kyle Staebler grabbed four. Jacob Zosel passed crisply to accumulate ten assists. Tim Travis stole the ball four times.
Arndt's team-leading 26 points was followed by: Zosel (11), Thielke (7), Manska (7), Jaret Johnson (6), Andrew Anderson (5), Travis (4), Taylor Carrington (4) and Kyle Staebler (2).
 

Another 18-page Morris paper

We have seen two straight 18-page (minimal) Morris newspapers. When I saw the first one, I thought it might be an aberration. We continue to see 16-page Canary publications. That's minimal too.
Here's the danger for the paper business: the longer these minimal products continue, the more the public (their customers) will get out of the habit of looking for (or supporting) the larger versions. We indeed may have reached a tipping point. All the predictions about how important community information will migrate to online are maybe coming true.
It takes time for these trends to take root. The paper in Elbow Lake is significantly more viable than the Morris paper. This continues to be a puzzle.
 

I'm a mere rube, I guess

I got a postcard announcing an upcoming lecture at UMM. It's set for Monday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the HFA recital hall. It's free and open to the public. That is all well and fine, but what is the lecture about? It's titled "Speaking Truth as Indigenization: academia and reconciliation." We learn that the presenter, Julie Pellatier, is a "cultural anthropologist specializing in indigenous studies with a particular interest in the indigenization of the academy, the politics of representation and identity, and economic development as self-determination."
I'm sorry but I cannot comprehend any of this. The talk may well be stimulating, once I can get some focus on what it's about. The lecture is named for the late Bert Ahern, a long-time neighbor of mine.
Ahern was skeptical about the Kensington Runestone and used a little prop to share this view in a light way. I thought it was also a condescending way, rather disrespectful toward those who might want to seriously discuss the subject, as many well-educated people do. Today I don't think Ahern's approach to this would be appreciated at UMM, as the institution seeks to cultivate support from the Alexandria area. It's fine to be skeptical but in a dry and objective way. I forget the name of his prop.

Final note: my spell-check tells me there's no such word as "indigenization." Final note No. 2: Am I a cultural anthropologist? Maybe I am and I don't know it. Anyway, maybe there's something for us folks of Mayberry to learn in that lecture.

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