Prelude to 3AA play? MACA boys edged by Monte

Montevideo 58, Tigers 55

MACA may not be done with the Thunder Hawks of Montevideo this season. Twice the teams have met and it was anyone's ballgame. The Tigers and T-Hawks battled into triple overtime once. We took that contest. Then on February 23 (Thursday), another game with a close complexion developed.
We had our home fans hopeful in the first half. We led 26-23 at halftime but would not seal the deal. Monte found the tools to surpass us in second half play. Those T-Hawks had a 35-29 advantage in the second half, which lifted them past our Tigers and deflated our home gym crowd. Monte won the ballgame 58-55.
But wait, a third matchup could be in the cards. We're both in Section 3AA. It would be nice this season to see MACA boys hoops exceed post-season expectations. That has not been the norm. But hey, a new "March Madness" chapter will be opening up soon.
We had a chance to tie the February 23 game at the end of regulation. However, a three-point try that would have knotted the score was a no-go. The shot deflected off the front rim.
Hats off to T-Hawk Travis Dreyer who was at the fore of his team's offense: 17 points. There were four T-Hawks in the double figures scoring circle - quite the balanced attack. Hats off to Isaac Douglas with 13 points, Andrew Sweeney with 12 and Riley Emery with ten. Isaac Hoogeveen put in four points and Henry Strunc two. Dreyer attacked the boards to collect eleven rebounds while Sweeney had nine. Derek Kilibarda stoked the offense with his four assists, and Dreyer had four steals.
On to the MACA Tiger data: here it was Jaret Johnson making noise with his 15 points. Then came Tate Nelson with his 12 and Tim Travis with ten. The rest of the list: Lukus Manska 7, Jacob Zosel 5, Camden Arndt 4 and Kyle Staebler 2. Three Tigers each made one 3-point shot: Nelson, Johnson and Manska. Travis with his six rebounds led there. Zosel with his six assists topped that category. Johnson stole the ball twice.
The MACA boys will debut in Section 3 play on Saturday, March 4, at home against the YME Sting.
 

Girls: Tigers 56, Benson 34

Benson hasn't mounted much of a challenge vs. MACA girls basketball in recent memory. Sometimes these patterns drag on a while. We saw a continuation of the norm on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the local gym. We took it to the Braves by a score of 56-34, Hey, the win pushed our win skein to seven!
We owned the game in the first half, drawing considerable cheers from the home crowd with a 28-9 scoring advantage. A fairly close second half developed in which our Tigers cruised. We cruised to our 16th win of the season with a final score of 56-34. We came out of the win at 16-9 while Benson was left at 0-23.
Don't worry, Braves fans, better times will come.
Each team had a leading scorer with 14 points. For MACA it was Ashley Solvie, while Danielle Himley set the pace for Benson. But Ashley had much more of a supporting cast. Correy Hickman scored 12 points. She was one of three Tigers each making a three-point shot. She was joined by Maddie Carrington and Riley Decker. Carrington's point output was nine. Then it was Nicole Solvie with eight points followed by Decker with seven. Jenna Howden, Jen Solvie and Malory Anderson each added two points to the mix.
So, there are three Solvies? Keep your program handy. It was Ashley Solvie setting the pace in rebounds with nine. Howden collected six rebounds. Hickman led in assists with five and co-led in steals with four. She co-led with Nicole Solvie.
Himley was followed by these Braves on their scoring list: Amanda Nissen 11, Presley Gonnerman 4, Megan Amundson 2, Grace Lee 2 and Claire Ricard 1. Himley and Nissen each made a three-point shot. Nissen was team-high in rebounds with five followed by Courtney McNeill with four. Amundson produced three assists. Three Braves each had one steal: Himley, Gonnerman and Ricard.
I repeat: Better times will come for those Braves of Benson. We've had a nice partnership in hockey.
 

The Camden Arndt show

The Tigers and Knights took centerstage for hoops action, both boys and girls, on Monday, Feb. 20. Our orange and black Tigers prevailed in both contests in front of appreciative home fans. The boys game had a 71-50 final score.
Oh my, Camden Arndt was most certainly "in the zone." He missed only one shot from the field and scored 26 points. He was three-for-three in his three-point shooting! We owned this game at halftime with a fine 42-28 lead. This was our 13th win of the season against ten losses. It's nice to elevate a little over .500 with the post-season so near. The Knights of WCA came out of this game at .500 with 10-10 numbers.
Lukus Manska joined Arndt to form a 1-2 punch. Manska's point total: 17. Tate Nelson and Jacob Zosel each scored eight points. Also scoring: Connor Koebernick 5, Andrew Anderson 3, Tim Travis 2 and Jaret Johnson 2. Arndt was part of a most potent long-range shooting attack. Zosel like Arndt made three long-rangers. Nelson and Manska each made two 3's. Koebernick sank a long-ranger.
Manska led in rebounds with six and in assists with four. Nelson with his three steals led there.
 

Girls: Tigers 69, West Central Area 49

The Morris Area Chokio Alberta girls took care of business on that day of competition vs. the West Central Area Knights. It was a nice tune-up game for the post-season.
WCA High School is in Barrett which is the temporary home of yours truly. Mom and I are at the very nice Barrett Care Center. while Mom makes a recovery from health issues.
The MACA girls took care of business with a 69-49 final score. We picked up steam as this game went on as we outscored WCA 39-24 in the second half. We got our 15th win of the season. We were assigned the No. 3 seed for the post-season (North sub-section).
Ashley Solvie put on a show with her talents just like Camden Arndt did for the boys. Ashley poured in 24 points. You might say that Correy Hickman put on a show too, as this Tiger's point output was 22. Indeed, a 1-2 punch just like with Arndt and Manska.
Malory Anderson contributed seven points and Nicole Solvie had six. We wrap up the list with Jenna Howden 4, Maddie Carrington 3, Riley Decker 2 and Jen Solvie 1. The amazing Solvies contribute quite a bit.
Ashley Solvie led in rebounds with eight while Hickman had six. Hickman made a three-pointer and led in assists with six. Nicole Solvie was tops in steals with five while Hickman had four and Decker supplied two.
 

I'm still a little active

Yes, I announced on my primary website, "I Love Morris," that I'm in hiatus from this activity while all our stuff is going on. I have been able to shoehorn in a little time for writing, so today I'm sharing a little on one of my favorite subjects: MACA basketball. I'm in Morris right now for a quick visit back, then it'll be back to (Knight country of) Barrett this evening! Good luck to all.

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

Groundhog Day: halftime lead but loss to Melrose

Melrose 56, Tigers 45
So, how did we get to play the Melrose Dutchmen twice in a short timespan? Melrose has been a steamroller type of BBB team this season. Man, how they rack up the wins. They racked up their win No. 22 at the expense of our Morris Area Chokio Alberta Tigers. So they're 22-0! Can anyone stop this I-94 gang?

The MACA Tigers were left with a 10-10 record. The final score: 56-45.
It must have seemed like Groundhog Day - playing the Dutchmen yet again and coming up shy. Oh, but we also led at halftime of both games! In the most recent showdown we were up 27-26 at the halfway mark. The second half was when Melrose revved up their engines. Melrose outscored MACA 30-18 in the second half. 

The game was played on Tuesday, Feb. 14 (yes, Valentine's Day) at Melrose.

Dillon Haider is a primary talent for the Dutchmen this season. He poured in 22 points to lead his team. Brady Birch was the other double figures scorer with 12. Here's the rest of the Melrose scoring cast: Francisco Cervantes (7), Hunter Rieland (6), Traeton Keaveny (6), Damon Van Beck (2) and Justin Middendorf (1). Haider connected four times from three-point range, while Keaveny and Cervantes each made one long-ranger. 

Haider and Birch each had four rebounds. Haider dished out six assists. Cervantes stole the ball three times. 

For the MACA Tigers, Jaret Johnson connected three times from three-point land. Lukus Manska and Jacob Zosel each made one long-ranger. Those Johnson three-pointers elevated him to team-best status in scoring with 16 points. Zosel was second-best with 12 points. Other Tigers who scored: Camden Arndt (8), Tate Nelson (4), Manska (3) and Tim Travis (2). Johnson led in rebounds with five. Zosel was tops in assists with five. Manska and Connor Koebernick each had two steals.

 

Looking at local papers

I'm writing this post at SCMC. A family member is dealing with some health issues and I strive to always be optimistic of course. I took a break earlier today to visit our public library (one of the chief assets of Morris) and there once again I saw how big and thick the Elbow Lake newspaper is, compared to our rather pathetic Morris paper. 

A library staffer told me we shouldn't be surprised, given that the Morris paper became a "chain paper." It is not locally or independently owned. Is it true that Forum Communications didn't even have the balls to tell us who to vote for, for president? They have had no problem advising us in other years. So they decided we could be trusted to make the right decision? I hope we didn't blow it. 

The Morris paper runs large photos with a lot of fluff articles that just take up space. Anyone who says they like the Morris paper, ask them what they've been smoking. At the very least the Morris paper ought to be acquired free of charge. Senior Perspective has far more value and it's free. 

It's totally hypocritical for the Morris paper to advise us in occasional editorials about how we ought to shop in Morris. If it is nothing else, the Morris paper is a vehicle for promoting those big businesses in Alexandria. 

The Elbow Lake area is sparsely populated with towns remindful of Mayberry. Not that that isn't charming. But we don't expect to see a far more vibrant newspaper serving that area. That's what we get, though. Morris needn't shrug off the current state of affairs. A concerted effort to ignore the Morris paper could force that company to depart, whereupon some sort of new venture could get going, on an independent basis to truly serve Stevens County. It's time for us to become proactive.

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

MBA hockey shines on Worthington ice

MBA hockey got an infusion of optimism on February 4 with wins by both the boys and girls over Worthington. The score was the same in both games: 3-0. The MBA skaters made the trip to southern Minnesota.
The boys got their first win of the season by scoring one goal in the second period and two in the third. Our defense with Tony Bruns in goal slammed the door on Worthington. Dylan DeToy achieved our first goal, of the power play kind, at 4:05 of the second period. Shaun Aarhus assisted. DeToy put us up 2-0 with a goal at 2:22 of the third. Then it was Aarhus putting the puck in the net at 8:15, assisted by Kolby Goff.
Bruns racked up 25 saves in goal. His rival was Carter Ponto whose save total was 20.
The Morris Benson Area girls team dominated the second period en route to their win. All three of our goals came in the second, starting with Rachel Berens getting the puck in the net at 2:41. Megan Kirkeide and Nicole Berens assisted. It was Hallie Watzke scoring at 3:09 with an assist from Taryn Picht. We wrapped up our scoring with a Leah Thompson goal at 7:09. Watzke assisted.
Our winning goaltender was Abbey Hoffman with a save total of ten. Bailey Kruse achieved 32 saves as the Worthington goalie.
Coach Abby Daly was quoted in the media: "The girls played a good first and third periods but their second period performance is what took them to the top. They all worked together as a team and got a lot of opportunities in front of the net. They capitalized in the second period but they just couldn't get it in the net during the first and third periods. Overall it was a great day."
 

Girls basketball: Litchfield 59, Tigers 53

Playing on the road was not a piece of cake for the MACA girls at Litchfield, home of the Dragons. Litch entered the night with ten wins and came out with eleven, as they bounded past our Tigers 59-53. The Dragons seized the advantage in the first half when they outscored the orange and black 28-14. We outscored the Dragons 39-31 in the second half.
With the loss we still had a record of just over .500.
Macy Huhner put in 20 points for the green-clad Dragons. Savanna Peter was second-best in scoring with ten points. Kyndra Beavers and Hallie Euerle each put in seven points. The list continues: Brynne Wahl (6), Sydney McCann (4), Laney Huhner (3) and Maddy Shoultz (2). Macy Huhner was dead-on from three-point range three times. These three Dragons each connected once from three-point range: Laney Huhner, Wahl and Euerle.
Wahl and Pater each collected seven rebounds. Wahl and Euerle each performed three assists. Beavers was the top Dragon in steals with three.
Two Tigers stood out on our scoring list: Ashley Solvie with 18 points and Correy Hickman with 14. Hickman made two 3-point shots. Maddie Carrington, Malory Anderson and Riley Decker each made one shot from three-point land. Nicole Solvie scored six points. Carrington and Anderson each scored five. Decker posted three points and Jenna Howden scored two.
 

A suspicious Super Bowl

The 2017 Super Bowl could not have been scripted better. And that's the whole problem. I would never suggest that this showcase would be "scripted." It's not like pro wrestling. But in a sense it may be. My theory is that the embattled NFL absolutely must have a game with some drama. A ton of money is poured into this thing. Money can cause all sorts of lines to be crossed.
So my theory is this: whichever team is leading at any point in the game, adopts a style of defense that might open the door for the trailing team to close the gap. Atlanta's collapse was too sudden and extreme to seem believable. Reality TV shows are scripted, right?
I don't care that much either way. Football is under siege as a sport, deservedly so. The head injury issue should influence all of us to turn away, the sooner the better. We'll never miss this "drug" known as NFL football. Getting along without football will be easier than we now suspect. I have discovered that.
The University of Minnesota has succumbed to the siren song of football's appeal, permitting an obscene amount of financial largesse in its athletic department. How ridiculous. Wake up and smell the roses.

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

Gage Wevley takes 220-pound championship in WCC

MACA had a champion in the West Central Conference wrestling tournament. However, I'm discouraged to note that we had many vacant weight classes. This is a puzzle. The WCC tournament is a big deal, or it was in an earlier time.

I was eager to sift through the results but was mystified at seeing the word "open" next to so many weights. Was this a case of some Tigers needing to stay below a certain number of bouts for the season? Maybe it is, but the average fan might not be aware of this background. It's a reason why the sport of wrestling can alienate some fans. You pay to see a match and then find there are "forfeits."
I went out of my way to give recognition to wrestling in my commercial media career. It's nice to see when the sport puts its best foot forward.. Anyway, our champion in the 2017 WCC tourney was Gage Wevley at 220 pounds. Jared Rohloff took second in the 138-pound class. Brady Cardwell had the runner-up distinction at 152 pounds.
Chase Metzger carved out a third place showing at 145. Bain Laine was the third place achiever at 195. Matt McNeill took fourth at 170 pounds. The fifth place achievers were Ben Travis at 120 pounds and Dakota Luepke at 160.
Here are the weight classes where we saw the word "open": 106, 113, 126, 132, 182 and 285. When a team vacates so many spots, it takes some luster from the event. Anyway, congrats to the Tigers who had good showings.
 

Girls basketball: Wheaton-H-N 66, Tigers 43

It looks a little like the good old days being replayed today for Wheaton girls basketball. Those good old days had the Warriors thrilling massive fan turnouts at the UMM P.E. Center. The Warriors climbed high in front of their fans dressed in generous red color.
Today the Warriors are undefeated. They defeated our quality MACA girls team by a margin of 23 points. MACA was down by six at halftime, 29-23. WHN surged to outscore the orange and black 37-20 in the second half. The final score was 66-43. WHN achieved its 18th win against no losses. The Tigers were left with a 9-7 record.
Correy Hickman made two 3-point shots for MACA. Maddie Carrington made one. Jenna Howden led in rebounds with six. Hickman was the top assist producer with five; Ashley Solvie was our top scorer with 13 points. The list continues as follows: Hickman (8), Carrington (7), Malory Anderson (6), Nicole Solvie (4), Howden (3) and Riley Decker (2).
 

Boys hoops: ACGC 72, Togers 52

It was a grim night for the MACA boys basketball team vs. Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. The Falcons took off in the first half with a 35-22 scoring advantage. They cruised in the second half with a seven-point edge, 37-30, so the final score was 72-52.
Three Falcons led in scoring with their double-digit totals: Gabe Eisenbacher (18), Erik Belgum (17) and Adam Johnson (13). Michael Dallmann put in eight points. The rest of the list: Payton Kinzler (5), Elliot Gratz (3), Calvin VanDerPol (3), Brendan Hedtke (2), Kobe Holtz (2) and Jaren Kaddatz (1). Three Falcons each made one three-pointer: Belgum, Kinzler and Dallman. Belgum led in rebounds with ten followed by Johnson with nine. Dallmann and Eisenbacher each had five assists. Belgum stole the ball three times.
 

Girls: BOLD 62, Tigers 59

MACA kept pace with the BOLD Warriors but got edged in the 62-59 final. BOLD scored 31 points in each of the halves. We trailed by one at halftime, 31-30.
Three Tigers each made a three-point shot: Maddie Carrington, Malory Anderson and Correy Hickman. Hickman was a proficient scorer with her 17 points. Two other Tigers scored in double figures: Ashley Solvie (12) and Nicole Solvie (10). The list continues: Carrington (9), Anderson (7), Riley Decker (2) and Jenna Howden (2). Hickman was a dynamic contributor with her eight rebounds, four assists and seven steals, all team-leading figures.

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