MACA football has first 2023 setback

The image you see above is one of four that were taken of 1973 Morris High School alums last Saturday night. Thanks to those who made the reunion a success. I share this photo because I'm in it. If you don't know me, and fewer people do over time, I'm at left in the seated row. I have been losing some weight due to the medication I take for diabetes. Specifically I have to adjust my diet in order to be sensitive to side effects. Losing some weight always brings some satisfaction, right? Many people work hard to do it. It can make you a little manic. You'll feel giddy about getting out an old pair of pants that you haven't been able to wear. Fairly soon though you'll sense some of your old cravings. So you might say that losing weight is a matter of negotiating each new plateau. Hope I've stabilized at my current weight for a while. I have a renewed appreciation of fruits and vegetables, that's for sure. I have had to abandon my old "ritual" of having a grilled cheese sandwich and classic chocolate shake (in the metal cup) at Don's on Friday night. The ritual of occasionally dining at Stone's Throw is gone also, assuredly because the place has closed its doors! Too bad. Life goes on. Attending one's 50-year class reunion is a joy largely because you can feel good about simply being alive. I made only a brief appearance for my 40-year reunion ten years ago, because of feeling concern that so many people would come up to me and say "Hi Brian, you still with the paper?" It was foolish of me to think that way of course. We lose our defensiveness as we get older.

 

DGF 42, Tigers 7

So Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton is known as the "Rebels." I find that a little odd because one's first thought might be of the U.S. Civil War. I'm sure this is not the context they are encouraging. The mascot symbol sort of looks like a pirate. But pirates and rebels are not the same. School mascots and logos can indeed become dicey. The safest course is what our Morris teams have done. Call it the "default" choice: "big cats," Tigers and Cougars! 

If you've been to the Morris newspaper website, you might think that "Cougars" are the only teams here. I'm starting to feel offended by that. It is totally redundant and unnecessary for the newspaper and radio station sites to have links that refer to UMM sports, and that is because UMM's own site does this job 100 percent. Hard to figure people sometimes. 

The Morris paper management pushes everyone to "buy" the legacy (outdated) paper product. Inflation bothering you these days? Don's Cafe has raised prices again. Well I'm keeping my eye on it. 

The Friday night game at DGF certainly did not go well for our Tigers. We entered the action undefeated at 3-0. We finally got humbled on Friday. This was to the tune of a 42-7 loss. Sigh. 

DGF erupted in the first quarter to take control: 21 points scored. They followed that up with 14 in the second. My, the score was 35-7 at halftime. A long drive back for the Motown fans. I'm always concerned about so many fans making a long drive home late at night. But that's the way it is. When we get close to 70 years old like I am, you try to avoid nighttime commitments. Although I wouldn't mind to get my chocolate shake again! 

The Tigers' first TD was plenty exciting - it was a 61-yard pass, Drew Huebner to Ryan Asmus. The extra point was added by Riley Saito. But the host team played with a dominating flair. The Rebels scored first on the night on what must have been a thriller: a kickoff return that went into the books as 100 yards! The player carrying the pigskin was Brody Friend. 

The second Rebel score was by Casey Macziewski on an 8-yard run. DGF finished its first quarter work with a two-yard scoring carry by Caleb Johnson. All three of DGF's first quarter touchdowns were followed by a successful extra point kick by Hayden Hauf. First quarter done, score of 21-7. 

The Rebels pulled away more in the second quarter. First it was Kade Swenson breaking loose on an 82-yard run for six. Then the Rebels struck with the pass: Caleb Johnson to Nicholas Waale, 33 yards. Hauf's toe was true for the conversion point on both second quarter scores. 

DGF scored the only touchdown of the third quarter: Bodey Devries broke loose on a 33-yard scoring scamper. Hauf went out for the kick and you guessed it: he nailed it. The fourth quarter was scoreless. Hope everyone was well awake for the drive home. 

 

Game numbers

The MACA rushing stats were quite limited. We see Owen Anderson with seven carries for 21 yards. Grayson Gibson and Huebner rushed for 15 and 12 respectively. 

The DGF pass defense was pretty good. Our QB Huebner put up 33 attempts and completed 14 for 200 yards. He had two passes picked off. Jonah Huebner was 2-for-2 passing, 25 yards. Riley Asmus and Tyler Friesen each had four pass receptions. Andrew Marty had three and Anderson two. Our punter was Jack Kehoe. Riley Saito handled our kickoffs. 

The offensive standout for the host team was Bodey Devries with his monster rushing total of 259 yards on 17 carries. What a night for that young man. 

I wish to thank the coaching staffs of the two programs for posting game data on the "MN Football Hub" website. Very much appreciated by everyone, not just other media. Let's make it a habit, guys. 

 

Plenty full background

You see my school reunion photo at top of this page. I'll remind you that I was covering Morris High School football for the Morris newspaper way back in 1972, the fall of my senior year. Show me anyone else with a more extensive background in covering Morris sports. And for close to 30 years I covered anything and everything in Stevens County. 

Today I have slowed down. Now the countdown begins for the 60-year reunion of the Morris High School Class of 1973! Our class motto was "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." You should know that in 1973, there was an expectation to be unconventional in such things. The opposite of today, really. 

We went against the grain largely because of the need most of us felt to be against the Vietnam war. Today's boys know nothing of what it was like to fear the draft and to be sent over to that hellhole: 58,000 direct fatalities. And we lost the war. Does anyone even care we lost? Look up the scenes from the 1975 "Fall of Saigon." They're on YouTube. You should understand why a lot of us were skeptical about the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

 

Addendum: In the photo you see at top of post, I'm seated next to Sue Dahl-Mohr. So she's second from left in seated row. A few years back she shared an assessment of yours truly that has stuck in my head. We were talking about how I had never been married. And Sue said "Brian, I think you're the kind of person who likes to have his own time and his own money."

 

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