They're off and running in prep hoops for the 2023-24 season. I believe this is the first time I have typed "24." The years march onward, waiting for no one.
A win over New London-Spicer always feels good, don't it? So the Tigers of MACA took care of business in a suspenseful game at New London. The game was not so suspenseful at halftime. The Tigers in fact showed command through the first half, assuming a 36-24 lead for the halfway mark. The West Central Tribune noted an uptick in intensity by the host Wildcats in the second half.
So the home team mounted a challenge. The Tigers hung on. So when the two halves were completed, MACA was the victor 68-66. We're 1-0.
The Tigers survived the talents of Wildcat Grant Paffrath. This Wildcat had a lot to do with his team's second half surging. He would finish with a game-high 31 points. The Wildcats had to adjust to the absence of senior Mason Delzer. Delzer is not finished with his football commitments, as he'll be in the All-Star Game Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.
Senior Gavin Radabaugh stepped it up to try to replace Delzer in the attack. He responded with 15 points. He's a senior guard. He supplied an assist and a steal too. NL-Spicer got solid play from center Will Danielson who stands six feet-eight. He scored eleven points and collected nine boards.
Hanson a key Tiger
On to the Tigers' highlights. Here we see Charlie Hanson as a player to keep an eye on. He could humble you as a golf partner, that's for sure. And on the basketball court he's now showing the same kind of prowess. He was key to the winning outcome with 25 points. He's a six foot guard.
Key as he was, the Tigers were blessed by a balanced scoring effort. So we see Jack Kehoe with 14 points, Drew Huebner with 12 and Riley Asmus with ten. Some familiar names from football, yes. Huebner and Asmus could be a dead-on combo on the gridiron. The action is indoors now, set for the long winter, hopefully with milder weather than last year? Maybe?
The Wildcats outscored the Tigers 42-32 in the second half. Fortunately the Tigers excelled well enough in the first.
Owen Anderson scored four points and Tyler Friesen three. Hanson built his team-best total with some sharp shooting from three-point distance. He made four shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Friesen had our other three-pointer. Huebner with his nine rebounds led that department. Kehoe, Hanson and Friesen each had an assist. And in steals it was Huebner, Asmus and Anderson each with one.
For naught
The Wildcats could feel good about their comeback but it ended up just shy of victory. Instead the Tigers could feel the satisfaction of victory. Congrats to the orange and black. We're just getting started for the winter of 2023-24. There I go typing "24" again.
I am a broken record as I seek to correct the West Central Trib on how it refers to our sports programs. They always say "Morris/Chokio-Alberta" when it's supposed to be "Morris Area Chokio Alberta" or "MACA." There is a right way and a wrong way to do things, as the Forum-owned Willmar paper ought to realize. The Forum once owned the Morris paper. Then they got out of town. And then their Willmar paper dropped us from their official coverage area.
Fortunately the Thursday game got covered pretty well. I wonder if the NL-Spicer coach supplied the MACA stats. It is now very rare to see MACA game stats on the Willmar paper website.
I invite you to compare my coverage of this game to what you see on the Morris newspaper website. Also, the kmrs-kkok website.
MACA girls struggling
The MACA girls fell to 0-2 on Thursday with their 41-29 loss to Sauk Centre here in Motown. Very lackluster start for the girls team.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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