Tigers take it up to eleven vs. New London-Spicer

Here we are in the heart of basketball mania season. My, how we can get consumed by this for several weeks! It doesn't take such a big toll on me because I do not attend many games. Give me credit, please, for attending some of the UMM Cougar games. Unfortunately these teams had no post-season run. 

I will be redundant here and say I wish our UMM teams could play Northern Sun again. A lot of us are probably forgetting about those days. It got unpleasant toward the end as we could not be competitive. We took our pill of falling down to the UMAC. I resisted showing interest for years and then I finally capitulated. 

I found it quite enjoyable attending the games although I walked away from the last one - the men's playoff game - because the ticket price for seniors had doubled. Well, isn't that the way everything is going these days? When will we start acting like we are getting fed up with it? The new war with Iran is only going to increase the cost of living more. 

God is going to punish the U.S. for what it is doing. And I think of all the Trump supporters filling the pews of certain local churches, a majority of them really. The ones who are not in line with that are fading fast like our local First Lutheran and Federated churches. Sad to see but it's reality. 

There are parts of the New Testament that the "conservative" pastors do not quote from. If they do, the hardened MAGA types will stand up and walk out immediately. There were times when Jesus Christ could sound like Bernie Sanders. I can just hear Trump insulting Sanders with his usual language. Find a personal angle and rub it in: that's what Trump does. I personally think we should all just start laughing at him. 

I don't go to any church now - it is counterproductive. But I do pay attention to basketball. Basketball ought to be considered America's prime sport. So many advantages: highly entertaining to watch, all played indoors away from the vagaries of weather, and less injury risk compared to other sports (certainly football). 

 

Expected outcome 

So right now early in March it is prime hoops season and we are appropriately mesmerized. I opened my laptop early this morning fully expecting to learn that the MACA boys had dismantled, dismembered as it were, New London-Spicer in 3AA play. Well of course that's what happened! 

I looked immediately to an online source that I figured would tell me something about the game. Any suggestions? I knew the West Central Tribune website could fill in some blanks. But the WC Trib is not prepared, yet, to start getting quotes from our coach Torgerson. I thought they would have turned the page by now. But no. We are still being treated as second-class by this newspaper. 

The article this morning does quote the NL-Spicer coach. No quotes from our coach Torgerson, despite the fact Torgerson's team virtually walloped the Wildcats of NL-Spicer. 69-37. Wow, look at that margin of victory! 

There is one sign of progress from the Willmar newspaper. For this game, for the first time all season I believe, it has the thorough stat summary for MACA in the boxscore. Up to now we've seen one of two things: "stats not available" for MACA, or just the individual scoring totals and 3-point shooting. Our opponents get the thorough treatment. 

How good do we have to be to get the WC Trib's attention? In the old days the paper was pretty nice to us. And then, thud! Meanwhile our own Morris newspaper went from publishing twice a week to once. And Brett Miller left the radio station.

 

Tigers 69, NL-Spicer 37

Fans made the trip to Willmar for this 3AA-North playoff game. Obviously the Tigers were seeded No. 1. We have yet to lose all season. The Wildcats of NL-Spicer were in the No. 4 position. Not much chance for a close ballgame. 

We're now in the 3AA-North finals. And we'll face Minnewaska Area next. 'Waska has the No. 3 seed. We might moan as we realize we now have to make the fairly long trip to Marshall. So we'll play the Lakers at SSU's R/A Facility on Saturday at 2:30. At least the game is not at night. I get concerned about fans having to make the long drive home late at night. 

I remember the days when many games at this level were played here in Morris at the P.E. Center. Fading memories I guess. 

The West Central Tribune article this morning quotes NL-S coach Jeff Paffrath. He makes the rather bizarre comment: "This game didn't show it, but Morris/CA is obviously very good." Holy mackerel, guy, your team lost by 32 points. And the paper can't get a quote out of coach Torgerson? 

The WC Trib also quotes Wildcat player Griffin Thompson. 

The game began with Wildcat Zachary Lageson making a 3-pointer. Then the hammer came down on the Wildcats. MACA went on a 14-point run! OK so we see Alex Asmus finishing the game with 19 points. Riley Asmus put in 13 and Jack Kehoe 12. Here's the others: Tyson Grove 8, Ben Tiernan 6, Tanner Friesen 4, Jonah Huebner 4 and Bryce Hardy 3. 

Five different Tigers made 3-point shots led by Alex Asmus with three. Grove and Tiernan each made two while Riley Asmus and Kehoe each made one. Kehoe was tops in rebounds with seven. Riley Asmus contributed two assists. He also stole the ball five times. Kehoe and Huebner each blocked a shot. 

So thanks to the WC Trib, I guess, for having all stat categories included, probably for the first time all season. Winning brings attention I guess. I think Schweiter Chevrolet would like to see Morris getting a little more attention there.

 

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