[Tuesday night v. the Rocori Spartans.  The Super and I arrived in time to catch most of the JV game as well . . . always looking to see into the future!  The above photo I think is destined to be the template for both the JV and varsity teams.  It’s like hockey, changing shifts on the fly, run until you’re tired and we’ll substitute fresh bodies.  Here we have Lauren Stockmoe (33), junior; Sarah Frederick (5), junior; Maggie Slagle (15), junior; Taylor Partington (45), sophomore; and Kelby Olson-Rodel (13), junior.  There are only two seniors on the combined varsity and JV teams.]

[Go JV!!]

[Kaye Paschke (5), freshman, I remembered as a forward on the soccer team.  If I had been as fast as she is when I was in high school, I “coulda been a contender.”]

[Lauren inbounds while Courtney Gould (41), sophomore (remember her older sister Amanda?), sets a screen.]

[Good form on the free throw by Emily Aker (31), sophomore.  Always look to see how the younger players shoot free throws because so many games are decided by that at the varsity level.]

[Maggie streaks up court in accordance with team policy.]

[Here comes Kelby (remember her older sister Jaylen?), one of the whippets, i.e., those who when the get a defensive rebound or a steal turn and race up court as fast as they can.]

[Lauren]

[I believe it’s Lindsey Knoll (25), sophomore.]

[The team executed the passing game to perfection, routinely hitting the cutter down the middle for lay-ups.]

[This is called a roster.]

[Elise Stockmoe (41), junior, (in warm-ups, followed by other random shots . . . ]

[Kara Thomson (23), junior, leads Kiyana Miller (21), junior . . . ]

[Emma Schmidt (25), sophomore]

[See the last photo.]

[Kayla Feldhake (43), junior, with the lefty lay-up; Macy Hatlestad (11), junior in the foreground readies a 3; and “Schmidty” on the right.]

[Emma Ziegler (1), junior, receives a pass – will be “Zig” to not confuse the two Emmas.]

[Schmidty dribbles out and turns to shoot.]

[Team captains are Macy, Kayla, and Kendall Kohler (3), senior.  After meeting with the refs, they return to the bench with information about what to do about any Kim Kardashian sightings.]

[Team intros, most of which didn’t pan out because of excessive telephotoness, Kiyana greeted by Kara.]

[See, ref, over there.  Isn’t that Kim Kardashian?]

[As the game begins, “The Voice” (upper left) checks on the status of three Cardinal road games taking place simultaneously.]

[Schmidty races up court.  Waiting for a report about the left knee brace from dad.]

[My guess is that the action is taking place at the north end of the gym; proud grandparents Marlene and Richie are in the 2nd row, hoping that all the senior golfers who don’t snowbird remember our dinner at Arrowwood on Friday night!]

[Kiyana at the line . . . ]

[Followed by Macy.  I’ve discovered that it’s easier to get good photos when they’re not moving around so fast.]

[Kiyana and Kendall check with the boss . . .]

[While Macy finishes up.  There was some concern about shooting after the season opening loss at Detroit Lakes (a surprise even for the Lakers) where the team only made 50% of their free throws and were 0 – 14 on 3’s. This game started the same way where our first half shooting percentage had to be . . . well, not good.  Even the old tried-and-trues, Macy and Kendall, were missing wide open 3’s, sometimes badly.  I was wondering if Macy was still making adjustments coming back from her ACL.  So, things were looking up again when she, normally an 80% foul shooter, canned these two.]

[Kayla, top, and . . . Zig?]

[Zig finishes a break as the first half comes to a close.]

[The score was “only” this close because we didn’t shoot well . . . but the defense never rests.]

[Kayla, about whom I said at the end of last year, so much depends on her now because all our bigs graduated.  We may not be tall, but we’re not short either.  That probably requires further explanation.  Kayla will be facing taller centers all year, but she is a good athlete.  And during the game I noted to a gentleman who knows a little bit about endurance and conditioning, Mr. Hasz, that Kayla was the last of the starters to come out for a blow despite the up-tempo pace of the game.  We’re “not short” at the guard and wing positions where our length at 5’8″ and 5’9″ will create a lot of turnovers.]

[Zig is one of our lengthies here applying pressure at the point of the press.]

[Macy delivers a pass to Kendall; Kendall reciprocates.]

[Zig spreading to cover the passing lanes.]

[In the 2nd half, Macy and her teammates starting finding their strokes, and the shots, and finally their 3’s, started dropping.]

[Schmidty at the charity stripe . . .]

[Take off the press?]

[Another good sign when Kendall, also normally an 80% foul shooter, touched nothing but twine on both shots.  Which she also did later from her usual 3 distance, about 5 feet beyond the line.]

[I believe Lauren . . . apologies if I have the Stockmoe sisters mixed up.]

[McKenzie Duwenhoegger (35), freshman, and a close personal relative of the high school principal.]

[Sarah Frederick (5), junior (and from the warm-up photos)]

[You weren’t really nervous about the final score, were you?]

Fans never fall asleep at our games, because they’re afraid they might get hit by a pass.  ~  George Raveling

Up next:  There must be more games?