alexandriacardinals

[Honestly, that was the score when I walked in at halftime of the JV game on Thursday.  Against St. Cloud Tech, no less?  But more on this as we merrily go along.]

So, did you miss us?  Not my fault.  The supervisor awakened one morning with the post-holiday blahs and made a management decision.  We were going on a road trip.  Now she and I are very much alike in that we both would rather be too cold than too hot.  In that vein, she decided a trip to Boston, in January, sounded absolutely peachy!  Arrangements were made, and we have gone and returned.  I know everybody is eagerly awaiting the full details of our adventure . . . particularly the competition – Conde’ Nast, Rick Steves, and AAA!  But that story will be for another day.  We have Cardinal stories to report!

We missed two key hockey games in our absence.  But the team continued their great play in new year – they are now 10 – 1 in 2013.  They beat Bemidji 4 – 2 on senior night – a game fortunately well-covered by staff and will be reported upon anon – in game the Super Fans reported to be quite super; and they also beat a big time Fargo South team, 3 – 1.

We return you now to the Tech basketball game . . .

[There was no sign of life on the court when I arrived.  I thought maybe the game had been called because of a slaughter rule or something?  Eventually the two teams meandered back on to the court.  I’m going to assume the Cards applied great and continuous pressure in the 1st half to build such a commanding lead.  The 2nd half was better balanced with all the Baby Birds getting plenty of playing time.  Here we have three of the players responsible for the big lead – Jaylen Olson-Rodel (25), junior; Alyssa Freiderich (31), junior; and Kendall Kohler (45), 8th grade.]

[Macy Hatlestad (11), 8th grade, walks the ball upcourt.  The Tech coach is in the foreground undoubtedly wondering who is this wunderkind?]

[The 9th grade game is on the far court.  The Cards had a double digit lead most of that game and hung on to win by 5 (I believe).]

[Likely to be at the top of the 1-3-1 for years to come – Macy, Kendall, and on the far side, Gretchen Revering (3), sophomore.]

[Under the category of “things I’ve learned so far,” Ms. Kohler has a scorer’s mentality.  Here she goes in for a nice lefty lay-up.  As I recall, she had 14 points in the 1st half.]

[And she heads back on defense before the ball clears to net – because her mom requires such!  😉 ]

[Ms. Revering attempts a free one.  That appears to be Carli Dropik (5), sophomore, on the left lane – she was impressive in this game with her ability to get out and go.]

[On this play, the Tigers doubled their 1st half score.]

[Jaylen, Heather Johnson (15), sophomore, and Natalie Amundson (13), sophomore, on defense.]

[Jaylen gets significant playing time with the varsity as well.  I don’t know why I hadn’t really noticed until the varsity game this night (old-age dysfunction?) that Jaylen has some serious hops!  Mark Nelsen, the cross-country coach, was sitting nearby, and I asked if Jaylen was a high jumper on the track team.  Nope, said he, but she is a hurdler.]

[The 9th-grade game complete, I switched sides when the southside stands were wheeled out.  Hope you didn’t get vertigo or anything?]

[Anna Lee (33), sophomore, launches a baseline jumper.]

[Did it go in?]

[JV game over.]

[El!  No, not the Chicago transit system; The Pasty King!]

[Varsity warm-up.]

[Pre-game coach’s visit.  A shout-out to Kohler for her Breaking Barriers award from the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership.  She was selected to the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003, has led the Cards 7 state tournament appearances including the championship in 1997, and has over 450 vistories in 27 years of coaching (really? impossible!).  🙂 ]

[Kohler’s attention-getting whistle at Williams Arena during the 2011 state tournament.  Echo Press photo.]

[Introducing Amanda C (5) who plays pattycake with Sarah Bruzek.  Sarah was in civvies and we noticed later she was wearing a soft cast on her right foot.  Now I always have to notice what’s going on in the background because of Kendall (45) – here sticking her tongue out!  😉 ]

[Karly Betterman (21)]

[Jess Syvrud (23)]

[Kalli Bowser (35).  I somehow missed Dani Strater (13) – probably picking my nose?]

A video of the game’s opening minutes – a tad sloppy as the beginning of games have tended to be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf_YByGpKj8

You will note as the players align for the opening tip that the Cardinals are player-for-player a full head smaller than their Tiger counterparks.  This once again brings into question the general wee-ness of our athletes.  I have a new theory.  We are on the edge of the prairie – the supervisor will tell you she had no idea Alexandria was so windy!  Thus, an evolutionary adaptation was to produce smaller people to avoid a “sail effect” when buffetted by the wind.  As you move even farther west, to Fergus or Moorhead, for example, the wind is such a factor that the only recourse was to grow larger, heavier people to help keep them grounded during the daily gales.  Similarly, St. Cloud is far enough “inland” that the wind is less of a factor and people can grow to sizes large enough that, like me, they are constantly banging their heads on low-lying impediments.  Well, that’s my theory and I’m sticking with it!

In any event, looking at the match-ups it appeared our Cards were going to be overmatched.  The Tigers were much bigger and appeared to be good athletes.  Plus, they were undefeated in the conference.  So, of course, Karly Betterman, all 5’5″ inches of her, went out and totally dominated the 1st half all by herself with her constant gnat-like defense and by scoring 16 points, which I believe is probably more than she has ever scored in an entire game – and the Cards went on to a 20-point victory.  It’s why they play the game.

[Amanda C and Emily Thul (3) play alley-oop over a Tiger.]

[No. 23 for the Tigers, Kaila Burroughs, is an all-stater.]

[Amanda C looks to take it to the hole . . .]

[Draws contact . . .]

[And gets to the free throw line.]

[The last time I did the full Kohler squat in the living room, both knee caps flew off and took out two lamps and a curio.]

[Emily and Jaylen play DEE-FENSE!]

[Karly being Karly.]

[Karly and Dani hound the Tigers.]

[RUN!]

[Jess contests a Tiger.]

[Dani’s a blur as Karly brings it up.]

[Back, back!]

[A giant heart.  They beat the crap (can you say “crap” in a family publication?) out of her (and Amanda C) all game, but she kept comin’ after ’em.  Here you can see the wadding in her left nostril after she had to go out for repairs to a nose bleed.]

[We did something good!]

[Amanda C, above, and Karly, below, get freebies.]

[Jaylen and Emily – Emily hit several base line jumpers in the 2nd half to help us pull away.]

[Karly and Emily chase after the pumpkin.]

[Karly finishing off a great 1st half getting 2/3’s of the team’s total points.]

[A point guard’s mom remains a forever fan!  🙂 ]

[The staff photographer on the job while mom’s of recent alums converse.]

[The band.]

[Oh, you figured that out all by yourself.]

[The parents of recent alums . . . and one of those alums.]

[Dani with a freebie.]

[After leading the JV to victory, Macy gets some big varsity minutes.]

[The loneliness of the point guard.]

[Kalli lowered the arc of her ball flight and had a nice night at the line.]

[All by myself . . . again.]

[Jess plays the passing lane . . . and below.]

[The haze on the lower right is from a mass of gray, white, or blond hair in the line of fire.]

[Doesn’t anyone want to play with me?]

[Oh, Emily will.]

[Bring it on home, ladies!]

[R-E-B-O-U-N-D!]

[Jess looks good.]

[Kalli receiving congrats.]

[Whadya think, Culver’s or Taco John’s?]

[The above and below are presented for Kendall’s facial effects . . .]

[Kendall gets PT!  😉 ]

[Looking for some action.]

[And here she comes.  At one point Kendall chased after a ball between two large Tigers.  She was pancaked like a piece of lefse during rush hour on Syttende Mai.  But with her 8th-grade body, she popped right up and after retrieving a shoe from the 5th row, continued the fray.]

[No problemo!]

[These two will be fun to watch over the next four years.]

[Along with Ms. Dropik . . .]

[Who appears to have the get out and go attitude.]

A few photos this week from the on-site camera of the new high school construction:

And, lest you missed it, a 10-foot tall ice heave on Lake Carlos:

[Echo Press photo.]

We are enjoying Boston’s coldest weather since 2009 . . . B.C.!  Fortunately, this will not be a forever condition.  On the day we’re scheduled to leave for our next venue, it will be over 50 degrees here – stuff happens!

Congrats to our hockey team  . . . and to its seniors, l-r:  Becca, Sara, Shanee’, Madi, Shelby, and Anna.  [Photo contributed by M. Herd.]  We understand we had blog coverage for senior night – and are anticipating their reports.  We will be home in time for sections!  🙂

Will have lots to report from our adventure – I’m sure you’re waiting with great anticipation?  More anon.

[p.s.  Speaking of hockey, if there’s anyplace in the US that rivals Minnesota as a hockey hotbed, it’s Boston.  This morning we were driving through the McIntire District in Salem, Massachusetts, where we came upon a street hockey game.  It may be surprisingly snowless here (Boston usually gets more snow annually than Minnesota), but there was a sub-zero windchill.  And these weren’t kids!  This is Chestnut Street where the homes built in the 1800’s go for a $million and up.  So the hockey players were young professionals – probably working in Boston’s financial district.  😉 ]

[A gift from the band, hewn, according to Lynn Trelstad, from a rare, for North Dakota, birch tree, as I understood him?  There are 6 commas in that sentence – well beyond the bounds of responsible journalism!]

[Friday night was the girls’ hockey annual burger and chili feed fundraiser at the Eagles’.  In the past, it has generally been famous for how many things the supervisor buys at the silent auction.  Forward Melissa Drown, in the orange t-shirt, oversees her mom, Denise, and Sara Illies (Becca’s mom) manning (momming?) the ticket sales table.]

[The varsity mans (?) the serving line.  I’m not completely sure, but from l-r it looks like Anna Carlsen, Shanee’ Herd, Taylor Ellingson, ? , McKenzie Revering, and Shelby Iverson.  And the customer on the far left side is Pat Perkins, a/k/a, Hanah Hansen’s great grandma and John Hawkes’ mom.]

[The silent auction tables . . . ]

[Can you spot the supervisor among the bidders?]

[We had to leave the hockey fundraiser before it was over – and before the supervisor could learn whether she’d garnered any booty – because the girls’ basketball team was hosting Fergus Falls, a conference rival and the state’s No. 1-ranked class AAA team.  Kohler visits with the Otter coach above.]

[“The Voices” doing their pre-broadcast preparations.  The game went as expected – the Otters proved to be too good and way too big in a 55-39 game.  From a positive standpoint for the Cardinals, they managed to play the Otters evenly in the 2nd half.]

[The color guy is beside himself with excitement.  😉 ]

[“The competition” has access to shooting positions beyond the scope of those available to the cub reporter.]

[“Baby Bruiser” (15) warms the ole shooting wing . . . ]

[As does Jaylen (I believe?).]

[The family Cunniff and Cardinal sports go together like a horse and carriage.]

[Currently well-known as Coaches Hatlestad and Kohler, respectively; will ultimately become better known as the mothers of Macy and Kendall!  😉 ]

[Amanda C warms, above and below.]

[Amanda G warms, above and below.]

[Here’s an oddity for you.  Two guards in the opening center jump – the Otters’ Brianna Rasmussen, 5’11” (I believe) and the Cards’  Amanda C, 5’10.”   They also go at each other in volleyball.]

[Rasmussen is likely the best player in the conference – and certainly among the best in the state.  A 5’11” point guard with 3-point shooting range, I think she’s a D-1 prospect.  Volleyball fans thinks she’s trending their way.  😉 ]

[Karly went toe-to-toe with Rasmussen the whole game, despite giving up 6″ according to the program – looked like 10″ when they were on the court together.  Karly often came out of the trees underneath with rebounds!  🙂 ]

[The Fergus center was listed at 6’2″ – but she had more than an inch on the 6’1″ Kalli?  They also had a big 6’1″ forward.  We were giving up a lot in size and strength, player by player.]

[Nevertheless, Karly kept leading the charge of the light brigade.]

[I dunno, Dave.  How do you teach height?]

[I believe the consensus is that it’s too cold for the DQ tonight.]

[The referee is allegedly the offspring of a member of the Fat Boys Walking Club!]

[These proved to be a problem . . . ]

[We had a good strategy of getting the ball inside to Kalli – she would either score or get their “bigs” in foul trouble.  And it worked, to a degree.  I think Kalli had 16 points – and “The Voices” chose her as player-of-the-game – but she had a tough time at the free throw line.  She may have pitched a shutout there.  The Fergus fans around us noted that the Cards would have made a game of it if they could make free throws.]

[Even ole automatic wasn’t perfect.]

[We’ll wrap up this puppy with a free throw that appears to have gone in.  I don’t think Fergus is as good as they were last year (I thought they had a great chance to be state champs), but they are the team to beat in the section.]

Saturday was Hockey Day Minnesota – continuous coverage of games, beginning at 10:00 A.M., always includes three high school games that every year are played outside, on lakes, like the good ole days.  The high school games this year were played on Pokegama Lake in Grand Rapids, in blizzard-like conditions (note the photo below “on loan” from Sunday’s Minneapolis StarTribune (1-20-12)!)  😉

We spent four hours at the winery Saturday afternoon “warming up” for the girls’ hockey game that night.  [Editor’s note:  Unfortunately, it was also the day that Stan Musial, my first ever sports hero, died.  😦 ]  Tucker’d Out from Fargo was the music talent.  They generally only make annual appearances here, during The Grape Stomp – so it was a nice mid-winter treat.

In the YouTube video (below), John Trelstad introduces, then performs, their only original song (“so far”) about the Fargo-Moorhead flood of ’09.  This is a neighborhood story – and you’ll recall for weeks the national news highlighted the cities’ battles against the rising water.  We love the song – it’s on their Lucky Break CD:

“The Flood of ’09”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YwK0ytiAzg

And there are six other videos scattered among the photos!

When we visited between sets, John asked what we did.  I said I used to work for the Department of Labor.  He asked, “For Robert Reich?”  “Yes, and our championship softball team had a photo op with him.”  🙂

[In my late 40’s, the svelte, athletic, haired guy 2nd from the right.]

[And shaking the Secretary’s hand.]

[Ryan Haug, John Trelstad, and Lynn Trelstad are Tucker’d Out.]

“Galway Girl”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okDa2mMoHaM

“The Dancer”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaT3QwuCrdU

“One Drop of Rain”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_pzys5B_bw

[Annie O’Flynn joined the boys for a couple of songs at the end.  🙂 ]

“The Ace”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz4mbBCCWOA

“The Cape”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPoJBqJNpk4

“Galway Girl” w/ Annie:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vs-Ra8U3rE

[Then it was on to the RCC where the girls’ hockey team was playing another one of those consortiums – this time North Wright County, which was drawing from a population base larger than the Rock Island-Bettendorf-Davenport-Moline-East Moline Metroplex!  The game was closer than the scoreboard indicates, which will be explained as we go along.]

[Didn’t we just see him?]

[And the guy he works with (who hammed it up for the camera)?  I have to advise the crowd size was down because of weather issues – only 3 Super Fans – so Dave could easily spot me across the rink.]

[Moving on to the prep work.  How many cities make up this team?]

[Hockey dads behind glass.]

[Opening face-off against the River Hawks.  River Hawks?  Well, they have to come up with nicknames for these consortiums.  But seriously, North Wright County is running away in their conference, is highly ranked, and some believe may be a favorite for the class AA state championship.  I’d say player-for-player, we were giving up 2-3″ and 15 pounds.  We gotta feed our kids more Quarter-ton Blizzards!]

[After an initial early flurry by the Cards, the River Hawks broke out on a 2-on-1.  Both the players were 7-feet tall and were fast.  The puck carrier took it deep, made a nice pass to the other wing, who effortlessly put it in upper corner.  An easy goal in the the first minute.  We thought, “Uh-oh!”]

[But then the Cards got a power play . . . ]

[And Shelby one-timed a nice diagonal pass from Anna to tie the game!  🙂 ]

[Unfortunately, that would be our only hugging in the game.]

[Madi (12) tries for a break off the next face-off with Mel (6).  During the game, Mel hit a goal post – twice!  They didn’t go in.  The River Hawks hit a goal post twice during the game – both of theirs went in?  What a difference there would have been in the game if that had been reversed.]

[Becca (37) and Anna (31) close in.]

[Anna, Shelby, and Becca in the River Hawks zone.  We had chances.]

[Madi (12), above and below.]

[Madi and Shelby defending our zone.]

[Mel]

[We’re trying to get something going here.]

[Go Cards!  There’s not a River Hawk in sight!]

[And you’re still all alone?]

[Taylor in a face-off against a . . . catcher?]

[We’re close again.]

[Their goalie obviously did a good job.  With about five minutes left in the game, the shots-on-goal were 22-18, though the score was 6-1.  We have to give them credit – whenever they had a scoring chance, they buried it.  I thought we had tired legs the whole game – it was our 3rd game of the week, with Thursday’s being against the conference leader.  So despite not our best game, I thought we did a pretty good job hanging with one of the best class AA teams in the state!]

[We’ll end with Hanah.  We look forward to watching her for the next several years.  Remember the next home game is Senior Day – v. Bemidji on January 26 @ 3:15.  The supervisor and I will be out of town.  We expect good reporting from all others – and a Senior Day brochure!]

Postlude:  The Super Fans have always pondered why our girls’ teams always seem to be physically smaller than the opposition.  We seem to notice that in all sports, and over the years?  Not that we mind, mind you.  Our teams have always been eminently successful!  And as fans, we’re delighted!  Speed and quickness usually wins out . . . but in golf, too?  The only conclusion I can reach is that this is the lakes area – as such, there must have been a long-term evolutionary adpatation favoring the small and the quick for . . . water skiing?

The old know what they want; the young are sad and bewildered.  ~ Logan Pearsall Smith

At the end of the 2nd period in last night’s girls’ hockey game v. Sartell/Sauk Rapids, the Super Fans leaned back, collectively caught our breaths, and then looked at each other and asked, “What the heck was that??”  A consensus rather quickly emerged among us that in all our years as extraordinarily knowledgeable girls’ hockey fans, it was the best period we had ever seen any Cardinal team (or any other team?) play!  When the period stats were consolidated and posted by Price-Waterhouse, the Cards had a 21 – 3 shots-on-goal advantage . . . and it wasn’t that close!  The number of other shots that either missed the goal or were blocked before they got there was probably double that.  All three lines and the four defenseman were flying around the ice like their hair was on fire, passes were connecting like we’ve never seen before, and on those rare occasions when the Stormin’ Sabres were able to get out of their own zone, the Cardinals would recapture the puck and storm right back in again.  We’ll resume the game’s storyline as soon as . . .

[Editor’s note:  Super Fans Roger and Dusty sang the National Anthem last night.  The team has never lost when they have done so  The pressure, on both sides, is palpable.]

[Always wanting to give the JV their due, we got there in time to see the end of the 2nd period and all of the 3rd.  After the 2nd, the game was tied 1 – 1 with the Cards holding a nice shots-on-goal advantage.  Rachel Drew above.]

[Sara (27) and Rachel]

[Rachel (?) and Micaela (34?)]

[Why we love the RCC – the domed roof really gives the place a feeling of roominess.]

[If it’s No. 17, it’s freshman Mackenzie Abrahamson, with a long shot.]

[Yup, looks like Mackenzie.]

[And here she comes out the other side.]

[Then heads back up ice to try it all over again.]

[Hanah (11), who will later have a major impact in the varsity game.  😉 ]

[Varsity co-captains Shanee’ Herd and Shelby Iverson.  The universal response to this photo, so far, is “Awwwww!”  (OK, it was sent to their moms!)  :-)]

[They were warming up on the runway before the varsity game.  I couldn’t decide which photo I liked better, so here’s both.]

[I believe this is our first coverage of freshman goalie Taylor Coker (30).]

[So, let’s give her a double-header.]

[Ms. Revering (29) played the 3rd period of the JV game, then all of the varsity game.  Younger players such as McKenzie often play in both games – but a player can only play a total of 4 periods in the two games.]

[McKenzie and freshman Taylor Bollman (9).]

[JV played well – a more than 2 – 1 shots-on-goal advantage.  Unfortunately, in the 3rd period they allowed two Stormin’ Sabres to assault Ms. Coker’s kitchen without a chaperone.]

[The varsity game – early on Taylor attempts to reprise her hat trick from the previous game.]

The above was a rare 1st period highlight.  The Stormin’ Sabres came into the contest as the undefeated (in conference) conference leaders – their only blemish a home game tie with our Cardinals.  And for 2/3 of the 1st period they had the Card faithful wondering, who is this juggernaut?  The Stormin’ Sabres totally dominated the 1st 10-12 minutes of the game – the Cardinals couldn’t get out of our end – and at one point held an 11 – 1 shots- on-goal advantage.  Their passing was tape-to-tape, and as “Weakie” was loathe to point out, their No. 11 was big and fast.  At this point you kinda get the idea that both goalies were on their games – and for the Cardinals that was freshman Amy Jost!

[Hanah – stay tuned!  😉 ]

[I’m at a loss?  We don’t have a left-handed center?  Anyway the Cards finally started feeling their legs, and we started getting back in the game.]

[Then Hanah scored!  At first it was announced as Nicole’s goal, which would have given her the 1st goal in each of the last two games.  Then they changed it to Hanah (Nicole assisting) – and though we didn’t realize it at the time, it must have been her first varsity goal because they tossed the puck to the bench!  🙂 ]

[Here’s to many more, Hanah!]

[Now just get to period break with the lead.]

[After one, we were back in play!]

[Nicole (23) and Lauren (21) paired on defense, a sophomore and freshman.  The other defense pair is Shanee’, the old biddy of the group, and 8th-grader McKenzie.  We’re pretty set at that position for a while!  🙂 ]

We gotta a little sloppy in our end early, and to their credit, the Sabres tied it with an uncontested close-in shot.  That riled the Cards because then the onslaught began!

[The defense really pinched early and deep in this period – see Nicole above – apparently in the belief they could recover.  The strategy really made it hard for the Stormin’ Sabres to clear their zone.  Oh, and there’s “Weakie’s” No. 11 – she was impressive.]

[Taylor at the point.  No problem, she was a defenseman before converting to center.]

[Shelby and Becca move in.]

[The Shelby, Anna, Becca line.  I was thinking the SBA line, but better yet is the “ICI” (French “here”) line for Iverson, Carlsen, Illies?  😉 ]

[Madi runs interference for Taylor.]

[The whole Stormin’ Sabre team seemed to cluster around their goalie the whole period – it did make it hard to get shots through all the traffic!]

[Shanee’ fires one from the right-side face-off circle.]

[Anna sweeps one toward goal.]

[Mel, Madi, and likely Taylor cause a puck freeze.]

[Stormin’ Sabres clear the puck from the goal mouth.]

[Appears to be Shelby on another face-off in their zone.]

[Shelby circles with Becca.]

[Taylor]

[Mel’s in on it.]

[Becca looks on as the goalie traps another loose mouse.]

[And some Becca and Anna again!]

[Hooray for our side!]

[Finally, after a continuous series of constant pressure, the Cards got the lead back.  Becca hit Shelby with a terrific diagonal pass, and Shelby niftily back-handed it into the near corner.  🙂  ]

[Madi and Mel, the M&M twins.]

[Taylor muscles the face-off.]

[Shanee’s in deep.]

[Period over.  Sara Schmidt’s mom tries her hand at the Puck Shoot.  The other two contestants, also hockey moms, both put it through a $25.00 slot – the first time we can ever recall there being two winners!]

[Anna goes maybe a little too deep.]

At the start of the 3rd period, it seemed unlikely we (or anyone) could maintain the pace of the 2nd!  We weren’t playing Chopped Liver, afterall (although they have picked up their game this year).  But it’s nice for the team to know they have that in them – and when they play that way, they should be able to play with anyone.  The tempo of the 3rd period became disjointed – we got a couple of penalties that made me, and my fellow fans, quite grumpy.  Between penalties and the exertion of the 2nd period, it became hold on and win time.  The 3rd period was pretty much a draw.

[If we win, we’re going to D. Michael B’s for some serious comfort food!]

[Guess the Cardinal?]

[Becca thinks, “Can I beat everyone to it?”]

[Don’t look now but there’s an old guy in the stands taking our picture.  BTW, do you guys know D. Michael B’s?]

[This was a new twist.  Shanee’ taking powerplay face-offs in the offensive zone.  The thinking was probably with her strength she could just shoot – which she did, several times on goal.]

[And Taylor again.]

[And again.]

[And a nice shoulder manuveur.]

[WE WIN!!!  We are now 7-1-2 in the conference, Sartell/Sauk Rapids is 8-1-1 – it’s goin’ down to the wire, folks!]

[Oh boy, meat loaf and mash potatoes and gravy!!]

Reminder:  Girls’ hockey fundraiser tonight at the Eagles’, 5:00; girls’ basketball hosts the state’s No. 1-ranked team, Fergus, at 7:30; and tomorrow night girls’ hockey hosts a powerhouse No. Wright County team, 7:00, another Metro-area team that draws from a population base of about a gazillion.]