The weekend produced a Chamber of Commerce bonanza – there were eight teams in town for the Cardinal volleyball invite; and I believe 21 many for the Lions’ cross country meet at Arrowwood. Classmate Brad and I decided to forgo the football game Friday night because the weather was “iffy” – at our age, we don’t do “iffy.” The weather actually wasn’t bad as the Cards put on another offensive display against Bemidji to the tune of 59 – 42 (see following video). We keep hoping for good “fans in the stands” weather – and with that concept in mind, we opted for the volleyball invite which began at 9:00 am on Saturday . . .
[And here’s your program and schedules. It went on all day, and Brad and I were basically there from 9:00 until about 1:30, when I went home to find the Super in dire need of grounds maintenance assistance. With that length of time at the school, I paid my first ever visit to the concession stand – it was manned by a couple of Cardinal footballers whom I congratulated on their fine peformance the previous night.]
[After perusing the program, we figured out the Cards would be playing Morris Area, Chokio/Alberta, a/k/a, MACA (yes, I did a double-take on that one) in the first game. I didn’t bring the big lens, figuring we’d be moving a lot and wanted to be light on my feet.]
[Kendra Hardy (13) serving for us . . . ]
[Based on the respective size of the schools, I figured Alex would be the winner . . . ]
[I figured wrong. The Cards had just ended section and conference rival Willmar’s 10-game winning streak, and we were a little flat . . . a let down after a big win. Morris dispatched us easily in 2 quick games. I thought they looked pretty good and discovered they are ranked 7th in the state in class AA.]
[Brad and I then immediately dispatched ourselves to Trav’s for breakfast. Upon returning to the scene of the crime, I decided to have a little camera fun with series shots while we played Grand Rapids. First up is McKenzie Duwenhoegger (11) serving . . . ]
[Then in position for the return . . . ]
[Then Devany Johnson (9) . . . ]
[And here’s Kendra again . . . ]
[Then Mia McGrane (5) . . . ]
[Absent any post-invite preparation, I also knew nothing about Grand Rapids, our current opponent. I subsequently discovered they are ranked in the top 10 in the state.]
[We started slowly, a la the Morris games, but came roaring back. They were already unraveling the scoreboard before I could get a shot – the actual score in our favor was 25 to 20-something.]
[We were rolling now and easily dispatched the Thunderhawks in the 2nd game.]
[Our next game was against Big Lake – 25 – 10 and 25 – 10 (as you’ll see in the last shot). Those last 3 1/2 games were as well as I’ve seen any Cardinal team play in a long time.]
[OK team, I think you’re getting the idea here – go to our strength which is . . . ]
[STRENGTH!]
[And here’s McKenzie again . . . ]
[Then Tori Jeretitz (2) . . . ]
[And Kendra . . . ]
[And we’re all on the same page now . . . ]
[The sets were good . . . ]
[Mia . . . ]
[And Devany . . . ]
[And when passing and setting are good, you get in a rhythm. Our rhythm was such that it was spread around to our four big hitters – McKenzie, Kendra, Mya, and Mia. I thought Grand Rapids was a bit intimidated, not knowing from whom the next big hit was coming. Big Lake was definitely looking for places to hide. So, team, no more finesse – establish the big hits and keep them going! 🙂 (We could not stay for the final game – we beat Belgrade-Brooten-El Rosa for 3rd place, winning two close games.)]
Volleyball rules are simple. If it is on the floor, pick it up and get it into the air. If it is in the air, keep it off the floor. ~ John Kessel
Up Next: Raking? Shoveling?
The query “Whom amongst doesn’t like NASCAR?” was oft attributed, in various iterations, to John Kerry because of his Boston Brahmin upbringing. It was actually coined by Maureen Dowd in the New York Times, essentially pricking his Brahmin-ness. It has become a favorite useful phrase.
The Tuesday/Thursday games last week were against Sauk Rapids/Rice and Willmar – in some semblance or another, the No. 1 and 2 teams in the section and the conference. We lost the home match to SRR in 5 sets; we beat Willmar at their place in 5 sets. Pretty good week!
[The Cardinal volleyball team . . . 2025 – 27?]
[The Cardinal volleyball team 2017.]
[The meet and greet with the SRR Storm . . . ]
[And we’re off!]
[L-r: Mya Lesnar (10), Erika Roderick (7), and Mia McGrane (5), all sophomores]
[Mia on serve . . . ]
[We obviously have changed sides . . . I’m sure you picked up on that. Here we have McKenzie Duwenhoegger (11), a junior, and Erika on defense. We lost the first two games, and didn’t look particularly good doing so. But there would be a turn around.]
[McKenzie on serve . . . ]
[Erica likely setting Mia on the far side . . . ]
[Senior Tori Jeseritz (2) in the hands up blocking position.]
[McKenzie’s still serving . . . ]
[Erika and libero Devany Johnson (9), a junior, on defense.]
[Turn around complete – we’re now down 2 games to 1.]
[Mia leads off . . . ]
[McKenzie with a kill . . . ]
[But ready if it comes back . . . ]
[The linebackers are set again . . . ]
[GOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!! Kendry Hardy (13), junior, clapping at the net.]
[Errrr, I mean POINNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTT!]
[Probably the best game I had seen us play all year – totally dominated the No. 1-ranked team in the section.]
[McKenzie and Mya, the dynamic shot put duo.]
[We don’t have great height, but our blocking is pretty effective.]
[Here with Mia, Tori, and Kendra.]
[Tori looks, “Oh no!”]
[We were playing the 5th game for the match. It only takes 15 points to win Game 5.]
[Either because of the energy spent catching up, or thinking Game 4 had us on a unbeatable roll, we dropped too far behind too early in this last game . . . ]
[The lost cause is written on their faces . . . ]
[Up . . . ]
[And down again . . . ]
[With their eyes on the prize . . . ]
[We’ll leave you uplifted. There are good things ahead for this team.]
Once you get the taste of ruining somebody’s great hit, it stays with you. And it changes the game. A great defensive play is worth about five points in emotion. ~ Caren Kemner (3-time Olympian)
It seems school has just started . . . and we have a senior night? Already?
[And since you can’t tell the players without a scorecard . . . ]
[The evening begins when the Amazing Mr. Ripley arrives and upstages me with his gigantic white lens . . . ]
[And when I spot classmate Ruth Helie Anderson on the other side, with her posse of Bud and Will . . . ]
[The Cards were hosting conference rival, the St. Cloud Tech Tigers. After polishing off the TIgers, the Cards would be a perfectly summetrical .500 team: 8 – 8 on the season, 3 – 3 in conference, and 4 – 4 on weekend trips to The Cities. But we’re .500 with a bullet. Two nights later on a road trip, we beat the 7th-in-the-state ranked Sartell Spartans in four games!]
[These obviously are player introductions. Some shots come out, some don’t?]
[I have no idea?]
[And after all these years, I still don’t know what they’re tossing in the stands? Maybe I ought to call for one?]
[Let the match begin! Lest you can’t read the program, I believe that’s Tori Jeseritz (number not visible), Mia McGrane (5), and Kendra Hardy (13).]
[Mya and Mia]
[Yup, that’s Mya Lesnar (10) going up here.]
[McKenzie Carlson (3) on serve . . . ]
[Mia, then . . . ]
[Mya]
[Erica Roderick (7) and Mya, two sophomores tending the net.]
[McKenzie Duwenhoegger (11) on serve . . . ]
[Then the southpaw swings of Kendra . . . ]
[An all sophomore front line . . . ]
[Mia up for a hit . . . ]
[With great physical dexterity, Mr. Ripley is able to shoot the students doing push-ups in the number of Cardinal points . . . ]
[Big win in game 1.]
[McKenzie leads off game 2 . . . ]
[Well, on this serve Serena Williams must have been the returner because McKenzie didn’t have a chance . . . ]
[Then McKenzie on serve (are you confused?) . . . ]
[Then Erika . . . ]
[The scoreboard in game 2 was “erased” before I could get a shot. We won 26 – 24 – our setting was out of sync the whole game. And now in game 3, Erika and Mya upfront . . . ]
[Let’s wrap it up in three!]
[Courtney Gould (12) came in to play – we’ll see more of her in basketball season . . . ]
[As a team we didn’t serve as well as we did in the first game of the season, but the number of service errors were probably average and not a factor in the overall scheme of things . . .]
[We win! We win!]
[Woo-hoo!]
[Well done. The team may make the end of the season interesting.]
September 28
[The Class of ’65 monthly luncheon . . . ]
[Used to be Jerry’s Bar & Grill . . . ]
[Perfectly located as a go to place pre- and post Cardinal hockey games!]
[Feed us!]
[The manager asked to take our photo for their Facebook page!]
September 29
[A big Cardinal home football game v. St. Cloud Tech – we were likely an underdog, but came away with a big 36 – 27 win! But since BAT was at the Garden Bar on 6th . . . ]
[All photos by the Super, who also gifted the socks to BAT!]
I love being middle hitter! Blocks and hits, baby. 😉 ~ Stacy Durbin (volleyballer)
After a week of sunny, hot weather, the big weekend arrived with forecasts of . . . stormy weather!
Hall of Fame
[Before the luncheon, the Super checks out the silent auction items for the evening’s Jeans & Jewels fundraiser.]
[Come and get it!]
[The one on the left is the Hall of Fame inductee; the one on the right still can’t believe he’s 70?]
[The Alexandria Area High School Carolers made their 2017-18 debut . . . ]
[They were terrific, as always.]
[Our table in rapt appreciation of their performance.]
[Missus Wicken displays the creds of a longtime news broadcaster. Christine Reilly, master of ceremonies and chair of the Education Foundation, is behind her.]
[Take two, Patty, film is cheap.]
[Inductee Tom Halvorson]
[Go Cards!!]
[Inductee Michael Tisserand, with an “old” teacher and occasional member of the Fat Boys Walking Club, Harvey Kranzler. Yes, another failure as a cub reporter, I didn’t get his photo at the event so had to check this one out of his Facebook page.]
[And Patty! As a group, nonpareil induction speeches – Michael, who lives in New Orleans, and Tom, who lived at sea, really seemed to enjoy coming back to ye olde hometown and couldn’t quite believe the new high school.]
Jeans and Jewels
[ . . . later that day. I have to point out that the original plan was to head out to the Grape Stomp after the luncheon, but Mother Nature had better ideas – a real gully washer in the afternoon.]
[Big turnout for the heavy hors d’oeuvres (yes, I always have to look it up), cash bar, i.e., adult beverages, and games of chance.]
[As initially reported on Facebook: Well, boys and girls, she did it again. At the Jeans & Jewels annual fundraiser last night, the Super came away with a necklace and earrings, a load o’ cash, and 5 bottles of wine. The cash came from a 50/50 split with the house, and she didn’t realize they were calling out the ticket numbers for it. Someone at the table said they thought the last number was a 7. Ruthie said, I have a 7 as a last number. So up she went, and sure enough she was the winner!]
September 16 (Saturday)
Grape Stomp
[10:00am – that arrival time allowed us to see three one-hour music sets before I would head out for the Homecoming football game at 2:00. The grape vines are attired in their formal gowns . . .]
[Certainly among the early arrivals at the Grand Stables Event Center . . . ]
[Our fellow music connoisseurs (yes, I always have to look that one up too), Karin and Dave Berg, stop for a visit with Harper’s Chord, who would be next on stage after the Salty Dogs, there now . . . ]
[You go, boys!]
[Greg, Erik, and Tom were in fine fettle, and, I am told, really had the full house joint hoppin’ in their 2nd set at 1:00.]
[Harper’s Chord up next. We missed their first visit to Alex this year when we were at alumni camp, so it was great to see them again.]
[The Super readies for her Missing you at photo.]
[They have a second CD coming out soon – their first one has always held a place of distinction in the car stereo.]
[That’s Roger, Jill, and Micah, on bass – the fiddle player is new to us and don’t know his name.]
[Thought the song was appropriate for the iffy weather all weekend.]
[Well-known Harper’s Chord roadies]
[Then it was out to the Marquette Stage for BAT . . . ]
[Likely was not anticipating jacket weather at this time of year – he prefers to play in his bare feet.]
Homecoming
[The sky gives you the idea. I told Brad it would be a last minute decision as to whether I would go to the game or not. We took a chance. I left the Super back at the winery – she said she was a big girl and could handle it. I almost couldn’t handle leaving – first, I couldn’t find my car keys, and b), I couldn’t find my car. When I finally found the car, there were the keys, on the console, the doors were unlocked, uffda . . . ]
[The first attempt at a team photo . . . ]
[And the 2nd attempt. I had picked up a program at the gate but upon arriving at our seats I no longer had it? So, I had no means then, or now, of identifyng the players. It’s really fun being 70?!?]
[I believe it’s called a huddle – probably trying to remember where they left their cars?]
[Anyway, it was homecoming, and we were playing longtime rival, the Brainerd Warriors. Last year we beat them at their place, 59 – 45. We were 2 – 0 (this was my first game in attendance) and I believe the Warriors were 1 – 1. We were not expecting a defensive struggle.]
[It’s like riding a bike – always wear a helmet!]
[Foreground to background: Mike Kluver on camera, the referees, Grand Arbor.]
[Our first offensive play of the game. An omen. We threw a “pick 6” – they intercepted and ran it in for a touchdown (“6 points”). I didn’t hear until later that we only had 10 players on the field on the time – count ’em, yup, only 10!]
[Like last year’s team, we had put up some impressive offensive numbers the first two games. We lost a lot of the skill position players from last year, but the new guys are stepping right up. Aside the opening pass, new quarterback, Mike Empting (12), has played very well and played well in this game.]
[He throws a nice ball and moves well (well, he’s also our free safety).]
[Here’s a key returnee from last year. Cody Faber (33) is kind of all purpose everything – receiver and runner and kick returner.]
[And Empting is pretty accurate . . . ]
[Throwing on the run. He was 18 – 26 for 210 yards in the game – our starting halfback was injured and did not play, and I believe our longball receiver was injured coming into the game and may not have played much.]
[Looking right as the Cards are driving down the field . . . ]
[Cody is usually the slot receiver but in this game played a lot of running back as well . . .]
[For yardage up the middle.]
[We subsequently scored on a 3-yard pass to Josh Wegner (from the newspaper) and then converted a 2-pointer on a flip back to Faber who passed to Wegner.]
[Brainerd had a 200-pound back, Charlie Geraets, who I remembered from last year. He scored on a 43-yard run and the Warriors led 15 – 8 after the 1st quarter. The Cards came back in the 2nd quarter . . . ]
[And scored on a 4-yard run by Faber – tie game.]
[Then Faber scored on a 40-yard pass – the Cards were up 21 – 15 with 22 seconds left in the half . . . ]
[Amazingly, our squib kickoff, as I recall, was returned to around midfield. With 2 seconds left in the half, from our 40-yard line, they somehow got a receiver behind our defense and scored to take the halftime lead. The opening pick 6 and this final play of the half spelled doom for the home team.]
[The Homecoming Royalty was introduced at halftime. I know Calley Richardson (red sneakers) from her exploits as a hockey and softball player.]
[OK, let’s roll in the 2nd half!]
[Empting passes us close . . . ]
[Then Faber scored on a 5-yard run . . . ]
[And we led again.]
[But Geraets scored again, and back came the Cards on a 24-yard run by Empting.]
[I had to leave then to check on the Super at Grape Stomp. We led 36 – 29 at the end of the 3rd quarter. But Brainerd scored 3 TD’s in the 4th to win 50 – 43 (kinda like the last team with the ball would win) – Geraets ran 43 times for 290 yards, repeatedly running over his left side.]
Grape Stomp
[The event center was packed upon my return.]
[The Salty Dogs were stage, at their feet a fan who appeared to be having balance issues.]
[And by now there had been enough product sampling that the dancers were hitting the floor.]
[Hi, Erik! Do you have a agent?]
September 17 (Sunday)
[Last day of the Stomp, the sun was struggling to make an appearance for 4 hours of BAT and an hour and a half of Erik.]
[Brenda doing her best impersonation of the Super.]
[Toga! Toga! Toga!]
[The Super, foreground; BAT, background]
[Once he gets warmed up, he really rocks and rolls!]
[It was sunny, I’m looking at a small screen, the videos were out of focus. Sorry ’bout that! Think of them as being . . . artsy? I think the audio’s pretty good.]
[He and Brenda return at the end of the month.]
[Back inside to help Erik wrap it up.]
[And we’re outa here until next September.]
[Despite the iffy weather, seemed to be a good turnout all weekend – Sunday seemed better than usual with the better weather.]
[And we bid adieu to the grape vines.]
[The Super’s spoils from the last day!]
[And we finish with a song written by Minnesota’s Nobel laureate . . . ]
[BAT, taken by the Super!]
A wonderful drink, wine . . . Did you ever hear of an Italian grape crusher with athlete’s foot? ~ W. C. Fields
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