alexandriacardinals

[Friday night, the last game of the regular season.  The foe was poor St. Cloud Apollo, a team that did not win a game all year.  The outcome was really preordained.  (Apollo will represent our section in the boys’ state hockey tournament – we’ll cheer for the Eagles there.)  As the last game, it was also senior night . . .]

[And there you have it.]

[The JV game (the above two photos) was almost identical to the following varsity game. This was the last game of the season for the JV’s, who had a terrific year (2 or 3 losses?).]

[The pre-game stop-and-chat.]

[Ruth (the other Super Fan Ruth) with Aria, her point guard of the future granddaughter.]

 

[The Carly Dropik (# 33) Fan Club; and the student section whose sign contents were scrupulously perused by the authorities before they could be displayed!   😉    ]

[Meanwhile, back at warm-ups.]

[Good luck to your hockey team.]

[And back to warm-ups.]

[Shereee Saxton, whose official title (I believe) is in-charge-of-a-lot-of-school-stuff, e.g., the Cardinal Connection, chaperones the student section while really keeping an eye on the old people to make sure we don’t get out of hand!]

[The point guard-of-the-future is back with her scouting report.]

[Kelby Olson-Roedel (13) leads the team back to the bench, lest they otherwise get lost.]

[The seniors gather to be introduced . . . and be feted with their folks.]

S-S-S-EN, I-I-I-OR, S-E-N-I-O-R-S, SENIORS!

[Anna Lee (23)]

[Brooke Heggie (45)]

[Group shot]

[Carly Dropik (33)]

[The coaching staff says good-bye to Kohler’s . . . 30th group of seniors?]

[Cheyenne Hendrickson (55)]

[Gretchen Revering (25)]

[Emily Korkowski (Manager)]

[On loan from somebody’s Facebook posting.]

[And as captured by Ms. Saxton.]

[ESPN high school gameday hosts.  I recognize Jaran Roste (middle), our football quarterback and a guard on the basketball team.]

[The real refs were jolly good sports and posed for a photo with their white-caned impersonator.]

[The five seniors started.  Since that was new to some, they weren’t sure in what order and to whom to share an introductory fist bump.]

[Let’s get ready to ruummmmbbblllleeee!]

Video of the opening minutes:

***

[After the opening video, we pick up play with the usual starters back on the court.]

[Kendall Kohler (3) forechecking at the center line, recognizing I’m using a hockey analogy.]

[Kendall now on the offense . . . I believe she avoided a charge here and drew a foul.]

[Macy Hatlestad (11) feeds Cheyenne in the post.]

[Kayla Feldhake (43) at the free throw line.  She has the daunting task of replacing both our 6-footers, Brooke and Cheyenne, next year!  😉   ]

[Amazingly, one game after catching Macy in an on-court figure skating maneuver, Kiyana Miller (21) looks like she’s sliding into a take-off for a triple Lutz!]

[Kendall eyeballing the pumpkin from a distance.]

[Brooke on the foul line.  She pretty much had her way in this game as the Eagles didn’t have anyone who could defend her.]

[Look!  Is that Oscar-winner J. K. Simmons?  He was at the AAAA in 2012.]

[(Just checking to see if you were paying attention.)]

At the half, the Winter Drum Line:

***

[And a shooting contest.  Can you find the ball?]

[Brooke again . . . ]

[All five Cardinals poised for a defensive assault.]

[Kendall and Kiyana prepare for a special ‘K’ double-team.]

[And did Kiyana get it?]

[Guess not, but still on in-your-face defense.]

[Cheyenne and Brooke go for a block, Macy prepares for a deflection.]

[Fast break!!]

[Macy for the lay-up.]

[Brooke was leading scorer.]

[Carly on top as the Cards go into their motion offense.]

[Kelby displays what I believe are the teams’ best hops.  And though running styles may affect perception, she and Kiyana appear to be the teams’ greyhounds.]

[Clap-clap-clap, clap-clap-clap as the JV players wrap up the victory.]

Whadya mean we only got a 2 seed?  ~  Cub Reporter

Bonus end-of-season quote:  Doh!!!  ~  Homer Simpson

Up next:  We host Sauk Rapids-Rice in the first round of the sections on Tuesday.

[See you at the tournament!  (Photo on loan from a no-longer-remembered social media site – apologies.)]

p.s.  The very next night . . .

[It’s really tough to beat an evening with The Cheese Bots, an SRO crowd, and a bottle of Don David malbec at Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale!  🙂   ]

[Hockey’s over now . . . gotta ride roundball into the spring sports season.  This was our Cards over the Willmar Cards on Monday night.  It moved us to a 13 – 2 conference record with one to go – hosting St. Cloud Apollo on Friday night.  Should we win that (and we should) we would tie for the conference title with Sartell.]

[Driving into the high school that night – after what’s seemed like weeks of sub-zero temperatures – it was somewhat balmy with hurricane winds and starting to get the eerie glow of later sunsets.]

[Jump!  Our Brooke Heggie against Willmar’s 6’4″ center.]

[And then Brooke feeding from the point.]

[The game began with matching 3’s from our matching sophomore guards, Kendall Kohler (3) (here) and Macy Hatlestad (11).]

[Kendall and Kiyana Miller (21) on exterior defense.]

[Kendall has always been fire and energy, which is great, but would often lead her into foul trouble.  But as the season has progressed, she still gets her steals, but has become more fundamentally sound on defense . . .]

[Her mom would require no less.]

[Macy on defense . . . ]

[And as the principal ball handler.]

[The ball appears to be searching for an off court exit?]

[Brooke back setting the offense from the top.  Our Cards went on a high octane offense early, jumped out to a 21 – 7, and coasted in the rest of the way.]

[Cheyenne Hendrickson (55) had a solid, all around game.  I still kinda marvel at what a good player she has become in her senior year – good rebounder, passer, defender, and has even developed a good 3-point shot.]

[Cheyenne and Macy going back on D.]

[Macy with fellow sophomore, Kayla Feldhake (43).  All our bigs – Brooke, Chey, and Kayla had a bit of foul trouble this game, so they were frequently rotating in and out.]

[Kendall with good D again.  Wendy in the background with stay with her, stay with her, stay with her, don’t foul, don’t foul, don’t foul.]

[No where to go, No. 1.]

[A hockey defense . . . don’t let them cross the center line!  😉   ]

[Emma Ziegler (1) joins Brooke in the running forward, looking backward defensive strategy.]

[Every once in a while you luck out.  Here I “captured” Macy doing a dry land practice of a figure skating double axle (or triple toe loop) while retreating on defense.  🙂   ]

[Brooke and Kendall execute a trap.  A trap is legal with proper licensing.]

[No. 3 was their point guard and best player who scored her 1,000th point on this night. She’s more of a slasher than a shooter, as she went to the line a lot but usually missed her first and made her second.]

[Their center does execute a height advantage.  I’m not sure what year she is, but if she got the ball in the low post (most often from an offensive rebound) she was pretty much unstoppable.]

[Kendall is pretty much automatic from the line.  She did miss one in this game, which elicited gasps from the crowd.]

[Run back, run back!]

[Macy tries her hand (and feet) defending No. 1.]

[At the half, the pace had slowed and for us . . . too many fouls were being called.]

[The 2nd half, Macy inbounding to Emma.]

[If you listen closely . . . ]

[You can hear Kohler shouting defensive instructions from the bench!  😉   ]

[Macy walks it up (well, that’s pretty obvious).]

[Brooke has the chagrined look of someone who finally got a call . . . ]

[And went to the line accordingly.]

[Kendall’s handling the ball out front . . . ]

[Which means this is the stretch in the 2nd half when Macy was sitting with 4 fouls.]

[I believe either this one . . . ]

[Or this one was her one miss.]

[We win!  Macy, Brooke, and Kendall all in double figures as usual to lead the scoring.  See you Friday for senior night!]

It turns out, the girls varsity was the only team to escape the tear in the zeitgeist on Monday and Tuesday.  When I arrived at the game halfway through the JV game, the regular crowd (already “shuffled in”) were aghast at what was happening in the game.  Our 20 – 3 JV Cards had poured in a total of 8, yes 8, points in the first half. Apparently we were having a tough time throwing the ball in the ocean.  While things improved in the 2nd half, not enough to get a win.  On Tuesday, the red hot Gopher women’s team, particularly in the 2nd half, couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean either and suffered a 20+ point loss to Nebraska.  Then, also on Tuesday . . .

[This was the halftime score of our Cardinal boys game against Little Falls in the opening round of the section tournament.  And it took a bit of a rush late to get it this close.  The Cards (the No. 2 seed) couldn’t throw the ball in the proverbial ocean either, while the Flyers (the No. 7 seed?) just couldn’t miss.  At one point in the 2nd half, the lead ballooned to 27 points – the crowd was mostly just stunned.  To the team’s credit, however, they never quit.  They continued to press and work hard the whole game, started making some shots, and closed it to 11 at the end.  The season-long problem of free throw shooting prevented closing the gap enough to worry the Flyers.  But it was a pretty good season after losing 4 starting seniors off last year’s state tournament team.  There’s talent coming up, particularly on the freshmen team I’m told.]

[Dave Hartmann, Activities Director, was announced as retiring after 22 years.  He was responsible for more 50 extra-curricular programs, and the Cardinals won 140 conference titles, 94 section titles, and 12 state titles during his tenure.  Congratulations, Dave . . . and see you around the water cooler.]

[Chad Duwenhoegger, principal; Mark Ripley, The Competition]

[Forrest Witt, head coach; Wayne Elton, my high school principal, in the stylish Rick Santorum sweater vest, on the left]    ]

[Kris Setterstrom (3), senior guard]

[Joe Gorghuber (5), senior forward]

[Ben Corson (13), senior guard]

[Travis Krueger (25) senior guard]

[Jaran Roste (31), sophomore guard]

[The only time the game was tied.]

The following is offered free of charge as a public service:  I’m in my late 60’s now, but just a couple of years ago on my daily morning foray to the Y I would not begin my alleged workout session until I had made 10 free throws in a row – and I hadn’t really ‘touched’ a ball in 40 years.  I could usually do it within 15 minutes.  Pretty soon, 10 in a row was too easy, so I upped the target to 20 free throws in a row.  It took a little while, but pretty soon even 20 was becoming routine.  So, I upped it to 30 in a row.  Over the course of two months, at 20 minutes a morning, 6 days a week, I was routinely making 30 plus free throws in a row.  Now I know it’s not the same as making them in a game situation, and when you’re tired, but all you players on the boys’ and girls’ teams are better athletes than I ever was.  I’m challenging both teams to at least shoot 70% from the line next year (75% would be better) – you’ll win a few extra games each year if you do.  Just concentrate, follow through down the line, and go get a Blizzard when you’re done.

p.s.  Jami’s teaching a Comm Ed class at The Nest:  So, last night was the 4th day in a row I’d been at the high school.  I’m thinking about leasing a room.

It’s never just a game when you’re winning.  ~  George Carlin

Up next:  More roundball

[Saturday morning, heading back to the Cities down I-94.  The quintessential Minnesota winter driving photo, blowing snow with an eerie sun.  We were going down to Ridder Arena for the girls class A state hockey consolation finals, our Cards v. Hibbing/Chisholm. We weren’t going to go, lots of things on the docket at home that day, but how could we not?  For the seniors, their last game.]

[The Voices of Alexandria miked and ready to go.]

[Actually kinda cool how I have to angle the shot to get everybody in with a telephoto lens.]

[LET’S PLAY HOCKEY!!]

[The Blue Jackets were the 5th seed in the tournament.  They lost to So. St. Paul on day one and beat New Ulm in the consolation first round.]

[Some early pressure from the Cards, with Leary (26), Wosepka (18), Heckert (20), and Ellingson (24).]

[The Rev (29) swoops in from the left flank.]

[Niska (21), Trosvig (15), and Rev in center ice.]

[Oooo, I see the puck, get out of the way No. 18!!]

[The scrum is on . . . I lost it?]

[Wosepka (18) swoops in on the right flank.]

[We had pretty good pressure from the beginning . . . ]

[Which made us feel like we had the better team.  Now it was just a matter of getting more goals than them.]

[When you’re all by yourself, you might as well shoot it.  🙂    ]

[Another year on the weight room we’ll be able to smash the puck through all these goal mouth scrums we get involved in.]

[Niska chases as the puck just goes wide right.]

[DeWanz (7) and Klimek (37) doing their part.]

[With Niska and Trosvig, is that one in?  Nope.  Drat.]

[Amy Jost . . . all alone and blue . . . ]

[Period 2 begins, lots of action but no scoring in period 1.]

[Another Ooooohhhh goes up from the crowd.]

[Soooo close!]

[OK, face-off over there!]

[Here comes Rev.]

[@#$%&* pole!]

[Kristin driving in on goal.]

[The Blue Jacket goalie is down again.]

[Rev’s trying to stuff it.]

[Get in there, d**ned puck!]

[And again the elusive disc flies by.]

[Kristin’s hot on the trail . . . ]

[Now Mari . . .]

[And even Karina Carlsen’s giving it a try from her defense position.]

[Then, finally, late in the period, Kaila sent a pass from the far boards that Lauren was able to one-time in on the goalie’s far side.  Sam also got an assist on the play.  ]

[That may have been our best offensive period I saw all year . . . we were just flying throughout.]

[Still, it was just a one goal lead after two periods.]

[This old play worked (to some degree) a couple times in the tournament because these teams don’t usually play us and hadn’t seen it.  Nicole charges through immediately from her defense position at the face-off puck drop, splits the initial forward line and has, in times past, been able then to also split the defenseman and take it in on goal.]

[Lauren’s crossing the blue line so of course we’re all yelling, “Slap shot!”]

[Mari, Hanah, and Karina trying to keep the Blue Jackets bottled up.]

[Then Kaitlin, Micaela, and McKenna.]

[McKenna again – she had several nice rushes in the game.]

[Lauren in one-on-four.]

[Even the Blue Jackets thought they saw Kim Kardashian?]

[That, I believe, is what’s known in the language of the sport, an empty net.]

[And then it was over.  A fine all-around game for the Cards; a shutout for Amy; and the consolation title.  For those keeping score at home, you may recall that the 2008 championship team won the consolation title the preceding year.  Something to think about, ladies.]

[Good for us!!]

[Fist bumps all around . . . ]

[Team captains Micaela Swenson (34) and Nicole Bartels (23) pick up the team hardware.  Nicole was also named to the all-tournament team, so another big congratulations to her.]

[Look what we got!!]

[Woo-woo!!  Now can we go to Cossetta’s for a hero?]

[Pick your favorite.  You could tell this was a team that had done this before.  Without coaxing, they skated over to the Alex fans’ section and took their positions for the photo ops.  🙂   ]

[Mari’s mom says “Over here!  Give us a ‘We’re No. 1!'”]

[To which the team responded, “But we’re No. 5 (consolation champs).”  Ha!]

[Echo Press photo.  The team recovered nicely after a mid-season lull and were playing pretty good hockey at the end of the year.  In the tournament, I thought only Blake and Thief River Falls could be considered better teams.  So, wait for next year!  It was fun this year, got to know more parents (and grandparents) who seem to tolerate us.  😉  On this day, we also got to reunite with a member of the 2008 team, Caitlin Murphy and her dad. We came home to events in the “Complementary” blog so couldn’t catch the boys’ section semi-final that night hosting St. Cloud Apollo.  The Cards had a great year, conference champs and No. 1 section seed, but on any given night – Apollo won 4 – 2 (with an empty-netter), which was the third down-to-the-wire game between those two teams this year. It’s a shame the boys’ couldn’t also have made state – it was looking like a banner year for the Cardinals.  On the plus side, both teams should be very good again next year.]

Up next:  Now roundball, all the time.  Oh, this marks another blog milestone.  It’s the 650th posting, which I believe makes me eligible for Medicare’s carpal tunnel supplemental insurance.

Comings and goings betwixt, between, and after the tournament . . .

[After putting the finishing touches on the Hutchinson game, it was time to head home.  It was Thursday night date night at SAWA after all.  On the way home, we stopped at the Albany DQ.  We hadn’t for a long time (?) and were delighted to discover the new indoor biffies (well, you used to have to walk outside around to the back)!  Anyway, not only was it Components night at SAWA, WCCO was also coming to “the place where everyone knows your name” to cover life in Alexandria in winter.   The sign on the wall behind His Worship tells it all.]

[Let the good times roll . . . ]

[The ladies seem to think Vascellaro (r) is some sort of hottie.  I have no idea who the two ladies in this photo are?]

[Friday night marked the annual Wine & Beer Fundraiser for the United Way.  As usual, a cast of thousands appeared on the scene, ultimately raising the temperature in the room to about 100 degrees . . . not so good when you have to go out into double digit sub-zero temperatures when it’s all over.]

[Two semi-known ne’er-do-wells celebrating having their names recently removed from TSA’s “no fly” list.  A Congressional investigation has been initiated.]

[Terry Kennedy and Al Lieffort, a/k/a Emergency Stop, were staged for the music.  Thanks again, guys.  Al seems to really be enjoying being into his 2nd month of retirement.]

[Known to be less than two months apart in age.  Apparently are related in some capacity to the ne’er-do-wells.]

[Ahhh, there’s really no need to travel anyway.  I’m perfectly comfortable right here.  Oh, garcon, another Malbec, s’il vous plait.]

[Speaking of retirement, this will also be Corliss Stark’s last year at the helm of such United Way festivities.  And a many thanks to her for all her years helping make the Douglas and Pope Counties United Way the dynamo that it is in providing help and caring for our community.]

[My supervisors, off and on the job.]

[Jessica Boyer and Corliss form a great one-two punch for United Way.]

[Jessica makes sure one of the ne’er-do-wells doesn’t sneak off with any of the prizes.]

[This was at least a couple such events in a row where the Supervisor didn’t win anything? Time to call for an overall lottery audit!!]

[After the Cardinals wrapped up the consolation title Saturday morning.  A “selfie.”  At Vescio’s.  In Dinkytown.  Where we go to celebrate good things happening at Ridder Arena.  Sid Hartman still noshes here.]

[Public Service Message:  This is what can happen to you if you overdose on marinara sauce!]

[Waiter-in-training at Vescio’s.  We asked him to take our picture.  His trainer told him to take a “selfie” of himself as well – it’s restaurant policy.  Ha!]

[After the Vescio’s nosh, we bolted for home to meet the kids for Jess Lourey’s signing session at Cherry Street Books.  We’ve been buddies with her through social media from the beginning of her murder-by-month mysteries.  Since she has now struck out to be a full-time writer, we promised her dinner (starving artist syndrome, don’cha know?) on this visit  . . ]

[Well, Raapers was right across the street so across we went . . . seven of us had a repast, a beverage, and a spirited discussion of stuff right up until . . . ]

[We literally had to run to make the play.  Well worth the physical exertion as David Christman and Colin Hearn were hilarious.  🙂   But again, everything comes with a price, If we could have stayed in the Cities, we would have gone to the Gopher women’s basketball game.  The Gophers won again with another monster performance by Amanda Zahui B, 27 points and 27 rebounds, which made her ESPN’s national player of the week (Doh!  D’ya think?).]

[Sunday morning dawned bright and clear.  The temperature over beautiful Lake Darling was 19 degrees below zero, the wind chill was a balmy minus 41 (I did notice that going out to get the morning paper in my bathrobe).  But we didn’t care . . . we were going to the symphony/ballet, a collaboration between our own Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra (CLSO) and Twin Cities Ballet!]

[The setting . . .]

[The hole in the floor . . . and it was quite a hole!  This was the first event at the performing arts center where the orchestra pit was used.  The buzz in the crowd was that it was the 2nd largest such pit in the state.  As I recall, Maestro Brad told me it was designed for 42 – 44 musicians but that 55 would be “down there” today.  Hey, watch where you’re sticking that bow!]

[Sandy Susag makes formal introductions, thanks Trumm Drug for its sponsorship, and turn off your phones and no photos!]

[A ne’er-do-well, ever on the move, visits with Greg Donahue, CLSO officer and violin performer of some repute, after the event.]

[You never get more sunshine than when the temperature is below zero!  Beautiful!]

[Photo from the Twin Cities Ballet website . . . ]

[As are these, of the rehearsals with the local folk who would be performing with them.]

The ability to have our own way, and at the same time convince others they are having their own way, is a rare thing among men.  Among women it is as common as eyebrows.  ~  Thomas Bailey Aldrich

Up next:  Hockey is over.  😦