Morgan achieves milestone with win over GFW

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- When the Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers boys basketball team defeated Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Tuesday, it not only stopped a rare two-game losing streak for the Chargers, but it also gave coach Craig Morgan a milestone in his coaching career.

The 74-56 win over the T-Birds was Morgan's100th career win as MVL boy's basketball coach.

"To me, personally, it is nice," Morgan said, who has coached the Chargers for 4 1/2 seasons. "I just like to see our kids play well. I have been blessed with kids that work hard, a family that suppprts the nights that you are gone scouting and the various things that you do that go along with coaching. My wife [Jill] has been good with that and we have had a great time.

"The kids work hard for me not only in the season but also in the off-season," Morgan said. "We just try and keep up the MVL tradition of basketball."

The win came after losses to Cedar Mountain and Blue Earth Area on back-to-back games.

"The game with Cedar Mountain was one that we came away from physically and emotionally drained," Morgan said. "I was glad after the game with Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, that we did not have to play the next day. The Blue Earth game was like that -- we gave it our all against Cedar Mountain and had nothing left to give the next night. But we played hard. Blue Earth played very well -- give them credit -- but our kids were a half a step slow all night."

PLAYERS STEPPED UP GAME AGAINST GFW: Morgan felt that his players "really stepped up their game agsinst [GFW]. We had fresher legs defensively. Andy Beilke did a great job on defense with seven steals. Nate Nass was a man on the boards and Dusty Lendt played well. They all complimented the whole team concept."

Andy Beilke, who had been in a scoring slump recently, poured in 22 points against GFW which Morgan likes to see.

"Andy needs to look for the shot a little bit more but he cannot force it," he said. "When we get him as an offensive weapon as well as a passing and defensive weapon, it compliments his game and helps our team out."

Morgan felt that Beilke wanted to get more of his teammates involved in the game as a passer.

"And that is a good thing for a team player to do. But we also need him to contribute in other ways."

Morgan also praised the play of Nate Nass.

"He may only have had nine rebounds, but they came at key times in the game. And our press defense caused a lot of turnovers. Plus we were more patient on our offense in the second half."

BIG GAME TONIGHT: The Chargers will travel to Sleepy Eye St. Mary's tonight for a huge Tomahawk Conference meeting that could well determine the direction of the conference championship.

"We need to win that game," Morgan said. "It is one of those games where you go over there and you know that the gym will be packed and it will be a fun game. We have to have that win, otherwise St. Mary's goes up three games. If we can knock them off and if someone else also beats them, now we have a potential three-way tie for first [between St. Mary's, MVL and Cedar Mountain]." MVL and Cedar Mountain have two losses while SESM is unbeaten in conference play.

MVL beat Mankato Loyola [as did SESM] which lifted the Chargers in the state rankings, reaching as high as number one in Class 2A. But losses to Cedar Mountain and especially Blue Earth Area may come back to haunt them when sectional seedings come out later.

"The Blue Earth loss will hurt us for seedings [both BEA and MVL are in the same section]," Morgan said. "We will have a better record than Blue Earth, but they beat us. We may drop down, but we have to play hard with teams like Martin County West, St. James [a team that MVL will host on Monday, Feb. 9]. The section will be a dogfight."

MATHIOWETZ JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB AT ST. MARY'S: Matt Mathiowetz became the fifth Sleepy Eye St. Mary's boys basketball player to join the 1,000 point club. He has exactly 1,000 points going into tonight's game with MVL trailing Kaleb Walter's record of 1,277. Sean Neubauer is second followed by Bill Geschwind and Judd Walter. Mathiowetz needs just two points to jump into fourth place on the scoring list.

WOODBURY NAMED A.D. OF THE YEAR: New Ulm High School Athletic Director Mark Woodbury has been named 2AA Athletic Director of the Year. He is now eligble for the Minnesota State A.D of the Year honors.

BASEBALL STUFF: There may still be snow on the ground but baseball news is going on. The Tomahawk East and Western Minny will have their All-Star game on June 28th in Marshall. Lamberton has been accepted as a permanent member of the Tomahawk East League. Talk is that both Fairfax and Granite Falls, members of the Western Minny League, are looking for a new league to play in. The Tomahawk East League will begin their season on May 9th.

If you are looking into getting a new baseball or softball glove and want one that is custom made for you, give me a call at 507-354-7063 and I can give you more information on a local company that guarantees delivery wthin three weeks of your order.

All current officers of the Tomahawk East League were re-elected with Myron Seidl as president, Ralph Zwaschka as vice president and Terry Helget as secretary/treasurer.