The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1941-03-13
S:s. Centre SPORTS Lee. I; a. E w:s

Herald =
Sport s
Wags- %
BY Chuck Rattle
Sank Centre Bounced
Out of District
Land In Special
Company
Happened First
Time in 1880
Adds New Chapter
In Tale of Two Cities
Some grim ghosts who had their
day eleven years ago must have
been grinning from toothless
mouths the other night. They
had their day again. Sank Centre
missed entering the district tourn-
ament. 1t was Melrose who turned
the trick in the finals Of the sub
trict. That night looked back
eleven years when the same thing
happened. =. .
Yep. it happened q second
time. In 1880, the last year
that Sank Centre played host
to the district in the old Jun
Tor high gymnasium, she didn't
even hit the district fracas. .
That was the year lot of
things happened. That was the
year Sank Centre bit the dust
before Long Prairie in the sub
district. That was the year
the dope lay Uttered in little
burned out piles all over the
district. ..
That was the year too as Mel
rose primed herself again, she won
the district race in a thrilling heat.
And the tale of Two Cities, that
has been Melrose-Sauk Centre ath-
letic relations, takes new twists. -.
That was the year when Melrose,
after upstart Swanville had flicked
favorited Alexandria over the
boards, defeated a surprised Swan
willie club in the final round. Mel
rose did it with the biggest club
Melrose has put in the field since
then. That was the year that
Swanville, with its star forwards,
the Larson twins, home with the
measles, dropped Alexandria and
the unquenchable Beseman. dubbed
"the Runner" scored 20 points in
the tilt. That was the year Alex
andria, with the famed Smith, wept
real tears over their surprising de-
All of which shows that
Melrose-Sauk Centre relations
pop up with something new
each year. This year both were
scared out Of some growth by
the prospects of facing each
other with the chips down. -.
Melrose survived. Sank
Centre was done as burnt
steak. For this town the
game ended basketball with the
finality Of the supreme court
rendering a decision. :.
1t was back in 1888 that Sank
Centre and Melrose began first to
get in each others hair in district
playoffs. Always during the sea-
son the fracases could be counted
upon as being the hottest thing this
side of the equator. But in
1888 they burned the lid right off
Sank Centre won it's district title
right out from Melrose' nose in
an overtime that lasted 10 seconds
with Jim Pangburn's bucket and
left the crowd dazed. That be-
gan 1t. In 1899 Sank Centre
hauled off at the sub-district and
clouted Melrose a good one but it
didn't count for much except the
sub-district trophy cause Melrose
went to the district anyway.
Then last year Melrose suffered the
same thing. She swiped Sank Cen
ire 30 to 6, and again it didn't
count. . Sank Centre actually
got farther in the district than
Melrose.
This time the boys weren't
fOOling. This was no trumped
up playOff, this was the real
Mccoy. Melrose took the
becOn savored with sweetness.
It is an odd thing about these
so-called bigwigs being dumped off.
With 1t happening twice to Sank
Centre before the district, this
precinct holds the dubious honor
Of that title. But Glenwood
and Alexandria remember with
crimson faces when 1t happened to
them. . They should anyway be-
cause 1t was year ago. Bertha
took Alexandria out Of the race;
Brandon licked Glenwood.
Such teams used to be pro-
tected In the seeding. But
pressure from the smaller
schools, who then had to tussIe
among themselves for four 9TH
er spots in the district sun,
saw to IL an end was nut to