Post Messenger Recorder -

With March Madness in full swing, Sugar River Euchre players know it’s time for the League’s Spring Tournament. Thirty-two of them convened in New Glarus on the very night that the New Glarus boys won their state semi-final basketball game. I’m not sure if all the excitement in the air that night was due to the intense Euchre competition taking place at Kleeman’s, the arrival of the long-awaited beautiful spring-like weather or the local basketball team taking the court at state for the first time since 1932. Whichever it was, I know everything stopped and Kleeman’s erupted into cheer when the Glarner Knights won their game. Once the crowd settled back down, it was back to Euchre.

A short time later, a celebrity made an appearance at Kleeman’s. It was none other than Pepe Le Pew (you know the famous cartoon character). It so happens he came in to pass his natural scent onto Mary Humphrey and Harold Grabandt. He quickly established a strong bond with them when Derek Skogen and Jeff Goebler left Mary and Harold sitting on zero at the end of the fifth game. Don’t worry Mary and Harold, you have the entire summer to freshen up. I hear tomato juice works wonders.

With that in the record books, the rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. Once the scores were all reported and tallied, League President Jerome Krantz announced the tournament’s top six couples. With 102 points, Jeff Goebler (Kleeman’s), Derek Skogen (Riley), Keith Wegner (S’Wisco Taphaus) and Tom Magnuson (It’s Time) tied for sixth place. Don Field (Cowboys) and Larry Losenegger (Pranksters) took fifth place with 105 points. Scoring just one point more than Ed Chancellor (Riley) and Leo Humphrey (It’s Time), Dean Disch (Cowboys) and Mike Doyle (Sub) snuck into third place with 108 points, pushing Ed and Leo into fourth place. Randy Skogen (Riley) and Charlie Steinhauer (Harley Blue) captured second place with 111 points. But, with a commanding lead, the big winners were Jim Day (It’s Time) and Tiny (Ron) Zander (Jones’ Plumbing), finishing with 117 points.

Other tournament scores were: Don Williams (Kleeman’s) and Chris Hook (Pranksters) 101 points; Opie Taylor (Harley Blue) and Ernie Sarbacker (J&M Bar) 98; Janice Magnuson (It’s Time) and Steve Thoni (Harley Blue) 95; Giff Hoesly (S’Wisco Taphaus) and Jerry Retrum (Pranksters) 90; Steve Dower (Cowboys) and Tony Hoffman (Jones’ Plumbing) 89; Dan Meinholz (It’s Time) and Stan Hook (Riley) 88; Tom Meyer (Riley) and Dean Herfel (Pranksters) 82; Harold Grabandt (It’s Time) and Mary Humphrey (It’s Time) 80; and, with the low score of the night, Steve Vogt (Riley) and Rodney Latham (Pranksters) 79.

Season averages, skunks and perfect scores were posted and scrutinized by those in attendance. Jack Gehin (J&M Bar) gnawed out an average of 104.067 to take this season’s high average honors. The evening was capped off with a fantastic meal made by Barb Judd.

The second-half playoff match will be held at Norsk Golf Club on March 21st, at 8:00 p.m., between the Harley Blue Express and the Norsk Pranksters. The winner of this match will take on the Norsk Cowboys on March 28th, also at Norsk Golf Club, time TBD.