The second half of the season came down to the final night of league play. Would a playoff match be needed to determine the second half winners? The Red Mouse Shufflers, hoping for a second shot at stepping into the 2023 Championship match, needed two favorable results to force a playoff match. First, they needed team Uff-Da to defeat the Norsk Cowboys, and secondly, they had to win their match against the Ott Haus Cheese Eaters.

In the match between the Norsk Cowboys and the Red Mouse Uff-Da, Randy Schmid and Dave Willborn were bucked from their horses and could only round up 73 points for the Cowboys. That was this week’s low score. Jim Day and John Baumgartner blew 116 points into the mainsail of yacht Uff-Da, propelling them into the dock with 46 points to spare. This kept the Shufflers’ hopes for a playoff match alive. The 116 points by Jim and John tied for this week’s high score.

Now all the Shufflers had to do to get into a playoff was to win. By the end of the first frame, it wasn’t looking good. They found themselves down 7 points after Steve Vogt and Shane Kahl were skunked by Giff Hoesly and Larry Disch. The Shufflers’ season was on the line, they needed Steve and Shane to get back in the game. As a result, Steve and Shane quickly turned things around and finished the night with 102 points. But it was Ed Chancellor and Loretta Herfel who saved the team. Losing only their fourth and eighth games, both to Kendal Wenger and Bryan Buesser who finished with 114 points for the Cheese Eaters, Ed and Loretta shuffled in 112 points. They were also a plus 26 in the point differential. With the 25-point Shuffler win, the Shufflers and Cowboys will have a second half playoff match on March 16, place to be determined.

The J&M Bar River Rats regained their footing this week in their travels to Mount Horeb to take on the Viking Trolls. Tracy Funseth and Scott Keys played the lead role for the Rats as they climbed 113 feet further up the riverbank to pull the rest of the Rats up to a 14-point victory.

Luckily for the Norsk Pranksters, they were at home this week. This gave them the opportunity to dig deep into their closet and pull out some of their old tricks to defeat the Morgan’s Bar & Grill Pipe Benders by 11. Pranksters Jordy Schmitz and Ryan Flaherty were able to reveal the most tricks at 116, tying for this week’s high score. The bright spot for the Pipe Benders came when Tracy Buetel and Mark Losenegger held Devin Handel and Corey O’Hearn to just 1 point.

The Ope Haus Express found the going a little tougher this week against the Kleeman’s Hay Shakers. However, they did manage to pull just far enough into the Barneveld station to find 6 spare points tucked neatly away in the caboose.

Spring Tournament

Will be held at the Red Mouse in Pine Bluff this Thursday, March 9th. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m., and play at 7:00 p.m. Any Euchre player that has played in the league, whether this year or in previous years as a substitute or regular player, is eligible to play in the tournament. Tournament entry fee, includes meal: $15.

Final Second Half Standings: Cowboys, 8-1; Shufflers, 8-1; Express, 6-3; Hay Shakers, 6-3; Pranksters, 5-4; Uff-Da, 4-5; Pipe Benders, 3-6; Cheese Eaters, 2-7; River Rats, 2-7; Trolls, 1-8.