Come for the local updates. Stay for the death of a legend within the Hollywood community.
JCC girls basketball
Jackson County Central’s girls basketball team has a pair of Big South Conference West Division home games this week, hosting Worthington Monday and Windom Thursday.
Rafe York issued a tweet the other day suggesting a low-scoring game between his Huskies and the visiting Trojans:
That may have been a bit tongue in cheek as both teams rank high in the state in their respective class in points scored per game.
JCC (9-5) is second in Class 2A, scoring 73.6 points per game. Worthington (8-5) is sixth in Class 3A at 66.8 points. The Trojans won the first meeting between the teams 90-66 in Jackson on Dec. 14.
On Saturday the Huskies will see a team from the North Sub-Section of Section 3AA when they play Minnewaska Area at 2 p.m. at Target Center.
Following are the top 10 scoring girls basketball teams through Saturday.
Class 2A
Minnehaha Academy 78.5
Jackson County Central 73.6
Pequot Lakes 71.2
New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 70.4
Dover-Eyota 70.4
West Central Area 69.2
Holy Family Catholic 68.3
Winona Cotter 67.0
Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 66.1
St. Clair 66.1
Class 3A
St. Paul Como Park 74.5
Becker 74.4
Holy Angels Academy 70.9
DeLaSalle 68.9
Austin 67.6
Worthington 66.8
Zimmerman 66.2
Grand Rapids 66.0
Mahtomedi 65.2
Totino-Grace 64.4
MCW boys basketball
The Class 1A third-ranked Martin County West boys basketball team is 14-0 after a 41-33 win over No. 11 Spring Grove Friday in Trimont. The Mavericks held the Lions to only 12 points in the second half after trailing 21-18 at the break.
That game matched the top two teams in the state in points allowed in Class 1A. Spring Grove is first (36.0) and MCW second (40.8).
MCW is home for a pair of Valley Conference matchups this week, hosting Madelia Tuesday and Mankato Loyola Friday.
Following are the top 10 Class 1A boys basketball teams in points allowed through Saturday.
Spring Grove 36.0
Martin County West 40.8
Ashby 42.7
Rushford-Peterson 44.2
Hayfield 45.8
Liberty Classical Academy 46.7
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 46.7
Goodridge/Grygla 46.9
Blackduck 47.6
Goodhue 48.7
Martin County West graduate Alyssa Williamson produced a double double for Hamline in an 80-70 loss at MIAC leading Augsburg Saturday. She had 11 points and 10 rebounds and also had two assists in 18 minutes.
On Wednesday she played 15 minutes and had two points, one rebound and one assist in a 55-49 road over win over Bethel.
The Pipers are 11-4 overall and 9-3 in conference play. Hamline hosts Saint Mary’s Wednesday and then heads to Northfield to play St. Olaf Saturday.
Three area graduates competed at indoor track and field meets in Brookings this weekend.
On Friday, Fairmont grad Conner Tordsen had a good day at the South Dakota State D2 Open.
He was the top NAIA placer in the weight throw with an effort of 53 feet, .25 inches to place 13th out of 54 entries. In the shot put Tordsen was 24th out of 49 athletes at 44 feet, .5 inches.
The Trojans are at Mount Marty next Friday and Saturday.
Jackson County Central graduate Jessica Christoffer, a junior at South Dakota State, placed second out of an original field of 20 entries in the 800 meters with a time of 2:15.68 at the Jim Emmerich Alumni Invitational Saturday at Brookings.
She also ran on the Jackrabbits 4x400-meter relay team that finished fifth.
Also, Fairmont grad Hannah Neusch, a freshman, was 32nd in the mile with a 5:44.34 clocking.
SDSU is at the Adidas Classic in Lincoln, Neb. next Saturday.
A pair of Fairmont graduates competed for Gustavus at the Vanessa Seljeskog Classic hosted by Macalester College in St. Paul.
Junior Iliana Ramon placed second of 10 runners in the women’s 3000 meters with a time of 11:00.78 and she was on the Gusties’ 4x400 team that placed second.
Also, senior Wyatt Quiring had the fastest prelim time in the 60 meters (7.33) and was eighth in the finals (7.50).
There have been several notable celebrity deaths in recent weeks. Meat Loaf and Louie Anderson both on Friday. Sydney Poitier, Bob Saget and Betty White before that.
Another death is being mourned in Los Angeles and Hollywood. Marty Roberts from the iconic duo Marty & Elayne passed away recently wasn’t as well known, but he also passed away recently.
Marty and Elayne Roberts were famous for their six-nights-a-week lounge act inside Los Feliz bar and restaurant and The Dresden, with shows dating back 40-plus years.
The pair would play drums, piano, flute, and a variety of other instruments, belting out jazzy tunes as well as newer songs, sometimes with celebrity accompaniment.
Marty had long molded his voice and stage affectation on Frank Sinatra and even got to perform with the Rat Pack legend years ago. He also performed with the likes of Nicolas Cage, Seth MacFarlane, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more.
Despite the grueling weekly schedule, the retirees continued to perform happily for years and were reportedly recording new music at home last fall.
Marty Roberts died of cancer while staying at his daughter’s house outside of Las Vegas. He was 89 and is survived by wife Elayne, daughter Hali, and granddaughter Destiny.
Marty and Elayne found starring roles in a ‘90s Tom Petty music video Yer So Bad, and earned screen time in the hit film Swingers:
If you care to invest six minutes of your time, here’s a full version of Stayin’ Alive and the first bars of Puttin’ on the Ritz:
And this painting is a souvenir of our visit to The Dresden. No idea who Roxy is.