Sugar River Euchre

It is hard to believe that this year’s regular Sugar River Euchre League season will conclude after this week’s matches with just the Spring Tournament, a possible playoff match, and the Championship match left to be played. That’s right, there will be a championship match after the derailment of the Hooterville Express last Thursday by 5th Quarter ended their chances of being declared this year’s champions outright. Freezing rain that night coated the tracks beneath the Express giving them little traction to climb out of their 21-point first round deficit. Stuck in reverse, the Express never ascended higher than minus 20 and ended 35 points in the red. Stan Hook and Erik Massey lead the way for 5th Quarter with 110 points with all four Shuffler couples accumulating more than 100 points for a second straight week. With their win, 5th Quarter guaranteed themselves at least a playoff match for a chance to advance to the Championship match.
With the 114 points lassoed by Denny Cleary and Don Field, the Norsk Cowboys corralled a tie for second place after their 13-point win over the Screaming Eagles. Ken Stamn and Terry Zahler (Eagles), who were skunked the previous week, caught the wind beneath their wings and put up 118 points tying this week’s high score. It was Harold Schlimgen and Tom Nicewander that prevented Ken and Terry’s perfect score in the sixth round. Pat Dann and Stan Novotny’s (Eagles) snagged this week’s low score of 76 points. In Belleville, Don Williams and Al Zimmerman shook 113 points out from the Rats’ nest to give the Kleeman Hay Shakers a 31-point victory over the J&M Bar River Rats, keeping the Shakers in the second place tie.
While in Verona, the Norsk Pranksters kept their hopes alive of finishing with a winning season when they smuggled a 28-point win through Mountie territory (It’s Time). Chris Hook and Jerry Retrum evaded everyone with their 118 points, except Janice Magnuson and Dan Meinholtz who stopped their perfect score in the fifth round putting Chris and Jerry in a tie for this week’s high score. Janice and Dan secured 113 points for the Mounties.
Jones’ Plumbing bent their way through the Swiss cheese to give them an 18-point lead over the Cheese Eaters after the first round. That lead soon grew to 80 and ended at 57 by night’s end. Mark Losenegger and Tiny Zander plumbed 110 points in for the Pipe Benders. The Taphaus Cheese Eaters have just one more night to get a win for this half.
This year’s Spring Tournament will be held at 5th Quarter in Verona on March 8th. Registration will begin at 7:30 p.m. All current and past Sugar River Euchre League players are eligible to enter.
Standings: 5th Quarter 7-1; Kleeman’s 6-2; Norsk Cowboys 6-2; Hooterville Express 5-3; Norsk Pranksters 4-4; Eagle Heights 3-5; It’s Time 3-5; J&M Bar 3-5; Jones’ Plumbing 3-5; S’wisco Taphaus 0-8.
Schedule for March 1: J&M Bar @ S’wisco Taphaus (8:00); It’s Time @ Jones’ Plumbing (7:00); Norsk Pranksters @ Hooterville (8:00); Norsk Cowboys @ 5th Quarter (7:30); Kleeman’s @ Eagle Heights (8:00).