In the 1960s, a particular broad genre of movies was very popular among film goers: The Spaghetti Western. The term was used by critics since most of these Westerns were produced and directed by Italians. Among the most well-known films of this bygone era was a picture starring Clint Eastwood called “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” For veteran basketball junkies who attended most of the games Friday and Saturday, the title of Eastwood’s film most likely bounced between their ears like a basketball on a court. So, here you go. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from Friday and Saturday’s games at Prescott High School.

The Good. In Prescott’s victories over Somerset and Concordia Academy, balanced scoring ruled the day and was the primary recipe for success in both wins. In the victory over the Spartans on Friday, Malmlov, Block, Wallin, and Stuart all scored in double figures. In the 81-72 win over Concordia Academy Wallin, Leask, Malmlov, Stuart, and Block all finished with 10 or more points. The balanced attack helped the Cardinals snap a three-game skid.

The Bad. The behavior of some of the adult fans from Lyle-Austin Pacelli. The first game of the Border Battle featured two private schools, one from Rochester, Minn. and the other from Eau Claire. The “adults” from Lyle-Austin Pacelli as they walked in the door began to complain immediately about ticket prices, parking rules, and virtually everything else connected to Game 1 of the Border Battle. More anecdotal evidence supporting the stereotype that the fanbase of private schools are the worst in high school competitive athletics.

The Ugly. Following Prescott’s fought victory over Somerset on Friday, a Spartan rooter sent an email to the Cardinals coaching staff full of sophomoric commentary. The message from the immature, disgruntled Somerset fan included accusations of “the refs being personal friends” of the coaching staff and specifically ridiculed the play and appearance of Cardinal team members. Of course, there was no name attached to the mail, just a generic, anonymous email address. What an “adult” thing to do. Pathetic and very, very ugly.

The Good. The Pewaukee Pirates. The two-time defending state champions are among the best teams to ever play at Prescott High School. Behind 33 points from Iowa State recruit senior Milan Momcilovic and 34 points from junior Nick Janowski, the Pirates clobbered Totino Grace, the top ranked 3A team in Minnesota by a score of 93-63. For my money, the best player on Saturday was Janowski, the left-handed guard who has scholarship offers from Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Iowa, Iowa State, USC, and Georgia Tech. That list is expected to grow for the extremely talented Pewaukee Pirate. And boy can that kid play defense.

The Bad. When it comes to language etiquette, I truly believe most people believe using profanity in public places should not be passe’. That certainly should apply to high school gymnasiums. Now, as a Nebraska native, I hold no ill will toward the state of Minnesota. My athletic disdain remains with our neighbor to the south – Oklahoma.

That being said, the language used by the coaches and players from Minneapolis North, Totino-Grace, and Benilde-St. Margaret’s was completely unsuitable for high school sports. A high school gym is no place for using profane-laced vernacular. No audible vulgar lexicon was present among the coaches and players of Onalaska, Pewaukee, or Middleton. Additionally, it is a bit ironic that two of the main language offenders were private, religious schools.

The Ugly. The Adopt-A-Highway program began in the state of Texas in 1985. Volunteer organizations around the country have been involved in attempting to mitigate the unbelievable laziness of drivers who toss their refuse out the window along the nation’s highways and byways. The same idiotic, irresponsible behavior was on full display at Saturday’s Border Battle in the Prescott High School gym. Many fans in attendance were too lazy to throw their trash into the waste baskets located within the high school gym. Popcorn, popcorn bags, candy wrappers, water bottles, and other sorts of trash were either strewn about the bleachers or scattered on the floor in front of the stands. You have got to be kidding me. Such wanton disregard for the proper disposal of trash is pitiful. It’s ugly.

The Good. Sports fans across the country praise teams who play the game “the right way.” From the quality of play to timeout decorum, many fans notice teams and players who model proper respect and behavior throughout any athletic competition, or at least they should. From my vantage point and several Prescott School District staff Members, the Middleton Cardinals were the consummate professionals on Saturday. Whether it was coaches communicating with the scorers’ table, substitutes waiting to check into the game, or the play of the team on the court, the Middleton Cardinals and the coaching staff were the best of all visiting teams on Saturday. That is no accident. That behavior obviously has to be taught and reinforced by Head Coach Kevin Bavery. Well done. Incidentally, the undefeated Middleton Cardinals are also the #2 ranked team in Division I. Huh. So you can play with class and be an outstanding team at the same time.

The Bad. It never ends. From game one to game seven on Saturday there was a fan or two from teams of all 14 schools letting the officials “have it” from time to time. As always, fans bellowed from the stands such classics as “Call the foul!” “Hey Ref, you’re missing a good game!” “Three seconds!!” “Call them both ways!” “Traveling!” “That’s a foul!” You would have a better chance of seeing Bigfoot than attending a game void of fans deriding or lambasting officials. Yet, there still are some who wonder why no one wants to become a basketball official anymore.

The Ugly. Those who attended the Minneapolis North – Onalaska game on Saturday witnessed some real ugliness. After a very aggressive, intense first 18 minutes, all went south in the latter part of the second half. With about 10 minutes to play, Head Coach Ricky Davis was ejected after picking up his second technical foul and subsequently escorted from the court. Led by star guard Evan Anderson, Onalaska pushed the lead to 25 points. The atmosphere grew more and more tense as Minneapolis North began to play even more aggressively in a desperate attempt to close the gap. Then with less than five minutes to play, three North players fouled in the span of 90 seconds. Soon thereafter the catcalls from the stands directed at officials became even more bombastic and accusatory. With less than a minute to play, a North player committed a flagrant foul on an Onalaska player, threw the basketball at the same player, and then kicked the ball off the court. The offending player was immediately ejected. While the three-man officiating crew was trying to sort out what had just happened, the jeering from the North spectators grew worse. Mind you, from my perspective the three officials had been extremely patient throughout the entire second half. However, fearing some kind of escalation could develop if the game continued, the officials huddled with Prescott Athletic Director Andrew Caudill and decided to end the contest with 44 seconds left in the game. It was the right choice. After a long pause, both Onalaska and Minneapolis North players and coaches eventually shook hands and slightly defused the situation. For many it was one of the ugliest scenes they had witnessed at a high school game in years. Sadly, I have to agree. It was very, very ugly.