SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.co— — —
Longtime coach and educator Gary Brantl passed away at the age of 77 on Friday, April 3.
Gary graduated from Crookston Central High School in 1966, where he was a three-sport athlete lettering in football, wrestling, and track. He attended Mayville State before being hired by the Plummer School District, where he taught at Plummer/Red Lake County Central for 34 years and served as a sub for 8 more. Heas the head football coach from 1970 to 2023, bring his team to the state football playoffs in 1983, 1997 and 1998.
Gary started the Plummer wrestling program in 1972. In 1982, Plummer and Oklee combined and he retired after 25 years.
He also served as the Athletic Director from 1970 to 2019.
In 2005, the Plummer Football Field was dedicated and named Brantl Field. In 2024, Gary was inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Visitation will be held from 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Brooks, MN. Visitation will also begin at 10:00 AM with the Memorial Mass at 11:00 AM on Monday, April 27, 2026 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Brooks, MN with Father Matt Schmitz presiding. A time of lunch and fellowship will follow. Interment will be at St. Vincent de Paul Cemetery in Plummer, MN.
In honor of Coach Gary Brantl, the following schools will be turning on their football field lights as a tribute to his lasting impact.
This “Lights On” tribute represents more than just illuminated fields—it’s also a powerful sign of unity, respect, and solidarity—from rival schools, neighboring districts, and the entire athletic community—standing together to honor a man who meant so much to so many.
Lights On Tribute:
Sunday, April 26
3:00 PM – Monday, April 27 at 11:00 AM
Participating Schools – (As of Wednesday)
Ada-Borup West
BGMR
Grygla
Goodridge
Clearbrook-Gonvick
Crookston
Fertile-Beltrami
Forest Lake
Fosston
Karlstad
Mahnomen
New Folden
Nevis
Northern/Kelliher
Oklee
Plummer
Red Lake Falls
Stephen-Argyle
Spring Grove
Waubun
Win-E-Mac
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St. Cloud State University has announced Nick Oliver as the next men’s hockey head coach. Oliver returns to his alma mater to become the fourth head coach of the D-I era (since 1987-88) and 19th overall in program history.
“I’m humbled and honored for the opportunity to be the next head coach of St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey,” said Oliver “I appreciate the support of President Tomso, Director of Athletics Holly Schreiner and the entire search committee for putting their trust in me. I’m excited to start the process of building relationships and connecting with our current and incoming players. We have tremendous alumni and supporters of the program that I look forward to speaking with. My family and I couldn’t be more excited to call St. Cloud home again.”
A former Husky captain, Oliver ascended the coaching rankings quickly, spending seven seasons in collegiate hockey and four in the United States Hockey League (USHL) while helping his teams reach two NCAA Frozen Fours as an Assistant Coach and a USHL regular season championship as a head coach. He is the only coach or player to be a part of both NCAA Frozen Fours in SCSU history, playing in the 2013 Frozen Four and serving as an assistant on the 2021 team that reached the national championship game. Oliver has played or coached in seven of nine NCAA Tournament wins for the Huskies and six of 17 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history.
Oliver spent four seasons (2018-22) on the bench for one of the most successful four-year runs of Husky Hockey, helping the Huskies to an 81-44-9 mark, three NCAA Tournaments, a NCHC Spencer Penrose regular season championship and a NCAA Frozen Four appearance. The Huskies first season with Oliver on the bench (2018-19) was one of the most successful in program history, with SCSU posting a 30-6-3 record while winning the NCHC regular season title with a conference record 19 wins and 66 points before earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies then advanced to its second-ever NCAA Frozen Four and first NCAA national championship game appearance in 2021 with Oliver helping behind the bench.
Oliver began his coaching career immediately after his collegiate playing career concluded in 2015, spending three seasons with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede (2015-18) as an assistant coach and director of scouting.
The Roseau, Minn., native played in 145 career games at SCSU from 2011-15, serving as a team captain his senior year and alternate captain as a junior. He earned three Academic All-Conference honors and was named the 2015 NCHC Sportsmanship Award recipient. The Huskies won the WCHA regular season title in 2013, the inaugural NCHC regular season title in 2014, made three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament (2013-15) and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in program history in 2013. Oliver was a 2009 NHL draft pick of the Nashville Predators and played for the Fargo Force (USHL) from 2008-11.
Oliver is a 2015 SCSU graduate with a degree in business finance. He and his wife, Alex, have three children, Thomas, Lenna and Grant. His wife Alex (Makaric) played three seasons with the St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey team from 2013-16.
THE OLIVER FILE
Coaching Experience
2015-18: Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL), Assistant Coach
2018-22: St. Cloud State (NCAA), Assistant Coach
2022-23: Fargo Force (USHL), Head Coach
2023-26: Wisconsin (NCAA), Assistant Coach
Playing Experience
2008-11: Fargo Force (USHL)
2011-15: St. Cloud State (NCAA)
“Nick Oliver is one of the true up and coming superstars in our business. His knowledge of the game and relentless work ethic makes this an awesome hire for St. Cloud State and Husky Hockey.” – Bob Motzko, former St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey head coach
“I think having Oli come back to where he played is so special. I also think it shows the trajectory of where the Huskies are headed. Having Nick come back should show some vibrancy in not only the program but the school. A young coach who’s done so well wherever he’s been is something that St. Cloud is going to benefit from on and off the ice. That’s the energy the team and school needs to get back to being a top competitor and a place where people are proud to be a Husky. Nick is a great leader for future of the program and I can’t wait to see the success he brings to the school and the team.” – Ryan Poehling, Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
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The HP Spring Festival games are going on this weekend.
The Section 8 rosters are below –
HP 16 BOYS-
Moorhead – Will Arnold, Henry Laurilla, Drew Kortan, Owen Kraft, Gage Kallhoff, John Gramer
Warroad – Ayven Hontvet, Charlie Marvin, Vicente Green, Austyn Maleport, Easton Lee
Bemidji – Zachary Graber, Wesley Truax, Cameron Knott
Thief River Falls – Beckem Johnson
Elk River – Braysen Holmes
Alexandria – Harlan Rehm
St. Michael-Albertville – Nolan Johnson
HP 17 BOYS –
East Grand Forks – Ryan Clauson, Cy Hjelmen
Detroit Lakes – Bauer Walter
Thief River Falls – Spencer Anderson
Moorhead – Noah Peterson
Warroad – Gavin Anderson
Bagley – James Palmer
Three kids from St. Michael-Albertville
Four kids from Elk River
Three kids from Sioux Falls Power 16U???????
One kid from Nortstar Christian Academy??????
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Congratulations to Nevis Boys Basketball Coach Scott Kramer, who has retired after 29 years as head coach for the program. He had a record of 570 wins and 243 losses over his career. He was a great coach and a pretty good guy too! He leaves some pretty big shoes to fill, but congratulations on an outstanding coaching career.
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The 2026 inductees to the Roseau Athletic Hall of Fame have been announced.
Mike Lundbohm – Longtime Rams’ boys golf coach and former University of North Dakota hockey player.
The 1965 boys cross country team, which finished 6th at the then single-class state meet.
Mike Lee, who backstopped the Rams’ boys hockey team to the 2007 state championship, and later played goal collegiately at St Cloud State University and professionally.
The 2001 and 2002 Rams’ football teams, who won unprecedented back-to-back section championships.
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Minnesota kids keep impressing on the National stage as Hermantown’s Max Plante was named the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldog Sophomore had an outstanding secon year. He was one of the top scorers in the nation all season long. Teamed up with his brother Zam and Jayson Shaugabay (Warroad), the trio formed one of the most formidable forward lines across college hockey this past season.
Max completed the season with 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points in 40 games. That positions him third in the nation in points and tied for second in goals. He was also top ten in the nation in game winning goals (6), power play goals (8), short-handed goals (2) – all while averaging 1.30 points per game, eighth in the nation. Plante also produced 15 multi-point games.
Plante was recognized with a truck-load of awards including: National Collegiate Hockey Conference Player of the Year, NCHC Forward of the Year, First Team all-conference, College Hockey News Player of the Year and he was named the National Forward of the Month for October when he picked up nine goals and nine assists in his first nine games.
Max’s dad Derek was a Hobey Baker top ten finalist in 1993 as a senior for Minnesota Duluth; went on to a nine-year NHL career, plus five seasons in Europe, before landing with the Bulldogs as an assistant coach for seven years and three more seasons as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks.
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Duluth Marshall graduate Gianna Kneepkens won a National Women’s Basketball Championship with the UCLA Bruins earlier this month then she was picked 15th overall by the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA draft this week.
At Duluth Marshall she scored over 3,000 points. She played four seasons at Utah. During her time with the Utes, the guard was Pac-12 Freshman of the Year while landing on the All-Pac 12 First Team twice and All-Big 12 First Team once.
Kneepkens transferred to UCLA, where she led the team in three-point percentage before earning both Big Ten and AP All-American Honorable Mention honors.
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The Crookston High School Triple A Academics, Arts, and Athletics Senior Recognition Banquet will be 6:00 p.m. on Monday April 27 in the CHS Commons. Cost of tickets is $20, no tickets will be sold at the event. Tickets can be purchased at KROX and the high school office. CHS Seniors can pick up their free tickets at the CHS office. Deadline to purchase tickets is Monday, April 20.
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JOKES
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A 92 year-old man went to the Doctor to get a physical. A few days later the Dr. saw the man walking down the street with a gorgeous young lady on his arm.
A couple of days later the Dr. talked to the man and said, “You’re really doing great, aren’t you?”
The man replied, “Just doing what you said Doctor, ‘Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.”
The Doctor said, “I didn’t say that. I said you got a heart murmur. Be careful.”
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The barber’s client looked depressed, so the barber told him, “Cheer up. I knew a guy who owed $5,000 he couldn’t pay. He drove his vehicle to the edge of a cliff, where he sat for over an hour. A group of concerned citizens heard about his problem and passed a hat around. Relieved, the man pulled back from the cliff’s edge.”
“Incredible,” said the client. “Who were these kind people?”
“The passengers on the bus.”
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How are former Crookston Pirates athletes doing in college or elsewhere?
****LET ME KNOW OF OTHERS TO ADD TO THE LIST. Email me at chrisjfee@yahoo.com
Teagen Lubinski is playing Junior Hockey for the Badlands Sabers in the NA3HL.
Parker Kelly is playing Junior Hockey for the Badlands Sabers in the NA3HL.
Addie Fee is a freshman playing tennis and hockey at Wisconsin-Superior.
Kambelle Freije is a freshman playing hockey at Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Riley Helgeson is a freshman playing football at Northern State.
Emily Bowman is a freshman playing Softball at North Dakota State College of Science.
Halle Winjum is a sophomore playing basketball at Minnesota Crookston.
Blake Melsa is a sophomore playing soccer and baseball at Alexandria Tech
Jackson Reese is a sophomore playing soccer at Alexandria Tech
Matt Contreras is a freshman playing baseball at Concordia College.
Naomi Johnson is a freshman playing soccer at Alexandria Tech
Paul Bittner is an assistant coach on the University of Wisconsin-Superior Men’s Hockey team.
Reese Swanson is a sophomore playing hockey at St. Olaf.
Carter Coauette is a sophomore playing football at Minot State.
Isaac Thomforde is a sophomore playing Tennis at Northwestern College in St. Paul.
Halle Bruggeman is a Junior on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Women’s Rugby team.
Ethan Boll is a Sophomore on the University of North Dakota Football team.
Breanna Kressin is a Junior on the Hockey Cheer Team for THE University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey team.
Jacey Larson is a Junior playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Aleah Bienek is a Senior playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.
Seth Heppner – Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Golf at Jessup University
Brady Heppner – Head Coach of Women’s Golf at UMC and Assistant Hockey Coach
Crookston School District Coaches
Blake Bergeron is the head Pirate Wrestling Coach.
Colton Weiland is an assistant Pirate Wrestling Coach
Jason Cassavant is a Jr. High Baseball Coach and Head American Legion Baseball coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Marley Melbye is an assistant girls golf coach
Connor Morgan is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Ben Trostad is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Ethan Magsam is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Non-Crookston High School coaching/Admin/etc
Elise Tangquist is the Head Girls Golf Coach at Horace High School in Fargo, ND.
Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson is the head Little Falls Volleyball coach.
Tim Desrosier is an Assistant Coach for Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Pony Boys Basketball
Pat Wolfe is the head wrestling coach for Fosston/Bagley.
Austin Sommerfeld is an Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Communication at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.
Collin Reynolds is the head baseball coach for the University of Colorado Buffalo Club Baseball team.
Trent Stahlecker is a School Security Specialist & he works for the Brevard Public Schools, Florida.
Cody Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach at Proctor/Hermantown.
Josh Edlund is the head football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach at Champlin Park
Jeff Olson is the Head Wrestling Coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.
Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.
Matt Harris is an Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Marty Bratrud is the Superintendent and High School Principal at Westhope High School.
Gordie Haug is an assistant football coach at the University of North Dakota.
Mike Hastings is the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s head Hockey coach.
Mike Biermaier is the Athletic Director at Grand Forks Schools.
Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football, volleyball, and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for Bison media relations.
Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College.
Chris Myrold is the Director and Fitness at Mission Ranch and Fitness in Camel, California.
Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis
Jaren Bailey is serving our country and is Lance Corporal in the Marines.
Ben Andringa is serving our country in the Army and is now a Ranger.
Philip Kujawa class of 2004, from Crookston High School. He is an Army recruiter in Rochester.
Rob Sobolik is the General Manager of the Fargodome
That’s it for this week. Thanks for the comments, and if you have anything to add or share, please e-mail chrisjfee@yahoo.com or call. Thanks for reading and listening to KROX RADIO and kroxam.com..
