On Monday, high school athletes across the state finally got to partake in their first winter sports season practices, and Crookston Pirates athletes were excited to be back with their friends, preparing for the season.
BOYS BASKETBALL
The Crookston Pirates Boys Basketball team was the first to practice at 6:15 a.m. Monday. After practice, Senior Easton Tangquist said it was good to be back. “It feels pretty good,” said Tangquist. “We’re pretty excited because for a while we didn’t know if we were going to have basketball. We thought we were starting a while ago, but now that we’re actually starting, we’re pumped.”
Senior Jacob Miller said the team is ready to win. “The team is looking pretty good,” said Miller. “Everybody is pretty conditioned, and we’ll be ready.”
Miller added he’s looking forward to games. “Mostly, playing the games,” said Miller. “It will be nice to have our senior season. I’m sure everybody is feeling like that through all grades.”
Tangquist said it will be nice to make one last season of memories with his teammates. “I always look back on memories from past years,” said Tangquist. “I just want another year of memories with the boys, our coaches, and to win some games too.”
GIRLS BASKETBALL
The Crookston Pirates Girls Basketball team hopes to have another strong season after finishing last season 21-7. Senior Emma Boll said she’s hopeful they can play the full season. “I’m excited to be back on the court, especially with all of my friends I haven’t seen in a long time,” said Boll. “And I’m really grateful that we can play again because my volleyball season got cut short. So, I’m excited for basketball. Hoping that we can play the whole season, and I can’t wait to see how far we go this season.”
Junior Hayden Winjum said it a good first practice. “It was a lot of fun to see the girls,” said Winjum. “Haven’t seen a lot of them in a while. I think we had a really good first practice. A lot of intensity. A lot of communication and excitement for the season.”
Senior Emma Borowicz said the intensity was really high for the first practice. “It’s good to back out here with everyone else,” said Borowicz. “It’s been a long time that we weren’t able to play together, even throughout the summer. The intensity was really high today. We’re all working hard. Probably going to be sore tomorrow and all week but feels good.”
Borowicz added the Pirates have to take advantage of the opportunity to play. “Just playing,” said Borowicz. “Being out there, that’s all we can really ask for. The opportunities are there, so we have to take them.”
Boll said she’s also looking forward to seeing how good the team can be. “I’m just looking forward to playing,” said Boll. “Being out on the court with my best friends and seeing how good we can get this season.”
Winjum also said she’s ready to have some fun this year. “I’m looking forward to a great season,” said Winjum. “I think we have a lot of potential. I’m excited and ready to have some fun. And going to make the most out of whatever we get here.”
WRESTLING
The Crookston Pirates Wrestlers are also hoping to have a strong season, even though they won’t get to wrestle in their traditional tournaments. Senior Zach Brown said the team pushed hard on the first day. “Today was definitely pretty fun,” said Brown. “We’re all gasping for our breaths, so we were definitely pushing hard, which is good. We need to push hard if we want to get to state, and that’s exactly what we all want to do.”
Senior Nolan Dans said even without tournaments, the Pirates’ Wrestlers will take what they can get for a season. “I think we’re all ready to get back in here and wrestle hard like we do every year,” said Dans. “Keep pushing ourselves every like we do every year and get better. We’re going to miss tournaments and all that, but if this is all we can get, we’ll take it.”
Senior Cade Coauette said he’s looking forward to the new schedule against non-section opponents. “I’m pretty excited for wrestling some new teams we haven’t wrestled before,” said Coauette. “It’s going to be something completely different than what we’re used to, instead of wrestling section opponents.”
Senior Cam Weiland said he’s looking forward to getting back on the mat and wrestling with some different people. “I’m looking forward to getting back out on the mat and wrestling some teams,” said Weiland. “Instead of just duals, we’re doing triangularity (matches), so it’s nice to wrestle different people each time.”
BOYS HOCKEY
The Crookston Pirates Boys Hockey will look to build on a strong finish to last season that saw them win four of their final six games. Senior Noah Dragseth said it felt good to be back on the ice. “It’s good,” said Dragseth. “It’s definitely different from the masks and everything, but it feels good to be back.”
Senior Gavin Anderson said, “I’m glad to back out here with the boys. I’m looking forward to everybody working hard and putting in their best effort.”
Dragseth said he was also excited, “to be able to play. Being able to get out of the house and do something finally.”
GIRLS HOCKEY
The Pirates Girls Hockey team is also looking to build off of last season. Senior Kenze Epema said the first practice was different than they’ve been before. “It was definitely really different with all of this mask stuff,” said Epema. “And having to be six feet apart. It’s not like any of our other sports like soccer this season. But the masks just really…they’ ain’t fun.”
Senior Catherine Tiedemann said it was nice to be back on the ice. “It was different for sure,” said Tiedemann. “But at least we’re still able to get on the ice and play. We scrimmaged the whole practice, just getting back out there.”
Tiedemann said she’s looking forward to just having a season. “I guess just the fact we have a season,” said Tiedemann. “There was a chance we wouldn’t have one at all. So, being able to have almost a full schedule, practicing every day, that’s mostly what I’m looking forward to.”
Epema said she was looking forward to one last year playing alongside her best friend. “Definitely being able to play like Cat said,” said Epema. “And then, just being able to have my best friend next to my side one last year.”
