Welcome to the Sports Feever column. KROX has successfully video streamed all of the Crookston Pirate home sporting events so far. 7 in four days of events! So far so good. We thank everyone that has watched them and if you want to watch our coverage, click on the Blue KROX Radio Live Video Stream link on the front page or click here.
Streaming has been a spendy venture and we still have room for sponsors if you want to sponsor the games, let me know at chrisjfee@yahoo.com.
Thank you and enjoy this week’s column!
— — —
We are officially underway with high school sports and it has been glorious. A little bit of normalcy has been appreciated, pretty much every game is streamed online or on the radio so more people can take in the games than ever before.
The only problem we have noticed is the facemasks. Some kids wear them correctly and some wear them as chin warmers. You might be wondering why nothing is done about the masks. That is a good question and the reason is nobody is really in charge of enforcement. The Minnesota State High School League has told officials they aren’t in charge of enforcing the facemask policy (because it isn’t the MSHSL rule), but the coaches and administration are. Well, what administrator or coach is going to pull a kid because they are wearing their mask as a chin warmer? So far in my experience, not one has.
I have come to the conclusion that most coaches think it is ridiculous to force these kids to wear a mask and they will let the kids have them down to the chin or at least over the mouth. The other aspect is – coaches have more important things to worry about than if a mask slips down.
I wish the MSHSL would either make officials enforce it with a warning, then a technical foul/penalty, or don’t require them. Don’t punish the teams and kids following the rules and allowing the kids that don’t wear their masks (as we say, the naughty kids) correctly get fresh, unfiltered oxygen!
Just my thoughts…
— — —
I am a member of the University of Minnesota Crookston Teambackers board and I received a phone call this week from UMC that the University sent a football field lease proposal to the Crookston School District. I called the school board chair and asked him about it and he didn’t know anything about it. I talked to Superintendent Jeremy Olson about it and he confirmed they had received it and he hadn’t had a chance to look it over as far as specifics. He confirmed they received it Monday and I talked to him on Tuesday.
I was told this by UMC –
They are proposing a 20-year lease that would require the Crookston School District to resurface/redo the track at some point. Crookston High School would be able to brand everything at the field and all that good stuff.
I asked Superintendent Olson how much the lease would be per year and he said he didn’t look at it that close yet.
The school district is looking at building a football field/track in the back (North side) of the high school. It would include turf, a new track, and stands/press box. In order for the school to get it, they would have to hold a referendum. In the meet the candidates forum, all the candidates for school board said they need a football/soccer/track complex of their own. Superintendent Olson has stated they will have a committee made up of community members like the bus garage was and look at a complex.
Would it be a good move for the Crookston School District to sign a 20-year lease at a complex that is run down, needs a new track, the press box has been painted maroon and that paint is peeling off and the original blue is starting to show. The lights went out a couple of years ago, the field has a terrible crown on it and with any rain turns into a mud bowl. The track needs to be redone and the school district would be on the hook for it. The facility needs a LOT of work and it would cost a lot of money. (I am estimating at least $250,000 to replace the track and fix the field (level the crown). So if you are going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, why not have your own place? Well, the new place would probably cost $1 million to $1.5 million dollars. So, there are a few reasons.
That is the decision the school district will have to make, but the few people I have talked to already have said that the lease proposal doesn’t make sense and if they wrecked the track with a Bobcat clearing snow, why would the school district be on the hook for all the repairs. Easy…UMC doesn’t need the track or football field anymore and why would they put money into it? I sure wouldn’t if I was chancellor.
Stay tuned. We will keep you updated on this little development.
— — —
Here are some thoughts on the first five days of high school sports competition.
Boys Hockey –
Warroad Boys Hockey looks like they are going to be pretty darn good again. East Grand Forks has played a tough schedule to start the season and will be there in March. Red Lake Falls has had a great start to the season and scoring goals like every team when they played Crookston’s Peewee C team (that I played on) back in the late 80’s.
Roseau is off to a great start and they will be a force in Section 8AA.
Boys Basketball –
In 8AA, Perham is the team to beat again. They have a great group again and are at the top of the section. I also think DGF and Barnesville could be good. In the North, Warroad has had a nice start and East Grand Forks and Thief River Falls could be in the mix.
In Section 8A, Stephen-Argyle has a nice team this year. They have some size, tremendous athletes and some hard nose kids. Ada-Borup is always in the mix even though they lost some pretty big horses. BGMR is going to be good and never count out the cagey veteran coaches Neil Steffes (Fertile-Beltrami) and Steve Philion (Red Lake County).
In the East, Fosston led by the one and only (thank goodness) Coach Ben Hemberger. You have Cass Lake-Bena and Red Lake always in the mix.
Girls Basketball –
In Section 8AA – Perham has taken the lead early on with a three-point victory over Fergus Falls in the season opener. Perham is athletic, they have great shooters and without injuries last year could have been the top team. Fergus Falls is still the favorite in my eyes. Pelican Rapids, Hawley, Crookston, Breckenridge are all in the mix. It could be a great section tourney this year!
In Section 8A – Stephen-Argyle girls have had a great start and a lot of the girls have taken lumps as a young team the last few years, but they are a group of seasoned veterans and have great athletes and some darn good players. They will have a shot. Badger-Greenbush-Middle River will be the other favorite this year. They are always athletic, aggressive, and they will be in the mix in the west.
In the east, Fosston will be the team to beat along with Red Lake and maybe Clearbrook-Gonvick. The Bears are always in the hunt every year in the east.
Girls Hockey –
Warroad and everybody else is playing for the runner-up trophy. Who might get the runner-up trophy? Thief River Falls seems to be the front runner with the two Breilands as part of the Red Lake Falls coop. East Grand Forks and Crookston round out the contenders.
In 8AA – Roseau will be tough again and had some nice wins already this season.
Wrestling –
Section 8A might be the most wide-open it has been. BGMR and United North Central are the top two teams and Crookston and Frazee would have to be the next two. Crookston and BGMR will meet next week and that will be a great match!
8AA – Detroit Lakes, Perham, and Thief River Falls will be at the top along with Alexandria and Pierz. It will be a stacked section again!
— — —
University of Minnesota Crookston Women’s Basketball player, Jes Mertens (Fresh. Devils Lake, ND) is currently leading the nation (Division II) in steals per game with 4.83 steals per game. Mertens is also second in the nation with 29 steals this season. Not bad for an area girl and to top it off, she is a freshman. UMC is coming off a sweep of Northern State last weekend. It was the first time in program history that the Golden Eagles beat Northern State twice in a season!!
One would think the UMC Women should be able to have some success in their next two weekends.
— — —
The Star Tribune reported earlier this week that the state hockey and basketball tournament championship games could be held April 2 and 3 (Easter weekend!) and April 7/8 respectively. The Star Tribune reporting might be correct, but right now everybody is saying it isn’t correct…..as of now.
Several sources with the MSHSL has said the reporting isn’t accurate and Minnesota Hockey announced Wednesday afternoon that –
“Per our conversation with the MSHSL, state tournament dates and a venue for hockey have not been determined and are a work in progress. “There are lots of moving parts.” Decision should be made Feb. 4 when MSHSL Board of Directors meet to finalize details. Stay tuned.”
So stay tuned for February 4 to find out section and state tournament information.
— — —
Follow the Puck has released the top Boys Hockey team goal totals –
1. Hermantown 30
2. Red Lake Falls 20
2. Mora/Milaca 20
4. St. Thomas Academy 19
5. Roseau 18
5. Warroad 18
7. Northern Lakes 17
8. Cretin Derham Hall 17
9. Centennial 16
10. St. Cloud 15
10. Maple Grove 15
11. Northfield 14
12. Rochester Mayo 14
13. Grand Rapids 14
Individual scoring leaders as of January 20
1. Zam Plante (Hermantown) – 8
2. Ty Kennet (Red Lake Falls) – 7
2. Tyler Hennen (Kittson County Central) – 7
4. Zak Kennet (Red Lake Falls) – 6
4. Park Mitchell (Mora)-6
4. Cam Boche (Lakeville South)- 6
— — —
JOKES
— — —
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
Aleece Durbin, is a Junior on the University of North Dakota Women’s Track and Field team.
Brady Butt is a freshman playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Brady Heppner, is playing hockey for the Roanoke Raildogs in the SPHL.
Brita Fagerlund, is a Senior on the University of Jamestown Jimmy Women’s Track team.
Ben Trostad, is a Junior member of the University of Minnesota Crookston golf team.
Rachel Hefta, a Sophmore, is playing volleyball at Hastings College in Nebraska.
Cade Salentine is a redshirt-Sophomore playing football at the University of North Dakota.
Nick Garmen, is a sophomore playing tennis at the University of Minnesota Morris.
Caden Osborn, is a freshman playing basketball at the University of Minnesota Morris.
Thea Oman, a sophomore, is swimming at St. Ben’s.
Crookston School District Coaches –
Emily Meyer is a girls hockey and softball assistant coach.
Carrie Clauson is a Junior High girls tennis coach.
Jeremy Lubinski is a Pirate 8th Grade Football coach.
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach and assistant volleyball coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Cody Brekken is the Head Pirate Girls and Boys Tennis coach and Crookston Community Pool Supervisor
Marley Melbye is the Head Girls Swimming coach
Mitch Bakken is the head Pirate Baseball coach.
Brock Hanson is the Pirate Baseball volunteer assistant coach.
Jeff Perreault is the Pirate Girls Golf head coach
Wes Hanson is the Pirate Wrestling Head Coach and assistant boys golf coach
Kevin Weber is a Pirate Boys Basketball volunteer assistant coach
Connor Morgan is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Sam Melbye is the Pirate Boys J.V. Hockey coach
Chris Dufault is a youth wrestling Coach
Colton Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach
Non-Crookston High School coaching –
Cody Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach at Proctor/Hermantown
Kaylee Desrosier is a softball coach for Fargo Davies Middle School.
Justin Johnson is an assistant softball coach at the University of Minnesota Crookston.
Josh Edlund is an assistant football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach in Champlin Park
Jeff Olson is Head Wrestling coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.
Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.
Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson, is Head Volleyball coach at Little Falls High School.
Katy Westrom, is Head Girls Tennis Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Monticello High School.
Matt Harris, is a Director of Athletics at the British International School of Houston.
Marty Bratrud is the Superintendent and High School Principal at Westhope High School.
Gordie Haug is an assistant football coach at the University of Wyoming
Mike Hastings is the Minnesota State Mankato Men’s head Hockey coach
Mike Biermaier is the Athletic Director at Thief River Falls High School
Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football and volleyball and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for the Bison media relations
Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College
Chris Myrold is a Tennis Pro on Nevis Island in the West Indies
Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis
Jarrett Butenhoff is serving our country with the U.S. Navy
Joshua Butenhoff is serving our country on a Submarine with the Pacific Fleet with the US Navy.
Peter Cournia is a 2002 Crookston High School Graduate and also a grad of West Point and is currently is serving in the U.S. Army.
Erik Ellingson is serving our country with the U.S. Air Force at Minot.
Philip Kujawa class of 2004 from Crookston High School. He is an Army recruiter in Rochester.
Scott Riopelle is head of Crookston Parks and Recreation
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
Tags:
