SPORTS FEEVER – March 20, 2019

I am typing the intro to this weeks column from the floor of the historic Williams Arena as KROX radio broadcasts, I believe, from the 58th straight State Boys Basketball tournament.  Leo Blavin and I will have up to 10 games over four days.  The broadcast schedule is below –
Thursday – Ada-Borup vs Cromwell – pregame at 2:30 from Williams Arena
Friday – Class A semi-finals at Noon and 2:00 p.m. from Target Center (we will join the 1st game at about 12:20 p.m.)
Class AA semi-finals if Perham
Saturday – All FOUR state championship games at 11, 2, 5 and 8.

You can listen to the games on KROX Radio, online by clicking on the listen live button at the upper right-hand corner of this page, you can listen on the KROX app, and Alexa.  (Alexa, listen to KROX in Crookston).

We love broadcasting the games and it is a nice way to wrap up a very busy winter sports season.

It is even better to see the Section 8AA champion Perham Yellowjackets win their first round game and advance to the semi-finals.  And with Ada-Borup/Norman County West gettting the second seed, they should have a good chance of making the semi-finals too!

We (KROX Radio) thank you for listening all winter long and we hope you enjoyed our broadcasts.  It doesn’t look like we will have much to broadcast for a while so we will enjoy the “down time” and get ready for the spring season whenever it starts up!

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The North Dakota State Bison Men’s Basketball team will give the school the most publicity any sports team or school in North Dakota has ever had this week when they play Duke in the first round of the Men’s Basketball tournament.
If you wondering to yourself….”What about Bison football Championships/games?”   Barely 1 million people have watched the games on TV.  Nobody generally cares about the FCS Championship football games and the same goes for College hockey championship games.  March Madness and the Men’s Division 1 College Basketball tournament is by far the most popular event in sports.  The advantage of playing Duke is they are going to be playing in Primetime and everybody is going to be watching.
It is the best free publicity the University will have ever received.  Congratulations to the Bison on their second win in the Men’s Basketball tournament and if you get another win this year, not only will you have wrecked every bracket in the country, but you will be the team that most people will fall in love and cheer for.

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MARCH MADNESS IS HERE and while we all love the basketball games….kids make sure you still do your homework before watching the games!

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Minnesota State Mankato Maverick Men’s Hockey Coach, Mike Hastings, has been named the 2018-19 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year.  Hastings is a Crookston High School graduate and a member of the Crookston High School Hall of game.
Hastings, who is in his seventh year behind the Minnesota State men’s hockey bench, has led the Mavericks to a 31-7-2 mark this season.  Minnesota State earned the 2018-19 league regular-season title with a 22-5-1 league ledger.  In addition to claiming the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular-season champs, the Mavericks won the MacInnes Cup as Michigan Tech Winter Carnival champions.  Currently rated #2 in the USCHO.com poll and #3 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, the Mavericks will vye for the Jeff Sauer Trophy this Saturday when they host Bowling Green for the WCHA postseason tournament championship.  Statistically, Minnesota State heads into the weekend leading the nation in power play goals (44), goal margin (+73) and GAA (1.70) this season. Minnesota State also led the WCHA with seven All-League selections and ranked second in the WCHA with 17 All-Academic selections. The Mavericks have won four regular-season titles under Hastings’ leadership and the 31 wins this year have established a school record for victories in a season.   Under Hastings’ guidance, Minnesota State is 182-79-21 all-time and no team in the nation has won more games (182) during his seven years with the program.  Having been named WCHA Coach of the Year in 2012-13 and 2014-15, this year marks the third time the Crookston native has been named WCHA Coach of the Year.

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The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Baseball team had a great start to the Northern Sun Conference season with a three-game series sweep of Wayne State last weekend in Omaha, Nebraska.  The first game pitching performance of Zach Rustad (Sr. Blaine) was a huge way to start the series.  Rustad threw a one-hit shutout in the first to set the tone and because of his efforts, he was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week.
Rustad pitched all seven innings while allowing one hit, while striking out seven Wayne State hitters.

The Golden Eagles will have another tough three-game series this weekend when they take on Concordia-St. Paul.  CSP is 10-4 overall in 2-1 in the NSIC.

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The Crookston High School Boys Tennis team will play the Bemidji Lumberjacks on Thursday, April 4 at Noon at the Bemidji State Recreation Center.  The teams will split the cost at $125 each to play indoors.
In order to get all the matches in, they will shorten matches with no ad scoring.  The schedule of matches is below –
First Round:  3rd doubles and 2nd doubles.  4th singles and 3rd singles.
Second Round:  1st doubles and 4th doubles.  1st singles and 2nd singles.
Time Remaining:  5th and 6th doubles.  5th and 6th singles.

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The rich get richer, that seems to be happening in the Northern Sun Conference in Women’s basketball with former North Dakota Miss basketball and NDSU player, Sarah Jacobson, transferring to Minnesota State Moorhead.  Jacobson averaged 10 points and 4 rebounds in her first two years at NDSU and took a medical redshirt this year before leaving the team.

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Congratulations to the Roseau Ram Girls Basketball team on their third-place finish at the state tournament.  Katie Borowicz set a single-game state tournament record for assists with 19 in the Rams’ 81-43 victory over Albany in the third-place game. It broke the mark of 17 set by Albany’s Kelly Skalicky in 1979.

In the three games Roseau played, senior guard Kacie Borowicz had point totals of 33, 29, and 40 for 102 points.  Not a bad way to end your high school career.  The neat thing was her sister Katie seemed to be looking to get her the ball more than usual in the third-place game.

Congratulations to the 5 finalists for Minnesota’s Miss. Basketball!
LayLay Chakolis – Hopkins
McKenna Hofschild – Prior Lake
Frannie Hottinger – Cretin-Derham Hall
Sara Scalia – Stillwater
Kacie Borowicz – Roseau

The winner will be announced at All-Star weekend!

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Congratulations to the Ada-Borup Cougars and the Perham Yellow Jackets on winning the Section 8A and 8AA boys basketball championships.  The Section 8AA championship was a tough one to pick who to cheer for with two great coaches, two programs that do things the right way and a bunch of talented hard-working athletes.
Coach Stoa is one of the nicest guys in the world and is one of the many coaches that genuinely care about his kids.  With what they have gone through last year with Jacob Vetter going down to a knee injury and still making a run to being a couple of possessions away from a trip to state he has done a great job and tough to cheer against a great guy and coach.
Perham has been one of the top teams in Section 8AA for almost two decades now and most people still don’t cheer against them and that tells you something.  Perham does things the right way and Coach Dave Cresap is a great coach and how could you not cheer for Perham after assistant coach Brian Schwantz’s brother passed away last week.  Brian and his two brothers were able to celebrate the section championship with another looking down on them and for a few hours anyway, the Schwantz family was able to celebrate after a tough couple of days.

State Boys Basketball highlights and things to look for from the local angle –

1. Ada-Borup will make their first appearance since 2009.  They will have a chance to make a run with outstanding athleticism and shooters along with the 6’8 Mason Miller.
2. Perham is making a return trip to the state after suffering their only loss of the season last year in the Section Championship game to Breckenridge and it snaps a three-year losing streak in the Section 8AA championship game.
3. Spring Grove has advanced to the State Class A tourney and their point guard and Mr. Everything is Alex Folz, a UMC Football recruit.  Folz had 33 points in the section championship game. It is also Spring Grove’s first ever trip to state.
4. The Bemidji Lumberjacks are making their first trip to the State Boys Basketball tournament in 34 years.  Congratulations to Coach Travis Peterson and the Jacks!
5. Henning will make their first trip to state since 1966.  They have seven first cousins on the team (two sets of Twins)

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Pending Minnesota State High School League approval, the Minnehaha Boys Basketball Program will be opting up to Class AAA for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 Seasons. This move will be made no matter the outcome of this seasons Class AA Tournament.

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Ryan Bittner (Sr. Crookston) and the No. 1 ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men’s hockey team (27-0-2) shut out No. 3 St. Norbert 3-0 in the NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Championship quarterfinals on Saturday.  The win was a program record 29th-consecutive unbeaten game for the Pointers.
UWSP moves on the Frozen Four to face Hobart and the Pointers will host the D-3 frozen four  Faceoff at K.B. Willett is slated for 7:00 p.m.  SUNY Geneseo and Norwich will meet in the other semifinal game at 3:00 p.m.

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The Northwest Girls Basketball conference released the all-conference awards this week and all the award winners see the list below.

Northwest Conference Girls Basketball 2018-2019

All-Conference
Alex Syverson                        Senior                          Bagley
Kylie Solheim                         Senior                          Crookston
Rachel Hefta                          Senior                          Crookston
Emma Borowicz                      Sophomore                  Crookston
Macy Skyberg                         Senior                          East Grand Forks
McKenna Aitchison                  Senior                          East Grand Forks
Chloe Torgerson                      Sophomore                  East Grand Forks
Kacie Borowicz                       Senior                          Roseau
Katie Borowicz                        Sophomore                  Roseau
Emma Waling                         Senior                          Roseau
Alexa Rogalla                         Senior                          Thief River Falls
Annika Dalager                       Junior                          Thief River Falls

Honorable Mention
Rebecca Leier                          Senior                         Thief River Falls
Julia Braaten                           Sophomore                  Roseau
Haley Burger                           Junior                          East Grand Forks
Breanna Olson                         Senior                          East Grand Forks
Hayden Winjum                       Freshman                     Crookston
Danielle Boyle                         Junior                           Crookston

Player of the Year
Katie Borowicz                       Sophomore                  Roseau

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The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team’s season came to an end in the Section 8AA championship game with a loss to the Roseau Rams.  It was a tremendous run for the Pirates and they were playing their best basketball at the end of the year.  Coach Darin Zimmerman has done with the program over the past four years has been impressive with a team that only won four games in his first year and this year they won 18 with half of their losses to teams that were either ranked at the time or ranked during the year.  The Pirates had losses to Ada-Borup/West, Hibbing, and Roseau.  All three teams played in the state tournament.
The bad news/good news for the Pirates – They have two seniors with Rachel Hefta and Kylie Solheim.  Both girls were playing the best basketball of their careers in the last month and in the playoffs.  Rachel, at 6’1, was a tough match-up for teams because she could shoot the free throw line jump shot or hurt you inside.  She is also very athletic and could beat you on a drive and she was tough on the defensive end.  Kylie was a calm, cool and collected guard for the Pirates.  Nothing ever seemed to phase Kylie and she also played the best basketball of her career in the final month and the four playoff games.  She could shoot the three, drive and always looked to set up a teammate, especially if they had the hot hand.  The two seniors were good basketball players, but even better young ladies and their leadership will be missed.

The good news – The Pirates will have everybody else coming back.
Dani Boyle, a junior, is a good shooter, maybe the best on the team.  She had some very good games and the biggest thing for her going into next year is to have more confidence in her ability and don’t let mistakes get to her.  She is a competitive girl and I look forward to watching her step her game up another level next year.
Kasey Cwikla, a junior, had some big games for the Pirates and I look for her to be the new tough matchup for opponents.  She can play the perimeter or post up and she uses her long arms and finds ways to get position in the paint and always gives 100 percent.
Gretchen Theis, a junior, can shoot or drive and will be asked to do more at the off-guard position next year as a senior.  She is tenacious and if she can work on her ball handling in traffic she could have a big year next year.

Emma Borowicz, a sophomore, had a very good year this year and was one of the team leaders in every statistical category.  She did a better job of setting up her teammates this year with all the attention she received from opposing defenses.  You know Emma is going to work as hard as anybody and I am excited to see what she has in store in her last two years.
Emma Boll, a sophomore, didn’t play as much as she was hoping, but when she played she was solid and always played good defense.  I think if she works hard this offseason, gets a little quicker and more confident, she could have a great year next year.

Hayden Winjum, a freshman, was a defensive stud.  In my eyes, she was the best defensive player for the Pirates and she made opponent’s lives miserable with her suffocating defense.  She also made big strides throughout the year on the offensive end.  She uses her athleticism and quickness to beat opponents and can shoot the outside shot.  I am looking forward to watching her next year and she should have a great year.

Halle Winjum, a seventh grader, started playing more as the season progressed and she had some big games and showed Pirate fans that she could be a special player over the next FIVE years!  She is a smooth point guard that looks to set up her teammates first, but will drive or shoot if needed.  (Sound familiar??) Halle had some big moments in the playoffs and showed she won’t be outdone by her older sister on the defensive side and is you know she will work hard and will be looked at to play a lot more next year.

Those are the six players that had played some decent minutes this season and there will be some freshman looking for some playing time as sophomores next year and if they pick up their game this offseason, they could have a very deep team next year.
Jenna Coauette, Madison Hoiland, and Ally Perreault will look for some more minutes next year and I know they will work hard to try to get some more minutes next year.

The J.V. team had some success, the C squad had some success and there will be a freshman or two that might push to get some minutes next year too.  The future is bright for the Pirates, but they will need to work harder than they have worked before and if they do, they will be rewarded and there is NO reason why they can’t make a trip to state next year.

It sounds like the section could possibly get significantly tougher next year with Fergus Falls possibly dropping down to Class 8AA and if that happens they could be put in Section 6AA or 8AA.  They won the Section 8AAA championship this year and will have most of their team coming back.  Fergus Falls beat Bemidji twice this year (85-63 and 68-38), they beat Thief River Falls 54-38 and beat Hawley 59-49.  They will graduate five players (accounting for 25 of the 62 points per game they averaged) including former Fisher High School great Laura (Reitmeier) Pierson‘s daughter, Lily, who scored her 1,000th career point and averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds per game this year.
I would think, if Fergus Falls drops down, the Otters would be the favorite, but Crookston, Roseau, Hawley, and East Grand Forks would be right there if not a five-way tie for the favorite.  Roseau loses a division one player in Kacie Borowicz.
The section will be wide open next year and whoever does the most work in the offseason will be the team to beat.

The other thing we have heard is Pelican Rapids will be back up in Class AA and they would likely move into Section 8AA so that might help keep Fergus Falls out.  There is a chance Breckenridge drops to Class A.  If they stay in Class AA, the MSHSL will have some interesting assignments to make.

What does Crookston need to do to get back to the championship game?   They need to continue hitting the weights.  It wasn’t a coincidence they got better and stronger as the season went along, because they were lifting weights during the season.  They need to work on their shooting and consistency.  They need to work on pull-up jump shots and if they can figure out when to drive and when to pull up for a jumper (instead of trying to drive every time) they will be dangerous.
Did I say they need to continue hitting the weights?  The sky is the limit and after watching the teams at state this year, there is no reason why the Pirates can’t make it to state and compete at state next year.  But, if the girls don’t work their butt’s off this offseason, they will struggle to get back to the big game.  There will be a handful of teams that will be evenly matched next year and whoever works the hardest on their shooting, defense, and basic fundamentals the most will win.  But the Pirates shot under 60 percent from the free throw line, which is really bad.  They will need to drastically improve that next year.

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The Spring sports season is underway with one week in the books for Boys and Girls track and softball.  Baseball had a week of conditioning and now is in their first full week of practice.

The Pirate Girls track roster has solid numbers again this year. Like usual, the seventh and eighth graders have a bunch with 26 girls and the 9th through 12th graders have 28 girls for a total of 54.
Seniors – Jada Dillabough, Rachel Hefta, Thea Oman, Mckenzie Schmidt, Hailey Spivey  
Juniors – Katherine Geist, Audrey Harbott, Kathryn Halos
Sophomores – Emma Borowicz, Kathina Erickson, Ella Webber, Anke Wiersma 
Freshman – Morgen Arguelles, Madison Hoiland, Olivia Huck, Breanna Kressin, Jacey Larson, Hannah Loraas, Amelia Overgaard, Clair Oman, Angelica Perala, Ally Perreault, Elizabeth Sanchez, Amanda Schultz, Hayden Winjum
8th graders – Abby Borowicz, Macy Fee, Lily Groven, Megan Haugen, Alejandra Luna, Kailee Magsam, Jocelyn Midboe, Libby Salentine, Katelynn Schulz, Carly Thode
7th graders – Keona Arnold, Miracle Bernia, Amelia Cordova, Calleign Fanfulik, Emma Gunderson, Marissa Haugen, Jasmine Perala, Isabelle Smith, Cassie Solheim, Reese Swanson, Frankie Torvinen, Brekken Tull, Bailey Turnwall, Halle Winjum
Managers – Morgan Coauette, Heather Visness, Jayden Hulst, Hannah Leckie, Ella Kiel

The Pirate Softball team has 31 girls out in 7th-11th grade and no seniors.
12th grade:  None
11th grade:  Kaydin Brule, Kasey Cwikla, Claudia Dumrongkietiman, Ashlyn Genereux, Eden Haller, Jasmin Hanson, Brylee Lessard, Allie Love, Manuella Moratelli, Karen Perez-Gonzalez, Sophia Steiner, Peytience Stewart, Madison Salentine
10th grade:  Emma Boll, Amber Cymbaluk, Emily Funk, Mackenze Epema
9th grade:  Dillynn Wallace, Kendall Bergquist, Jenna Coauette, Brianna Kelly, Elizabeth Sanchez, Quinn Siegle
8th grade:  Julia Lallier, Alexis Reinhart, Katelyn Ringstad, Emilee Tate, Alex Luna
7th grade:  Natalie Narvaez, Esmeralda Suacedo, Shauna Roberts

The Pirate Boys Track team only has 25 boys out so far this year which is down a bit from last year. They have five seniors, six juniors, six sophomores, three freshmen, one eight grader and four seventh graders.  The roster is below –
Seniors (5) – Damian Hodgson, Jaden Lubarski, Shaun Nelson, Samuel Sanchez, Michael Ramierez
Juniors (6) – Isaiah Barlow, Ben Brantner, Jacob Brunelle, Ty Hamre, Caden Osborn, Tai Baig
Sophomore (6) – Zach Delage, Karsten Isaacson, Noah Kiel, Andrew MacGregor, Gabe Monteieth, Cameron Weiland
Freshman (3) – Colton Matheny, Eli Prundeda, Brady Wisk
Eighth Graders (1) – Thor Harbott
Seventh Graders (4)- Caden Boike, Carter Coauette, Jackson Reese, Evan Trudeau

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The Warroad Bantam A Hockey won the Bantam A State hockey tournament. Warroad beat Duluth Denfeld 4-2, beat Edina 5-3 and in the championship they beat Osseo-Maple Grove 2-1!  Many think Warroad will be the team to beat next year and a big reason is their Bantam guys coming up and also the big loss of seniors for East Grand Forks.  But it is safe to say both teams will be tough again next year.

In the Pee Wee A state tournament, Warroad beat Rogers 6-1 in their first round, lost to Edina 6-1 in the semi-finals.    East Grand Forks beat Spring Lake Park 4-0 in the first round and lost to Orono 6-1 in the semi’s.  In the third place game, East Grand Forks beat Warroad 4-2.

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The Minnesota State High School League’s boys basketball state tournament, held annually since 1913, is scheduled for March 20-23 at three sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here is a look at the tournament: 

The schedule: 

Class A
Thursday, March 21 At Williams Arena
Spring Grove (23-4) vs. No. 1 Springfield (27-2), 11 a.m.
No. 5 Christ Household of Faith (23-5) vs. No. 4 Henning (28-1), 1 p.m.
Cromwell-Wright (25-3) vs. No. 2 Ada-Borup (28-1), 3 p.m.
Westbrook-Walnut Grove (23-7) vs. No. 3 North Woods (27-2), 5 p.m.
Friday, March 22
At Concordia (St. Paul)   Consolation semifinals 10:00 a.m. and  noon
At Target Center Championship semifinals noon, 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
At Concordia (St. Paul) Consolation final, 8 a.m.  Third-place game, 10 a.m.
At Target Center  Championship, 11 a.m. 

Class AA
Wednesday, March 20 Quarterfinals
At Target Center
St. Peter (22-6) vs. No. 1 Minnehaha Academy (26-2), 6 p.m.
No. 5 Lake City (26-2) vs. No. 4 Melrose Area (26-4), 8 p.m.
At Williams Arena
Esko (21-9) vs. No. 2 Minneapolis North (21-9), 6 p.m.
Redwood Valley (16-11) vs. No. 3 Perham (29-1), 8 p.m.
Thursday, March 21
At Concordia (St. Paul) Consolation semifinals 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Friday, March 22
At Concordia (St. Paul) Consolation final, 2 p.m.
At Target Center Championship semifinals 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
At Concordia (St. Paul) Third-place, 12 p.m.
At Target Center Championship, 1 p.m. 

Class AAA
Wednesday, March 20 Quarterfinals At Williams Arena
Bemidji (23-4) vs. No. 1 DeLaSalle (24-5), 10 a.m.
No. 5 Mahtomedi (24-5) vs. No. 4 Princeton (26-3), 12 p.m.
Holy Angels (24-4) vs. No. 2 Waseca (28-1), 2 p.m.
Monticello (14-15) vs. No. 3 Austin (23-5), 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 21
At Target Center Championship semifinals Noon, 2 p.m.
At Concordia (St. Paul) Consolation semifinals 2 p.m., 4 p.m.
Friday, March 22
At Concordia (St. Paul) Consolation final, 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
At Concordia (St. Paul) Third place, 2 p.m.
At Target Center Championship, 5 p.m. 

Class AAAA
Wednesday, March 20 Quarterfinals At Target Center
Maple Grove (23-6) vs. No. 1 Park Center (28-1), 10 a.m.
No. 5 Lakeville North (25-4) vs. No. 4 Eden Prairie (20-9), 12 p.m.
Cambridge-Isanti (17-12) vs. No. 2 Hopkins (24-4), 2 p.m.
Eastview (18-11) vs. No. 3 East Ridge (27-2), 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 21
At Concordia (St. Paul) Consolation semifinals 10 a.m., noon
At Target Center Championship semifinals 6 p.m., 8 p.m.
Friday, March 22
At Concordia (St. Paul) Consolation final, 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 23
At Concordia (St. Paul) Third place, 4 p.m.
At Target Center Championship, 8 p.m.

Tickets: Quarterfinals, semifinals and championship sessions — $16 adults, $10 students. Third place and consolation sessions — $12 adults, $8 students.
Official basketball: Spalding Top-Flite 1000 Legacy

2019 State Tournament Snapshot

Class A
Spring Grove is making its state tournament debut. Senior guard Alex Folz, who powered the Lions to the Class Nine-Man football crown last fall, has scored more than 1,600 career points in basketball. Spring Grove has won nine consecutive Southeast Conference championships. Springfield earns the top seed in its fifth state tournament trip. The Tigers average more than 88 points per game and have scored more than 100 points seven times this season. Christ’s Household of Faith has qualified for the second time and first since finishing as the Class A runner-up in 2001. CHOF’s defense averages more than 12 steals per game. Henning is making its first state tournament appearance since 1966. The Hornets’ lone loss came in a 77-74 overtime setback to Parkers Prairie in the regular-season finale. Cromwell-Wright is making its first state tournament appearance as this co-op. In 1996, Cromwell qualified. Junior guard Micah Pocernich has made 107 three-pointers this season. Ada-Borup’s last state tournament trip was in 2009. The Cougars’ only loss this season was a one-point setback to Hawley. Westbrook-Walnut Grove has ended a long state tournament drought. The Chargers were the Class A runner-up in 1991 and then qualified in 1994. Senior guard Andrew Quade has more than 600 career assists. North Woods was the Class A runner-up in 2018 to Russell-Tyler-Ruthton. Junior forward Trevor Morrison leads a balanced Grizzlies’ attack with 13.3 points per game.

Class AA
St. Peter returns to the tournament for the sixth time and first since 2014. The Saints won just seven games last season. Minnehaha Academy is the two-time defending Class AA champion and has won three crowns since 2013. The Redhawks’ only two losses this season are to Hopkins, a participant in the Class AAAA field. Lake City surrenders just 48 points per game. The Tigers are in the state tournament for the eighth time and first since 2017. Lake City is a three-time Class A champion. Melrose Area last made a state tournament trip in 2015 when it won the Class AA crown. Senior guard Preston Keaveny averages nearly 20 points per game. Esko won the consolation final during the 2018 state tournament. Senior forward Peyton Koskela paces the Eskomos with nearly 19 points per game. Minneapolis North returns to the state tournament for the 22nd time in its rich tradition. The Polars won back-to-back Class A crowns in 2016 and 2017. Redwood Valley returns for the fourth time since 2011 and first since 2015. After losing their final two regular-season games, the Cardinals won four consecutive games for a state tournament berth. Perham was the Class AA champion in 2011 in the first of three previous state trips. The Yellowjackets’ lone loss came to Minnehaha Academy in the second game of the season.

Class AAA
Bemidji makes a state tournament return for the first time since 1985. It is the 30th trip overall for the Lumberjacks. Spencer Konecne, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, leads a balanced attack with 14 points per game. DeLaSalle is no stranger to the Class AAA field. The Islanders won six consecutive Class AAA crowns from 2012-17. DeLaSalle finished third in the 2018 tournament. The Islanders are 5-1 against teams that have qualified for the state tournament, the only loss being to Minnehaha Academy. Senior guard Tyrell Terry averages 22 points per game and senior forward Jamison Battle is close behind at 21. Mahtomedi is making its first state tournament since 1961 and second overall. Junior guard J’Vonne Hadley averages nearly 28 points per game. He set a single-game school record this season with a 52-point output. Princeton is making its first state tournament trip since 1932. The Tigers average nearly 85 points per game and feature four 1,000-point scorers in their lineup. Holy Angels returns for the third time and first since 2004. Senior center Thor Holien and junior forward Matt Banovetz both average 15 points per game. Waseca features four players that average in double figures: senior guard Malik Willingham (19.6), sophomore guard Ryan Dufault (16.0), sophomore center Andrew Morgan (15.8), and sophomore forward Kyreese Willingham (13.8). Monticello is making its 10th state tournament trip and first since 2016. The Magic are paced by junior guard Austin Wetter’s 17.6 points per game. Austin placed fourth in the eight-team field in 2018. Senior guard Medi Obang leads the Packers with 18.7 points per game and junior guard Agwa Nywesh adds 16.7.

Class AAAA
Maple Grove returns for the second consecutive season. The Crimson are led by senior guard Nate Adams who averages nearly 15 points per game. Senior guard Jared Rainey chips in 13. Park Center earned the top seed on the strength of a 28-1 record, a mark that includes quality victories over teams in the Class AAAA field. The Pirates defeated Maple Grove, their quarterfinal opponent, twice during the Northwest Suburban Conference schedule. Lakeville North finished third in the Class AAAA field in 2018. The Panthers are making their eighth consecutive appearance. Eden Prairie upended Prior Lake in the Section 2AAAA final to earn a state tournament berth for the third time in the past four seasons. Junior guard Drake Dobbs paces the Eagles with 18.4 points per game. Cambridge-Isanti topped Blaine in the Section 7AAAA final to earn a state tournament bid for the first time since 2008. Junior guard Henry Abraham averages 23 points per game and has nearly 2,100 for his career. Hopkins is back for the 23rd time in its program’s rich history. The Royals, a seven-time big-school champ in the four-class era, is powered, in part, by 6-foot-10 senior forward Ezekiel Nnaji, who averages 24 points per game. Eastview, the Section 3AAAA champion, is making its fourth state tournament trip. The Lightning have won seven of their past nine games entering the tournament. Steven Crowl, a 6-foot-10 junior forward, averages nearly 20 points per game. East Ridge has made school history with its first state tournament trip. Three Division I-caliber players power the Raptors: sophomore guard Kendall Brown (17.3 points per game), junior forward Ben Carlson (16.6), and senior forward Courtney Brown (15.7).

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“LACE ‘EM UP” BASKETBALL CAMP

Make plans now to attend the 26th annual “Lace ‘em Up” basketball camp to be held in Red Lake Falls high school at the Robert Matzke Gym from June 3-7, 2019.

The camp is open to any boys or girls who are currently in grades K-11.  The camp is set up to run from 8:00 a.m. until 11:30 for grades 6-11 each morning, and from 12:00 noon until 3:30 p.m. for grades K-6.  The cost of the camp is $60 with a maximum cost per family of $100.  If you register before May 25,  you will also receive a camp T-shirt.  After May 25, ALL SINGLE REGISTRATION FEES WILL BE $70 AND THE MAXIMUM COST PER FAMILY WILL BE $120, DUE TO CAMP PREPARATION AND AWARD ORDERS.

NOTE: by request, sixth graders may come in the morning, afternoon, or both for one price.

Cut on the dotted line and return the following to: Steve Philion, 518 Champagne Ave., Red Lake Falls, MN 56750.  (218-253-2499). E-mail: sphilion@rlfedu.org

Make checks payable to: Lace ‘em Up basketball camp

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Name____________________________________
Grade in 2018-2019________________(grade just completed)

I was a 6^th grader this year and would like to come:
(circle one) MORNING    AFTERNOON    BOTH

T-shirt sizes:     Please circle one:

Youth sizes:       EXTRA SMALL           SMALL            MEDIUM             LARGE

Adult sizes:        SMALL     MEDIUM     LARGE      X-LARGE        XX-LARGE

Address:____________________________________________

MALE____________              FEMALE____________

I, the parent of the above student agree to allow my child to participate in the 2019 “Lace ‘em Up basketball camp in Red Lake Falls.  I also understand that the camp director, the City of RLF, and the RLF school district are not responsible for any injuries or accidents that my child might occur.

SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN:_____________________________

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JOKES