SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.com
We start off the column with some sad and unfortunate news from Red Lake Falls. They won’t have a Varsity Girls Basketball team this year. I have always been impressed that Red Lake Falls (and Kittson County Central) field boys hockey teams and half the Thief River Falls varsity girls hockey team is made up of Red Lake Falls girls! I reached out to Red Lake Falls Activities Director Seth Schmitz about the news and he response is below.
Chris,
Red Lake Falls has been experiencing declining numbers in the girls basketball program for a few years now. There is competition with other activities such as girls hockey and One-Act-Play and we have always been one of the smallest school districts in the state that offers boys and girls hockey along with basketball. This year’s participation came in even lower than originally expected. There were discussions of a possible cooperation but school boards could not come to an agreement for a co-op. At this time, numbers in the junior high and elementary levels look solid and we hope to be back in action at the varsity level in the near future.
Thanks,
Seth Schmitz
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The two final winter sports teams to start practice are Wrestling and Boys Basketball will start practice on November 18..
We have posted the latest Crookston Pirate Varsity Winter Sport Schedules. To view the schedules, click the link – Pirate Winter Sports Schedules | KROX
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Minnesota State Football smei-final games are being played across the state this week.
NINE-PLAYER –
The Fertile-Beltrami Falcons take on the LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle Pacelli Cardinals in the state semi-finals on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. You can hear the game on KROX Radio from U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Lyle/Pacelli joined the LeRoy-Ostrander coop this year and it obviously is working out well.
| Tale of the Tape | Fertile-Beltrami | LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli |
| Record | 11-0 | 12-0 |
| QRF Rank | #2 | #5 |
| Offensive Points Per game | 54 | 51 |
| Defensive Points per game | 11 | 17 |
| Finish at state last year | Semi-finals loss | Did not make it (Lost to section semi-finals) |
| State Tourney Trip # | 9 times | 14th as LeRoy Ostrander |
Fertile-Beltrami is making its fourth straight state tournament appearance and the fourth straight semi-final appearance. LeRoy Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli is making its 14th trip to state and the first since 2021 when they were the 9-Man State champion by beating Fertile-Beltrami 58-8.
Fertile-Beltrami is led on the offensive side of the ball by Isaiah Wright. The senior quarterback has carried the ball 130 times this season for 2,045 yards and 32 touchdowns. Oh, that isn’t it because Jonah Harstad, who broke his leg in the Section 6 9-Player championship last year, has carried the ball 107 times for 1,181 yards and 15 touchdowns. Bryer Strem is a big weapon with 37 carries for 339 yards and seven touchdowns. Strem has also caught 23 passes for 509 yards and six touchdowns and he has even completed 10 of 18 passes for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns!!!!!
Easton Petry has completed 36 of 47 passes for 474 yards and three touchdowns, while Gavin Aakhus has completed 9 of 16 passes for 200 yards. Who do you try to stop if you are the opponent???? Who the heck knows!!!
Isaiah Wright also has 12 receptions for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Preston Hanson has 14 receptions for 68 yards.
The Fertile-Beltrami defense is even more impressive. Bryer Strem has 11 interceptions, Caleb Sather leads the team with 67 tackles, Preston Hanson has 52, Caleb Stoltman has 49, and Jonah Harstad has recorded 47 tackles.
Isaiah Wright is a stud. He has rushed for 5,641 yards, 87 touchdowns, and has converted 32 2-point conversions in his career.
He has 910 receiving yards for nine touchdowns and also has six interceptions, with two of them returned for touchdowns, and he also has four special team kick/punt return touchdowns on the season.
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle/Pacelli is led by senior quarterback Camden Hungerholt. Camden is a 6’1, 190 pound force. He has completed 115 of 211 passes for 2,183 yards, 31 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He has also carried the ball 196 times for 2,694 yards and 35 touchdowns. He has a total of 66 touchdowns on the season…..That is 396 points on his touchdowns!!!!!!
They also have Tyson Stevens at running back with 68 carries for 480 yards and 7 touchdowns and 12 receptions for 259 yards and 3 touchdowns. The top receiver is Carter Sweeney, with 45 receptions and 812 yards and 13 touchdowns.
On the defensive side, LOLP is led by Ryder Stern with 129 tackles, 12 sacks, 2 fumbler recoveries, and one interception. Tyseon Stevens is next with 99 tackles and 3 interceptions. Dylan Christianson has 95 tackles and 13.5 sacks and 2 fumbles on the year.
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The Minnesota Football Coaches Association has announced the team and individual Academic All-State award winners. The area teams and players are below.
TEAM
Gold (3.26 to 4.0 GPA)
Fertile-Beltrami 3.50 (Top GPA in the state in 9-Player)
Red Lake County 3.36
Kittson County Central 3.34
Ada-Borup-West 3.34
Warroad 3.29
Barnesville 3.28
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo 3.27
Win-E-Mac 3.26
INDIVIDUALS –
Jonah Harstad (Fertile-Beltrami)
Blaine Smith (Stephen-Argyle)
Kaden Pierce (Warren-A-O)
Austin McCraven (Ada-Borup-West)
Gannon Bolgrean (Barnesville)
Cody Kvarnlov (Warroad)
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The Minnesota High School Volleyball Coaches Association announced the following 2024 awards.
Section 8A Coach of the Year – Tina Turn (Kittson County Central)
Section 8AA Coach of the Year – Tessa Tysver (Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton)
Outstanding Assistant Coach awards –
Amy Johnson (Ada-Borup-West)
Jessica Stender (BGMR)
Jamie Schultz (Bemidji)
Sarah Goudge (Clearbrook-Gonvick)
TEAM ACADEMIC AWARDS –
Gold Award (3.75 to 4.0 GPA)
Ada-Borup-West
Barnesville
Bemidji
Blackduck
Climax-Fisher
Detroit Lakes
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
East Grand Forks
Fertile-Beltrami
Goodridge/Grygla
Hawley
Hillcrest Lutheran
Kittson County Central
Lake Park-Audubon
Laporte
Mahnomen/Waubun
Moorhead
Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal
Park Christian
Park Rapids
Pelican Rapids
Red Lake Falls
Roseau
Sacred Heart
Stephen-Argyle
Wadena-Deer Creek
SILVER TEAM AWARDS (3.50 to 3.74 GPA)
Badger/Greenbush-Middle River
Bagley
Crookston
Thief River Falls
Win-E-Mac
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There have been a bunch of area high school athletes signing letters of intent to play college sports over the last week. They ones I have seen are below –
Crookston’s Emily Bowman signed to play softball at North Dakota State College of Science.
Crookston’s Matthew Contreas signed to play baseball at Concordia College in Moorhead.
Moorhead’s Sydney Martinson has committed to. play Lacrosse at Niagra.
Hawley’s Sophie Cook has signed to play golf at the University of North Dakota.
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley’s Aubrey Morrison signed to play basketball at Minnesota State Moorhead
Barnesville’s Abby John signed to play basketball at Minnesota State Moorhead
Sydney Dahl of Minnewaska Area signed to play basketball at Minnesota State Moorhead
UMC Baseball has signed a bunch of players –
Ashton Detloff of Perham (2024 All-State team, HOL pitcher of the year twice)
Noah Jensen of Minnewaska (had a school-record 8 home runs last year)
Elias Leach of Plymouth, MN (Wayzata High School – hit .351 last year with 3 home runs, 17 rbi, and 20 runs)
Tom Uhlich of Wahpeton, ND and a transfer from NDSCS (hit .423 with 45 stolen bases, 52 runs)
Jack Hansen of Mankato (Mankato East) hit .333 with 14 home runs and nine stolen bases last year
UMC SOCCER signed Phoenix Debrusk of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
UMC Softball signed Valerie Vanzant of Salina, Kansas.
UMC Men’s Basketball signed Brady Westphal of West Fargo, North Dakota (Harace High School)
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Goodridge-Grygla will host a girls basketball jamboree on Saturday, November 16. The Varsity and JV scrimmages will start at 9:00 a.m. and the Jamboree will start at 1:00 p.m.
Teams participating will be Fosston, Red Lake County Central, Northern Freeze, Stephen-Argyle, Badger/Greenbush-Middle River, Win-E-Mac, Fertile-Beltrami, Climax-Fisher, and Goodridge/Grygla.
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The Section 8AA Volleyball Champion Hawley Nuggets have had a tremendous year and finished it with a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!! Congratulations to the Nuggets on the amazing season.
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The latest Division II Football Super Region 4 rankings have been released and four of the 10 teams are from the NSIC.
2. Augustana
3. MSU-Mankato
7. Bemidji State
8. Sioux Falls
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The Northern Sun Conference is considered to the best best conference in the country in Division II and this year is no different. The top 25 poll came out on Monday and here are the top 25 teams.
2. St. Cloud State
8. Concordia St. Paul
15. Wayne State (Neb)
16. Southwest Minnesota State
18. Northern State
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JOKES
The wife, being a romantic at heart, decided one day that she’d send her husband a text while she was out having coffee with a friend. She texted:
If you are sleeping, send me your dreams.
If you are laughing, send me your smile.
If you are eating, send me a bite.
If you are drinking, send me a sip.
If you are crying, send me your tears.
I love you.
The husband, being a no-nonsense sort of guy, texted back:
I’m on the toilet.
Please advise.
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A man calls home to his wife and says, “Honey I have been asked to go fishing at a big lake up in Canada with my boss and several of his friends.
We’ll be gone for a week. This is a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I’ve been wanting. Would you please pack me enough clothes for a week and set out my rod and tackle box. We’re leaving from the office and I will swing by the house to pick my things up. Oh! Please pack my new blue silk pajamas.”
The wife thinks this sounds a little fishy but being a good wife that she is, she does exactly what her husband asked. The following weekend he comes home a little tired but otherwise looking good.
The wife welcomes him home and asks if he caught many fish.
He says, “Yes! Lot’s of Walleye, some Bluegill, and a few Pike. But why didn’t you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to do?”
The wife replied, “I did, they were in your tackle box.”
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George Phillips, an elderly man from Walled Lake, Michigan, was going up to bed, when his wife told him that he’d left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to go turnoff the light, but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things. He phoned the police, who asked “Is someone in your house?” He said “No,” but some people are breaking into my garden shed and stealing from me .” Then the police dispatcher said “All patrols are busy, you should lock your doors and an officer will be along when one is available” George said, “Okay.” He hung up the phone and counted to 30. Then he phoned the police again.
“Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don’t have to worry about them now because I just shot and killed them both; the dogs are eating them right now,” and he hung up.
Within five minutes, six Police Cars, a SWAT Team, a Helicopter, two Fire Trucks, a Paramedic and an Ambulance showed up at the Phillips’ residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the Policemen said to George, “I thought you said that you’d shot them!”
George said, “I thought you said there was nobody available.”
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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
Reese Swanson is a freshman playing hockey at St. Olaf.
Carter Coauette is a freshman playing football at Minot State.
Isabelle Smith is a freshman playing Tennis at Concordia College.
Isaac Thomforde is a freshman playing Tennis at Northwestern College in St. Paul.
Emilee Tate is a Sophomore playing Softball at Northland Community and Technical College.
Halle Bruggeman is a Sophomore on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Women’s Rugby team.
Ethan Boll is a Red-shirt Freshman 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 Sophomore playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Aleah Bienek is a Junior playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.
Joslynn Leach is a Senior playing golf at Concordia College in Moorhead. The Cobbers wrapped up the Fall season.
Brady Butt is a Senior playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Brooks Butt is a Junior playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Ty Hamre is redshirt Junior playing football at Bemidji State University.
Elizabeth Erdman is a coach for the Moorhead Red Dragon swim team.
Crookston School District Coaches
Ben Parkin is the head Pirate Baseball Coach.
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Marley Melbye is an assistant girls golf coach
Jeff Perreault is the Pirate Girls Golf head 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
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 Wyoming.
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
Ben Andringa is serving our country in the Army and is now a Ranger.
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 a grad of West Point and currently serving in the U.S. Army.
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.
