SPORTS FEEVER – November 17, 2022

SPORTS FEEVER – Written by Chris Fee (chrisjfee@yahoo.com)

Now that we have snow I am ready for the Winter Sports Season…..BUTTTTTTTTTTT…..Fall sports are still going for the KROX Sports team as the Fertile-Beltrami Falcon Football team is back at the Minnesota State High School 9-Man Football tournament.  We will talk about that in a bit.   Good luck to all winter sports teams as you start your season!  Stay healthy and remember sports are supposed to be fun so enjoy the ride because you will make memories you will remember for the rest of your life, and most memories won’t be from the games themselves!  The memories will be from a team meal, maybe a big section win, practice, the bus ride, or at a hotel if you have an overnight trip, etc.  Have fun, and be nice to everybody on your team, even if they are better than you and you are jealous.

Enjoy this week’s column where we cover a myriad of topics as we usually do!

— — —

KROX will be back at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of two Taylor Swift concerts in June.  Oh, sorry, I mean the 8-1 Minnesota Vikings.  We will have the Fertile-Beltrami Falcons back at the bank and the State 9-Man semi-finals after they beat Ogilvie 22-6 last Friday in Grand Rapids.
Fertile-Beltrami (11-0) will take on the Section 1 9-Man representative Spring Grove Lions.  Spring Grove is in the far southwest corner of the state and is no stranger to playing at the state tournament.  The Lions were state champs in 2017 and 2018 going 14-0 both years and in one of those years, they beat Stephen-Argyle at state.  In 2011, they lost the state quarterfinal game and finished 11-1 and in 2003 they made it to the state semi-finals and finished 12-1.  This is the program’s fifth trip to state.
Last year the Lions were 3-5 on the year so it has been a big turnaround.  They are led by Junior quarterback Elijah Solum who has broken the school record in passing yardage and passing touchdowns.  He has passed for 2,434 yards and 35 touchdowns.  He is also the teams leading rusher with 1,142 yards!    So Fertile-Beltrami will have to hope to contain him.

Fertile-Beltrami is making a return trip to the state semi-finals so the experience won’t be new to most of the players.  The kids will still be in awe and super excited to be playing in U.S. Bank Stadium and they should be!  This announcer is super excited to be doing another Falcon game in the awesome stadium and more importantly in the state semi-finals.

Here is what we know –

Fertile-Beltrami will have a bigger crowd than Spring Grove.  Not because Spring Grove’s will be small, but because the community and area support for the Falcons has been beyond impressive the last two seasons.  They will have a huge crowd and they make a difference for the players!

Both teams haven’t had a close game this season.  Fertile-Beltrami’s closest game this year was in the state quarter-finals with a 22-6 victory in the snow, ice, and cold.  Spring Grove’s closest game was 33-14.  So if it comes down to the wire, neither team has had a close game and it will be interesting to see what happens.

Fertile-Beltrami has a myriad of weapons on offense.  Isaiah Wright, Derek Sorenson, Brayden Werpy, and the elusive Caiden Swenby at quarterback.  The line has been great on both sides of the ball all season long and the defensive backs have been solid.  Wright leads the team with 168 carries for 1,416 yards and 21 touchdowns, Derek Sorenson has 85 carries for 4,92 yards and 7 touchdowns.  Caiden Swenby is 60 of 85 passing for 990 yards and 13 touchdowns while carrying the ball 52 times for 353 yards and 7 touchdowns.

We are guessing it will be a great game, and it will come down to the team that doesn’t turn the ball over and whoever can have the big plays.

— — —

In Class AA – the Barnesville Trojans won their first-round game by beating Moose Lake/Willow River 21-0.  They will play Jackson County Central (12-0) in the state semi-finals.  JCC beat Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 27-0 in the first round.  They play at 9:00 a.m. on Friday.  The other semi-final game will be Chatfield (11-0) vs. Eden Valley-Watkins (11-0) at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

In Class AAA – The Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Rebels beat Esko 21-17 to advance to the semi-finals.  Fairmont (10-2) beat St. Croix Lutheran Academy (5-6) 49-7.  The teams will play at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.  The other semi-final is Watertown-Mayer (11-1) vs. New London-Spicer (9-2) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

— — —

If you are going to state football, here is some information you will want to have ahead of time –

Purchase Tickets Online at: https://www.mshsl.org/tickets
Semifinals/Championships: US Bank Stadium
– Adult $16.00 (price includes ticket, taxes, and fees)
– Student $10.00 (price includes ticket, taxes, and fees)

Spectator Resources
– The following are available at: https://www.mshsl.org/sports-and-activities/football
-Complimentary Online Programs (programs are not available onsite)
– Brackets
– Apparel for sale onsite and available online: https://mshsl.signatureconcepts.shop/

Parking for US Bank Stadium: https://www.usbankstadium.com/plan-your-visit/directions

Spectator Policies and Information
– Guests should stay home if they are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19

U.S. Bank Stadium:
– Bags cannot exceed 12” x 6” x 12”
– Cashless experience
– US Bank Stadium is cashless. All concessions must be purchased with a credit or debit card.
– No laptop computers allowed
– Camera tri-pods/mono-pods and “selfie sticks” are NOT allowed.
– No beverages, food, or noisemakers will be allowed to be brought into the facility.
– No balloons, laser pointers, noisemakers, air horns, horns, drums, or whistles will be allowed in the facility.
– No weapons of any kind, including licensed concealed carry weapons, knives, etc.
– No signs or banners may be hung in the facility. Hand-held signs allowed (can be held by one person)

— — —

Crookston High School graduate Karna (Hanson) Rhodes and her husband Scott’s youngest son, Drake, just recently wrestled his first collegiate match for the #2 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.   Drake was the fourth match of the day, and he won by a 13-4 major decision at 174 pounds.  Drake wrestled at 160 pounds last year, so he was wrestling up a bit, and now he gets to go with the team to West Point, New York, to take on Army on Thursday.

Drake was a three-time Montana State Champ (113, 152, and 160) and was runner-up at 126 his sophomore year.  He was 53-0 as a junior and senior and had a career record of 134-7 at Billings West High School.

Drake is also the grandson of Bruce and Jody Hanson and nephew of Pirate volunteer baseball coach Brock Hanson, Pirate Girls Swim Coach Marley Melbye and Seth Hanson.

— — —

The Minnesota Wild has recalled Thief River Falls’ Zane McIntyre after the injury to Marc Andre Fleury.  So don’t be surprised if he is in the net for the Wild in the next couple of games.

— — —

Crookston’s Sara “Sunny” Bowman is a veteran and well-respected volleyball official in northwest Minnesota, and this weekend, she was the head official for the Minnesota State High School League Class AA Championship match between Cannon Falls and Pequot Lakes at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Bowman became part of history as all four head officials of the Minnesota State Volleyball championship matches were women for the first time in the history of the state volleyball tournament.  The officials were Louise Beaman of St. Paul Park in 1A, Sunny Bowman of Crookston in 2A, Gail Simones of Sartell in 3A, and Robbie Goodmund of Marshall in 4A.

When asked if she gets nervous for the big match, Bowman said she did. “I still get nervous before the first game of the year….so yes, I was very nervous. My stomach was in knots from the time I found out I was scheduled until I stepped out there…..I even forgot to introduce myself to the teams and the coin toss….. but once I was in uniform and walked across the court, I was in my element, and it was just another game,” said Bowman. “I LOVE reffing! It’s super fun for me, and anyone that has seen me, ref, knows that I try to make the game fun for everyone. I’m not the stoic, stuffy, bossy lady on the stand, I’m the smiley, throwing up the peace sign to Em (her daughter), bow in her hair, let’s make this a fun experience lady!”

Bowman has been officiating for over 15 years; this was the sixth year she has been officiating at the state volleyball tournament.  Last year, she was the R2 (down ref) in the Class AA championship match.

Bowman, a Red Lake Falls Lafayette High School graduate, is the Crookston Pirate Softball coach in the spring and is a former University of Minnesota Crookston student-athlete, where she played volleyball and softball.

— — —

The Minnesota High School Volleyball Coaches Association has released its end-of-the-season awards, and several area teams and individuals received post-season honors. The list is below –

Section Coaches of the Year –
Section 8A – Stacy Dahl – Badger-Greenbush-Middle River
Section 8AA – Megan Askegaard – Barnesville
Section 8AAA – Lynnsey Machakaire – Detroit Lakes

ALL-STATE AWARDS

Class A –
Cassie Dahl – Badger-Greenbush-Middle River
Jade Reese – Badger-Greenbush-Middle River

Class AA –
Madison Carsten – Wadena-Deer Creek

CLASS AAA-
Jalynn Gunderson – Detroit Lakes
Ava Jones – Detroit Lakes

Academic Team Awards –

GOLD (3.75 – 4.00 GPA)
Alexandria
Bagley
Barnesville
Badger-Greenbush-Middle River
Bemidji
Blackduck
Climax-Fisher
Crookston
Detroit Lakes
East Grand Forks
Fertile-Beltrami
Frazee
Kittson County Central
Moorhead
Pelican Rapids
Perham
Red Lake County Central
Red Lake Falls
Roseau
Sacred Heart
Stephen-Argyle
Thief River Falls
Win-E-Mac

SILVER (3.50-3.74)
Ada-Borup-West
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
Fosston
Goodridge/Grygla
Lake of the Woods
Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal
Northern Freeze
Staples-Motley
Wadena-Deer Creek

— — —

The 2022 Northwest Football District All-District teams and award winners have been announced. The North and South Division award winners are below –

NORTH DIVISION
Team champion – Mahnomen-Waubun

All-District First team –
Mahnomen-Waubun – Dennis Ashley, Tyson McArthur, Braylen Heisler, Brok Spalla, Kasey Wadena, Dawson Darco
Ada-Borup-West – Trenton Sip, Aiden Marcussen, Cameron Spaeth, Lance Kritzberger, Austin Dryden
Red Lake County – Damon Ferguson, Brock Seeger, Jackson Hoefer, Owen Chervestad, Matt Renner
Polk County West – Daniel Suda, Mike Gapp, Mantana Jorgenson
Lake Park-Audubon – Zeke Noel, Drew Harris, Kaden Beske
Warroad – Gaabi Boucha, Landon Thompson

All-District Honorable Mention –
Mahnomen-Waubun – Curtis Mehr, Lex McDougall, Jameson Donner
Ada-Borup-West – Gabriel Mertz, Austin McCraven, Brennen Fetting
Red Lake County – Ashtin Fredrickson, Gerald Melin, Brock Knott
Polk County West – Landen Denney
Lake Park-Audubon – Brodie Chilton, Anton Wickenheiser, Landon Gillespie
Warroad – Blake Ness, Ben Norris, Shane Stricker
Fosston – Thatcher Palubicki, Kalen Sanford, Aaron Norland, Ryan Duppong

Individual awards –
Coach of the Year – Brian Remick (Red Lake County)
Assistant Coach of the Year – Bomber Clark (Mahnomen-Waubun)
Offensive Player of the Year – Mike Gapp (Polk County West)
Quarterback of the Year – Aiden Marcussen (Ada-Borup-West)
Runningback of the Year – Gaabi Bouca (Warroad)
Receiver of the Year – Cameron Spaeth (Ada-Borup-West)
Offensive Lineman of the Year – Kasey Wadena (Mahnomen-Waubun)
Special Teams Player of the Year – Kaden Beske (Lake Park-Audobon)
Defensive Player of the Year – Trenton Sip (Ada-Borup-West)
Defensive Back of the Year – Owen Chervestad (Red Lake County)
Linebacker of the Year – Damon Ferguson (Red Lake County)
Defensive Lineman of the Year – Braylen Heisler (Mahnomen-Waubun)

SOUTH DIVISION
Team champion – New York Mills

All-District First team –
New York Mills – Brayden Ehnert, Monte Briard, Jonah Ruther, Bode Roberts, Will Oakes
Pine River-Backus – Corbin Knapp, Irvin Tulenchik, Rian Struss, Chance Abraham, Trey Tuchtenhagen
Wadena-Deer Creek – Evan Lunde, Koby Endres, MJ Lunde, Teshe Loer
Menahga – Brock Berttunen, Isaiah Usher, Quincy Jentz
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley – Logan Watts, Eli Pfeiffer, Ficher Smith
Bagley – Jaiden Young, Noah Nelson
Red Lake – Brayden Beaulieu, Gerald Kingbird

All-District Honorable Mention – 
New York Mills – DaShaun Robinson, Sam Kopveiler, Jon Rinerson
Pine River-Backus – Ethan Lodge, Konnor King, Eli Abraham
Wadena-Deer Creek – Grant Seelhammer, Isaac Hanann, Josiah Kallevig, Cole Woods
Red Lake – Cade Beaulieu, Justin Brown, Josh Stillday
Menahga – Shawn Hendrickson, Marcus Petterson, Ryan Tolkkinen, Bodie Bertteneh, Lars Petterson
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley – Carson Swanson, Devin Johnson, Alex Daigle
Bagley – Alex Jobe, Elias LaFond, Isaac Schermerhorn

Individual Awards – 
Coach of the Year – Matt Radniecki
Assistant Coach of the Year – Darius Dahl, Peder Butenhof, Paul Raddatz
Offensive Player of the Year – Teshe Loer (Wadena-Deer Creek)
Quarterback of the Year – Josh Kallevig (Wadena-Deer Creek)
Receiver of the Year – Teshe Loer (Wadena-Deer Creek)
Offensive Lineman of the Year – Corbin Knapp (Pine River-Backus)
Special Teams Player of the Year – Cole Woods (Wadena-Deer Creek)
Defensive Player of the Year – Bode Roberts (New York Mills)
Defensive Back of the Year – Jonah Ruther (New York Mills)
Linebacker of the Year – Evan Lunde (Wadena-Deer Creek)
Defensive Lineman of the Year – Bode Roberts (New York Mills)

— — —

The first day of MSHSL Winter Sports practices, the first competition date, and state tourney dates are listed below –

Boys Basketball starts November 21 (first competition date is December 1, and State is March 22-25)
Wrestling starts November 21 (first competition date is December 1, and State is March 2-4)

— — —

We have posted the Crookston Pirate Winter Sports team’s schedules on our site.  Click on the link below to go to the page.  The schedules, of course, are likely to change more than once for several reasons, including winter storms.

— — —

It is great to see the Mighty Bemidji State Beaver Football team back in the NCAA Regional Football playoffs.  When I was at school at BSU, the teams were terrible.  So bad the Tight Ends Coach, Badminton class supervisor/instructor, and intramural flag football supervisor was recruiting me hard to play tight end.  In his defense, I was benching over 300 pounds and scored four touchdowns in one game with my gazelle-like moves.  I told him I don’t like to block, and he said they would fix that…I responded….”No…I really don’t like to block.  I just like to catch passes.”  He got the hint after that and since then, they have improved every year and now are a perennial top team in the NSIC.  So i will take credit!

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference will send four teams to the NCAA Super Region Four playoff as the pairings were released by the NCAA Sunday afternoon. Minnesota State Mankato (9-2) and Wayne State (9-2) will meet in the opening round in Mankato, Minnesota. Bemidji State (9-2) will host Winona State (8-3) on the other side of the seven-team bracket with the winner advancing to take on top-seeded Angelo State (11-0) in round two.
It’s the second time in school history that Wayne State and Bemidji State have reached the NCAA Division II playoffs with BSU making it last year and WSC in 2008. This marks the 13th time in program history that Minnesota State has advanced to the NCAA Tournament. This will be the eighth appearance in the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs for Winona State, and first since 2017.

— — —

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) will have four teams extend their seasons as Wayne State, Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State will compete in the NCAA Central Region Tournament. The eight-team region tournament will be held in Wayne, Nebraska on November 18-20. St. Cloud State earned an automatic bid via their NSIC Tournament win, while CSP and UMD, and WSC earned at large bids.
CSP has made it into the NCAA Tournament field in all 20 seasons under head coach Brady Starkey and has won 11 Central Region titles during that span. St. Cloud State is making its third straight, and fourth NCAA postseason appearance since 2004 while it’s Wayne State’s 12th NCAA Tournament bid in the program’s history and first since the 2016 season. UMD is making its 23rd NCAA appearance after making the regional 17 of the last 19 seasons.

First Round – Friday, November 18
#1 seed Wayne State (29-2) vs. #8 seed Harding (Ark.) (30-1)
#2 seed Concordia-St. Paul (26-5) vs. #7 seed Nebraska-Kearney (28-5)
#3 seed Minnesota Duluth (26-4) vs. #6 Washburn (24-7)
#4 seed Northwest Missouri State (24-6) vs. #5 St. Cloud State (26-5)

Semi-Finals – Saturday, November 19
Championship Match – Sunday, November 20

— — —

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

Jacey Larson is a freshman playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.

Olivia Huck is a freshman playing soccer at Minnesota State Moorhead.

Brooks Butt is a freshman playing football at the University of Jamestown.

Aleah Bienek is a freshman playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.

Elise Tangquist is the Assistant Girl’s Volleyball and Assistant Girl’s Golf Coach this year at Heritage Christian Academy in Maple Grove.

Emma Borowicz is a sophomore running track at Minnesota State Mankato.

Kaleb Thingelstad is a sophomore playing golf at North Central University in the Twin Cities.

Joslynn Leach is a sophomore playing golf at Concordia College in Moorhead.  The Cobbers wrapped up the Fall season.

Brady Butt is a Junior playing football at the University of Jamestown.

Rachel Hefta is a Senior playing volleyball at Hastings College in Nebraska.

Ty Hamre is playing football at Bemidji State University.

Paul Bittner is playing professional hockey in Norway.

Kate MacGregor is senior swimming at Minnesota State Moorhead.

Aleece Durbin is a Junior on the University of North Dakota Women’s Track and Field team.

Nick Garmen is a junior playing tennis at the University of Minnesota Morris.

Elizabeth Erdman is a coach for the Moorhead Red Dragon swim team.

Crookston School District Coaches –
Emily Meyer is the Pirate head girls’ hockey coach and softball assistant coach.
Lacia Hanson is the Junior High softball coach.
Jeremy Lubinski is a Pirate 8th Grade Football coach.
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls’ Soccer coach
Cody Brekken is the Crookston Community Pool Supervisor
Marley Melbye is the Head Girls’ Swimming coach
Brock Hanson is a Pirate Baseball volunteer assistant coach.
Ben Halos is a Pirate Baseball assistant coach.
Alex LaFrance is a 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 –

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.

Katy Westrom is the Head Girl’s Tennis Coach and Head Boys’ Tennis coach at Monticello High School.

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 Minnesota State Mankato 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 with the Army and is deployed to Iraq for nine months.

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.

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.

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.