SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.com
Winter Sports Season is officially underway, with Dance and Girls Hockey already practicing!
The Crookston Pirate Girls Hockey team has 31 girls out this year, and the first few practices have been good! The roster of this year’s players is below.
Seniors (6) Brekken Tull, Reese Swanson, Brynley Coleman, Morgan Nelson, Cassie Solheim, Natalie Narvaez
Juniors (7) Kambelle Freije, Emmi Trostad, Addie Fee, Kalie Clauson, Parker Strand, Miryah Epema, Karena Longoria
Sophomores (9) Ashlyn Bailey, Ava Martin, Logan Brekken, Emma LaPlante, Taylor Field, Mya Bower, Adelia Weiland, Alexa Bartrum, Natalie Longoria
Freshman (6) Katie Seaver, Aubrey Bartrum, Brea Lessard, Lily Corneillie, Kira Daniels, Maddi Abrams
8th Graders (3) Jocelyn Field, Adley Vigness, Shyuh Burnette
Managers: Georgia Sanders, Coral Brekken, Paige Abrahamson
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The Crookston Pirate Dance team has 22 out this year. They will have a J.V. and Varsity team and are scheduled to host their first-ever home contest on January 11, 2024. The roster is below-
Seniors (2) – Leila Bautista, Calleigh Fanfulik (Captain)
Juniors (3) – Makenna Kopecky (Captain), Kalea Luckow (Captain), Mackenzie Funk (Captain)
Sophomores (4) – Caden Sanders-Cole, Avery Trudeau, Morgyn Larson, Mady Knutson
Freshman (4) – Kendra Brekken, Avery Mathews, Adalyn Hanson, Evelyn Gunderson
Eighth graders (4) – Isley Machado, Brittyn Sanders-Cole, Abigail Bruley, Maddie Hanson
Seventh graders (5) – Haley Voss, Keatyn Kliner, Kasey Fritz, Gianna Lubarski, Hamsini Chanda
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The Minnesota State High School League Winter Sports season has officially started for Dance and Girls Hockey. The start dates, State tournament dates, and other information is below.
Sport – Start Date- First Competition date
Dance – October 23 – November 2
Girls Hockey – October 30 – November 9
Boys Hockey – November 13 – November 22
Girls Basketball – November 13 – November 22
Wrestling – November 20 – November 30
Boys Basketball – November 20 – November 30
State tournament dates
Dance – February 16-17
Girls Hockey – February 21-24
Wrestling – February 29 and March 1-2
Boys Hockey – March 6-9
Girls Basketball – March 13-16
Boys Basketball – March 20-23
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The Crookston Pirate Winter Sports Schedules are available on our website. Click on the link below –
CROOKSTON PIRATE WINTER SPORTS SCHEDULES – KROX (kroxam.com)
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The Section 6 9-Man Football Championship will be Thursday (today), November 2 at the Fargodome at 4:30 PM. KROX will have the game on the radio and on the live stream.
Fertile-Beltrami (10-0) takes on Clearbrook-Gonvick (7-3). The teams played each other in the regular season finale, and Fertile-Beltrami won that game 46-0.
Fertile-Beltrami has outscored their opponents in the nine games they have played (they had one forfeit) 474 to 74 this season. Needless to say, Fertile-Beltrami is a heavy favorite coming into the game.
The winner of Section 6 9-Man will play the Section 8 9-Man champion in the first round of state at Moorhead High School on Thursday, November 9.
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The Section 8 9-Man Football Championship will be held on Thursday, November 2, at 2:00 p.m. at the Fargodome. KROX will have the game on the radio and the Video Live Stream.
Goodridge/Grygla (8-1) takes on Stephen-Argyle (7-3).
Goodridge-Grygla beat Stephen-Argyle 37-12 in Argyle on October 12. Stephen-Argyle has been battling injuries and if they can get healthier, this is going to be an interesting battle.
Goodridge-Grygla hasn’t lost a game since the season opener when they lost to Otter Tail Central.
The winner of this game will play the winner of Fertile-Beltrami and Clearbrook-Gonvick in the first round of state at Moorhead High School on Thursday, November 9.
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The Section 8A Football Championship will be held Thursday, November 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Fargodome.
Mahnomen-Waubun (9-0) takes on Ada-Borup-West (8-1). Mahnomen-Waubun needed a field goal in overtime to knock off Polk County West in the semi-finals. Mahnomen-Waubun beat Ada-Borup-West 22-20 back in week 3 on September 15.
One thing I have noticed with Mahnomen-Waubun over the years is they step up their play at the Fargodome. It is amazing. They come out and smack you in the mouth, and by the time teams realize what happened, it is too late. Will that be the case this year against the ultra-athletic ABW Cougars? This has the makings to be the game of the day and shouldn’t disappoint football fans.
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The Section 8AA Football Championship will be Friday, November 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Fargodome.
Barnesville (10-0) will take on Pelican Rapids (9-1). Barnesville beat Pelican Rapids 36-22 in Week 3 on September 15. Pelican Rapids didn’t have their big playmaker, Timmy Guler, for that game, and he is a huge difference-maker.
Barnesville has outscored opponents this year in their 10 games by a 472 to 41 margin!!! They have won 23 games in a row, with their last loss coming to Chatfield by a 22-18 score on November 18 in the State semi-finals in 2021.
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The Section 8AAA Football playoff Championship will be Friday, November 3 at 8:00 p.m. at the Fargodome.
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (8-1) will take on section newcomer Morris Area.
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The 2023 Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Jeff Groves Outstanding Assistant Coach Award winners have been announced and there are several from Northwest Minnesota that received the award.
Janna Engel (Ada-Borup-West)
Ashley Lambert (BGMR)
Michele Johnson (East Grand Forks)
Brenna Bakken (Goodridge/Grygla)
Jami Carr (Kittson County Central)
Angie Bjorkquist (Roseau)
Mattlyn Erickson (Thief River Falls)
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Let’s Play Hockey tallied some interesting numbers on the Division 1 Men’s hockey players. Where they are from and where they played.
United States – 63% (1,132 players)
Canada – 28% (519 players)
Outside of North America – 8% (151 players from 20 countries)
American players come from 40 states. The top 10:
Minnesota – 233
Michigan – 138
Massachusetts – 127
New York – 109
Illinois – 54
New Jersey – 52
Pennsylvania – 48
California – 47
Connecticut – 42
Wisconsin – 38
Canadian players come from 12 provinces and territories. The top six:
Ontario – 186
Alberta – 108
British Columbia – 107
Quebec – 46
Saskatchewan – 28
Manitoba – 23
BY JUNIOR LEAGUE
Division I players come from more than 20 junior/high school leagues. The top North American leagues sending players directly to Division I:
USHL – 666 players
NAHL – 382
BCHL – 322
AJHL – 123
NTDP – 56
USPHL/NCDC – 56
OJHL – 41
CCHL – 25
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JOKES
Shakey went to a psychiatrist. “Doc,” he said, “I’ve got trouble. Every time I get into bed, I think there’s somebody under it. I get under the bed, I think there’s somebody on top of it. Top, under, top, under … you gotta help me, I’m going crazy!”
“Just put yourself in my hands for two years,” said the shrink. “Come to me three times a week, and I’ll cure your fears.”
“How much do you charge?”
“A hundred dollars per visit.”
“I’ll sleep on it,” said Shakey.
Six months later the doctor met Shakey on the street.
“Why didn’t you ever come to see me again?” asked the psychiatrist.
“For a hundred buck’s a visit? A bartender cured me for ten dollars.”
“Is that so! How?”
“He told me to cut the legs off the bed!”
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A man has six children and is very proud of his achievement. He is so proud of himself, that he starts calling his wife, “Mother of Six” in spite of her objections.
One night, they go to a party. The man decides that it’s time to go home and wants to find out if his wife is ready to leave as well.
He shouts at the top of his voice, “Shall we go home now, ‘Mother of six?'”
His wife, irritated by her husband’s lack of discretion, shouts right back, “Anytime you’re ready, Father of four.”
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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
Halle Bruggeman is a freshman on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Women’s Tennis team.
Grace Fischer is a freshman on the Concordia College (Moorhead) Women’s Golf team.
Ethan Boll is a Freshman on the University of North Dakota Football team.
Breanna Kressin is a Sophomore on the Hockey Cheer Team for THE University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey team.
Emma Osborn is a Sophomore playing basketball at Northland Technical and Community College in Thief River Falls.
Jacey Larson is a Sophomore playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Aleah Bienek is a Sophomore playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.
Elise Tangquist is the Head Girls Golf Coach at Horace High School in Fargo, ND..
Kaleb Thingelstad is a junior playing golf at Kansas Wesleyan.
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.
Ty Hamre is playing football at Bemidji State University.
Aleece Durbin is a Junior on the University of North Dakota Womens Track and Field team.
Elizabeth Erdman is a coach for the Moorhead Red Dragon swim team.
Crookston School District Coaches
Todd Miner is a Pirate Football assistant coach.
Ben Parkin is the head Pirate Baseball Coach.
Emily Meyer is the Pirate head girls hockey coach and softball assistant 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
Marley Melbye is the Head Girls Swimming coach and assistant girls golf 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/Admin/etc
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.
Katy (Westrom) Horgen is the 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 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.
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.
