SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.com
It is officially playoff time as Section soccer and tennis is this week. It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through October! Good luck to all teams!
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The Section 8A Girls Tennis tournament starts today (Thursday). Staples-Motley is the heavy favorite to win the championship, but the big question will be who they play. It could be TRF, Crookston, or Wadena-Deer Creek. There will be some great quarter-final and semi-final matches on Thursday. All the seeds are below-
TEAM-
1. Staples-Motley
2. Thief River Falls
3. Crookston
4. Perham
5. East Grand Forks
6. Wadena-Deer Creek
7. Park Rapids
8. Roseau
9. Parkers Prairie
SCHEDULE –
FIRST ROUND – Thursday, October, 12 at Courts Plus in Fargo
9:00 AM (Play-in) #8 Roseau vs #9 Parkers Prairie
10:30 AM – #4 Perham vs #5 East Grand Forks
NOON – #1 Staples-Motley vs Play-in winner
1:30 PM – #2 Thief River Falls vs #7 Park Rapids
3:00 PM – #3 Crookston vs #6 Wadena-Deer Creek
SEMI-FINALS – Thursday, October 12 at Courts Plus in Fargo
4:30 PM – Staples/Roseau/Parkers Prairie winner vs Perham/EGF winner
6:00 PM – TRF/Park Rapids winner vs Crookston/WDC winner
CHAMPIONSHIP – Friday, October 13 at Courts Plus in Fargo
9:00 AM – Semi-final winners.
The 8A Individual tournament will begin Friday morning and wrap up on Saturday.
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The Section 8A Boys Soccer tournament began on Tuesday with two play-in games.
NORTH SUBSECTION SEEDS-
1. Hillcrest Lutheran Academy
2. Pelican Rapids
3. Fergus Falls
4. Crookston
5. East Grand Forks
SOUTH SUBSECTION SEEDS
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Minnewaska Area
3. Melrose
4. Central Minnesota Christian
5. St. John’s Prep
TUESDAY – October 10
Play-in games –
#4 Crookston beat #5 EGF 1-0
#4 Central Minnesota Christian beat #5 St. John’s Prep 5-0
THURSDAY – October 12 (Quarterfinals)
#4 Crookston at #1 Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 4:30 PM on KROX at about 6:00 PM (after Crookston girls soccer)
#3 Pelican Rapids at #2 Fergus Falls 7PM
#4 CMC at #1 St. Cloud Cathedral 7PM
#3 Melrose at #2 Minnewaska Area 7PM
SATURDAY – October 14 (Semi-finals) at high seed
TUESDAY – October 17 Championship at Sauk Centre High School 7:30 PM
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The Section 8A Girls Soccer tournament started with a play-in game on Tuesday. The quarter-finals are today (Thursday).
NORTH SUBSECTION SEEDS-
1. East Grand Forks
2. Crookston
3. Pelican Rapids
4. Hillcrest Lutheran Academy
SOUTH SUBSECTION SEEDS
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Albany
3. St. John’s Prep
4. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley
5. Melrose
TUESDAY – October 10
Play-in game –
#4Walker-Hackensack-Akeley beat Melrose 3-2
THURSDAY – October 12 (Quarterfinals)
#4 Hillcrest Lutheran Academy at #1 East Grand Forks 4PM
#3 Pelican Rapids at #2 Crookston 4PM (ON KROX RADIO)
#4 WHA at #1 St. Cloud Cathedral 5PM
#3 St. John’s Prep at #2 Albany 7PM
SATURDAY – October 14 (Semi-finals) at high seed
TUESDAY – October 17 Championship at Sauk Centre High School 5:15 PM
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There are a lot of big seeding games for football in the final two games of the regular season. We take a look at the area sections and possibilities below.
SECTION 6 9-Man Standings
1. Fertile-Beltrami (6-0) 34.7
2. Clearbrook-Gonvick (4-2) 24.9
3. Park Christian (5-1) 22.2
4. Blackduck (3-3) 19.8
5. Fosston (3-3) 17.2
6. Norman County East/UH (1-5) 8.6
7. Cass Lake-Bena (1-5) 7.7
8. Laporte (0-6) 3.9
There are some big games for seeding implications in the final two games of the regular season. Clearbrook-Gonvick has games with Park Christian and Fertile-Beltrami. Two wins could put them at the top seed. While that would be very tough to pull off, especially a win over Fertile-Beltrami who has steamrolled everybody they have played. Whoever wins between Park Christian and Clearbrook-Gonvick will have the tie-breaker, but Blackduck should win their final two games. We will know a little more after this week and how big next weeks games will be.
SECTION 8 9-MAN Standings-
1. Goodridge/Grygla (5-1) 27.8
2. Stephen-Argyle (5-1) 23.4
3. Kittson County Central (3-3) 17.1
4. Win-E-Mac (2-4) 17.0
5. Warren-Alvarado-Oslo (2-4) 13.4
6. Northern Freeze (1-5) 7.1
7. BGMR (0-6) 4.1
8. Lake of the Woods (0-6) 3.2
The battle for the top seed is Thursday night when Stephen-Argyle and Goodridge/Grygla play. Whoever wins will be the top seed. Whowever loses will be the second seed. KCC and Win-E-Mac will play in the regular season finale for the third seed.
SECTION 8A FOOTBALL standings
1. Mahnomen/Waubun (6-0) 47.8
2. Ada-Borup-West (5-1) 38.6
3. Red Lake County (5-1) 33.6
4. Polk County West (3-3) 22.8
5. Bagley (1-5) 15.9
6. Red Lake (0-6) 5.1
Mahnomen/Waubun is the top seed. The fight for the second seed is Friday night when Red Lake County hosts Ada-Borup-West. The winner of the game would get a home game in the semi-finals and that would be about the only difference, because I am guessing the top three seeds will get a bye because Red Lake hasn’t played a first round playoff game in many years and I would be surprised if they played in the first round this year. The rest of the standings are pretty much set.
SECTION 8AA FOOTBALL Standings
1. Barnesville (6-0) 71.8
2. Pelican Rapids (5-1) 46.4
3. Park Rapids (4-2) 36.4
4. Frazee (3-3) 27.8
5. Hawley (2-4) 26.8
6. Warroad (2-4) 24.5
7. Roseau (1-5) 12.3
8. Crookston (0-6) 7.5
Barnesville is the top seed and could lose the final two games and still be the top seed.
Pelican Rapids and Park Rapids are battling for the second seed. The teams play in the final game of the regular season and I am guessing whoever wins that will be the second seed. It looks like Hawley will be the fourth seed as they beat Frazee. The rest of the seeding is pretty much set, especially if Hawley beats Warroad on Friday night.
SECTION 8AAA FOOTBALL standings
1. DGF (5-1) 74.1
2. Morris Area (4-2) 54.9
3. East Grand Forks (4-2) 44.5
4. Perham (4-2) 44.5
5. Fergus Falls (2-4) 35.2
6. Thief River Falls (1-5) 18.8
DGF is the top team. Morris will be the second seed after beating EGF last week by going for two with four seconds left in the game. Things get interesting for the fourth and fifth seed. Fergus Falls beat Perham so if they are within the head-to-head tie-breaker, they will be the fourth seed and Perham the fifth seed.
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I had somebody ask me that the other day, so I looked it up, knowing Minnesota is spending pretty good money this year.
Out of all the playoff teams, the Twins are in the middle.
Philadelphia is #4 (over 243,000,000 in payroll)
Dodgers #5 ($222,717,834)
Toronto is #7 ($209,938,983)
Atlanta is #8 ($203,077,500)
Texas is #9 ($195,869,490)
Houston is #10 ($192,667,233)
Minnesota is #17 ($153,588,740)
Milwaukee is #20 ($118,761,987)
Arizona is #21 ($116,471,292)
Miami is #24 ($91,700,000)
Tampa Bay is #28 ($$73,184,811)
Baltimore is #29 out of 30 ($60,722,300 in payroll.
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Congratulations to Roseau’s Kacie Borowicz on being named the Summit League Women’s Basketball pre-season player of the year.
She averaged 19.4 ppg, 4.0 rebounds, 5 assists per game and shot 82.4 percent from the free throw line.
South Dakota State was picked to win the conference while NDSU was second, South Dakota third, and UND fourth.
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The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has issued the following statement regarding membership in the league.
Following the 2023-24 academic year the University of Jamestown (UJ) will no longer be a member of the GPAC. The announcement comes following a vote taken by the GPAC Council of Presidents (COP) at their fall meeting on Tuesday, October 10. UJ is actively pursuing membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II.
“The University of Jamestown has been a good member of the GPAC since they joined the league in 2018,” said Northwestern College President Greg Christy, Chair of the GPAC Council of Presidents. “We wish them all the best as they continue to pursue an opportunity to join the NSIC and a move to NCAA Division II.”
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The Crookston Blue Line Club will have equipment checkout/exchange/return on Monday October 16, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Crookston Sports Center. If you have BLC equipment from last year and it still fits your player, please stop down to recheck the equipment for this upcoming season. Be sure to check the expiration dates on helmets. Before you can check out equipment, you will need to be registered with the Crookston Blue Line Club. Visit www.crookstonbluelinehockey.com to register. If you have any questions, contact Katie at 218-470-0423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com.
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To see the latest Minnesota High School Fall Sports rankings for Football, Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Boys and Girls Soccer, and Swimming, click on the link below.
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The 9-Man West-North Sub-District Football stats after week 2 have been compiled by Dave Peterson. To see the stats for Clearbrook-Gonvick, Fertile-Beltrami, Kittson County Central, Stephen-Argyle, Win-E-Mac, Fosston, Goodridge/Grygla, Park Christian, BGMR, NCE/UH, Northern Freeze, and Warren-A-O, CLICK HERE.
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The Valley Plains District Football stats have also been compiled by Dave Peterson. To see the stats from Ada-Borup-West, Mahnomen/Waubun, Red Lake County, Lake Park-Audubon, Bagley, Menahga, Polk County West, and Red Lake, CLICK HERE.
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JOKES
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A man walks into the front door of a bar. He is obviously drunk and staggers up to the bar, seats himself on a stool and, with a belch, asks the bartender for a drink. The bartender politely informs the man that it appears he has already had plenty to drink and that he could not be served additional liquor. The bartender offers to call a cab for him.
The drunk is briefly surprised, then softly scoffs, grumbles, climbs down from the bar stool and staggers out the front door. A few minutes later, the same drunk stumbles in the side door of the bar. He wobbles up to the bar and hollers for a drink. The bartender comes over and – still politely if not more firmly – refuses service to the man and again offers to call a cab. The drunk looks at the bartender for a moment angrily, curses, and shows himself out the side door, all the while grumbling and shaking his head.
A few minutes later, the same drunk bursts in through the back door of the bar. He plops himself up on a bar stool, gathers his wits, and belligerently orders a drink. The bartender comes over and emphatically reminds the man that he is drunk and will be served no drinks. He then tells him that he can either call a cab or the police immediately.
The surprised drunk looks at the bartender and in hopeless anguish cries, “Man! How many bars do you work at?”
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Billy Bob and Luther were talking one afternoon when Billy Bob tells Luther, “Ya know, I reckon I’m ’bout ready for a vacation. Only this year I’m gonna do it a little different. The last few years, I took your advice about where to go.
Three years ago you said to go to Hawaii. I went to Hawaii and Earlene got pregnant.
Then two years ago, you told me to go to the Bahamas,and Earlene got pregnant again.
Last year you suggested Tahiti and darned if Earlene didn’t get pregnant again.”
Luther asks Billy Bob, “So, what you gonna do this year that’s different?”
Billy Bob says, “This year I’m taking Earlene with me.”
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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 sophomore playing golf at Dakota 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.
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 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.
