This week’s column will be as good as the NFC North. Okay, it might be a little better than that.
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The Crookston High School Activities Department will have a special promotion on Thursday and Friday to allow fans to get into Pirate sporting events free of charge while supporting the Crookston Care and Share/Hope Food Shelf.
To get into the events for free, all you have to do is wear Pirate apparel, and bring a canned good for the Care and Share/Hope Food Shelf.
Crookston will be hosting a swim meet and volleyball match on Thursday and a football game on Friday. If you wear Crookston Pirate apparel/gear, or even a Pirate outfit and bring a canned good to the game you get in free of charge. Come out and cheer on the Pirates and support the Crookston Care and Share at the same time.
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The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Baseball team will be hosting a an alumni game on Saturday, September 18. It is always a fun time, but it will be a little better this year. I asked UMC Baseball Coach Steve Gust to tell us more about it. UMC will be putting on a tailgate party in the morning and a social in the evening. (From my experience in past years, the social continues to late at night and is a lot of fun!)
Chris,
It is an event I’d like to see the community will get behind and support. The baseball should be good and the food and drinks are free!
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Our friends at the Grygla School will be hosting a fundraiser for the Ryan and Jennifer (Saurdiff) Wichterman and the Mike and Nicole Gullingsrud families on Saturday, October 16th, beginning at 8:00, in conjunction with the Frostbite Volleyball Tournament.
Both families have children, Dylan Wichterman, 13, and Alex Gullingsrud, 8, who are battling Cancer. They both face several trips to the Mayo Clinic for treatment and appointments.
We ask that you come out to support these area families by supporting the Bingo, silent and live auctions, Beef Brisket dinner and bake sale. You can order t-shirts at:
https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSePEZ…/viewform……
T-shirts are $20. $8 per t-shirt will go directly to the two families.
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I have had a lot of emails this week. Here is one of them –
Chris,
I noticed that the Crookston High School football team hasn’t scored yet this season, and the Boys Soccer team hasn’t scored in a while. I am sure you know how that feels! When do you think they will get on the board again?
T.F. Crookston
Well T.F., first of all, ouch….that is a little on the (as the kids call it) savage side. I am predicting the next Pirate boy’s soccer goal will be next week and the first football score on Friday. No comment on the rest;)
Chris,
How many games will the Vikings win this year?
M.Z. of Eagan
Well M.Z., I am guessing 7 games. That was my prediction at the beginning of the season and after week one, it looks like the NFC North is terrible so they should be able to get a bunch of conference wins. And to be honest, they couldn’t play any worse than they did at Cincinnati and lost in overtime. It will be interesting to see how they do. I give the Vikings credit, they played about as bad as a team could play and still almost won the game in true Vikings fashion. It will be another roller coaster of a season.
Chris,
You seem to be in the know for high school sports and seem to know what is going to happen before it happens. Do you think fall and winter sports will go on like usual?
L.T.P – Minnesota
Well, L.T.P., I am thinking the fall sports might be able to go on as planned. As of last Thursday, the MSHSL said everything is a full schedule as of Thursday.
But, don’t be surprised if the crowd sizes are limited, face masking for the crowd comes into play, and other things like that. Hopefully, we are starting to peak now and the numbers start going down soon and we can have a normal winter sports season. If the numbers don’t peak soon, you could see winter sports affected again.
That is my thoughts, but nobody knows right now. It will change weekly and even daily.
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In Northern Sun Conference Football it was a big weekend last weekend with Minnesota Duluth beating up on Minnesota State Mankato 30-10. UMD is now the team to beat and the #20 ranking will shoot up the charts after handling #3 ranked Mankato.
Not much else has changed in the NSIC since UMC and St. Cloud State dropped football. Yes, that St. Cloud State who I quote from a business owner in St. Cloud, “Is run by the most incompetent people in the world!” Anyway, UMD is at the top, along with Bemidji State, Augustana, and Winona State are all undefeated. Moorhead, Northern State, Sioux Falls, Mankato, Wayne State and Concordia-St. Paul are all 1-1.
And the teams without a win are still the same with Minot State, Mary, Southwest, and Upper Iowa. So there is your NSIC football update…..nothing has changed.
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This was announced earlier this week. Fans attending the UND Men’s Hockey Hall of Fame game in Nashville (who are age 12 or older) will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of the event upon entry.
If you haven’t already been vaccinated and want to travel, go to sporting events, you better get vaccinated, or be ready to be tested on a regular basis.
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We continue our weekly updates on Division 1 athletes are receiving now that the NCAA has been forced to allow student-athletes to receive money, gifts, cars, etc.
The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Men’s Basketball team has had one of the better ones I have seen. A donor is buying the players new suits so they can look sharp.
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Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer Mark Kroulik, who led 9-man Stephen-Argyle to seven state championships, will receive the UND Coaches Award of Merit during the 55th annual Potato Bowl USA game on Saturday, Sept. 18.
Kroulik was a long time coach at Stephen and Stephen-Argyle High School in Stephen, Minn., leading the 9-man prep program to seven state championships (1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009). Between 2003 and 2007, the Storm won a Minnesota state record 76 consecutive games and five state titles. He retired from coaching in 2009 with an impressive 168-12 record as head coach (.933 winning percentage).
The award is presented annually during the Potato Bowl game, honoring local football coaches from around the area. In 2019 former Linton/Hazelton-Moffit-Braddock football coach Dan Imdieke received the honor. Imdieke is the winningest coach in North Dakota high school football history.
The University of North Dakota will play Drake in its home-opener on Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Alerus Center for the 55th Potato Bowl. The Fighting Hawks and Bulldogs will kickoff at 4 p.m. Central. UND has won its last 11 home games.
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Last week we I told you about my disappointment with the University of Wisconsin students with their numbers of citations and alcohol-related arrest in the season-opening football game. Well they stepped up their game in week two. Here are the numbers –
Final UWPD stats from 9/11/21 Wisconsin vs. Eastern Michigan football game:
32 citations (30 underage alcohol)
45 ejections
19 paramedic calls
22 first-aid calls
4 ambulance transports
3 detox transports
7 contacts with .20 BAC or higher
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South Dakota State announced that Frost Arena will have a name change to First Bank and Trust Arena. The Brookings-based bank has committed $20 million to serve as the lead gift for a renovation of the Jackrabbits’ home for basketball, volleyball and wrestling.
The estimated $50 million project, is expected to take two years and will be done in phases to avoid interruption of SDSU events. The project includes new seating areas, suites, video board and display, improved restrooms, larger concourses and improved locker rooms and offices.
The $20 million gift is the largest single gift in the history of South Dakota State University.
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JOKES
Kid 1: “Hey, I bet you’re still a virgin.”
Kid 2: “Yeah, I was a virgin until last night .”
Kid 1: “As if.”
Kid 2: “Yeah, just ask your sister.”
Kid 1: “I don’t have a sister.”
Kid 2: “You will in about nine months.”
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My friends asked me to go camping, so I made a list of the things I would need:
“1. New friends.”
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There was this gas station in “redneck country” trying to increase its sales, so the owner put up a sign saying “Free Sex with Fill-up.”
Soon a “redneck” customer pulled in, filled his tank, and then asked for his free sex.
The owner told him to pick a number from (1) to (10), and if he guessed correctly, he would get his free sex.
The buyer then guessed (8) and the proprietor said, “No, you were close. The number was (7). Sorry, no free sex this time but maybe next time”.
Sometime thereafter, the same man, along with his buddy this time, pulled in again for a fill-up, and again he asked for his free sex.
The proprietor again gave him the same story and asked him to guess the correct number. The man guessed (2) this time, and the proprietor said, “Sorry, it was (3). You were close but no free sex this time”.
As they were driving away, the driver said to his buddy, “I think that game is rigged and he doesn’t give away free sex”.
The buddy replied, “No, it’s not rigged — my wife won twice last week.”
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John Mulaney on being a bench-warmer –
I played basketball for five years, and I was a benchwarmer all five years. If you were never a benchwarmer, I cannot express to you the humiliation of, every Saturday morning, putting on a pair of breakaway pants and never having a reason to break them away — then they’re just pants.
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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
Kate MacGregor is a senior swimming at Minnesota State Moorhead.
Kaleb Thingelstad is a freshman playing golf at Kansas Wesleyan University.
Joslynn Leach is a freshman playing golf at Concordia College in Moorhead.
Paul Bittner is playing professional hockey in Sweden. He will be returning to Sweden in the fall.
Aleece Durbin, is a Junior on the University of North Dakota Women’s Track and Field team.
Ben Trostad is playing Men’s Golf and Club Hockey at UMC.
Ty Hamre is playing Club Hockey at UMC.
Brandon Boetcher is playing Club Hockey at UMC.
Brady Butt is a sophomore playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Rachel Hefta, a Sophomore, is playing volleyball at Hastings College in Nebraska.
Nick Garmen is a junior playing tennis at the University of Minnesota Morris.
Crookston School District Coaches –
Sue Tiedemann is the Pirate head girls tennis coach
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 –
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
Kaylee Desrosier is a softball coach for Fargo Davies Middle School.
Josh Edlund is an assistant football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach in Champlin Park
Jeff Olson is Head Wrestling coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.
Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.
Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson, is Head Volleyball coach at Little Falls High School.
Katy Westrom, is Head Girls 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 Thief River Falls High School
Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football and volleyball and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for the Bison media relations
Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College
Chris Myrold is a Tennis Pro on Nevis Island in the West Indies
Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis
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 also a grad of West Point and is currently is 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
