The 2018-2019 boys basketball season begins with at least a couple new developments.  For the first time since the 1980s, venerable coach Thomas Vix won’t be on the sideline in Rushford.  The Trojans will have a new head man.  Chris Drinkall is the only new coach in the county.  Elsewhere, Kingsland takes its silver and black attack to the SEC.  Only two of the seven Journal … [Read more...]

A season ago was a down year for FCJ covered girls basketball teams.  Only one of seven finished above five hundred.  With the new one-bracket Section tournament systems, only one made Rochester for a play-off game.  This year, four of seven Journal covered teams return at least three starters and two others return a 1,000-point scorer (each looking for the school’s all-time … [Read more...]

A foursome from Section Runner-Up Mabel-Canton highlights the volleyball All-Conference list for the Journal covered schools.  The Cougars boast two seniors, a junior, and a sophomore.  Three are at least repeat All-league selections.  The sophomore gets the biggest honor.  Kenidi McCabe (5’5” setter) repeats as All-SEC.  She also makes Class A first team All-State.  Maybe … [Read more...]

It was still a great season.  Mabel-Canton volleyball accomplished a lot in 2018.  They won the SEC-East again, keeping their 100-plus-match league winning streak intact, doing so by twice fending off their biggest threat in a number of years, rival Spring Grove.  The Cougars won the 1A East sub-section, going through perennial power Caledonia and the Lions (again).  Lonnie … [Read more...]

Houston football (2-seed, 9-1) implemented the correct game plan.  They carried it out almost as they needed.  In the Section 1 9-Man finals, versus defending state champion Spring Grove (1-seed, 10-0), the ‘Canes played the ball control game.  They took their three, four, and five-yard gains, keeping the ball away from electric Lion quarterback Alex Folz.  But Houston … [Read more...]