It was quite a volleyball contrast for Spring Grove, which began the week with a home victory versus winless and hapless Schaeffer Academy (0-2, 0-1 SEC) and then went on the road to take on state-ranked No. 2 Mabel-Canton (9-0, 3-0 SEC). The Lions overwhelmed those Schaeffer Lions, 3-0 (25-9, 25-4, 25-8) and then won the first set at Mabel-Canton before being overtaken by the … [Read more...]
Volleyball: #5 Caledonia Stays Perfect With Big Week
Caledonia volleyball put forth a strong week, going 6-0 with four wins coming against teams from larger classes. The Warriors (#5 in AA, 3-0) started by playing up a class, hosting fellow-ranked school Byron (#7 in AAA, 7-1). Scott Koepke’s group generally controlled play, but needed a late fourth set comeback to stave off a fifth game. Caledonia never trailed in game one in … [Read more...]
Football: Hurricanes Stun Cougars in Blowout Win
Houston football was 1-8 last year. We are through week two this season and Cody Hungerholt’s Hurricanes are already 3-0. Team double-H was not just able to beat week two foe Mabel-Canton (which won seven games and hammered Houston 59-6 last year). It was a blowout. Houston’s defense gave up 261 yards and six rushing TDs a year ago. This year’s game saw the ‘Cane defense blank … [Read more...]
Volleyball: #2 Cougars Push Past New Look Lions
Mabel-Canton versus Spring Grove volleyball has been a rivalry over the years. The squads are routinely the two best in the SEC-East, if not the entire SEC. With a new look squad, SG again was game versus M-C. The Lions had four-point leads in three games, but lost two of them. SG’s strongest set was their first. Junior Jordis Neeley was the offensive hammer, racking up six … [Read more...]
Volleyball: #5 Falcons Start the Year 8-1
Fillmore Central volleyball had a busy week, posting a 5-1 record. The #5 in A Falcons (3-0) first had a matchup with Zumbrota-Mazeppa (2-0). The Cougars were a 1AA semifinalist last year (albeit graduating several key players). They swept FC the last two years. Travis Malley’s group got redemption. It took five sets. Z-M pounded it hard, but erratically. Unofficially, Z-M … [Read more...]
Football: Christianson to Kiehne Leads #4 FC Past BP
The week two Mid-Southeast contest between Fillmore Central (1-0) and Blooming Prairie (1-0) had some intrigue. The Blossoms are a Class AA drop down that popped R-P 43-8 in week one while the Falcons are the defending sub-district and 1A champs. The electric connection of Chase Christianson to Jayce Kiehne was the story. The duo hooked up for a 73-yard bomb to start the first … [Read more...]
Football: Hungerholt’s Eight TDs Leads L-O to 2-0
LeRoy-Ostrander football won the 2021 9-man state title behind spectacular dual-threat QB Chase Johnson. But even he never accomplished what his successor did in week two of the 2023 season. Cardinal junior QB Camden Hungerholt lit up Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons both with his legs and his arm. On the ground, he ran 28 times for 283 and three TDs. Through the air, he was 11 of … [Read more...]
Football: #1 Warriors Roll Saints for 2-0 Start
Senior running back Owen Denstad started the game with an interception followed by a TD run. He accounted for four total scores. Ethan Stendel averaged over 20 yards per throwing attempt and accounted for two scores. Lewis Doyle topped 100 yards receiving. Caledonia football used its speed to easily take down St. Charles 47-6 in a Southeast-White matchup. After a 6-6 start, … [Read more...]
Football: #3 Chatfield Smacks Lancers for 2-0 Start
Chatfield (1-0) built a 19-0 first half lead on La Crescent/Hokah (0-1). After the Lancers scored to open the third quarter and cut the lead to 19-6, the Gophers scored 19 more unanswered points to close out the stanza. They posted their second convincing win in as many weeks. Unlike the past couple years, when it has been Backer-Backer-Backer, Chatfield used its depth of … [Read more...]
Football: #2 Spring Grove Speeds past Grand Meadow
The game turned on two punt returns and a 30-yard reception by Jaxon Strinmoen as Spring Grove remained undefeated with a come-from-behind 34-12 home win against Grand Meadow. The Superlarks dominated the clock with 69 plays to only 27 for the Lions and twice as many first downs. But SG prevailed with superior speed and a few big plays. Lion quarterback Bryce Berns scored with … [Read more...]
Cross Country: GMLOS Boys Take Second at Hayfield Invite
Second place finishes highlighted the Hayfield cross country invite, as it pertained to “Journal-covered” teams GMLOS and Chatfield. On the guys side, McKenzie Bradley’s GM group notched a team second place finish (63) by tying with Pine Island (63) but losing sixth runner tie-breaker. PI’s sixth took 30th, GMLOS’ 35th. Chatfield also competed, taking fifth of eight total … [Read more...]
Hot Shots
Kaaleem Reiland accounted for 349 total yards (126 rushing, 223 passing) and 6 total TDs as Kingsland football moved to 2-0 by beating Red Rock Central 63-21. LeRoy-Ostrander volleyball (3-1, 6-2) went 4-1 on the week including taking second at the Hayfield Invite. Cardinal setter Jenna Olson had 32 assists in a win over Kingsland. The Knights came back from down 0-2 to … [Read more...]
South-East Football (9/8 & 9/9)
Hills-Beaver Creek 22, Lanesboro 14 (L: Mason Howard 10 of 21, 109 yards, TD, INT passing, 14-53, TD rushing; Kaden Stettler 5-50, TD receiving; Boston Wright 14-68 rushing. H-BC led 22-0 at halftime only for Burros to close to down 22-14 in the fourth quarter. But the last score came late enough where H-BC then could run out the clock. Lanesboro > 0-1, 0-2) Red Rock … [Read more...]
Mid-Southeast Football (9/8 & 9/9)
Faribault B.A. 22, Rushford-Peterson 14 (R-P: Caden Johnson 7 of 12, 126 yards, 2 TDs, INT passing; Sampson Wilkemeyer 2-40, TD receiving; Jonah Bunke 12-39 rushing; Jaxon Meldahl 4-35 rushing; Dominick Corcoran 45-yard TD reception. R-P led 6-0 after one quarter and 14-8 at the half. B.A. hit a 65-yard TD pass to start the second half, then took advantage of a Trojan fumble, … [Read more...]
SEC Volleyball (9/5 & 9/7)
Schaeffer Academy 0, Spring Grove 3 > 25-9, 25-4, 25-8 (SG: Joelle Halverson 8 kills; Kendal VanMinsel 16 assists, 6 aces; Emerson Ingvalson 6 kills; Hailey Norman 5 kills; Isabel Kaufmann 5 aces; Jada Strinmoen 6 assists, 5 aces) Lanesboro 3, Houston 0 > 25-16, 25-15, 26-24 (L: Jensyn Storhoff 11 kills, 9 digs; Claire Keasling 19 assists, 3 aces; Ellie Howard 9 digs; … [Read more...]