It was awesome efficiency on both ends of the floor as the visiting and state-ranked No. 14 Spring Grove boys overwhelmed Mabel-Canton, 85-39, on Friday the 13th in January of 2023. The Cougars (5-5, 4-4 SEC), who came in with a winning 5-4 record, were the latest rival to be engulfed by the Lions’ long-armed, trapping defense which finished with 22 steals and only 8 fouls. … [Read more...]
Spring Grove boys grill Grand Meadow
Jaxon Strinmoen put in a career-high 26 points, and Elijah Solum netted another 20 along with 9 rebounds to spur the Spring Grove boys past Grand Meadow, 64-27, on Jan. 10. The Lions (6-1, 4-0 SEC) relied on defense (17 steals) and ball-handling (17 assists, 8 turnovers) and turned in their most dominant rebounding performance of the season (33 boards to 16). The winless … [Read more...]
Cold-shooting Spring Grove girls fall to Grand Meadow again
The Grand Meadow girls remained tied atop the West Division standings after completing a season sweep of visiting Spring Grove, 45-20, on Jan. 11. The Superlarks (9-1, 6-0 SEC) led only 8-7 after 12 minutes of action when their offense kicked in on the way to an 18-9 halftime lead. The Lion attack never kicked in and finished with only 20 points and frosty 15% shooting, both … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Watchdog a better solution than a train ticket to North Dakota
Second of a series Referred to as vagrants, bums or tramps, these men on the move often moved through southeastern Minnesota during the early years of settlement in the mid-to-late 1800s. Some were heavy drinkers, disheveled in appearance and possibly ill mannered. Even some who were obviously well bred and highly educated preferred an existence through charity rather than … [Read more...]
Spring Grove boys enjoy runaway road win over Rebels
The Spring Grove boys pummeled Southland with 3-point shooting and a swarming, long-armed defense that limited the Rebels to a season-low 33 points while forcing 25 turnovers – almost twice the number of the Rebels’ 13 field goals. Five different Lions hit treys as half of the SG baskets were launched beyond the 3-point arc where the Lions shot a season-best 46% while sinking a … [Read more...]
Lion boys upend state-ranked Loyola, 61-54
The Spring Grove boys defeated state-ranked No. 9 Mankato Loyola, 61-54, in the Southern Minny Hoops Fest at Byron, sponsored by Breakdown on Saturday, Jan 7. The marquee matchup featured eight lead changes with the hot-shooting Crusaders throwing in 11 treys and outshooting Spring Grove overall, 49% to 42%. But the sure-handed Lions, with only 6 turnovers to Loyola’s 15, got … [Read more...]
Win over Southland makes three straight for Lion girls
The Spring Grove girls extended their winning streak to three games with a third straight win in the series against Southland, 47-36, on Jan. 6 at Spring Grove. With a young playing rotation that includes an eighth grader, three freshmen, two sophomores and two seniors, the Lions evened their record at 5-5 (3-3 SEC) while the Rebels returned home at 3-6 (2-2 SEC). Each … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Harmful never, mysterious ever
First of a series They were not thieves or vandals, recalled Ingrid Julsrud abut the vagabonds she encountered during her youth in the village of Houston. Called tramps, hoboes and bums, they were regarded as harmless or at worst, a nuisance “They never harmed anyone. To us kids, they were a source of wonder, curiosity and mystery.” It was all during an era before public … [Read more...]
Late surge lifts Lions past West Lutheran
The Spring Grove girls scored the last dozen points of the game to win by 15 against West Lutheran, 58-43, on Dec. 28, the second day of holiday double headers at Rushford-Peterson. West Lutheran is located in Plymouth, just west of the Twin Cities and plays in Class A, Section 4. Lion freshman Kylie Hammel had an outstanding stat line with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 … [Read more...]
Spring Grove girls fall to Annandale in holiday runaway
For the Spring Grove girls, it was the second straight challenge against a larger school, when the Lions fell to Class AA Annandale, 60-34, at the Dec. 27 holiday double headers at Rushford-Peterson. The Cardinals (3-2) opened the second half by scoring on 10 of 11 possessions to extend its seven-point halftime lead into a commanding 22-point advantage (48-26). Annandale is … [Read more...]