Boys Basketball (3/2)

Boys Basketball: Trojans Crush to First TRC-East Title Since State Title Year 

The last time Rushford-Peterson’s boys won the TRC-East title was 2014-2015.  Cole Kingsley, Alex Vix, Charlie Krambeer, Jacob Merclewitz, Kyler Paulson, and Noah Carlson were prominent players.  Said group not only won their league but the Class A state title.   With a trio of wins, this year’s Trojans grabbing their first conference title since that group. Chris Drinkall’s group clinched a share with a win over Fillmore Central 70-50. Three-point shooting was not the best; R-P 4 of 14 (29%), FC 4 of 16, (25%).  However, R-P shot 49% overall (30 of 61), FC 42% (22 of 52).  Cayden Lea (7 asts) and Carson Johnson (8-14 FGS, 6 rebs, 4 asts) each scored 18.  Landon Dahl (12 pts, 6-11 FGs, 9 rebs) and Brode Vickerman (8 pts, 4-7 FGs, 6 rebs) helped.  FC’s Bridon Bahl 23 pts (10-16 FGs, 3-5 threes, 11 rebs, 4 asts) led all scorers while Clayton Schoepski added 15.  The Trojans won the first match-up 93-35.   R-P then scored a season-high, shooting 63% from the field (47 of 75) and 42% from deep (10 of 24), in smacking Rochester Math and Science Academy 108-56.  Fourteen Trojans scored.  Six made double figures; Jaxson Meldahl (16 pts, 6-6 FGs, 4-4 threes), Lea (15 pts, 7-9 FGs, 7 asts), Will LaFleur (12 pts, 4 rebs, 5 asts, 4 stls), Johnson (11 pts, 5-6 FGs), Vickerman (10 pts 5-7 FGs), and Sam LaFleur (10 pts (4-4 FGs).  Dahl added 8 pts (4-6 FGs), 8 (rebs), and 4 (asts).  Hosting Cotter/HL (9-4, 17-8), which fell out of TRC-East title contention with a loss to Caledonia (11-3, 15-8) days earlier, R-P (11-2, 22-3) left no doubt.  They jumped on the Ramblers 60-28 at the half and prevailed 90-55.  R-P shot 59% (33 of 56) including 45% (13 of 29) from deep.  Lea (24 pts, 5-11 threes, 5 rebs, 7 asts) and W-LaFleur (23 pts, 7-9 FGs, 4-6 threes, 5-5 FTs) led the way.  Johnson (15 pts, 7-9 FGs, 7 rebs, 8 asts), Cole Thompson (12 pts, 4-7 threes), and Dahl (10 pts, 5-7 FGs, 11 rebs, 6 asts) helped.  It was thus championship night, as the LARPH boys’ state title cross country team unveiled their banner at halftime.  Basketball is on a 12-game heater and 20-1 since December 19.  The Trojans (12-2, 23-3) take their division over Caledonia (11-3, 15-10), Cotter/HL (9-5, 17-9), La Crescent/Hokah (3-11, 5-21), and FC (0-14, 4-21).  R-P is 1AA’s 4-seed, will play 13-seed Pine Island (8-18).  

Boys Basketball: Gophers Grab First League Title Since Early 1990s

Chatfield’s boys started the week possibly staring down a season-finale with St. Charles that would decide the TRC-West title.  But PEM beat Lewiston-Altura, handing Chatfield the West crown.  Jeremy McBroom’s group nonetheless won its last two games.  The Gophers first beat Pine Island 82-57 non-conference.  Chatfield outscored the Panthers 46-25 in the second half to expand a 36-32 halftime edge.   Team Gopher hit 13 of 25 threes (52%).  Ross Stoehr (23 pts, 5-7 threes, 10 rebs, 4 asts), Carson Harstad (19 pts, 3-7 threes, 4 asts, 4 stls), Kash McBroom (19 pts, 7-13 FGs, 3-5 threes, 7 rebs), and Brandt McBroom (12 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts) hit double figures.  Chatfield then finished out its league schedule building a 38-26 halftime lead on the Saints, keeping said lead in double figures for an 82-72 win.  Harstad (24 pts, 4-13 threes, 7 rebs, 4 asts), Stoehr (23 pts, 10-15 FGs, 3-4 threes, 6 rebs), and triple-double getting B-McBroom (12 pts, 10 rebs, 11 asts) had big games.  K-McBroom (10 pts, 5 asts) and Brooks Lea (11 pts) gave Chatfield five in double figures.   The Gophers hit 11 of 27 threes (41%) while shooting 53% (34 of 64) from the field, offsetting losing turnovers 21 to 13, at the free throw line 13 of 22 (59%) to 3 of 7 (43%).  Chatfield (11-4, 17-9) takes the West over L-A (10-5, 18-8), D-E (9-6, 14-12), SC (8-7, 15-11), PEM (6-9, 10-16), and W-K (1-14, 8-18).   It is crazily the Gophers first TRC title since 1991-1992 (shared with Elgin-Millville), first outright title since 1990-1991!  Chatfield is 1AA’s 9-seed, will play at 8-seed Lake City (13-12) in a tough 1AA tourney.  

Boys Basketball: Cougars Finish With Wins over Houston, East Champ Burros 

Mabel-Canton finished off their best season in nearly 50 years with wins over SEC-East foes Houston and Lanesboro.  Versus the Hurricanes, M-C led 27-23 at the half but won the second stanza 43-25 for a 70-49 victory.  M-C hit 9 of 22 threes (41%) to Houston’s 3 of 11 (27%), had 12 turnovers to the ‘Canes 22.  Cael Wangsness (16 pts, 7-11 FGs, 7 rebs), Kale Eiken (12 pts, 4 asts), Isaac Underbakke (11 pts, 7 rebs, 8 asts), Kale Tollefsrud (10 pts, 4 stls), and Brevyn Tollefsrud (10 pts) all hit double figures.   Nolan Garness added 9 points (3-10 threes).  Houston was led by Atreyu Florin (15 pts, 7 rebs), Tilden Witt (9 pts, 6 rebs), and Hayden Ronnenberg (6 pts, 12 rebs, 7 asts).  Versus SEC-East champion Lanesboro (14-3, 20-5), Garness hit a corner three with 42.6 seconds remaining to give M-C a 70-67 lead.   After the Burros missed a three, via offensive rebounds, M-C had a six free throw possession (making two), dooming the Burros.  Russ Larson’s group posted its best win of the year, 72-67.  Lanesboro narrowly led most of the game.  M-C avenged a 60-42 loss in January.  Garness (17 pts, 5-6 threes, 5 stls), Underbakke (16 pts, 6-8 FGs, 5 rebs, 5 asts), and Darian Hershberger (14 pts, 4-5 FGS, 6-9 FTs, 8 rebs) led the Cougars.  Garness added to his single-season three-pointers made record set two games earlier.  K-Tollefsrud (9 pts) and Eiken (8 pts) helped.  Nick Taylor (26 pts, 12-24 FGs, 6 rebs), Conor Danielson (12 pts), Boone Moen (11 pts, 3-5 threes, 4 asts), and Mason Gilbertson (8 pts, 6 asts) did work for the Burros.  M-C shot a sweltering 57% from the field (24 of 42) while Lanesboro shot a solid 46% (29 of 63).   They also made 16 of 33 free throws (49%), the Burros just 2 of 5 (40%).  Lanesboro (14-4, 20-6) and M-C (12-6, 18-8) finish atop the SEC-East ahead of SG (10-8, 10-16), Schaeffer (8-10, 10-16), and Houston (3-15, 4-22).  The Cougars haven’t had an 18-win season since 1976-1977 (according to the esteemed Lee Epps), when they went 19-3!  It is their first winning season since 2013-2014.  It is the Burros’ first 20-win season since 2006-2007. Lanesboro is Section 1A’s 2-seed, will host 15-seed Rochester Math and Science Academy (9-15) or 19-seed Kingsland (1-25).  M-C is the 5-seed, will host 12-seed Schaeffer Academy (10-16).  

Boys Basketball: Larks Finish With Four Wins, Post Best Season Since 2020

Grand Meadow’s boys finished up its best regular season campaign since 2019-2020 by posting a trio of wins.  At Spring Grove, Bob Burmester’s Larks grinded it out.  The game had seven lead changes, five ties. Both teams scored 34 points from the field.  GM led 33-27 in the second half before an 8-0 Lion run and a 35-33 SG lead.   The Lions had the ball down 40-39 in the final 20-seconds but missed a three.  After one GM free throw, SG had one more chance down 41-39 in the final 5.7 seconds but missed an open triple at the buzzer.  It was the fewest points in a game for SG in three years.  Logan Grafe (15 pts, 19 rebs) and Carter Glynn (12 pts, 6 rebs) made double figures for GM.  Weston Ingvalson (12 pts), Emery Bartell (9 pts, 5 rebs), and Devon Williams (8 pts, 8 rebs) led SG.   GM then beat Alden-Conger/G-E, non-conference, 75-65. The Larks led 43-36 at intermission, behind a 21 point half by Glynn, and never trailed in the second half.  AC/GE got as close as 66-63 (1:57), before GM finished the game 9-2. Grafe hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final 1:38. Charity shots favored the Larks 14 of 18 (78%) to 9 of 15 (60%).  Glynn (28 pts, 11-19 FGs, 3-6 threes, 7 rebs) led the way.  Cohen Craft (17 pts), Grafe (15 pts, 15 rebs, 6 asts), and Keaton Gehling (9 pts, 10 rebs) helped.   GM ended the year beating Houston 74-34.  Glynn (20 pts, 6-8 FGs, 6-8 FTs, 7 rebs), Craft (15 pts, 6-9 FGs, 5 stls), and Grafe (13 pts, 6-7 FTs) hit double figures.  Tilden Witt (8 pts, 6 rebs) led the ‘Canes.  For the season, Glynn (18-plus PPG, 10-plus RPG) and Grafe (10-plus PPG, 10-plus RPG) are each averaging double doubles.  Winners of four straight and six of seven, GM (12-6 in the SEC, 17-9 overall) is 1A’s 6-seed, will host 11-seed L/P (11-15).  The Larks entered the year having won 18 games the previous four years combined.  Houston (3-15, 4-22) is 1A’s 17-seed, plays at 16-seed L-O (5-21) in a play-in game.

Three Rivers Conference Boys Basketball (2/17 & 2/20)

Caledonia 77, Cotter/Hope Lutheran 60 (C: A. Stemper 32 pts (8-9 threes, 12-13 FGs), 5 rebs; G. King 31 pts (12-23 FGs, 5-7 FTs), 4 asts; C. Hammell 13 pts (6-10 FGs), 20 rebs, 4 stls.  Stemper, King, and Hammell scored 76 of the Warriors 77 points as they (11-3, 15-8) stayed in hunt for a TRC-East title, pushing the Ramblers (9-4, 17-8) into third place.)  

Fillmore Central 65, La Crescent/Hokah 75 (FC: C. Schoepski 22 pts (10-17 FGs), 8 rebs, 4 asts; Bridon Bahl 17 pts (4-7 threes), 8 rebs; Logan Illg 16 pts (7-12 FGs).   FC trailed 54-53 in the second half before a 15-4 Lancer run made it 69-57.)   

Southeast Conference Boys Basketball (2/16 – 2/20)

LeRoy-Ostrander 51, Lanesboro 91 (L: N. Taylor 25 pts (12-23 FGs, 10 rebs, 5 stls; C. Danielson 20 pts (7-10 FGs, 5-7 threes); Mason Gilbertson 12 pts, 5 asts; Levi Rogers 11 pts (5-6 FGs), 8 rebs.  L-O: R. Hungerholt 18 pts, 4 asts; Grayson Stockdale 10 pts; Tyler Farlinger 8 pts.  Lanesboro led 66-22 at the half, scored a season high, hit 11 of 23 threes (46%)) 

#5 in A Southland 80, Spring Grove 62 (SG: Lyric Stadtler 17 pts (5-8 threes); Weston Ingvalson 12 pts; Devon Williams 10 pts; Kolton Nerstad 10 pts, 7 asts.  The Lions played and shot well but Southland was too efficient with only nine turnovers and two fouls while shooting 50% from the field for a 36th straight SEC win. The Rebels hit 13 treys, the Lions 12.)

Kingsland 79, Schaeffer Academy 89 (K: D. Bamlet 29 pts (10-16 FGs, 7-8 FTs), 14 rebs; Kaaleem Reiland 18 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts; Tate Rasmussen 16 pts (4-7 threes).  The Knights scored a season high. Lion Luke Friese had 46 points including 10 threes.) 

Lyle/Pacelli 86, LeRoy-Ostrander 45 (L-O:  R. Hungerholt 22 pts (3-9 threes, 7-9 FTs); Landen Huntley 9 pts, 6 rebs; Logan Drees 8 pts, 7 rebs.) 

Non-Conference Boys Basketball (2/16 – 2/21)

Kingsland 42, Hayfield 85 (K: Collin Stuart 14 pts (5-7 FGs); Max Snitker 13 pts (3-5 threes), 6 rebs; D. Bamlet 11 pts, 9 rebs) 

Hayfield 78, LeRoy-Ostrander 53 (L-O: R. Hungerholt 19 pts (5-6 FTs); L. Huntley 11 pts, 4 stls; John Bradley 10 pts (4-5 FGs), 7 rebs; G. Stockdale 9 pts (3-4 threes)) 

Caledonia 63, Cannon Falls 81 (C: G. King 18 pts; A. Stemper 13 pts; Colin Stemper 8 pts) 

Caledonia 63, Minnehaha Academy 81 (C: G. King 15 pts; A. Stemper 14 pts; C. Hammell 11 pts.)