A season that ended with four straight losses and a near .500 record also ended with Fillmore Central boys basketball pushing the furthest it has in the post-season since 2009.
Bombs Away Philosophy and Daniels’ Shot Send FC Past #10 Spring Grove
The graduating seniors of the Class of 2024 from Spring Grove and Fillmore Central have played some memorable boys basketball games against each other. Regular season contests as sophomores and juniors were barnburners but they saved the best for their (last) post-season contest as seniors. The seed-underdog Falcons (7-seed, 15-13) used a bombs-away approach versus #10 in Class A Spring Grove (2-seed, 25-3). And the hoisted threes fell at a very strong clip leading to an upset win, but it also took a comeback and a late game-winning shot. To combat SG’s zone defense, Brady O’Connor’s Falcons hit 8 of 17 first half threes, as they at three points in the game, twice before halftime, hit trifectas in clusters. Yet, they led by only two at intermission, 33-31. Lion senior Jaxon Strinmoen scored 15 first half points including hitting three threes to offset FC’s deep barrage. The Falcons then started the second half not scoring for nearly seven minutes. The favored Lions, the defending 1A Champs, built a 43-33 lead. But then the third cluster of Falcon threes. Four of five trifectas dropped in succession, three by reserve guard Josh Haugerud. After starting the half 0-for-5 shooting with five turnovers, FC hit 6 of 7 shots and pulled to within one at 48-47. The contest was then tight. With it tied 51-51, senior Luke Hellickson hit a big three to put FC up 54-51 (2:02). An Elijah Solum put-back basket, and a transition, driving Strinmoen lay-up then had the Lions in euphoria, as they retook the lead 55-54 (0:44.1). The Falcons then missed a three, but as SG waited for a foul in the back-court, time ticked on a back-court violation. SG fumbled a pass out-of-bounds and the Falcons had another chance. They took advantage. Hellickson tossed a thread-the-needle top-of-the-key pass right down Mainstreet of SG’s 3-2 zone, just past Solum, who was stuck guarding both Kyle Daniels on the block and a corner shooter. The pass found Daniels under the basket. The senior, who wrestled as a sophomore and is in his only year of varsity basketball, put home the go-ahead lay-up with 4.5 seconds left to put the Falcons ahead 56-55! SG then passed its attempt up the court out-of-bounds. The Falcons grabbed the dramatic win. Hellickson (17 pts, 5-14 threes, 5 asts, 3 blks) had a redemption night. In the teams’ regular season game, won 51-42 by the Lions, the senior had five points on 1 of 15 from deep. Haugerud (14 pts, 4-5 threes) was huge off the bench. Daniels chipped in 9 points. Jayce Kiehne (7 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts, 3 stls), Bridon Bahl (6 pts, 2-3 threes), and Clayton Schoepski (3 pts, 3 rebs, 7 asts, 3 stls) also contributed. FC played without 6’5” junior starting center Greg Kennedy (illness). The Lions were led by Strinmoen (21 pts, 3-10 threes, 4 rebs, 4 asts). Jacob Olerud (13 pts, 3-8 threes, 5 rebs, 3 asts, 3 stls), Solum (11 pts, 7 rebs), and Ben Udstuen (10 pts, 11 rebs) helped. FC finished 13 of 29 from deep (45%) to the Lions’ 8 of 26 (31%), a plus-15-point differential. In the regular season contest, FC was 3 of 28 from deep (11%)! All told, the Falcons shot 20 of 40 (50%), SG 20 of 52 (38%). The Falcons survived SG grabbing 16 offensive rebounds for 13 second-chance-points. FC had three for one. The Lions SEC-East championship season ends in disappointment at 25-4. They had won seven straight before the loss. A great six-man senior class of starters – Strinmoen, Solum, Olerud, and Ethan Crouch plus reserves Isaac Nerstad and Josh Newgaard played their last varsity game. More notably, long-time Coach Wade Grinde announced his retirement after 30 years of service, 29 as head coach. Grinde built a powerful and highly respected Lion program that was both a force in Southeast Minnesota and on the state scene. His career win loss record is 566-197. He has accumulated 18 conference championships and two section titles. Long-time Lion assistant Al Lochner has also put in his resignation. He had coached basketball for SG for 36 years. By proxy, it may also be Tom Vix’s last game, as he has volunteered at SG the last few years due to his friendship with Grinde. Vix has over 650 career wins from his days leading Rushford and Rushford-Peterson. Not having the trio coaching on the sideline would be a cataclysmic change.
Young Wildcats Too Much For FC
The Falcons (7-seed, 16-13) moved on to face Goodhue (6-seed, 16-13), which upset 3-seed Rushford-Peterson 75-64 in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats are very young. Top players Luke Roschen (sophomore), Alex Loos (8th grader), and Michael Roschen (sophomore) are all underclassmen. But they are very talented. FC and Goodhue met in the regular season with the Wildcats coming back to win 80-76 in double overtime. The playoff rematch was decided with much time left in regulation. FC got started good, jumping to 8-3 and 19-13 leads. They hit five early threes. But the Falcons hit just five more trifectas for the game. The first half score remained tight with the Wildcats scoring the final five to lead 37-34 at halftime. But fouls and Goodhue free throw shooting were the big stories in the second half. At one point early in the stanza, the Wildcats went to the stripe on shooting fouls five times in seven possessions. When senior Gavin Schafer hit his second pair, the Wildcats led 50-38. The closest FC then got was six a few minutes later at 54-48 courtesy of a Luke Hellickson three. Alex Loos then effortlessly splashed down a pair of threes shortly thereafter. He stoked the Wildcat lead back into double figures at 62-48. A bunch of free throws down the stretch allowed Goodhue to score 49 total second half points in posting an 86-66 win. Loos, a sturdy 6’1” eighth grader, had 27 points (6-10 threes, 10-19 FGs, 10 rebs) to lead the way. L-Roschen scored 25 points (9-13 FTs, 10 rebs, 4 asts). M-Roschen (15 pts, 9-9 FTs) also hit double figures. The senior Schafer chipped in 8 (pts), 6 (rebs), and 5 (asts). L-Roschen scored 28 and Loos 22 a game earlier versus Rushford-Peterson. Roschen had 32 points in FC and Goodhue’s regular season meeting. For the Falcons, seniors Hellickson (24 pts, 3-10 threes, 5 asts) and Kiehne (15 pts, 7 rebs, 4 asts, 4 stls) led the way. Haugerud added 9 points (3-10 threes). The Wildcats hit 24 of 32 free throws (75%) to FC’s 8 of 14 (57%). FC’s season finishes at 16-14. It their second straight winning campaign after years below-five-hundred. The senior group of Hellickson, Kiehne, Matt Marzolf, and Daniels (this year) helped FC to its winningest season since 2008-2009, last year (17-11), and their furthest play-off progression since 2008-2009, this year. The Wildcats moved on to their third straight 1A final. They lost the previous two to Spring Grove and Hayfield.
Leave a Reply