For the second straight season, #9 in A Spring Grove (4-seed, 27-4) eliminated Fillmore Central (5-seed, 19-10) in the section 1A quarters but could not topple #5 Bethlehem Academy (1-aeed, 19-10) in the semis. The Lions needed five sets to escape the Falcons 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 13-25, 25-19, 15-12). SG scored seven of the last eight points in set four to get to a fifth set, … [Read more...]
Volleyball: Caledonia Takes Down #2 Z-M, Finishes as 1AA Runner-Up
Scott Koepke’s Caledonia Warriors almost joined Mabel-Canton in the state volleyball field. Team Cal knocked off the #2 in team in AA on its way to a 1AA runner-up finish. Caledonia (4-seed, 17-12) played Goodhue (5-seed, 16-13) in the 1AA quarters. Set two was the only real tussle. Caledonia trailed most of it, including 20-16. They then scored six straight points. … [Read more...]
Football: Lions Blank Burros for Section Crown, Head to State
Spring Grove (1-seed, 10-0) scored on the game’s third play and never allowed #7 Lanesboro (2-seed, 9-1) to get closer than 19 yards to the Lion goal line. With the 35-0 decision, the #3 Lions return to state for the first time since their 2018 state title. SG is the first regular-season 9-man champion in four years to also win the section crown. Elijah Solum completed 14 of 23 … [Read more...]
Football: Field Goal Propels #1 Chatfield to State Over #8 Caledonia
Caledonia. Chatfield. Football. Not much more has to be said. A match-up of the #1 Gophers (1-seed, 10-0) and #8 Warriors (2-seed, 8-2) in the 1AA title game marked the fifth such meeting since 2012. All four previous victors won state titles. The teams combined own eight (Cal 6, Chat 2) of the nines title (competed) since 2012 (2020 didn’t have one). Field goal. Erickson’s is … [Read more...]
Football: #2 Fillmore Central Soars to First Ever State Appearance
It was in dubious number: 0-8. Since its origins in 1993, Fillmore Central has sent eight football teams to section title games. All eight lost. Head Coach Chris Mensink has been around for a most of that, heading teams that lost the most recent two section titles agonizingly, 22-21 and 7-0 to R-P in 2016 and 2021. Well, the streak is over. Faribault B.A. (2-seed, 8-2) beat the … [Read more...]
Volleyball: #5 Mabel-Canton Ends 20-Year Drought, Makes State
Evidently, it was meant to be this way. Mabel-Canton Head Coach Lonnie Morken has led a lot of really good volleyball teams. He’s a coaching legend. But the Cougars haven’t been to state since 2001. Ten times since they lost in a 1A final. Eight were to Faribault B.A. (which has the advantage of being a private school in a city of 24,000) and twice to Medford. As Morken once … [Read more...]
Spring Grove pummels Hurricanes in volleyball section opener
Addyson McHugh pounded home a season-high 20 kills as Spring Grove opened postseason play with a 3-0 (25-4, 25-14, 25-15) decision over Houston on Oct. 29 in the Round of 16. Seeded No. 4 section among 20 teams, the Lions enjoyed a 21st straight win and third this season over the No. 13-seeded Hurricanes. State-ranked No. 9 Spring Grove advanced into the quarterfinals with a … [Read more...]
Lions edge Falcons, McHugh reaches 1,000 in five-set section quarterfinal
Spring Grove scored seven of the last eight points in set four to get to a fifth set, which then opened with a 7-to-2 Lion run and eventual victory over Fillmore Central in a Section 1A volleyball thriller on Halloween at Rochester. Both teams rallied from deficits before Spring Grove finally prevailed, 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 13-25, 25-19, 15-12). The Lions had the most scoring … [Read more...]
Spring Grove soars past Superlarks into 9-man football finals
Top seed Spring Grove remained undefeated at 10-0 while storming into the 9-man section title game for the first time in four years with a season-sweeping, 47-6 semi-final win over No. 4 seed Grand Meadow on Oct. 29 at Blayne Onsgard Memorial Field. It set up another rematch versus No. 2 seed Lanesboro (9-1) in the Section 1 championship game. The Lion defense dominated … [Read more...]
Volleyball Playoffs (10/24 & 10/27)
Section 1A 17-seed Southland (6-13) 3, 16-seed Kingsland (11-14) 1 > 18-25, 25-21, 23-25, 16-25 (K: Anika Reiland 10 kills, 19 digs; Chantle Reiland 4 kills, 10 digs; Macie Rasmussen 14 assists, 7 digs; Morgan Phillips 5 kills; Vaira Merkel 6 kills; Kadence Aarsvold 13 digs. Knights beat Southland 3-2 and 3-1 in regular season. Kingsland finishes at 11-15) 19-seed … [Read more...]