For the second straight season, it is a mostly inexperienced Spring Grove football squad, following last year’s 7-3 crew who achieved a 10th straight winning season. Eight of 16 letter winners return, but only four with starting experience on offense and defense. The kicking game is the most experienced unit for new head coach Kody Moore, who takes the reins after the … [Read more...]
LFC, LARP and GMLOS Host C-C Meets
he week of Monday, September 21 featured area cross country teams taking part in four total meets. Three were hosted by Journal-covered squads. LFC hosted Monday, LARP Tuesday, and GMLOS Friday. The Burros triangular in Preston (LFC’s third of the year) also included Chatfield and W-K. It was the second time in less than a week that LFC and the Gophers competed in the same … [Read more...]
Cross Country (9/24)
La Crescent/Hokah Invite (On the boys’ side, LC/H (34) nipped St. Charles (37) for first with Kingsland (57) taking third. Saint Andrew O’Hara (17:35) took first, Knight Garrison Hubka (17:45) second, and Lancer Cody Kowalski (18:07) third. Knight Cole Kruegel (19:01) took sixth. Twenty-nine runners competed. On the girls’ side, LC/H (15) was the only complete team. St. … [Read more...]
Soccer (9/22 & 9/24)
(B) La Crescent-Hokah 8, Cal/SG/Hou 1 (Trailing 7-0, Warrior Austin Meyer scored with a penalty kick with the 68th minute of the 80-minute game at Caledonia. The Lancers had scored seven minutes into the match, led 4-0 at halftime, and added a pair of penalty-kick goals in the second half while improving to 4-2-1 behind a hat trick from Andy Lopez. The teams had tied 1-1 … [Read more...]
The Fall Top 50 Countdown (#35 to #31)
The top 50 teams of the fall from 2010-2019 continues. As before, squads from the “Journal 10,” FC, R-P, Chatfield, Kingsland, M-C, Houston, Lanesboro, GM, SG, and L-O, are eligible. Ranking across different years, and involving teams from three different sports, is difficult and thus subject to debate. Ranking is by how far teams made it in the play-offs. Starting at … [Read more...]
Decades of sports, mostly spectating The great Ernie Banks and I were both sitting in his sister’s living room
It never had a favorite player; as a child, every Chicago Cub was a hero. But it was no secret who was the best player. Many say one of the best baseball players ever. In 1958 and 1959, “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks was the first in National League history voted Most Valuable Player in two consecutive seasons. At that time, it seemed to me that distinction usually went to a player on … [Read more...]
Decades of sports, mostly spectating Enjoying the 21st Summer Olympics in Montreal, 1976
Hearing the “Star-Spangled Banner” played while standing on foreign soil was unexpectedly emotional. I had heard the national anthem at sporting events countless times, but for me, it was different at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. That anthem was played 34 times, once for each gold medal. At the 21st modern Olympiad, the United States won the third-most gold … [Read more...]
O’Hare Nearly Breaks 17:00 in Win
He will probably get there this season. He won last year’s 1A Meet in a time of 16:48.7. LARP runner Luke O’Hare did finally tear up yardage he’s yet to blaze a trail on, the Ferndale Golf Course. Matt Kingsbury’s group hosted its first of two meets at Rushford’s estate for golf and the boys squad had no problem winning its third race in as many tries. LARP (21) easily … [Read more...]
Gophers Host First C-C Meet of the Season
In their first cross country event of the year, Chatfield went to Lake City and ran a triangular with the Tigers and Dover-Eyota. On the girls side, the Tigers were the defending Section 1A Champs. Jayna Harstad’s Lady Gophers made a big impression, narrowly winning that triangular 27 to 29. In hosting their first triple of the year with PEM and LFC, Chatfield’s girls again … [Read more...]
Cross Country (9/15)
(B) GMLOS 48, La Crescent/Hokah 23, Cotter 67 (Christian Hjelmen (18:14.2) took third behind LC/H runners Cody Kowalski (17:12.4) and Jack Redman (18:04.7). Cohen Wiste (18:56.7) took sixth for GMLOS. Twenty-three guys competed); (G) GMLOS 58, LC/H 38, Cotter 25 (Rambler 8th grader Sonja Semling (19:38.4) took first, LC/H’s Lydia Rosendahl (19:44.5) second. Cotter had … [Read more...]