With Caledonia and Spring Grove each winning state titles, post-season football awards come out well after most teams finished. A plethora of county athletes make their respective All-District teams. In the MSE-East, R-P’s 8-2 squad has seven A-D players. Jake Paulson (6’0” 180 WR/LB) earns his second nod. The senior big play maker had another great receiving year (33-691 … [Read more...]
Boys Basketball Preview
The last county boys team left standing a year ago were the Trojans of Rushford-Peterson. Tom Vix’s group fell in double OT to Goodhue in the 1A title game. R-P finished 13-3 (TRC), 20-9 (overall), as 1A Runner-Up. Team green lost its two All-TRC picks (Noah Carlson, Luke Rasmussen). It returns a nice group of guys that should keep them in the Section title mix. Jake … [Read more...]
Girls Basketball Preview
The girls basketball season starts with a bunch of voids to be filled. A ton a talent including seven All-Conference picks graduated last year. Five of seven FCJ covered schools lost (multiple) high-profile, experienced players, including two all-time leading scorers. The last county girls basketball team left standing last season were the Fillmore Central Falcons. In … [Read more...]
Collegiate Football Notes
A fivesome of former Chatfield Gopher football players are among those playing at the collegiate level. Having big years in the NSIC were nationally ranked Division II squads MSU-Mankato and Winona State. The Mavericks (7-0) won the NCIS South over the Warriors (6-1) on the strength of a 27-6 win in Mankato on October 28. Both made the 28-team Division II play-offs. MSU … [Read more...]
Volleyball Post-Season Awards
It was another good year for the spikers and diggers. This year’s All-Conference volleyball teams are dominated by players from the two best squads in the county, Mabel-Canton and Fillmore Central. For the first time this decade, no one made All-State though. Nine girls have done so since 2010; R-P’s Kenzie Lind (2010 HM), M-C’s Belle Sand (2011/2012 HM, 2013 1st Team), … [Read more...]
Collegiate Volleyball Notes
Fillmore County still boasts at least five athletes playing volleyball at the next level. Heading the cast is 2014 Mabel-Canton graduate Belle Sand. The 5’6” senior is in her fourth year at Division I Syracuse University. She is the Orange’s top libero/defensive specialist. Through 29 games, Sand easily leads the squad with 396 digs. She is second in the ACC in digs per … [Read more...]
Section 1 on Display at Girls Class A C-C Meet
It is not a secret that Section 1 is often super powerful in such sports as football and volleyball. Cross country has been the same way this year, on the girl’s side of things in Class A for sure. The 2017 state meet in Northfield was further evidence. Four Section 1A athletes, Cotter sisters Grace (freshman, #1) and Lauren Ping (7th grader, #3), Z-M/K-W 7th grader Natasha … [Read more...]
Cougars 1A East Runner-Up
They used to have an in-season rivalry. Now that both are in the same class, the squads are meeting up yearly in the play-offs. For the third straight season, the 1A East volleyball title came down to #7 Caledonia (1-seed, 22-8) and #10 Mabel-Canton (2-seed, 28-5). Warrior errors helped the Cougars win in 2015. Caledonia was just too powerful in 2016. The 2017 match-up … [Read more...]
LFC’s Arndt Qualifies for State
The last two seasons, LFC girls cross country qualified for state. A three-peat probably went out the window last winter. Kiera Olson and Leah Ruen were destined to graduate. Emily Snyder tore her ACL in basketball. Only one of LFC’s top four runner from last year’s Section Meet, Kaylee Arndt, returned. At the 2017 1A Meet, the frosh took 14th place, which was one of the … [Read more...]
Same Road Leads to Rochester
The 1A East volleyball tourney came down to four teams in a geographical line, Caledonia, Spring Grove, Mabel-Canton, and Fillmore Central. Two state powers are set to meet up yet again, for the 1A East title. In one quarter, 7-seed L-A (18-10) took on 2-seed M-C (26-5). The Cougars took game one 25-19. The Cardinals, who can flash, then had their moment. L-A came back … [Read more...]