One lug nut held, maybe two. The Section 1A boys basketball title game between #7 in A Spring Grove (2-seed, 28-1) and #1 in A Goodhue (1-seed, 26-3) will be remembered. For 30 minutes, the Lions were in control. Then, in the blink-on-an-eye, the wheels nearly fell off. The Lions boys, battled-tested from already making state and the state finals in football back in the fall, … [Read more...]
Lion boys ride out Goodhue rally, head to state tournament
The Spring Grove boys went 9 for 10 at the free throw line in the final three minutes to deflate the dreams of Goodhue, which had sent its fans into a frenzy after chopping a 19-point deficit back to two in the 2023 Section 1A championship game at Rochester on March 16. The 57-48 win sealed the Lions second-ever trip to the state tournament. Not only was Goodhue (26-4) the … [Read more...]
McHugh, Hammel honored by SEC cage coaches
Spring Grove senior Addyson McHugh was named Second Team All-Conference by the Southeast Conference girls basketball coaches. Freshman Kylie Hammel received Honorable Mention. McHugh, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward, was honored again as a senior after receiving Honorable Mention the previous winter as a junior. In her final season in a Lion uniform, the four-year letter … [Read more...]
Boys Basketball: L/P Lights It Up Early, Ends FC’s Season
Lyle/Pacelli (4-seed, 22-5) got off to a strong start versus Fillmore Central (5-seed, 17-10). The Falcons never fully recovered and the Athletics prevailed in a 1A quarterfinal. FC was a bit jittery out of the gates, as #12 L/P got off to a 23-7 start. They were buoyed by Buay Koak, a 6’4” long-armed senior four-year starter, who blocked a couple early Falcon shots and scored … [Read more...]
Boys Basketball: Trojans Test #1 Goodhue, Fall in Quarters
Rushford-Peterson executed its game plan. Methodically, they ran their sets to get shots for their top shooters and playmakers. The Trojans (8-seed, 15-12) tested #1 Goodhue (1-seed, 24-3), putting them in an early 32-25 second half hole. But Goodhue controlled the glass and 6’7” G/F Sam Opsahl could not be stopped. Seeding held true as the Wildcats moved on to the 1A semis. … [Read more...]
Boys Basketball: Warriors Get Past Chatfield, Fall to PEM in Semis
Caledonia boys basketball, the defending 1AA champion, again vied to play for the 1AA title. They posted a quarterfinal win, but fell in the semifinals. Versus Chatfield (6-seed, 17-10), Caledonia (3-seed, 15-12) used some tactical defense, particularly in the second half, to get revenge for a late season TRC loss. The first half saw the young Warriors blister from deep. … [Read more...]
Girls Basketball: Vikings Stymie Larks, GM Finishes as 1A Runner-Up
In a rematch of last year’s 1A title game, won 65-41 by Hayfield, the defending champion #4 in Class A Vikings (1-seed, 27-4) came out quick on #7 in Grand Meadow (2-seed, 27-2). They controlled things throughout to repeat as Section champions. Hayfield hit six of its first eight field goals to build an early 14-6 lead. The Vikings then closed the first half with a 12-2 run, … [Read more...]
Girls Basketball: Gadient’s Quotient Too Much For “Runner-Up” Warriors
Goodhue girls basketball (1-seed, 26-3), ranked #3 in Class AA, used a quotient centered around junior guard Elisabeth Gadient, and an offense which, when it scored, scored in chunks, to subdue #13 in AA Caledonia (3-seed, 25-3) in the 1AA championship game. Scott Sorenson’s Warriors never led as the Wildcats were an offensive buzz saw. Goodhue jumped out 9-2 and 15-5 and led … [Read more...]
Boys Basketball: Spring Grove Grinds, Surges into Section Finals
The Spring Grove boys (2-seed, 26-1) advanced into the Section 1A basketball championship game with a 39-24 low-scoring quarterfinal win versus Randolph (7-seed, 16-10), followed by a 57-46 semifinal decision over two-time defending state champion Hayfield (3-seed, 23-6). The quarterfinal was a grind with no offensive rhythm as the Lions and Rockets combined to score only 63 … [Read more...]
Much better ball-handling, more wins for Spring Grove girls
The 2023 Spring Grove girls, with the fewest turnovers in 11 years, won a dozen basketball games, their most in six years. Under first-year head coach and former Lion standout Taylor Elton, the Lions continued to hold their own against similar Class A competition. At 12-15 overall, the girls were 12-12 versus other Minnesota Class A squads and Iowa small-school Lansing Kee, … [Read more...]