Superior ball-handling, great defense, steady free-throw shooting and hot 3-point shooting propelled the Spring Grove boys into the Section 1A Tournament championship game. On March 11 at Rochester, the 57-46 semi-final decision over two-time defending state champion Hayfield was not only a clash between the No. 2 and No. 3 section seeds was also a high-level state-ranked … [Read more...]
Girls Basketball: Warriors Push “Forward” to 1AA Title Game
Thirteenth-ranked Warriors girls basketball kept a strong season going by pushing forward to the 1AA title game. Caledonia (3-seed, 23-3) had little trouble with Lake City (6-seed, 12-14) in the quarters. Scott Sorenson’s group jumped out 24-11. The Tigers went 4 of 15 from the field to start the game. At the half, team Cal led 38-22. Paige Klug and Alexis Schroeder each had … [Read more...]
Girls Wrestling: Hendrickson, Smith, & Berg are Runners-up
Girls wrestling had its second state meet. Three area athletes finished at state runner-up. GMLOS’ McKenna Hendrickson (132) and Diann Smith (138), and Chatfield’s Chloe Berg (126) also wrestled for state titles. Smith, last year’s runner-up at 138, won a 16-2 major in the quarters over #10 Brook Kritzeck (6-6) of Park Rapids Area and a fall in the semis over Anoka’s #5 Alley … [Read more...]
Girls Basketball: Larks Make Second Straight 1A Title Game
The 2023 Section 1A girls’ basketball game will be a re-match. Grand Meadow (2-seed, 25-2), ranked #7, easily got through the 1A quarters and then executed down the stretch of the semis to make their second straight title game. Ryan Queensland’s Superlarks had little problem with Faribault B.A. (10-seed, 10-13). Cardinal senior post Lindsay Hanson scored their first 10 points … [Read more...]
Boys Wrestling: Chat’s Berg & Schott, Cal’s Ginther State Champions
Fifteen total guys from Caledonia/Houston (9), Chatfield (5), and FCLMC (1) took on the state individual wrestling tourney. Six placed with three state champions. For a first time ever, Chatfield got two titlists, sophomore Javier Berg (106) and junior Kail Schott (182). Caledonia/Houston also got state champion in senior Tucker Ginther (145). All were impressive. Berg (#1) … [Read more...]
Girls Basketball: Burros Hold Off Knights, Fall Short-handed to Hayfield in Semis
Lanesboro (4-seed, 21-6) led Kingsland (5-seed, 21-5) 34-19 at halftime, but had to hold back a Knight surge to ensure victory. The Burros used 6’0” senior post Kaci Ruen (15 first half points) to get out to their big lead. The Knights went 0 of 14 from the field at one point, finishing the half making just 4 of its last 28 field goals. But Kingsland rallied early in the … [Read more...]
Wrestling: #2 Warriors Finish as State Runner-Up
Caledonia/Houston wrestling, ranked #2, finished up its season where any team wants to, on the floor of the St. Paul Xcel Energy Center. They even finished in the state title match. But they came one team win short of a state title, falling to powerful #1 Jackson County Central, the tourney’s 1-seed. It was an excellent season for Shay Mahoney’s group. The Warriors very much … [Read more...]
Grove guys grind past Randolph into semi-finals
The Spring Grove boys, with the No. 2 section seed, eliminated No. 7 Randolph, 39-24, in a low-scoring March 7 quarterfinal at Rochester. The defenses were stout and stingy as each offense was limited to the fewest points of the season. The two cold-shooting squads combined for only 63 points, the fewest in a Spring Grove boys’ game in 73 years. Nevertheless, the state-ranked … [Read more...]
Spring Grove boys cage Cougars quickly at section
The Spring Grove boys, with the No. 2 section seed, took quick control of the March 2 section clash with No. 15 Mabel-Canton. The 71-33 decision began with a 26-2 opening Spring Grove salvo on the way to a 45-21 halftime count. Jaxon Strinmoen scored 16 points before halftime on the way to his 18-point, 10-rebound double along with 4 steals, 2 blocked shots and 5 assists … [Read more...]
Season ends for Spring Grove girls with section loss at Kingsland
The 2023 basketball season ended for the Spring Grove girls with a third loss to Kingsland, 64-49, in the Section 1A opener for both teams on Feb. 23 at Spring Valley. With the No. 5 seed, the Knights (21-6) prevailed again over the No. 12 Lions (12-15), but this rematch followed a far different script. During the two regular-season contests, Kingsland had things well under … [Read more...]