R-P’s boy’s finally got G-E-T, beating the Red Hawks 60-55. The Trojans were 0-5 in the teams’ five-year series. Houston’s boys beat Lanesboro 68-49. Mikkel Schutte had 13 (pts), 16 (rebs), 7 (asts), and 4 (blks). Alex Van Gundy had 24, but Houston fell to SG 63-58 in OT. The Hurricanes led by five in 0:48 left. Big guys 6’6” Brady Musel (career-high 27 pts, 11 rebs) and … [Read more...]
Boys Basketball (12/2 – 12/7)
M-C 25, SG 64 (M-C: Reid Crawford 6 pts. SG: Caden Grinde 29 pts) W-K 56, Houston 51 Houston 68, Lanesboro 49 (H: Caiden Danielson 19 pts (8-12 FGs); A. Van Gundy 14 pts, 9 rebs; M. Schutte 13 pts, 16 rebs, 7 asts, 4 blks; Braden Kennedy 12 pts (4-7 threes); Noah Kingsley 10 pts, 7 rebs. L: Ryan Holmen 12 pts; Sawyer Johnson 9 pts (3-8 threes); John Prestemon 6 pts, … [Read more...]
Girls Basketball (12/3 – 12/7)
R-P 19, FC 55 (FC: Kandace Sikkink 19 pts (7-10 FTs), 9 rebs, 5 stls; Kassidy Broadwater 8 pts, 5 rebs, 6 asts, 8 stls. R-P: Alora Wilkemeyer 6 pts. Falcons start the year 3-0) Chatfield 41, St. Charles 52 (C: Peyton Berg 11 pts, 5 rebs; Silja Erickson 11 pts) SA 32, M-C 45 (M-C: MaKenzie Kelly 12 pts (3-4 threes), 6 rebs; Camryn Cox 11 pts, 8 rebs; P. Danielson 2 … [Read more...]
2019-2020 Boys Basketball Preview
Like the female contemporaries, Journal-covered boys basketball teams probably wanted a little more from their 2018-2019 seasons. R-P and Kingsland were the only two to finish above .500. Chatfield, Houston, and Lanesboro were a few wins short of it. R-P made the section final four, but fell. The Trojans, Gophers, and Hurricanes will definitely start the season with high … [Read more...]
Girls Basketball (11/22 & 11/23)
Kingsland 60, Lanesboro 28 (K: Ellie Buchholtz 16 pts, 7 rebs, 6 asts, 4 stls; Merredith Farlinger 13 pts (5-7 FGs, 3-4 FTs), 8 rebs, 8 blks; Alyssa Link 12 pts (3-4 threes). L: Kaci Ruen 6 pts, 6 rebs; Sophia Simes 3 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts. Knights: 1-0. Burros: 0-1) FC 60, Hayfield 47 (FC: Lauren Mensink 15 pts, 6 rebs, 4 stls; K. Ristau 14 pts, 11 rebs; Maddie Krage 11 … [Read more...]
2019-2020 Girls Basketball Preview
Journal covered girls basketball teams probably wanted a better 2018-2019. Only two of the seven (Kingsland, Houston) made Rochester and the section quarterfinals. Each lost. Only three of the seven finished above .500 (Kingsland, Houston, FC). Individuals did stand out, as two girls became their school’s all-time leading scorers and third went over 1,000 points. The … [Read more...]
8th Annual Boys Basketball All-County Team
This year’s boys All-County team is headed by a first squad that is all from just two teams. State-entrant R-P boast three while Kingsland and its superb backcourt has the other two first-teamers. 1st Team Ben Ansell (6’5” Sr. C, R-P): “MVP” was the offensive finisher that R-P rode to state. Ansell went from averaging 2.1 points-per as a junior, with two double-digit … [Read more...]
R-P Boys at State
They certainly came home disappointed. At the 2018 Minnesota boys basketball Class A state tourney, Rushford-Peterson lost more than it won. Each defeat, however, was highly competitive affair. R-P played until the very last day of the season. They played, by upperclassmen numbers, as underdogs. Two Big Shots, Two Overtimes in Quarterfinals There really isn’t any other … [Read more...]
March Sanity; Trojans State-Bound!
The N.C.A.A. tournament has its March Madness. All manner of upset and crazy can and have occurred as college teams vie to be National Champion. For instance, a 16-seed can beat a 1-seed for the first time ever, as happened the first Friday of the tourney, when U.M.B.C. (that’s University of Maryland-Baltimore County) shocked the world and especially Virginia. Just a day … [Read more...]
8th Annual Girls Basketball All-County Team
A season ago, the FCJ girls basketball All-County team featured seven seniors. Eight girls from the Class of 2017 were one time b-ball All-Conference selections. This year’s squad has only three seniors and five pure All-Conference picks. Underclassmen rule. Two potential all-time leading scorer juniors head the cast. … [Read more...]
1st Team
Lauren Buchholtz (5’9” junior G/F, Kingsland): After playing alongside a good group of seniors for two years, the keys to the Knight girls basketball car were given to Buchholtz. The ultra-fast and high-jumping Lauren leapt and sped her way to a break-out junior season. She became the ninth Knight to top 1,000 career points (1,086). Paisley Larson’s 1,296-point record is … [Read more...]
2nd Team
Paige Donlinger (5’3” junior G, FC): The Falcons’ speediest player, Donlinger, just 5’3”, led FC in scoring (9.4 per), rebounding (5.8 per), and assists (1.7 per). Added a team second-best 2.1 steals. Averaged 11.1 PPG the last 16 games (7.0 PPG the first 12). Had six games of 10-plus FT-attempts (78 of 158 total). An All-TRC selection. Kenidi McCabe (5’4” freshman G, … [Read more...]
Honorable Mentions
Belle Berg (5’8” junior G, Chatfield): The Gophers most versatile player was second on the team in scoring (9.1 per), rebounding (4.9 per), and assists (1.7 per). Hit a game-winner versus La Crescent. An All-TRC HM pick. Lindsey Welch (5’10” senior F, Kingsland): By one point (see Ellie Buchholtz), was Kingsland’s third leading scorer (8.6 per). Added a solid 5.3 RPG while … [Read more...]
Two Worlds Collide
The game could’ve had a theme song, Survivor’s “Burning Heart.” The iconic drum beat from said track theoretically could’ve thumped four days, the length of time each squad prepped for the other. Boys basketball teams from Rushford-Peterson and Kingsland began the year with lofty hopes, particularly come play-off time. And though this year’s Trojans and Knights may not be … [Read more...]
Trojans Make It Clear to BP; It’s Not Football
In the first Tuesday 1A quarterfinal at Mayo Civic Arena, top-seed R-P (20-7) took on 9-seed Blooming Prairie (13-11). The last time the schools met, the Blossoms downed the Trojans in a football semifinal. BP’s student section remembered, chanting to the like. But March isn’t football season. March is basketball season. R-P very seldom loses their opening game in … [Read more...]