Serving Aces: Staples-Motley Captures Triangular

You might as well have called it target practice.

Staples-Motley hit all of its shots in winning 7-0 over both Crosby-Ironton and Wadena-Deer Creek at Tuesday’s triangular in Staples.

Mikayla Wing, Emily Israelson and Kaliegh Hosier picked up straight set wins in the singles competition of each match.

In all, The Cardinals won 28 of 31 sets.

Paige Hartman played well for Wadena-Deer Creek.

At No. 2 singles, she defeated C-I’s Abbu Gindorff 6-0, 6-3 and pushed S-M’s Grace Wolhowe to the brink before losing in a tiebreaker.

Sister Macy Hartman defeated the Ranger’s Gabrelle Hudrlik 6-4, 6-4 in WDC’s lone other victory.

Staples-Motley moves to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in conference, while Wadena-Deer Creek slides to 2-7 and 0-4.

Staples def. Crosby 7-0

Singles

1. Mikayla Wing (SM) def. Gabrelle Hudrlik 6-1, 6-2
2. Grace Wolhowe (SM) def. Abby Gindorff 6-0, 6-1
3. Emily Israelson (SM) def. Kari Watson 6-3, 6-2
4. Kaleigh Hosier (SM) def. Karrina Myhre 6-0, 6-2

Doubles

1. Maggie O'Keefe/Kelsey Zetah (SM) def. Meridith Silgen/Shannon Lundgren 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-5
2. Annie Kautto/Brooke Wolhowe (SM) def. Maria Oren/Vanessa Hudrlik 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
3. Linsey Johnson/Nikki Edin (SM) def. Jessica Dauer/Rachel Norwood 6-1, 6-3

Staples def. Wadena 7-0

Singles

1. Mikayla Wing def. Mary Hartman 6-0, 6-3
2. Grace Wolhowe def. Paige Hartman 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-2), (7-3)

3. Emily Israelson def. Sarah Najjar 6-1, 6-1
4. Kaleigh Hosier def. Abby Wegscheid 6-1, 6-1

Doubles

1. Maggie O'Keefe/Kelsey Zetah def. Ashley Carlson/Elise Kallevig 6-0, 6-0
2. Brooke Wolhowe/Ann Kautto def. Molly Kraemer/Anna Kraemer 6-0, 6-1
3. Linsey Johnson/Nikki Edin def. Erin Johnson/Maddy Hinojos 6-0, 6-0

C-I def. WDC 5-2

Singles

1. Macy Hartman (WDC) over Gabrelle Hudrlik (CI) 6-4, 6-4

2. Paige Hartman (WDC) over Abbu Gindorff (CI) 6-0, 6-3

3. Kari Watson (CI) over Sarah Najjar (WDC) 6-2, 6-4

4. Karrina Myhre (CI) over Abby Wegscheid (WDC) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles

1. Meredith Silgen/Shannen Lundgen (CI) over Ashley Carlson/Elise Kallevig (WDC) 6-0, 6-0

2. Vanessa Hudrlik/Mariah Oren (CI) over Molly Kraemer/Anna Kraemer (WDC) 6-0, 6-0

3. Rachel Norwood/Jessica Dauer (CI) over Erin Johnson/Maddy Hinojos (WDC) 6-4, 6-2

Cardinals Improve, Still Lose

Progress is a process. It takes time.

Staples-Motley displayed by far its best effort this season and possibly since 2010, scoring first in the first, second and fourth quarters before faltering late in a 27-18 loss to state-ranked Warroad Friday.

In the end, Warriors running back Keedon Sweetney single-handedly rattled and broke the Cardinals ranks, rushing for 158 yards and three touchdowns, including two decisive scores in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Sweetney scored from 4, 5 and 60 yards out and added a 70-yard kickoff return touchdown.

“Give Warroad credit.  They made big plays at critical times to pull out the win,” Staples-Motley co-head coach Paul Mithun said in an email.

Mike Beach toted the ball 16 times for 75 yards and a score for Staples-Motley (0-3), which rushed for a season-high 169 yards.

Snatching the lead early and admiring it at numerous junctures throughout, the Cardinals were able to successfully open up their passing attack, as well.

Kyle Jansson threw for 132 yards and two scores.

The effort was particularly positive considering Warroad (2-1) was ranked No. 9 in Class 2A and S-M was coming off losses of 51-0, most recently, and 38-6 to start the season.

The Cardinals outgained Warroad 301 to 214 in total yards.

Lack of experience, though, especially in competitive fourth quarter situations drove Staples-Motley to its 14^th consecutive loss.

S-M last played a game decided by one score or less nearly two years ago — before almost everyone on the current roster played varsity football.

While the team showed marked improvement in defeat, Mithun does not want to settle for moral victories moving forward.

Up next: Detroit Lakes (3-0) Friday at 7:00 pm. Listen live on KSKK 94.7 FM.

Cardinals Football Trounced by Hawley

The scoreboard at the Hawley Athletic Complex was off during the first half of Friday night’s football game between the Nuggets and Staples-Motley Cardinals.

Good thing, too, because S-M did not need another reminder of just how bad the first 24 minutes were.

The Cardinals were out of the game from the first play, a fumbled exchange.

Meanwhile, Hawley opened up its offense, remained disciplined on defense and celebrated a 51-0 victory on its home turf like it was a town street dance.

Losers of 13 straight, the Cardinals double wing offense couldn’t get in sync.

They almost had as many lost fumbles (three) as first downs (five) and were shutout for the first time since Oct. 10, 2008, a span of 30 games. At halftime, Staples-Motley trailed 41-0.

As has been customary during the losing streak, big plays ate up the defense like Joey Chestnut with hot dogs.

Hawley matched the seven plays of 20-plus yards Pequot Lakes recorded against the Cardinals last week.

It was a group effort.

Hawley’s quarterback tandem did the most damage, passing for, rushing and receiving at least one touchdown each.

Jordan Harms finished 4-of-5 for 65 yards and two touchdowns. He also hauled in deep pass and turned it into a 43-yard score and found the end zone from 7-yards out on a keeper in the third quarter.

Ben Ellefson caught four balls for 65 yards and two TDs, rushed for another touchdown to go with 36 ground yards and netted 64 yards through the air on 3-of-4 passing.  

Alex Ames rushed for two scores and 98 yards.  

Even the backups signed their names in support of the cause for the now 2-0 Nuggets, which have won all 10 regular season games since joining the Heart O’ Lakes Conference last year.

Hawley finished with 487 total yards; Staples-Motley had 77 on 40 plays.

Kyle Jansson completed zero passes on six attempts. He threw the ball well, but his receivers couldn’t hang on.

Mike Beach was one of the lone bright spots for Staples. The senior collected 50 yards — nearly two-thirds of the team’s total offense — but was limited to 10 touches.

Notes: Jacob Swensrud, Brady Becker and Tyler Winkels, among others, made their varsity debuts. Seeing the field this early in their careers should only help with their future development.

Up next: Staples-Motley plays Warroad in its home opener Friday, Sept. 14. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.

Volleyball Scoreboard: Wednesday, Sept. 5

Bertha-Hewitt, Sebeka, WDC Perfect in Victory, Staples-Motley Drops to 0-2

VOLLEYBALL RESULTS

Sauk Rapids-Rice 1 Brainerd 3

at Brainerd         FINAL

 

Lake Park-Audubon 0 Bertha-Hewitt 3

at Bertha             FINAL

Bertha-Hewitt defeated Lake Park Audubon 3-0 Tuesday in Bertha. The Bears cruised to victory in each game, winning by scores of 25-13, 25-8 and 25-14.

Bertha-Hewitt is now 3-0 this year as it heads into its first conference matchup of the season, Thursday versus Sebeka.

 

Henning 3 Hancock 0

at Hancock         FINAL

 

Park Rapids Area 0 Frazee 3

at Frazee             FINAL

Perham 2 Detroit Lakes 3

at Detroit Lakes                 FINAL 

Menahga 0 Nevis 3

at Nevis              FINAL 

Battle Lake 2 Brandon/Evansville 3

at Evansville      FINAL 

Breckenridge 0 Wadena-Deer Creek 3

at Wadena         FINAL 

Melrose 3 Staples-Motley 0

at Staples           FINAL 

 

Staples-Motley dropped three straight games Tuesday to the Melrose Dutchmen.

The Cardinals (0-2) mustered just 30 total points in losing 25-8, 25-14 and 25-8. Theresa Odden and Kelly Pearson led the team with two kills apiece. Pearson added seven digs, Odden five and Kaitlin Spar contributed four.

Staples-Motley will next face Park Rapids Thursday at 7:00 pm. 

 

Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 0 Sebeka 3

at Sebeka            FINAL 

Jordan Lillquist served up five aces and added five kills as the Lady Trojans bounced back from a season-opening loss to sweep Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Tuesday. After dropping a match to Osakis, Sebeka (1-1) took three straight games from the Wolves, 25-14, 25-16 and 25-11.

Jasmine Titcomb dished out 15 assists and Brett Brockpahler and Heidi Olson whacked eight kills each.

The Lady Trojans will go against the Bears of Bertha-Hewitt Thursday.

 

Swanville 1 Verndale 3

at Verndale         FINAL

Pequot Lakes Races Past Cardinals

Speed kills.

The Staples-Motley Cardinals found that out Thursday night in a 38-6 season opening loss to Pequot Lakes.

Tyler Tappe scampered into the end zone four times and tallied 226 total yards on 14 touches, including four plays of 20-plus yards to send the Cardinals to their 12^th consecutive loss dating back to the end of the 2010 season.

The junior broke the game open early in the second half with game-breaking wheels.

Following a Staples-Motley fumble out of the gates in the third quarter with the score 14-6 Pequot Lakes, Tappe took a carry 35 yards for a touchdown. His next touch  went 78 yards to paydirt on the ensuing possession.

His 171 rushing yards were better than the 150 yards Staples-Motley gained on the ground.

Senior quarterback Jordan Redmond completed 7-of-17 passes for another 174 yards and two touchdowns against an interception.

Staples-Motley signal-caller Kyle Jansson threw for 50 yards on 2-of-7 passing with two picks.

The Cardinals’ lone score came in the second quarter on a 10-yard push from fullback Mike Beach, who finished with 84 yards on 18 carries.

Up next: Staples-Motley faces a stiff test against Hawley Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 in the evening.

Scoreboard: Friday, April 20

Baseball

Staples-Motley is focused and the scoreboard shows it.

The Cardinals swept Wadena-Deer Creek 6-5 and 11-4 Thursday afternoon to move to 5-2 on the year.

Cody Drone, playing on the team for the first time since eighth grade, drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 1 with a swinging and runners in scoring position.

Jordan Jenkins tied the score with a two-out RBI double in the sixth inning after the Cardinals blew a three-run lead.

The catcher also hit a two-run double in the first inning.

Jacob Vetsch came in to relieve starter Blake Petrich to collect the win.

Matt Laughlin got hooked with the loss. Christian Berg went 2-for-2 for WDC.

In Game 2, the Cardinals took advantage of a sloppy Wolverines defense and got 2 RBI performances from Jalen Busker, Kyle Jansson and Jordan Wick.

Vetsch pitched well enough to grab his fourth win of the season. The Wolverines dropped to 1-3.

Ottertail Central batted around and plated eight runs in the fifth inning to top Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale 9-4 Thursday afternoon.

Seven different Bulldogs scored runs on just five hits, as the Raiders pitchers issued nine free passes.

“Once again, we played great early and then one bad inning took us out of contention,” said BHV coach Steve Riewer, whose team is 1-3 this season. “It was the walks that killed us again in the fifth inning. If we can put together a complete game and avoid the one bad inning, I still feel we can compete with most teams.”

Zach Torgeson picked up the victory for OTC (3-1), tossing a complete game. Preston Riewer took the loss in allowing eight runs in relief of starter Dallas Ehrmantraut.

In other games:

Pillager 7 Sebeka 1
at Sebeka	FINAL
Parkers Prairie 2 New York Mills 9
at New York Mills	FINAL
West Central Area 6 Eagle Valley 24
at Clarissa	FINAL

Softball

Sebeka scored another win behind the strength on the Brockpahlers.

Brett tossed seven effective innings and Katianne went 3-for-4 with three runs as the Lady Trojans upped their record to 5-1 by edging Pillager 6-4 Thursday.

Lacey Hiltner hit an RBI triple in defeat for the 0-6 Huskies.

In other games:

Bertha-Hewitt 0 Ottertail Central 5
at Battle Lake	FINAL
Menahga 12 Verndale 1
at Verndale	FINAL

Boys Tennis

Wadena-Deer Creek fell to Park Rapids 4-3 Thursday in boys tennis. 
The Wolverines picked up wins at No. 2 and 3 singles and No. 1 doubles, but couldn’t garner a team victory against Park Rapids.

At No. 1 singles, Austin Korkowski took the first set 6-3, then dropped the next two, 5-7, 2-6.

Mike Paavola and Drew Larson won in straight sets at No. 2 and No.3, respectively.

Shane Perry and Matt Green downed Nick Lopez and Josh Johnson of PR 7-5, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles.

Eliah Anderson lost in straight sets at No. 4 singles. And Edwin Kim and Mike Small and Nick Torkkola and Nathan Daigneault lost in the other doubles matchups.

Baseball Scoreboard: April 18

Backed behind strong pitching and timely hitting, the Staples-Motley Cardinals flew past Pequot Lakes twice, 8-3 in the first game and 4-0 in the second tilt Tuesday afternoon.

In Game 1, Jalen Busker pitched a complete game, allowing three runs while striking out five and contributed a two run-scoring single for Staples-Motley (3-2).

Blake Petrich went 2-for-3 with a run, RBI and two stolen bases and Austin Redemske scored twice in a 2-for-4 effort that included a double.

Aspen Florey took the loss for the Patriots, the team’s first of the season. 

In the nightcap, Jacob Vetsch hurled a one-hitter to go with seven Ks to pick up the win. Jordan Wick went 3-for-3 with two extra-base hits and two runs to lead a nine hit Cardinal attack.

Coach John Riewer was impressed with his team’s performance, especially the error-free defense.

In other games: 

Three Ottertail Central pitchers combined for the win in a sloppy affair Tuesday afternoon. The Bulldogs hurlers issued 11 walks, allowed nine hits and hit two batters, but got enough of a lift from the offense to even the team’s record on the young season at 2-2.

Tied at 7-7, OTC scored two runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to walk away with the win. As a team, Ottertail Central collected 12 hits and walked nine times.

Parkers Prairie dropped to 0-2 in 2012.

New York Mills cruised to an 11-1, six-inning victory Tuesday, thanks to erratic pitching by the Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale Raiders.

The game remained close until the fifth inning, when the wheels broke from the axles and down went the Raiders wagon. NYM scored four runs and tagged BHV for five more in the sixth, helped by 12 total free passes, to claim its third victory in as many tries this spring. 

“We were able to hang with NYM as long as we pitched well and played defense,” BHV coach Steve Riewer said. “Both of these areas kind of let us down in the fifth and sixth innings as we started to walk too many batters and committed a couple costly errors. Twelve walks and three errors won’t get it done against a quality team like New York Mills.”

Adam Snelgrove backed up a nine-strikeout effort with three hits and two RBI to grab the win.

Dallas Ehrmantraut went 1-for-3 and scored the lone run for the 1-2 Raiders.

Sauk Centre Star is Talented, Grounded

Greatness oftentimes goes hand-in-hand with overcoming adversity. When excellence is achieved with a great appreciation and genuine humility, it’s something truly special.

Kali Peschel graduates this spring as the Sauk Centre Mainstreeters’ career leader in points, assists and steals. She achieved those laurels despite missing the better part of her senior season while recovering from knee surgery.

Peschel may be remembered most by those outside the program for her records, including surpassing the 2,000 point mark during the state tournament, but her impact to the team was much greater. She was a model teammate, student and friend who just happened to posses Division I basketball ability.

“You put others before yourself,” Peschel said. “You want success not just as an individual but with a group of people.”

The team came close to achieving the ultimate success, falling 46-40 to Providence Academy in the Class 2A state final last month.

All things considered, Peschel thought being able to play after tearing her ACL last summer and finishing runner-up to the top-ranked Lions was a perfect ending to an illustrious high school career.

“I have all great memories playing here at Sauk and couldn’t have asked for a better way to end it,” said Peschel, who was named to the Minnesota State High School’s Class 2A All-Tournament Team. “I mean, being second in state out of the 140 2A schools is amazing.”

The soon to be Iowa Hawkeye gives credence to her coach Scott Bergman for instilling in her valuable life lessons at every opportunity and for overseeing a state-bound basketball team two years running.

“’If you do the little things right, what you deserve you’ll get, which is an appearance at the state tournament,’ is one piece of advice coach gave,” Peschel said.

Putting others before the self is another.

Bergman also helped put her late June 2011 injury in perspective while she worked back into first using her knee for everyday purposes and then playing condition.

Early projections had her missing six to nine months. She split the difference, returning to the court for the first time on Valentine’s Day. 

“It was the greatest feeling in the world going back out on the court with the Sauk Centre girl’s basketball uniform on playing with my teammates,” Peschel said.

Initially, her excitement level to be back playing dwarfed her explosiveness. Getting her body to respond at full speed was a process, one that only now is nearing where it was before the injury.

“Getting into shape was probably the hardest part,” said Peschel, who still rehabilitates the knee three times per week.

When it came down to choosing where she wanted to bring her talents, Peschel said almost immediately she settled on Iowa after paying the campus a visit a couple years back. Open to other options, she is thinking about majoring in communications or psychology.

One more accomplishment awaits Peschel before she departs from Sauk Centre for good, remembered by the banners affixed with her good name aloft the high school gymnasium floor. She will graduate May 25. 

Beyond that lies the opportunity to fulfill a long-held dream of playing Big Ten basketball.

Softball Scoreboard: April 18

After wiping the wet field with Ottertail Central in a season-opener 15-1 victory Friday, the Staples-Motley Cardinals’ bats fell silent Tuesday. The Pequot Lakes pitchers were brilliant throughout, scoring a sweep of S-M, 12-0 and 3-2 Tuesday.

Katie White allowed just one Cardinal to reach in Game 1, a one-out single off the bat of Megan Vetsch in the bottom of the fifth inning. The sophomore went the distance, striking out three.

She also helped her cause, going 4-for-4 from the plate with a double and two RBI.

Vetsch pitched well in four of six innings, but the third and sixth were rough.

Pequot Lakes batted 11 in the third, scoring seven times. After collecting a run in the fifth inning on a two-out hit by Jamie Sewall, who had three hits and four RBI in the game, PL added four more runs in its next at-bats.

In Game 2, Lindzee Johnson kept the Cardinals at bay and designated player Mandy Carlson made her first hit of the day count.

Tied 2-2 in the top of the seventh, Carlson lined a single into right field to score Sewall from second. The Cardinals, who had battled back from down 2-0 with single runs in the fifth and sixth, had no answer in the bottom of the frame to drop to 1-2 on the year.

Johnson allowed just four hits and two runs, while striking out none to pick up the victory.

Vetsch pitched a complete game in defeat, giving up seven hits and three runs, two earned.

The Patriots are now 5-0 on the season and have outscored opponents 51-6.

In other games:

Jessica Lillquist plated two Lady Trojans during a 3-for-4 effort and Brett Brockpahler struck out nine to earn the win as Sebeka doubled up Verndale 8-4.

Sydney Weniger went 3-for-3 for the Pirates in a losing effort.

Michaela Lemkuhl blasted the Wolverines past Perham 10-5 in the first game of a double-header. The Yellowjackets responded in the nightcap, earning a series split with an 11-4 win.

Lemkuhl belted two home runs and drove in seven runs during a 4-for-4 performance in Game 1, providing all the offense Caitlyn Volkmann needed to pick up the “W.”

In Game 2, four errors and 10 free passes spelled the end to WDC’s modest two game winning streak. Katelyn Peters collected three hits and scored two runs and Avery Jackson went 2-for-4 with an RBI. 

Behlianno's Athlete of the Week: April 4

KSKK/KVKK’s Behlianno’s Athlete of the Week is Caitlin Volkmann of the Wadena-Deer Creek softball team.

Volkmann pitched a complete game (five innings), allowing three runs (two earned), while striking out five as Wadena-Deer Creek thumped Bertha-Hewitt 21-3 in its season opener last week. She also scored three runs and drove in three more.

The junior plays shortstop, too, but coach Craig Klawitter will be relying heavily upon her to take the hill after Amanda Perkins graduated last spring.

Last Tuesday’s win was a good start.

“I’m expecting to get a lot more pitching in,” Volkmann said. “So I need to step up and help win more games there.”

An expanded workload at the game’s most scrutinized position doesn’t faze Volkmann, who says she is prepared for whatever Klawitter asks of her.  

Offensively, she set a team record for sacrifices last year and hopes eclipse her own mark this season.

Including Volkmann, WDC returns seven players from its 2011 squad that finished 12-9.

This year: so far, so good.

“I still think we have some things to work on, but I think we should have a good year,” Volkmann said.  

State-Bound Bounce: Browerville Downs Barnum

Sometimes things are just meant to be.

Seth Kellen knocked down a straightaway 3-pointer with a shooter’s touch late to launch the Browerville Tigers to a 75-74 victory over Barnum Friday night and into the state tournament.

After seeing a 17-point second half lead turn into a six-point deficit with less than a minute to play, the Tigers roared back.

Mitch Heid scored six points (a 3 and three free throws), while the Bombers made just 2-of-6 from the line to set up Kellen’s heroics at Crosby-Ironton High School.

The game-winner skipped off the front of the rim, bounced twice on the heel and caromed off the glass before rolling in with less than two seconds left.

The Bombers’ last-chance inbounds pass was deflected, allowing Browerville, not Barnum, to move on.

Browerville, now 27-2, will play Mt. Lake/Butterfield-Odin (24-5) Thursday afternoon at 1:00.

Barnum ends the season 24-6, one game shy of its first state appearance since 2007.

As has been the custom this season, Browerville used a heavy dose of center Seth Christensen to jump out to an early lead. By halftime, Browerville led 32-20.

The Tigers extended their advantage to 49-32, before Barnum woke up.

The Bombers stormed back with a blitzkrieg of 3s, tying the score at 63 on the way to a 72-66 lead.

But it was the outside touch of Browerville that mattered most.

Christensen notched a game-high 26 points. Heid contributed 21 and Kyle Petermeier scored 14.

Jacob Naslund led the Bombers with 20, while Rodney Mullen, Jr., finished with 19. 

Browerville Pushes Past Upsala

From start to finish the Browerville Tigers played like the better team. So it was only natural that the Tigers won for the third time this season against Upsala, 62-51.

This time the stakes were higher.

A year after the Cardinals (19-9) eliminated Browerville from the Section 5A tournament, the Tigers returned the favor.

Before a packed Long Prairie-Grey Eagle High School gym, the Tigers (26-2) implemented a dynamic inside-out game to advance to the section final Friday night in Crosby, Minn.

Pivot Seth Christensen scored 22 points and Mitch Heid added 16 points, including a handful of clutch free throws down the stretch.

The reigning section champion Cardinals battled back several times from double-digit deficits, but key mistakes prevented them from getting closer than four.

Senior Seth Kellen inspired the Browerville faithful, returning from a right foot injury to contribute seven points off the bench.

Sophomore Christian Pekarek headed the Cardinals attack, tallying 21 points.

As a team, Upsala hit eight 3s, but it wasn’t enough. 

NYM's Novak Wins State Wrestling Title

KSKK/KVKK’s Behlianno’s Athlete of the Week is Shane Novak of the New York Mills wrestling team.
The junior Novak won the Class A individual state title at 113 pounds at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul. Novak grappled with the pressure this past season of being No. 1 practically cover to cover, following a second place finish at state in 2011.
Unfazed, Novak achieved the state’s highest individual honor.
"The rankings don't really mean a whole lot to me,” Novak said. “[I took] one match at a time, wrestling for my team, wrestling for my town, wrestling for myself — I just kind of put the rankings aside and what people expected of me aside and wrestled how I wanted to wrestle."
Novak defeated three freshmen, including second-ranked Quinten Berres of Kimball Area who entered the bout at 43-2, to reach the finals for the second consecutive season.
A year the wiser, Novak wasn’t going to let another opportunity for a state title slip away.
Against James Goman of Trinity School at River Ridge, the Eagles grappler jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Excel Energy Center mat with an early takedown.
That’s all Novak would need to secure his first state title.
Goman recorded a point for an escape, but did little else, and another takedown by Novak provided the 4-1 decision.
" When I get the lead, [it's about] keeping the lead,” said Novak, who, in addition to wrestling, plays football and baseball for New York Mills. “Our coach (Eric Niemi) always says when you get the lead, keep it. It doesn't matter if you beat a guy by 15 or one, a win's a win and that was kind of my philosophy."
In 2011, Novak defeated Berres to reach the final only to lose to senior Jacob Braaten of Minnewaska Area by one point, 5-4.
Novak finished 2012 with 45 wins against one loss. The lone setback came early in the season at 120 pounds against Isaac Novacek of Badger-Greenbush.
"My whole plan was to go down to 113, but cutting weight at the beginning of the season is pretty hard,” said Novak, who enjoys hunting and fishing. “So I just wanted to wrestle at that weight for a little bit then drop it down (to 113) and maintain it down there."
The tri-sport athlete doesn’t regret not having lowered his weight sooner. A state title was the goal, which he achieved.
The same could not be said of his team.
Ranked No. 1 in section play, the Eagles bowed out in the semifinal to Border West.
"Our team kind of hit a wall, but you cant be mad about it,” Novak said. “Our team knew seedings didn’t mean anything and we knew we were going to have to wrestle to win. Boram West just came out and they were ready to wrestle. I guess we weren't, at the time.”
Still, the Eagles were able to send Novak and three others to the individual state tournament.
The hard work paid off.
Novak began wrestling at an early age. His older brother, Jordan, took to the mat and helped push Shane to find success.
The younger Novak now has 151 career wins. The school record is 172.
While the school wins list or an undefeated season would be nice, Novak’s goal for next season is to successfully defend his title.

Browerville Holds Court in Battle With Pillager

LONG PRAIRIE, Minn. — It wasn’t easy, but the Browerville Tigers continued their dominance of the 2011-12 schedule.

Kyle Petermeier attacked the Pillager’s thin interior defense, scoring 10 of his 12 points down the stretch and Seth Christensen delivered a critical putback as the seventh-ranked Tigers topped the Huskies 62-55 in a subsection 5A semifinal game Saturday night.

Clinging to a 50-48 lead in the game’s final minutes, Christensen rebounded a Connor Burns missed free throw and kissed it in of the glass for two.

Pillager would never again get closer.

Browerville led throughout the game with the exception of an 18-16 deficit, but could not shed the feisty Huskies. Not until Pillager center Cole Hunstad fouled out.

Once the 6-foot-4 senior exited, Petermeier came to life.

Mitch Held played well in the second half, too, producing 12 of his 14 points after intermission in helping the Tigers move to 25-2.

E.J. Ziegler dominated the paint for the Huskies with 21 points, but he and his teammates couldn’t come up with the big shot to join Long Prairie-Grey Eagle and Royalton as the only teams to defeat Browerville this season.

Despite the loss, the Huskies completed an impressive turnaround following three dismal seasons.  Pillager finished ’11-’12 with 20 wins, 13 more than it had in the previous three years combined (7-67).

Christensen finished with 16 points for Browerville, three off his season average.

Up next: Browerville plays Upsala (19-8), a team it has defeated twice this season, Tuesday night in the sub-section 5A final.

The Cardinals needed double-overtime to knock off Eagle Valley 90-84 Saturday night.

BOX SCORE

BROWERVILLE — 62

Seth Christensen 16, Mitch Held 14, Kyle Petermeier 12, Connor Burns 9, Brad Dreher 8, Max Goligowski 3

PILLAGER — 55

E.J. Ziegler 21, Cole Hunstad 12, Isaac Jacobson 8, Matt Doss 6, Devin Strack 6, Connor Uselman 2

Nevis Overcome by Foul Trouble, Eagle Valley

CLARISSA, Minn. — The whistle blew out the Nevis Tiger’s basketball season.

Fouls forced two Nevis starters out of the game for good in the second half and Eagle Valley capitalized from the free throw line as the Rebels overcame a 12-point deficit and 38 points from Taylor Chase to win 71-59 in overtime Thursday night.

Eagle Valley made 11 of 14 freebees in the extra session and forced four Nevis turnovers in the first ever matchup between the two Section 5A schools.

The Rebels had a chance to win it in regulation, but Luke Mock missed two from the charity stripe with two seconds remaining and the score tied at 56.

Chase drained two from way downtown to bring the Tigers back from down four in the closing seconds of regulation, following a Rebels furious 16-point turnaround.

The victory sends Eagle Valley (15-10) to the subsection semifinal Saturday to face Upsala (18-8).

The loss puts an end to Nevis’ season.

Tigers head coach Scott Kramer said the keys going into the game were to hinder Eagle Valley’s transition offense by taking care of the basketball, limit second chances and get Chase going.

Nevis (12-15) did just that in the first half, committing just three turnovers and receiving 16 points from its junior guard to take a 31-22 lead.

A strong start to the second half upped Nevis’ lead to 39-27, but foul trouble and turnovers opened the door for Eagle Valley.

Pivot Jake Keranen fouled out first, Matt Gustafson followed, forcing Kramer go to his seldom used bench. Nevis’ poise without its starters lapsed under EV’s pressure defense. On both ends Mock keyed a 16-6 run to cut Nevis’ lead to two, 45-43.

Before long, Nevis found itself trailing for the first time since midway through the first half, 54-50.

Chase brought came through to force overtime, but it wasn’t enough.

Led by Tate Benning’s 24, the Rebels moved to 12-2 against sub-.500 opponents — 11-0 against teams other than Osakis.

History Not Worth Repeating, Upsala Ends Sebeka's Run

LONG-PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Upsala Cardinals got the best of the Sebeka Lady Trojans.

Led by junior Aimee Pelzer’s 15 points, including five late free throws, Upsala (27-1) exacted the revenge it was seeking in a 64-57 victory over Sebeka in the Section 5A Sub-Final Tuesday night in Long-Prairie, Minn.

Exactly 52 weeks ago — March 8, 2011 — in the same LPGE gym, No. 2-seeded Sebeka stole one away from the Cardinals, 58-55. It was only the second the Cardinals lost all season; both were to Sebeka. 

After dropping Upsala, the Lady Trojans would then go on to knock off then-reigning Class A champion Barnum in overtime to reach state for the first time in program history.

If the sting of last year’s postseason loss wasn’t enough, Sebeka also ended Upsala’s 2009-‘10 campaign with a sub-section semifinal thrashing, 82-59.

History was not going to be repeated a third time.

Upsala made sure of that.

Misfortune assisted.

Sebeka was without its top scorer, leader and statistically the best point guard to ever wear the purple and gold jersey — Alicia Boe.

Boe’s more than 1,900 career points, 550 assists and 360 steals could move no more than her left knee, which was immobilized after an injury Saturday night in a win against Nevis.

Sebeka fought hard and until the end, getting offensive lifts from Brett and Katianne Brockpahler, who contributed 16 and 12, respectively.

Without its calming influence, though, Sebeka made a few too many mistakes against Upsala’s pressure defense and missed a few too many open looks — the Trojans misfired on every 3-point attempt.

Despite some early mistakes, including five straight possessions with a turnover, Sebeka entered the locker room tied, 25-25.

In the second half, the Trojans started off slowly but then found a rhythm and their largest lead of the game, 37-34.

Then more turnovers and fouls began taking their toll.

Tracy Herzog got hot for Upsala within the seams of the Sebeka 2-3 zone, and Donna Ripplinger hit a big 3.

Soon Sebeka’s miniscule lead turned into a 49-43 deficit.

Katianne Brockpahler brought the Lady Trojans to within a possession of Upsala, but Herzog drained a baseline jumper and the Cardinals burned clock, while hitting a number of clutch free throws down the stretch en route to its 22nd consecutive win.

Upsala now advances to the section finals to play an Isle Huskies team Friday night that it defeated earlier in the season.

The loss ends Sebeka’s nine game winning streak, the team’s longest in three years.

Jessica Lillquist led the Trojans with 17 to give her 2,265 career points, good for No. 1 all-time in program history. 

Crosby-Ironton Continues Dominance of Cardinals

Different day returns same the result.

Crosby-Ironton played another even game in defeating Staples-Motley for the second time this season, 71-50 Friday night.

Caleb Baker led the way in this one with 20, as the Rangers wrapped up Mid-State Conference play 6-4.

Staples-Motley (7-18) finished the conference slate 3-7.

The Cardinals played tighter basketball this go-round (C-I defeated S-M 72-41 on Feb. 3).

In the end, they could not stop all of Crosby-Ironton’s moving parts and fell to the Rangers for the 13^th time in 14 tries.

Michael Hoge contributed 15 points in the Rangers’ 15^th victory of the season.

Seth Auger led Staples-Motley with 13.

CROSBY-IRONTON — 71

Caleb Baker 20, Michael Hoge 15, Riley Jacobs 11, Daniel Hudrlik 11, Jacob Goodwin 5, Garrett Van Horn 4, Brady Tesdahl 3, Will Goodwin 2

STAPLES-MOTLEY — 50

Seth Auger 13, Kyle Jansson 12, Jalen Busker 6, Shane Suess 4, Lee Parker 4, Grant Longbella 4, Guthrie Coughlin 3, Brian Huber 2, Jordan Wick 2 

Cardinals Soar Into Postseason Red-Hot

The Staples-Motley Cardinals are going to need others to step up from here on out after top scorer Jasmine McGillvray suffered a knee injury just more than a week ago.

A team effort is what coach Arden Beachy got.

For more than one half of play, Staples-Motley played even basketball against Class A Nevis (17-9).

The Cardinals turned the corner early in the second frame, spurring an easy 76-49 win Thursday night in a final tune-up before Sections.

Jaelin Beachy notched 14 points, a total McGillvray averaged per game before the injury, to lead Staples-Motley.

Three others scored in double figures as the Cardinals wrapped up the regular season on a seven game winning streak to finish 21-4.

Megan Norby amassed 14 points in defeat.   

STAPLES-MOTLEY — 76

Kelly Pearson 18, Jaelin Beachy 14, Bobbi Jo Mathe 13, MiKayla Wing 11, KyAnn Nyhus 10, Brooke Wolhowe 4, Marilyn Eagletail 4, Mackenzie Holst 2 

NEVIS — 49

Megan Norby 14, Betsy Hjelseth 8, Kate Dierkhising 7, Riley Hanson 6, Mattie Hjelseth 6, Karly Drury 4, Jordan Walters 2, Katherine Anderson 2

Miron Reaches Milestone, WDC Tops Park Rapids

Emily Miron broke the 1,000 point barrier with a 26-point effort to lead the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines to an easy 57-19 victory over the Park Rapids Panthers Thursday night. 

The junior pivot also grabbed 12 rebounds in the team's 19th win of the season and sixth in nine tries within the Mid-State Conference.

Senior Avery Jackson chipped in 10 points for the Wolverines, who will play their regular season finale tomorrow night in Pequot Lakes. 

Staples-Motley Drops Non-Conference Tilt to Nevis

Nevis (11-13) ended a four-game losing streak by defeating Staples-Motley 52-45 in Staples, Minn., Thursday night.

Taylor Chase put his stamp on another opponent this season, outdueling Kyle Jansson and leading all scorers with 24.

Jansson continued his strong play for Staples-Motley (7-17), compiling 19 points.

Nevis used strong defense in the first half, limiting S-M to a season-worst 13 points, in building a 12-point lead. 

The Cardinals' offense recovered in the second stanza behind Jansson's play, but could not come up with the big plays down the stretch. 

Up next: Crosby-Ironton (14-10) Friday, Feb. 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:15.  

NEVIS — 52

Taylor Chase 24, Jacob Keranen 13, Gavin Becker 7, Robbie Hine 4, Matt Gustafson 2, Jordan Feder 2

STAPLES-MOTLEY — 45

Kyle Jansson 19, Grant Longbella 9, Jordan Wick 5, Jalen Busker 4, Brian Huber 3, Zach Borders 2, Seth Auger 2, Tyler Holub 1 

Staples-Motley Cruise Past LPGE, Pillager

Two more games, two more victories.

After shedding Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 60-39 Monday night, the Cardinals were again up to their winning ways Tuesday night in Pillager, mushing the Huskies 85-20.

The victory extends Staples-Motley’s winning streak to six and its overall record to 20-4.

On the other end, chalk up another loss for Pillager, which has endured a season to forget just a year removed from a 17-11 2010-11. The Huskies end the regular season winless, at 0-24.

Kelly Pearson paced S-M with 16 points, one of 12 players to score.

Lacy Hiltner led Pillager with eight.

Up next: Staples-Motley hosts Nevis (17-8) in the regular season finale Thursday, Feb. 23. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00.

STAPLES-MOTLEY — 85

Kelly Pearson 16, MiKayla Wing 13, Kyann Nyhus 11, Mackenzie Holst 9, Sarah Koopman 8, Jaelin Beachy 7, Logan Peterson 6, Kelsey Zetah 5, Bobbi Jo Mathe 4, Brooke Wolhowe 2, Grace Wolhowe 2, Kaitlin Spar 2

PILLAGER — 20

Lacy Hiltner 8, Paige Leifermann 4, Katelyn Peterson 3, Madison Usleman 2, Sarah Neururer 2, Melinda Cunningham 1

Fast Start, Detroit Lakes Prove Too Much for Cardinals

Basketball is a game of runs.

A night after stealing 21 straight points from the Verndale Pirates en route to a commanding 77-54 win — the team’s third consecutive — Detroit Lakes used several runs to build a 31-point lead over Staples-Motley Friday, before settling for a 78-66 Mid-State Conference win.

The Lakers clinched the conference title with the victory and pushed their mark there to 9-0 with one game to play.

Last season Detroit Lakes shared the honor with Pequot Lakes, which is 8-2 this year.

Staples-Motley falls to 3-6 within the Mid-State and 7-16 overall.

Joe Mollberg, the soon-to-be quarterback at the University of North Dakota, led three Lakers in double-figures with 21. Kirk McLeod and Rick Hutchinson contributed 14 and 15.

The Cardinals lost for the first time in 11 days despite a season-best 27 points from junior Kyle Jansson and another double-digit performance from sophomore Seth Auger (10).

Up next: Nevis (10-13) Thursday, Feb. 23. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:15.

DETROIT LAKES — 78

Joe Mollberg 21, Rick Hutchinson 15, Kirk McLeod 14, Derek Long 11, Brian Labat 8, Tyler Baukol 3, Aaron Marsh 2, Luke Morgan 2, Jackson Lyngaas 2

STAPLES-MOTLEY — 66

Kyle Jansson 27, Grant Longbella 11, Seth Auger 10, Brian Huber 8, Zach Borders 4, Jordan Wick 2, Shane Suess 2, Jalen Busker 2