The Jaguars (26-3) knocked down the Osakis Silverstreaks via sweep to advance to the Section 5A championship, to be held on Saturday night at 7:00 at the Bertha-Hewitt High School (north on Highway 71). Their high school is located in Bertha, which is about 65 miles north of Belgrade if you take Highway 71 through Sauk & Long Prairie.
The Silverstreaks finish the 2007 season 14-10-5 overall, with a 10-0 record in the Prairie Conference (champions). It was a huge turnaround after a 2-5 start to their season. They went 14-14-1 in 2006. Coach Wessel, in only her second year at the helm of the Silverstreaks program, has done a remarkable job at Osakis after moving from Melrose Area, where she led the Dutchmen to the sub-section championship match in 2004 (losing to our Jaguars). Osakis was 9-14-1 in 2005 under their previous head coach.
Game scores tonight in the 3-0 win were 25-10, 25-13, 25-14. The Jaguars fought past a 9-9 tie in game three with a 16-5 run to finish the match, earning the school's sixth sub-section volleyball title in the process.
A few photos from the match in Brainerd have been posted on my sports photos website.
The Jaguars will not have history on their side on Saturday night, when B-B-E will showcase the 14th team in school history in a section championship event. The overall record in section championships for B-B-E is a dismal 1-12.
Here is the summary:
LOSSES (and one win) in section finals for B-B-E teams:
1995 GBB
1997 BBB, Football
1998 BBB, Wrestling
1999 Wrestling
2002 VB
2004 BBB, VB
2005 BBB, GBB
2005 (WIN!) VB
2006 VB
**Pine River-Backus hung on in a wild game four to win the 5A-North championship by a 3-1 match score, defeating Onamia 25-18, 21-25, 25-16, 30-28.
Onamia comes from the predominantly Class 1A Great River Conference, while Pine River-Backus plays in the mostly Class 2A Mid-State Conference.
Onamia came into the match with a 22-7 record, winners of their past 8 matches (2 playoff). Pine River-Backus is 25-2, and has gone 9-2 since a 16-0 start to their season.
Photos will be posted, along with other information, on Wednesday morning.
**Also from Tuesday night, Section 6AA scores:
St.Cloud Cathedral 3, Pierz 1
Sauk Centre 3, Albany 1
Maple Lake 3, Litchfield 1
Rocori 3, New London-Spicer 0
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