Three Area Teams at State Boys Basketball Tournament This week- Post-Season Girls Basketball Awards announced

In the West Central Tribune All-Area girls basketball team awards, junior guard Emily Roelike of B-B-E was named to the third team. She averaged 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per games this season for the 18-10 Jaguars, who also finished in third place (9-5) in the tough Central Minnesota Conference. It is their best record ever in the CMC since joining in 1999. Roelike ended her junior year with 972 career points, accumulated since she was a freshmen. I would guess she'll make it to 1,000 points in the second game of next season.

Junior guard Hannah Linz of Eden Valley-Watkins was named to the A.P. All-State Team this week as well. She led the Eagles to their fourth straight Central Minnesota Conference Championship, including going undefeated in the league for the third time in the past four seasons.

In post-season action, the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Lakers girls basketball team advanced to their school's first-ever state tournament. They advanced from the District 20 playoffs with an incredible 53-45 win over Eden Valley-Watkins, and then defeated Holy Family Catholic 68-61 to bring them to "State", which took place last week. They were routed in the quarterfinals, however, by top-ranked Crookston. The Lakers, who finished in second place (11-3) behind EV-W in the CMC, ended the season 25-6, the best-ever finish for a girls basketball team at Howard Lake.

In boys basketball, New London-Spicer out of Section 6AA, in which our Jaguars reside, will play in the state tournament for the second time in the past three years. Joining them from the area is Montevideo and Willmar, as well.

Four-time Central Minnesota Conference champion Rockford also advanced to the state tournament, after defeating CMC rival Maple Lake in a close 64-58 game for the Section 5AA championship last Tuesday night at Halenbeck Hall at SCSU. The Rockets take a 28-2 record into "state" to face #1-ranked undefeated (30-0) Crosby-Ironton, hoping to improve on their 4th-place finish from 2005 when they last made the Big Dance. The Rockets finished 28-5 that season, and they will set a new school record for wins if they win one game at state next week.

Maple Lake finishes 24-6, the best record ever for the Irish in boys basketball.

Next week I'll get a winter sports season summary published in the local papers. Then spring is here! The only spring sport I've heard anything about is with the track and field squads, who both open the season on Monday, March 31, at the annual Central Minnesota Conference indoor meet. It will be held at St.Cloud State University.

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