Both basketball teams trail at halftime tonight, Girls hoops get drubbed at Howard Lake 81-56, Boys fall in nail-biter 58-56 to Benson

The Jaguars girls basketball team is having a rough time at Howard Lake, where they currently trail the host HL-W-W Lakers 41-22 at halftime.

**Update at 9:05, the girls lost 81-56.

Meanwhile in Belgrade, the Jaguars boys basketball team has trailed Benson most of the first half. The score at the break was 34-30.

With about 8:00 left, the Jaguars had tied up the game at 45-all. Moments later, Michael Rodgers had picked up his 4th foul and the Jaguars trailed 46-45.

The Jaguars had their chances at the end but ultimately were tagged with their 2nd loss of the season 58-56 to the Benson Braves.

I'm calling it a night, more will follow on Saturday. Have a good night and a safe weekend, thank goodness it'll be warm for a change!

Boys basketball scores:
Rockford 55, Eden Valley-Watkins 53
Sauk Centre 46, Osakis 42
West Central Area 69, Frazee 56
MACCRAY 81, Yellow Medicine East 35

Girls basketball scores:
Eden Valley-Watkins 67, Rockford 36
Pierz 50, Kimball Area 43
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 62, Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 57
New London-Spicer 66, Foley 35
Sauk Centre 55, Mora 45

**A few Saturday scores:
Boys basketball: Morris Area 74, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 66
Girls basketball: Minnewaska Area 57, Melrose 38 - Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 74, West Central Area 66, F/OT (The MA/CA Tigers get the upper hand in Sub-Section 6AA-West, where they are the top-rated team heading into the final month of regular season play)

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Jaguars boys basketball steals another game from Pierz, 68-61 win at home - No shame in sweeping the Pioneers this season

For the first time since 2002-2003, the Jaguars boys basketball team has swept the Pierz Pioneers in Central Minnesota Conference action. With the win, the Jaguars improved to 5-0 in the CMC, while the Pioneers fell to 2-2. It is also the 12th straight win for the Jaguars, who are now 13-1 overall.

What a win for the Blue and Silver, after trailing 21-7 to open the game. They led 31-30 at halftime.

At Rockford, where the Jaguars wrestling team traveled to tonight for a Central Minnesota Conference triangular that also included Royalton-Upsala/Swanville, the Blue and Silver lost 51-17 and 39-35.

Friday night, the Jaguars girls basketball team travels to Howard Lake for a showdown between the 2nd- and 3rd-place teams in the Central Minnesota Conference.

More to follow on Friday.

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Jaguars boys basketball hosts their "game of the week" tonight (Thurs) at the high school, Pierz vs. Jaguars showdown

The Jaguars (12-1) will be fighting to hold onto first place in the rugged Central Minnesota Conference. The Pioneers (7-4) will be fighting with their own motivation, called revenge, as it was only a little over 3 weeks ago that they blew a big first-half lead and lost 65-59 on their homecourt to the Jaguars in the Central Minnesota Conference opener.

Make no mistake, tonight's game will be a battle, it will be tough, and Pierz will throw a stifling, pressure defense at our guys. It's a game the Jaguars should win, but if they have even a sniff of over-confidence and poor ball handling, they will pick up their first loss in CMC play this season.

The boys basketball team's friday night game against Benson will be aired on 106.5 FM "The Train," with pre-game starting at about 7:15pm.

• "The Train" 106.5 FM out of the Norway Lake-Sunburg area, led by long-time KWLM sports broadcaster Bill Dean (1972 Belgrade High School graduate), along with local sports enthusiast and proud Jaguars athletic supporter Don Leukam.

Jan 20, Holdingford at home, boys basketball - Jan 30, Benson at home, boys basketball - Feb 6, at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, boys basketball - Feb 17, Maple Lake at home, boys basketball - Feb 23, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted at home, girls basketball - Feb 27, Sauk Centre at home, boys basketball.

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Jaguars girls danceline gives awesome show for hometown fans at final competition of the season, held at the B-B-E High School

More information is forthcoming from danceline coach Erin Caven about their great season-ending performance on Tuesday night. They beat area teams from Paynesville and Swanville in the five-team meet. It was the first time in school history that B-B-E hosted a danceline invitational.

The Jaguars girls basketball team picked up a nice 10-point win at Maple Lake on Tuesday night. More from that game will be posted later in the day on Wednesday. They are now 11-5 overall and 6-1 in the CMC, rating them with one of the best starts in B-B-E history for girls basketball.

It was interesting to note how close the game was between HL-W-W and Holdingford last night (see score below) in girls basketball. HL-W-W hosts the Jaguars on Friday night in a key Central Minnesota Conference game. The winner of that game will have a much better shot at winning a share of the title, with Eden Valley-Watkins remaining undefeated in the league.

The Albany girls basketball team stunned previously undefeated 2nd-ranked New London-Spicer 50-41 on Tuesday night. The Huskies improved to 7-2 in the West Central North Conference, while the Wildcats fell into a virtual first-place tie with Sauk Centre at 8-1.

Area girls basketball scores:
Eden Valley-Watkins 77, Pierz 55
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 62, Holdingford 55
Rockford 57, Kimball Area 30
Lac qui Parle Valley 66, Montevideo 60 OT
MACCRAY 55, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 33
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 52, Benson 44
Osakis 83, Upsala 66
West Central Area 58, Lake Park-Audubon 43

Area boys basketball scores:
Melrose 64, Holdingford 33 (a big help to Melrose for playoff seedings)
Ortonville 77, KMS 69 2 OT!
Benson 67, Hancock 65
Montevideo 83, Redwood Valley 73 (Monte knocks off 6th-ranked Cardinals, who were 10-1 going into the game)
BOLD 55, LQPV 49
Kimball Area 64, St. John's Prep 54 OT

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Jaguars girls basketball suffer 50-36 loss to A-C-GC, playoff picture is muddied in the process

The Jaguars are 10-5 now. It is a loss that could haunt the Jaguars when playoff seeding takes place in late February.

More information on who else will be at Browerville on Friday for wrestling. I was wrong for labeling it a dual meet when I mentioned the Jaguars' trip there this Friday (Jan 30). In fact it's a tournament involving a handful of area teams.

They are: Host Browerville/Eagle Valley, our Jaguars, Holdingford, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Border West (Wheaton/Herman-Norcross/Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley) and West Central Area.

Area boys basketball scores from Monday night:
Paynesville 48, Eden Valley-Watkins 39
Minnewaska Area 74, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 65
Litchfield 62, Maple Lake 43

Area girls basketball scores:
Sauk Centre 57, Holdingford 39

Area wrestling score:
Mora 33, New London-Spicer 24

This week for Jaguars sports - Highlight is Tuesday night's home danceline invitational at 7pm at the high school

The Jaguars danceline will host their first-ever home invitational on Tuesday night at the high school. Doors open at 6:15pm, with the meet beginning at 7:00.

The Jaguars boys basketball team will host Pierz (2-1 CMC, 7-4 overall) on Thursday night in another key CMC showdown. The Pioneers will bring a tough game to town, but I expect the Jaguars to come out ready to play and continue their winning ways.

The following night on Friday, 1981 Belgrade High School graduate Roger Lindahl will be in town with his Benson Braves for a non-conference game. They are 4-7 overall, but keep in mind that Coach Lindahl's teams always play tougher than their record indicates.

**Update on the west half of Section 6AA in boys basketball... Breckenridge, Staples-Motley and Morris Area are holding down the one through three spots. West Central Area is in fifth place, trailing Benson, who sits in fourth. Osakis is currently in sixth place and Long Prairie and Minnewaska are seventh and eighth.

The Jaguars sit head-and-shoulders above the rest of the pack in Sub-Section 6AA-East boys basketball standings at 12-1 overall. That does not mean they're a lock for a top seed at any shake of the stick, as the season is only half over.

Albany is the surprise of the area, after going 5-20 last season and 0-24 in 2006-2007. They sit in second place in the sub-section standings at 11-4 overall. A-C-GC and NL-S hold the 3rd and 4th place spots. Paynesville Area is in 5th, with Melrose Area, Sauk Centre, and Holdingford rounding out the 6th-8th place spots.

The Jaguars girls basketball team hosts Sub-Section 6AA-East rival Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City tonight (Monday) in a non-conference game. The Falcons will be tough, no doubt, but the motivation for the Jaguars is that a win would strengthen their ability to pull down a top-four playoff seed in March.

Currently A-C-GC is on a 4-game winning streak, and they are 8-5 overall and 5-1 in the West Central South Conference. They are in a virtual tie for first place in the WCSC with Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta and Minnewaska Area.

The following night on Tuesday (Jan 27), the Jaguars (4-1 CMC, 10-4 overall) travel to Maple Lake in a CMC game. The Irish (1-5 CMC, 3-11 overall) are struggling but will still be a challenge, as any CMC team would, while the Jaguars fight to hold onto second place in the league.

**The biggest game of the week for the Jaguars is this coming Friday (Jan 30), when they travel to Howard Lake to face the HL-W-W Lakers in a CMC game between teams both still in the hunt for the conference title. The Lakers are 12-3 overall and 3-2 in the CMC.

In the west half of Section 6AA, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta is a few whiskers ahead of West Central Area in the standings. Minnewaska Area sits in third, with Staples-Motley, Osakis, Benson, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, and Breckenridge rounding out the 4th-8th slots. That sub-section appears up for grabs halfways through the season, with no one clearly running away with things at this point.

In Sub-Section 6AA-East, the Jaguars girls basketball team is sitting around 3rd or 4th place with defending section champion Albany. New London-Spicer holds onto first place after their 45-35 win over second-place Sauk Centre last Tuesday night. A-C-GC, Holdingford, Paynesville Area, and Melrose round out the 5th-8th place teams. At this point, the 3rd and 4th seed are "in play" for B-B-E, Albany, and A-C-GC. Tonight's game between our Jaguars and A-C-GC is a must win if the Jaguars want to stay in the running for a home playoff opener.

The Jaguars wrestling team travels to the Rockford Triangular this Thursday (Jan 29) to face the host Rockets as well as Royalton/Upsala-Swanville. The Tri begins at 5pm. The next night, they travel to Browerville for a dual meet against a Section 5A rival, the Browerville/Eagle Valley Broncos.

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Jaguars Boys Basketball thumps Eden Valley-Watkins on Friday night, now 12-1 overall and 4-0 in the CMC

The Jaguars extended their winning streak to 11 games, after trailing 25-22 at halftime. They are not even halfways through the CMC schedule, so every one remaining (10 left) will be a battle.

The Eagles fell to 3-2 in the CMC and 7-4 overall. A win over the Jaguars would have forced a three-way tie for 1st place in the CMC, as Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted would have joined EV-W and B-B-E at the top in the league with 3-1 records.

CMC Boys basketball score:
Kimball 55, Holdingford 44

Cole Tensen, wrestling at 140 for the Jaguars, won a title at the New London-Spicer tournament on Friday night. The junior improved to 19-3 for the Jaguars.

Friday & Saturday basketball scores:
*Girls Basketball
Sauk Centre 51, Melrose 33
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 68, Browerville 36
#5-Eden Valley-Watkins 73, Albany 60 (Linz scored 43!)
Annandale 58, Maple Lake 20

*Boys Basketball
Annandale 66, Maple Lake 38
Litchfield 54, Melrose 52
Howard Lake-Waverly 68, Dassel-Cokato 33
Albany 68, St.Cloud Cathedral 55
New London-Spicer 74, Foley 69
Sauk Centre 65, Milaca 56
Mora 47, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 32
Upsala 74, Browerville 51
Royalton 53, Swanville 51
Eagle Valley 82, St. John's Prep 64

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Jaguars boys basketball wins shootout 87-73 at Hancock, girls come from behind to win at Pierz - Wrestling falls in close match 39-27 at Osakis

The Jaguars boys basketball team improved to 11-1 overall with a non-conference win over Hancock (3-7). They led 48-42 at halftime.

Their current 10-game winning streak ties the 3rd-longest win streak in boys basketball history at B-B-E, equaling the mark set by the 2002-2003 squad. (They sat at 10-5 before going on a 10-game win streak before entering Section 5A playoffs.)

After Thursday night's games were completed around the area, the Jaguars were vaulted into first place alone in the Central Minnesota Conference, thanks to Holdingford's win over Eden Valley-Watkins. It was a shocking loss for the Eagles, who entered that game with a 4-0 record in the CMC.

The Jaguars boys basketball taem plays in their biggest game of the season to date when they travel to Eden Valley-Watkins tonight, Friday night.

The Jaguars girls basketball team moved to 5-1 in the Central Minnesota Conference with a hard-fought come-from-behind 55-52 win at Pierz (3-3 CMC, 6-10). The win improves their team to 10-4 overall. I'm almost certain that both records are "best ever" for the girls basketball team, through 14 games on a schedule, since the 1988 pairing. I know for sure that their 5-1 conference record is the best league record in 6 games for any girls basketball team at B-B-E.

In the game at Pierz, the Jaguars climbed out of a 28-21 halftime deficit. With 4:21 left on the clock in the second half, the deficit was a 48-44 margin.

The Jaguars wrestling team was led by Ross Rath, Cole Tensen, and Travis Winter, who all earned pins during their loss at Osakis today. The dual match was aired on Smooth Magic 107 out of Glenwood.

Today, Friday, the Jaguars wrestling team will participate in a six-team tournament at New London-Spicer. It begins at 3:30. Other teams there besides the host Wildcats and the Jaguars are Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Benson, Eden Valley-Watkins, and Kimball.

Area girls basketball scores:
Holdingford 70, Rockford 66
West Central Area 61, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 56
Kimball Area 54, Maple Lake 51

Area boys basketball scores:
Melrose 63, Paynesville 57

More information will be posted on Friday.

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Jaguars wrestling vs. Osakis TODAY, Thursday, at 4:45pm on KMGK "Smooth Magic 107" out of Glenwood, 107.1 FM

The non-conference wrestling dual between the Jaguars and Silverstreaks, hosted by Osakis, will be aired on Glenwood's radio station. It is a make-up match from last Thursday, when the weather so rudely interrupted the school schedule.

The dual will begin at 5pm, with pre-game coverage starting at 4:45 with Dave McClurg, Smooth Magic's sports broadcaster.

The Jaguars girls basketball team (9-4 overall, 4-1 CMC) will travel the long road to Pierz tonight for a showdown with the Pioneers in a key Central Minnesota Conference game. The Jaguars are fighting to hold onto second place in the CMC, so they can stay within striking range of first-place Eden Valley-Watkins.

The Jaguars boys basketball team (10-1 overall), meanwhile, is at Hancock tonight for a non-conference game against the 3-6 Owls. **They have the biggest game of their season to date tomorrow, Friday night, when they travel to Eden Valley to face the always-tough Eagles in a showdown with first place in the CMC at stake. Both teams have perfect marks in the league as the last undefeated conference teams.

Below, a photo taken on Wednesday night this week, south of the Sunburg supper club, about 3/4 of a mile south of the Highway 9 and Highway 104 intersection. It shows how high the snow is right alongside the road. We're definitely having a more typical Minnesota winter than what we're used to in the past 12 years.

Jaguars boys and girls basketball both victorious tonight on the hardwood, wrestlers fall at Holdingford

The Jaguars boys basketball team hosted a 2-7 Holdingford Huskers team tonight, in a game aired on 106.5 FM "The Train" with Bill Dean and Don Leukam.

After the Huskers coughed the ball up 19 times in the first half, the Jaguars led 50-16. The outcome was never in doubt in the second half, as the Blue and Silver won their 10th overall game of the season 76-43. The Jaguars shot a blistering 74% inside the arc, going 32-of-52 overall from the field.

Holdingford fell to 0-4 in the CMC and 2-7 overall. The Jaguars improved to 10-1 and 3-0 in the CMC.

On Thursday, the Jaguars travel to Hancock for a non-conference game against the always scrappy Owls.

The Jaguars girls basketball team fell into an early 22-9 hole at K-M-S, as the host Fighting Saints rained 3's on the Jaguars for the early commanding lead. The Jaguars actually fell behind by as many as 15 points in the first half. By halftime, the Jaguars had cut the deficit down to a 28-25 margin. In the second half, a switch to a spread offense and more man-to-man defense fueled a big turnaround, as they were able to make the short trip back home as 60-51 winners.

Heidi Lensing scored 17 points to lead the second-half rally, ending with 24 points to lead all scorers. She also went 12-for-12 from the free throw line.

The Jaguars girls basketball team is now 9-4 overall. K-M-S fell to 5-9.

After a couple updates I got from Joe Beier up in Holdingford, I realized that the Jaguars wrestling team would drop their dual against the Huskers in the CMC battle. At the 145 class, the Jaguars trailed 25-12. Toughening up in the middle was not enough, however, as they trailed 28-27 during the 189 class. Since the Jaguars would forfeit the final two weights, the Huskers were assured of a win.

More on the events of Tuesday night, as well as previews of action coming up this week, will follow on Wednesday.

Cheer loud, cheer proud, Go Jaguars!

Area boys basketball scores, beginning with the CMC:
Eden Valley-Watkins 63, Kimball Area 43
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 68, Maple Lake 49
Pierz 87, Rockford 78
Albany 48, Sauk Centre 43
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 63, Morris Area 55
Hancock 74, Chokio-Alberta 58
MACCRAY 71, Dawson-Boyd 33
Ortonville 62, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 61 F/OT
Osakis 54, Royalton 49

Area girls basketball scores:
Osakis 61, Pierz 46 (Pioneers are 6-8 overall)
New London-Spicer 45, Sauk Centre 35 (battle of unbeatens in the West Central North Conference goes to the host Wildcats...re-match is on Feb 24th in Sauk)
Hancock 73, Central MN Christian 42
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 67, Lac qui Parle Valley 63 F/OT
Benson 56, Ortonville 52
Kimball Area 44, Royalton 34
Mayer Lutheran 78, Rockford 59
Mora 60, Melrose 53
West Central Area 55, Ashby 41
Yellow Medicine East 55, Montevideo 49

Area wrestling scores:
Kimball 48, Pierz 27
New London-Spicer 51, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 18
A-C-GC 45, Benson 29
Yellow Medicine East 34, A-C-GC 29
YME 36, Benson 24
Minnewaska 42, Montevideo 37
Paynesville 69, Montevideo 7
Paynesville 36, Minnewaska 20

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Great news, Jaguars danceline will host its first-ever varsity meet on Tuesday, January 27 at the high school

(Below) A very proud danceline team with their trophies won, after their meet at A-C-GC on Saturday.

This morning I got an e-mail stating the following, from danceline head coach Erin Caven:
"We are hosting a meet! Jan 27th at the high school starts at 7 doors open at 6:15...Try to get as much of the public out as we can!"

Albany, Melrose, Paynesville, and Swanville are the teams joining the Jaguars for the event that night.

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Tuesday night's boys basketball game at home against Holdingford to be aired on "The Train" 106.5 FM

The Jaguars will host the Holdingford Huskers in a Central Minnesota Conference clash on Tuesday night at the high school. The Jaguars will be working to improve on their 2-0 start in CMC play.

Holdingford is 2-6 overall and 0-2 in the CMC.

Look for an extensive story about radio coverage of B-B-E sports in the local newspapers this week.

More will be posted later tonight.

Jaguars Varsity Danceline brings home hardware for first time in program's history - 1st place for Jazz Funk at Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City meet

Fresh and exciting news for the B-B-E athletic program...the Jaguars varsity danceline team brought home its first trophy in the program's existence, writing their own bit of history for the 21-year old Jaguars athletic program. (In face, they brought home 2 trophies!) The Jazz Funk team won 1st place, while the High Kick squad took 2nd at a meet on Saturday at A-C-GC.

Up next: The Danceline team will compete at the Albany Invitational on Saturday, January 24th. The Section 4A meet is on February 7th at Hawley.

To read more about the danceline team, refer to this week's Belgrade Observer and Bonanza Valley Voice newspapers.

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:
The Harrison Company
cabelas.com/CTP

Jaguars girls basketball battles hard, leaves it all on the court against #5-ranked Eden Valley-Watkins, final score 58-47 loss to the Eagles

A photo from the Sauk Centre game on December 22...The Jaguars turned up the defensive intensity in the second half of last night's loss to Eden Valley-Watkins.

The Jaguars fall to 8-4 overall and 4-1 in the CMC, while the Eagles improved to 5-0 in the conference and 14-1 overall.

It was a battle. The Jaguars fell into an early deep hole, 29-9 after 8:00 gone on the clock, then trailed 34-22 at halftime. They cut the deficit to as few as six points before the Eagles pulled away at the end. The Jaguars fought until the final buzzer. This was an excellent game in which the Jaguars saw what they were made of. If they bottled up what they did in the second half of this game, they will be very hard to beat down the season stretch.

The Eagles' star guard Hannah Linz finished with 31 points, including four 3-pointers. The Jaguars were led by Emily Roelike, who totaled 23 points, including four three-pointers. Roelike, a senior fourth-year varsity player, was held to five points in the first half before exploding for a double-figure second period.

Today, Saturday, the Jaguars wrestling team is competing at the Paynesville Invitational. It started at 9am and will wrap up most likely between 3 and 5pm. Other teams at the tournament besides the Jaguars and the host Bulldogs are Class AAA Grand Rapids, Holdingford, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, and Class AAA Sartell.

Fresh update from an e-mail I received from Dave McClurg, Smooth Magic 107's sports broadcaster. It reads as follows.

1. The BBE Wrestling match at Osakis will be back on the KMGK broadcast schedule for this coming Thursday, January 22nd. Our broadcast will start around 4:45 Thursday afternoon from Osakis High School, then KMGK will join the Gopher Basketball game versus Purdue, already in progress.
2. I recorded a "Coaches' Roundup" interview with Jaguars' Girls Basketball Coach Hagen earlier this afternoon, for the program tomorrow morning. The interview will be the first of three to air during tomorrow's show. I would guess that Greg's interview will start around 7:30. I anticipate having an interview with wrestling Coach Vos two weekends from now (January 31st), then have boys basketball Coach Montbriand back on for the February 7th "Coaches' Roundup" program.

Thanks Dave! I hope the weather straightens out for all of us real soon.

Scheduling notes for next week: On Tuesday night, varsity action resumes for the Jaguars when the boys basketball team hosts Holdingford in a CMC game. That game will also be aired on "The Train 106.5 FM"...stay tuned for more on that.

That same night, the Jaguars girls basketball team travels to Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (4-8) for a non-conference game. The Fighting Saints just snapped a six-game losing streak last night when they knocked off Minneota on the road in a 51-50 thriller. The Vikings, who like K-M-S are in the Camden Conference, entered that game with a 7-2 record.

Also next Tuesday, the Jaguars wrestling team travels to Holdingford for a Central Minnesota Conference dual.

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

**Repeat! ... Friday, Jan 16, B-B-E schools opening 2 hours late

Like a broken record! Yes this is Minnesota, without a doubt.

I should have posted this last weekend, but on Friday night, the "game of the week" takes place when the Jaguars girls basketball team hosts Eden Valley-Watkins for a Central Minnesota Conference clash between conference unbeatens. In fact, this is the biggest game of the season, I would rate it right up there with the Jaguars boys basketball game at Pierz last week. The Jaguars girls basketball team has the best chance they've ever had since joining the CMC in 1999 to knock off Eden Valley-Watkins.

The game will be aired on 106.5 "The Train" out of the Norway Lake-Sunburg area. Tune in at approximately 7:15pm for pre-game coverage, led by Bill Dean and backed up with color commentary by local sports enthusiast and proud B-B-E supporter Don Leukam.

How about that K-M-S wrestling team? On Thursday night, somehow the match took place amidst all the cold weather, and the K-M-S Fighting Saints traveled to Canby to face the #1 Class A-ranked Lancers in a Camden Conference dual. The Fighting Saints prevailed 40-22. The Guillotine had K-M-S ranked as the #2 team in Class A.

P.S. - Who's excited that George Bush will not be our President as of next Tuesday afternoon?

B-B-E schools 2 hours late for Thursday, January 15 **UPDATE, B-B-E closed for Thursday Jan 15, along with Minnewaska, Alexandria, and others

On my way to work Thursday morning I heard that B-B-E is now closed for January 15. No activities will take place after school or tonight. The Jaguars wrestling meet at Osakis will be postponed. **Update at 11:35am, it was just confirmed that the Osakis vs. B-B-E wrestling dual will take place on Thursday, January 22. Had the match taken place tonight, the game would have been covered on Glenwood's "Smooth Magic 107" radio station. I just got off the phone with Dave McClurg, sports broadcaster in Glenwood, and he stated that on Jan. 22nd they will be airing a broadcast of the U of M Gophers men's basketball team.

Smooth Magic 107, Glenwood

Since the Gophers are having nothing less than a banner season, they will not "bump" the Gophers coverage for the wrestling meet that night. Smooth Magic 107 is scheduled to carry the Minnewaska vs. B-B-E wrestling dual on February 5, a home dual at the Jaguar's high school.

Speaking of weather, in Glenwood this morning had -29 for air temperature and -54 for wind chill! Last night before heading out of town in Belgrade, the clock at North American State Bank read -18, and it was only 6pm at that time!

The way the forecast looks, Friday's activities should go as scheduled. On Friday night, the Jaguars girls basketball team hosts Eden Valley-Watkins in a gigantic CMC clash between two conference unbeatens. It is basically the biggest game this program has had since B-B-E girls basketball teams challenged for West Central South Conference titles in the 1990s. **This game will be aired on 106.5 FM "The Train" out of the Norway Lake-Sunburg area. Willmar-area sports broadcaster Bill Dean, who was a 1972 Belgrade high school graduate, and local sports enthusiast and proud B-B-E supporter Don Leukam will be providing great play-by-play coverage of the game. On Saturday, the Jaguars wrestling team travels to the Paynesville tournament. The event begins at 9am.

Next week in the local papers, look for an article outlining the radio coverage schedule for both 106.5 "The Train" and 107.1 "Smooth Magic" stations.

(posted 8:50 on Wed night) = According to Glenwood's Magic 107 sports broadcaster Dave McClurg, on Tuesday morning residents of Glenwood woke up to -30 below weather. He stated that the same thing will take place on Thursday morning when the sun rises and people flock to work. Minnewaska and B-B-E are two of numerous area schools that are already 2-hours late as of Wednesday evening.

Bundle up and stay warm!

This Jaguars sports update brought to you by:

Jaguars Boys Basketball drubs Swanville 81-56, ties best start since 2004-2005... girls basketball shreds Holdingford 78-42

The Jaguars boys basketball team improved to 9-1 with the non-conference win over the Swanville Bulldogs (4-5 overall). After leading 38-31 at halftime, the Jaguars dropped the hammer in the second frame, outscoring the Bulldogs 43-25. Their next game is at Kimball on Thursday night.

The Jaguars girls basketball team, meanwhile, improved to 4-0 in the Central Minnesota Conference on Tuesday night with an easy road win at Holdingford (0-4 CMC, 4-6 overall). They opened up a 49-24 lead at halftime, aided by a 5-0 spurt before the break. Senior forward Heidi Lensing was unstoppable for a double-double, scoring 19 points and snaring 20 rebounds. Her senior counterpart on the outside, guard Emily Roelike, drained five three pointers to lead the team with 21 points.

Team stats-wise, the Jaguars shot a blistering 10-of-20 behind the arc while going 16-of-22 from the charity strip. They also outrebounded the Huskers 49-33.

The girls basketball team's 4-0 mark in the CMC is the best start ever in conference play for any B-B-E squad since the 1988 pairing (best in all 3 leagues we've been in, Prairie, West Central South, and now CMC). They are 8-3 overall, which might also be a "best-ever" start overall to a girls basketball season at B-B-E. Their next game is on Friday against #5-ranked Eden Valley-Watkins at home. **That game will be aired on "The Train" 106.5 out of the Norway Lake-Sunburg area.

The Jaguars wrestling team was roughed up by a loaded Class AA Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd team last night 56-13. They are next in action this Thursday at Osakis for a dual meet. **The match will be aired on Glenwood's Magic 107 with sports broadcaster Dave McClurg. Today I'll find out what time the coverage begins.
You can also listen on the internet (if you have a PC, it doesn't work on Mac's) at the following website URL = http://smoothmagic107.com.

Smooth Magic 107, Glenwood, 107.1 FM

Be sure to tune in if you can on the radio to hear the great radio coverage. Also, be sure to thank your local merchants around B-B-E for their support of Jaguars varsity sports.

Boys basketball scores:
Albany 73, New London-Spicer 64 (a mild upset in New London)
Benson 68, Yellow Medicine East 55
Foley 64, Melrose 55
Morris Area 65, BOLD 45
Rockford 66, Minneapolis Roosevelt 50
Staples-Motley 65, Minnewaska Area 54
Montevideo 85, A-C-GC 80 (a thriller played out in Grove City, where the Thunderhawks prevailed in a West Central South clash in double-overtime against the 9th-ranked Falcons)

Girls basketball scores:
Eden Valley-Watkins 62, Kimball Area 26 (EVW is 13-1)
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 75, Maple Lake 51 (HLWW is 9-2)
Albany 63, Minnewaska Area 29
Foley 62, Melrose 44
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 49, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 39 (MA/CA is 8-1)
West Central Area 58, Hawley 53 (WCA is 8-1)
Lakeview 46, K-M-S 40
MACCRAY 50, Dawson-Boyd 43
Renville County West 57, CMCS-Prinsburg 51

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B-B-E Schools CLOSED for Monday, No activities either

Winter's back!

Be smart and be prepared. Tonight won't be fun.

More information from Friday night's Jaguars wrestling tournament. Placewinners at the Jaguars wrestling tournament last Friday were as follows: Ross Rath (103 - 3rd), Travis Winter (152 - 1st), Brent Goodenbour (135 - 4th), Cole Tensen (140 - 2nd), Josh Beier (119 - 4th), Patrick Rooney (125 - 4th). Both Beier and Rooney also earned one fall apiece, while Tensen won two matches with pins.

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The driver definitely had a bad day - and No, it is not a fuel tanker, as the rumor mill around Belgrade was saying

This tipped-on-its-side semi rig was directly west of Bayer Built, north of Belgrade, facing southbound along Highway 71. The photo was taken at 8:40pm on Sunday night.

This week for Jaguars sports:
Monday - 9th wrestling at Maccray (4:30), Jaguars girls basketball at Paynesville.
Tuesday - Junior high boys basketball at Osakis (4:30), Jaguars boys basketball at Swanville, Jaguars girls basketball at Holdingford, Jaguars wrestling at Dawson-Boyd triangular (5:00)

More will be posted during the day on Monday. Be prepared for bitter cold this week, the dangerous sort. Lows in the 20's below zero on Monday night.

Basketball scores from over the weekend:
Boys hoops:
Montevideo 69, New London-Spicer 67
West Central Area 76, Osakis 62
Alexandria 61, Minnewaska Area 49

Girls hoops:
Eden Valley-Watkins 60, Norwood-Young America 36 (the Hannah Linz-led Eagles are now 12-1 overall and the 5th-rated team in Class AA)
Upsala (7-3) 51, Maple Lake (3-6) 45

Travis Winter takes 152-pound title at home wrestling tournament

The Jaguars wrestling team placed a very respectable 5th in their 8-team home tournament on Friday night. They out-performed neighboring Sauk Centre, who finished 6th, by totaling 78.5 points compared to the Mainstreeters 70.

Team scoring: (1) Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 195.5 (2) Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 154.5 (3) Becker 111 (4) Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 88 (5) Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 78.5 (6) Sauk Centre 70 (7) Otter Tail Central 49.5 (8) MACCRAY 46.5.

Junior 152-pound wrestler Travis Winter went 3-0 on the evening to win the title in one of the middle weight classes. Another junior, Cole Tensen, placed 2nd in the 140-pound division, while also earning two falls along the way.

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A full night of wrestling on tap for the B-B-E High School, as the Jaguars host an 8-team tournament beginning at 3:30

Tonight, Friday night, head on over to the B-B-E High School for a packed evening of prep wrestling action.

Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, Becker, Sauk Centre, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Ottertail Central, and MACCRAY will be the other 7 teams participating.

The Jaguars have a handful of wrestlers on the West Central Tribune's Area Honor Roll, where they've posted at least the 5th-best or better record in their respective weight classes.

The finals round should begin at about 9:00pm.

Jaguars boys basketball take early 9-0 lead over Rockford, lead 36-26 at halftime, 77-53 final score - Girls basketball drubs Kimball 66-42

The Jaguars started out the right way tonight in a home game against the Rockford Rockets. They led 9-0 out of the gates, then took a 19-11 lead after the game's first 10:00 of play.

The Rockets graduated their top 5 players from last season, when they finished 28-3.

Update...the Jaguars have opened up a 68-48 lead with just over 4:00 left in the game. The blowout is on!

In the preliminaries, the B-squad moved to 5-2 overall with a 53-46 win. The C-squad also won.

The Jaguars girls basketball team are leading Kimball 62-39 with 2:32 left in their game. They led 39-22 at halftime. The final score of that game was 66-42, as the Jaguars improved to 7-3 overall and 3-0 in the Central Minnesota Conference. It ties the best start in the CMC for the girls basketball team, set in the 1999-2000 season when they opened up 3-0 on their way to a 7-7 finish in the league.

Kimball, meanwhile, fell to 0-3 in the CMC and 2-5 overall.

Tonight's game was brought to the airwaves by "The Train" 106.5 FM out of the Norway-Lake Sunburg area. Numerous local B-B-E merchants purchased ads to make the broadcast possible.

Girls basketball scores:
Rockford 55, Maple Lake 36 (Rockford snaps a 5-game losing skid)
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 56, Pierz 25

Boys basketball scores:
Kimball Area 73, A-C-GC 69 (a huge win for the Cubs)

On Friday and Saturday I'll post more information on the boys games against Pierz and Rockford.

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Tune into "The Train" Thursday night to hear the Jaguars vs. Rockford in boys basketball, otherwise attend and cheer in person!

It's been an awesome week so far at B-B-E to start the new year. On Tuesday night, both the Jaguars wrestling team and boys basketball team picked up big road wins over the Pierz Pioneers, who are part of the cream of the crop in athletics in rural Minnesota.

Tonight, Thursday, the Jaguars look to snap a seven-game losing streak to the Rockford Rockets tonight at the B-B-E High School. Coach Mike Tauber, who played four years of Division II ball at nearby University of Minnesota-Morris, has built the Rockets into one of the premier rural boys basketball programs in Minnesota. They are the four-time defending Central Minnesota Conference champions, winning three of the past four crowns alone, while sharing the title with Pierz in 2005-2006.

Last season, the Rockets finished 28-3, including 12-2 in the CMC. They fell 73-59 in the state quarterfinals to a then-undefeated Crosby-Ironton team that ended as runners-up to New London-Spicer.

The Rockets are currently 4-4 overall after winning their CMC opener on Tuesday night over Holdingford (2-4 overall) 73-59. The Jaguars are 7-1 overall and 1-0 in the CMC after their huge come-from behind 65-59 win in Pierz on Tuesday night.

Pre-game on 106.5 FM out of the Norway Lake-Sunburg area will be at about 7:15.

The Jaguars have had 2 memorable losses in their current 7-game skid to the Rockets, one coming in 2005-2006, in which they fell 100-85 at home, and the other coming two seasons ago when they fell 70-67 in a nail-biter in Rockford.

January 25, 2005 was the last time the Jaguars defeated the vaunted Rockets boys basketball team. That year, when the Jaguars finished 21-9 as Section 5A runners-up, the Rockets were tagged with only 3 regular season losses on their way to a 28-5 record, 4th place Class AA state finish (the best-ever in Rockford history). One of those 3 losses was to our Jaguars, who won the game 64-55 in front of a packed crowd at home, a game in which the Jaguars played 4 quarters of flawless basketball. The Rockets other losses were to big-city schools from the Metro area.

Tonight the tables may be turned, if the Jaguars can continue their solid defense and balanced scoring. One thing that can't be overlooked, however, is the tradition of winning for the Rockets boys basketball team.



The Jaguars wrestling team picked up their first win over Pierz in many seasons after defeating the Pioneers 51-30 at the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted triangular on Tuesday night. They were also very competitive against the host Lakers in a 42-28 loss. They now have 2 dual wins so far this season, and they host the Jaguars Invitational tomorrow, Friday, beginning at 3:30 at the high school.

The Jaguars girls basketball team defeated Melrose in a home contest 57-38. Senior forward Heidi Lensing led the Jaguars with 19 points and nine rebounds. The Jaguars (6-3) outrebounded Melrose 42-17. The Jaguars' 6-3 start to the season is the best since 1997-1998 when they opened up with a 5-2 record.

They host Kimball tonight (Thursday) in their 3rd CMC game of the season, before traveling to sub-section opponent and neighboring rival Paynesville next Monday, January 12.

The Jaguars girls basketball team is 2-0 in the Central Minnesota Conference entering tonight's contest with Kimball Area. It is their first 2-0 start in the CMC since 1999-2000, the first year in the league. Last season, the Jaguars finished 9-5 in the CMC, their best record ever in that league, to hold third place alone behind state
entrant Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, and four-time defending champion Eden Valley-Watkins.

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Jaguars boys basketball mounts furious first-half comeback to overcome 14-point deficit, 31-all at halftime at Pierz - Jaguars win 65-59!!

The Jaguars are duking it out in the CMC opener at Pierz.

It's a barn-burner, just as I predicted.

Good grief...the Jaguars are up 63-56 with under 1:00 left... it's 9:00pm.

**The Jaguars won 65-59! In regulation, what an incredible game. For the second year in a row, the Jaguars overcame a double-digit deficit on Pierz's floor to leave town with a win in CMC play.

A 12-0 run late in the first half fueled the Jaguars to the win, after they trailed 49-43.

This had to be one of the most intense, exciting games I've ever heard on the radio. D'Mac did an incredible job of play-by-play on 107.1FM as usual.

On January 15, D'Mac will broadcast the Jaguars wrestling dual meet at Osakis. I think it starts at 7pm but I'll double check and get that information posted.

The Jaguars girls basketball team defeated Melrose in a home contest 57-38. Senior forward Heidi Lensing led the Jaguars with 19 points and nine rebounds. The Jaguars (6-3) outrebounded Melrose 42-17. The Jaguars' 6-3 start to the season is the best since 1997-1998 when they opened up with a 5-2 record.

The Jaguars wrestling team picked up their first win over Pierz in many seasons after defeating the Pioneers 51-30 at the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted triangular on Tuesday night. The Jaguars were incredibly competitive in the 10 contested matches of the dual, where they went 8-2 against the Pioneers. Pierz had 1 open weight, while the Jaguars gave up three classes.

They were also very competitive against the host Lakers in a 42-28 loss. They now have 2 dual wins so far this season, and they host the Jaguars Invitational tomorrow, Friday, beginning at 3:30 at the high school.

At the triangular at Howard Lake, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted defeated Pierz 51-21. The Lakers are 4-1 in duals so far this season.

The Jaguars boys basketball teams hosts Rockford on Thursday night. The Rockets are 4-4 last I checked, but they'll still be tough obviously based on their tradition. They are 4-time defending CMC champions.

The boys game on Thursday night will be aired on 106.5 FM "the Train" out of the Norway Lake-Sunburg area. Tune in to Bill Dean's great coverage that night if you can't make the game in person.

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Tuesday night's boys basketball game at Pierz to be broadcast on KMGK "Smooth Magic 107" on Glenwood's 107.1 FM

If you can't make the trip to Pierz on Tuesday night, feel free to tune in to 107.1 FM and listen to the play-by-play by Dave McClurg, Smooth Magic's sports broadcaster.

I just glanced at some stats, and this is just nuts...the Jaguars and the Pioneers are averaging almost identical on the offensive and defensive end of the courts. Both teams average about 70 points per game, while giving up 56-58 points on defense.

The Thursday night game against Rockford will be aired on "The Train" at 106.5 FM out of the Norway Lake-Sunburg area.

Winter starts out 2009 like a lion - Jaguars Girls Danceline High Kick places 5th at Melrose

The roads have been pretty tough around the area beginning this afternoon today. The Willmar area had freezing rain, and travel was dangerous since about 2:00pm.

The Jaguars girls danceline squad performed on Saturday at the Melrose Invitational. The High Kick placed 5th and the Jazz Funk team took first.

**Game of the week: This is gonna be a barn burner, no doubt... Jaguars boys basketball @ Pierz on Tuesday night (Jan 6) for their Central Minnesota Conference opener. Both teams have been mentioned in most basketball circles as favorites to win the CMC crown. Pierz is 5-1 overall, while the Jaguars are 6-1 going into this game.

The B-B-E vs. Pierz matchup has brought many memorable games over the years. In 2001-2002, the 3rd year the Jaguars were in the Central Minnesota Conference, a buzzer-beater shot sent the Jaguars home from Pierz with a 71-69 loss. That would be one of only two losses in CMC play that season, as their other league loss was a barn burner before an electrified crowd of 800 fans at the B-B-E high school against Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, eventual CMC champions that year with a 13-1 record. The Jaguars finished 12-2. The following season, the Jaguars finished 11-3, also one game out of gaining CMC hardware.

In 2004-2005, the Jaguars traveled to Pierz and came home as 74-69 victors and a 9-1 overall record in the 10th game of that season. That was the last season that the Jaguars would advance to a section final, losing 58-56 to Battle Lake in the 5A championship tilt.

More to follow.

Hopefully the weather cooperates and a large B-B-E crowd will be able to make the trip on Tuesday night.

The Jaguars girls basketball team has two home games this week. On Tuesday night, the Jaguars host Melrose, a team I have marked as "winless" although all my sources may not be 100% accurate. On Thursday night, the Jaguars host the Kimball Area Cubs in the 3rd Central Minnesota Conference game of their season. The Cubs are 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the CMC, although one of their league losses was 47-45 to Maple Lake.

The Jaguars wrestling team travels to the sparkling new Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted high school (south of Howard Lake about 2 miles) on Tuesday night for a CMC Triangular. The Jaguars will face Pierz in the opening dual, which begins at 5pm.
They host an 8-team tournament on Friday night beginning at 3:30pm at the B-B-E High School. In the 2007-2008 season, Pierz went 5-2 in the CMC (good for 2nd place), while HL-W-W was 4-3 in the league (good for a tie with Eden Valley for 3rd place). Pierz was 11-18 overall, with HL-W-W finishing 11-9 overall.

The Jaguars went 9-11 overall and 3-4 in the CMC.

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