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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