Step I: a humbling defeat

I really believed they were legitimate state contenders. Tonight was "Step I" of what was supposed to be a deep and enjoyable playoff run. Oh, how wrong I was.

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team went down in a humbling defeat via sweep tonight to a very talented team, over half of which spend a big chunk of their summer in one of Minnesota's best small-school marching bands. Talk about well-rounded student-athletes. I left impressed.

Bravo, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg Fighting Saints!! I would dare say that Section 5A is wide open at this point.

And speaking of their marching band, tonight I learned that no fewer than eight of their 14 varsity volleyball players are in their school's award-winning marching band.

On another note...be sure to get B-B-E-s musical dates on your calendar! I wrote about that on page four of this week's Bonanza Valley Voice: Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m.

Radio

Tonight's volleyball match is on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood.

Volleyball playoffs

The sub-section quarterfinal opponent for our B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team will be Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg. The Fightings Saints improved to 11-17 overall on the season with a 3-1 win over visiting Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (4-17) on Thursday night. Game scores were 25-16, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19. Senior Samantha Gjerde, who missed the majority of the 2016 season with an injury, returned to the court this week and guided the K-M-S offense with a whopping 38 set assists to go with five ace serves, two kills and 12 digs. The Fighting Saints roared out to an 8-1 start this season and appeared to be a contender in the Camden North Conference, but after Gjerde went down they struggled mightily every time they played. They went from 8-1 to 10-17, winning just two matches in 18 tries in that span. My point is: they will be a formidable opponent on Friday night with Gjerde back in the starting lineup.

JAGUAR FANS! Come out on Friday night (Oct. 28) to cheer on the Jaguars as they take on neighboring rival K-M-S in the sub-section quarterfinals! It's a home match starting at 7 p.m.

Section 5A volleyball playoff scores on Oct. 27 (play-in round):
Upsala 3, Bertha-Hewitt 2  
East Central 3, Isle 0  
Pillager 3, LaPorte 2    
Ogilvie 3, Hinckley-Finlayson 0

Area volleyball playoff scores on October 27:
New London-Spicer 3, Minnewaska Area 0
Underwood 3, Hancock 0
Henning 3, Parkers Prairie 1    
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 3, Battle Lake 1    
Brandon/Evansville 3, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 1
Melrose Area 3, Holdingford 2 (the Huskers were the No. 3 seed, Dutchmen No. 6 seed...Melrose won game five 15-11 to advance to face No. 2 Pierz in the sub-section semifinals)
Pierz 3, Little Falls 0   
Albany 3, Osakis 0     
Sauk Centre 3, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 0
Maple Lake 3, Zimmerman 0

Friday Night Lights IX: valiant effort falls short

What an incredible night at Swanville! In the second quarter, the B-B-E Jaguars football team is trailing 14-6 tonight to the once-beaten Upsala/Swanville Area Patriots.

Update: the Jaguars took a 20-14 lead early in the fourth quarter!

Later in the fourth quarter the No. 3-seeded Patriots took a 22-20 lead. The No. 6-seeded Jaguars battled furiously on their last drive of the game, but they stalled out on fourth down with 10 seconds to go.

FINAL: Upsala/Swanville Area 22, B-B-E 20. The Jaguars finish a truly roller-coaster style season with a final record of 2-7 overall. USA moves on to face Mayer Lutheran in Mayer on Saturday in the section semifinals.

Section 4A playoff quarterfinal scores on Oct. 25:
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 8, Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 6 (at Lester Prairie, No. 5 seed beats No. 4 seed in a cliffhanger)
Mayer Lutheran 38, Kimball Area 12

Area football playoff scores on October 25:
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 28, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 20
MACCRAY 50, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 6
Pillager 50, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 6
Parkers Prairie 26, New York Mills 6
Breckenridge 41, West Central Area/Ashby 6
Canby 21, Dawson-Boyd 7
Maple Lake 54, Minneapolis Edison 14    
Paynesville Area 42, Minnewaska Area 14      
Sauk Centre 28, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 20
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 38, St. Agnes 12    
BOLD 47, Cedar Mountain/Comfrey 0
Minneota 48, Ortonville 6
Albany 25, Montevideo 0
New London-Spicer 35, Melrose Area 12 (this game was tied 7-7 in the second quarter, but the No. 3-seeded Wildcats cruised from that point on)
Litchfield 27, Holdingford 13
Jordan 44, Rockford Area 15
Osakis 56, Benson 12  

B-B-E Operation Warm - spread the word!

The Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Clothes Closet will again be sponsoring Operation Warm for the upcoming winter. Items the public can donate include winter gear such as coats, snow pants, boots, hats, mittens, gloves and scarves. They are currently being collected through October 25 for distribution to families in need across our communities. Items should be in new or gently-used condition in sizes infant to adult.

Distribution of the items will take place on Wednesday, October 26 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Ka-De Shack in Brooten. Everyone is welcome, and everything is free. Items can be dropped off at the B-B-E Clothes Closet, located at the Brooten City Hall, during normal business hours, Monday through Friday. Monetary donations are always welcome to be used for purchasing other needed items as well.

Let’s make sure no person or family goes without warm clothing this winter across our Bonanza Valley area! With any questions or concerns, call Jeanne at 320-346-2524. Please note that the green drop box located on Highway 55 is not our drop off point. The B-B-E Clothes Closet is open Wednesdays 10 to 4

On a winning streak

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team has a nice four-match winning streak going as they enter the upcoming playoffs. Tonight they finished the regular season with a thrilling 3-2 win at Paynesville Area to complete the regular season. They won game five by a 15-13 score and take a 15-11 overall record into the sub-section playoffs. Next is a home match on Friday night (Oct. 28) at 7 p.m.

St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Belgrade will hold their annual fall sausage and pancake supper fundraiser on Sunday, October 30 at the parish center. Serving will be from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. All you can eat! No bingo, no chances, no raffles, just good, delightful eating and company! Everyone is welcome! Adults $9, children 5-12 are $5 and children 4 and under are free.

Volleyball seeded for playoffs

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team (14-11, 4-2 CMC) wraps up the regular season schedule with a road match at Paynesville (tonight) on Monday this week. They earned the No. 1 seed in Sub-Section 5A-West-A and have a first-round bye. They host the winner of the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg vs. Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City match for the playoff opener this week Friday with a 7 p.m. start time. 

If the Jaguars win, they play in the semifinals on Tuesday, November 1 at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle high school at 7:30 p.m. The sub-section finals will be on Thursday, November 3 at Little Falls high school at 6 p.m.

(Video) Homecoming games

Here's "The Price is Right" game played during Homecoming week at the high school auditorium.


By the way, tonight the volleyball team wraps up the regular season and conference schedule at Paynesville.

Friday Night Lights VIII: Jaguars thrash Cubs

It's about darn time!

It took them four games to do it, but for the first time since Week Four, the B-B-E Jaguars football team played a very solid football game and got back into the win column as they thrashed the Kimball Area Cubs 42-25 on the road on Wednesday night to complete the regular season.

The Jaguars made it clear they came ready to play after posting a 28-0 lead after the first quarter. 

Overall the Jaguars ran 57 plays to accumulate 313 yards of offense, 252 yards coming on the ground. They had 16 first downs compared to eight by Kimball. On third down, the Jaguars converted six of nine tries. 

Neither team’s quarterback threw an interception, but the Jaguars had three lost fumbles to two by the Cubs. Also key to the win was committing a season-low four penalties, for which the Jaguars were set back by a total of 45 yards.

Kimball Area (0-8) tallied most of their offense in the second half against B-B-E's JV players. They had 233 total yards in the game, 190 on the ground, with their quarterback completing just four of 15 passes for a total of 43 yards. 

Here's video from the only time the Jaguars found their way to the red zone in the game last week against Upsala/Swanville Area:


Next: the Section 4A playoff quarterfinals...the Jaguars (2-6) are a lock for the No. 6 seed in the seven-team section. As of Thursday morning, it is unclear who their first-round playoff opponent will be. The Jaguars will be on the road next Tuesday, October 25, playing at either Upsala/Swanville Area or Mayer Lutheran (both 7-1). I will be checking through the day on more updates.

**UPDATE at 11:20 a.m. on Thursday...the Jaguars are indeed the No. 6 seed in the section. They will open up playoffs at Upsala/Swanville Area, the No. 3 seed, on Tuesday, October 25. I haven't heard back from Coach Loven on what town will host the game or the time of kickoff. Stay tuned for updates!

**UPDATE at 12:40 p.m. on Thursday...the Jaguars will travel to Swanville for the playoffs next Tuesday. Kickoff against the USA Patriots is at 7 p.m.

Mid-State District, Sub-District 3 scores in Week 8 on Oct. 19:
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 27, Browerville/Eagle Valley 6 (at Browerville!)
Upsala/Swanville Area 35, West Central Area/Ashby 14 (at Swanville)
Royalton 47, Parkers Prairie 18 (at Royalton)

Area football scores on October 19:Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 38, Minnewaska Area 0
Minneapolis North 35, St. Agnes 14
New London-Spicer 56, Milaca 12
Brandon/Evansville 50, Renville County West 8
Becker 37, Albany 21  
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 51, Montevideo 0  
Paynesville Area 30, Melrose Area 22 (Bulldogs finish the regular season on a two-game winning streak and enter the Section 5AA playoffs with a 3-5 record)
Pierz 35, Holdingford 13    
Ortonville 36, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 30    
BOLD 42, Yellow Medicine East 6
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 43, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 20      
Hancock 8, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 0      
Bertha-Hewitt 32, Underwood 20       
Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 52, MACCRAY 16     
Willmar 39, Sauk Rapids-Rice 22        
Osakis 47, Long Prairie/Grey Eagle 14   
St. Cloud Tech 26, Alexandria 19    
Little Falls 14, Foley 7     
Sauk Centre 30, Benson 27 (the narrow win gets the Mainstreeters a home playoff game as the No. 4 seed in Section 5AA, as they edged A-C-GC for the last home playoff spot in that section by virtue of the QRF tiebreaker; last week the Mainstreeters pummeled the Falcons 49-21)
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 36, Rockford Area 14  (HL-W-W wins for the first time since Week One, when they blasted Montevideo 40-8)   
Eden Valley-Watkins 44, Maple Lake 0     
Dawson-Boyd 42, Adrian 13
Minneota 49, Lakeview 40
Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 33, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 6

Halftime

42 to 0 Jaguars ahead of Kimball!

Final: 42-25, the Jaguars led 28-0 entering the second quarter.

Quite the night

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team won game five at Kimball Area by a 15-10 score to improve to 4-2 in the Central Minnesota Conference and 14-11 overall. Sophomores Katherine Mastey and Ally Gruber led the team with 13 kills apiece.

(Video) Car accident by Brooten

Here's video taken on Tuesday night following a car accident in the construction zone east of Brooten on Highway 55:


Preliminary information is that a car was rear-ended on the east side of the construction zone. More details will be released in an official statement from the Minnesota State Patrol.

Volleyball

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team won by sweep for the second time in a row against Browerville/Eagle Valley. They improve to 13-11 overall heading into Tuesday night's road match at Kimball Area.

(HD video) Jaguars vs. Eagles

Here's video from Dig Pink night last Tuesday...near the end of game one against Eden Valley-Watkins.


The Jaguars (12-11) host Browerville/Eagle Valley tonight in the last home match of the regular season.

Membership banquet coming on Oct. 22

The Bonanza Valley Royal Strutters, a chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, will have their 12th annual membership banquet on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at the Padua Pub. The event begins with Gobbling H our at 5:30 p.m., and the dinner is served at 7 p.m. (Dave's famous chicken and ribs) The raffle drawing is at 9 p.m. featuring 15 guns that will be given away. A Jake's Dinner for those 17 and under is $12.50. A single membership and dinner is $30, while a couples membership and dinner is $45. A sponsorship membership and two dinners will be $275. Thank you for your support!

Friday Night Lights VII: ouch

After falling behind 14-0 right off the bat, it appeared that the B-B-E Jaguars football team was on the verge of making it a 14-7 deficit game and heading into halftime with a head of steam. Unfortunately that was not meant to be. The penalty bug struck early and often throughout the first half and then into the third quarter and made sure any momentum on offense would be short-lived.

The halftime score ended up being 21-0, and it was a preview of more to come in the second half.

The final score tonight was 41-0, with the Upsala/Swanville Area Patriots winning to go to 6-1 on the season. They remained in first place in the Mid-State Sub-District 3 standings with Royalton. Parkers Prairie was knocked from the three-way tie for first place with a 41-26 loss at home to Browerville/Eagle Valley.

Next week the Jaguars will fight it out with winless Kimball Area at Kimball's house on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

Mid-State District, Sub-District 3 scores in Week Seven, October 14:
West Central Area/Ashby 26, Kimball Area 21
Royalton 29, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 0
Browerville/Eagle Valley 41, Parkers Prairie 26

Area football scores in Week Seven, Oct. 14:

Osakis 37, United North Central 14

BOLD 29, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 21 (battle of unbeatens in Olivia at the Jungle)

Sauk Centre 49, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 21 (Sauk Centre was happy to get their second win of the season)

Minnewaska Area 30, Benson 7 (Lakers, same story as Sauk Centre!)

MACCRAY 50, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 16

Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 24, Brandon/Evansville 16

Yellow Medicine East 43, Montevideo 14

Frazee 20, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 7

Renville County West 20, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 14

Hancock 44, Bertha-Hewitt 20

Dawson-Boyd 62, Ortonville 14

Alexandria 35, Rocori 0

Albany 43, Milaca 0

Norwood-Young America 12, Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 6

Holdingford 21, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 16

Minneapolis North 38, Minneapolis Edson 0

Pierz 30, Rockford Area 21

Paynesville Area 34, Maple Lake 7 (Paynesville is thrilled to get their second win)

Still busy

Thursday afternoon, still bogged down with office work. This morning I enjoyed being a part of Fire Safety week speaking with Brooten Fire Department members and students at the B-B-E elementary school. Look for more on that later.

Time to head to get some brief coverage at a Republican rally in Willmar!

Dig Pink volleyball night

Dig Pink Night brought out a large group of elementary volleyball camp attendees for the JV and varsity matches.

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team beat Eden Valley-Watkins 3-0 on Dig Pink night. The house was packed! Between games two and three, head coach Kevin Weller took a moment to talk about the Dig Pink fundraising and give a chance for his players to recognize cancer survivors in the crowd.

Next for the Jaguars is a home match on Monday against Browerville/Eagle Valley (10-12, 6-4 Prairie South Conference). This will be Parents' Night and Seniors Night and the last regular season match on the home court.

Dig Pink night

Coming Tuesday night in Jaguar Country is Dig Pink Night at the home volleyball match against Eden Valley-Watkins.

(HD video) Seniors win Powder Puff game

Video from last Wednesday:

Alexandria tournament

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team had a great day at the Alexandria tournament. They ended up taking second place after losing to South St. Paul in the championship match.

More to follow later. I am headed to Elrosa for their streak fry!!!

Friday Night Lights VI: what just happened?

Fans and coaches alike were stunned by the lack of intensity and lack of enthusiasm during the first half of the B-B-E Jaguars football team's Homecoming game against Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg. Against a team who the Jaguars built a 22-0 lead last year in Murdock in spite of three first-half turnovers, this time around they were unable to even get a sniff of the red zone until the second half.

Last year, the Jaguars led 34-0 after three quarters of play against K-M-S.

This year, after leading 13-0 at halftime, K-M-S went on to win 26-14 to improve to 3-3 overall.

Below, Adam Jaeger scores on a touchdown pass in the end zone while three defenders were chasing after him:


Other Mid-State District, Sub-District 3 scores on Oct. 7 in Week Six:
Parkers Prairie 28, West Central Area/Ashby 6 (the Panthers led 7-6 at halftime and then clobbered the visiting Knights in the second half)
Browerville/Eagle Valley 22, Kimball Area 13
Upsala/Swanville Area 19, Royalton 14 (at Royalton, the Royals suffer their first loss of the season)

Area football scores on October 7:
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 40, Sauk Centre 14 (Mainstreeters were also trampled on Homecoming night)
Staples-Motley 36, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 6
Montevideo 27, Benson 7
Zimmerman 31, New London-Spicer 12
Holdingford 28, Melrose Area 14
Pierz 41, Paynesville Area 20 (Bulldogs are 1-5 overall)
MACCRAY 34, Renville County West 28 (had to have been a very entertaining border battle)
Lac qui Parle Valley 13, Ortonville 12 (yet another very close border battle in west central MN)

I have a very busy weekend ahead of me. Among many events, the Bonanza Valley Voice will be at the second annual OktoberFest at Goat Ridge Brewery in New London. Their large, color ad was on page 10 this week.

Halftime

Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg up 13 to 0 at halftime over the B-B-E Jaguars football team on Homecoming night

Here's an eye-opener: Parkers Prairie knocked WCA/A all over the field in a 28-6 win tonight.

Crazy. Tonight should have been B-B-E's third straight win. Instead, they are 1-5 with their lone win coming against Parkers Prairie in Week Four.

Game night!

It's game night in Jaguar Country! The big Homecoming game!

It will be played on the radio! (And online) via Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood...

Here's video from the fourth quarter last week...18 minutes long....updates to follow tonight!


It's been a GREAT WEEK in Jaguar Country!!!

Homecoming win

(HD video) The Jaguars win game three and pick up another conference win:


In their Homecoming match tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team dispatched Holdingford 3-1 to even up their record in the Central Minnesota Conference at 2-2 and 9-9 overall. Next is the Alexandria tournament on Saturday with the first pool play match starting at 9 a.m.

I had grand plans of getting video up on Friday at this sports blog from this week's activities but had no time to do so.

(Video) Homecoming coronation games

Here's a video showing part of the game involving teaching staff during this morning's Homecoming coronation program at the B-B-E high school.


More coverage can be found at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper's website. Busy week!! Very busy! The tennis team lost yesterday 4-3 in a very entertaining match to open the playoffs. And the Color FUND Run was a huge success!

Overall this has been a truly spectacular week in Jaguar Country!

(HD video) That was electric!

What an ending! Here's the end of the Pierz volleyball match from September 15:


Note: you can change the YouTube settings to 720 DPI (high-def) for best viewing.

Home playoffs for tennis

The B-B-E Jaguars girls' tennis team will host the opening round of the Section 5A playoffs on Tuesday, October 4 with a 4 p.m. start time. Seeded No. 8, the Jaguars will host No. 9 St. John's Prep in the play-in round.

(Video) National Anthem before B-B-E v. WCA/A football

Here's the combined choir of the West Central Area and Ashby high schools singing the National Anthem on Friday night. Veterans were given special recognition prior to the game.


Well done! This was the first time I've watched a high school choir perform the National Anthem before a football game. I was impressed. I also want to point out that the season has been emotionally difficult for WCA/A fans, coaches and players as they are coming to terms with the loss of Pat Anderson, "PA" to everyone in Grant County, who was the WCA high school Dean of Students and Activities Director. He was killed on July 30 in an accident northwest of Kensington. One of his two sons, Ross Anderson, is the junior starting quarterback for WCA/A.