A fun throwback to....last winter (VIDEO)

That night seems so long ago, yet it also really wasn't all that long ago...

Here's video from February 10 after the B-B-E vs. Royalton girls' basketball game:


That was a fun event for all ages! I hadn't posted it, and I just noticed that while combing through my archives for another video.

Church social!

Don't forget to go to Elrosa today! The church social starts at 3 p.m. and lasts until around sunset! All the details have been plastered across the last few weeks' worth of newspapers.

Big adjustments to the BVD three-on-three basketball

Please help spread the word on this!

Due to the great interest in the upcoming Bonanza Valley Days 3-on-3 basketball tournament, three divisions have been set up to run on Friday, July 8 and Saturday, July 9...as follows, to be held at the elementary school gymnasiums. The best way to register is to email Coach Anderson at canderson@bbejaguars.org and then you will have the registration form emailed to you. Early registration is best! If you register by July 2, the cost is $40 per team. Registration after July 2 will cost $50 per team.

Friday, July 8:
Youth in grades 8-12 (grade as of the upcoming 2022-2023 school year) will have a tournament beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday. Check-in and registration is at 1:30 p.m.

Adult division, men's and women's tournament starts at 6 p.m. on Friday.

Saturday, July 9:
Youth in grades 4-7 (grade as of the upcoming 2022-2023 school year) will have boys' and girls' games starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The level of the teams in the brackets will be determined based on the oldest player on the roster and also the number of teams who register.

We look forward to seeing you in Brooten that weekend! It's coming fast.

Lots of content...and graduation (VIDEO)

A fair amount of content has been posted at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website in the past week. It includes video from a Vacation Bible School program held in Belgrade on June 15 and also a big Bonanza Valley Days story. That article has been updated today with additional BVD-related information. Check all that out and be informed! Link: Http://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com.

Before it gets too far in the rear view mirror...


Graduation night for the Class of 2022 in Jaguar Country was one for the ages. It was such a wonderful night! The setting was absolutely PRISTINE. It was incredible. The whole evening was thoroughly enjoyable for everyone in the football stadium and at the high school parking lot after the ceremony. Above is a video clip featuring all the hugs and well wishes shared that night. I feel like it was God's way of saying "Well done, B-B-E, WELL DONE!" after we completely put our best foot forward and handled the past three academic years full of COVID-related drama as well as any school in the world. I could not be prouder of our school district.

More to come. Many, many, MANY irons in the fire.

Redhead Creamery Curd Fest (VIDEO)

The Redhead Creamery near Padua hosted their annual Curd Fest celebration last Saturday, June 18. They have held this every year starting in 2017 with the exception of the summer of 2020. It is always a wonderful experience!

Here's video from some of the live music performed that afternoon under the big tent:


The website for Redhead Creamery is: https://www.redheadcreamery.com.

More to come in a new blog post on Monday night.

What a week it has been

Since learning of the water outage on Tuesday morning this week in Brooten, the week has been fairly upside down. I'm finally getting it back on track.

You should click over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website to read about Bonanza Valley Days 2022 (short link) https://bit.ly/3QOc5Hl.

Water outage in Brooten

An unforseen mechanical problem during routine water tower maintenance in Brooten has led to an hours-long water outage across town. The issue arose around 10 a.m. today, and it appears that it will take at least a "couple more hours" until it's resolved, according to city staff.

At B-B-E, all activities have been cancelled for today at the elementary school, and the day care is closing as of 1 p.m. Families have been notified. **Updates to this issue will be posted in an online article at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: http://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com. Stay tuned!

Massive wind storm batters Brooten

I don't know what happened elsewhere, but Brooten got hammered tonight by a massive wind storm that whipped across the town at about 11:30 p.m. Before it all broke loose, the wind was howling down main street. The wind and heavy rain lasted about 10 minutes. Multiple tree branches were knocked down on vehicles (and almost on me as I rushed my truck into the garage!) on our home property. Crazy! As I write this, there's still a huge tree branch knocked down on the back of our Buick.

The clean up can wait until the morning. I hope all that wind didn't destroy our family's garden! It has really taken shape in the past two weeks.

Saints take the Elite 8 title!

The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team won the Elite 8 tournament title on their home field today. They defeated the Fergus Falls Hurricanes by a 4-3 score.

Elrosa scored twice in the first inning and rode the 2-0 lead into the top of the sixth, when Fergus Falls tied it at 2-2. The Saints pulled ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, and Fergus Falls tied it in the top of the seventh. Elrosa's Blaine Fischer scored in the bottom of the eighth on Jackson Peter's sacrifice fly-RBI to give the Saints a 4-3 walk off win.

Fergus Falls had five errors, while Elrosa had three errors. Elrosa left 12 runners stranded, while Fergus Falls had 10 stranded runners.Hitting-wise, Elrosa had eight hits compared to nine by the Hurricanes. Ethan Vogt started for Elrosa and pitched six innings and fired seven strikeouts against no walks, seven hits and no earned runs. Ashton Dingmann closed in the final two innings and earned the win.

More to come. The Saints travel west near the South Dakota border for next weekend's action.


If you want to take in part of the street dance in Sunburg last weekend, click over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website (short link): https://bit.ly/3HBMMnr.

Championship day in Elrosa (VIDEOS)

The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team faces the Fergus Falls Canes today in the championship game of their home Elite 8 tournament. The game should begin at about 4 p.m.

More to come. Video is uploading.

**Here's video from the top of the fifth inning against Stillwater last night:


**And from the bottom of the fifth when the Saints scored three runs!


Happy Father's Day!

Elite 8 amateur baseball Saturday updates

In their consolation semifinal game today in Elrosa, Tri City beat Royalton 12-0 and will play at noon tomorrow (Sunday) for fifth place. Their opponent will be New London-Spicer. Royalton will face Dawson at 10 a.m. tomorrow in the seventh-place game. NL-S beat Dawson 7-2 in their Saturday game.

Fergus Falls and St. Peter are playing in a Saturday night championship bracket semifinal. I'm expecting Elrosa's semifinal game to start closer to 9 p.m. **Updates to follow!

More to come.

**Through four innings in the last game of the night, Elrosa and Stillwater are battling in a scoreless game. Elrosa has three hits, and the Loggers have none so far.  Wyatt Steffensen is Elrosa's starter.

Final score: Elrosa 4, Stillwater 3. Cool!! More info in a new blog post**

Honoring a Brooten fire fighter's distinguished career (VIDEO)

Loren Solbreken of Brooten retired last year from the Brooten Fire Department. He served over 50 years with the department, a rare achievement in the fire department ranks! We had a three-generation photo with him in this week's Voice, which included his grandson, Jacob, who was on B-B-E's very first Robotics team back in 2012.

I have additional coverage posted at The Voice website, which you can find by clicking here (short link): https://bit.ly/3zK9bgD.

Here's video from the KaDe Shack in Brooten on Saturday, June 4 with Loren speaking:


More to come tonight, including updated amateur baseball scores from Elrosa. In the 12 p.m. game TODAY in Elrosa, the St. Peter Saints beat the Tri City Sharks by a 2-0 score. So the semifinals will feature Elrosa vs. Stillwater (8 p.m. tonight) and Fergus Falls vs. St. Peter (6 p.m. tonight).

I'm heading to Redhead Creamery for Curd Fest and then out to Marhaven Greens for their golf tournament!

Saints win Elite 8 opener

The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team shut down New London-Spicer tonight 6-0 in the Elite State 8 tournament opener.

Payton VanBeck pitched a complete game where the defense held the Twins to just four hits.

Next: the Saints play at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night in the semifinals. In the loser's bracket with their sights set on the fifth-place game, NL-S plays Dawson at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

UPDATE: the Saints will play the Stillwater Loggers in the semifinals. On Saturday in the 10 a.m. game, the Loggers defeated the Dawson Drakes by a 7-6 score. In Friday night's night cap, the Fergus Falls canes defeated the Royalton Riverdogs by a 4-3 score. Exciting baseball!

More to come in a new blog post on Saturday afternoon.

Cheese! Dairy farm! Don't miss Redhead Creamery's Curd Fest

The newspaper has been bursting at the seams lately with content, and not everything has gotten into print that I wanted to get into print. Here's a link to a story about the upcoming Curd Fest at Redhead Creamery. This is something I've only been able to post on the website calendar. You can read more at the following link: https://bit.ly/3O1YDgZ.

Top Four Finishes for boys' and girls' golf!

What a week it has been for the local varsity golf teams!

At Pebble Creek Golf Course in Becker, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team took third place in the Class 1A state meet. This earned them a team trophy and medals. Also, senior Gannon Walsh earned All-State individual honors with a two-day score of 75-80-155 to take eighth place.

B-B-E junior Brady Schwinghammer shot a 165 to finish in a four-way tie for 25th place.

As a team, the Jaguars shot a 341 on the second day after shooting a 339 on Tuesday.

Class 1A state boys' golf team scores (FINAL):
1.) Fertile-Beltrami 632
2.) Marshall School of Duluth 662
3.) B-B-E 680
4.) Lakeview 682
5.) United South Central 703
6.) Park Christian of Moorhead 702
7.) New Life Academy of Woodbury 714
8.) Rushford-Peterson 757


At Jordan, the Minnewaska Area/B-B-E Blue Jackets girls' golf team earned a fourth-place finish in the Class 2A state meet. The Blue Jackets shot a 539 over three rounds of nine on Tuesday and Wednesday. Earning the Class 2A title was Lake City, who shot a 491. In second was Fergus Falls with a 530, and Pequot Lakes shot a 535 to take third place. Providence Academy took fourth with a 548.

B-B-E's Paige Rupp shot a 154 over 27 holes and finished in 72nd place

Boys' golf battling their hearts out on Day Two: amazing finish!

On the second day of the state golf meet, the B-B-E Jaguars are battling with all they've got while holding on to third place in the eight-team field of Class 1A.

More to come.

UPDATE: after the dust settled on Day Two, the Jaguars finished in third place! They earned a team trophy, and senior Gannon Walsh finished in eighth place overall with a two-day score of 75-80-155.

More to come.

Boys' golf day one at state

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team is in the middle of the Class 1A state meet held at Pebble Creek golf course in Becker. The Jaguars have just wrapped up day one of the tournament today and shot a 339. The Jaguars trail front-runner Fertile-Beltrami by a 16-stroke margin. Fertile-Beltrami shot a 323, while Marshall School of Duluth shot a 333 to sit in second place. Behind B-B-E is Lakeview in fourth with a 346, Park Christian of Moorhead in fifth with a 355, New Life Academy of Woodbury in sixth with a 360, United South Central of Wells with a 362 in seventh and Rushford-Peterson in eighth with a 391.

B-B-E individual scoring: Gannon Walsh 75 (third place overall), Brady Schwinghammer 81, Jack Paulson 89, Eli Gregory 94, Matthew Walz 99, Spencer Lundberg 101.

Section baseball playoffs (VIDEO)

*Here's another video from last Thursday in the Section 6A baseball playoffs:


The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team scored two additional runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the score to 7-4 against New York Mills.

Dancing in Sunburg (VIDEO)

What a fun and exciting time in Sunburg! The Sunburg Fire Department hosted a street dance tonight. It's still happening as I write this, actually, and here's a video recorded shortly after sundown...


It was exciting to hear that the Mason Dixon Line band has the choice to either perform in St. Paul tonight or in Sunburg. They picked Sunburg. (Wise choice!)

More to come.

Playoff update (baseball) and Country Corners Market nursery

New York Mills defeated K-M-S 13-3 in the final game of the Section 6A baseball championship series on Friday at Minnewaska Area. The Eagles have now advanced to the state tournament for at least the last three playoffs: 2019, 2021 and 2022.

***TODAY (Saturday) is the last day you can purchase starter plants for your garden from Country Corners Market north of Brooten on Co. Rd. 18...they've got lots of tomatoes and green peppers left not to mention a host of other plants like cauliflower, cucumbers, celery, broccoli and more. They close at 5 p.m.! 

Tonight! If you are looking for something fun to do, head on over to Sunburg to the fire hall where they will have this area's first street dance of the summer! The Mason Dixon Line band will perform from 8:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. outside the Sunburg Community Center/Fire Hall. Also, water wars between area fire departments will start at 5 p.m. The cover charge is just $10, which makes the cost to get in basically free! They will have concessions on site. Enjoy the evening responsibly!

Jaguar baseball third in Section 6A (VIDEOS, UPDATES)

After a deep run in the playoffs, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team came up just short in their bid for a second trip to the Section 6A championship series. In the section elimination bracket final today at Minnewaska Area high school, the Jaguars lost 10-4 to defending Class 1A state runners-up New York Mills. The Eagles lost to a stacked Hayfield team 7-4 in last year's state title game at Target Field.

The Jaguars finish the season with a record of 14 wins and 12 losses. They had a magnificent run in the playoffs! We are super, super proud of them. B-B-E has now gone at least five games deep in the section playoffs every season since the spring of 2016! They finished in third place in 2017 and took second place in 2019. B-B-E was a Section 6A Final Four team last season. This year the Jaguars finished 7-7 in the Central Minnesota Conference, good for a tie for fourth place with Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. The Falcons finished in third place in a very tough Section 3AA (more on that below).

**Here's action from the top of the third inning today:


In the third inning, B-B-E's defense posted a much-needed zero after the Jaguars fell behind 7-2 in the second inning.

*Here's action from the bottom of the third inning:


The Jaguars had a great opportunity to score runs on two outs, but they ultimately left two stranded in that bottom of the third inning.

Section 6A championship update: in the opening game of the section title series, New York Mills pounded Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 13-2 tonight to advance to a winner-take-all game. The Section 6A championship game will be played at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) at Minnewaska Area high school.

State fastpitch tournament update: at Caswell Park in Mankato, the Maple Lake Irish won 4-1 in their state opener today against St. Cloud Cathedral, champions of Section 6AA. The Irish, who went a perfect 14-0 in the Central Minnesota Conference this spring, then suffered a crazy, crazy, hard-to-swallow 2-1 loss in 12 innings in the state semifinals to Proctor. Results of the Class 2A third-place game have not been reported yet.

Section 3AA baseball update: Paynesville Area's dream season came to an end today, as the Central Minnesota Conference champion Bulldogs suffered two losses to No. 1-ranked Fairmont in the Section 3AA championship series. The Bulldogs had upset the Cardinals last Saturday in the winner's bracket final by a 10-9 score. Fairmont (24-3) survived a scare from Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City on Tuesday this past week in the loser's bracket final by a 6-5 score in 10 innings. Today in Marshall, Fairmont beat Paynesville Area 6-0 to force a winner-take-all contest. In that nightcap, the Cardinals won 2-1 to advance to the state tournament. Paynesville Area finishes the season 21-2 overall; they were 14-0 in the rugged, blue collar CMC.

**Don't forget! the community of Brooten invites everyone to the upcoming Bonanza Valley Days celebration on July 7, 8, 9 and 10. You can read a small update on BVD 2022 at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website (short link): https://bit.ly/3O7I9Uc.

Baseball playoffs! (UPDATES)

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team plays at 2:30 p.m. today in the elimination bracket final of the Section 6A tournament. They face defending state runners-up and defending Section 6A champion New York Mills. *THe game will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. You can listen to it on 107.1 FM or on their website: https://kmgk1071.com.

Updates to follow.

GAME UPDATES
After the first thing is complete, the Jaguars are ahead 2-1.

*With two innings complete, the Eagles are ahead 7 to 2.

*UPDATE: after five innings, the Jaguars trail 8-4.

I will get a new blog post up later tonight with highlights and video from today. Too many irons in the fire to get at blogging right now. *A new blog post will be added after 9 p.m. tonight.

Belgrade Memorial Day parade (VIDEO)

You can click over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website to watch a video of the Belgrade Memorial Day parade (short link): https://bit.ly/3Qac3sW.

AND! Read about Bonanza Valley Days! (short link) https://bit.ly/397rphb.

REMEMBER! Today is playoff baseball day! Yes, more playoff baseball for fans in Jaguar Country! The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team plays at 2:30 p.m. today in the elimination bracket final of the Section 6A tournament. They face defending state runners-up and defending Section 6A champion New York Mills. *THe game will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. You can listen to it on 107.1 FM or on their website: https://kmgk1071.com.

More to come.

A very busy Wednesday

What can I say? Today has been one of the busier Wednesdays in about a month... The nature of the beast. The Bonanza Valley Voice suffered a technical problem due to bad internet service that caused a "catastrophic" problem with the printing of the June 9 issue.

On a brighter note, I had the great fortune of visiting with Coach Mike Dreier in his own gym tonight. I'll explain more later.

More to come. Remember tomorrow's playoff games at Minnewaska Area! The baseball team plays at 2:30 p.m. in the elimination bracket final of the Section 6A tournament. At stake is a berth in the section championship series.

Jaguars win again! (VIDEO)

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team continues their deep run in the Section 6A playoffs and is moving on to Thursday after they beat Ashby 8-3 tonight at Minnewaska Area high school.

The Jaguars led 6-0 after two innings. Ashby finishes a terrific season with a 19-4 record.

Updates to follow.

**UPDATE: the Jaguars (14-11) play next on Thursday in another elimination game. The opponent will be New York Mills, and they play at 2:30 p.m. at Minnewaska Area High School. Spread the word! Let's get a huge crowd there! I don't have further information on the Section 6A bracket, as they haven't been updated yet as of 7:30 p.m. tonight. I am assuming that New York Mills lost to K-M-S in their section semifinal (winner's bracket) game today.

*Here's video from the bottom of the sixth inning last Thursday in Morris:


In that game in Morris, the Jaguars were battling state-ranked and once-beaten Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg in a winner's bracket game of the tournament. The Fighting Saints won 4-1 to advance. B-B-E has been battling their way through the elimination bracket since that night, and they have their eyes now set on New York Mills in the final playback game. If they beat NYM on Thursday, they will face K-M-S in the opening game of the Section 6A championship series. More on that to come tomorrow.

New York Mills is 19-3 overall after they lost 2-0 today to K-M-S in the winner's bracket final (Section 6A semifinals).  The Fighting Saints are 21-1 overall.

Jaguars stay alive in Section 6A (*UPDATES)

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team moves on! They advanced in the Section 6A elimination bracket today with a 4-1 win over Parkers Prairie at Minnewaska Area high school. The Jaguars played error-free defense while starter and complete-game winner Will VanBeck struck out eight Panthers and issued just one walk.

Next: the Jaguars face Ashby in an elimation game today at 4:30 p.m. at MAHS. Ashby beat Upsala/Swanville Area 3-0 in the other 2:30 game today. The B-B-E vs. Ashby game will not be carried on the radio.

UPDATE: through the third inning, the Jaguars hold a 6-2 lead over Ashby.

Final score in a new blog post.

Baseball playoff coverage (UPDATES)

It does not look like getting to today's playoff games will be in the cards for the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper's sports department. That is unfortunate. Too much of the day today has to be focused on the June 9 issue of the newspaper.

Today's baseball playoff game at 2:30 p.m. will be carried on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team faces Parkers Prairie in an elimination game of the Section 6A tournament.

More to come.

GAME UPDATES:
In their first at bat, Parkers Prairie scored on an RBI-double to take an early 1-0 lead.

The Jaguars got hot in the bottom of the fourth inning and scored three runs. Through four innings: B-B-E 3, Parkers Prairie 1. In the other elimination game, Upsala/Swanville Area holds a 2-0 lead over Ashby in the fourth inning.

More to come in a new blog post, including the final score.

Elrosa Saints win again

The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team won 6-2 today at Greenwald to remain undefeated in the Stearns County League North division standings. Wyatt Steffensen pitched 6 and 2/3 innings to pick up the win. The Saints are now 7-0 in the SCL.

Next: the Saints host Freeport in an exhibition game on Friday, June 10 under the lights of the home stadium. This is currently the only game scheduled for next weekend. Freeport is 1-3 in the Victory League South/West.

More to come.

**Announcement: families in the B-B-E area with children under age 18 are invited to come to the elementary school for free breakfast and lunch this summer from now through August 19. All the details can be found at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website (short link): https://bit.ly/3MnBZOq.

**Another announcement...this one for Magnifi Financial customers: Magnifi Financial Member Appreciation Lunch is Friday this week.
The Belgrade branch of Magnifi Financial will host a Member Appreciation Lunch To-Go event on Friday, June 10 starting at 11:30 a.m. at 218 Wells Street, Belgrade. A boxed lunch to-go* will be available for members, serving a sandwich, chips, cookie and water. Catered by the Local Pantry of Brooten. *Boxed lunches available while supplies last.

**And here's one of many forthcoming Bonanza Valley Days announcements! The BVD celebration in Brooten will be held July 7, 8, 9 and 10. You can get a preview of the weekend by clicking over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website (short link): https://bit.ly/3Q6LkNJ. Much of what you read at that web article was published on page 5 of the May 26 issue of The Voice.

Elrosa vs. Regal amateur game (VIDEOS)

Elrosa's Saints amateur baseball team hosted Regal tonight in an exhibition border battle game under the mosquito-ridden stadium lights of Saints Field. The game was tied 2-2 until the Eagles put up a six-spot in the top of the sixth inning. Final: Regal 8, Elrosa 4.

I counted up and down the rosters of both teams and came to the total of 14 as the number of B-B-E graduates who were either on the Regal or the Elrosa rosters. A handful of B-B-E Class of 2022 graduates were not at the game but were instead tied up with graduation party-related activity with their peers.

**Here's video from the top of the seventh inning tonight:


**Here's video from the bottom of the seventh inning, during which the Saints loaded the bases but were able to only scratch one run across:


My videocamera tripod is currently in the repair shop, so I'm working without a reliable and simple way to record video in steady fashion. I hope to get it fixed before next Tuesday's baseball games at Minnewaska Area.

B-B-E graduate Adrian Belden got the pitching win for Regal in a starting performance where he went six innings with a pitching line of five hits, two earned runs, four walks and six strikeouts. B-B-E graduate Peyton Winter was tagged with the loss after he pitched the first five innings. Jackson Peter was closer with four innings on the mound. Both Peyton and Jackson were teammates on the 2022 St. Cloud Technical and Community College Cyclones baseball team that competed in the NJCAA World Series.

Next: the Saints put their undefeated Stearns County League record on the line with a road game to bordering rival Greenwald tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.

Game video is uploading.

Prayer and Party on the Prairie: everyone invited! (June 29)

You are invited!

What: Prayer and Party on the Prairie and Sonar Worship
All parishioners from the Parishes on the Prairie Area Catholic Churches from the West Union, Sauk Centre and Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa areas plus friends, family and neighbors and the general public are invited to an afternoon and evening of prayer and party in an old-fashioned church social setting on Wednesday, June 29 at Ss. Peter and Paul church in Elrosa. The event starts at 3 p.m. with bingo and fun that includes yard games, baseball, basketball, sand volleyball and playground activity. An Adoration is at 4 p.m. that includes food and drinks and a local talent show. The Ss. Peter and Paul Feast Day program and procession starts at 6 p.m., and live music by Sonar is at 7 p.m. 

The two-part purposes of the event are: 

*Prayer for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the parishes of St. Alexius, St. Donatus, St. Francis de Sales, Ss. Peter and Paul, Our Lady of the Angels, St. Paul's, Holy Family School and Center for Christ; and 

*Party: to grow in community, for Jesus said, "If you have love for one another, then everyone will know you are my disciples." John 13:35.

Videos, catching up on the back log...and the Saints!

I've got a fair amount of photos and video content to post over the weekend. The last two weeks have been a blur. (Story of this past school year, really since things were cranked to "wide open" last summer across our area.)

**ADDED on Saturday afternoon...click on the following link to redirect to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website, where you can watch the full high school graduation ceremony: https://bit.ly/3GRxNWf.

B-B-E's elementary physical education teacher, Austin Rambow, worked with the high school track and field team to host a field day event for students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. The field days were held on Thursday and Friday, May 19-20 at the high school football stadium. I had the extreme good fortune to spend about an hour there on Friday that week with the fourth and fifth grade students. The comeraderie and support I saw between all students was something special to take in. They were all rooting and cheering for one another. You had to really be there to fully understand what I'm talking about.

Here's a video clip recorded on May 20 that features the fourth grade girls facing the fourth grade boys in a tug of war battle (short link): https://bit.ly/3Q4qUVU.

Fast forward from May 20 to May 30, and here's a video from Memorial Day that was recorded at the Brooten Pavilion (short link)...this video is posted at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: https://bit.ly/39clw22.

Here's a good portion of the song performed by the senior high choir tonight at graduation:


The video was recorded on a "point-and-shoot" camera and not with a tripod. My tripod with my video camera was set up on the stadium bleachers.

***Just got the box score and stats! Wow! Holy cow! The Elrosa Saints amateur baseball team won on the home diamond tonight while I was at graduation as they picked up a 3-2 win in 10 innings against neighboring rival Greenwald. Payton VanBeck started and pitched eight innings, and Ethan Vogt got the win as closer in the last two innings. Vogt also hit a solo home run in the fourth inning. Elrosa now hosts Regal in an exhibition game tomorrow night (Saturday) at 7:30 p.m.

B-B-E Class of 2022 graduation (LIVE VIDEO)

Tonight's the big night! The Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Class of 2022 will hold their graduation ceremony at 7:30 p.m.

*Here's the live video player that will begin streaming at 7 p.m. from the football stadium:


The first B-B-E graduating class held graduation back in 1990.

**Click over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website to watch video from the Class of 2022 senior recognition banquet held on May 25 (short link): https://bit.ly/39c6jhs.

Note: I was able to get the entire graduation ceremony videotaped. I had my own technical/equipment problems, but I worked through it. At some point, that video will be posted for people to watch. The school's live stream had an audio problem that lasted until Billy Tensen's speech took place.


THANK YOU to Bonanza Valley State Bank of Brooten for sponsoring this blog post; and also for the countless barrels of color ink you've helped out on that provided extended newspaper coverage with color photos throughout the childhood years of the Class of 2022.

'Take me out to the ball game!' (VIDEO)

Terrific high school playoff baseball was played under sunny, windy conditions at Chizek Field in Morris yesterday.

Here's a video from the middle of the fifth inning yesterday in Morris:


The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team will try to extend their season when they face Parkers Prairie in an elimination bracket game of the Section 6A tournament. The Jaguars and Panthers square off at Minnewaska Area high school next Tuesday, June 7 at 2:30 p.m. If B-B-E wins, they play a second elimination game that day.

**Graduation of the Class of 2022 is tonight! That info plus more on the graduates was published in a four-page center spread of this week's Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. ***A new blog post will include the livestream video player for the ceremony.

Girls' golf to state!

I can finally catch up to Minnewaska/B-B-E Blue Jackets girls' golf...It's exciting to share the terrific news that the Blue Jackets won the Section 3AA title to advance to the Class 2A state tournament! They defeated Redwood Valley by a crazy, crazy one-stroke margin. ONE stroke!!! Crazy!

B-B-E seniors Morgan Schwinghammer and Paige Rupp are part of the Blue Jackets girls' golf team.

Round three game goes to KMS (VIDEO)

In a winners bracket contest, the B-B-E Jaguars baseball team lost 4-1 to state-ranked and once-beaten K-M-S tonight at Chizek Field in Morris.

Next: the Jaguars play in an elimination game of the Section 6A tournament next Tuesday, June 7 at 2:30 p.m. at Minnewaska Area high school. Spread the word!!! B-B-E's opponent will be the Sub-Section 6A-North fourth-seeded Parkers Prairie Panthers.

Time to head out of Mo-town and go home.

UPDATES:
I see that New York Mills handed Ashby a 15-3 loss in a winner's bracket game of the Section 6A tournament. Next Tuesday in another Section 6A elimination game, Upsala/Swanville Area will take on Ashby at 2:30 p.m. at Minnewaska Area. The Jaguars need to win in their game to keep their season alive. If they win, the Jaguars play again at 4:30 p.m. at the same location against the U/SA vs. Ashby winner.

**Here's video from the end of the bottom of the fifth inning, with Will VanBeck sealing a strikeout against K-M-S for the third out:


It was a very, very windy game!

Now is as good of a time as any to congratulate two former B-B-E Jaguar baseball players who now play with the St. Cloud Technical and Community College Cyclones baseball team: Jackson Peter and Peyton Winter. The Cyclones recently won the North Plains District title to advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series tournament. They beat Rochester Community College 12-4 and then 14-11 in the championship series on May 20-21. At the NJCAA World Series, the Cyclones lost in the opening round by a 3-2 score to No. 1-seeded Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute in Greeneville, TN. They proceeded to win two elimination bracket games, first by a 6-3 score over Niagara County Community College and then by a 11-3 score over Oakton Community College. The dream season ended on Tuesday this week (May 31) when STCC lost 4-0 to Caldwell to finish the season 26-13 overall.

Jackson Peter is a 2020 graduate of B-B-E, while Peyton Winter is a 2021 graduate. The NJCAA World Series was played at Pioneer Park at Tusculum University.

Jaguars advance to next round! (Updates**)

The B-B-E Jaguars baseball team has knocked the No. 7-ranked team in the state into the elimination bracket after they beat Upsala/Swanville Area by a 3-1 score in the Section 6A tournament. This is a terrific win for the program! Upsala/Swanville falls to 18-2 overall. B-B-E plays tonight back in Morris against top-seeded, once-beaten Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg. The Fighting Saints (19-1) beat the Jaguars earlier in May by a 12-1 score.

Updates to follow from tonight's game. This second game won't be carried on the radio. By 5:45, I will get a score posted tonight. 

**The game is being carried by KSCR, 93.5 FM of Benson.

*Update: both teams scored one run in the second inning.

*Update: the Jaguars trail 2-1 after the 5th inning, during which the Fighting Saints scored one run on four hits.

A new blog post will include the final score.

Baseball playoffs on the radio today (VIDEO, *UPDATES)

Today's playoff game at 2:30 p.m. at Chizek Field in Morris will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. (Thanks, Brady!) Our No. 3-seeded B-B-E Jaguars baseball team takes on No. 2-seeded Upsala/Swanville Area in the first round of the double-elimination portion of the Section 6A tournament. If they win, the Jaguars play again in the same location at 4:30 p.m. against No. 1-seeded Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.

More to come, including updates.

Game update: against Upsala/Swanville Area, the Jaguars are sitting in a 1-1 tie after three innings are complete. B-B-E took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but the Patriots tied it in the bottom of the frame. B-B-E's Ashton Dingmann is our starter.

**UPDATE! the Jaguars scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning to forge a 3-1 lead over U/SA.

**UPDATE through six innings: the lead remains at 3-1 for B-B-E after six innings are in the book. B-B-E's defense had a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth.

Video to be soon posted. **A new blog post will include the final score.

**Here's video from the end of the playoff game on Tuesday in Elrosa, including the post-game huddle with assistant coach Ben Klaphake addressing the team:


The second game today should start at about 4:45 p.m. in Morris, and it won't begin before 4:30. The Jaguars would play K-M-S if they beat U/SA. If the Jaguars lose, they get a bye to advance in the elimination bracket. This is due to a forfeit by Border West.

Boys' golf to STATE!

History was made today at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Willmar as the B-B-E Jaguars boys' golf team won the Section 5A championship for the first time ever. The boys' golf program was founded in the 1996 season, and they've had multiple squads finish as section runners-up. This is the first year that B-B-E has landed a boys' golf team in the state tournament!

After heading into today's section finals with a slim two-stroke lead over Benson, the Jaguars dominated the field and won the second round of action by a large 15-stroke margin over Benson, 326 to 341. When all 36 holes were in the book, the Jaguars officially claimed the section title with a score of 664. Benson took second with a 681, and Dawson-Boyd was third with a 717.

Showing the team's strong balance, the top four B-B-E scores were 4 of the top 12 scores in the entire field. Gannon Walsh placed second overall with a 156 behind medalist Carter Besonen of Benson (152). Brady Schwinghammer took third with a 157. Spencer Lundberg took 10th with a 173, and Jack Paulson was 12th overall with a 178.

The Class 1A state golf meet is at Pebble Creek Golf Course in Becker on June 14 and 15.

In other news, I saw that Maple Lake's fastpitch team has won four straight games in the Section 5AA playoffs to put themselves in a commanding position for a state tournament berth. I also read that Holdingford, runners-up in the Central Minnesota Conference with an 11-3 record, knocked Sauk Centre out of the Section 6AA playoffs. Holdingford fashioned a 3-2 mark in the postseason, and they were knocked out of state contention today in a 10-9 loss to former CMC rival Pierz. The CMC is a very rugged fastpitch league!