State wrestling and an overtime loss

Coming tomorrow morning in the Class 1A individual state wrestling tournament, No. 6-ranked Noah Jensen faces Pipestone Area freshman and No. 10-ranked Lane Fruechte (34-6) in his next consolation bracket match. He is one of three B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team members still in contention for state hardware at Xcel Energy Center.

Consolation bracket quarterfinal matches begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday.

No word yet on how the basketball team fared in Hancock tonight.

In college basketball news...
B-B-E Class of 2024 graduate Grace Jackson scored 2 points to go with 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 27 minutes of reserve play for the Ridgewater Warriors women's basketball team tonight. The Warriors faced Minnesota North College-Vermillion in a Region 13A play-in round game and won 74-34. This improves Ridgewater's record to 4-19 overall heading into tomorrow's region semifinal game with No. 1-seeded Minnesota West of Worthington. These Region 13A playoff games along with Region 13B NJCAA Division III games are being played at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls.

The NCTC Pioneers, the No. 1 seed in Region 13B, face No. 4-seeded St. Cloud Technical and Community College in a semifinal game that starts at 12 p.m. tomorrow. The host Pioneers include B-B-E Class of 2023 graduate Tiyana Schwinghammer, while SCTCC's team includes B-B-E Class of 2024 graduate Brooklyn Fischer. All Region 13 games this weekend are live streamed online with a one-time cost of $10: https://gonorth.land/pioneerstv.

And here's a basketball update...
In a hard-fought, neck-and-neck battle in Hancock tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team saw an exciting winning streak halted in a 56-53 overtime defeat to the sub-section rival Owls. The Jaguars led 30-22 at halftime, but the score was tied 46-46 at the end of regulation play. Luke Illies powered the offense with a double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds. Also in double figures was Taylor Pieper with 10 points.

The Jaguars take a 10-16 record into the Sub-Section 6A-South tournament, where it appears they should earn either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed. Hancock (14-12) seems a lock for the No. 4 seed in the 10-team subsection.

Area boys' basketball scores on February 28:
Border West 71, Brandon-Evansville 61 (2 OT)
Sauk Centre 52, Melrose Area 45
Fergus Falls 82, Willmar 70
Paynesville Area 81, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 73 (playoffs)
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 83, Eden Valley-Watkins 55 (playoffs)
Minnewaska Area 61, Litchfield 27 (playoffs)
Montevideo 70, New London-Spicer 29 (playoffs)
Benson 93, PACT Charter 66

Wresting success at state - UPDATES! and Speech heads south

In his Class 1A state wrestling opener this morningat Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Noah Jensen won by an 8-5 decision to advance to the quarterfinals. Jensen, an eighth grader, is one of four members of the B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team who are competing in the individual state tournament today.

Jensen's first-round opponent was a fellow eighth grader, Kiptyn Thompson of Fosston/Bagley, who had a 31-10 record. Jensen improves to 35-7 and now faces Paynesville seventh grader Tyson Meagher (34-4) later tonight.

At 160 pounds, B-B-E senior Brett DeRoo won a 17-2 tech fall (4:05) against Redwood Valley's Zachary Guggisberg in his state opener today. In the state quarterfinals, DeRoo faces Border West senior Brody Nachbor (35-9).

In his state opener at 215, B-B-E senior Carson Gilbert won by fall (2:30) against LBW's Tommy Miron (16-20). Gilbert, now 36-0 overall, faces Chatfield junior Will Boelter (39-8) in the state quarterfinals.

In his state opener, B-B-E senior Hunter Laage (30-8) will face Fertile-Beltrami senior Jack Leiser (20-10). That match has not happened yet as of noon.

Update: at 285, Hunter Laage trails by a 4-3 score in the third period against Fertile-Beltrami's Jack Leiser. Final: Leiser 4, Laage 3. Additional individual state tournament updates will be posted later this afternoon.

In other news...
The B-B-E speech team has departed the high school for the long trek south to the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota. Part of their travels include the Chatfield high school invitational tomorrow, while other time features team bonding with the overnight trip.

Here they are heading out in two school vehicles...


At the team state wrestling tournament...
In the Class 1A team state consolation championship held yesterday, No. 5-seeded Canby defeated United North Central 34-28 to take fifth place. Staples-Motley, the No. 2 seed at state, defeated top-seeded Chatfield 33-16 in the championship last night.

Friday evening state update...
In his state quarterfinal match, Noah Jensen lost an incredible battle by an 11-7 decision to Paynesville's Tyson Meagher. Jensen will compete later tonight in the wrestleback round.

In his state quarterfinal match, Brett DeRoo won by fall (2:42) against Border West's Brody Nachbor. DeRoo (40-2) advances to the state semifinal round, which takes place tomorrow morning. Update: DeRoo will face the No. 2 seed in the 160-pound bracket: senior Ayden Miner (42-4) of Chatfield.

In his state quarterfinal match tonight, Carson Gilbert won by fall (4:54) against No. 9-ranked Will Boelter of Chatfield to move on to the 215-pound semifinals. In tomorrow's semifinals, Gilbert faces No. 3-ranked Le Sueur-Henderson junior George Doherty (32-2).

Laage's season has concluded.

Another Friday night update: in the 107-pound wrestlebacks, Noah Jensen won a 17-1 tech fall (2:13) against New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva seventh grader Grahm Jacobson (21-22). This keeps his season alive as he guns for tomorrow's third-place match...but he's not there yet.

If you're reading this far, this blog post is a wrap. A NEW blog post is coming later tonight featuring additional state wrestling notes and also an update on the boys' basketball game at Hancock.

Step I: dominant performance sends Jaguars to semifinals (VIDEO)

A terrific postseason streak continues for the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team! You have to go back 15 seasons to see the last time that this team lost in the playoff opener.

After building a 49-13 halftime lead tonight, the Jaguars advance with a 75-33 win against Mille Lacs in the Sub-Section 5A-East quarterfinals.

The Jaguars fired on all cylinders in the opening half with 47 percent field goal shooting (5-of-12 beyond the arc) and 4-of-6 shooting at the line.

Here's the final seconds of tonight's game:


The Jaguars shot 39 percent on field goals and were 7-of-21 from outside the arc. At the line, they went 10-for-16 while earning a 31 to 17 advantage in rebounds.

Next: the Jaguars (19-8) travel the completely obnoxious, ridiculous 2 1/2 hour drive east to Hinckley-Finlayson high school for the semifinal game this Saturday, March 1. The game should begin at about 1:45 p.m. that afternoon. The opponent will be No. 3-seeded Upsala (18-9). It will be a rematch of B-B-E's 54-53 loss at home to Upsala on January 28. In the other semifinal game on Saturday in Hinckley, top-seeded Braham will face No. 5-seeded Swanville with tip-off at 12 p.m. sharp.

I have confirmed that Jaguar fans have the treat of being able to enjoy radio coverage on Saturday from both Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood plus 106.5 FM The Train of Norway Lake-Sunburg. Please pass the word!

In their quarterfinal game tonight, the Upsala Cardinals defeated No. 6-seeded Maple Lake 57-45. Braham defeated No. 8-seeded East Centra 82-20. Swanville earned a mild upset by a 76-72 score at No. 4-seeded Ogilvie.

It was in the 2009-2010 season when the Jaguars fell in the Sub-Section 6A-South play-in round 57-51 overtime loss to Hillcrest Lutheran Academy. They've won every playoff opener since that season.

Area girls' basketball playoff scores on February 27:
Minnewaska Area 42, New London-Spicer 36
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 76, Verndale 29
Pine River-Backus 88, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 31
Bertha-Hewitt 52, Browerville 31
Royalton 66, Mora 30
Spectrum 52, Kimball Area 49
Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 57, Parkers Prairie 54
Sebeka 74, Nevis 60
BOLD 62, Cedar Mountain 55
West Central Area 63, Brandon-Evansville 49
Milaca 64, Melrose Area 46
Osakis 60, Legacy Christian 41
Annandale 49, St. Cloud Cathedral 25
Foley 64, Holdingford 53
Albany 58, Pine City 41
Willmar 49, Rocori 37
Hancock 83, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 42

GAME NIGHT! In Jaguar Country - Playoffs...**Online ticket purchase only (VIDEOS)

Major update here...see below...

This is playoff time for our B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team. With just 3 seniors on the roster, the Jaguars completed a remarkable regular season during which they won 14 out of their last 17 games. They are 18-8 heading into tonight's Sub-Section 5A-East quarterfinal game, which they will play on the home court in Belgrade against No. 7-seeded Mille Lacs. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.

Also! Dozens of B-B-E 4th and 5th grade students will gather to sing the National Anthem prior to tip-off tonight.

I will check on whether or not we have radio coverage coming tonight. I believe we will at least have The Train (106.5 FM) in the house. **UPDATE: that was an incorrect belief...there is no radio coverage tonight. The Train will be covering the Minnewaska vs New London-Spicer game, which should prove to be a very exciting game that I feel is up for grabs between two area powerhouses. Tip-off at the college in Marshall is at 5:50 p.m.

Here's a clip from the last regular season game that was played in Royalton over a week ago:


The Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website is being updated: https://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com. More to come later. It's soon time to prepare for the big game!

Major update for Jaguar basketball fans...
I got thrown a massive curveball late this afternoon, when I learned that fans for tonight's game can only be admitted after purchasing a ticket via the Internet. This is NOT the idea of B-B-E schools! Or anyone associated with B-B-E...this is a decision by the powers-that-be who run the playoff system. I actually do not know if a person can be admitted if they arrive with just cash, and ask to get a ticket purchased online at the gate. This is all new to me! And no - I am not happy about it, but I can't change it, and it only has the potential to become a distraction.

Here's the link to buy your ticket: https://www.vancoevents.com/us/events/landing/51889?.

FIRST half update: with 12:10 to go, Mya Worms scored on a spin move in the paint to give the Jaguars a 16-0 lead. The Raiders scored their first field goal with 10:53 left. Just after that, Ava Deters hit a three-pointer for a 22-3 B-B-E lead.

The Jaguars continue to play hard the rest of the first half, with a shot by Kacey Fischer at the 7:30 mark giving them a 30-6 lead.

Here's a video featuring the final seconds of the first half tonight:


HALFTIME: B-B-E 49, Mille Lacs 13.

In the Sub-Section 3AA-North championship tonight at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, the New London-Spicer Wildcats held a slim 19-18 lead against Minnewaska Area. Final: Minnewaska Area 42, New London-Spicer 36. The Lakers improve to 26-3 overall and head to the Section 3AA finals, which will be held in Marshall on Thursday, March 6 at 5 p.m. at SMSU.

A NEW blog post goes up tonight after 9 p.m. with the final score plus additional playoff updates.

Border battle win! (VIDEO)

Updates coming to this blog post on Wednesday night...

In a game where they got better and better as the 36 minutes played out tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team won a hard-fought, high-flying border battle with visiting Paynesville Area by an 86-78 score. Winners of five straight games to this point, they are now averaging 70.4 points per game in their last 8 contests! Four players were in double figures for B-B-E tonight, with seniors Josh Walstrom (23 points) and Luke Illies (22 points) leading the way.

Here's a video featuring the game's tip-off and opening minutes tonight:


I won't have much to post here tonight, since it's the eve of publishing day at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. It will be fully updated on Wednesday.

How the first half played out...
The Jaguars jumped out to early leads of 5-0 and then 13-5 just shy of 4 minutes into the game. The Bulldogs then went on a 10-0 run, and a back-and-forth battle played out across the last 11 minutes of the first half. Three-pointers by Owen Roering and Luke Illies helped the Jaguars keep pace with a Paynesville team that entered the night averaging over 71 points per game.

After Taylor Pieper's pullup shot tied it at 23-23 with 8:30 left, the Bulldogs carved out leads of 31-26 and later 34-28 with just under 5 minutes remaining. Buckets by Austin Berge and Josh Walstrom cut it to 34-32, but Reed Johnson's three-pointer with 2:55 left made it a 37-32 deficit. Illies later scored inside the right block for a 38-37 lead with 2:05 left. Carter Flanders went 2-for-2 at the free throw line with 25 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 42-40 advantage at the break.

The Jaguars started the second half with a lead-changing 7-0 run in 95 seconds of play. Paynesville tied the game at 47-47 on two free throws by Sam Brunner, but a 10-0 scoring run by B-B-E in just 75 seconds of play followed. Johnson knocked down a three-pointer to cut B-B-E's lead to 59-53, but Walstrom answered on the next possession with a three-pointer. Illies hit a three with 8:22 left for a 70-62 lead. The Bulldogs cut it to 70-67 with 7:38 left, and Flanders later went 2-for-2 at the line with 2:04 remaining to make it an 80-74 lead for the Jaguars. After Walstrom's layup with 1:38 left, Johnson buried a three-pointer with 1:17 left to make it an 82-78 score. The Jaguars got late free throws from Walstrom and Dominic Ramos for the 8-point win.

The Jaguars (10-15 overall) have now earned a 10-6 mark in their last 16 games after the season began with an 0-9 mark. During that 9-game losing skid, they averaged 55 points per game. B-B-E looks to continue their winning ways to finish the regular season when they travel to Hancock this Friday night for a non-conference sub-section game. The Owls (12-12 overall) had two straight wins to their credit coming into tonight's non-conference home game with former Pheasant Conference rival Ortonville.

In the Sub-Section 6A-South standings, the Jaguars are hovering in the No. 5 to No. 7 range as of tonight. The likely date for the playoff opener is Thursday, March 6 unless the Jaguars are the No. 7 seed. If that's the case, they will host a play-in round game on Monday, March 3 at 7 p.m. in Brooten. I honestly have no idea how the sub-section seeding would play out.

UPDATE: Hancock defeated Ortonville 67-57 on Tuesday night to improve to 13-12 overall heading into Friday's game with our Jaguars. The Owls finished in fourth place in the Little Eight Conference.

The Bulldogs take a 15-11 record into the Sub-Section 3AA-North tournament, where they are expected to be the No. 3 seed. In the CMC, they finished 10-4 in a tie for second place with Kimball Area. Paynesville Area is far and away an up-and-coming squad, as 76 of their 78 points tonight were scored by underclassmen. No kidding.

Here's a Wednesday night update...
I'll get an area scoreboard posted below on this blog post.

The Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website will undergo updates to its current list of articles. You can click over there now to see a video from the FFA milk relays held last Wednesday at the high school gym. Link: https://shorturl.at/uZl8X. Another video clip was posted last week featuring the FFA milk relays: https://shorturl.at/VNstp. I'll get college basketball notes added in a new blog post on Thursday morning.

Central MN Conference boys' basketball scores on February 25:
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 85, Kimball Area 83
Holdingford 85, Eden Valley-Watkins 45
Royalton 79, Maple Lake 28

Area boys' basketball scores on February 25:
Rockford Area 64, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 53
Spectrum 73, Sauk Centre 61
Albany 82, Little Falls 34
Osakis 59, St. John's Prep 48
West Central Area 70, BOLD 69
Hancock 67, Ortonville 57
Browerville 79, Parkers Prairie 61
Rothsay 75, New York Mills 47
Henning 74, Brandon-Evansville 51
Swanville 70, Bertha-Hewitt 46

Area girls' basketball playoff scores on February 25:
Central MN Christian-Prinsburg 55, Lakeview 33
MACCRAY 63, Minneota 62 (this is Minneota's earliest playoff exit since 2010; ironically, in 2010, MACCRAY was the team that bounced the Vikings out of the subsection playoffs)
New London-Spicer 72, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 27
Mesabi East 50, Pierz 40
Jackson County Central 72, Redwood Valley 56
Minnewaska Area 59, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 32

GAME NIGHT! In Jaguar Country (UPDATES)

This is game night for the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team, who is hosting Paynesville Area tonight for Parents and Seniors Night. The Bulldogs entered the game in a tie for second place with Kimball Area (10-3 each) in the Central Minnesota Conference. The Jaguars came in tied for fourth place with A-C-GC with a 6-7 mark. Paynesville Area entered the game with a 71.2 points per game scoring average. On January 23 on their floor, the Bulldogs won 70-55.

This game concludes the regular season for Paynesville, who sits in third place in the Sub-Section 3AA-North standings. Win or lose tonight, the Bulldogs should enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed ahead of Litchfield (10-15).

Game updates to follow here. In the C-squad game: the Jaguars (Class of 2028) prevailed 69-63 in overtime against the Bulldogs. The score at the end of regulation was 62-62!

Game updates...
In the first half of the varsity game...the Bulldogs pulled ahead 34-28 with about 5 minutes to go. Halftime: Paynesville Area 42, B-B-E 40.

FFA Turkey Bowling...and church (VIDEOS)

Among a variety of activities that took place last week at B-B-E high school, the FFA chapter hosted turkey bowling on Friday in the CTE wing.

Here's a video that includes Mrs. Floura, science teacher, giving it a shot at turkey bowling:


The Brooten city council meets tonight in regular session. Tomorrow night, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team hosts Paynesville in a border battle. The Bulldogs are 15-10 overall and 10-3 in the Central Minnesota Conference. This puts them in a tie for second place with Kimball Area. Holdingford (22-3) is 12-1 in the CMC and has clinched the title alone. The Jaguars are 9-15 overall and 6-7 in the CMC, good for a tie for fourth place with Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City.

And some church news...
On Sunday (yesterday), Pastor Jeanne Megorden provided a splendid children's sermon at West Lake Johanna Lutheran church, which is located southwest of Brooten in Gilchrist Township. This children's sermon was also given at Trinity Lutheran in Brooten. The video attached below includes the bulk of worship held at West Lake Johanna.

Pastor Jeanne's children's sermon begins at about the 8:40 mark:


I have college basketball news to post in this blog post later this afternoon.

College news...
Two former B-B-E girls' basketball teammates will square off on Saturday in Thief River Falls in the NJCAA Division III Region 13 tournament. Northland Community and Technical College is the site for the region tournament, and the host NCTC Pioneers women's basketball team is the No. 1 seed. They face No. 4-seeded St. Cloud Technical and Community College at 1 p.m. in the first of four semifinal games. The Region 13 tournament features other semifinal games divided into "A" and "B" sides of the bracket. Playing for NCTC is Class of 2023 graduate Tiyana Schwinghammer, and playing for SCTCC is Class of 2024 graduate Brooklyn Fischer.

On Friday this week, Ridgewater College's women's basketball team faces Minnesota North College-Vermillion in a Region 13A play-in round game. This game will also be hosted at NCTC in Thief River Falls. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. B-B-E Class of 2024 graduate Grace Jackson plays for Ridgewater.

More to come later tonight.

Girls' basketball playoff seedings; and speech team takes 1st place! (VIDEO)

The B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team has the playoff picture set for the upcoming Sub-Section 5A-East tournament. They recently completed one of the best regular seasons in school history with an 18-8 overall record.

Seeded No. 2 out of 9 teams, the Jaguars will host No. 7-seeded Mille Lacs (9-16 overall) in the quarterfinals on Thursday, February 27. Following the singing of the National Anthem by 4th and 5th grade elementary students, the game tips off at 7 p.m. at B-B-E high school in Belgrade.

Sub-Section 5A-East girls' basketball playoff seeding:
1. Braham (20-5)
2. B-B-E (18-8)
3. Upsala (17-9)
4. Ogilvie (14-11)
5. Swanville (12-12)
6. Maple Lake (5-21)
7. Mille Lacs (9-16)
8. East Central (7-18)
9. St. John's Prep (4-12)

In Sub-Section 5A-West, defending Section 5A champion Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (21-4) is the top seed.

If the Jaguars win their playoff opener, they advance to the semifinal round on Saturday, March 1 at Hinckley-Finlayson high school. Tip-off for that semifinal game would be at about 1:45 p.m.

Shifting to speech news...this is awesome!
At Maple Lake today, the B-B-E speech team earned first place in the Small Schools Division. Eliana Funes placed 6th in Drama. Marlie Schlangen placed 8th in Poetry. In Storytelling, Tia Nelson placed 6th; in Great Speeches, Nelson placed 2nd.

Here's a video featuring senior recognition at the Jagtastic Invitational one week ago:


Next: the B-B-E speech team travels to Chatfield next Friday and Saturday for a weekend getaway and an invitational at Chatfield high school on Saturday, March 1.

Other news...posted on Sunday night:
The Brooten city council's meeting agenda has been posted to the newspaper's editor's blog: https://lifeinbonanzavalley.blogspot.com.

In the first annual B-B-E Blaze Blast JO volleyball tournament in Brooten, the Blaze JO 16s took first place in the Gold Division on Saturday.

Here's a little National FFA Week coverage at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: https://shorturl.at/cjnhL.

Section 5A wrestling at YME...and much more

Further below on this blog post is a link to re-direct you to where wrestling results have been posted.

Noah Jensen at 107 and Brett DeRoo at 160 both won back-to-back matches at today's Section 5A individual wrestling tournament at Yellow Medicine East high school. This puts both of them in their respective championship matches. Noah Jensen is the No. 2 seed in his bracket, and he faces top-seeded Tyson Meagher of Paynesville in the finals.

The B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team has all weights in play except 189 pounds.

Afternoon updates: at 215 pounds, Carson Gilbert won back-to-back matches with falls in the first period. He faces Minneota sophomore Cael Fier (26-10) in the championship.

At 285 pounds, Hunter Laage earned perhaps the biggest win of the tournament so far when he beat No. 2-seeded Juan Cardenas of Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City by a 5-3 decision during the semifinals. Laage (29-8) faces Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg senior Logan Rudningen (17-15) in the championship.

Four other Jaguars are in the hunt for at least third place today: Noah Welte (114), Noah DeRoo (121), Andrew Spanier (152) and Ethan Mueller (172).

Going for fifth place today are Jace Mueller (127) and Louie Tensen (145).

These Jaguars have seen their 2024-2025 wrestling season conclude today in their respective wrestleback rounds: Dylan Koob (133) and McCoy Detloff (139).

Additional wrestling updates will be posted at the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website's sports section: https://shorturl.at/0TvVx. That web article will include final standings for each weight division that the Jaguars competed in.

LATE afternoon updates...
The B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team earned the No. 2 seed in Sub-Section 5A-East. They host No. 7-seeded Mille Lacs in the playoff opener on Thursday, February 27 at 7 p.m.

The B-B-E speech team had an excellent day at Maple Lake today! They were led by Tia Nelson's runner-up finish in the Great Speeches category. More on that to come in a NEW blog post.

In a home J.O. volleyball tournament today at the B-B-E elementary school, the B-B-E Blaze volleyball 16s team took first place with a 5-0 record.

CMC series sweep (VIDEOS *Updated)

In a game that went down to the wire, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team completed a Central Minnesota Conference series sweep tonight. After trailing visiting Royalton 43-33 with 9:24 remaining, a Herculean effort down the stretch propelled them to a 51-49 win.

The Jaguars improve to 9-15 overall and 6-7 in the CMC, which is good for a tie for fourth place with Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. Next: a home game next Tuesday against Paynesville Area.

Here's a video featuring the final 3 seconds of the game...


The Royals fall to 7-17 overall and 3-10 in the CMC.

How the first half played out...
A little over 3 minutes into the game, the Jaguars had an 8-4 lead. Royalton junior Jason Albright knocked down a three-pointer with 14 minutes left, and the Royals then took a 9-8 lead on a layup 1 minute later. The Royals slowly stretched the lead to 6 points across the next 6 minutes of the game. Trailing 17-11, the Jaguars scored 7 straight points, and a three-pointer by Josh Walstrom with 4:20 left put them ahead 18-17.

The Royals tied the game at 20-20 and then 24-24 before Taylor Pieper's three-point play put the Jaguars up 27-24 with 1:10 left. In the game's last 45 seconds, Royalton scored unanswered buckets to take a 28-27 lead into halftime. Leading the Jaguars in the first half were Lance Radermacher (9 points) and Josh Walstrom (6 points).

Here's action from later in the first half tonight:


The video begins with about 3:40 left in the first half. Lance Radermacher had just scored to give the Jaguars a 20-18 lead.

Second half notes from tonight's game...
Dominic Ramos scored in the lane for the first bucket of the second half, but B-B-E's one-point lead was short-lived. The Royals went on an 8-2 run capped by Braedon Hansen's three-pointer that put them up 36-31 with 12:53 to go. Luke Illies scored a bucket, but the Jaguars went over 3 minutes without scoring while Royalton expanded their lead to 43-33 on two free throws with 9:24 left.

Illies drained a three with 5:45 left, and Josh Walstrom went 2-for-2 at the line with 3:46 left. Walstrom then scored in the paint, and Illies canned another three-pointer that put the Jaguars on top 48-47 with 2:34 to go.

After falling behind 49-48 in the closing minute, Illies scored for the game's final lead change. Walstrom made one free throw with 3 seconds left for the game's final margin. Illies led the team with 18 points. They shot 36 percent on field goals, with Illies draining 4 of the team's 6 threes in the game. At the line, the Jaguars shot 9-for-16.

Friday afternoon update...
Additional B-B-E speech team coverage has been posted to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website. You can find that by clicking here: https://shorturl.at/8vcVt.

For the upcoming Brooten city council meeting, you can view the agenda by clicking over to my editor's blog: https://lifeinbonanzavalley.blogspot.com.

Central MN Conference boys' basketball scores on February 20:
Holdingford 90, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 67
Eden Valley-Watkins 76, Kimball Area 64
Paynesville Area 95, Maple Lake 53

Area boys' basketball scores on February 20:
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 74, New London-Spicer 60
Rothsay 66, Tri-State 47
Battle Lake 70, Parkers Prairie 59
Willmar 81, St. Cloud Tech 74
Browerville 87, Sebeka 50
Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 63, Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal 29
Brandon-Evansville 80, Lake Park-Audubon 62
Dawson-Boyd 80, Montevideo 66
Luverne 91, Minneota 60

GAME NIGHT in Jaguar Country!

Tonight's Central Minnesota Conference game for our B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team will be broadcast on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. They stream online, and their website is https://www.kmgk1071.com. The opponent will be the Royalton Royals. Also, B-B-E's Pep Band will also perform prior to tip-off.

The Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website is being updated with new stories: https://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com. Also! The newspaper website's employment listings have been recently updated. You can find the listing by clicking here: https://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com/classifieds/category/employment.


**With under 1 minute to go in the varsity game, the Royals are ahead 49 to 48. More to come in a new blog post, including the final score.

A win and a loss (VIDEO)

Success at "Fort Knox" for the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team!

After playing to an 18-18 halftime draw, the boys' basketball team rallied with a terrific second half. Final: B-B-E 61, NL-S 54. Keys to the win: the Jaguars cranked up the offense in the second half, when they shot 42 percent from the floor while also going 12-for-17 at the line. In the first half, they shot just 2 free throws while earning a frigid field goal mark of just 28 percent.

Senior Josh Walstrom led the Jaguars with 20 points after going 9-of-13 at the free throw line. Also in double figures: Taylor Pieper with 18 points and Luke Illies with 11 points. The Jaguars shot 36 percent on field goals for the game while draining 6 three-pointers. At the line, they shot 13-for-19.

Next: the Jaguars (8-15) host Royalton in a Central Minnesota Conference game on Thursday this week.

The Wildcats fell to 1-23 overall. Gavin Vick, a 6'4" sophomore post, led the Wildcats with 14 points. Brayden Skindelien, a 5'11" junior guard, added 11 points.

In girls' basketball news...
The B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team has completed one of their best-ever regular seasons in program history. After a 56-32 loss tonight at Royalton, the Jaguars take an 18-8 overall record into the upcoming Sub-Section 5A-East playoffs. In the CMC, the Jaguars went 11-3 to take second place alone. The 11-3 record is the third-best ever for the team. They finished 12-2 in two previous seasons in the CMC and 14-0 one time (2020-2021 in the COVID season).

The 18-8 regular season record is the fourth-best ever for a B-B-E girls' basketball team. Overall, this is the fourth time they were 18-8 heading into playoffs; other seasons were 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. The regular season record for most wins was set 2 years ago, 2022-2023, when the team was 21-4 heading into the postseason.

In tonight's game, Kacey Fischer led the Jaguars with a hard-earned double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Here's a video recorded early in the first half tonight at RHS:


Next: the Jaguars host a Sub-Section 5A-East quarterfinal game on Thursday, February 27. Tip-off at B-B-E high school in Belgrade is at 7 p.m. against an opponent to-be-determined. Seeding by QRF takes place on Saturday, February 22. B-B-E has a lock on the No. 2 seed.

Central MN Conference girls' basketball scores on February 18:
Holdingford 45, Kimball Area 42 (Huskers clinch 3rd place alone in the CMC, while the Cubs finish in 4th place)
Eden Valley-Watkins 63, Maple Lake 35
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 60, Paynesville Area 39

GAME NIGHT! In Morrison County and in Wildcat Country (VIDEO, UPDATES!)

Two road games of differing complexions are set to play out tonight. Both should be entertaining for fans!

First, I want to share the Belgrade City Council meeting agenda, which is posted at the newspaper's editor blog: https://lifeinbonanzavalley.blogspot.com. The council meets tonight at 6 p.m.

Tonight's basketball action on the road...
The B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team (18-7 overall) travels to Royalton to conclude their regular season. The Royals are undefeated with a 24-0 record. They recently locked up the Central Minnesota Conference title alone with just tonight's game left. They also have a non-conference game before the Section 6AA playoffs begin. In Section 6AA, the Royals are currently ranked No. 2 out of 16 teams.

The B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team has a short trip south for a border battle against New London-Spicer. GAME UPDATES to follow this evening as I am able to post. Fingers crossed!

Here's a video from last Friday with the varsity game getting underway after the National Anthem was played...


Game updates to follow!

Update from Morrison County...
First off, that was quite a road trip! I think I'm mostly spoiled with mostly 25 to 45-minute long road trips (usually)...this seemed to take forever! There's only about 18 routes you can use to get from Brooten to Royalton. It was great to finally arrive at Royalton high school, where they have convenient parking and great facilities to take in basketball games.

In the JV game, the Jaguars trailed 18-13 at halftime. Final: Royalton 40, B-B-E 30. According to game reports, the Jaguars were ice cold from the floor.

In the C-squad game, the Jaguars won 38-36 in a thriller! They trailed 35-31 with 2:35 to go.

Varsity updates...the girls' basketball team trails 25-18 with 3:28 to go. Coach Anderson just called a timeout.

Halftime: Royalton 28, B-B-E 21. The Jaguars have shot poorly for the latter 15 minutes of the half.

In the second half...the game has gotten out of hand! It is very, very physical. This is a rivalry game, and it is showing. B-B-E's shots are just the bare inch off on most tries. They are gutting it out. You want the game to be done, and get the playoff march underway!

ANNOUNCEMENT: B-B-E schools is 2 hours late for Wednesday, February 19. Also! A note: the Jaguar Coffee Club at the elementary school is cancelled for Wednesday, February 19. Please pass the word!

At 9 p.m., we are leaving Royalton. More to come in a new blog post, including final scores from both varsity games.

Jagtastic speech invitational (VIDEO ADDED*)

The B-B-E speech team is hosting the first-ever Jagtastic Invitational today. Approximately 87 high school speech team members from across central Minnesota are in attendance. Results will be posted on this blog post. The awards ceremony is set to begin at about 3:50 p.m. at Olson Auditorium.

In Duo Interpretation, Marlie Schlangen and Eliana Funes took sixth place. In Great Speeches, Tia Nelson took first place.

Here's a video featuring top 5 finishes in the Great Speeches category on Saturday:


Other information will be posted this evening. Video will also be added! (Has been added*!) Right now, it's time to manually wash our Chevy Suburban and get it into our heated garage!

Monday night update: due to the cold weather, B-B-E schools will open 2 hours late on Tuesday, February 18. As of 8:30 p.m. on Monday night, temperatures across the Bonanza Valley area have plunged to below negative 15 degrees. The forecast says that temperatures will reach 25 below zero tonight.

Two CMC basketball wins (VIDEO)

As they look to continue to climb in the Central Minnesota Conference standings, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team knew they had to take care of business and continue the trajectory of improvement they've been on in recent weeks. In a road game at Maple Lake tonight, the Jaguars did just that as they completely dismantled a two-win Irish team in a "double-up" win by a 68-34 score.

Taylor Pieper and Josh Walstrom each scored 18 points to pace the Jaguars.

In the first half, the Jaguars shot the lights out with 58 percent field goal shooting as they built a 45-16 lead by the break. Next: the Jaguars (7-15, 5-7 CMC) have a border battle game next Tuesday, February 18 at New London-Spicer (1-21).

On the home floor tonight for Parents and Seniors night, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team came on like gangbusters in the first half during a 67-51 win against Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. The Falcons led 20-10 with 8:40 left in the first half before the Jaguars went into "lock down" defensive mode and built a 38-24 halftime lead. With 4:30 left before halftime, Bree Thieschafer drained a one-handed floater on a drive from the right wing to force a 20-20 tie. The Jaguars were surging with a 17-0 run going before the Falcons got a fastbreak shot to make it a 27-22 score.

As the second half got rolling, the Jaguars had a 9-2 run for a 47-28 lead. A-C-GC could get no closer than a 13-point deficit the rest of the way.

Thieschafer was the leading scorer with 20 points. The Jaguars have now won six straight games.

Here's action from the first half tonight:


Next: the girls' basketball team (18-7, 11-2) travels to undefeated Royalton next Tuesday to conclude the regular season. In the latest Minnesota Basketball News state rankings, the Jaguars moved up to No. 7 in Class 1A. By the QRF rankings, the Jaguars have climbed to No. 15.

In a Central Minnesota Conference game played last night in Royalton, the host Royals defeated Paynesville Area 60-33 to clinch the title outright. Royalton was also solo CMC champions in the 2019-2020 season, when they went 23-6 overall and 13-1 in the CMC. They finished one game ahead of runner-up Eden Valley-Watkins that season, which was their inaugural season in the CMC. In 2018-2019, the Royals played in their last season as members of the Prairie Conference and finished as co-champions with Swanville.

Central MN Conference boys' basketball scores on February 14:
Holdingford 86, Kimball Area 68
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 73, Eden Valley-Watkins 57
Paynesville Area 85, Royalton 76

Area girls' basketball scores on February 14:
Maple Lake 50, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 44
New London-Spicer 70, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 50
Minnewaska Area 61, West Centra Area 50
Pine River-Backus 59, Cass Lake-Bena 45

GAME NIGHT! and more (And radio!)

The B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team has their hands full tonight against Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. The visiting Falcons hold a 20-10 lead with just over 8 minutes to go in the opening half. This is Parents and Seniors Night. Also! This game is being aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. (Thanks, Brady!) Online at https://www.kmgk1071.com.

Later in the first half...the Jaguars rallied and cut the deficit down to 20-18 with a field goal by Adley Hagen at the 5:00 mark.

In the first game of the night, the B-B-E C-squad Class of 2029 Jaguars came back from a 13-6 deficit in the first half to win 24-21. The JV Jaguars earned a win by a wide margin with a final score of 51-28.

At Maple Lake tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team holds a 45-16 lead at halftime.

More to come...later tonight in a new blog post after 9 p.m.

Playoff opener loss by the smallest margin (VIDEOS)

For the first time in 9 years, the B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team will not compete in the Section 5A Final Four.

The Jaguars were facing an uphill climb by the upper weights and trailed 34-18 after the 172-pound match. At 189, Ethan Mueller won by a decision, and the Jaguars pinned out from there at 215 and 285 pounds - Hunter Laage and Carson Gilbert.

Final: K-M-S 34, B-B-E 33.

And a quick shift of your attention to Valentine's Day...
Numerous businesses have advertised Valentine's Day in the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. I've got a summary of food and entertainment options for Friday night posted at the newspaper website (click): https://shorturl.at/MEqVb.

The Jaguars had a 6-0 lead after 107, but a penalty point at 114 ultimately cost them the win. Next is the individual section wrestling tournament in Granite Falls (Yellow Medicine East high school) on Saturday, February 22. Action is set to begin at 10 a.m. that morning.

Here's a video featuring part of the singing of the National Anthem plus player introductions:


The Jaguars finish 7-13 overall.

In 2015, the Jaguars advanced to the Section 5A championship but lost to Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City. That was the team's first appearance in the section finals since 1999. In 2016, the Jaguars lost 36-27 to Royalton/Upsala in the opening round of the section playoffs. For the next eight seasons, the Jaguars earned Final Four appearances in Section 5A. That streak ended tonight.

Here's a video from the 152-pound match tonight:


After the Jaguars had an open weight at 172 pounds, Ethan Mueller won a 4-2 decision over Aaron Jones that cut the K-M-S lead to 34-21.

In other Section 5A wrestling quarterfinal matches tonight...
Minneota defeated BOLD 65-9. BOLD advanced to the section quarterfinals with a 42-31 win against Quad County earlier tonight.

At Paynesville, the Bulldogs defeated Benson 43-21. In Canby, the Lancers defeated Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 40-26.

Some other sports programming notes...
For tomorrow's action at B-B-E high school, the C-squad girls' basketball Class of 2029 Jaguars will play Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City starting at 4:30 p.m. at the main gymnasium. Once their game is complete, the JV Jaguars will face A-C-GC, and the varsity game will follow that. It is also Parents and Seniors Night. And! The varsity game will be broadcast on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. Their website is: https://www.kmgk1071.com.

This is playoff night for the Jaguars (UPDATES)

The B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team begins their quest for a sixth straight Section 5A championship appearance tonight with a short trip south to Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg high school. The Jaguars face the Fighting Saints (11-3) of Swift County in the Section 5A quarterfinals, and action begins at 7 p.m. This is the evening's only varsity action for Jaguar Country fans.

On February 15, 2019, the Jaguars lost 49-15 in the Section 5A semifinals to Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville. Since then, they have appeared in five straight Section 5A championship matches. In 2020, LPGE/Browerville defeated the Jaguars 31-18 to advance to state for the third straight season. In 2021, the Jaguars avenged the 2020 loss and won the Section 5A title for the school's first team wrestling state appearance. The 2021 Section 5A championship match was won by the Jaguars, who beat LPGE/Browerville 33-23 at West Central Area high school. They finished 28-4 overall that winter while also earning the Central Minnesota Conference title.

**Going into 189, the Jaguars trailed 18-34. 

More to come in a new blog post. Time to head home.

Boys' hoops win shootout at A-C-GC

In a wild shootout in Central Minnesota Conference action tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team held off a second-half rally by Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City in an 80-77 win. The host Falcons entered the game with a 5-5 record in the CMC, which was good for fourth place. The win improves B-B-E's record to 4-7 in the CMC (6-15 overall).

The Jaguars led 34-23 at halftime, and both teams combined for 16 three-point makes in the second half.

In a CMC boys' basketball game played last night in Royalton, the Holdingford Huskers earned their 17th straight win by defeating the host Royals 81-59. It was Royalton's fourth loss in a row.

In tonight's games...
At Paynesville Area, Kimball Area expanded a 33-30 halftime lead into a convincing win by a 72-55 score over the Bulldogs.

Area boys' basketball scores on February 11:
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 67, New London-Spicer 61
Sebeka 60, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 45
Minnewaska Area 85, Benson 67
Sauk Centre 64, Osakis 51
Underwood 88, Battle Lake 51
Border West 85, Ashby 51

B-B-E High School Sno-Daze coronation (VIDEO)

The 35th annual B-B-E Sno-Daze King and Queen are Jack Lundberg and Emery Halvorson. The video of the crowning can be seen at the following link, which redirects you to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: https://shorturl.at/8hyfJ. Additional Sno-Daze coverage is posted to that web article and will also appear in the February 13 and February 20 issues of The Voice.

In spite of the cold weather, we are going to have a terrific Sno-Daze week in Jaguar Country!

To the previous blog post about basketball last night...I added a video clip from the Paynesville game last Friday. More to follow much later tonight. I still have a mountain of work to do on the February 13 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice print edition.

Another CMC series sweep! (VIDEOS)

The B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team prevailed in another Central Minnesota Conference contest. Tonight, at Kimball Area, the Jaguars won 61-55! They earned the huge CMC win after trailing the Cubs 32-30 at halftime. B-B-E is now 17-7 overall and 10-2 in the CMC. Kimball falls to 13-9 overall and 7-5 in the CMC.

Key statistics tonight...
Outstanding second-half defense plus 7-of-9 shooting at the free throw line over the last 18 minutes led to the CMC series sweep. Bree Thieschafer led the Jaguars with 17 points plus 6 steals and 4 rebounds. Fellow senior Adley Hagen dropped in 15 points plus 5 steals and 4 rebounds. Also, a big key to the win was keeping turnovers to under 20, with 17 showing on the final scorebox. The Jaguars shot a cold 31 percent from the floor, but Teagan Dingmann's three triples for the game (on 5 attempts beyond the arc) also made a huge impact.

NEXT: a big night for Valentine's Day! This Friday, the Jaguars have their next game with Parents and Seniors Night. It will be a grand evening for the program. The opponent will be a tough-as-nails Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City Falcons squad. Not only will their standing in the CMC be at stake, but the current five-game winning streak will be on the line. A-C-GC is 8-13 overall and 3-9 (sixth) in the CMC.

Here's a 5-minute video from the tail end of the EV-W win last week...


In that video clip, EV-W senior Brinn Kuechle made 1 of 2 double bonus free throws to tie the game at 49-49 with 1:21 to go. Just 15 seconds later, Kacey Fischer made a great move in the low post to score on a feed from Teagan Dingmann to break the tie. On EV-W's next possession, they worked the shot clock while making numerous good passes to seek out a high percentage shot. As the shot clock was about to expire, they settled for a wide left baseline shot that rolled off the rim. With two Kimball players surrounding her, Bree Thieschafer made an attempt at a defensive rebound, and the Kimball players knocked the ball out of bounds. The Jaguars had possession with 26.5 seconds to go and the full length of the court to work the ball down. With EV-W head coach Tom Jansen yelling for the pressure to be applied, the Jaguars passed the ball around the half court. With 8 seconds left, Kacey Fischer was fouled, and she proceeded to drain two double bonus free throws to salt the win.

*Here's a video from the second half at Paynesville last Friday:


Don't forget! Tomorrow! The B-B-E high school's Olson Auditorium hosts the Sno-Daze coronation ceremony at 9:30 a.m.

Area girls' basketball scores on February 10:
Central MN Christian-Prinsburg 75, Dawson-Boyd 29
BOLD 65, Benson 34
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 72, Ortonville 10
MACCRAY 72, Lac qui Parle Valley 37
Minneota 59, Renville County West 46
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 54, Yellow Medicine East 42
Montevideo 57, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 48
Royalton 57, Osakis 54
Hill City/Northland 67, Ogilvie 64
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 63, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 59
Swanville 58, Mille Lacs 30

Section 5A wrestling seedings

The B-B-E wrestling team earned the No. 5 seed in Section 5A. The Jaguars (7-12 overall) open with a quarterfinal match at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg high school on Thursday this week (February 13) at 7 p.m. They face the No. 4-seeded K-M-S Fighting Saints (11-3) in the playoff opener.

Minneota (21-0) is the top seed. Paynesville Area (12-4) is the No. 2 seed, and Canby (12-8) is the No. 3 seed.

The Section 5A Final Four is this Saturday, February 15 at Paynesville Area high school. The semifinal round matches start at 12:30 p.m.

Tonight!
The school board meets at 7 p.m. at the high school media center in Belgrade, while the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team has a huge conference game at Kimball Area. The Jaguars are 9-2 (second) in the Central Minnesota Conference, while the Cubs are 7-4 and in fourth place but just a half game out of third behind Holdingford (8-4).

Sunday catch-up day

Today! All day, through around 8:45 p.m...before they close at 9...RJ's Mini Mart of Brooten has a chicken wings special going plus a "BOHO" pizza offer for Super Bowl Sunday. You can buy any pizza and get one of equal or lesser value at half off! This deal also applies to single pizza slices. Also, a half dozen chicken wings are available for just $5.

Extensive Valentine's Day advertising was published in the February 6 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. It will be repeated again this week, and the Padua Pub's Valentine's Day specials will also be featured in the upcoming issue.

In sports news...
It doesn't appear that the Section 5A wrestling seedings have been posted. I am sure of this: Section 5A is completely loaded/stacked to the hilt! In the latest Guillotine state rankings, four teams in Section 5A are in the Top 7! This includes Minneota (No. 4), Canby (No. 5) and Paynesville Area (No. 7). Another is ranked No. 11 (Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg). The B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team is grouped with 8 other teams in the Lean and Mean category.

In a result I did not get in time for the press last week, the regular season finished for the wrestling team at Long Prairie last Tuesday (February 4) with a 37-24 loss to Long Prairie-Grey Eagle/Browerville.

Border battle series sweep (VIDEO)

This blog post is being updated late on Saturday night after an evening at open gym...it has been a long, long day...non-stop movement for 14 hours straight! No kidding.

For at least three-quarters of the game tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team had their hands full in a border battle at Paynesville Area. After the Jaguars led 21-10 at halftime, the Bulldogs punched right back into the mix across the first 6 minutes of the second half. With 12:32 to go, senior Kylie Pauls went 2-for-2 at the free throw line to force a 25-25 tie.

Final score: B-B-E 53, Paynesville Area 42. It was a solid win in spite of ice cold 27.4 percent field goal shooting. They were solid at the free throw line by making 18 of 24 free throws.

With 9:31 to go in the second half, the Bulldogs led 32-29 on a fastbreak shot. Almost a minute later, Kacey Fischer's two free throws lifted the Jaguars ahead 33-32.

Here's action from the first half of tonight's game:


With 6:28 to go, Teagan Dingmann scored on a rebound shot of her own miss that brought a 37-37 tie. The Bulldogs later tied the game 39-39 with a bucket with 5:35 left. From that point, the Jaguars held the Bulldogs to just 3 more points.

The No. 10-ranked (Minnesota Basketball News) Jaguars (16-7 overall) have now won four straight games. The Bulldogs fall to 7-15 overall (5-6 CMC).

In the latest QRF state rankings, the Jaguars stand at No. 18 in Class 1A. This puts them at No. 2 in the Sub-Section 5A-East standings behind Braham, who is 16-5 overall and No. 4 in the Class 1A QRF rankings.

COMING on Sunday...wresting playoff notes will be added in a new blog post.

Central MN Conference girls' basketball scores on February 7:
Royalton 65, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 30
Kimball Area 54, Eden Valley-Watkins 29
Holdingford 57, Maple Lake 47 (played on Thursday, February 6 in Maple Lake)

Area girls' basketball scores on February 7:
Upsala 56, Swanville 51
Melrose Area 49, Holdingford 36
Bertha-Hewitt 59, Battle Lake 48
New London-Spicer 57, Glencoe-Silver Lake 48
BOLD 60, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 42
Ogilvie 68, Barnum 65
West Central Area 74, Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 58
Dawson-Boyd 75, Benson 60

Area boys' basketball scores on February 7:
Border West 45, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 44
Benson 86, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 48
Montevideo 66, Sauk Centre 50
Brandon-Evansville 75, Battle Lake 40
Melrose Area 63, BOLD 59
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 70, Minnewaska Area 57
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 58, MACCRAY 55
Hancock 87, Ashby 55
West Central Area 71, Park Christian 64
Underwood 82, Parkers Prairie 51
Osakis 60, Little Falls 46
Kimball Area 49, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 43

Area boys' basketball scores on February 6:
Browerville 64, Border West 62

You gotta see this! Equine competition at Smilin' D Arena (VIDEO)

Click to see what it is all about: https://shorturl.at/wVsr9. Jack Anderson, featured in the video, is a 7th grader at B-B-E middle school.

The official website for Smilin' D Arena is https://smilindarena.com.

Some sports updates...
The Section 2A dance meet will take place tonight instead of tomorrow at New London-Spicer high school. The weather was the driving factor behind the schedule adjustment.

At halftime...the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team holds a 21-10 lead at Paynesville.

Update: with 6:45 left, the Bulldogs are ahead 37-35. More to come in a new blog post.

Jaguars are batting at first-place Holdingford

At halftime in Holdingford tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team trails the Huskers 43-35. The game is being broadcast on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood, who streams online at https://www.kmgk1071.com.

Holdingford has 15 straight wins and held an 18-2 overall record coming into the game. They are tied for first place in the Central Minnesota Conference with an 8-1 record along with Kimball Area.

Update: with 10:50 left in the second half, the Huskers hold a 66-46 lead. Later, with 8:18 to go, the Huskers are ahead 75-57.

Final score: Holdingford 98, B-B-E 80. When all was said and done, the Jaguars could not overcome 56 percent field goal shooting by the Huskers.

Luke Illies poured in a career-high 33 points to lead the Jaguars, whose points totaled a season high.

Central MN Conference boys' basketball scores on February 6:
Paynesville Area 80, Eden Valley-Watkins 70
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 70, Royalton 64
Kimball Area 81, Maple Lake 36

Area boys' basketball scores on February 6:
Brandon-Evansville 80, Underwood 70
Albany 75, Melrose Area 34
Alexandria 96, Willmar 43
Upsala 73, Swanville 71
Rothsay 76, Ortonville 64

Jaguars pick up third straight win, and a Winter Sports Show (VIDEOS)

The game became a barn burner, and they needed some late-game heroics, but the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team prevailed 53-49 tonight for their third win in a row. The Eden Valley-Watkins Eagles gave the Jaguars all they could handle but ultimately lost for the seventh straight time.

After holding a 31-22 halftime lead, the Jaguars had to withstand intense defensive pressure across the second half. Teagan Dingmann's three-pointer put the Jaguars up 34-24 with 17:05 to go, but the Eagles cut the deficit to 36-34 across the next 4 minutes. They pushed the lead from there to 47-36 with 9 minutes to go. For the last 9 minutes of the game, the Jaguars were held for an 8-minute stretch without a field goal. After EV-W tied the game 49-49 with 1:21 to go, Kacey Fischer knocked down a shot in the lane and two free throws to salt away the narrow win.

From the floor, the Jaguars were ice cold with 26 percent shooting on 67 attempts.

Here's action from the first half tonight:


Now 15-7 overall, the Jaguars continue Central Minnesota Conference action with a border battle game this Friday in Paynesville. The Bulldogs (6-14, 4-5) played at Kimball Area tonight.

B-B-E's JV team completed the season sweep over EV-W with a 53-47 win tonight. The C-squad fell 25-23 in a defensive battle after trailing 12-3 at halftime.

Here's my 7th winter sports show of the season:


More to come. Video is uploading.

Central MN Conference girls' basketball scores on February 4:
Royalton 60, Maple Lake 26
Paynesville Area 51, Kimball Area 29 (the Bulldogs led 25-19 at halftime)
Holdingford 48, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 39 (the Falcons led 20-16 at halftime)

Area girls' basketball scores on February 4:
Milaca 67, Braham 44
Ogilvie 59, Hinckley-Finlayson 31
West Central Area 60, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 42
Barnesville 67, Sauk Centre 64
Albany 58, Foley 41
Cromwell-Wright 66, Pine River-Backus 39
Melrose Area 48, Osakis 47
Hancock 73, Parkers Prairie 45
Rothsay 69, Brandon-Evansville 63
BOLD 75, Springfield 39
Underwood 63, Battle Lake 36
Minnewaska Area 71, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 52 (first loss of the season for K-M-S)
Browerville 64, Verndale 45
Willmar 53, Detroit Lakes 44
Russel-Tyler-Ruthton 57, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 38
Upsala 78, Pillager 75

GAME NIGHT! In Jaguar Country (RADIO)

It is GAME NIGHT! In Jaguar Country.

Tonight's game between our B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team and the Eden Valley-Watkins Eagles (3-18, 2-8) will be aired on The Train, 106.5 FM of Norway Lake-Sunburg. I spoke with Bill Dean before the game, and he was excited to report that the JV Jaguars beat the Eagles 53-47!

The Train broadcasts on the radio and also online at https://www.willmarradio.com/the_train.

Also, tonight, the B-B-E Class of 2034 third grade girls' basketball team will be playing at halftime. Their entire squad features 11 players.

Here's a video from Saturday's game against Browerville:


Game updates to follow!

Halftime: B-B-E 31, EV-W 22. The Jaguars trailed 4-3 with 15:45 left in the opening half. Three minutes later, the Jaguars held a 15-4 lead after a 10-foot shot by Teagan Dingmann. They briefly had another double-digit lead later with 7:30 to go after Bree Thieschafer drained two free throws for a 23-13 score.

Live music at Smilin' D Arena (VIDEO)

Last Friday night, I enjoyed time out at Smilin' D Arena in Colfax Township. The evening featured live music by the Hell Country Truckers band.

Here's a video of part of the concert:


Tonight is home cooking! For our girls' basketball team. More to come.

Also, looking ahead a bit...on Thursday this week, the boys' basketball team travels to Holdingford. That game will be aired on Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood.

Another 2-0 day for varsity basketball teams (VIDEO)

Two games played out this afternoon at B-B-E high school with vastly different complexions.

In the first varsity game, the B-B-E Jaguars boys' basketball team won their second straight contest by defeating Browerville 70-69. The Tigers came into the game as the No. 2-ranked team in Sub-Section 5A-West. In Class 1A by QRF, the Tigers were ranked No. 41.

Next: the Jaguars travel to Holdingford on Thursday, February 6 for the start of a four-game road swing.

In the second varsity game, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team made quick work of Browerville, who entered the day with a 3-15 overall record (1-6 Prairie Conference). After building a 35-14 halftime lead, the Jaguars maintained the wide advantage in a 57-30 win.

Here's the starter introductions, tip-off and the opening minutes of the girls' basketball game:


Next: the girls' basketball team hosts Eden Valley-Watkins (3-18, 2-8) next Tuesday, February 4. They hold 14-7 overall record and a 7-2 mark in the Central Minnesota Conference.

More to come...Sunday is a crazy busy day with a JO volleyball tournament at the College of Saint Benedict.

Area girls' basketball scores on February 1:
Milaca 86, Ogilvie 47
Hinckley-Finlayson 58, Duluth Denfeld 52
Sleepy Eye St. Mary's 76, Central MN Christian-Prinsburg 69