Step II: another 3-0 sweep, Jaguars power past Comets for Final Four berth! (VIDEOS)

A second straight 3-0 sweep has landed the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team a Final Four berth in Section 6A. The Jaguars won in three sets against Hillcrest Lutheran Academy thanks in large part to outstanding serving and smart play at the net. Next: the Jaguars (18-8) play at approximately 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4 at Fergus Falls. Their opponent will be Underwood. Please spread the word! We need a large crowd there to cheer our team to another win!

More to come. Video is uploading.

I've spent a large portion of the time following tonight's match visiting with Brady Erdmann, whose position as Sports Broadcaster at KMGK 107.1 FM at Glenwood ends tonight. Tonight was his final sports call at Smooth Magic. It is a wrap. He gave 12 fantastic years to faithfully covering B-B-E and Minnewaska Area sports after he was hired in Glenwood in November 2014. It will not be the same without him on the sideline. The station was purchased by Leighton Media, a large radio conglomerate with stations in Minnesota and North Dakota. The change officially happens at midnight on Saturday night (tomorrow). At that time, Smooth Magic 107 will no longer be a radio station. The new station will be a country music station with the same 107.1 FM spot on the radio. The local Leighton Media office is in Alexandria. The Glenwood radio station will be closed permanently.

I highly encourage you to listen to Smooth Magic 107 on Saturday, October 31, leading up to and including the radio broadcast of the NDSU Bison football game at 2:30 p.m. I wrote about the change in ownership at The Voice website: SmoothMagic107-FinalDay.

Here's a video featuring the start of the match:


Game scores were 25-20, 25-12, 25-19.

The Jaguars were hot to start game three with Teagan Dingmann's thunderous ace block followed by the senior middle pounding down back-to-back kills for a 3-0 lead. The Comets tied it 3-all, and Laken Anderson's kill made it 4-3. The Comets got a kill and two straight ace blocks to gain a 6-4 lead, only to see the Jaguars get kills from Mya Worms and Macey Roering for a 6-6 deadlock. The game continued to play out in back-and-forth fashion. Anderson's kill gave the Jaguars a 10-8 lead, but the Comets had their best rally of the night when they had a 6-1 run. Of those 6 points, three came on B-B-E hitting errors. An HLA kill gave them a 12-11 lead, and Coach Breitbach called a timeout. After the third error, the Comets led 14-11.

B-B-E came alive with four straight kills, three by Anderson and one by Dingmann. Anderson's kill gave the lead back to the Jaguars at 15-14. Dingmann's tip made it 17-15, and the Comets tied the set at 17-all and 18-all. Roering's kill gave the Jaguars a 20-18 lead, and the Comets got just one point from there on a B-B-E hitting error. A late HLA net violation gave the Jaguars the 25th point in a 25-19 win.

Here's action in game three tonight:


In tonight's match against the Comets:
Overall, the Jaguars had an outstanding hitting efficiency figure of 25 percent. In the set that was a real battle, game three, the Jaguars still maintained a strong hitting mark of 13.2 percent. The Jaguars racked up 8 ace serves on the night with 7 solo blocks. Kamie Fischer had 31 set assists with 2 ace serves, 7 digs, 2 solo blocks and one block assist.

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy's season ends with a 16-12 overall record. In their top rotation, they had 2 freshmen and just one senior. Their roster had 4 seniors overall. After the match, I gave high praise to Coach Foss for her team's performance. They will be an incredibly tough team in 2027. By the QRF rating, they were the 31st-ranked Class 1A team. B-B-E is ranked No. 12 by QRF and No. 11 in the Minnesota Coaches Association Volleyball rankings.

B-B-E's student section was outstanding tonight! Perhaps it was some of the Halloween spirit, but I haven't seen them that fired up since a memorable Paynesville match on the same floor just a few years ago. Also, I have to give praise to the HLA student section. They were also very good. It was an incredible high school playoff atmosphere to be a part of!

Upset alert...Eden Valley-Watkins lost 3-1 to visiting Montevideo tonight in Sub-Section 3AA-North. The Thunderhawks are having an "okay" season that's quite good relatively speaking after their program has suffered through three straight two-win seasons. Four seasons ago, in 2022, they struggled in a 5-17 season. This year, the playoff win improves their record to 10-15 heading into a match with Paynesville Area. Montevideo was 10-15 in 2021, and their COVID season of 2020 yielded just a 2-4 record. Montevideo's last winning season was in 2017, when they went 15-13 overall and 8-6 in the West Central Conference. In a sub-.500 season, 2012, they finished as runners-up in Sub-Section 3AA-North. That was Montevideo's last serious playoff run. In 2009, they had another team hovering at about .500 but they managed a run to the Section 3AA championship, where they lost to Marshall Area. The last time they went over the 20-win mark was in back-to-back seasons of 2006 and 2007. Their 2006 team earned an upset 3-1 win over B-B-E in the Section 6AA championship at the University of Minnesota-Morris. I can still remember that night, when I dubbed UM-Morris's P.E. Center as a "House of Horrors" with our Jaguars losing a match that I never dreamed we would lose. Twenty years ago! THIS blog was not even 1 month old that night, which was Saturday, November 4, 2006. You can hop in a time machine and go back there by clicking here: 2006Section6AAchampionship.

A few Saturday morning updates...
The Bonanza Valley Voice website has been update: http://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com. The last-ever North Dakota State University Bison sports broadcast on 107.1 FM will begin at 2:30 p.m. today at Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood. Tonight is the final work day for Steve Nestor, who has owned Smooth Magic FM in Glenwood since 1993. Their website is: https://www.kmgk1071.com. That's it! Steve can have a much-deserved and long overdue retirement. Losing Smooth Magic 107 is weighing heavily on me today and this weekend.

It's Halloween night! The Belgrade VFW has a costume contest, but you must be there by 9 p.m. to be part of the judging and prizes! Please be careful out there if you are driving around the towns.

Section 6A volleyball quarterfinal scores on October 30:
Border West 3, West Central Area 0 (Border West is the No. 1 seed)
Underwood 3, Hancock 1
Henning 3, Park Christian 1

Area volleyball playoff scores on October 30:
MACCRAY 3, Lakeview 2
Central Minnesota Christian-Prinsburg 3, Canby 0
Minneota 3, Dawson-Boyd 0
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 3, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 1 (a mild upset in Grove City in Sub-Section 3AA-North)
Paynesville Area 3, Litchfield 0
Montevideo 3, Eden Valley-Watkins 1 (a big upset in Eden Valley tonight; Montevideo improves to 10-15 with the win)
New London-Spicer 3, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 0
Wabasso 3, Renville County West 1 (at Renville, RCW lost in an upset in Sub-Section 3A-North)

Area football scores on October 31; these are section semifinal games:
Sebeka 44, Verndale 27
Border West 46, Rothsay 6
Hancock 22, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 20 (Owls earn an upset win in Fergus Falls today)
Benson 47, West Central Area 21
Parkers Prairie 34, Otter Tail Central 0
Upsala/Swanville Area 54, Ashby/Brandon-Evansville 6
Breckenridge 55, Pine River-Backus 6
Redwood Valley 63, Paynesville Area 7
Kimball Area 34, Eden Valley-Watkins 12
Royalton 20, Holdingford 7
Osakis 30, Staples-Motley 17
New London-Spicer 57, Melrose Area 22 (Wildcats trounce Melrose in Melrose)
Albany 29, Litchfield 23
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 51, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 0
Pierz 57, Esko 0
Sartell-St. Stephen 8, Alexandria 6
Willmar 56, Rocori 22
Minneota 43, MACCRAY 13
Springfield 48, Russel-Tyler-Ruthton 12
Dawson-Boyd 56, Canby 13
Marshall 48, Hutchinson 14

Volleyball playoff match updates

This Section 6A playoff quarterfinal match is on Smooth Magic 107.1 FM of Glenwood.  It's Brady's final sports broadcast with the station, which weighs heavily on me. He has given 12 incredible years to covering B-B-E Jaguar sports. It will be very tough to not have him calling our varsity sports.

In game one, the Jaguars and Comets are tied 14-14.

The Jaguars won game one 25-20.

More to come in a NEW blog post.

Playoffs continue tomorrow for Jaguar volleyball; Breitbach speeds into STATE! (VIDEO)

In case you haven't heard yet, the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team will continue in the postseason with their second straight home playoff match tomorrow, Friday. First serve against Hillcrest Lutheran Academy of Fergus Falls will be at 7 p.m., and I know that KMGK Smooth Magic 107 FM will be on site. We look forward to seeing a large hometown crowd that welcomes the HLA private school to our town!

Also, it will be the final B-B-E sports broadcast for Brady Erdmann. The new station owner, unfortunately and tragically, has different staff who will be utilized for sports broadcasting. It's a shame.

Here's a video from game one last night against Benson:


And some exciting cross country news!

While her B-B-E/Paynesville girls' cross country team took third place, Brooklyn Breitbach led her squad with a 5K time of 19:16, finishing fourth overall in the section, earning a state qualifying spot. Breitbach advances to to the MSHSL class A State Tournament, which will be held on Saturday, November 7 at 12:15 p.m. at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake.

Breaking news out of New London-Spicer:
Minnesota's winningest high school basketball coach is retiring. Head coach Mike Dreier, NL-S's girls' basketball coach since 1978, is retiring. He will continue as a volunteer assistant with the program. I would still expect to see him at Pepsi League youth games next summer! He is a fantastic guy.

This is absolutely crazy:
A couple days ago, I learned something absolutely crazy. Two of the school board members at Fergus Falls public school do not stand for or recite the Pledge of Allegiance before their school board meetings begin. In the next day or two, I'll search who these board members are. They should be called out. Shameful behavior. What an embarrassment to their community! I'm going to jump out on a limb and guess that all school board members at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy honor and respect the American Flag and proudly say the Pledge of Allegiance at their board meetings (and athletic events).

In church news...
Click here for some church news by redirecting your attention to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: ElrosaChurchBreakfast2026.

Area volleyball playoff scores on Thursday, October 29:
Maple Lake 3, Dassel-Cokato 0
Minnewaska Area 3, Royalton 0
Kimball Area 3, Providence Academy 0
Milaca 3, Albany 0
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 3, Sebeka 2
BOLD 3, Mankato Loyola 1
Browerville 3, Verndale 0
Upsala 3, Mille Lacs 1
Pine River-Backus 3, Swanville 1
Sauk Centre 3, Foley 0
Pequot Lakes 3, Melrose Area 1

Step I: Jaguars overpower Benson Braves in 3-0 sweep (VIDEOS)

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team was victorious in their playoff opener tonight in a 3-0 sweep over the Benson Braves. Playing excellent volleyball on their home floor, the Jaguars won the first set 25-17 thanks in large part to a 6-1 run in the middle of the game.

Here's action at the start of the match:


While struggling on serve receive against the Jaguars in game two, the Braves faltered throughout the set after holding an early 4-1 lead. The Jaguars used strong serving and blocking that kept the Braves out of system most of the set. A small but late Benson rally for 3 straight points was not enough as B-B-E won 25-15.

The third set developed slowly before the Jaguars used a 5-0 run to break away from the Braves. A Kamie Fischer ace block gave the Jaguars an 11-5 lead. A block by Jaylee Jensen late in the set gave them a 20-12 lead. Laken Anderson's kill brought match point with a 24-14 score, and both teams traded net violations to end the match. Final score: B-B-E 25, Benson 15.

Here's a video from game three tonight:


NEXT: the No. 11-ranked Jaguars (17-8) host Hillcrest Lutheran Academy on Friday this week (October 30) at 7 p.m. in Brooten. The Comets are 16-11 overall after sweeping Lake Park-Audubon tonight in their playoff opener. In the Little Eight Conference this season, HLA tied Hancock for third place with a 6-2 record. Last season, the Comets met the Jaguars in the Section 6A semifinals and lost in a 3-0 sweep to finish 23-7 overall.

In other Section 6A second-round matches on October 28:
Border West 3, Pelican Rapids 1 (played at Graceville)
Underwood 3, Brandon-Evansville 0
Henning 3, Battle Lake 0
West Central Area 3, Breckenridge 0
Park Christian 3, Ortonville 0
Hancock 3, Parkers Prairie 0

PLAYOFF NIGHT! Bring on the Braves (VIDEO)

It's playoff time for the second day in a row. Tonight, a third varsity team at B-B-E enters the playoffs, with the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team hosting Benson at 7 p.m. in Brooten. The girls' tennis team held their playoff match in Long Prairie way back on October 6, and the football team was in the playoffs last night in a bitterly close loss. The cross country team (B-B-E/Paynesville) competes in the Section 5A championships in Litchfield on Thursday this week (tomorrow).

B-B-E is the No. 3 seed in Section 6A. Tonight is a second-round section match. Play-in round matches took place on Monday.

Benson is 11-13 overall after they won their playoff opener on Monday against No. 19-seeded Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal. The Braves are the No. 14 seed. Tess Nygaard (sophomore), Carly Tolifson (senior) and Mariah Goossen (senior) are some of the top players on their team. Benson's setter is senior Kaida Helgenset. They are very heavily senior-dominated with 6 seniors on the team. In the Prairie Conference, Benson went 2-8 to take fifth place.

I don't know if Smooth Magic 107 FM will carry the match, but I'm guessing they will. They stream online at https://www.kmgk1071.com. The station changes ownership this weekend, and listeners will notice dramatic changes as they switch over to country music. From what I've heard, local programming will end with the exception of continued B-B-E sports coverage. We are going to miss Brady, however, as he was not part of the sale.

Here's a video from game 3 of the Parkers Prairie match, which was held last Friday:


Match updates will follow here.

 
In game one, Benson has an early 7-4 lead.

Game one: B-B-E 25, Benson 17. The Braves kept it interesting after falling behind 18-11 and 19-12.

Friday Night Lights IX: Heartbreak at Brandon-Evansville

Across the 9 games this fall, it was a season to remember. It was an incredible season, but unfortunately, it ended in the first round of the playoffs.

At Brandon tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars football team played an outstanding game but lost 20-18 to see their season end with a 4-5 record. The A/B-E Bolts improve to 6-3 overall heading into the Section 5A semifinals, which will be Saturday at Swanville against Upsala/Swanville Area.

The Jaguars had the ball in the closing minute in the red zone, but a fourth down play at the A/B-E 15-yard line ended as an incomplete pass. The clock had 5 seconds on it, and the Bolts took a knee to close out the game.

How the second half played out...
At halftime, the Jaguars trailed 12-0.

During the third quarter, the Jaguars cut the deficit in half to trail 12-6. The Bolts had possession to start the fourth quarter, but they stalled out against stiff B-B-E defense plus an ill-timed procedure penalty. They punted from their 45-yard line, and Aiden Mueller got a nice return back to B-B-E's 44. The Jaguars then mounted a 56-yard scoring drive using 10 plays to tie the game. With 7:08 left in the game, Kaden Kollman caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Aiden Mueller in the right corner of the endzone. The extra-points conversion run was stuffed, leaving the score 12-12.

The Jaguars punched in one additional touchdown in the fourth quarter with 2:56 to go to take an 18-12 lead on Lance Radermacher's 9-yard touchdown carry up the middle. At that point, they had outscored the home team 18-0 since the 5:37 mark of the second quarter.

The Bolts came back to score a touchdown with a conversion for the 20-18 final score. They scored on a 53-yard scoring drive that used just 2 plays. Quarterback Evan Dingwall ran in the go-ahead touchdown from 22 yards out.

For the game, the Jaguars had 290 yards of offense compared to A/B-E gaining 281 yards. Aiden Mueller was 12-for-22 for 157 yards. His leading receiver was Kaden Coleman, who had 5 catches for 69 yards with two touchdowns. Mason Douvier had 5 carries for 51 yards, and Lance Radermacher ran 11 times for 46 yards. B-B-E rushed for 133 yards and totaled 15 first downs, while A/B-E rushed for 203 yards while earning 14 first downs.

A/B-E's Carter Rylander led his team's ground game with 112 yards on 12 carries.

Here's a third quarter video from last week against the Bolts:


In that video, Mason Douvier scores on a touchdown carry, and the conversion play got the Jaguars to a 24-14 deficit with 4:49 left in the third quarter.

A season we'll never forget...
Playing with either 19 or 20 players dressed on game night for 9 games, the Jaguars battled with everything they had for 48 minutes each time. The players gave a 200 percent effort. We could not ask for anything more than that.

In the other Section 5A quarterfinal game tonight, West Central Area defeated Browerville 30-8 to advance to Saturday's action. They will travel to Benson to face the No. 2-seeded Braves.

GAME DAY in Douglas County (VIDEOS, UPDATES)

Approximately 53 weeks after their last trip to the Brandon-Evansville high school football stadium, the B-B-E Jaguars football team is set to return to that location tonight for the Section 5A quarterfinals. The opponent will be No. 4-seeded Ashby/Brandon-Evansville, who has a 5-3 record. Their losses were to Benson, West Central Area and Upsala/Swanville Area.

Here's a video featuring the end of the third quarter in the Week 8 game against the Bolts:


In the video, the Jaguars are trailing 32-14 while advancing in the red zone in the final minute of the third quarter. In the video, the Jaguars gain first-and-goal at the A/B-E five-yard line.

That game was held one week ago, and A/B-E won 38-22.

Here's the B-B-E Pep Band performing the school song and the National Anthem before the volleyball team faced Maple Lake on Thursday, October 22:


More to come. I'm looking for some information on A/B-E's football team. 

GAME UPDATES at Brandon:
On the first play of the second quarter, the Bolts scored on a three-yard catch by AJ Olson. The Jaguars stuffed the 2-point conversion run and trail 6-0.

On B-B-E's first possession, the Jaguars gained just 3 net yards and punted on 4th-and-7 early in the second quarter.

On the second possession by the Bolts, they expanded the lead to 12-0 with a 48-yard touchdown drive after getting a healthy punt return by AJ Olson. Lance Radermacher stuffed the two-point conversion run. With 5:37 left in the second quarter, A/B-E quarterback Evan Dingwall scored on about a 15-yard run.

B-B-E's second possession of the game had something going after they started at their own 33-yard line, but it ended on an interception inside the A/B-E's 10-yard line.

HALFTIME: A/B-E 12, B-B-E 0.

In the third quarter, the Jaguars scored on a touchdown catch by Kaden Kollman. The conversion play was stuffed. With 9:16 left in the third quarter, the Jaguars trail 12-6.

UPDATE: at the end of the third quarter, the Jaguars trail 12-6. **REFRESH this blog to see a new blog post with the final score.

Volleyball Jaguars earn No. 3 seed in Section 6A (VIDEOS* UPDATES*)

In an astonishing turn of events, the QRF really did not call the shots in section seeding, in spite of it being advertised that way.

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team has the No. 3 seed in Section 6A. They have the highest QRF ranking at No. 12 overall in Class 1A, but they were placed behind Border West and Underwood. It's a mystery to both you and I! 

What the No. 3 seed does is earn a first-round bye in the section tournament. Opening-round matches will be played on Monday, October 26 at high seeds. B-B-E (16-8) will host a second-round match on Wednesday, October 28 with first serve at 7 p.m. in Brooten. The Jaguars will get the winner of the first-round match between No. 14-seeded Benson or No. 19-seeded Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal.

How this crappy section tournament schedule looks...
The Section 6A quarterfinals will be held at high seeds on Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m. The section semis are set for Wednesday, November 4 at Fergus Falls Kennedy high school. What is truly a load of crap about the No. 3 seed is that B-B-E would be placed in the 7:45 p.m. match on November 4 if they advance that far. The other semifinal that night starts at 6 p.m. Kennedy HS in Fergus Falls is basically a 1 1/2 hour drive...and in case you didn't realize it: November 4 is a school AND church night.

I'll add how this shakes out tonight to this blog post. I'll say this to the entire Jaguar team: you put this No. 3 seed as a chip on your shoulder and take it out on every section opponent that's put in front of you!

Here's a video from game 2 of the Maple Lake match on Thursday:


Section 6A 2026 volleyball seedings:
1. Border West (20-2)
2. Underwood (21-6)
3. B-B-E (16-8)
4. Park Christian, Moorhead (16-4)
5. Henning (20-7)
6. Hillcrest Lutheran Academy (15-11)
7. Hancock (14-8)
8. Breckenridge (14-12)
9. West Central Area (8-19)
10. Parkers Prairie (12-14)
11. Lake Park-Audubon (12-11)
12. Battle Lake (10-12-1)
13. Ortonville (9-11)
14. Benson (10-13)
15. Brandon-Evansville (10-12)
16. Pelican Rapids (7-16)
17. New York Mills (3-23)
18. Rothsay (3-16)
19. NCE/U-H (3-19-1)
20. Ashby (0-21)

In other section volleyball pairings...
In Sub-Section 3AA-North, New London-Spicer takes a 22-1 record into the postseason as the top seed. The Wildcats are having their best season since 2009. In 2009, their head coach was Mimi Knutson, whose daughter, Karsee, was a junior setter of that team. In the 2009 Section 6AA playoffs, NL-S earned sweeps in 3 of 4 contests, including a 3-0 sweep over a high-octane Sauk Centre team in the section finals. At state, they had a tough first-round draw with Hibbing and lost 3-2. They fell in the consolation semifinals 3-0 to Wadena-Deer Creekt to finish 31-3 overall. The 31 wins are the most in school history. Karsee went to college at Saint Catherine University, where she was a setter on their volleyball team and the starting setter as a junior. Also on that 2009 NL-S squad was Alanna (Dietz) Hunter, who was a junior on that team and is how a B-B-E middle school math teacher. Coach Hunter was head coach of the Jaguar volleyball team from 2020 through 2023.

Fun fact: in 2009, NL-S's only regular season loss was to our B-B-E Jaguars, who won a 5-setter on Monday, September 21 at Fort Knox, New London.

Eden Valley-Watkins has drawn the No. 2 seed in Sub-Section 3AA-North.

In Section 5AA, Maple Lake earned the No. 6 seed and has a first-round bye.

In Section 6AA, Minnewewaska Area has the No. 1 seed. The No. 2 seed was earned by Milaca out of the Granite Ridge Conference. Sauk Centre has the No. 3 seed, and Pequot Lakes has the No. 4 seed.

In Sub-Section 3A-North, Minneota is the top seed. In Sub-Section 3A-South, the top seed is Russel-Tyler-Ruthton.

And in other news...

Here's a video from the Padua Pub tonight:


The Bonanza Valley Royal Strutters gun blast had a nice turnout of just over 90 tonight in Padua. I'll write more about this in the October 29 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

Also on Sunday! Don't forget! The St. Francis de Sales Catholic church pancake supper is being served from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Parish Center on Martin Avenue. Come out and support them!

On Monday, the Brooten city council meets in regular session at 7 p.m.

The newspaper website has a new theater post added: BBEFallMusical2026.

Jaguars sweep Panthers in tune-up for playoffs (VIDEOS**)

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team is hot at just the right time, as the Section 6A playoffs loom on the horizon next week. Tonight, against visiting Parkers Prairie, the Jaguars overwhelmed a young Panthers squad in a 3-0 sweep. Parkers Prairie features a team with just one senior. They will be quite good next year.

Here's a video from game one tonight:


Game one: B-B-E 25, Parkers Prairie 20.
Game two: B-B-E 25, Parkers Prairie 6.
Game three: B-B-E 25, Parkers Prairie 21.

NEXT: the Jaguars (16-8) will host a Section 6A match next Wednesday, October 28 at 7 p.m. Parkers Prairie falls to 12-14 overall. The Panthers had been playing good volleyball lately. On October 12, they won 3-2 over New York Mills, and on Monday this week, they beat Browerville 3-2. Browerville, runners-up in the Prairie Conference this year, earned the No. 1 seed in Sub-Section 5A-West.

Here's a video featuring the end of tonight's match:


Prior to the start of the match, a review of the most recent QRF rankings put the Jaguars at No. 1 in the Section 6A standings. Sitting at No. 2 was Border West.

Here's a video from Thursday night, when Coach Breitbach spoke for Seniors Night:


This year's team includes four seniors: Mya Worms, Teagan Dingmann, Kamie Fischer and Averie Kampsen (student manager).

A new blog post on Saturday night will feature volleyball seeding and playoff information.

Last volleyball of the regular season

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team is hosting Parkers Prairie to close out the regular season tonight. The JV Jaguars won an exciting game 3 earlier 16-14 after trailing 14-12.

The varsity match started at about 7:34 p.m.

Game one: B-B-E 25, Parkers Prairie 20.

Game two: B-B-E 25, Parkers Prairie 6.

More to come in a new blog post.

Jaguars claim sole possession of CMC title! Breitbach is All-CMC in cross country (VIDEOS)

It's been quite a night in Jaguar Country!

First, I have to point out that I missed the fact that football seedings can't take place until Friday. This is due to some football games still being played (Week 8 games) tonight. I'll explain more later.

As for volleyball...
With a 3-1 win tonight over Maple Lake, the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team knew they had claimed at least a share of the Central Minnesota Conference title. Not long after finishing up the four-set win, the Jaguars learned that Royalton defeated Eden Valley-Watkins tonight in a four-set match. The Royals, on their home floor, won the first two sets before the Eagles won game three. In game four, the Royals had leads of 13-5 and then 16-6. Royalton finished the CMC schedule with a 4-3 record, while EV-W finishes 5-2 and in second place alone.

EV-W takes an 18-8 record into the Section 3AA-North playoffs, where I'm guessing they will earn a No. 2 seed behind state-ranked New London-Spicer.

Here's video featuring the end of tonight's match:


This gives B-B-E a fifth straight Central Minnesota Conference title. Traditions like that never get old! They were sole champs in 2021 before sharing the title with EV-W in 2022. The past three seasons brought 7-0 CMC records with sole possessions of the title. This year, the Jaguars (15-8 overall) went 6-1 and also took first place alone.

B-B-E finished with a strong 24 percent hitting mark, and Macey Roering led the Jaguars with 16 kills. They also racked up 11 ace serves compared to four Maple Lake ace serves.

The Irish fall to 16-12 overall. Coach Kiebel is hoping they can earn a No. 6 seed for the upcoming Section 5AA playoffs.

Next for B-B-E: the Jaguars host Parkers Prairie to close out the regular season tomorrow night at home. The C-squad match starts at 5 p.m., and the matches will be played in order back-to-back-to-back.

More exciting news...
At the Central Minnesota Conference cross country championships tonight at Koronis Golf Course in Paynesville, the B-B-E/Paynesville girls' cross country team earned second place. Individually, B-B-E eighth grader Brooklyn Breitbach ran a marvelous 5K to come out with a runner-up finish. The team now prepares for the Section 5A championships, which will be held on Thursday, October 29 at the Litchfield Golf Club. That's all the information I have right now. I hope to get a cross country article posted at the Bonanza Valley Voice website with additional information from the CMC meet.

In tonight's volleyball match...
This was Seniors Night and Youth Jaguars night for the volleyball program. Before the varsity match, head coach Holly Breitbach provided tributes to the four seniors: Mya Worms, Kamie Fischer, Averie Kampsen (student manager) and Teagan Dingmann. Youth volleyball players in grades K-5 joined the team before pre-match drills, and that was a great moment to see as they all took the floor together. You don't have a volleyball program without a great feeder program!

In game one, the Jaguars took advantage of a sluggish Irish start. An ace serve and a kill by Laken Anderson plus a kill by Teagan Dingmann gave the Jaguars a 6-1 lead, and Coach Marty Kiebel called a timeout to refocus his team. The Irish responded with a small rally that cut the score to 7-5 after a Maple Lake ace serve.

The Jaguars went on a big run to go up 16-8, and they were strong at the end in a 25-16 win.

Here's a video from game one tonight:


In game two, the Jaguars won 25-19. Maple Lake came out with much more intensity and energy in game three and challenged the Jaguars the whole way. After Maple Lake had a 22-20 lead, the Jaguars got big ace attacks from Macey Roering for a tie score. Back-to-back hitting errors by both teams made it 23-23. An Irish net violation brought game and match point with B-B-E ahead 24-23. An Irish error tied it at 24-all, and Maple Lake got an ace block for a 25-24 lead. The Irish served long, and the Jaguars served into the net to bring game point for the Irish. Junior setter Isabelle Melgaard's ace serve kept her team alive for a 27-25 win.

After Maple Lake's hitting error started game four, Kamie Fischer served 12 straight points, including four ace serves, as the Jaguars built a 13-0 lead. The Irish fought back almost point for point from there to bring a 24-14 score. Jaylee Jensen's kill finished the match with a 25-14 win and the final 6-1 record in the conference.

More to come. Video is uploading. I'll post more after 10 p.m.

Breaking news in football: the Jaguars are the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. They begin the playoffs on Tuesday, October 27 on the road against Ashby/Brandon-Evansville. The game will be played at Brandon-Evansville high school in Brandon with a 6 p.m. kickoff. The A/B-E Bolts are the No. 4 seed, and West Central Area is the No. 3 seed and will host Browerville (#6) next Tuesday. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle has forfeited the playoffs. Top-seeded Upsala/Swanville Area and No. 2-seeded Benson both have first-round byes.

Back to volleyball...
Tonight, at Holdingford, Paynesville Area won 3-2 to finish the regular season 13-10 overall. They went 4-3 in the CMC and tied Royalton for third place. Game scores were 25-13, 25-17, 28-30, 22-25, 15-10.

Tonight, at Henning, Underwood lost 3-0, and they will take a 21-6 record into the Section 6A playoffs. Currently, it's a guessing game as to who will earn the No. 1 seed in Section 6A. The Jaguars have a shot at it after beating Maple Lake tonight. Seeding by QRF will be released on Friday morning.

As for Halloween...
It's not too early to start planning for Halloween night! For those 21 and up, please consider the evening of Halloween at the Belgrade VFW. You can read about their Halloween night party by clicking over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: BelgradeVFWHalloween2026.

Football seeding forthcoming, Cross Country hosts CMC meet (*UPDATED)

Within an hour of now, we should know the playoff fate for the B-B-E Jaguars football team, who is currently sitting in fifth place in the Section 5A standings. The most recent QRF calculations took place while using Week 8 results, and the Jaguars hover just below West Central Area for QRF points. Both teams had 4-4 regular seasons. I am of the belief that the head-to-head matchup (a 20-14 win for the Jaguars in Week 2) should factor in the seeding. That's all I know! Let's hope for a home opener next Tuesday!

For certain: the Section 5A quarterfinals are on Tuesday, October 27. Kickoff will be at 6 p.m. The No. 1 seed in Section 5A receives a first-round bye. The other teams will be paired in 2-versus-7, 3-versus-6 and 4-versus-5 quarterfinals matchups. High seeds host.

In cross country news...
The B-B-E/Paynesville cross country teams are hosting the Central Minnesota Conference championships today. This 5K race take place at 4 p.m. at Koronis Golf Course. B-B-E eighth grader Brooklyn Breitbach is ranked in the Top 5 in Section 6A, and she's in the top 30 overall in Class 1A. As for the postseason, Breitbach and possibly two other B-B-E/Paynesville girls' cross country teammates have a shot at making it to the state meet. First, they will compete today at the CMC championships.

Stay tuned. Updates to follow.

Here's a quick post on my fix to the error on the Belgrade mayor race, which I goofed on in the paper this week: BelgradeMayor2026.

**Mid-afternoon Thursday: nothing official has been posted yet. Which is odd. I see that Long Prairie-Grey Eagle has forfeited the playoffs, which is unfortunate, but not completely surprising. 

As of 6:25 p.m., no update on football playoffs. They have not been posted. I have to get to the volleyball match. I'm running late.

BREAKING NEWS late on Thursday night: the Jaguars have earned the No. 5 seed in Section 5A. They open the playoffs on the road against Ashby/Brandon-Evansville. That's it. West Central Area has the No. 3 seed in large part due to their 12-8 win over A/B-E earlier in the season. Sometimes, you're just wrong, and that's the case with what I wrote earlier today.

 

Friday Night Lights VIII: Jaguars have tough sledding but fight Bolts to the end (VIDEO)

The heart and effort was there in spades, but the intensity was not quite at the level needed for the B-B-E Jaguars football team in a 38-22 loss tonight to Ashby/Brandon-Evansville. Take it from me: that score is deceiving. It's difficult to say that the team didn't play with the intensity needed to win the game. That statement fails to encapsulate the immense heart and tremendous teamwork displayed by the Jaguars tonight. It has been the same heart and teamwork they've had all season long. There are Class 1A teams with 2 and 3 times the roster that the Jaguars have who struggle win games or even put the ball in the endzone, yet this team has forged a 4-4 regular season with every intention on winning playoff games.

What more can we ask out of a roster of 22 players that has 3 on the injured list? Two of those 3 injured players won't play football this season.

Ashby/Brandon-Evansville's official roster lists 32 players, but my rough count only had about 25 in uniform tonight. The Bolts are a "very young" team with only 5 seniors.

Here's a video from the second quarter tonight:


In that video, the Jaguars put their first touchdown on the scoreboard with a reception by Noah DeRoo from Aiden Mueller. DeRoo's effort on the extra-point conversion carry was stopped 1 1/2 yards short. With 9:54 left in the second quarter, the Jaguars trailed 16-6.

At halftime, A/B-E led 24-6.

At the end of the third quarter, the Jaguars trailed 32-14. A/B-E scored with 1:55 left in the third quarter on a 25-yard quarterback run. Their two-point conversion with a pass play was successful for the 32-14 score.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars were threatening to cut it to a two-score game. At the start of the fourth, the Jaguars began their sixth drive of the game on A/B-E's 36-yard line. On the third play of the drive, A/B-E had a facemask penalty that gave the Jaguars first-and-goal on the six-yard line. Later on 4th-and-goal and the four, B-B-E had a false start penalty. Their next try on 4th down resulted in an incomplete pass. It was heartbreaking, as they turned the ball over on downs at the 8-yard line with 11:45 on the clock.

Some light game statistics:
While playing with basically 14 players, the Jaguars were outgained 390 yards to 197. They should be proud of having no lost fumbles, a good signt heading into the playoffs. Sophomore Noah DeRoo had a career night with 12 solo tackles and 7 assists.

Looking at the big picture...
The Jaguars are delivering, but tonight, the effort fell short to an A/B-E Bolts team that has a quarterback who ran roughshod at times over B-B-E's defense. We have a lot to be proud of, and we can carry that pride with the team into the postseason, which starts next week.

Next: the Section 5A quarterfinals are set for Tuesday, October 27. Other information is to-be-determined. We won't know anything for sure until mid-morning tomorrow - Wednesday, October 21.

In the Mid-Northwest Gold District, the Jaguars finished 3-4, which places them in a tie for fifth place with Maple Lake. Upsala/Swanville Area won the district title for the third straight year with a 7-0 record. Benson took second with a 6-1 record.

That's all I've got. I am going to write up this game the best I can and publish it in the newspaper tomorrow morning. Good night, Jaguar Country!

*Thursday morning update: additional game notes and/or Week 8 scores and any other football-related information will be posted in a NEW blog post on Thursday morning.

Mid-Northwest Gold District Week 8 scores on October 20:
Maple Lake 16, Browerville 6 (Tigers fall to 2-6 and will likely be the No. 6 seed in Section 5A)
Benson 36, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 6 (Braves have won 6 straight games)
Upsala/Swanville Area 41, West Central Area 0 (Knights are blanked in Swanville tonight)

This is GAME DAY! It's Parents Night for B-B-E football

This is GAME DAY for the B-B-E Jaguars football team, who is also hosting Parents Night for their Week 8 battle with Ashby/Brandon-Evansville. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

This game is HUGE! The winner will have a shot at earning the No. 3 seed in Section 5A. The loser will likely fall to anywhere between the No. 4 and No. 6 seeds. The stakes are COLOSSAL.

And other news for this week...
On Thursday this week, the volleyball team hosts Maple Lake with eyes set on finishing out the Central Minnesota Conference schedule with a win and also at least a share of the title. Another event coming Thursday is the Hawick Community Church's fall Harvest Supper. This is a free-will donation event. You can read more by clicking over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper's website: HawickCommunityChurch-Supper2026.

In a Central Minnesota Conference volleyball match held last night, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City lost 3-1 to visiting Kimball Area. The Falcons finished the CMC schedule with a 3-4 record (5th place). Kimball Area went 2-5 (8th) in the CMC, and they are 14-12 overall heading into the Section 6AA playoffs.

FOOTBALL UPDATES:

With 7:28 left in the first quarter, the Bolts took an 8-0 lead.

At the end of the first quarter, the bolts have an 8-0 lead. 

In the middle of the 2nd quarter, the Jaguars trail 16-6.

Halftime: A/BE 24, B-B-E 6.

In the 2nd half, the Jaguars cut it to 24-14. More to come in a new blog post that will be posted after 10 p.m.. 

Today is Terrace's day (VIDEOS)

After you wrap up church service today, I hope you can make the trip west to the quaint, beautiful village of Terrace. Chippewa Falls Lutheran Church is hosting their fall turkey dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This has been advertised in the past two issues of the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper. I highly encourage you to go! You will eat like a king! (or queen)

Here's another video from Big Grove Lutheran church on Friday night:


As you can see in the video, you can't help but have a great time at one of these Ziemer brothers-led church auctions. They make for a terrific fundraiser.

As always, you can look at the B-B-E Community Calendar 24/7 at the newspaper's website: BBEareaCommunityCalendar. Many of these items are also found every week on page 2 of the newspaper.

A magnificent day is shaping up for yard and garden work. Lots of sunshine out there, and temperatures will reach into the 60s and hopefully top out at around 66 or 67 degrees.

Sunday afternoon update:
Here's some initial coverage of the Chippewa Falls church dinner. This was prepared right away this afternoon for a newspaper Facebook posting: ChippewaFallsLutheranFall2026. I'm currently keeping track of what Facebook coverage does for reach of newspaper coverage. When the article was posted on Facebook today, it had 21 views.

I haven't had a chance to write about it, so here's the first time I can report on a huge change coming for the Glenwood community. Also, this will bring some affect on the B-B-E community in terms of radio coverage of local news. As of November 1, Smooth Magic 107 FM of Glenwood will become a new radio station at 107.1 FM. The new station is reported to be a country music station. Major changes are taking place for the station's local news coverage, which will be a fraction of what has been provided under the current ownership of Steve Nestor. The good news: initially, the new radio station will continue with Minnewaska Lakers and B-B-E Jaguars sports coverage. Stay tuned for a larger article on this news in the October 22 issue of the Bonanza Valley Voice.

At the same time, let's wish Steve all the best in his retirement! It is well deserved and long overdue.

Let's get back to more B-B-E Homecoming coverage. I am still getting caught up on my end.

Here's another video featuring the end of the Color Run; this was recorded at the finish line:


The 11th annual B-B-E Color FUND Run was held on Wednesday, October 7.

Dig Pink (VIDEO)

One week ago, the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team hosted Dig Pink night, a cancer awareness night, before their conference match with Royalton in Central Minnesota Conference action. This was one event of many that filled out B-B-E's 38th annual Homecoming week.

Here's a video featuring the Dig Pink night presentation:


More to come this evening. I hope you can make tracks to North Fork Township or Bangor Township tonight! The destinations include Big Grove Lutheran Church for their fall supper and live auction fundraiser or to Heidi's Bar in Sedan for their meat raffle fundraiser. These events were published in this week's Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

*Saturday update: here's some coverage at the newspaper website regarding the Big Grove Lutheran event last night: BigGrove2026auction. It was a grand time! A new blog post on Sunday will feature more coverage. This blog post is a wrap.

Friday Night Lights VII: Jaguars earn 4th win via shutout (VIDEOS**)

It was anything but pretty, but when they had to, the B-B-E Jaguars football team made the plays necessary to record the second shutout win of the season tonight at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle. After posting a 12-0 halftime lead, the Jaguars went home with a 24-0 win. They are now 4-3 overall going into a home game for Week 8 next Tuesday against Ashby/Brandon-Evansville.

The Jaguars racked up 331 yards of offense, including 246 rushing yards on 31 carries. LP-GE (0-7) had 129 total yards, including 48 rushing yards and 81 passing.

Of B-B-E's four wins this year, this win was not the sharpest. The Jaguars have much to clean up as they prepare for a huge, huge game on Tuesday. At stake is a shot at earning a No. 3 seed in Section 5A. For both teams, and I don't say this as an excuse, it seemed like the players were adjusting to playing in the colder weather. Temperatures at game time hovered around 50 degrees. Through the first six games of the season, the game temperatures have been anywhere between 60 to roughly 80 degrees.

As far as the rosters, the game featured nearly identical numbers. From the program I got at the gate, LP-GE had 18 players dressed for the game. B-B-E had 19 players in uniform. LP-GE has 6 seniors on their team, and B-B-E has 2 seniors.

Also, credit to Long Prairie and their school district for the revamped football field! Thunder Stadium now features artificial turf with a brand new track. The facility is beautiful. Artificial turf is not something we see much of in rural Minnesota. It is very expensive. In 2012, when Sauk Centre installed turf, the cost with a new track was over $1 million. (Keep in mind: Sauk Centre went up to that point without having an actual paved track.) A legitimate argument exists that they can save money on maintenance costs compared to regular sod. I also know that a well-maintained sod field is also something a school can be proud of. In today's cash-strapped climate and abysmal test scores, artificial turf is not something a school should consider in my opinion.

I've added three videos to this blog post, and they are all videos from the first half of play. It will be awhile before I get to video clips from the second half, and they likely wouldn't be added until later this weekend. Currently, the team has to prepare for Ashby/Brandon-Evansville. This is the whole universe right now. The Bolts are 4-3 overall after taking a shellacking from Upsala/Swanville Area tonight at the Brandon-Evansville stadium in Brandon. The Patriots improved to 7-0 with a 55-12 win. Setting that aside, as things sit, I currently believe the Jaguars will be slight underdogs going into Week 8. They will need to pull off some big plays to overcome their opponents in Belgrade next Tuesday.

The area scoreboard has been updated on this blog post.

Thursday night update:
The Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website has been updated: http://www.bonanzavalleyvoice.com.

As for the playoff outlook...
In the Section 5A standings, U/SA is running away with the top seed. At the same time, Benson is running away with the No. 2 seed. However, there is a battle shaping up for the No. 3 seed. In the running are West Central Area, A/B-E and B-B-E. As far as the head-to-head matchup, which was also a border battle, WCA defeated A/B-E in Week 4 at WCA's stadium by a 12-8 score. That was WCA's second straight win after an 0-2 start. After that loss, A/B-E won two straight, 50-16 against visiting LP-GE and 16-8 in Browerville.

Here's a video from early in the 2nd quarter tonight:


In that video, Austin Berge catches a 38-yard touchdown pass from Aiden Mueller. This was the first score of the game. Berge finished the game with 3 catches for 58 yards.

How the first half played out tonight at LP-GE:
B-B-E's first series of the first quarter brought great movement downfield after starting on the B-B-E 40. A pass interference call on the Thunder gave the Jaguars first down at the LP-GE 21. Four plays later, the Jaguars turned the ball over on downs. With 8:09 left, the Thunder took possession for their first series from their own 19.

LP-GE converted a couple of first downs and gained first down on the B-B-E 37. Four plays later, on 4th-and-3, Aiden Mueller earned a solo tackle for a loss to force a turnover on downs. With 2:50 left, the Jaguars had the ball starting on their own 32.

B-B-E's second series brought one first down conversion, but the drive stalled out while gaining just 8 net yards. A recovered fumble plus a false start penalty hurt the Jaguars.

LP-GE received B-B-E's punt with just 12 seconds on the clock. Somehow, the Thunder were able to pull off 3 plays, but they also had two big penalties along the way. After the second quarter started, the Thunder gained no yards on 2 plays and punted on 4th-and-28 with 11:09 left.

B-B-E moved the chains just once on their third series, but it was enough. With the drive starting on the 50, the Jaguars scored on Austin Berge's 38-yard reception from Mueller on 4th-and-10. With 9:18 to go in the second quarter, the Jaguars had a 6-0 lead.

On their third series of the game, LP-GE gained just 3 yards on 3 plays. They attempted a fake punt, but the play ultimately lost one net yard for a turnover on downs. With 7:02 left, the Jaguars took over on LP-GE's 38. This fourth touch of the ball also failed, and the Jaguars turned the ball over on downs at LP-GE's 35 with just over 5 minutes to go.

Here's a long video featuring second quarter action tonight:


B-B-E's defense came up big once again as they held on LP-GE's fourth series of the game. On 4th-and-2, the Jaguars stopped LP-GE one yard short of converting. With about 2:50 to go, the Jaguars started their fifth series of the game on LP-GE's 44.

The fifth offensive series of the game earned paydirt when Aiden Mueller ran in a 38-yard touchdown with 1:27 to go for a 12-0 lead.

Here's another video featuring action late in the second quarter; early in this video, Elliot Spanier records his tackle with a 14-yard loss:


To finish the half, the Thunder lost huge yardage when Elliot Spanier tackled a runner with a 14-yard loss. They punted on 4th-and-24, and the Jaguars had time to run 2 plays before halftime.

How the second half played out tonight:
LP-GE had a great start to the third quarter with a 28-yard reception on the first play. Now at B-B-E's 38, they converted one additional first down before stalling out on downs on 4th-and-14 with 5:55 left.

B-B-E's first drive of the third quarter started on their 30. Quarterback Aiden Mueller converted 3rd-and-2. A 9-yard gain by Noah DeRoo helped the Jaguars gain first down at the LP-GE 45. The drive stalled out 3 plays later on 4th-and-3 with a turnover on downs with 59 seconds left.

LP-GE started on their 38, but a holding penalty on the last play of the third quarter set up 2nd-and-19 to start the fourth. The Thunder later punted on 4th-and-20, but a B-B-E roughing the kicker penalty gave them first down at their 44. The drive stalled out on downs, and LP-GE punted from their 48 with 9:48 left in the game.

B-B-E mounted a 64-yard scoring drive that needed 5 plays. Mason Douvier had a 17-yard carry that was combined with a 15-yard LP-GE penalty that got first down on the 28. Aiden Mueller then ran in a 21-yard touchdown carry. A failed PAT kick made it 18-0 with 8:10 left in the game.

On the next series, Riley Gullickson earned a fumble recovery with 6:48 left at LP-GE's 41. The Jaguars used 6 plays to extend the lead to 24-0. With 2:08 left, Aiden Mueller ran a bootleg carry for 32 yards.

LP-GE's final series stalled out on downs at B-B-E's 16-yard line. The Jaguars later closed out the game taking a knee in the last minute of play.

More to come on Thursday morning. It's been a very long day. Time for rest.

Mid-Northwest Gold District Week 7 scores on October 14:
Benson 61, Browerville 16
West Central Area 34, Maple Lake 8
Upsala/Swanville Area 55, Ashby/Brandon-Evansville 12

Area Week 7 scores on October 14:
Albany 34, New London-Spicer 28
Redwood Valley 47, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 0
Osakis 26, St. Cloud Cathedral 0
Willmar 63, Detroit Lakes 2
Brainerd 21, Alexandria 14
Melrose Area 43, Little Falls 36
Paynesville Area 38, Royalton 16
Minnewaska Area 56, Montevideo 6
Lac qui Parle Valley 44, Canby 30
Hancock 46, Rothsay 16
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 39, Cedar Mountain 18
Breckenridge 56, New York Mills 6
Holdingford 35, St. Cloud Apollo 14
Kimball Area 34, Eden Valley-Watkins 0 (You'd have to go back to the 1990s to see the last time Kimball may have shut out EV-W)
Pierz 65, Rockford Area 7
Dawson-Boyd 49, Lakeview 12
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 46, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 0
Springfield 41, Russel-Tyler-Ruthon 0
Wabasso 50, Red Rock Central 20 (Wabasso is 7-0
Hutchinson 27, Totino-Grace 23
Litchfield 42, Sauk Centre 22
Sleepy Eye United 49, MACCRAY 21
New Ulm Cathedral 57, Renville County West 6

GAME NIGHT! In Todd County

Eight days after tennis playoffs, the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper's sports department returns to Todd County. Next, tonight, the B-B-E Jaguars football team travels to Long Prairie-Grey Eagle's football stadium for their Week 7 game with the Thunder. Their football stadium is just partially south of their elementary school, which is the former Long Prairie high school campus.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Here's a video featuring the first touchdown B-B-E scored against Benson...


That touchdown occurred about 4 minutes before halftime, and at halftime, the Jaguars trailed 16-6.

In tennis section playoffs...
B-B-E senior Ellan Fischer won her opener at the Section 6A individual tournament at the Rogers Tennis Club. She won by scores of 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in three sets over LP-GE senior Reagan Larsen. In the quarterfinals, Fischer faced NL-S's Brooke Glauvitz and fell 1-6, 0-6 to see her season conclude. Other tennis results are forthcoming. Six members of the B-B-E Jaguars girls' tennis team were competing in the postseason.

FOOTBALL GAME updates...
At halftime: B-B-E 12, LP-GE 0. The Thunder have struggled to move the ball, but their defense played rather well across the first half. 

Hit refresh to see the Friday Night Lights VII blog post with the final score.

Volleyball Jaguars sweep Royalton, one match to go in title hunt! (VIDEOS)

A successful Dig Pink night took place this evening for the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team, as they defeated visiting Royalton in straight sets in Central Minnesota Conference action. This moves their conference record to 5-1. All that's left is a home match with Maple Lake next week, Thursday, October 22. In the CMC race, Eden Valley-Watkins kept pace with the Jaguars by defeating Maple Lake on the road tonight in four sets.

B-B-E is 14-8 overall with two matches to go before the playoffs begin.

In tonight's win, the Jaguars had 27.6 percent hitting. The Jaguars had a balanced attack: Laken Anderson 9 kills, Macey Roering 7 kills, Jaylee Jensen 6 kills, Kamie Fischer and Mya Worms 4 kills each.

Both teams traded punches as game one got rolling. After a Royalton kill cut an early B-B-E lead to 5-4, Macey Roering's kill started a 4-0 run. A kill by Jaylee Jensen got the lead to 10-5, and Laken Anderson's kill later made it a 20-7 lead. The Royals settled in and scored 6 straight points, but the Jaguars regained control with an ace serve by Kamie Fischer and a Mya Worms kill to bring it to 24-13. A late flurry of Royalton points followed before Roering shut it down with a kill and a 25-18 win.

Here's a video from the final points scored in game 1 tonight:


B-B-E led 4-2 early in game two, and they fought past a 7-5 deficit to go up 12-9. The Royals tied the set multiple times, later at 15-15, before fading in the final stretch. They trailed 24-17 before scoring 3 straight points, but the Royals served out of bounds to give the Jaguars a 25-20 win.

Here's a video featuring the end of game two:


Royalton came out flat in game three, and the Jaguars capitalized with aggressive serving to take leads of 4-0 and 16-1. Royalton had a couple late kills after falling behind 23-7, but Anderson finished the match with two straight kills for a 25-9 win.

Additional coverage will be published in this week's Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper.

Central MN Conference volleyball scores on October 13:
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 3, Paynesville Area 0 (a mild upset in CMC action in Grove City tonight)
Holdingford 3, Kimball Area 1
Eden Valley-Watkins 3, Maple Lake 1

Area volleyball scores on October 12-13:
Parkers Prairie 3, New York Mills (played last night)
Osakis 3, Browerville 0
Willmar 3, Detroit Lakes 0
Albany 3, Pierz 0
New London-Spicer 3, Watertown-Mayer 0
Battle Lake 3, Ashby 0
Minneota 3, Canby 0

It's game night, bring on the Royals

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team is hosting Royalton tonight. The Jaguars won game one 25-18 after holding a 20-7 lead at one point.

In game two, Royalton held a 17-16 lead, but the Jaguars caught fire and rallied for a 25-20 win.

In the Dig Pink cancer fundraiser, over $2,200 was donated free-will fashion by the home and visiting fans. These funds are being donated to the Joslyn and Brandon Deters family. 

More to come after 9 p.m.

Dig Pink night is tomorrow, tennis heading to section individuals (VIDEOS**)

The Dig Pink cancer awareness night for the B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team is set for tomorrow night, Tuesday, when Royalton visits our place for a Central Minnesota Conference match. The Royals are currently tied for third place with a 3-2 record along with Paynesville Area. In the latest QRF rankings, the Jaguars (13-8) have climbed to No. 14 in Class 1A while also moving up in the Section 6A standings. They are currently No. 2 in Section 6A behind Underwood, who is ranked No. 14 by the QRF.

The Royals are 10-10 overall. They compete in Section 6AA in the postseason.

Additional Dig Pink night information:
All proceeds from the evening will go to the Joslyn and Brandon Deters family. Two gift baskets are being raffled off, and a free will donation will be accepted. Raffle tickets are $20 each. You can see more about the Deters family and Joslyn's battle with cancer by clicking over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: ElrosaFireSteakFryNight.

As stated in that web article, a marvelous showing of support for the Deters family took place on Saturday night in Elrosa. It should warm everyone's heart!

For six members of the B-B-E Jaguars girls' tennis team, their season continues with the Section 6A individual tournament, which is held on Wednesday, October 14 at the Rogers Tennis Club. This spacious, indoor facility features 7 hard courts, and both a singles and a doubles bracket will be in play that morning. The six Jaguars competing are Ellan Fischer, Hannah Wurm, Olive Olson, Kwynn Quade, Harper Herickhoff and Jena Borgerding.

Here's a video from Long Prairie-Grey Eagle six day ago:


The girls' tennis team season concluded last Tuesday in the Section 6A play-in round. Of the 10 players competing in the varsity lineup, just one was a senior: Ellan Fischer.

Let's back up a few days to last week...

Here's a video from the finish line of the Color FUND Run last Wednesday:


The forecast for the weather is remarkably cold this week compared to what we've had across the first 11 or so days of October. The temperatures should be in the low 50s for Wednesday's football game at Long Prairie.

Here's a video from game two of the Paynesville volleyball match held one week ago:


After the Jaguars won a back-and-forth battle in game one, they won 25-14 in game two.

B-B-E Volleyball records 3 wins at Runestone Invitational (VIDEO)

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team had a strong outing today in Alexandria for the Runestone Invitational. Playing at Alexandria Area high school, the Jaguars went 3-0 in pool play before falling to state-ranked Minnewaska Area in straight sets in the playoffs. I have to head back to my Friday Night Lights VI post and finish writing my game recap from last night. Once that's done, this blog post will get revamped.

Pool play results for B-B-E at Alexandria:
B-B-E defeated Fergus Falls to open pool play;
B-B-E won 25-9, 25-15 vs. Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta;
B-B-E won 22-25, 25-14, 15-12 vs. BOLD;

Game scores against Minnewaska Area were 25-18, 25-17. The Lakers appear to be running away with the West Central Conference title, and they are one of the top teams in Section 6AA. B-B-E improves to 13-8 overall as they prepare for a tough home match on Tuesday, October 13 against Royalton. That night is also Dig Pink night with their cancer awareness fundraiser.

Minnewaska Area won their way to the championship, where they won 2-1 against Alexandria. The Lakers are 21-1 overall.

Here's a video featuring the end of the volleyball team's Homecoming match on Thursday:


It's been a terribly busy and productive day. The turnout and support in Elrosa for the Joslyn and Brandon Deters family was remarkable. The Elrosa Fire Department also turned out well with their steak fry fundraiser. I have a lot more to report on that.

Here's light coverage that includes very special news out of Elrosa tonight...click on the following link to move over to the Bonanza Valley Voice newspaper website: ElrosaSteakFry2026.

I have church at 9 a.m. tomorrow, so it's time to call it a night and come back tomorrow to add more here. My first half game recap from Friday Night Lights VI has been added to the previous blog post.

*UPDATE on Monday: in the latest Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association poll, the Jaguars are sitting in a tie for 12th place with Martin County West.

Friday Night Lights VI: Jaguars give 200-percent effort in close Homecoming loss (VIDEOS added**)

Two things stand out as I settle in and start reviewing Homecoming game notes tonight. On the home gridiron, the B-B-E Jaguars football team gave a 200-percent effort against a bigger, deeper Benson Braves team across the entire 48 minutes of play on Tackle Cancer night. Not a soul in the stadium walked away with the ability to say one team outplayed the other. For the entire 48 minutes, a terrific football game played out. Yes, Benson came to play, but in spite of that 200-percent effort by the Jaguars, the Braves capitalized on a plus-three figure in the turnover department to claim a 24-14 win and improve to 4-2 overall.

The outcome was in doubt until the closing minutes of the fourth quarter. For Benson, this was their fourth straight win. In that span, this was far and away their toughest of all four. Benson has a terrific team with a roster of just 28 players. B-B-E's official roster is 22. In tonight's game, the Jaguars had 20 players dressed, while Benson had 26 players suited up. Benson has 7 seniors.

Four uncharacteristic-like turnovers cost the Jaguars a shot at ending a Homecoming game skid. They've now fallen in three straight Homecoming games, with these latest two being by close margins. Last year, Maple Lake won 14-12 on a night when both the Irish and Jaguars entered the game with identical 4-1 records.

Turnovers are part of the game, and turnovers happen in football. The tell-tale sign is how a team recovers from them, and on this night, the Jaguars almost overcame four turnovers. (Almost) A three turnover game may very well have had a different outcome. Nevertheless, how blessed are we in Jaguar Country! We are extremely blessed to have a group of football players who study and work their tails off while competing at a high level. This continues to be far and away my favorite B-B-E football team. The heart and stamina which they display is something I'll never forget as long as I live.

As for Tackle Cancer night, it was quite special to get a front-row seat to the pregame coin flip. Two guests of the coin flip huddle were Bentley Deters and Easton Rood. Easton is an elementary student at B-B-E who is also a cancer survivor. Bentley Deters is a member of the football team. His mom, Joslyn, is currently receiving cancer treatments. Funds raised tonight are earmarked for the Deters family.

Next: the Jaguars (3-3) have a short week while preparing for their MEA week game. They travel to Long Prairie-Grey Eagle next Wednesday, October 14. In their Week 6 game, the Thunder were defeated 43-0 by West Central Area in Long Prairie. I am sure that WCA was smarting and in a bad mood after getting thrashed by Benson last week at their home stadium in Barrett. They no doubt took out that frustration on LP-GE tonight.

In the Mid-Northwest Gold District standings, the Jaguars hold a 2-3 record and have fallen into a tie for fifth place with Maple Lake. Benson has control of second place with a 4-1 record. State-ranked Upsala/Swanville Area continues in first place with a 5-0 record (6-0 overall). Their district winning streak dates back to October of 2023.

NOTE: this blog post will be fully updated on Saturday. It probably won't be finished until later in the afternoon. The day of Saturday, October 10 is going to be super, super busy.

Here's a video featuring action in the second quarter tonight:


More to come. Video is uploading.

*Here's the final minutes of the second quarter tonight:


If the Jaguars could have narrowed the score to 16-12 or even 16-14 at halftime, the outcome could have been a win. Who knows what would have played out in the second half. It wasn't quite as difficult as last week's loss, but this Homecoming loss was a really tough one to swallow.

Scoring summary:
With 11:54 left in the second quarter, Benson scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. Adrian Young ran in the two-point conversion. Benson 8, B-B-E 0.
With 6:50 left in the second quarter, Benson scored on Connor Stine's 42-yard carry. Young carried in the conversion play. Benson 16, B-B-E 0.
With 3:54 left in the second quarter, B-B-E scored on a one-yard carry by Noah DeRoo. The two-point conversion pass was incomplete. Benson 16, B-B-E 6.
With 7:38 left in the fourth quarter, B-B-E scored on DeRoo's 10-yard reception. Aiden Mueller ran the quarterback sneak for the conversion play. Benson 16, B-B-E 14.
With 2:13 left in the fourth quarter, Benson scored on Young's 3-yard carry. Ethan Tolifson caught the conversion pass. Benson 24, B-B-E 14.

The dagger...which all but sealed the game's outcome: after Benson scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, their kickoff team came up big with a fumble recovery. With just over 2 minutes to go, the Braves ran the ball once. On second down and third downs, Benson quarterback Darin Hippe took a knee in a classy move by the Braves to close out the game.

How the first half played out tonight:
Benson's game-opening kickoff sailed out of bounds as the Braves entered the game knowing B-B-E's kickoff return game was a threat. This set up the Jaguars at their own 40 for their first drive. Three run plays converted a first down, with Noah DeRoo's carry for 5 yards getting the Jaguars to the Benson 48 and moving the chains. Austin Berge's 7-yard catch had the Jaguars moving, but two plays later, the Braves earned a tackle for a four-yard loss to bring 4th-and-6. With 8:17 left, B-B-E punted on Benson's 44.

Benson started their first drive of the game on their own 7-yard line. On the second play, running back Young carried 11 yards. Later, on 3rd-and-7, DeRoo and Aiden Mueller earned assisted tackles with a one-yard loss. With 4:45 left, Benson punted on their own 36.

B-B-E began their second drive on their own 35. A Benson holding penalty helped on a 3rd-and-12 play. On the 3rd-and-2, Lance Radermacher carried for 10 yards to get to Benson's 47. Disaster struck, however, when Benson recovered a lost fumble on a failed pitch. With 2:13 left in the opening quarter, Benson had the ball on B-B-E's 48.

Benson's second drive of the game used 7 plays to cover the distance as the first quarter clock ran to zero. On Benson's first play of the second quarter, quarterback Darin Hippe scored on a one-yard touchdown carry. With 11:54 left, the Braves had an 8-0 lead.

The Jaguars had a good start to their 3rd series of the half when DeRoo carried for 11 yards on the first play. Benson later helped with an offsides penalty, and DeRoo converted 3rd down to get 1st-and-10 on Benson's 39. Two plays later, however, the Jaguars coughed up possession on another lost fumble. With 9:43 left before halftime, Benson had the ball for their third series of the half on their own 46. Young converted 4th-and-2 to get first down at B-B-E's 42. On the next play, Connor Stine ran in the 42-yard touchdown. With 6:50 left, Benson led 16-0.

B-B-E quickly went 3-and-out with just 4 yards gained on 3 plays. Their punt put Benson back in the saddle with 6 minutes to go. On the second play of the next drive, however, Benson lost possession on a fumble near midfield. With 5:30 left, B-B-E started on their own 41-yard line with their fifth possession of the game. On the third play, Berge hauled in a 31-yard reception. On the next play, Aiden Mueller ran for 21 yards and nearly scored before getting tackled just shy of the left pylon. DeRoo then punched in a touchdown on 1st-and-goal. With 3:54 left, the Jaguars trailed 16-6.

Benson's next series, which started on their own 35 after the kickoff, resulted in a three-and-out and a punt. Berge had a 20-yard punt return that gave B-B-E outstanding field position. With 2:14 left, they began their next drive on their 49. Kaden Kollman caught an 11-yard pass on the first play. DeRoo then ran for 13 yards, and Mueller ran for 7 yards to get to Benson's 20. Two plays later, with about 90 seconds to go, Mueller converted 3rd down with a 9-yard carry. Three plays later, the Jaguars had 4th-and-6 with about 30 seconds to go. Their final play of the half resulted in an incomplete pass to bring halftime.

How the second half played out tonight at Homecoming:
Benson opened the third quarter with possession and their sixth overall drive of the game. After starting on their own 23, they were held to 3rd-and-4 before Adrian Young converted with a 7-yard run. Back-to-back tackles for losses brought 3rd-and-15, but the Braves had a 14-yard catch to bring a situation to gamble. The Braves converted 4th-and-1 with Young's 18-yard carry into B-B-E territory. B-B-E's defense once again had two straight big plays that made it 3rd-and-13. The defense continued to shine by causing back-to-back incomplete passes. On fourth down, Mason Douvier earned a knock down to give the Jaguars the ball with 5:49 left at their own 38.

The Jaguars started their first series of the second half with a bang, as DeRoo hauled in a 24-yard pass. Two plays later, DeRoo caught a nine-yard pass for first down on Benson's 28. On the next play, Benson's Bentley Ascheman intercepted a pass but was immediately tackled at Benson's 5-yard line. The Braves had a false start penalty, but two plays later, they moved the chains with a 10-yard run. The next play brought a 15-yard gain on the ground, and the Braves continued moving the ball with short gains before getting first down on their own 42 and then advancing into B-B-E territory as the third quarter closed out.

Near midfield, the Braves lost four yards to start the fourth quarter with Aiden Mueller earning a tackle for a loss. Benson ran the ball twice for a total of 2 yards and then punted on 4th-and-12.

With 9:39 left in the game, the Jaguars started their eighth series of the game on their own 39 in search of their second score. Another big gain on a DeRoo reception moved the Jaguars 17 yards downfield on the drive's second play. Benson held B-B-E to 3rd-and-7, but Lance Radermacher came up big with a 29-yard reception as he bulled his way down the left side for 1st-and-goal at the Benson 10. On 2nd-and-10, DeRoo ran in a touchdown off left tackle. Aiden Mueller ran a quarterback sneak to draw the Jaguars within 16-14 with 7:38 left.

Great kickoff coverage by the Jaguars set up Benson at the 20. The Braves ran the ball 6 times to gain 21 yards. On the seventh play, the Braves ran the ball 9 yards to get first down at the 50. Elliot Spanier's tackle on the next play gave up just 2 yards. On the next play, Benson's Young broke a handful of tackles while running down the right sideline to B-B-E's five-yard line.

With 2:30 left, B-B-E's Coach Moscho called a timeout with Benson having 1st-and-goal. On 3rd-and-goal, Young carried in a three-yard touchdown with 2:13 left. Sophomore Ethan Tolifson caught the conversion pass from Hippe for a 24-14 score.

Next, the dagger was delivered in B-B-E's hopes with the lost fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

Some light game statistics:
The Jaguars continue to play outstanding high school football. They racked up nearly 250 yards of offense, which is remarkable playing with such a short roster. Statistics show 245 yards gained on 49 plays. For Benson, they had 317 yards on 60 plays. Benson managed to gain 317 yards with just two completed passes, a 14-yard catch and a 13-yard catch. The Braves had just one lost fumble compared to three by the Jaguars.

I continue to be amazed at B-B-E's diversity on offense. Quarterback Aiden Mueller was 13-of-24 for 143 yards while connecting with five different receivers tonight.

DON'T forget! Saturday night this weekend: the Crow River Lutheran supper and auction (4 to 9 p.m.) plus the Elrosa Fire Department steak fry (4 to 8 p.m.)! Please spread the word.

Mid-Northwest Gold District Week 6 football scores on October 9:
Ashby/Brandon-Evansville 16, Browerville 8
West Central Area 43, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 0
Upsala/Swanville Area 55, Maple Lake 12

Area Week 6 football scores on October 9:
Menahga 46, New York Mills 6
Pierz 79, St. Cloud Apollo 7
Dawson-Boyd 28, MACCRAY 7
Russel-Tyler-Ruthton 47, BOLD 0
Royalton 36, Osakis 34
Hancock 58, Fertile-Beltrami 8
Albany 35, Little Falls 20
Dassel-Cokato 57, Montevideo 6
Litchfield 62, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 35
Alexandria 41, Bemidji 21
Minnewaska Area 37, Sauk Centre 16
Minneota 47, Lac qui Parle Valley 8
Willmar 62, St. Cloud Tech 14
Paynesville Area 26, St. Cloud Cathedral 7
Melrose Area 38, Holdingford 27
Eden Valley-Watkins 54, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 8
New London-Spicer 47, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 21
Redwood Valley 38, Kimball Area 18
Red Rock Central 27, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 24
Canby 21, Lakeview 20
Hutchinson 37, Detroit Lakes 12
Maple River 47, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 14
Menagha 46, New York Mills 6