Jaguars earn the 4 seed at state!!! (VIDEO, UPDATES)

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team grabbed the No. 4 seed for the state tournament that begins next Thursday evening for Jaguar Country!

It's official: the Jaguars (24-6) open state at 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 6 at Xcel Energy Center. Spread the word! Their opponent will be the No. 5-seeded Cleveland Clippers, the Section 2A champions from southern Minnesota. In the other 5 p.m. match, Mayer Lutheran faces North Woods.

Cleveland's roster is heavy on sophomores and juniors with no seniors. Additional information on the Clippers will be posted after church.

Here's a video featuring the final points scored in game one last night:


NOTE: I have learned that where we are going is not called "Xcel Energy Center" but rather "Grand Casino Arena."

In B-B-E school history, this is the program's 8th state volleyball tournament trip. Before the pairing, the Belgrade Redmen volleyball team played in one state tournament back in 1984. That season, the Redmen placed 3rd in Class 1A in the former two-class format.

Cleveland's volleyball team is riding an incredible wave of recent success. They enter their first-ever state tournament on a 15-match winning streak. This state tournament berth marks an end to recent misery in section championships, where the Clippers have fallen short of state 3 out of the last 5 seasons.

Cleveland's roster is built around a tall, talented 5'10" sophomore setter, Jocelyn Kortuem. They've got two 5'9" hitters, a 5'10" sophomore middle blocker/right side plus a 5'11" junior outside hitter. I've been spending a fair amount of time today gathering more information on their volleyball team.

In the Section 2A championship, the Clippers played poorly and fell behind 2-0 in sets to Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart. The match turned in game three after falling behind 10-3 to start that set, and Cleveland earned a thrilling reverse sweep with a nailbiter 15-13 win in game five.

B-B-E and Cleveland have one common opponent this fall: the MACCRAY Wolverines, who beat the Jaguars 3-0 in August and also won in straight sets (2-0) over the Clippers at the Midwest Volleyball Warehouse in Burnsville on September 19 in the first pool play match that day.

In the latest QRF rankings for Class 1A, Cleveland was No. 7, while our Jaguars were No. 5. On paper, this is going to be a close battle! The Clippers are 26-6 overall, and they went 6-0 to claim the Tomahawk/Valley Conference - Valley division title. They swept BOLD in the Sub-Section 2A-North championship, and next was a 3-2 thriller over state-ranked Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart.

More to come by mid-afternoon. It's time to catch lunch at the ham and breakfast dinner at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic church. They serve until 1 p.m.!

The Rambow, Inc. state volleyball shirt store is open until MIDNIGHT tonight! (Sunday) Http://www.rambow.com. The store code is BBEVB. Pick up for the shirts will be at the high school office at some point this week.

Class 1A state volleyball tournament seeding:
1. #1 Mayer Lutheran of Section 4A; ranked No. 1 by QRF.
2. #3 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton of Section 3A; ranked No. 4 by QRF.
3. #4 Fillmore Central of Section 1A; ranked No. 2 by QRF.
4. #10 B-B-E of Section 6A; ranked No. 5 by QRF.
5. Cleveland of Section 2A; ranked No. 7 by QRF.
6. #12 Ada-Borup West of Section 8A; ranked No. 13 by QRF.
7. Nevis of Section 5A; ranked No. 20 by QRF.
8. North Woods of Section 7A; ranked No. 15 by QRF.

A few other notes about the Class 1A state tournament field:
Mayer Lutheran (24-7) is the defending Class 1A state champion. This is Mayer Lutheran's 8th state volleyball trip in the past 10 seasons.

R-T-R is 28-5 overall. They are back at state for the first time since 2023, when they finished 30-6 overall and won the Class 1A title with a 3-1 win against Mayer Lutheran in the championship. To get to state, the Knights won 3-2 against Minneota in the Section 3A finals. This season, against their biggest playoff rival, the Minneota Vikings, the Knights lost 3-0 at Minneota on August 26 (light years ago)...at the Southwest Minnesota Challenge in Marshall in their second match of the day on Saturday, September 6, the Knights won 2-0. In the Section 3A championship last night, the Knights beat Minneota 3-1.

Fillmore Central is returning to state after they placed fourth last year with a 3-0 loss in the third-place match to West Central Area. The Falcons are 25-6 overall and were runners-up in the tough Three Rivers Conference (9-1) behind champion Caledonia. In 2023, Fillmore Central lost 3-1 to Mabel-Canton in the Section 1A championship match.

The No. 12-ranked (coaches poll) and No. 14-ranked (QRF) Ada-Borup West Cougars are 23-8 overall. They went 10-0 in the Pine to Prairie Conference. Back in 2008, the Cougars faced our Jaguars in the third-place match at state. Ada-Borup won that match to finish 32-2 overall. B-B-E went 31-3 that season to set the school record for overall wins.

In the Class 2A state tournament, New London-Spicer earned the No. 8 seed. The Wildcats open state on Thursday, November 6 at 1 p.m. against No. 1-seeded Hawley. Albany is the No. 2 seed.

More will be added here later this evening.

And very, very sad news...
One of B-B-E's staunchest and most loyal supporters passed away on Saturday. Rick Gerhardson, age 69, died peacefully at home after suffering for months from a stroke he endured last summer. Rick was one of a kind! This is a devastating loss for his family. His obituary and funeral information can be found here at the Bonanza Valley Voice website: https://shorturl.at/EJxRi. He currently has two grandchildren who attend B-B-E schools (Decker and McCoy); his other grandchildren, all girls, are B-B-E graduates between 2019 and 2025 (McKenzie, Olivia, Presley and Bree).

Please include the Detloff/Thieschafer/Gerhardson/Lindahl families in your prayers.

My last item for this blog post...added Monday night.

Here's action from the 1st quarter at the FargoDome last week:


Early in that video, Lance Radermacher converted a 3rd-and-1 play.

I've got a mountain of video and notes from Fargo and Fergus Falls to continue going through.

Wrestling state finals! Hanson takes gold! (Again!) - VIDEOS

The state wrestling championships are almost a wrap at Xcel Energy Center, and our B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team has officially concluded the season. The entire 2023-2024 season came down to a handful of very special performances by four members of the team in the finals round tonight. For three of the four, they all finished the tournament with exciting wins and all by falls: Ryan Jensen for third at 139, Tanner Viessman for fifth at 145 and Carson Gilbert for third at 215.

The best was saved for last, and B-B-E senior Maximus Hanson is our first-ever back-to-back state champion!! He battled through a scoreless first period in the 172 championship against Crookston senior Carter Coauette. The second period shifted in favor of Hanson after he earned an escape with 21 seconds elapsed. With 32 seconds to go in the second period, Hanson got a takedown and a two-point near fall for a 5-0 lead. Final: Hanson 10, Coauette 5. It's a win by a decision!

**Here's a video featuring a good portion of Hanson's first period:


Hanson joins Class of 2022 graduate Walker Bents as a two-time state champion. Bents won individual state titles in 2020 and 2022. As a junior, Hanson won the 170-pound title after entering the tournament as a No. 3 seed.

Here's a video featuring the pre-championship handshakes with all classes of wrestlers on the arena floor at Xcel Energy Center:


**Announcement: the wrestling team will have a welcome-home ceremony tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the high school. Spread the word!

Day three of the state wrestling tournament (UPDATES***)

This is the third straight day of state wrestling action at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. This morning we've got both consolation and championship bracket action taking place that includes five members of the B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team. In the consolation semifinals are Tanner Viessman and Brett DeRoo, who could each still finish as high as third place. In the championship bracket and in the running for state titles are Ryan Jensen, Maximus Hanson and Carson Gilbert.

It's a huge, incredible achievement for the wrestling team to still have five student athletes competing on the final day of the tournament, with three of them still in the championship bracket. WORTH NOTING!

I hope to get this blog post updated by 11 a.m. If everything goes to plan, I should have state video posted here in the afternoon before the state finals round begins at 4 p.m.! Fingers crossed.

State wrestling updates...
In his consolation quarterfinal match this morning, Tanner Viessman won a 5-1 decision to advance and also guarantee himself a state medal. His opponent in the consolation semifinals is to-be-determined. UPDATE: Viessman faces a wrestler from Frazee in the consolation semifinals.

In his consolation quarterfinal match this morning, Brett DeRoo lost an 8-3 decision to senior Sawyer Simmons of Royalton/Upsala. He finishes his junior season 39-8 and sees his state tournament run conclude.

State semi update: Ryan Jensen lost an excruciating heartbreaker by a 4-3 decision to Hudson Burnett; Jensen earned his points with two escapes plus a penalty applied to Burnett due to stalling in the third period. This was Jensen's first loss of the season, and he takes a 45-1 record into the consolation bracket to battle his way back to the third-place match.

At 172 pounds, Maximus Hanson won by fall (3:41) to advance to the state championship! Awesome!!! This is his second appearance in the state championship match. Hanson faces Crookston senior and No. 6-ranked Carter Coauette (45-2) for the gold medal tonight.

At 215 pounds, Carson Gilbert lost a tough one in 3-1 decision. He remains alive and can get as high as third place. To get to the third-place match, Gilbert needs to defeat T-M-B/WWG senior Eathan Martinez (48-6), who is ranked No. 9 at heavyweight.

Afternoon updates: Ryan Jensen (46-1) won his wrestleback match in a 5-0 decision over Aitkin senior Nathan Trotter (31-14); this gets Jensen an appearance in the third-place match tonight, when he faces Osakis senior Jacob Taplin (46-5).

For Viessman at 145, he lost a very tough match by a 1-0 decision to Frazee junior Bailey Beichel (29-6). This puts him in tonight's fifth-place match. In the fifth-place match, Viessman faces Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Westbrook-Walnut Grove senior Alexander Schuh (46-7).

College basketball updates...
At Anoka Ramsey Community College's Performance Gymnasium this afternoon, the Northland Community and Technical College Pioneers women's basketball team has a slim 30-27 halftime lead in the NJCAA Region 13B semifinals. Tiyana Schwinghammer scored 4 points in the first quarter but did not score in the second. She launched a long baseline shot at the halftime buzzer, but it rimmed out. FINAL SCORE: Northland 62, Fergus Falls CC 58 in OVERTIME. Schwinghammer scored 18 points to lead her team! They play at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Region 13B championship!

In the NCAA Division III national tournament opener last night in Platteville, Wisconsin, Gustavus Adolphus College lost 89-64 to the No. 20-ranked Loras College Warhawks. B-B-E's Ashton Dingmann played 7 minutes of reserve time and earned one rebound. B-B-E head tennis coach Katie Hanna's younger brother, Brady Kienitz, started and played 29 minutes for the Gusties while scoring 15 points, including four three-pointers.

And high school basketball...in the town of Hinckley, MN, near the Wisconsin border, the B-B-E Jaguars girls' basketball team will tip off at about 3 p.m. against No. 2-seeded and No. 15-ranked (Minnesota Basketball News) Braham. HALFTIME at Hinckley: B-B-E 28, Braham 28. Crazy!!

***Saturday evening updates....
Final: Braham 65, B-B-E 62. It was a devastating loss in which the Jaguars went 20-of-33 at the free throw line. They had a marvelous season considering what graduation losses they had to overcome. Brooklyn Fischer led the team with 30 points in what was an incredible but tough ending to her basketball career at B-B-E. She shot 50 percent on field goals and made 11 of 12 free throws. For the game, 24 turnovers hurt the Jaguars, who finished 17-12 overall.

As for wrestling...Ryan Jensen took third place...Tanner Viessman took fifth place via a pin in the second period...and Carson Gilbert took third place with a pin in the first period.

As of 6 p.m....they are getting Xcel setup for the finals with three mats in play. Maximus Hanson will go for gold at 172 pounds!

7:41 p.m., and we are in the 145-pound matches.

It's 8:10 p.m., and we are at 160 pounds...about 5 minutes after the 172 pound matches are complete, I will get a new blog post added. So you will have to refresh this blog to see the outcome of Class 1A's 172 pound match.

Step VII: roller-coaster finish to close out volleyball season (VIDEOS)

It was a match for the ages.

The B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team was at the door step of closing out their season with a win. After consecutive hitting errors put the Jaguars down 22-19 in game four, Ava Mueller's kill and Brooklyn Fischer's ace serve gave the team new life. Then trailing 23-21, Mueller and Abby Berge each had kills that tied the game at 23-23. An ace block by Allie Dingmann made it three points in a row to get the Jaguars to game and match point ahead 24-23. Mabel-Canton, the tournament's No. 3 seed and the state's No. 5-ranked team in Class 1A, then tied the match at two sets each with a late ace block and ace tip to help them win 27-25.

**Here's a video from the final stretch of game four today:


**Here's a video recorded early in game one today:


This match started at 12:38 p.m. and by the time the fourth set was complete it was 2:28 p.m.

A tough start in game five was difficult for the Jaguars to overcome. After falling behind by scores of 4-1 and 6-2, the Jaguars scored two straight to make it a two-point game. Later trailing 11-5, the Jaguars again rallied with a streak of two straight points and then three straight points to narrow it to a 13-10 deficit. The Cougars then closed out the win by earning 2 of the next 3 points scored. Final: #5 Mabel-Canton 15, #11 B-B-E 11. The match lasted a full 2 hours and 15 minutes.

For the match, Mabel-Canton had a hitting percentage of 10, while B-B-E's hitting percentage was 13.5 Ava Mueller finished with 25 kills on 23.9 percent hitting, Brooklyn Fischer finished with 13 kills on 13.5 percent hitting and Adley Hagen added 11 kills on 18.2 percent hitting. Abby Berge and Harley Roering each had 29 digs, and Kylie Weller had 55 set assists.

The Jaguars earned 125 total digs, while the Cougars had 97.

B-B-E volleyball finishes one of their better seasons in school history with a final record of 26-8. They've had seasons with 27 wins, 28 wins and one with 31 wins (2008 when they went 31-3 and took fourth at state).

More to come. Video is uploading. The team is currently watching the Class 1A state championship match between Minneota and Mayer Lutheran. They are waiting for the announcing of the Wells Fargo All-Tournament team, which is coming after this match is over. Anything regarding a welcome-home ceremony won't be announced until later.

State finals update: Minneota won game one by a 25-23 score after the set was tied 23-23. 

*Minneota won the state title in a 3 to 2 marathon volleyball match against No. 2-seeded Mayer Lutheran. Final score in game five: Minneota 18, Mayer Lutheran 16. What a crazy ending. With this win, the Vikings avenge a loss in last year's state finals to the same team. 

*Update: Ava Mueller was named to the Wells Fargo All-Tournament team. This is a terrific honor for the senior who is signed with Jamestown College in North Dakota.

Just for fun! Click on the following link to see a recap with some photos from the 2008 volleyball season: https://bbejaguars.blogspot.com/2008/11/welcome-home-at-high-school-at-7pm.html.

(HD VIDEO) Band recital at the Belgrade Library

By now it could be considered a "Blast from the Past" - although I do remember that night as if it was yesterday in spite of almost a year's time passing by. On Friday, February 28 of last year, members of the B-B-E senior high band performed a recital at the Belgrade Library. The weather outside was very mild, and I recall a very nice crowd in attendance.

Here's the video, which only got 6 views last March once I got it posted...hence, why I want to dust it off and show it again. Two of the first three musicians are members of the 2020 Jaguars girls' tennis team, and the musician who played second in the video was an offensive lineman this past fall for the Jaguars football team. A third member of the girls' tennis team plus numerous kids who are also on the speech and robotics teams performed. All great kids!!!

The next morning, I took a bee line to Xcel Energy Center and witnessed a spectacular showing by members of the B-B-E Jaguars wrestling team. A huge feat was accomplished by then-sophomore Walker Bents, who won the 106-pound state championship. I didn't get out of there until well past 9 p.m., which is when the medals ceremony ended.

The whirlwind was on! I got zero rest for many weeks to come. The following weekend I was in Ogilvie (girls' basketball section finals) and then Duluth (robotics regional)...the week after that included the state girls' basketball tourament.

Then COVID-19 and the government response hit us all square between the eyes. I didn't really recover from any of it until June...June 12 to be exact! A full 90 days after the girls' basketball trip to state, I was back in the saddle covering town team baseball.

STATE!

The preceding match on our court at Xcel Energy Center is in the 5th set between unseeded Fosston and No. 4-seeded Mounds Park Academy...as of 14:50.

*Update: the Fosston Greyhounds won in five! They had a 10-3 lead in game five and won 15-9.

At 14:57, our B-B-E Jaguars volleyball team took the court at Xcel!!!

Remember! The Voice website has a link for streaming...click on the state tournament article. Also, Glenwood radio is here! They stream online too and on TuneIn.

***The match will begin at 15:29!!! Let's play volleyball! Updates to follow.

**In game one, the Tigers have a 21-17 lead. The Jaguars are in a timeout.

**Game one final score: Medford 25, B-B-E 22. The Tigers had a 37 percent hitting percentage in that set. B-B-E's hitting percentage was 24.4, which is very good as well. Most of the stats line was very, very even besides that.

The second set will begin at 15:52.

Game two: this set is tied 13-all.

*Update: now at 16:06, the Jaguars called a timeout trailing 18-15.

*Update: the tigers are ahead 23 to 18 in game 2.

Game two final score: Medford 25, B-B-E 18. The third set is beginning at 16:16.

**Update: the Tigers have an 11-5 lead in game three. They led 5-1 out of the gate, but the Jaguars cut it to 5-4.

Game three final score: Med ford 25, B-B-E 10. The Jaguars had a -.118 hitting percentage in that final set. It concluded at 16:34.

The Jaguars play Henning at 3 p.m. tomorrow in the consolation semifinals.