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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

R EA A Y E LL

PAGE 1 Le Sueur County News | St. Peter Herald Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 • Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018

SPORTS PREVIEW

FEATURING: St. Peter Saints, Minnesota River Bulldogs, Le Sueur-Henderson Giants, Tri-City United Titans and Cleveland Clippers

St. Peter boys basketball brings back talented team By PAT BECK

pbeck@stpeterherald.com

St. Peter Boys Basketball COACHES Head coach: Sean Keating (6th as HC at St. Peter, 10th overall) Assistant coaches: Derek Homrighausen (10th year), Air Chantharak (1st at St. Peter, 6th overall), Neil Doose (22 years St. Peter, 32 overall), Jared Baron (8th year), Dan Guelle (3rd year) KEY PLAYERS Wyatt Olson — junior, center, lettered 2 years, All Conference Big South, 13.5 points per game and 10 rebounds per game last year. “Wyatt is a 2 year starter and brings experience and leadership (2nd year as captain) to our team,” Keating said. “His ability to draw the focus of the defense and help create for others will be key to our success.” Josh Johnson — junior, forward, lettered last year. Played in 13 games last season averaging 8.3 points per game and shot 43 percent from 3. “Josh has a work ethic and love for the game of basketball that is rare to see,” Keating said. “He shoots the ball with consistency and is always working on expanding his game.” Brock Hanson — senior forward, lettered last 2 seasons. averaged 6 ppg and 4.3 rpg last season. “Brock brings an infectious energy with his style of play that can uplift the entire team,” Keating said. “His ability to rebound, play defense and exploit mismatches will be key for us this season.” Seth Lokensgard — senior for-

St. Peter senior Brock Hanson drives for two points last season. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)

ward, captain. Lettered last 3 seasons. Averaged 6 ppg and 2.5 rpg last season. “Seth is a consistent 3-point shooter who can also use his body down low,” Keating said. “His ability to lead and rally his teammates will be key this season.” Ethan Grant — Sophomore, point guard. Lettered last season and played 17 games including starting the last 8. “Ethan is a tremendous passer and play maker and someone his teammates love to play with,” Keating said. “I’m excited to see him grow into a bigger scorer and be more aggressive this season.”

KEEP YOUR EYE ON Kaden Oeltjunbruns — junior guard, lettered last year. “Kaden had a tremendous summer and broke out in terms of his ability to be a playmaker,” Keating said. “I’m excited to see him take off this year and help our team.” Tom Eide — senior forward, lettered last season. “Tom is another hard-working player who can finish around the basket and can really guard on the defensive end,” Keating said. “His relentless work ethic fits right in with our team.” Eli Lubiani — sophomore forward, lettered last season. “Eli is a

naturally gifted player with his ability to finish around the basket and shoot the ball,” Keating said. “He has an opportunity to have some big nights this season.” Ethan Volk — jr. guard, lettered. “Ethan is a quick and explosive athlete who can shoot the ball from three and can provide game changing defensive plays,” Keating said. MOVED ON Owen Little, Brock Bushaw, Jake Emley, Leif Annexstad, Matthias Annexstad, Dylan Samuelson, Carter Schmidt 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK Last year’s record was 7-21 (4-6

conference, 4th place, lost in subsection semifinals to Maple River) Section favorites this year: South: Maple River, NRHEG, Blue Earth; North: Jordan “We feel we can compete for the top spot in Section 2AA South,” Keating said. “We have the talent to do it. It’s just a matter of coming together as a true team and playing for each other. Jordan is the overall section favorite as they return some key players and have lots of depth. Maple River and NRHEG play great team defense and return key starters while Blue Earth is a young team that can score the basketball.”

COACH’S COMMENTS “We are very excited for this season as despite the overall record last season we feel the last part of the season we played some good basketball and got a lot of experience for our younger players. We lost 11 games by 8 points or less last season and while the losses were frustrating that experience will motivate our players. Most everyone returns this year with some meaningful varsity experience which helps with confidence and understanding of what it takes to compete at the varsity level night in and night out. The key for this team is for our players to truly buy into playing for each other and that will show up mostly in our ability to play defense. If we want to compete with the best we have to play as a unit on defense and that requires trust, communication and commitment. I’m excited to work with this group as they are hungry and never shy away from a challenge.” — Sean Keating, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 26 — the number of regular season games on the schedule 52 — the number of players grades 9-12 registered for boys basketball 3 — the number of times the Saints boys basketball team has made it to the state tournament 30 — Nov. 30 is the Saints’ regular season opener at NRHEG 18 — Dec 18 is the Saints’ home opener versus Glencoe 494 — Wyatt Olson’s career rebound total

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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

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Bulldogs boys hockey team has loads of firepower By PAT BECK

Rochester Lourdes, Mankato West, Minnesota River “I expect our guys to be playing their best hockey at the end of the season so we give ourselves the best chance to be successful in the playoffs,” Roehrkasse said. COACH’S COMMENTS “We are fortunate this year that we are returning a lot of production from last year’s team. I know that the coaches and boys are very excited to get the season started. This is a great group of young men that love to work hard and put in the time to be successful. All of these guys love the game of hockey and that makes my job a lot easier. It will be fun to see what these young men can do this year as majority of our team is returning with varsity experience. “We are projected to have the largest number of players out this year that I have had since I have started coaching. It will make for some great competition and can hopefully give us some depth that we have not always had.” – Shea Roehrkasse, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 18 — Returning letter winners from last year’s team 11 — Seniors

pbeck@stpeterherald.com

Minnesota River Bulldogs COACHES Head coach: Shea Roehrkasse — 4 years Assistant coaches: Shawn Weick — 2 years, Kris Wilke — 1 year (with girls last year), Chris Miller — 0 years. But these are their HS coaching years. All have multiple years with the youth program. KEY PLAYERS Tyson Sowder — 12 — C — 2 letters. 2nd year captain. 35 points Hunter Wilmes — 12 — W — 2 letters. 34 points. Danny McCabe — 12 — D — 2 letters. 2nd year captain. 26 points Jade Reicks — 12 — C — 2 letters. 29 points Ken Ringler — 12 — W — 2 letters. 28 points Lane Schwarz — 12 — W — 2 letters. 26 points Alex Wilson — 12 — D — 1 letter. 7 points Blake Olness — 12 — C — 1 letter. 7 points Andrew Regner — 12 — G — 2 letters. 13-8-1, 2.7 GAA, .913 Save % Gunnar Domine — 12 — G — 1 letter. 4-1, 4.4 GAA, .817 Save % Charlie Weick — 11 — W — 1 letter. 29 points Shawn Lehtinen — 11 — D — 1

Bulldogs center Tyson Sowder, who had two assists, passes out front to linemate Charlie Weick last season. Defending are Waseca’s Brandon Dahnert (19), Noah Berg (13) and goalie Zach Hansen. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)

Zack Wendorff — 11 — W — 1 letter. 1 point has been very successful in the past Josh Schwarz letter. 5 points Emil Akerman Brock Olson — 11 — C — 1 let- and will be great additions to our Matt Fink — 11 — D — 1 letter. ter. 2 points team this season.” 2018-19 SEASON OUTLOOK 3 points KEEP YOUR EYE ON MOVED ON 2017-18: 17-9-1, 3rd in section, Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at “We have another strong group Matthew Plieseis Kendrick Wilking — 11 — W 13-2-1, 2nd in Big South Confer- 931-8566 or follow him on Twitter. Jeremy Beer — 1 letter. 4 points of Bantams moving up this year,” ence com @SPHSportsPat.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

t eter g rls basketball team has b g shoes to fill

By PAT BECK

pbeck@stpeterherald.com

St. Peter Girls Basketball COACHES Head coach Bob Southworth – 9th year Assistant coaches Bill Stuewe – 9th year as assistant (9 years as former head coach) Dave Nixon – 7th year Ann Marie Brown – 3rd year Corey Wiebusch – 1st year KEY PLAYERS Jacey Welp – SR – Guard – 3 year letter winner. 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals per game. “This will be Jacey’s 4th year on the varsity,” Southworth said. “We will be relying on her more for points and rebounds her senior season. Jacey is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter and also has a good instinct for rebounding the basketball.” Sarah Conlon – JR – Forward – 2 year letter winner. 9.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 assists per game. “Sarah really took a step up last season and we are expecting her to take another step up this year,” Southworth said. “Sarah is a very good outside shooter but also has the ability to take the ball to the basket. She can shoot and also has a post–up game. We will need her to be a leader for us on the defensive end and rebounding the basketball.” Allison McCabe – JR – Guard – 1 year letter winner. 2 points, 2 rebounds per game. “Allison is our leader with how hard she plays and how well she communicates with everyone on the floor,” Southworth said. “She is going to get many more opportunities to score the basketball this season. Alli is a very good rebounder from the guard position and almost always comes

St. Peter senior point guard Jacey Welp splits through NYA Raiders’ Kali Grimm (45) and Abby Makenthun last season in the section finals. (St. Peter Herald file photos)

up with the 50-50 loose balls.” Morgan Kelly – So- Forward – 1 year letter winner. 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block per game. “At the end of last season Morgan was becoming a player we could count on for solid production,” Southworth said. “She has a nice post game but also has the ability to shoot the ball from the outside. We are hoping to expand her game

so she has the ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket also. She has a very good knack for blocking shots.” Signe Alger – Sr – Guard – 1 year letter winner. 3 points per game. “Signe started to get more minutes the 2nd half of last season,” Southworth said. “She had a stretch during the season where she really shot the ball well. We

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1 year letter winner. “Sophomores and freshmen — One thing different this season compared to the past few seasons is we do not have a lot of seniors and juniors,” Southworth said. “We need to find players that can Reach Sports Editor Pat Beck at contribute off the bench. There is going to opportunity for some of 931-8566 or follow him on TwitKEEP YOUR EYE ON these younger players to earn play- ter.com @SPHSportsPat. Rosie Hernandez – Sr – Post – ing time.”

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will be counting on Signe a lot more this season and I really believe she has the ability to be a major contributor in more areas then just scoring. We will need her to play defense and rebound if we want to compete for conference and section titles.”

MOVED ON Olivia McCabe, Ellie Johnson, Sienna Wiebusch, Kayla Oeltjenbruns, Bailey Nesje 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK 2017-2018 record (22-8) / section runner-up / conference record (7-3) “In my opinion, Section 2AA is wide open this year,” Southworth said. “A lot of the stronger teams last season were senior dominated. It is really hard to pick a favorite this year. In our subsection, the No. 8 seed last season had a winning record. I think any of the 8 teams in our subsection could be seeded anywhere, and it is going to come down to who is playing their best ball in February. “We are quickly going to have to identify our teams strengths. We may not have the depth we have enjoyed the past three seasons which might alter the way we go about our business. We will need to improve defensively and rebounding if we want to finish strong in the conference and section.” COACH’S COMMENTS “I am really excited to get started. We graduated a very strong senior class and we will miss them a lot. We graduated 60 percent of our scoring, and girls that have played a lot of varsity basketball. We will need to do a lot of teaching and getting back to the basics early in the year. I’m excited to see which of the younger kids are going to take advantage of their opportunity and fit themselves into the varsity rotation. — Bob Southworth, head coach

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Inexperienced on defense and in goal, girls hockey team strong up front By PAT BECK

pbeck@stpeterherald.com

Minnesota River Bulldogs Girls Hockey Coaches Head coach – Tom Blaido, 7th year Assistant Coach – Dave Swanberg, 1st year with girls, 19 years overall Assistant Coach – Emma Doherty-Bohn, 1st year Key Players Senior captain and two-year letter winner Whitney Weick, wing/defense, 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points last season Senior captain and two-year letter winner Kylie Dunning, wing, 4 goals, 8 assists and 12 points last season Junior captain and two-year letter winner Keely Olness, center/defense, 8 goals, 7 assists and 15 points last season. Senior center and two-year letter winner Hal Overgaard, 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points last season. “All four of these players lead by example and are most certainly the people who create and maintain a ‘can do’ culture among the younger players,” Blaido said. “They are definitely players who will install those values into the younger players around them.

Minnesota River Bulldogs defender/forward Whitney Weick stick handles the puck away from Worthington forward Kessy Aljets last season. (St. Peter Herald file photo)

Players to keep an eye on “We have several young players who have no lack of talent and are looking to make their presence felt this season,” Blaido said. “ (Center) Anna Pavlo is the first name that pops into my head. Anna is a very quick freshman with a wicked hard wrister and all kinds of moves on the ice. Anyone who has seen Anna play know she is a scoring machine just waiting for an opportunity. “Another up and comer who is waiting for her opportunity to shine is (center) Emma Seaver.

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Emma’s game is one that is in a constant state of attack; she works hard at creating her opportunities and is looking to capitalize on her aggressive style of play this season. “A up-and-coming defenseman to watch this season is sophomore Mary Rella. Mary has a super hard shot from the point and is a player who has no fear clearing the front of the net or going into the corners. Mary has spent the off season working hard on her game, and it is showing in practice.” Players who have moved on “We lost our ‘all everything’

The Bulldogs forward line (from left) of Nicole McCabe, Kylie Dunning and Keely Olness go three abreast across the Worthington blueline last season. They combined to score three goals in this game and return this season. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)

goalie from last season, Jordan Keeley as she has moved on to play college hockey at St. Mary’s. Jordan has already tallied a 3-0 shutout in her first college hockey game. “Our other senior players from last season have all decided to continue their education. Emma Doherty-Bohn and Zoe Haugen are both attending Gustavus, Allison Helder is going to school in South Dakota, and Kendall Wenner in Wisconsin.”

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Season outlook Last season, the Bulldogs finished with an 11-13-1 overall record and lost in the first round of the Section 2A playoffs to MoundWestonka 8-1. The Bulldogs placed fourth in the Big South Conference at 8-6. “Things are looking brighter for the Lady Bulldogs,” Blaido said. “Although we lost several strong defensive players due to graduation, we seem to be stacked with goal scoring forwards that will make for some fun hockey games. It is true that our defense and goalies are inexperienced. I am not worried because what they lack in experience they certainly make up for with their athleticism and grit. They are just a great bunch of

kids who want to be successful and will do whatever they have to do to achieve their goals. “I would think that with our scoring punch and speed we should be able to compete for a conference title this season, however we will still have to contend with New Ulm and Marshall who should be strong as both teams are coming off state tournament appearances from last season. “Our section once again looks to be brutal as we will going against some of the best teams in the state. It looks like Mound-Westonka will probably be the team to beat and a outside chance of finishing well would be Hutchinson who also has a talented returning class.”

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Gymnasts look to build on last season’s success By PAT BECK

pbeck@stpeterherald.com

St. Peter freshman Hannah Brenke twists to second place on vault in a dual meet last season. (Pat Beck/St. Peter Herald)

St. Peter Gymnastics COACHES Head coach: Kris Glidden, 3rd year at St. Peter Assistant coaches: Robbie Deering, 3rd year at St. Peter; Eva Hendrickson, 7th/8th grade coach KEY PLAYERS Kenna Zelenka, 12th grade, 4-year letter winner, qualified to State 2018, All Conference Returning letter winners Claudia Glidden, 12th Bella Edmonds, 11th, All Conference 2018 Lauren Feder, 11th Hannah Brenke, 10th, All Conference 2018 Ella Gilbertson, 10th grade Lexi Johnson, 9th Jaiden Landsom, 9th Makayla Moline, 9th Newcomer Kaylee Moreau, 10th grade/ first year competing high school. She competed with MAGS previously. KEEP YOUR EYE ON “Kenna Zelenka has been working hard over the off season, coming back this season with new skills,” Glidden said. “Claudia Giedd, Bella Edmonds, Makayla Moline and Hannah Brenke all look in good form already this season,” Glidden said. “Excited to see how much they all improve this season. Kaylee Moreau has been competing MAGA so I am looking forward to having the chance to work with her this year. “Lauren Feder, Jaiden Landsom and Lexi Johnson are working hard and will help the team this year.”

MOVED ON Teagan Weiss Josie Carlson Maddy Rimstad Kenzie Keinholtz 2018-19 SEASON OUTLOOK Last season: 9-1 dual meet record; 4th out of 10 teams in Section; 4th in Conference COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “We will really miss our seniors from last year. They have been a major part of our program for years. I am excited to see what our returning letter winners can accomplish this season. Everyone is working hard on new skills. Having Kaylee will really help the loss of our seniors; she is strong on all 4 events. Hannah has worked in the off season and will score well for us. Makayla was very close to earning a trip to state on bars last year, she has added new skills, so she should be very strong on bars again this season. Bella is working a new vault, exciting and will be fun to watch in the All Around. Claudia always scores big for us on vault, and is very consistent, we will need her experience this season. Kenna is our captain, she will be competing 3 events and should lead the team to a strong season. We earned a trip to the Conference Meet last year. We had to be in the top four. I am very proud of that accomplishment and our strong dual meet record. Having Kenna make it to State was the big highlight for us. I am hoping more than one will earn the trip this season!” — Kris Glidden, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 134 — “I am hoping we can top our season high 134 from last year!” Glidden said.

After winning the Section 2AA true-second match 10-3 at 138 pounds, St. Peter junior Matthew Pettis jumps into the arms of assistant coach Ryan Timmerman, who took runner-up at state twice for St. Peter. Head coach Keith Hanson also joins the celebration.

Experienced St. Peter wrestling team looks to move up By PAT BECK

pbeck@stpeterherald.com

St. Peter wrestling COACHES Head coach: Keith Hanson, 27 years Assistant coaches: Ryan Timmerman, Shaun Timmerman, Mike Hohenstein, Ashton Bartlett KEY PLAYERS Matthew Pettis- returning state entrant Sage Loredo Hollon- Returning state entrant Wareke Gillette — Section place finisher Eli Hunt — missed last season because of injury Xavier Schugel- section place finisher Kole Guth — section place finisher KEEP YOUR EYE ON Nathan Fogal Noah Hunt Brogan Hanson Michael Connor

Hayden Thole Amir Loredo Hollon MOVED ON Tony Putz — 3rd place at state Aaron Hunt 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK “We look to improve on our 12-10 dual meet record this year,” Hanson said. “We have a couple of new guys to the sport to help fill our upper weights, so hopefully they can improve as the season goes and help contribute to the team.” COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “Our goal is to work harder this year and try to push ourselves into achieving higher goals both as individuals and as a team. We have a pretty solid line-up returning and look good on paper, but we need to do the things in the practice room that translate into success on the mat.” — Keith Hanson, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 13 – returning letterwinners 6 – section place finishers 2- state entrants

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Titans boys basketball returns with a very young team By ASHLEY MURTHA

amurtha@lesueurcountynews. com

The Titans lost a lot of seniors to graduation last year, one of them being top shooter Jack Dooley. (Leader file photo)

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Tri-City United Boys Basketball COACHES Austin Pinke: First year as head coach, second year at TCU, fourth year coaching overall. Assistant coaches: Greg Feddema, 20th year coaching overall, and Rennardo Lampley, first year coaching at TCU. KEY PLAYERS Matthew Feddema – Senior, point guard, 8.9 points per game (ppg) last year, second year lettering. Feddema is a “strong allaround player,” Pinke said. Feddema is the only returning starter on the team. Tyler Budin – Senior, guard, 0.5 ppg last year, second year lettering. Budin has the ability to shoot the ball well from behind the arc. Carter Simon – Senior, guard, 0.3 ppg last year, second year lettering. Pinke said Simon is a hard worker and he can provide a spark to the team’s energy level. KEEP YOUR EYE ON Joe Gregor – Junior, power forward, 0.8 ppg last year, first year lettering. Pinke described Gregor as “long and athletic.” Chase Vargo – Junior, guard, first year lettering. Vargo is one of the team’s play-makers. MOVED ON Brad Davis, Jack Dooley, Zach Sexe, Jack Skluzacek, Evan Traxler and Thomas Witte. 2018-19 SEASON OUTLOOK Last years’ overall record was

Matthew Feddema is the only returning starter from last year for the Titans boys basketball team. (Leader file photo)

4-22 with a 1-11 conference record and a 3-13 section record. The Titans play in a tough, competitive conference: the Minnesota River Conference. Out of the conference teams, both Mayer Lutheran and Jordan made it to the state tournament last year. The Minnesota River Conference will also be welcoming a new team, the Southwest Christian Stars.

“We look to come out every night and compete to the best of our ability,” Pinke said. BY THE NUMBERS 1 – returning starter, Matthew Feddema. 3 – returning seniors. Reach Reporter Ashley Murtha at 507-931-8572.

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Keeley Oak will be returning for her second year lettering as the team’s point guard. Coach Eric Specht said she is the team’s most experienced player this year. (Leader file photo)

TCU girls basketball is inexperienced but has pieces to be successful By ASHLEY MURTHA

amurtha@lesueurcountynews. com

Tri-City United Girls Basketball COACHES Head coach: Eric Specht, sixth year coaching. Assistant coaches: Lora Angileno, ninth year coaching; John Schmiesing, eighth year coaching. KEY PLAYERS Maggie Trnka – Senior, center, second year lettering; “At 6 foot 1 inch, (Trnka) provides a presence in the middle on both ends of the floor,” Specht said. “Maggie started playing basketball on a regular

basis later than the other girls and has shown great improvement every year. Maggie has high expectations of herself and team heading into the 2018-19 season.” Keeley Oak – Senior, point guard, second year lettering; “Keeley is our most experienced player at the guard position,” Specht said. “Keeley will need to be the floor general for us this season. (She) is a competitor and will demand the most from her teammates.” Grace Factor – Junior, forward, first year lettering; “Grace is the most natural athlete we have on our basketball team,” Specht said. “She is undersized for her

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Maggie Trnka is coming back this year to be the center for the girls basketball team for her second year lettering. Coach Eric Specht said she has high expectations for herself and the team this year. (Leader file photo)

position, but makes up for her lack of height with quickness and jumping ability. We are expecting Grace to be a big contributor this season.” Cassie Kadrlik – Senior, forward, second year lettering; “Cassie has worked just as hard as any girl we have had at TCU,” Specht said. “(She) is a very selfdriven, determined player. We will expect Cassie to contribute on both ends of the floor for us to be successful.” KEEP YOUR EYE ON Courtney Whipps – Senior,

forward, second year lettering. Erica Jackson – Junior, guard. Sarah Novak – Senior, guard. Jessica Dull – Sophomore, forward. MOVED ON Gabby Robinson, Mattie Hellerud, Maddie Dull, Lainey Simon, Caitlyn Jindra and Cameron Vargo. 2018-19 SEASON OUTLOOK Overall record last season: 15-11 Section rank: 4th Conference record last season:

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6-6 (4th) Conference favorites this year: Jordan and Norwood Young America Section favorites this year: North — Jordan and NYA COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “I am very excited to see where this season takes us. This might be the first time in six years at TCU in which I do not know what to expect. We have some pieces in place to have a successful season but, as a whole, we are a very inexperienced team. Besides game ex-

perience, the challenge this group will face will be consistency on both ends of the floor. Ultimately, we want to be playing our best basketball come sections.” – Eric Specht, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 3.78 – the 2017-18 team’s GPA which earned them a state Gold Academic Award 8 – the number of seniors on the 2018-19 squad Reach Reporter Ashley Murtha at 507-931-8572.

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PAGE 9

Brandon Balma won 32 individual matches last year and is back again this year to wrestle in the 152-pound weight class. (Leader file photo)

Titans hope to bring some wrestlers to state this year By ASHLEY MURTHA

amurtha@lesueurcountynews. com

Tri-City United Wrestling COACHES Head coach: Brian Mikel, 28th year coaching – ninth year as head coach and 19 years as an assistant prior to that Managers: Isabel Figueroa, Amy Meger, Rachel Schloesser, Leah Powers and Sophie Franek Assistant coaches: Corey Block, eighth year coaching; Paul Norgren, second year coaching Volunteer Assistant: Mason Brownlee KEY PLAYERS Nick Johnson – Senior, weight class 126 or 120, fifth year lettering, state entrant two years ago.

Steven Miller – Senior, weight class 170 or 182, third year lettering. Sam Miller – Senior, weight class 195, third year lettering. Tyler Schroer – Senior, weight class 170, third year lettering. Jack Hiller – Senior, weight class 152, third year lettering. Brandon Balma – Junior, weight class 145, third year lettering. Adam Frederickson – Junior, weight class 138, third year lettering. Jose Reyes – Junior, weight class 182, third year lettering. Hunter Rutt – Junior, weight class 138 or 132, second year lettering. Jack Paggen – Sophomore, weight class 152 or 160, second

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Nick Johnson wrestled at 113 pounds last year but will jump up to 120 or 126 this year. He is the only Titan on the team this year who has gone to the state tournament. (Leader file photo)

year lettering. Riley O’Malley – Sophomore, weight class 145 or 152, second year lettering. Brody Rud – Sophomore, weight class 182 or 170, first year lettering. Caleb Whipps – Freshman, weight class 120 or 126, second year lettering. KEEP YOUR EYE ON Steve and Sam Miller – Seniors. “Both finished strong last year and should help a lot in the upper weights,” Mikel said. Brandon Balma – Junior. “He’ll be a starter around 152 this year,” Mikel said. “He won 32

matches last year.” Tyler Schroer – Senior. “He won 16 matches last year and should start at 170” this year, Mikel said. Jack Paggen – Sophomore. Paggen was “TCU’s first ever Ninth Grade League State Tournament participant,” Mikel said. “Hopefully Jack can step in at 160 this year.” Brody Rud – Sophomore. “Brody should be able to provide us with depth in our upper weights,” Mikel said. MOVED ON Justin Kopet, Zach Mikel, Dylan Borchardt and Ezra Me-

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dellin. 2018-19 SEASON OUTLOOK Last year’s dual meet record was 12-7. The Titans made the team final four for the first time last year, but lost in the team Section 2AA semifinals to Scott West. COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “Overall I am excited to get the season rolling. We are going to have to stay healthy this year because we don’t have a ton of depth. Some of the younger kids are going to get a chance on varsity this year. We should have some good competitive weights in the mid-

dle of our lineup. We will be very young at heavyweight.” – Brian Mikel, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 0 — There are no returning state tournament participants this year. “We hope to fix that this season,” Mikel said. There will be four seniors on the squad this year to “provide leadership,” Mikel said. “We have a very nice group of seventh and eighth graders coming up as well.” Reach Reporter Ashley Murtha at 507-931-8572.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Deeper Cleveland girls basketball team expects to make a stronger run By RICHARD ROHLFING

Correspondent

Cleveland Girls Basketball COACHES Head coach: Brian Link – Second year as Cleveland varsity coach. Assistant coaches: Joe Remiger (coached Cleveland boys B squad the last five years), Dave Cink (coached the girls 7th and 8th grade teams last season). KEY PLAYERS Katelyn McCabe – 5-5 senior guard. Four-year letter winner. She was an All-Conference Honorable Mention last year. “She is the leader of the team and ready to take it to the next level,” Link said. “She will be running the offense.” Caitlin Brink – 5-7 senior guard. Four-year letter winner. Last season she scored a teamhigh 407 points and surpassed a career 1000. She was an AllConference selection last season. She has worked on her game all last summer. “She is the hustler on the team,” Link said. “We will look for her to dribble-drive. She is basketball smart and knows how to fill the holes.” Karna Ziebarth – 5-10 senior forward. Three-year letter winner. Second only to Brink in scoring last year, Ziebarth totaled 291 points before missing the playoff game due to a knee injury. She was an All-Conference Honorable Mention. “She’s familiar with the offense and defense and also wants to go to the next level,” Link said. “It’s fundamentals with her and working with her mental approach.” Julia McCabe – 5-4 senior guard. Three-year letter winner. She was also an All-Conference Honorable Mention last year. Link

The Clippers will field five seniors this year. They are, from left to right, Christa Phillips, Katelyn McCabe, Julia McCabe, Caitlin Brink and Karna Ziebarth. (Photo courtesy of Carynn Klingel)

said she will have a role similar to last year. “Julia will be filling holes and hitting slots. She reads the court really well.” Christa Phillips – 5-8 senior forward. One-year letter winner. “She is very physical,” Link said. KEEP YOUR EYE ON Emmie Dittmar – 5-9 sophomore forward. One-year letter winner. Halle McCabe – 5-7 sophomore guard. Two-year letter winner.

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Mya Krenik – 5-4 junior guard. One-year letter winner. Macey Ziebarth – 5-5 sophomore guard. One-year letter winner. MOVED ON Last year’s lone senior Rachel Kunkel, a 6-0 center and the Clippers’ MVP. 2019 SEASON OUTLOOK Last season the Clippers managed a 10-16 record with five of the losses by under 10 points, including non-conference Hous-

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ton and Blooming Prairie, both teams that had strong records. The Clippers also gave host Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s a run for its money in the first round of the sections and finished third in the Valley Conference which is the highest on record for the girls basketball program. The Clippers did all of that with just one or two players available in reserve, and often players were on the court for the entire game. The B-squad was in a simi-

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lar predicament, and for a stretch did not have enough players to field a team. This year, there were more players at the freshman level to staff a B squad, and, for the first time in many years, there are enough participating to form a C squad. With more players available off the bench, the Clippers can push the ball down court without wearing out the starters. All of that should result in a more potent offense.

“Last year we ran nothing but a half-court slow down,” Link said. “This year we will be able to run a transition. Players won’t play the whole game and will get more rest.” COMMENTS FROM THE COACH “Last season these girls showed their grit and integrity by battling the odds they were facing, including a new coach and new system, minimal players, unfavorable schedule and injuries. But they persevered through more than what spectators could see. Those challenges have made these student/athletes even more determined and focused on achieving team goals this season. With better numbers this year, as in 20 players compared to the 11 last year, we have more offensive and defensive options available that we can use to be more effective against opponents who like to run and gun. We will be carrying a B and C squad this year, and I am very excited for the Clipper girls basketball program and where it’s going in the coming years. — Brian Link, Head Coach BY THE NUMBERS 10 – The number of wins in the 2018 season, three less than a year earlier. The Clippers should be able to easily improve that this season. 9 – The increase in players dressing for varsity from 2018 to 2019. The greater numbers will allow the Clippers to play a fasterpaced game. 5 – The number of seniors on the team. They all will have an important role 11.23.17 – The season-opening game; against Sleepy Eye during the Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Black Friday tournament.

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PAGE 11

Cleveland boys basketball team starts over with no returnign starters By RICHARD ROHLFING

Correspondent

Cleveland Boys Basketball COACHES Head Coach: Dan Fredrickson, (7th year at Cleveland, 22nd year total, 17th as a head coach) Assistant Coaches: Lon Voss (5th year, was Fredrickson’s assistant at Glenville-Emmons), Curt Buhl (1st year, attended many Cleveland games in the past years with his helper dog “Hazel”) KEY PLAYERS Luke Mueller – 5-11 junior guard. Two-year letter winner. Luke the most experienced returning varsity player. He has logged some heavy minutes on the floor the last two seasons, even starting some. “This year we will look to Luke to lead the way,” Fredrickson said. ”He is explosive on offense. Luke shoots very well. He is very sound fundamentally and an exceptional defender. Luke is in store for a very big season. He never stops working and always provides positive leadership.” Ben Holden – 6-5 sophomore forward. Two-year letter winner. Like Luke, Ben has played some heavy varsity minutes. “Ben is one of the area’s best players,” Fredrickson said. “He has excellent footwork and court awareness. He is a very willing passer. Defensively we need Ben to help anchor the middle. Offensively the ball will go through Ben a lot. He’s a special talent, and he’s a very coachable player with a great attitude and a high Basketball IQ.” Isaac Mueller – 6-0 sophomore point guard. One-year letter winner. “Isaac is a uniquely gifted guard,” Fredrickson said. “He oozes with talent. He’s exceptional in transition and excels in the halfcourt in pick and rolls. Isaac can

The 2019 Cleveland boys basketball team will have as senior leaders (from left) Austin Gibeau, Brendon Brown, Daniel Rohlfing and Joe Dembouski. (Richard Rohlfing/Le Sueur County News)

shoot it well from deep and use his dribble to basically get where he wants on the floor. Isaac is just embarking on a varsity career that will thrill Cleveland fans for years.” Brendon Brown – 6-3 senior forward One-year letter winner. “Brendon really hustles when he is on the floor,” Fredrickson said. “He has really improved since last season. He had a very nice summer season. Brendon is long on defense and we need him to make an impact there for us this year. Brendon can be very disruptive for our opponents. Offensively he is developing a nice a game with an ever-improving drop-step.” Joe Dembouski – 6-3 senior forward. One-year letter winner. “Joe is a very steady player with an exceptional motor,” Fredrickson said. “He really hustles end to end, which is a special talent for a post player. Defensively Joe will be asked to do a lot, playing a very demanding role. Offensively Joe has very good footwork and he shoots it well. Joe is a player that can have a big impact for us this season.”

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KEEP YOUR EYE ON Levi Baker – 5-9 junior guard. One-year letter winner. “Levi is a pure hustler,” Fredrickson said. “Everything he does is 100 percent, and he sets a tone for toughness for our team. Levi had a very good summer for us. Including a big game vs Nevis where he hit the game winning shot at the buzzer. Levi has continued that into this season having some very strong practices to start. Defensively Levi can really create uneasiness for our opponents. Offensively he has really improved and is starting to play with lots of confidence.” Austin Gibeau – 5-11 senior guard. One-year letter winner. “Austin is a very good shooter and has a very good overall offensive game,” Fredrickson said. “He is a very tough competitor and cerebral basketball player. He sees the game very well. He does have the ability to score points in a hurry, and we will assuredly see some of that this year. Austin will definitely have a major impact for us this year.”

Daniel Rohlfing – 6-2 senior forward One-year letter winner. “Daniel is a tough defender and a rugged rebounder,” Fredrickson said. “He has a strong frame and uses it well on the defensive end of the floor. Daniel has played well early in practice this year.” Alex McCabe – 5-10 sophomore Guard One-year letter winner. “Alex has been slowed by an injury but when healthy he can absolutely terrorize our opponents when he is on defense,” Fredrickson said. “He really gets after it on the defensive end. Alex is an improving offensive player and he does a nice job passing the ball. He sets up his teammates very well.” Dylan Simonson – 6-2 junior forward. “Dylan is very athletic,” Fredrickson said. “His athleticism will help us continue to be very strong defensively. He is a very good rebounder and isvery good in transition. Dylan will be a big contributor with us this season.” Karson Lindsay– 5-10 8thgrade guard. “It would be hard to find a player in the area that has

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put in more offseason work than Karson,” Fredrickson said. “He has played countless hours of basketball, and he has strong work ethic in the weight room. Defensively Karson can already deliver on the varsity level. He’s already one of our more vocal players which is very special considering his age.” MOVED ON Carter Kopet, Austin Plonsky, Evan Koppelman, Mitch McCabe, Kendall Lusty, Kyle Pope and Payton Remiger to graduation, and Bryce Novak not participating this year. “I’m so proud of those boys that graduated and the legacy they left at Cleveland,” Fredrickson said. “They got that gym really rocking in the winter. They put their stamp on our basketball program and they will all be truly missed.” 2018 SEASON OUTLOOK The Clippers finished 2018 season with a 21-7 record. Between Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, the Clippers played five games and lost on the road to Springfield, St. Clair and Mayer Lutheran. They won the Valley Conference for the third year in a row despite losing to St. Clair, a team that also beat the Clippers in the Valley Showcase final game. The Clippers suffered their only home loss to Cedar Mountain/Comfrey but then beat them in the first round of the section. In the second round, they fell to Mayer-Lutheran for the second time. The Crusaders took third in state. “Losing all those seniors will be a big change for our program,” Fredrickson said. “They were all two-way players having impacts on the offensive and defensive end. The length defensively helped us play a unique style of defense that for three years was consistently near the top in the state. This

year’s team will be more defined by its overall depth and players finding their roles offensively and defensively. We have to gain that collective varsity experience. The boys played well this summer and gained some of that experience there. We played against some very talented teams this summer that should help us as we prepare for a very difficult schedule. “Our section is again the most difficult in the State. It has the #1 team in the state Springfield and the #2 team in the state BOLD. New Ulm Cathedral and Mayer Lutheran are also ranked. Cedar Mountain/Comfrey is incredibly strong too, and MVL boasts one of the top 20 players statewide in Jake Kettner. Top to bottom it is easily the top section in the state. “Our conference is wide open this season. With MCW and JWP being the potential favorites, we have a very good chance to be right there in the mix as well. And it is my expectation that we are still defending our conference title in late February at the conference showcase.” COACH’S COMMENTS “I want to thank Joe Remiger for his years of contribution to our program. Joe put it more time than anyone with last year’s seniors. He is a first-class basketball coach all the way. He will be missed.” – Dan Fredrickson, head coach BY THE NUMBERS 0 – Returning starters from last season 3 – Cleveland captures its third straight conference championship last year 53.1 – Points per game allowed by Cleveland the last three years combined 40 – Home winning streak ended by Cedar Mountain/Comfrey last season

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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Le Sueur-Henderson head coach Mike May urged on Jorge Hernandez in his 8-6 state firstround overtime win last year. (County News file photo by Pat Beck)

Giants bring back state-caliber wrestlers By DANA MELIUS

dmelius@stpeterherald.com

LE SUEUR-HENDERSON: Wrestling COACHES Head coach: Mike May – 3rd year head coach, 13th overall Assistant coaches: Brett Schwartz – 4th year, Billy Exline – 6th year KEY PLAYERS Jorge Hernandez, two-time section champion, two-time state entrant, Class A state 5th-place medal winner in 2017-2018. Senior captain; last season record 39-10 Dalton Pauly, one-time state entrant (2016-17), three-time section place winner, last season record 18-13, 5th-place medal in

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sections. Tommy Gupton, 3rd-place in section last season, lost true-2nd match by one point; last season record 24-21, 3rd in section Jake Wacker, senior captain KEEP YOUR EYE ON Ethan Genelin, sophomore Jordan Grinde, freshman Isaias Sanchez, sophomore Alan Eotvos, senior MOVED ON None SEASON OUTLOOK “LSH wrestling has a mix of talent coming back from last season. Our leader on the team is returning state medal winner Jorge Hernandez, and our vocal leader, Jacob Wacker, both seniors. We also have Dalton Pauly, a state entrant from two seasons

ago and one of the most explosive wrestlers in the area. Tommy Gupton also came on really strong at the end of last season, missing the state tournament by a point in his true-second match. We have a couple wrestlers that are ready to turn the corner in Ethan Genelin and Jordan Grinde. We should have a mix of some wrestlers new to the sport and some very experienced wrestlers.” — Mike May, head coach Currently, 16 wrestlers are signed up for the 2018-19 season; hopefully, the wrestling program gains some numbers for the start of practice. Reach Dana Melius at 507931-8567.

Jorge Hernandez of Le Sueur-Henderson earned a Class A state fifth-place finish at 120 pounds by escaping with a 2-1 win in triple overtime over Marc Hendricks of Ottertail Central last season. (County News file photo by Pat Beck)

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Giants boys basketball team ready to make a strong run By DANA MELIUS

dmelius@stpeterherald.com

Le Sueur-Henderson Giants boys basketball COACHES Head coach: Don Marcussen, 7th year as LSH Boys Head coach; 31st year of coaching high school basketball Assistant coaches: Chad Nesbit, Varsity Assistant (3rd year), Bob Steiger, B-Squad (over 25 years total in basketball), Jordan Kahlow, C-squad (1st year at this level) KEY PLAYERS Burke Nesbit, Senior, threeyear letter winner, Minnesota River All-Conference last year, 16 points per game, 2.5 steals per game, 2.0 assist per game, very good shooter; should be on local colleges radar for recruiting. Connor Arnold, Senior, two-year letter winner, 15 ppg, 8 rebounds per game last year before tearing his ACL in January. Should have him good to go by January. Strong 6-5 center with good mid-range scoring as well. Tyler Pengilly, Senior, oneyear letter winner, 6 ppg, 4 rebounds per game as one of the first to come off the bench last year. Long and athletic. Will look for him to spread defenses with his shooting ability. Nolan Maczkowicz, Junior, one-year letter winner, 7 ppg, 4 rebounds per game last year, will be our big guy to start the season, with very good 3 pt. shooter for 6-5 forward, needs to be tougher inside. Jayce Luna, Senior, two-year letter winner, 7 ppg, 4.5 rebounds per game last year, will be relied on to match up with opponents

Burke Nesbit (right) looked for a lane through the TCU defense ina game last season.. (County News filed photo by Ashley Murtha)

post player to start the season with, then should move to his more comfortable small forward spot. KEEP YOUR EYE ON Dominic Drent, Sophomore, spent a lot of time on his game this summer, 15 ppg last year on B-squad. Very good basketball sense. MOVED ON Mitchel Borchardt (plays foot-

ball at Gustavus Adolphus College) Hunter Sippo Jared Miller (plays football at Morningside) Phil Champagne (plays baseball at U of M — Crookston) 2018-19 SEASON OUTLOOK Last year finished 8-18 overall and 7-12 against section op- LS-H guard Jayce Luna, center, took a shot against St. Peter during his team’s Dec. 5, 2017 game. ponents. Looking to finish in top (County News file photo by Pat Beck)

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three of the MRC and received top four seed in the subsection. COMMENTS FROM THE COACH Don Marcussen (head coach): “We have a good number of letter winners back from last year and many are upperclassman which should allow us to not feel overwhelmed during the close games. We are going back to our ‘old self’ of running and bring pressure to our opponents. If we stay healthy,

we could be tough by the end of the year but need to work on defensive pressure more...” BY THE NUMBERS 9 — Senior players 8 — Teams that make up the MRC (Southwest Christian new to conference this year) Reach Dana Melius at 507931-8567.

PAGE 14

WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

LS-H junior Kelsey Berndt, right, drove by Jordan defender Lydia Plechaty during a Dec. 4, 2017 game.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Morgan Goettlicher, center, battles inside against Norwood Young America in a conference game last season. (County News file photos)

Giants girls basketball team shoots for improvement By DANA MELIUS

Asst. Coach (B-Squad) Sherri Fritz — 17 years coaching at various levels KEY PLAYERS Le Sueur-Henderson Girls Micahya Samora: senior, post Basketball — Hard worker, knowledge of the COACHES Head coach: John Garvey — game, soft touch on shots Halle Bemmels: sophomore 12 years at various levels (first — Knowledge of the game, great year as head coach a LS-H) work ethic, threat on offense and dmelius@stpeterherald.com

defense ticipates passes, basketball smart Kelsey Berndt: senior — LeadMorgan Goettlicher: junior — er on and off the court, nice out- great rebounder, good post moves side shot, quick on defense MOVED ON Acy Adamzak Gabby Straub: senior — KaSondra Wiederich Quick, great anticipating passes, Shaelyn Samora quiet leader KEEP YOUR EYE ON 2018-19 SEASON OUTLauren Gregersen: junior — LOOK Last year our record was 3-23 quick up and down the court, an-

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