It's the time of year we see the names of private schools in the post-season basketball results. We're in state! Few experiences in life are more thrilling than the state hoops tournament. The thrill seems accented this year as we seek departure from the funk of the pandemic and all its restrictions. Ah, the yearning for normal life!
Exhilarating as state is, it's probably still not a 100 percent return to normality. I assume the fans are not sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. If they are, they are probably courting some risk. Out here in western Minnesota, we had a couple girls teams forced to forfeit for the girls post-season: Minnewaska and Paynesville. Fans of the Lakers and Bulldogs must have been stunned.
Now let's turn our attention to the BBE Jaguars. It's Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa of Bonanza Valley. Not only did they survive the potential Covid obstacle, they played their way into the state tournament. And it's in that elite level that we often see those private schools with religious-sounding names.
Is there still a Christ's Household of Faith (or "CHOF")? I remember a number of years when they reached the elite level, and it always sounded strange to me: the name of that school up against regular public schools that are just named for their towns. Often it is suggested that unfairness is presented, that the private schools have leverage with alleged recruiting.
When I was in high school, we heard about the "state independent high school tournament" where the religious-based schools vied. It was so anticlimactic, compared to the regular state tournament, really just like a footnote. And I remember the private/religious schools protesting greatly how they were forced to compete in a separate tournament. Kind of like the NIT compared to the NCAA's.
I guess the private schools eventually got their way.
Another huge change from my youth: we now have the girls tournament, just as big a deal as the boys. There was no girls varsity sports up through my junior year of high school. Sounds almost criminal. Society can evolve in a halting way. Girls basketball had to grow through some difficult stages, obviously, as the girls were not grounded in the skills or the culture. The earliest female varsity athletes were true heroes.
Today the BBE Jaguars girls hoops program is bursting its buttons with pride. Congrats to the team and the fans, the latter group including my old newspaper compatriot Randy Olson. Olson still fights the battles in the "legacy" media while yours truly has drifted into non-attached, online-only writing. So Randy faces a little more pressure than me! Congrats on hanging in there, Randy. Heh, heh, heh.
Josie Knutson at freethrow line
BBE downed Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Tuesday by a mere one point, 51-50, in the Class A semi-finals. Action was at the big-time floor of Target Center, Minneapolis. It's good the state tournament does not coincide with the announcement of the verdict in the Chauvin trial. Things could get very dangerous down there. A different world from Bonanza Valley to be sure!
Winning in the semis leads to the finals! What a pinnacle the Jaguars have reached, historic. They'll play in the title game on Friday in Minneapolis.
Senior Josie Knutson had icewater in her veins down the stretch at the freethrow line. She made three freethrows in four attempts within a 12-second span. Thus the Jags got some needed breathing room en route to the win. Just ten seconds remained. The freethrows delivered a two-possession advantage. The breathing room meant the Jags could withstand the 3-pointer that SESM's Madison Mathiowetz nailed.
SESM is known as the "Knights." The clock showed just two seconds left at the time of the '3'. The Jags could just let time expire, then celebrate.
It was certain!
Yes it was close but Allisa Knight was quoted post-game saying "we knew we were going to win."
So now the Jags are focused on their Class A title game foe, Minneota. The Vikings of Minneota defeated Mountain Iron-Buhl in another one-point game, 54-53. The Jaguars and the Vikings will vie at 1 p.m. Friday at Target Center.
BBE and Minneota are not strangers to each other. Minneota was the victor 42-38 when the teams met on February 20.
In the SESM game, Knutson was clutch all the way down the stretch. She scored eleven of her game-total 13 points in the last 18 minutes. Her successive 3's gave BBE a 30-28 lead. But it was not a rosy night overall for the Jags, as the offense was less than stellar: a 25.8 percent shot stat. Freethrows helped compensate for that: 16 of 26, and 13/19 in the second half. The Knights put up far fewer attempts.
So the Jaguars sought to capitalize on their vaunted defense. It clamped down on SESM's shooters, limiting the foe to 29.2 percent shooting. Mathiowetz typically scores around 34 points per game, but on this day was held to 23, on 10 of 25 shooting. Yes it was "day," an early start time.
Allisa Knight commented "we want revenge against Minneota."
Here's how the Jaguars scored in the semis success: Allisa Knight (15), Josie Knutson (13), Abby Berge (7), Karissa Jones (6), Jackie Lindsay (4), Harley Roering (3), Karsee Kampsen (2) and Liz French (1). Knutson was two of five in her 3-point shooting. Roering hit one '3' in two tries.
Knight and Berge co-led in rebounds, each with ten. French grabbed seven boards. Berge dished out three assists and also had three steals. Knight led in blocked shots with four.
How about bringing home the No. 1 trophy? Either way, it's a season for the history books.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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| Congratulations to the BBE Jaguars and good luck in state championship game! |
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