NRHEG Sports (656)
The latest game results and prognostications for NRHEG.{jcomments on}
Panther girls take it to Blooming Prairie, JWP
Written by Jim Lutgens
LEFT SIDE — The Panthers’ Anna Schlaak goes with her left hand as she drives to the basket against JWP last Thusday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
Carlie Wagner remained almost unstoppable and the NRHEG girls’ basketball team stayed undefeated, drilling Blooming Prairie 61-32 and JWP 81-38 last week.
Wagner, a sophomore, scored a triple-double against JWP, Thursday with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. She also had six steals. Classmate Jade Schultz was hot from long range, hitting five three-pointers among her 17 points.
Others: Katie Cole 10 points, 11 rebounds; Raelin Schue 10 points, eight rebounds; Danielle Krueger five points; Abby Crabtree three points; Anna Schlaak three points, nine rebounds, four steals; Tori Raimann two points; Hannah Lundberg nine rebounds.
The Panthers outrebounded JWP 64-16 and had 25 steals to the Bulldogs’ four. NRHEG had 11 turnovers, JWP 30.
“This was a great team win,” said coach John Schultz. “Our girls played with poise.”
OFFENSIVE BOARD Lucas Meyer of NRHEG (5) looks for a put-back against Blooming Prairie. (Star Eagle photos by Chris Schlaak)
TO THE HOOP — The Panthers’ Tyler Sorenson drives to the basket between a pair of Blooming Prairie defenders in New Richland last Tuesday.
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
It was a tale of two starts for the NRHEG boys’ basketball team.
The Panthers got off to a bad one Tuesday and lost 62-52 at home to Blooming Prairie. Two nights later they started strong and topped JWP 61-42 for their first conference and home win of the season.
“We came out unprepared,” said coach Josh Churchill of the BP game, in which they fell behind 17-2. “They came out and got after us. We weren’t executing in our motion. I did not do a good job of getting our guys ready to play.”
The Panthers pulled within six before halftime, but BP went on a 5-0 run to take a 31-20 lead at the intermission. The Panthers battled in the second half and came within one point with six minutes remaining while BP’s Michael Thomas sat with foul trouble. Thomas, who finished with 22 points, took over when he came back and the Panthers ran out of gas, according to Churchill.
SCRAPPY PLAY — The Panthers’ Katie Cole, left, and Tori Raimann battle with Bethlehem Academy opponents for a loose ball during NRHEG’s 55-45 victory at New Richland last Tuesday. Wagner scored 33 and 38 points, respectively, as the Panthers remained unbeaten with a pair of victories last week. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The NRHEG girls’ basketball team faced a pair of tough tests last week.
The Panthers passed both.
NRHEG remained unbeaten, improving to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Gopher Conference, in defeating Bethlehem Academy 55-45 at home Tuesday and winning 65-46 at United South Central on Friday.
A pesky BA team gave the Panthers problems in the early going, and the Panthers struggled, falling behind 14-10. They rallied to take a 26-22 halftime lead and held on for the win.
Carlie Wagner lit it up for 33 points, adding seven assists, five rebounds and five steals. Others: Katie Cole five points; Jade Schultz five points, six rebounds, four assists, five steals; Anna Schlaak four points, five rebounds, three assists, five steals, four blocks; Raelin Schue four points; Tori Raimann three points, four rebounds; Hannah Lundberg one point, five rebounds.
PLACEWINNERS — NRHEG placewinners at last weekend’s Redwood Riot in Redwood Falls were, back from left, Jade Waltz, Tyler Logan, Jacob Staloch, Seth Petranek, Brandon LeBlanc, David Lassahn and Dustin Esplan. In front is head coach Paul Cyr. The Panthers finished fifth among 28 schools. (Submitted photo)
Panthers improve to 2-0 in dual meets
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The NRHEG Panthers are starting to look more like the 12th-ranked Class A wrestling squad in the state all the time.
The Panthers, off to a 2-0 dual-meet start, turned in a strong showing at last Friday and Saturday’s Redwood Riot in Redwood Falls, finishing fifth out of 28 schools.
“I was very pleased the way we bounced back from a sub-par performance last Thursday and really wrestled pretty well for two days,” said NRHEG head coach Paul Cyr.
Wrestling very well was senior Dustin Esplan, who went 4-0 to capture the 126-pound championship. In the finals, he pinned a Minneapolis South wrestler who finished fifth in last year’s state tournament.
“Dustin showed that he is almost all the way back from the injury he suffered last summer,” said Cyr. “This was by far his best performance and he showed the flashes of the explosiveness that were his trademark a year ago.”
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
After an 0-5 start, the NRHEG boys’ basketball team is in the victory column.
The Panthers ended their winless streak Saturday, defeating the host team 50-41 in the third-place game of the JWP Invitational. The Panthers lost their tournament opener 56-45 to Minnesota Transition Charter School and, earlier in the week, fell 58-41 at Bethlehem Academy.
The Panthers were down early against JWP, trailing 8-4, but they regrouped and led 26-19 at halftime. They controlled the rest of the game with defense.
“We played tremendously defensively tonight,” said Panthers coach Pat Churchill.
NRHEG took three charges, had a couple five-second calls and didn’t allow the Bulldogs one offensive rebound in the first half.
The Panthers led by 10 with six minutes to play but had three straight turnovers, allowing JWP within four. NRHEG iced it by making nine of 10 free throws in the final three minutes.
PIN TO WIN — NRHEG’s Dustin Esplan works for a fall against Blooming Prairie’s Riley Olson. He went on to win the 130-pound title at St. James Saturday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
Improvement is what NRHEG wrestling coach Paul Cyr is looking for this time of year.
He saw some on Saturday. Just not as much as he’d hoped.
Two days after drilling Blooming Prairie 69-12 in their Gopher Conference opener, the Panthers were fourth out of five six schools in the St. James Classic. Minneota won with 179 points, followed by LCWM with 161, St. James 159, NRHEG 1345, LeSueur-Henderson 120.5 and Minnehaha Academy/DeLaSalle 38.
“Frankly, overall we did not show as much improvement as I would have liked to see,” said Cyr. “There were places and individuals that picked it up a notch, but as a group we were not as good as we need to be.”
The Panthers had one champion, senior Dustin Esplan at 126 pounds.
“Esplan, despite winning his weight, is still not 100 percent,” said Cyr. “But he continues to show flashes of his old self.”
NRHEG girls get past Loyola in conference opener
Written by Jim Lutgens
FAST BREAK — Sophomore Jade Schultz (12) scored 23 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds as the NRHEG girls’ basketball team defeated Mankato Loyola 68-37 to start the Gopher Conference season Tuesday, Dec. 6. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The NRHEG girls’ basketball team played only one game last week, and maybe that’s a good thing.
It left more time to practice.
The Panthers survived what coach John Schultz called an “ugly, frustrating game” at Mankato Loyola Tuesday, Dec. 6, winning 67-38 to start the Gopher Conference season 1-0 and improve to 3-0 overall. But it wasn’t easy. At least not at the start.
“We had a lot of turnovers and missed shots,” said Schultz. “Our rebounding and hustle on defense made the difference.”
Also helping was a 12-2 run to start the second half, extending the Panthers’ 30-17 halftime lead and putting them in control.
MY BALL — The Panthers’ Carter Tollefson (33) battles for a rebound against Evan Ellingworth of Mankato Loyola during Gopher Conference action at New Richland last Tuesday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The season has not started as hoped for the NRHEG boys’ basketball team.
The Panthers are off to an 0-3 start after falling 64-40 to Mankato Loyola Tuesday, Dec. 6 and 55-42 to United South Central Friday Dec. 9. Both games were in New Richland.
The locals kept it close early against Loyola, but the Crusaders went on a late first-half run to take a 35-21 halftime advantage. NRHEG had 12 turnovers to Loyola’s four and got off 15 shots to 28 for the visitors in the first half.
“They racketed up the pressure on us defensively and we did not respond well to that,” said Panthers coach Pat Churchill. “They were the dominant team tonight.”
SHOT IN TRAFFIC — NRHEG’s Katie Cole (14) looks for a shot while being double-teamed by LeSueur-Henderson defenders during the girls’ basketball season opener Nov. 29 in New Richland. The Panthers won 82-25. They went on to beat Belle Plaine 71-41 on Friday. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
THINK TWICE — Abby Crabtree of the Panthers (5) looks to the basket while LeSueur-Henderson’s Kelsey Schmidt makes her think twice at New Richland Nov. 29. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
Last season, LeSueur-Henderson may have caught the NRHEG girls’ basketball team by surprise in the season opener.
There was none of that this year.
The Panthers — returning almost everyone from a team that finished 23-4 a year ago — jumped to a 38-22 halftime lead and totally dominated the second half while winning 82-25 in New Richland Nov. 29, avenging last year’s season-opening loss to the Giants.
According to NRHEG head coach John Schultz, defense was the difference.
“Our pressure defense was working, resulting in a lot of lay-ups,” said Schultz. “I was happy with our defense really playing well in the second half, allowing only three points.”
REBOUND — The Panthers’ Tyler Sorenson (11) pulls down a rebound in front of Kenyon-Wanamingo’s Peder Sviggum (35) at New Richland last Friday. The Panthers lost 69-60. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
According to coach Pat Churchill, the NRHEG boys’ basketball team learned a lot from last Friday’s season opener against Kenyon-Wanamingo.
Unfortunately, they were tough lessons.
The Panthers came out on the short end of some key exchanges and incurred a technical foul while falling 69-60 at New Richland.
The first half was close until the visitors opened a 35-29 lead at halftime, converting a basket after a Panther turnover.
“So, instead of having a chance to be down two, we were down six, which was a big moment of the game I thought,” said Churchill.
More...
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
The NRHEG wrestling team opened the 2011-12 season Saturday at the Dick Shiels Invitational in Faribault.
The Panthers finished sixth among 14 school with 113.5 points. Apple Valley won it with 228.
“As a group, we certainly have to get a lot better,” said NRHEG coach Paul Cyr. “Granted, this was our season opener and the competition was very good, but we did not respond as well as I would have hoped in certain weight classes and certain situations.”
The Panthers had two second-place finishers, Dustin Esplan at 126 pounds and Seth Petranek at 195.
Placing third were Brandon LeBlanc at 138 and David Lassahn at 145. Jacob Staloch was fourth at 152, Nathan Krohn fourth at 160. Matt Dahle placed fifth at 182.
Geoff Ramaker scored this nice 10-point buck at Wykoff/Preston, Minn., area. It weighed 168 pounds. He was hunting with his dad, Donnie Ramaker, an uncle and cousins. (Submitted photo)
T.J. Schiltz wasn’t the only cross country runner from the NRHEG area to compete in the 2011 state cross country meet.
Kourtney Kulseth of New Richland, a seventh-grader who open enrolls at Waseca, ran for the Bluejays’ varsity team, which placed fifth in the Class A state meet. Kulseth finished 87th among Class A girls.
FOUR MORE YEARS — Surrounded by her parents, Jill and Neil, Anna Schlaak signs a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball at Concordia College of St. Paul last Wednesday in the NRHEG Media Center. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
Record-setting NRHEG senior accepts volleyball scholarship
By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
NRHEG High School senior Anna Schlaak has been playing organized volleyball since elementary school. She’s not quite finished.
Barring anything unforeseen, she’ll be doing it at least another four years.
The 6-foot spiking, blocking and serving sensation signed a National Letter of Intent last Wednesday to play volleyball at Concordia College of St. Paul on a partial scholarship.
Schlaak verbally committed to Concordia — one of the top Division II programs in the nation — last spring. This made it official.
“I’m excited,” said Schlaak. “I’m glad to get it done and out of the way. All the kids in my grade are wondering where they’ll go to college, if they’ll get in. I’ve got all mine in.”
Schlaak, also a basketball standout for NRHEG, has won numerous accolades in both sports the last three years, but choosing between the sports was not difficult.