HJ Sports Blog

Charger CC finishes strong in WCC meet

swiblemo — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:00:57 +0000

By Stephen Wiblemo
Sports Editor
ST. BONIFACIUS, MN. – It was a big day Oct. 9 for the Dassel-Cokato boys’ and girls’ cross country teams as they travelled to Crown College in St. Bonifacius for the 2008 Wright County Conference meet.
The nine conference schools had been preparing for this meet since the beginning of the season when they met for a scrimmage meet, and DC teams came prepared as the boys finished fourth and the girls took sixth.
The boys finished with 92 team points, behind Annandale (78), Orono (67), and the team champion Mound-Westonka (61).
Glencoe-Silver Lake was fifth with 122 points, Delano was sixth (147), Litchfield was seventh (171), Watertown-Mayer was eighth (188) and Waconia took ninth (193).
“Between the coaches (in the conference), we felt that between third and sixth (place) it was going to be tight,” DC head coach Mike Lhotka said. “I thought we ran well. I was really pleased. I don’t think we could have done much better today.”
Leading the way for the boys was sophomore Troy Koivisto.
In the final few strides of the race, Koivisto was nestled in with a pack of two other runners but was able to turn on a little extra boost at the end to pass one and take fourth place in a time of 16:42.
“It’s a lot of momentum from the crowd cheering. It pushes you,” Koivisto said of his big boost at the end. “And with a big meet like this, it also pushes you.”
Last year Troy finished 12th in the conference, so this was a big improvement from his freshman season.
“This is probably one of the tougher courses,” Koivisto said. “There are a lot of hills out there. They aren’t very steep, but they are long.”
Coming in just behind Troy was his cousin, senior Karl Koivisto, who took sixth place in a time of 16:45.
Brian Saksa was next for DC with an 11th-place time of 16:59.
All three of DC’s top finishers earned All-Conference honors.
The other two scorers for the Charger boys’ team were Tyler Dobmeier and Brett Smith.
Dobmeier took 34th place and finished in a time of 18:13, while Smith took 39th place in a time of 18:22.
While these two first-time cross country runners may not have had the top times for the Chargers, they were crucial in helping pull DC’s team score up into fourth place.
“We talked at the beginning of the year about how you need all five (scorers) to be solid,” Lhotka said. “Going into the year, we knew we had one and two strong (Troy and Karl Koivisto).
“Brian (Saksa) had running experience from track, but the other kids have not only not run cross country, but they haven’t raced before. I am really impressed with where they have come this year. They have made us a better team.”
“They are huge, it balances the whole score out,” Smith said of the fourth and fifth scorers. “It takes a lot of time to get ready, but all these meets just prepare you for conference.”
The DC girls’ team finished with 148 points and were just one point away from Delano, the fifth place team.
“It is better than we have done in the past,” Lhotka said. “We were hoping to finish in the top half depending on how kids ran, but I don’t think anybody didn’t run well today.”
Mound-Westonka took first in the girls’ race with 41 points, Annandale was second (63), Waconia was third (67), and GSL was fourth (136).
Leading the way for the Charger girls was young Ericka Norgren who finished 10th in a time of 16:37 to earn All-Conference honors as a seventh grader.
“After the first 1,000 meters she looked about in the high 20’s (placing), so she really ran a strong second half of the race,” Lhotka said. “I think she was happy. We didn’t put any pressure on her and just told her to have some fun and do your best.”
Anna Neighbors came in next for DC with a 24th-place time of 17:15. That finish earned her All-Conference honorable mention.
Halee Morris finished in 31st-place in a time of 17:44, Jane Koivisto was 37th in a time of 18:02, and Moly Range finished the scoring for DC with a 46th-place time of 19:32

Thurs., Oct. 9
Boys varsity
Team scores – 1. Mound-Westonka 61, 2. Orono 67, 3. Annandale 78, 4. DC 92, 5. GSL 122, 6. Delano 147, 7. Litchfield 171, 8. Watertown-Mayer 188, 9. Waconia 193
Top runner – Connor Gevre (Ann) 16:10
DC runners – 4. Troy Koivisto 16:42, 6. Karl Koivisto 16:45, 11. Brian Saksa 16:59, 34. Tyler Dobmeier 18:13, 39. Brett Smith 18:22, 58. Blake Olsen 19:26, 61. Zach Peterson 20:19
Girls varsity
Team scores – 1. Mound-Westonka 41, 2. Annandale 63, 3. Waconia 67, 4. GSL 136, 5. Delano 147, 6. DC 148, 7. Litchfield 181, 8. Watertown-Mayer 187, 9. Orono 235
Top runner – Julia Harrison (MW) 14:50
DC runners – 10. Ericka Norgren 16:37, 24. Anna Neighbors 17:15, 31. Halee Morris 17:44, 37. Jane Koivisto 18:02, 46. Molly Range 19:32, 56. Melanie Soderlund 22:55
DC junior varsity
Boys runners – 18. Max Anderson 19:22, 31. Brandon Fiedler 20:04, 46. Todd Kivisto 20:27, 48. Gabe Hendrickson 20:34, 55. Cullen Anderson 20:47, 57. Kyle Anderson 20:59, 67. Jake Eckroad 21:29, 69. Justin Campbell 21:31, 86. Ryan Koivisto 22:45, 94. Cody James 23:50
Girls runners – 16. Abbey Halonen 19:09, 18. Madelyn Anderson 19:11, 34. Carmen Dischinger 20:22, 36. Hannah Latt 20:30, 37. Aryn Peterson 20:31, 45. Julie Munson 22:–
Boys JH runners – 26. Quinton Barnes 10:04, 36. Alek Sparboe 11:12, 67. Tim Mattson 14:03

Heartbreak in Delano

swiblemo — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:00:03 +0000

By Stephen Wiblemo
Sports Editor
DELANO, MN. – The exuberant cheers of Dassel-Cokato players and fans turned to a deafening silence with one play in the Charger’s 14-10 loss to Wright County Conference opponent Delano Tigers Oct. 10 in Delano.
After a strong performance from DC’s defense, and a little help from Tiger turnovers, Delano was held to just seven points in the first three quarters. The Chargers led 10-7 while Delano possessed the ball in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
On a fourth-and-one play, however, that could have been the deciding moment in a Charger victory, Delano running back Jake Gleason broke through the middle of the defense and went 31 yards for a game-winning touchdown with 2:03 left on the clock.
That was one of several opportunities the Chargers missed at the end of the game to help seal a victory.
“There were some third-and-longs in their drives that they converted on,” DC head coach Ryan Weinandt said. “You have to execute on every play. Our guys played hard tonight, but we couldn’t come up with it.”
The play that set up the game-winning drive was a punt block that put the Tigers at their own 41-yard line with about four minutes remaining.
The Tigers steadily moved the ball into Charger territory, converting first downs on third-and-two, and fourth-and-inches, before finally breaking loose for the winning touchdown.
DC had several opportunities before this to alter the course of the game.
At the start of the fourth quarter, with Delano driving, a tipped pass on third-and-seven was intercepted by Logan Benda. On his return, however, the ball was stripped loose and Delano recovered on its own 29-yard line.
On the ensuing drive, Delano marched the ball down to DC’s 41-yard line, but a penalty called on the Tigers set them back second-and-19. DC’s defense held and after a sack by Duane Mattson on third down, the Tigers punted.
The punt snap was fumbled, though, and the Tiger punter barely had time to grab it and kick it away, giving DC good field position on Delano’s 48-yard line.
The Chargers were unable to get a first down, however, and on a fourth-and-one call, coach Weinandt decided to trust his defense and punt it away, thus resulting in the blocked punt.
After the fourth-quarter touchdown, the Chargers got the ball back on their own 35-yard line with about two minutes remaining, but were set back nine yards after a huge sack. Two plays later, Haataja was picked off for the second time of the night and DC’s hopes of a comeback were dismantled.
The game started on a sour note for the Chargers as Delano returned the opening kickoff to DC’s 34-yard line. That long return set the Tigers up, and five running plays later they punched it in for a touchdown.
Despite a negative opening to the game, DC did not get down, but instead drove the ball 61 yards on 10 plays, topped off by a two-yard run into the end zone from Jeff Aho, tying the game at seven each.
That touchdown drive was highlighted by some long hookups between DC quarterback Andy Haataja, and receivers Seth Elmquist and Adam Smith.
Haataja finished the night with his best performance of the season, completing 11 of 14 attempts for 134 yards.
The receivers also had good nights. Smith caught five passes for 79 yards and Elmquist caught five for 50 yards.
“Andy (Haataja) played a really great game, and the receivers did nice job of making catches,” Weinandt said. “I think a lot of guys stepped up today and played the best game all year.”
After both teams scored on their opening drives, the defenses took over and kept the game tied.
“They had a big return right away, and they drove down with some big plays, and after that, really, for the rest of the game the defense settled in,” Weinandt said. “They did a good job of containing them until that last drive with a couple minutes left.”
After DC’s touchdown drive, Delano took over and marched the ball down to DC’s 19-yard line, but the Charger defense held and got the ball back with a turnover on downs.
DC then brought the ball down to Delano’s 48-yard line before a tipped pass from Haataja to Smith was intercepted.
Delano was unable to do anything with the ball, though, and punted.
DC fumbled on the ensuing drive to give the ball right back to Delano.
Both teams punted on their next possessions.
In its final possession of the first half, Delano took 10 plays to reach DC’s red zone, but a fumble on the Charger seven-yard line was recovered by Sam Pokornowski, and the Chargers knelt on the ball to go into the second half.
The Chargers got the ball at the opening of the third quarter, and after nine plays, including a 30-yard reception from Haataja to Smith, DC was on Delano’s 11-yard line.
The Tigers held, however, and on fourth-and-eight the Chargers opted to kick a field goal.
Kicker Ricardo Zavala nailed the 26-yarder to give DC a 10-7 lead.
Both teams punted on their next two drives, which then carried them into that fateful fourth quarter finale.

Fri., Oct. 10
1    2    3    4    F
DC    7    0    3    0    10
Delano    7    0    0    7    14

First Quarter
10:19 (Del) – Will Finn 1-yard run (John Max kick good)
6:09 (DC) – Jeff Aho 2-yard run (Ricardo Zavala kick good)
Second Quarter
No scoring
Third Quarter
7:20 (DC) – Zavala 26-yard field goal
Fourth Quarter
2:03 (Del) – Jake Gleason 31-yard run (Max kick good)
DC Passing (comp-att-yards-int-TD): Andy Haataja 11-14-134-2-0
DC Receiving (rec-yards-TD): Seth Elmquist 5-50-0, Adam Smith 5-79-0, Sam Pokornowski 1-5-0
DC Rushing (att-yards-TD): Jeff Aho 16-51-1, Pokornowski 10-36-0, Haataja 3-1-0, Team 29-88-1
No defensive stats were provided

Charger football looks to turn trend in Delano

swiblemo — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:17:59 +0000

By Stephen Wiblemo
Sports Editor
It has been a tough stretch of games the last three weeks for the Dassel-Cokato football team (2-4, 1-4 WCC), but tonight they look to turn the tide as they hit the road to take on Wright County Conference foe Delano (4-2, 3-2 WCC).
It has been a frustrating time for the Charger team and its coaches as they look back on this three-game loosing streak and try to diagnose and treat the malady that is plaguing them.

“We feel like we have played some good halves and series’, even within that three-game skid,” DC head coach Ryan Weinandt said. “I think, mainly, we have to shore up our offensive line. Both the run blocking and pass blocking have given us some trouble.
“And, defensively, containing that big play, and making the sure tackles and getting the defense off the field. I think those things are what have really been hurting us.”
Another troubling trend in DC’s three recent loses is the fact that they haven’t been able to score any points in the first halves of those games.
Not only does scoring early help a team build a lead and take an advantage on the scoreboard, but it is also helpful from a mental aspect.
“Mentally, driving down and getting some points on the board is a better feeling right away,” Weinandt said. “Frustration can set in when you don’t score the first couple drives. That is definitely something you want to come out and execute right away.”
Injuries have thinned DC’s offensive options, with the loss of quarterback Tyler Irvin and fullback Shane McConkey. The news continues to be grim as running back Kurt Aho will most likely not return for tonight’s game.
Aho suffered a knee injury a few weeks ago and has missed the last two games. Coaches have been optimistic that he would be able to return, but the swelling in his knee has not receded.
Defensively, the Chargers will have another difficult task trying to subdue a diverse Tiger running attack.
Delano has favored the run, handing it off 278 times for 1,334 yards. But, they have a list of six different backs that they regularly give the ball to. The Charger defense will have to learn to trust its positions and keep an eye on the ball to know where the Tigers are taking it.
To make things more difficult, Delano has one of the biggest offensive lines DC has seen this season.
“They have several talented running backs, and their offensive line is huge. They are the biggest offensive line we’ve seen this year,” Weinandt said. “They do a good job of moving teams around.
“They’ll give (the ball) to their fullback, they’ll give it to their halfbacks off tackle. They’ll put in a couple quicker guys and do some quick pitches outside. That is their strong suit, running the football and using different guys.”
Although running is Delano’s key, they can also throw the ball, and have connected for some big yardage.
Tiger QB Matt Shaver has completed 33 of 55 pass attempts for 748 yards. He does have a favorite target, however, tight end Jake Roskob.
Roskob has 15 receptions for 462 yards. If the Chargers expect to stop the big play against Delano, this will be one player they will have to key on.
“What they are so effective at, is when you aren’t expecting a pass they’ll sneak a fake hand off and get that tight end deep,” Weinandt said. “He’s been able to make some big plays doing that. When they want a deep play, that is the guy they want to go to.”

NFL pick-a-winner: week six

swiblemo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:24:14 +0000

Matt Kane continued to dig his hole deeper in week five with a 6-8 record. Aaron Schultz led the pickers with a 10-4 record, and Stephen Wiblemo was second with a 9-5 record. Guest pickers Neil Schlagel and Mitch Rue were 8-6, and guest picker Steve Dietman was 7-7.

The overall records are now Schultz at 55-19, the HJ guest picker is 53-21, Wiblemo is 51-23, the Delano guest picker is 50-24, the ED guest picker is 49-25, and Kane is 44-30.

Week 6:
BEARS at FALCONS
DOLPHINS at TEXANS
RAVENS at COLTS
LIONS at VIKINGS
RAIDERS at SAINTS
BENGALS at JETS
PANTHERS at BUCS
RAMS at REDSKINS
JAGUARS at BRONCOS
COWBOYS at CARDINALS
EAGLES at 49ers
PACKERS at SEAHAWKS
PATRIOTS at CHARGERS
GIANTS at BROWNS

Charger CC prepares for conference meet

swiblemo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:14:29 +0000

By Stephen Wiblemo
Sports Editor
The Dassel-Cokato boys’ and girls’ cross country teams are gearing up for the Wright County Conference meet in Waconia Thursday, Oct. 9, but they were in Litchfield Oct. 2 to compete in a 13-school meet with 80 varsity boys runners and 76 varsity girls runners.
This meet was a good indicator for the teams as they prepare for the conference meet because they got a good look at several conference teams and individuals.
Both the boys’ and girls’ Charger teams finished well with the boys taking fifth with 132 points and the girls taking seventh with 170 points.
Troy Koivisto led DC with a fifth-place finish in 17:09, and Karl Koivisto also finished in the top 10 with a 10th-place time of 17:27.
The boys team had some more big help from their three, four, and five scorers.
Brian Saksa took 15th in a time of 17:50, Brett Smith came in 47th in a time of 18:59, and Tyler Dobmeier was 55th in a time of 19:15.
For the girls, Ericka Norgren took 13th place in a time of 16:47 to lead the Chargers.
Anna Neighbors was 27th in a time of 17:31, Jane Koivisto was 32nd in a time of 17:38, Halee Morris was 35th in a time of 17:49, and Melanie Soderlund was the final scorer for DC with a 63rd-place time of 19:17.

Thurs., Oct. 2
Boys varsity
Team scores – 1. Orono 60, 2. Cambridge-Isanti 67, 3. Mound-Westonka 86, 4. Buffalo 95, 5. DC 132, 6. Annandale 141, 7. GSL 159, 8. New London-Spicer 168, 9. HT-LP 217, 10. Maple Lake 313, 11. HLWW 336
Top runner – Zach Mellon (Buffalo) 16:21
DC runners – 5. Troy Koivisto 17:09, 10. Karl Koivisto 17:27, 15. Brian Saksa 17:50, 47. Brett Smith 18:59, 55. Tyler Dobmeier 19:15, 65. Zach Peterson 19:59, 66. Blake Olsen 20:03
Girls varsity
Team scores – 1. Mound-Westonka 49, 2. Buffalo 59, 3. Annandale 100, 4. New London-Spicer 115, 5. EVWK 140, 6. Cambridge-Isanti 153, 7. DC 170, 8. GSL 180, 9. Maple Lake 206, 10. Litchfield 243, 11. Orono 330
Top runner – Juliea Harrison (MW) 15:03
DC runners – 13. Ericka Norgren 16:47, 27. Anna Neighbors 17:31, 32. Jane Koivisto 17:38, 35. Halee Morris 17:49, 63. Melanie Soderlund 19:17, 64. Molly Range 19:21
Boys JV
Team scores – 1. Mound-Westonka 44, 2. Buffalo 45, 3. Cambridge-Isanti 77, 4. GSL 128, 5. New London-Spicer 149, 6. Orono 163, 7. Annandale 182, 8. DC 313, 9. HLWW 473
DC runners – 29. Max Anderson 20:17, 64. Brandon Fiedler 21:31, 72. Todd Kivisto 21:50, 73. Kyle Johnson 21:52, 74. Cullen Anderson 21:54, 98. Justin Campbell 23:51, 103. Cody James 23:44, 110. Ryan Koivisto 24:34
Girls JV
Team scores – 1. Orono 37, 2. GSL 39, 3. Buffalo 83, 3. Cambridge-Isanti 83, 5. Annandale 123, 6. Mound-Westonka 143, 7. DC 148, 8. EVWK 177
DC runners – 14. Madelyn Anderson 19:03, 22. Abbey Halonen 19:37, 35. Hannah Latt 20:35, 36. Aryn Peterson 20:35, 41. Carmen Dischinger 20:59
Boys JH
DC runners – 24. Quinton Barnes 10:35, 25. Jacob Grachow 10:36, 49. Alek Sparboe 12:27, 56. Tim Mattson 15:42

Willmar meet
The DC boys’ cross country team finished seventh with 189 points and the girls took last with 291 points at a Willmar meet full of tough competition Saturday, Sept. 27.
Troy Koivisto led the boys with a 12th-place finish in 17:21, but Karl Koivisto, DC’s most veteran runner, had an off day and finished in 29th place in a time of 18:12.
Brian Saksa came in third for DC with a 26th-place time of 18:05, Brett Smith was 55th in a time of 19:18, and Blake Olsen stepped up to be DC fifth scorer with a 66th-place finish in 20:35.
The boys varsity race had 74 runners
The girls were once again led by young Ericka Norgren, who finished 30th out of the 73-person race in a time of 17:10.
Anna Neighbors came in second for DC with a 58th-place time of 18:16, Jane Koivisto was 60th in a time of 18:22, and Molly Range and Melanie Soderlund rounded out the bottom in times of 20:35 and 20:38.

Sat., Sept. 28
Boys varsity
Team scores – 1. Moorhead 51, 2. Alexandria 80, 3. Willmar 97, 4. Hopkins 98, 5. Bismarck Century 114, 6. Fargo North 146, 7. DC 189, 8. Hutchinson 203, 9. Canby 254, 10. Trinity 274
Top runner – Mahad Hassan (Willmar) 16:09
DC runners – 12. Troy Koivisto 17:21, 26. Brian Saksa 18:05, 29. Karl Koivisto 18:12, 55. Brett Smith 19:18, 66. Blake Olsen 20:35, 70. Max Anderson 20:49, 74. Brandon Fiedler 21:41
Girls varsity
Team scores – 1. Bismarck Century 51, 2. Moorhead 55, 3. Hopkins 78, 4. Alexandria 158, 5. Fargo North 169, 6. Willmar 172, 7. Hutchinson 180, 8. Canby 264, 9. Trinity 291, 10. DC 291
Top runner – Jamie Piepenburg (Alexandria) 15:03
DC runners – 30. Ericka Norgren 17:10, 58. Anna Neighbors 18:16, 60, Jane Koivisto 18:22, 72. Molly Range 20:35, 73. Melanie Soderlund 20:38

DC stays alive in five

swiblemo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:13:19 +0000

By Stephen Wiblemo
Sports Editor
The DC volleyball team had its toughest home match of the season as it hosted Wright County Conference opponent Annandale Oct. 2.
Although the Chargers had to do things the hard way at times, the teams’ effort paid off in the end as they played their first game five this year and won to get past the Cardinals 3-2.
DC was able to take a quick lead in the games winning 25-15 and 26-24, but the momentum shifted towards Annandale and the Cardinals evened the match with two wins of 25-19.
That brought about DC’s first five-game match this season, and the Chargers pulled it off with a 15-11 win.
“It is easier on the coach to win in three games, but I think it was good for us to see that we can pull through on a game five,” DC head coach Beth Flick said. “It was good for us to have to pull ourselves out of that hole, that builds character.”
This win brings DC’s overall record to 15-4. In the WCC they are 4-1, and against Section 6AA opponents they are 6-2.
Although DC extended its winning record in home matches to nine, the loss in game three was the first home game DC has dropped, and it snapped a 22-game win streak at home.
The Chargers are now 23-2 in games at home.
Momentum is the name of the game in volleyball, and in this match with Annandale momentum was all over the place.
It started on DC’s side in game one. The two remained close until knotting up a nine points, but from that point the Chargers outscored Annandale 16-6 to win easily.
The second game was much different. Annandale took an small lead from the beginning and kept a one-point lead over DC until the two teams met at 15 points.
They exchanged points back and forth until DC got out to a 24-21 lead. They couldn’t seal the deal, though, as the Cardinals tied it up at 24 before the Chargers finally won two consecutive points to go up two games in the match.
With a considerable deficit facing them, Annandale built on the little bit of momentum they had taken from game two and carried into game three where they took another early lead.
The two teams locked up at the eighth and ninth point, but the Cardinals never relinquished the lead, and they outscored DC 7-2 in the final points of the game to make it a 2-1 match.
The Chargers had several opportunities to take back the lead, like the when they trailed 18-17, but never could put together a significant rally.
“We couldn’t quite get over the hump,” Flick said. “We would make a big play, get the ball back . . . then they would get it back. We have to protect the ball better when we serve.”
Annandale continued to hold the momentum in game four while DC struggled to keep up.
“There is a lot going on right now (between matches and homecoming), and I don’t think we had things clicking on all cylinders at times (tonight),” Flick said.
Between hits into the net and balls that fell uncontested due to miscommunication, the Chargers were never able to hit the Cardinals with a big chunk of points.
The Cardinals were also serving extremely aggressive, which kept DC out of system and caused them to give up easy balls.
“It (Annandale’s serving) was (aggressive) sometimes, but you have to think about getting the ball up, even if it is a hard serve,” DC captain, and libero, Kelly Ylitalo said. “As long as the setter can do something with it.
Ylitalo was all over the floor against Annandale. She received 41 of the 44 serves hit to her, and helped out with a team leading 18 digs.
The two teams met at 18 points, but Annandale had another strong finish to outscore DC 7-1 and push the match into a fifth game.
Because it is only played to 15 points, getting some momentum early is key in a fifth game.
“We talked pre-game and we said, good teams are going to go out there and play aggressively,” Flick said. “We’re playing a section opponent, a conference opponent, this is a big game for us and we had to go out there and play aggressively from the start.”
The Chargers did just that, building a 9-3 lead right out of the gate.
Annandale was able to put some scoring together itself, closing the gap to 12-9 and 14-11 at the closest points, but the Chargers persevered and won.
Although it was stressful for the coaches and players, this five-game match experience could be helpful in the future.
DC has three matches left against some top conference opponents. They will face Delano (4-1 WCC) Oct. 7, Watertown-Mayer (3-3 WCC) Oct. 9, and Waconia (8-0 WCC) Oct. 13.
The match against Waconia will be the final match of the regular season for DC, and should be a good indicator of how ready the Chargers are for section playoffs.
Waconia is ranked sixth in the Class 3A state rankings and has a 17-2 overall record. Although that may seem intimidating, the Chargers know they will have the home-court advantage on their side.
“The fans here help so much. We see them cheering in those outfits, and they are so loud,” Ylitalo said. “It helps so much and it keeps us pumped up to play.”

Thurs., Oct. 2
DC 3, Annandale 2
Annandale 15-24-25-25-11
DC 25-26-19-19-15
DC individual leaders
Serving (comp-att-ace) - Hallie Isaacson 18-18-0, Lauren Hallquist 15-16-1, Kristina Raisanen 14-15-2
Serve receive (comp-att) - Maggie Zirk 11-12, Kelly Ylitalo 41-44, Raisanen 9-12
Kills - Abby Thomson 11, Kaitlyn Hillstrom 9, Katelyn Nelson 9, Zirk 9, Sophie Klima 3, Raisanen 3
Set assists - Isaacson 22, Zirk 19
Digs - Ylitalo 18, Thomson 8, Raisanen 7
Tipping Aces - Katelyn Nelson 3, Zirk 2
Blocking Ace - Hillstrom 4, Zirk 4, Katelyn Nelson 1
DC 3, HLWW 0
The Charger volleyball team started homecoming week off right with a 3-0 win Sept. 30 over Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted by scores of 25-16, 25-23, and 25-15 at Dassel-Cokato High School.
Katelyn Nelson was a hammer at the net for DC as she led the offense with 18 kills.
Maggie Zirk led the team in several areas with 21 set assists and 14 digs.

Tues., Sept. 30
DC 3, HLWW 0
HLWW 16-23-15
DC 25-25-25
DC individual leaders
Serving (comp-att-ace) - Ylitalo 11-12-0, Thomson 13-14-1, Raisanen 12-12-0
Serve receive (comp-att) - Raisanen 4-4, Thomson 9-11, Ylitalo 16-22
Kills - Katelyn Nelson 18, Hillstrom 8, Thomson 4
Set assists - Zirk 21, Hallie Isaacson 15
Digs - Zirk 14, Ylitalo 10, Thomson 6
Tipping Aces - Hillstrom 2, Thomson 2, Tahler Dobmeier 1, Katelyn Nelson 1, Raisanen 1, Zirk 1
Blocking Ace - Hillstrom 3, Zirk 2
Charger Challenge stats
The DC volleyball team hosted its second annual Charger Challenge tournament Sept. 27 and went undefeated to win the championship. The Chargers beat MACCRAY 2-0 in the championship match.
Below are DC’s statistical leaders for the day.

Sat., Sept. 27
DC 3, Orono 1
DC 2, BOLD 0 (25-19, 25-21)
DC 2, Big Lake 0 (25-19, 25-14)
DC 2, Eden Valley-Watkins 0 (25-19, 25-16)
DC 2, MACCRAY 0 (25-15, 25-9)
DC individual leaders
Serving aces - Raisanen 6, Thomson 4, Ylitalo 3
Kills - Katelyn Nelson 27, Hillstrom 21, Thomson 15
Set assists - Isaacson 34, Zirk 25
Digs - Ylitalo 26, Raisanen 9, Thomson 5
Tipping Aces - Zirk 5
Blocking Aces - Hillstrom 7, Zirk 6, Katelyn Nelson 5

Cardinals spoil Charger homecoming

swiblemo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:11:55 +0000

By Stephen Wiblemo
Sports Editor
The offensive and defensive woes the DC football team has been struggling with in recent games piled up on them once again as the Annandale Cardinals flew into town and wrecked the Charger homecoming celebration with a 30-6 upset.
The Cardinals had all aspects of their offense working and racked up a total of 357 offensive yards against DC.
On the ground, Annandale picked up 182 yards on 40 attempts. The majority of the damage was done by Brian Karg who collected two touchdowns and 134 yards on 24 carries.
“He wants to get space, and whenever he broke through and got a little wiggle room, he did his thing,” DC head coach Ryan Weinandt said. “He can move and make people miss, and those big plays between eight, 10, 15 yards are huge.”
The Chargers also had a hard time stopping the Cardinals through the air as Annandale’s quarterback, Matt Lashinski, hooked up with receivers 13 times for 175 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target was receiver Mike Starke who had 127 yards on eight receptions, including a touchdown and two-point conversion.
“They have some good athletes and do some really nice things,” Weinandt said. “Their quarterback was on the money tonight. He hit the receivers, and a lot of times we were close on some plays to tipping the ball, but that is the little difference between winning and losing.”
Using this diverse offense, the Cardinals were able to march down the field on the first possession and score in 11 plays.
Annandale scored again in the second quarter after a 13-play drive starting from their own 13-yard line.
In the first scoring drive the Cardinals faced a fourth down and two on DC’s 22-yard line, and in the second drive they faced a third down and eight on DC’s 25-yard line, but the Charger defense was unable to come up with a stop.
“In that first drive, they had a fourth down, and you have to take advantage of those chances to stop them,” Weinandt said. “They had a couple other third-and-longs, but we just couldn’t quite make a play.”

Annandale scored again late in the second quarter on an eight-play drive that started on DC’s 41-yard line.
In the third quarter, Annandale was threatening to score again from DC’s four-yard line, but on a fourth-down attempt, Charger defensive back Josh Balmores picked off the pass and returned the ball to DC’s 23-yard line to save a touchdown.
That would be the biggest defensive effort of the night, however, as the Cardinals were able to put the final touches on their spoiler in the fourth quarter with a 23-yard field goal, and another touchdown after DC turned the ball over on downs at the Charger 15-yard line.
The Chargers’ offense was never able to get into a good rhythm as they gained just 192 yards in 11 drives.
After just four possessions and two first downs, DC made a small surge in the final minute of the first half to move the ball onto Annandale’s 44-yard line. The drive would end poorly, however, as Charger quarterback Andy Haataja’s deep pass would be intercepted as the half came to an end.
DC was only able to move the ball past the 50-yard line in three drives, and they only visited the red zone once which ended with a short touchdown run from Jaibyne Braatz to score the only Charger points of the night.
Braatz had 63 yards on 19 carries to lead DC’s ground effort.
The Chargers’ offense has been plagued with injury since the loss of quarterback Tyler Irvin and running back Kurt Aho.
It took another hit as full back Shane McConkey suffered a broken thumb before the game and will miss the rest of the season.
Filling in for him against Annandale was Sam Pokornowski who is also a starting defensive lineman.
Pokornowski showed some promise with 48 yards on nine carries, but coach Weinandt is concerned that the extra work load may be tough to maintain.
“He showed some good things, but if you play full back and d-line, you take a beating,” Weinandt said.
McConkey also played at defensive end. Jasper Asplin, who had been rotating in at defensive end, will play a more significant role at the position now, and did so against Annandale.
Kurt Aho’s knee was still swollen at game time against Annandale and he did not play. Weinandt says he is hopeful Aho will be able to return for next week’s game, but is questionable.

Fri., Oct. 3
1    2    3    4    F
Annandale    6    14    0    10    30
DC    0    0    0    6    6

First Quarter
7:18 (Ann) – Brian Karg 1-yard run (Alex Erhard kick no good)
Second Quarter
6:28 (Ann) – Karg 4-yard run (Mike Starke pass from Matt Lashinski good)
1:00 (Ann) – Starke 9-yard pass from Lashinski (Erhard kick no good)
Third Quarter
No scoring
Fourth Quarter
11:53 (Ann) – Erhard 23-yard field goal
8:12 (DC) – Jaibyne Braatz 4-yard run (Braatz run no good)
4:04 (Ann) – Pat Neumann 4-yard run (Erhard kick good)
DC Passing (comp-att-yards-int-TD): Andy Haataja 4-18-33-2-0
DC Receiving (rec-yards-TD): Seth Elmquist 2-21-0, Jeff Aho 1-8-0, Jaibyne Braatz 1-4-0
DC Rushing (att-yards-TD): Braatz 19-63-1, Jay Jarvie 3-43-0, Sam Pokornowski 9-48-0, Aho 3-14-0, Haataja 6-(-)9-0
No defensive stats were provided

Balance the name of the game in Lakers’ win over Kimball

Aaron Schultz — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:25:49 +0000

By Aaron Schultz
Sports Editor
HOWARD LAKE, MN – It was homecoming for the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Lakers this past week, and the football team did their part, capping off a week of celebrations in style Friday, beating Kimball 35-6.
“This was a great win for homecoming, but it also made us 4-0 on our home field this year,” head coach George Montgomery said.
By beating the Cubs Friday, HLWW improved its overall record to 4-2 on the season, and to 4-1 in the Central Minnesota. And, as Montgomery said, the Lakers are now a perfect 4-0 at Laker Athletic Field in their first year playing games on the new field.
That 4-1 record keeps the Lakers in a second place tie in the CMC with Pierz and Maple Lake.
But the road gets tough for HLWW these final two weeks of the regular season.
On the road for their final two regular season games, HLWW will travel to Maple Lake Friday, Oct. 10, and then wrap up the regular season Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Pierz. Both games begin at 7 p.m.
In the win over Kimball, the Lakers had everything clicking on this night.
The defense created turnovers, while the offense was as balanced as it was all season long.
“We were able to move the ball effectively against their 3-5 defense, which typically is difficult to adjust to. Our offensive line did a great job opening holes and protecting Cameron (Lehner),” Montgomery said. “Defensively, we recovered three Kimball fumbles, creating excellent field position for our offense.”
Talking about balance, the Lakers rushed for 194 yards, while passing for 202 yards.
Senior quarterback Cameron Lehner had a fantastic night against Kimball completing eight of his nine pass attempts for over 200 yards and two touchdowns.
Lehner’s main target was fellow senior Curtis Herbolsheimer, who caught five passes for 185 yards and both touchdowns.
Balance also carried over to the running game itself, as seven different Lakers carried the football, none more than six times.
“Getting the ball into that many players hands makes it difficult for the defense to key on just one back,” Montgomery said.
Sophomore Adam Klinkner did lead the way for the Lakers on the ground with 75 yards on just six carries.
As a team, the Lakers averaged over 8 yards-per-carry every time they handed it off.
HLWW dominated the action from the start, getting on the board just over two minutes into the game. That is when Lehner hooked up with Herbolsheimer from 50-yards out.
The Lakers extended its lead to 14-0 at the end of the first quarter when Joe Jaros ran in a touchdown from 19-yards out.
Early on in the second quarter, Lehner found Herbolsheimer again, this time from 37-yards out, giving the Lakers a 21-0 lead at the 11:41 mark of the second quarter.
Klinkner then broke off a 45-yard touchdown run at the 6:45 mark of the second quarter, and then, before halftime, John Long got into the action with a 20-yard touchdown scamper.
That made the score 35-0 at the half, and moved the game to a slightly different phase.
Due to the big lead, the game clock was put on running time in the second half – meaning that the time didn’t stop for incompletions, or out-of-bounds plays.
Kimball did manage to get on the board with just over a minute left in the game on a short touchdown run, but the game was already well in hand for the Lakers.

Game Stats
Passing
• Cameron Lehner: 8-for-9, 202 yards, 25.25 yards-per-completion, 2 TDs.
• Jace Whitcomb: 0-for-2.
Rushing
• John Long: 6 carries, 43 yards, 7.16 yards-per-carry (ypc), 1 TD.
• Adam Klinkner: 6 carries, 75 yards, 12.5 ypc, 1 TD.
• Joe Jaros: 3 carries, 29 yards, 9.6 ypc, 1 TD.
• Mitch Merges: 3 carries, 32 yards, 10.6 ypc.
• Jake Anderson: 2 carries, 8 yards, 4.0 ypc.
• Jacob Perry: 1 carry, 7 yards.
• Mitchell Lachermeier: 1 carry, 2 yards.
• Jace Whitcomb: 1 carry, -2 yards.
Receiving
• Curtis Herbolsheimer: 5 receptions, 185 yards, 37.0 yards-per-reception, 2 TDs.
• Joe Jaros: 2 receptions, 11 yards, 5.5 ypr.
• Jake Anderson: 1 reception, 6 yards.
Defense
• Jace Whitcomb: 1 solo tackle, 1 assist.
• Andrew Ghostley: 2 solo tackles.
• Joe Uter: 5 solo tackles.
• Quin Leaf: 2 solo tackles.
• John Long: 7 solo tackles, 3 assists.
• Mitch Merges: 2 solo tackles.
• Jacob Perry: 1 solo tackle, 1 assist.
• Adam Klinkner: 4 solo tackles, 2 assists, 1 sack.
• Kyle Klammer: 7 solo tackles, 2 assists.
• Zach Grangrorth: 6 solo tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery.
• Matt Schmieg: 2 solo tackles, 2 assists.
• Trevor Zachmann: 8 solo tackles, 1 assist, 0.5 sack.
• Derek Youngren: 2 solo tackles, 1 assist.
• Matt Arlien: 2 solo tackles.
• Tony Hausladen: 5 solo tackles, 1 assist, 1 solo tackle for loss, 0.5 sack, 1 fumble recovery.
• Curtis Herbolsheimer: 5 solo tackles, 2 assists, 1 solo tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery.

Huge third quarter helps LP/HT blow past Johnnies

Aaron Schultz — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:24:53 +0000

By Aaron Schultz
Sports Editor
LESTER PRAIRIE, MN – After a little bit of a slow start, the Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity Bulldogs football team turned things up a notch in the third quarter on their way to a 35-6 win over St. John’s Prep.
“I thought we played a good game. We may have started a little slow, but part of that was we were trying to establish a complete game, not just one or two things,” head coach Joe Scoblic said. “In the second half we got it all going.”
In the end, the winless Johnnies were no match for LP/HT, despite the slow start.
LP/HT ran for 273 yards in the win, improving its Minnesota Christian Athletic Association record to 4-0 on the year, while jumping to 5-1 overall.
Next up for LP/HT is the biggest game of the season, and the biggest one the MCAA has seen in its young football existence.
Providence Academy, also undefeated in MCAA play, comes to Winsted Friday, Oct. 10 to battle LP/HT with the conference championship on the line.
After a bit of a slow start to their season, Providence has continued to get better every week, and come into this showdown with the Bulldogs on a roll.
Providence dropped its opening game of the season to Montgomery-Lonsdale 41-7 in non-conference action, then snuck out a 28-20 MCAA win over New Life Academy.
But, since that game against New Life, Providence hasn’t had a close game.
In their last four MCAA games, all wins, they have outscored their opponents 216 to 25, including a 66-6 win over Concordia Academy/Bloomington this past Friday.
The Lions do most of their damage on the ground with senior Kaleb Williams being their most productive back.
Williams is averaging 9.6 yards-per-cary on the season, and has gained 806 yards on 84 carries. He has also rushed for 18 touchdowns.
In fact, Williams has rushed for over 100 yards in every game this year, except in that season-opening loss to Montgomery-Lonsdale.
The game, which will take place in Winsted for Holy Trinity’s homecoming, will begin at 7 p.m., with the winner claiming at least a share of the MCAA title.
If Providence wins, they will win the conference title outright. However, should LP/HT win, they would only claim at least a share.
The Bulldogs would then need to go to New Life Academy Wednesday, Oct. 15 and win to be the outright champions.
After Friday’s game, Providence will have completed its conference schedule, and plays a non-conference game in their regular season finale.
Prior to the game in Winsted Friday, Holy Trinity will be having a tailgate party at the field from 5 p.m. to game time, with grilled hamburgers, grilled hotdogs, and walking tacos available.
Getting back to the Bulldogs’ win over St. John’s Prep Friday, things started a little slow for LP/HT.
However, LP/HT was able to get on the board in the first quarter on a nice touchdown pass from Chris Neumann to Brandon Schaust.
Then, in quarter number two, Scott Theimann took the ball outside, around the left side, scoring LP/HT’s second touchdown of the game, and putting them up 14-0 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Bulldogs put the game away in a big way, as senior Ben Madsen scored two touchdowns, while Shane Cory broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run.
Those three third quarter touchdowns extended LP/HT’s lead to 35-0, as they cruised to the win.
St. John’s Prep did add a fourth quarter touchdown, but the game was already well in hand at that point.
“I thought Buddy Schaust had a good game with two catches and a touchdown,” Scoblic said.
Meanwhile, freshman Jared Kadrie was a perfect 5-for-5 on extra points.
As a team, LP/HT outgained St. John’s 340 to 149 before a large homecoming crowd in Lester Prairie.
Game notes
Prior to the game Friday, the 1998 Lester Prairie football team was recognized for its state tournament run that season.
Also, during halftime of the game, Doug Dibb was announced as the next inductee into the Lester Prairie sports hall of fame.
Additional information concerning Dibb will follow in the coming weeks of the Herald Journal.
Game Stats
Passing
• Chris Neumann: 3-for-8, 67 yards, 22.3 yards-per-completion, 1 TD.
Rushing
• Scott Theimann: 15 carries, 65 yards, 4.3 yards-per-carry (ypc), 1 TD.
• Ben Madsen: 6 carries, 59 yards, 9.8 ypc, 2 TDs.
• Chris Neumann: 3 carries, 36 yards, 12.0 ypc.
• Shane Cory: 1 carry, 75 yards, 1 TD.
• Jared Kadrie: 1 carry, 0 yards.
• Cory Dammann: 1 carry, 0 yards.
Receiving
• Brandon Schaust: 2 receptions, 65 yards, 32.5 yards-per-reception, 1 TD.
• Scott Theimann: 1 reception, 2 yards.
Defense
• Eric Eiden: 1 fumble recovery.

Football back in Winsted Friday

Aaron Schultz — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:24:01 +0000

By Aaron Schultz
Sports Editor
WINSTED, MN – It may have taken over two years, but high school varsity football will be coming back to Winsted Friday, Oct. 10.
That is when the Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity football team will be hosting Providence Academy in Minnesota Christian Athletic Association play at 7 p.m.
This game is a big one, and not just because of the two-year hiatus Weinbeck Field in Winsted has experienced from varsity football.
Providence Academy and LP/HT are the lone two undefeated teams in the MCAA, and the winner will lock up at least a share of the conference championship.
It is also Holy Trinity’s homecoming football game, something they didn’t have last year.
The reason? The field was getting a make-over.
The last time a varsity football game was played at Weinbeck Field was Oct. 6, 2006, when the then Holy Trinity Trojans hosted Hills-Beaver Creek/Ellsworth in a 9-man regular season match-up.
That night was one to forget for Holy Trinity, as they fell 62-6.
In fact, 2006 was the final year that Holy Trinity was on their own in sports, as the following fall they paired with Lester Prairie.
Thanks to the pairing, Weinbeck Field wasn’t needed in 2007, and that was a definite good thing, as the field was pretty beat up and needed to be fixed, which is was.
Following the fix-up, the field received an entire year off to get back into shape.
However, this won’t be the first football game played on the field this fall, as junior high and junior varsity games for LP/HT have been played at Weinbeck Field.
Still, bringing a varsity football game back to Weinbeck is something that was in the cards since the field was fixed, and will complete the transition for the field.
The 2006 season was a tough one for Holy Trinity, as they went winless on the gridiron, at home and on the road.
Going back to 2005 and prior, Weinbeck Field was a very good home field for Holy Trinity, as they won their final game there in 2005, beating Isle 46-20 Oct. 25 in the opening round of the Section 4, 9-man playoffs.
In 2005, Holy Trinity was 5-0 on their home field, and let’s all hope that kind of home field advantage carries over to this Friday, when LP/HT hosts Providence Academy with a conference championship on the line.
Prior to the game Friday, Holy Trinity will be selling grilled hamburgers, grilled hotdogs, and walking tacos prior to the game at Weinbeck, starting at 5 p.m.