With the spring sports season for Jackson County Central coming to an end with Ben Dahlin’s participation in the state track and field meet, it’s time to look forward a little more than two months to the start of the fall season.
The first events of the fall are scheduled for Aug. 23 for cross country, Aug. 24 for volleyball and Aug. 30 for football.
The opener for the cross country teams is again the Fairmont Earlybird Invitational held at Fairmont High School on Friday, Aug. 23.
The Huskies will host their nine-team home meet on Thursday, Sept. 19 at Jackson Golf Club. This year’s Section 3A meet is in Luverne on Oct. 24.
For the volleyball team, the opener is at home on Saturday, JCC hosts part of the Big South Conference Crossover. Rather than playing all of the matches at one site, three matches are scheduled for Jackson and four for New Ulm.
The Huskies will play BSC newcomer Tri-City United at 1 p.m.
Here’s the schedule for both sites:
BSC Volleyball Crossover
At Jackson
Worthington vs. St. James Area, 10 a.m.
Windom vs. St. Peter, 11:30 a.m.
Jackson County Central vs. Tri-City United, 1 p.m.
St. Peter vs. TBA
At New Ulm
Redwood Valley vs. Fairmont, 10 a.m.
Marshall vs. Belle Plaine, 11:30 a.m.
Pipestone vs. Waseca, 1 p.m.
Luverne vs, New Ulm, 2:30 p.m.
A new opponent for the volleyball team this season is Mayer Lutheran.
The Huskies will meet the Crusaders at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3 at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. JCC graduate Pat Garvin is co-Athletic Director and men’s basketball coach at BLC and his wife, Lindsey, is a former JCC volleyball player.
Mayer Lutheran has played in the state Class A championship match each of the last three years, winning one title. The Crusaders have been in the state tournament 17 times and won titles in 1982, 2016, 2017 and 2021.
One thing that stands out on the football schedule is the lack of games played under the Friday night lights. The Huskies have four Friday night regular-season games and only one of those is at Swearingen Field.
The lone Friday game at Swearingen Field at this point is Sept. 6 vs. Worthington.
The next two home games are scheduled for a 2 p.m. start on a Saturday, vs. Le Sueur-Henderson on Sept. 21 and vs. Minnesota Valley Lutheran on Oct. 5.
It doesn’t appear to be official, but the LSH game seems the likely choice to be homecoming because the volleyball team is out of town when the Huskies host MVL.
In 2023, multiple injuries resulted in LSH forfeiting a game to Jackson County Central during the regular season and the Giants also opted out of the Section 3AA playoffs. That dropped the number of teams in the section to seven and resulted in JCC receiving a first-round bye.
Here are the schedules for each Jackson County Central team:
JCC cross country
Friday, Aug. 23: at Fairmont, 9:30 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 26: at Marshall, TBA
Friday, Aug. 30: at Mountain Lake, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 5: at Tri-City United, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 12: at New London-Spicer, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 19: JCC Invitational, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 24: at Murray County Central, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 3: at Fairmont, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 8: at Adrian/Ellsworth, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 15: Big South Conference, Blue Earth, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 24: Section 3A, Luverne
Saturday, Nov. 2: State meet, U of M Golf Course
JCC Invitational teams: Blue Earth Area, Heron Lake-Okabena, Jackson County Central, Luverne, Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther, Maple River, Martin County West/Butterfield-Odin, Windom, Worthington.
JCC volleyball
Saturday, Aug. 24: Tri-City United, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 27: at Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda (Okabena), 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 3: Mayer Lutheran at Bethany Lutheran, 5 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 5: Worthington, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 10: Redwood Valley, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 12: at Pipestone, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 14: Carolyn Hummel Invitational, 9 a.m. (list below)
Thursday, Sept. 19: at Sioux Falls Christian, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 24: at Luverne, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 26: at Marshall, 7:15 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 30: at Estherville Lincoln Central, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 1: at St. James Area, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 3: at Adrian/Ellsworth, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 4: at Class AA Showcase, Burnsville
Saturday, Oct. 5: at Class AA Showcase, Burnsville
Tuesday, Oct. 8: Windom, 7 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 14: at Fairmont, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 15: Big South Conference championship
Friday, Oct. 25: Section 3AA, high seed
Tuesday, Oct. 29: Section 3AA, high seed
Thursday, Oct. 31: Section 3AA, TBA
Saturday, Nov. 2: Section 3AA, SMSU
Nov. 6-9: State tournament, Xcel Energy Center
Carolyn Hummel Invitational teams: Austin, Estherville Lincoln Central, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda, Jackson County Central, Luverne, Martin County West, New Ulm, Red Rock Central, Triton, Windom, Worthington.
JCC football
Friday, Aug. 30: at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 6: Worthington, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 13: at Blue Earth Area, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 21: Le Sueur-Henderson, 2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 27: at Redwood Valley, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 5: Minnesota Valley Lutheran, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 10: at Luverne, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 16: Pipestone, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct 22: Section 3AA quarterfinals, high seed, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct 26: Section 3AA semifinals, high seed, TBA
Friday, Nov 1: Section 3AA finals at SMSU, TBA
Thursday, Nov 7: State quarterfinals, TBA
Thursday, Nov 14: State semifinals, U.S. Bank Stadium, TBA
Friday, Nov 29: Prep Bowl, US Bank Stadium, 1 p.m.
Football fund-raiser
On the topic of JCC football, the Huskies football program will hold its third annual golf tournament Saturday, June at Jackson Golf Club.
Check-in is at 2:30 p.m., with a shotgun start at 3 p.m.
The cost is $200 per four-person team which includes meals. Tickets for the meal only are $10.
For registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact Nolan Schuller at 507-841-1155 or schuller@alumni.uni.edu
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