In this week’s edition of Lots O’Stuff we run through some highlights of the winter sports schedule and take a look at a few former area student-athletes.
Winter sports seasons in the area get going in full gear this week.
By next week at this time, every Jackson County Central and Martin County West winter sports team except one will have competed at least once. As far as the Windom Area hockey teams, which include JCC student-athletes, the Eagle girls have already played four games and the boys open Thursday.
The varsity schedules for JCC and MCW were sent in newsletters earlier this evening.
After condensed schedules last season, things largely return to where they were in 2019-20.
Here’s a few highlights:
JCC
Girls basketball: Coach Rafe York’s team opens its season Tuesday in Slayton vs. Murray County Central, one of six new teams on the schedule. Other new teams are Waseca, Westbrook-Walnut Grove, Minnewaska Area, Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey and Tri-City United. The Huskies host Caledonia this season after beating the Warriors 78-76 on the road in 2020. Girl-boy doubleheaders are back on the schedule, but there only three of them as of now. Both Luverne dates are doubleheaders and there is also a doubleheader at Estherville Lincoln Central. JCC returns to the Blue Earth Area Holiday Tournament Dec. 29-30 with the host Buccaneers, Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain and United South Central.
Gymnastics: JCC’s first eight gymnastics meets are on the road, starting Friday at St. James Area. Abby Schneekloth’s team only competes at home three times and they’re in consecutive meets. They’re scheduled to host the Sweetheart Invitational on Jan. 15 and then duals vs. Luverne Jan. 18 and Pipestone Jan. 28.
Wrestling: Regular-season tournaments are back on the schedule and Nate Hanson’s team starts its season at a new event, competing at the 12-team Glencoe-Silver Lake tourney Saturday. The Huskies are entered in some other big tournaments. They’ll host the 20-team tournament Pizza Ranch Invitational on Dec. 11, go to the 65-team Rumble on the Red in Fargo Dec. 29-30 and travel to The Clash, which has 32 teams, on Jan. 7-8 in Rochester. JCC was third in the initial Class 1A ratings by The Guillotine. The Huskies host No. 6 Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City on Jan. 25 and face both No. 2 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and No. 10 Long Prairie-Grey Eagle in Belgrade on Feb. 11.
Boys basketball: Alex Hein’s team opens Tuesday, Dec.7 in the back end of a doubleheader at Luverne. JCC has some new opponents on the regular-season schedule in Westbrook-Walnut Grove, St. Peter, Southwest Minnesota Christian, Minnewaska Area and Tri-City United. The Huskies beat Minnewaska in the Section 3AA championship game in 2020. Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey is back on the schedule for the first time since the 2012-13 season. JCC returns to the Blue Earth Area Holiday Tournament Dec. 29-30 with the host Buccaneers, Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain and United South Central.
Gitrls hockey: The Windom Area girls are 1-4 to start the season with losses to Minnesota River, Luverne and Austin before a 7-0 win at Waseca. Coach Bill Fredin’s team plays its next four on the road before hosting Rochester Century on Saturday, Dec. 11. The Eagles are not in a holiday tournament but do play at Mankato West on Dec. 28.
Boys hockey: Windom Area’s boys open at Waconia Thursday and then have their home opener at 3 p.m. Saturday vs. Austin. Travis Janssen’s team plays in a holiday tournament in Little Falls along with the host Flyers, Northern Lakes and Wadena-Deer Creek. Windom Area plays Rochester Lourdes on Saturday, Jan. 15 in Rochester. Windom graduate Zach Bartosh is an assistant coach at Lourdes.
MCW
Girls basketball: Coach Rodger Taylor’s team opens at home in Sherburn Tuesday with a Valley Conference game vs. Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial. Conference teams have home-and-home dates scheduled vs. each of the other seven teams in the conference this season. In a scheduling quirk, the Mavericks play Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons on consecutive nights, meeting in Sherburn on Jan, 20 and Glenville on Jan. 21. MCW doesn’t play in a holiday tournament but does play at Cleveland on Dec. 30. Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop is on the Mavericks’ schedule for the first time since the 2008-2009 season.
Gymnastics: The Martin County Area Magic gymnasts at their home at Live Fit in Fairmont Tuesday with a dual vs. Windom/Mountain Lake. Annelene Post’s team has six of its first eight meets at home, including a five-team meet with Blue Earth Area, Jackson County Central, Luverne and Waseca on Saturday, Jan. 8.
Boys basketball: The MCW boys also open the season with a conference game, hosting Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Friday in Trimont. Cliff Anderson’s team will see at least one of the schools that reached last April’s state Class 1A tournament championship game and could see both. The Mavericks host Hayfield on Feb. 18 and before that play in the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Invite Dec. 28-29. The other state tourney finalist, Hancock, is in that tourney along with Benson and the host Knights. Also new to the schedule is Spring Grove, which will visit Trimont on Jan. 21.
Wrestling: The Martin County Red Bulls open in Blue Earth Saturday at the Dick Maher tournament. Other tournaments for Martin County are at the JCC tourney on Dec. 11, the Redwood River Riot in Redwood Falls on Dec. 17-18, Tri-City United Jan. 8, the Big South Conference tourney in St. James Jan. 15 and the Valley Conference Duals on Feb. 8 in St. Clair. The first home date for Adam Williamson’s team is a triangular vs. Worthington and Fulda/Murray County Central on Jan. 7.
Jackson County Central graduate Rudy Voss saw some playing time at quarterback for the Jackrabbits in their 56-24 win over UC Davis in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Saturday at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings.
SDSU (9-3) advances to meet fourth-seeded Sacramento State at 8 p.m. Central next Saturday in Sacramento, The Hornets had a first-round bye.
Martin County West grad Alyssa Williamson had four points, four rebounds and two steals in a 75-71 overtime MIAC women’s basketball win at Saint Mary’s Saturday. The Pipers (2-2) host Bethel Wednesday and St. Olaf Saturday.
Hanna Geistfeld of Truman was named the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week in women's basketball. She averaged 24.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game at the North Park tournament. She shot 59 percent and added seven assists and three steals. It’s her second honor this season and the eighth of her career.
Nationally in NCAA Division III, Geistfeld is first in field goals (60), second in points (157), seventh in free throws (33), 15th in scoring (22.4 PPG) and 16th in rebounds (62).
Hobie Hedquist of Heron Lake split a pair of decisions in goal this weekend for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. He made 26 saves in a 4-2 win over the Victoria Grizzlies Friday and 20 in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Langley Rivermen Saturday.
Hedquist is on the ballot to fill a remaining roster spots for the Jan. 15 outdoor 3-on-3 All-Star tournament in Penticton, B.C. You can go here to vote:
https://bchl.ca/fanvote