SPORTS FEEVER by Chris Fee of KROX Radio – chrisjfee@yahoo.com
Welcome to another edition of the Sports Feever column as playoffs begin next week for Boys Tennis, Softball, and Track and Field!! Good luck to all teams and athletes!!
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The Section 8AA Softball Tournament seeding by QRF will be on Saturday, May 17 with the first round of the Section 8AA tournament starting on Tuesday, May 20.
The top two seeds will get a bye in the first round and the rest play.
Section 8AA Standings
| Team | Section | Overall | QRF Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawley | 11-1 | 18-1 | 111.4 |
| Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton | 10-2 | 16-2 | 103.5 |
| Menahga | 7-1 | 16-3 | 90.8 |
| Wadena-Deer Creek | 4-2 | 17-2 | 87.9 |
| Roseau | 8-3 | 14-5 | 81.8 |
| East Grand Forks | 3-5 | 12-6 | 73.7 |
| Breckenridge | 4-6 | 8-8 | 67.0 |
| Park Rapids Area | 4-7 | 9-9 | 63.9 |
| Thief River Falls | 3-3 | 6-6 | 61.0 |
| Perham | 3-8 | 7-10 | 55.4 |
| Barnesville | 1-8 | 7-10 | 49.5 |
| Warroad | 2-5 | 7-11 | 45.3 |
| Crookston | 1-6 | 6-13 | 37.5 |
| Ottertail Central | 0-4 | 4-14 | 31.0 |
The Class AA tie-breaker is currently 4.1 points. It is projected to be 4.7 points and the head-to-head tie-breaker margin is 9.4 points.
The top seed will be Hawley as they have the tie-breaker in the conference after beating Staples-Motley.
The second seed will be the winner of DGF and Menagha on Thursday!
It looks like Wadena-Deer Creek will be the fourth seed with Roseau the fifth seed.
The rest of the seeding seems to be up in the air with the only thing that seems certain is Crookston would be 13 seed and Ottertail Central will be 14.
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The Section 8A Softball tournament seeding will be done on Saturday, May 17 with the tournament beginning on Tuesday, May 20.
Section 8A Standings
| Team | Section | Overall | QRF Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Polk | 9-0 | 13-3 | 83.6 |
| BGMR | 6-2 | 13-6 | 77.8 |
| Red Lake Falls | 9-4 | 15-4 | 75.5 |
| Sacred Heart | 9-2 | 11-5 | 69.2 |
| Lake Park-Audubon | 4-2 | 8-5 | 50.2 |
| Mahnomen/Waubun | 6-3 | 10-7 | 48.8 |
| NCE/U-H | 5-5 | 10-10 | 46.2 |
| Bagley | 4-7 | 7-10 | 34.1 |
| West Marshall | 4-9 | 5-11 | 33.9 |
| Lake of the Woods | 4-2 | 7-8 | 31.0 |
| Ada-Borup-West | 3-6 | 3-11 | 28.8 |
| Fertile-Beltrami | 2-8 | 3-12 | 26.0 |
| Northern Freeze | 1-10 | 1-16 | 22.2 |
| Red Lake | 0-2 | 0-7 | 18.1 |
| Clearbrook-Gonvick | 0-4 | 1-7 | 17.1 |
It looks like East Polk will be the top seed after beating RLF and Sacred Heart and they will have a tie-breaker with BGMR with best overall winning percentage.
Things get wild for the 2-4 seed! RLF beat BGMR twice, Sacred Heart split with BGMR, and Sacred Heart beat RLF. So, Red Lake Falls has the tie-breaker with BGMR beating them twice and losing once. Then BGMR will lose to the tie-breaker with Sacred Heart as the Eagles have a better conference record.
So it will possibly go like this –
2. RLF
3. Sacred Heart
4. BGMR
The seeding the rest of the way is still up in the air!
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The Section 8A Boy’s Tennis tourney will begin on Friday with a play-in match before the quarterfinals and semi-finals begin on Monday!
Friday, May 16 – pigtail play-in. (Rain day will be Saturday, May 17th, at the 8th seed) Time for play-in will be agreed upon by both teams. Please let us know the time as we are required to be in attendance.
The tourney will continue at two sites starting Monday at Moorhead Horizon School and Court Plus in Fargo. Monday’s matches will begin at 10:00 am. Lineups will be due 45 minutes prior to first round matches. Please arrive by 9:00 or slightly earlier. Three quarterfinal matches will be played outside at Moorhead courts and one match played indoors at Courts Plus. The number 1 seed will have the first choice of playing indoors. Semi-finals will move indoors also on May 19. (unless we have a beautiful day, and the majority of coaches want to stay outside. If there is a tie, the tournament will be played indoors since courts have been paid for. Both Semi-Final matches will be played at the same site either indoors or outdoors. They will NOT be split. Championship team match is scheduled for Tuesday (May 20) starting at 10:00 am.
Individual play will also begin on Tuesday and will be played indoors after the team championship. Final day (May 21) play (individual tournament) will be played indoors. Weather related decisions will go through Todd Selk the Region 8A Executive Secretary.
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They say it is a small world and the sports world seems to be even smaller.
Fargo Shanley High School Athletic Director is Mark Hollcraft. A former Crookston resident and a great person. He started the job on Monday, July 29, 2024. You wouldn’t be able to find a better A.D. for a Catholic School athletic program.
That said, one of his biggest hires just happened a couple of weeks ago: He hired Hallock native, University of Minnesota Crookston great, and multi-sport athlete (Football and Hockey) Mark Olsonawski to be the Head Boys’ Hockey Coach for Fargo Shanley.
If you’re not familiar, Shanley is in a co-op with Oak Grove Lutheran, Park Christian (in Moorhead), and Capstone Classical Academy beginning this season.
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Speaking of new coaches, the Fertile-Beltrami Falcon Girls Basketball program will have a familiar face as its new head coach as Haley Mosher has been announced the new head coach. Mosher has been an assistant for several years and will replace Kelly Stene.
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Former UMC Women’s Basketball player and Perham High School graduate, Willow Thiel has committed to play basketball at the University of Jamestown next year. The Jimmies will be a member of the NSIC next season.
Kittson County Central Boys Basketball standout Ty Vig has signed to play basketball at M State Fergus Falls. Vig will be playing for former Perham Yellowjacket boys basketball coach Dave Cresap.
Kittson County Central’s Berlyn Strege committed to play volleyball at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND.
West Marshall’s (Warren-Alvarado-Oslo/Stephen-Argyle) Derek Moehrle has committed to play baseball at Mayville State University.
Warren-Alvarado-Oslo’s Kaden Pierce has committed to play basketball at Hastings College next year.
Crookston’s Parker Kelly has been tendered by the Badlands Sabres (Rapid City, SD) of the NAH3L Junior Hockey League.
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Grant Dierkhising has been named the new Head Boys Basketball Coach. The move is pending approval of the 549 Independent School Board, which convenes on May 14.
Dierkhising replaces Kyle Haberman, who recently stepped down as Head Boys Basketball Coach and Social Studies Teacher at Perham High School.
Dierkhising, a Phy-Ed and Health teacher with Perham Public Schools, has served as a longtime assistant coach for former Head Coach Dave Cresap and joined Haberman’s staff as his assistant after he was named head coach. He also serves as a football assistant coach
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The University of Minnesota Crookston women’s basketball team is hosting a pair of Kid’s Camps at Lysaker Gymnasium in June. The Golden Eagles will host a Kid’s Camp for girls entering grades 3-8 June 16-18 and will have a second offering June 30-July 2. The camps will be run by the Minnesota Crookston women’s basketball coaching staff and will run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The cost of the camp is $120.
In addition, the Golden Eagles will host an Elite Camp August 8-9 for girls entering grades 8-12 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Jefferson Activity Center in Bloomington.
If you register for the Kid’s Camp or Elite Camp you can use a special offer to attend a Minnesota Lynx WNBA game August 8 at 6 p.m., against the Washington Mystics. Participants will have the opportunity to shoot a free throw on the court after the game.
To register or for more information on the camps visit https://womensbasketball.
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The Crookston High School Summer Strength and Conditioning program “Powered by Sanford Sports” will be June 2 through August 8. There will be no sessions June 30-July 4 due to the MSHSL blackout week.
For the registration and sign up info, click the following link – Crookston Weights Summer Sign Up — Signup Sheet | SignUp.com
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JOKES
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An old man goes to the Wizard to ask him if he can remove a “Curse” he has been living with for the last 40 years.
The Wizard says “maybe, but you will have to tell me the exact words that were used to put the curse on you.”
The old man says without hesitation “I now pronounce you man and wife”.
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Jack wakes up with a huge hangover after attending his company’s Christmas Party. Jack is not normally a drinker, but the drinks didn’t taste like alcohol at all. He didn’t even remember how he got home from the party. As bad as he was feeling, he wondered if he did something wrong.
Jack had to force himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins next to a glass of water on the side table. And, next to them, a single red rose! Jack sits up and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. He looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, spotlessly clean. So is the rest of the house.
He takes the aspirins, cringes when he sees a huge black eye staring back at him in the bathroom mirror. Then he notices a note hanging on the corner of the mirror written in red with little hearts on it and a kiss mark from his wife in lipstick: “Honey, breakfast is on the stove, I left early to get groceries to make your favorite dinner tonight. I love you, darling! Love, Jillian”
He stumbles into the kitchen and sure enough, there is a hot breakfast, steaming hot coffee, and the morning newspaper all waiting for him. His son is also at the table, eating. Jack asks, “Son… what happened last night?”
“Well, you came home after 3 in the morning, drunk and out of your mind. You fell over the coffee table and broke it, and then you puked in the hallway, and got that black eye when you ran into the door.”
Confused, he asked his son, “So, why is everything in such perfect order and so clean? I have a rose, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?”
His son replies, “Oh THAT! Well, Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your pants off, you screamed,’Leave me alone, I’m married!’”
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How are former Crookston Pirates athletes doing in college or elsewhere?
****LET ME KNOW OF OTHERS TO ADD TO THE LIST. Email me at chrisjfee@yahoo.com
Paul Bittner is an assistant coach on the University of Wisconsin-Superior Men’s Hockey team.
Reese Swanson is a freshman playing hockey at St. Olaf.
Carter Coauette is a freshman playing football at Minot State.
Isabelle Smith is a freshman playing Tennis at Concordia College.
Isaac Thomforde is a freshman playing Tennis at Northwestern College in St. Paul.
Emilee Tate is a Sophomore playing Softball at Northland Community and Technical College.
Halle Bruggeman is a Sophomore on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Women’s Rugby team.
Ethan Boll is a Red-shirt Freshman on the University of North Dakota Football team.
Breanna Kressin is a Junior on the Hockey Cheer Team for THE University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey team.
Jacey Larson is a Sophomore playing hockey at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Aleah Bienek is a Junior playing hockey at Trine University in Indiana.
Joslynn Leach is a Senior playing golf at Concordia College in Moorhead. The Cobbers wrapped up the Fall season.
Brooks Butt is a Junior playing football at the University of Jamestown.
Ty Hamre is redshirt Junior playing football at Bemidji State University.
Elizabeth Erdman is a coach for the Moorhead Red Dragon swim team.
Crookston School District Coaches
Blake Bergeron is the head Pirate Wrestling Coach.
Ben Parkin is the head Pirate Baseball Coach.
Jason Cassavant is a Jr. High Baseball Coach
Amy Boll is the head Pirate Girls Track head coach
Sarah Reese is the Pirate Head Girls Soccer coach
Marley Melbye is an assistant girls golf coach
Connor Morgan is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Ben Trostad is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Ethan Magsam is the Pirate Boys Hockey assistant coach
Chris Dufault is a youth wrestling Coach
Non-Crookston High School coaching/Admin/etc
Elise Tangquist is the Head Girls Golf Coach at Horace High School in Fargo, ND.
Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson is the head Little Falls Volleyball coach.
Tim Desrosier is an Assistant Coach for Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Pony Boys Basketball
Pat Wolfe is the head wrestling coach for Fosston/Bagley.
Austin Sommerfeld is an Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Communication at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.
Collin Reynolds is the head baseball coach for the University of Colorado Buffalo Club Baseball team.
Trent Stahlecker is a School Security Specialist & he works for the Brevard Public Schools, Florida.
Cody Weiland is an assistant wrestling coach at Proctor/Hermantown.
Josh Edlund is the head football coach and phy ed teacher at Flandreau, South Dakota.
Allison Lindsey Axness is Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach at Champlin Park
Jeff Olson is the Head Wrestling Coach and Head Baseball coach at Delano.
Jake Olson is an Assistant Football Coach and Head Boys Tennis coach at Delano.
Matt Harris is an Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Marty Bratrud is the Superintendent and High School Principal at Westhope High School.
Gordie Haug is an assistant football coach at the University of North Dakota.
Mike Hastings is the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s head Hockey coach.
Mike Biermaier is the Athletic Director at Grand Forks Schools.
Stephanie (Lindsay) Perreault works with the North Dakota State stats crew for Bison football, volleyball, and basketball in the winter. Stephanie’s husband, Ryan, is the assistant director for Bison media relations.
Jason Bushie is the hockey athletic trainer at Colorado College.
Chris Myrold is the Director and Fitness at Mission Ranch and Fitness in Camel, California.
Kyle Buchmeier is a Tennis Pro at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis
Jaren Bailey is serving our country and is currently in the Marines’ Boot Camp.
Ben Andringa is serving our country in the Army and is now a Ranger.
Jarrett Butenhoff is serving our country with the U.S. Navy.
Joshua Butenhoff is serving our country on a Submarine with the Pacific Fleet with the US Navy.
Peter Cournia is a 2002 Crookston High School Graduate and a grad of West Point and currently serving in the U.S. Army.
Philip Kujawa class of 2004, from Crookston High School. He is an Army recruiter in Rochester.
Rob Sobolik is the General Manager of the Fargodome
That’s it for this week. Thanks for the comments, and if you have anything to add or share, please e-mail chrisjfee@yahoo.com or call. Thanks for reading and listening to KROX RADIO and kroxam.com.
The post SPORTS FEEVER – May 15, 2025 first appeared on KROX.