WEEKLY ROUNDUP *Eden Prairie, SW Christian finish unbeaten, unfulfilled *Poignant tale of a champ team and unlikely mascot *Mr., Miss Basketball *1,000 pointers updates Volume 25 Issue No. 17 March 21 2019-20 ‘You don’t get this back’ How players, coaches reacted to the bad news By Bruce Strand right now, especially the seniors. You don’t he worldwide outbreak of coro- get this back. This navirus is wreaking such havoc time doesn’t come thatT the first blow to Americans, back. I feel horrible making us go without sports for a for those kids … I un- while, will ultimately be seen as derstand the pandem- just a minor footnote. ic … Human life is more important than Still, young athletes are at the fore- any basketball game.” front of the initial groups having to sacrifice something vital in the ef- Duluth Marshall girls fort to stem to spread of the deadly coach CJ Osuchukwu, novel disease. whose team was about to face Providence On the heels of the NBA and NHL Academy in the Class suspending their seasons, and the 2A semifinals, told NCAA canceling national tourna- Fox 21 TV in Duluth: “I found out when my ments, the Minnesota girls tourna- Gianna Kneepkins and Duluth Marshall ment was halted halfway through, AD called me … We didn’t get to play in the state semifinals. gathered girls in the on Friday, March 13, along with the Bruce Strand, MN Basketball News boys basketball state tournament hallway and we all just and any remaining section finals. of my mind, and was going to make broke down and we re- sure I enjoyed my last game.” alized our season ended … I told Following are some reactions: them it’s just another stepping stone Kris Fadness, Austin boys coach in our lives to make us better people Jalen Suggs, leader of Class 3A’s whose team was to face Albert Lea and we talked about good times, the top-ranked Minnehaha Academy, in the Section 1AAA title game, good things, having the most wins which beat Tonino-Grace for the told the Austin Herald: in our school history first win in a section championship, and was state tournament, first time here in pursuing their fourth consecutive “They’re teenagers, they’re emo- 20 years.” state title, told the Star-Tribune: tionally invested and they’ve worked their whole lives to be in Tyler Kaus, coach of the Water- “When the NCAA and NBA were a position where they can get to a ville-Elysian-Morrristown girls, in shut down, I couldn’t help but think state tournament and make a name state for the first time and in the high school was next. I started the for themselves …. I feel bad for the semifinals, got the news via phone game really slow because I had it Albert Lea kids, I feel bad for the just before the team left their hotel. in my head that this was possibly Mayo kids and I feel bad for every He told the Mankato Free Press: my last game. I eventually got it out team and every boy and girl athlete Pacesetter Newsletter Minnesota Basketball News March 21 Page 2 ‘Would have been happy to play in an empty gym.’ “After they put the restrictions in place, I thought we’d bus for the Class 2A semifinals when she got the bad play. We were ready to go … The kids took it pretty news via twitter on teammate Rachel Breck’s phone, tough. I think we all were in shock. We still are. The told the Mankato Free Press: “It was tough; we shed kids have put a lot of time and effort to get where we a few tears. We brought the rest of the girls off the bus are. To have it end so abruptly, it was disappointing.” and told them. The we all decided we need to go some- where and just be together … We had so much confi- Mike Hepola, coach of the Henning girls, who quali- dence going into that game. We accomplished so much fied for state for the first time and reached the semifi- this season, so that helps us get through this. We did nals, told the Star-Tribune: “It was a crashing end to some amazing things. Nobody can take that away from an unbelievable winter season in Henning We’re 29-2, us.” and don’t even have the best record in the school. It was a special season for us.” Seth Anderson, Waseca boys coach, whose team was Class 3A runner-up last year, and had reached the Sec- The Henning boys, defending state Class 1A champs, tion 2AA finals against Jordan, told the Mankato Free were 29-1 and had won their section again, but would Press: not have the chance to defend the state title. Henning boys coach Randy Misegades told the Star-Tribune: “I was concerned that maybe the state tournament “Both teams had high hopes in the state tournament. wouldn’t get played, but you still hold out hope. Any We told our players to play the section championship time your season ends, it’s emotional, but it usually just like it was the state championship because we ends with a loss … People have said, ‘You have a lot of might not get another chance this year. Unfortunately, juniors. You’ll still go next year.’ But it doesn’t work we got that news Friday. It was a bizarre day.” that way. We really thought we had a good shot at win- ning a state championship this season, and those type Minneota girls coach Chad Johnston said the team of teams don’t come along very often. I feel bad for the found out in the locker room at state shortly before kids. They’ve put a lot of work into (basketball) and they were to take the court against Waterville-Elysian- sacrificed a lot to be in this position.” Morristown. He told the Marshall Independent: “I went and told the girls and they thought I was joking Alan Woitas, coach of the New Ulm Cathedral boys, … (Senior leader) Morgan Hennen took it hard right who had reached section finals (against Springfield) away and then some of the other players looked at her for the first time since 1999, told the Free Press: “These and saw the gravity of the situation … For us it just af- kids would have been happy to play in an empty gym. fected a game, but for a lot of others it’s affecting their They just wanted to play … I understand the decision, jobs, families and livelihood. It just hit her a little bit but it’s a lost opportunity for the kids. As a coach, that’s harder because she was really determined and wanted probably the toughest conversation I’ve ever had with to shine here at state.” the players.” Marshall boys coach Travis Carroll, whose Tigers beat Esko boys coach Derek Anderson, whose team was to No. 2 Mankato East for the Section 2AAA title Thurs- meet Pierz in the Section 7AA finals, learned Thursday day evening, told the Marshall Independent: “On that just a small number of fans would be allowed to at- Thursday we knew that they were going to be making tend the finals, but assumed the game would be played. adjustments to the tournament and understood there was a possibility of having the state tournament can- He told Fox 21 TV in Duluth: “We had gotten our list celed. I feel bad for the kids, but this is out of our con- put together of the people who would be able to at- trol and there are going to be situations in life where tend, obviously family members of the team, and then that happens … I thought they handled it well, just like everything escalated pretty quickly and when we got how they handled the whole season well. They did an here we found out … They won their last game, were amazing job of working together and were committed looking forward to playing the next one, and then to to the team and were rewarded to end their season and just be done, that is a tough thing to happen to them, careers with a section championship.” especially for seniors who put so much time since el- ementary school until now, and don’t get to go out on Waseca’s Hannah Potter, who was about to board the the court one more time.” Pacesetter Newsletter Minnesota Basketball News March 21 Page 3 Virus attack Team Minnesota: Defend! By Jeff McCarron should be acting like YOU HAVE IT. And you should chose the above title because there has never been a be acting like EVERY PERSON YOU MEET HAS IT. time in my memory that it is more important for MIN- NESOTAI to unite as ONE people. And I chose “De- Please get this message to everyone you know. Only fend!” to take a sports term to get into people’s mind, then will we be able to stop this virus from reaching heart and fiber – to stop this virus in its tracks! the weakest and dearest in our state – our grandpar- ents, our disabled, our compromised – even kids with Yes, I’m talking to YOU. underlying issues. Not being able to provide respira- tors to all would be heart-wrenching. These precious You may have learned something in sports – no mat- people are dying by the hundreds (over 700 in the last ter what level you feel you are playing, there is always two days) in Italy now.