Speaking of Sports

By John Fragodt, Sports Reporter

With the ending of September, it’s also the time to begin thinking about playoff possibilities.

•  The girls tennis team will be the first to commence with playoffs.  The Lakers were 11-7 overall to close out the regular-season.  NLS and Osakis should be the top two seeds, but Minnewaska has a chance at the third seed.  Minnewaska Area has only one senior on this year’s team, which just earned a 9th-straight conference title.  The Lakers might not win the section title this year, but they should have a great chance the next few years.

•  The soccer playoffs, which begin Oct. 10, are up next and for soccer, Minnewaska (4-4-4 record) plays in the 10-team Section 8A, which includes St. Cloud Cathedral (14-0), one of the top five teams in the state.

It’s a logjam after the Crusaders, but the Lakers should have a great chance at getting a top-four seed.  A recent loss to St. John’s Prep could keep the team from a first-round playoff game at home, unless the Lakers can win two of their final three regular-season games.  Among the leaders for the team are Connor Quelle, Blake Nelson, Ryan Greseth, Thomas Poegel and goalie Tenzin Dahl.

•  In cross-country, the Laker girls advanced to state two years ago, but were denied a second-straight state trip when the Lakers were edged by WDC for second place last fall behind perennial cross-country power Staples-Motley.  This year, the competition will be just as close, but the Lakers are hoping to sneak into the top two to earn another state berth for the girls.

Seventh-graders Jillian Deutsch and Nori Song have been welcome additions to the girls’ team this year and might be just enough to lift the Lakers to a state berth.  Lauryn Ankeny and Maeson Tank also advanced to state last year individually, and both should have great chances at getting back to state again this year individually . . . that is, if the teams don’t qualify.

•  The volleyball team plays in Section 6AA this year, which includes 14 teams.  Pequot Lakes (10-2) and Albany (17-3) are the current top-two teams, but there are eight other teams also with winning records, including the Lakers at 8-6.

As things stand right now, the Lakers would be seeded 10th and play at seventh-seeded Melrose (12-6) in the opening round with the winner playing second-seeded Albany or Pequot Lakes.  The Lakers have a great team this year, including two of the best all-around players this sportswriter has seen in Avery Fier and Dreya Barsness.

PL (11-2 record) is ranked fourth in the QRF standings and lost a five-game match earlier this fall to Albany (18-3), which is ranked third in the state QRF.  It’s interesting to note that if the Lakers had stayed in Section 3AA, they would have possibly been seeded third in the north half and played EV-Watkins (3-16) in the opener.  So much for an easier section? . . .

•  For football, the Lakers are currently 1-3 and in fifth place of the six teams in Section 6AAA.  Albany (4-1) is the top seed, while NLS (2-2), Sauk Centre (2-3) and Montevideo (3-2) are the current second through fourth seeds, Minnewaska is 1-4 and Melrose is 0-5.

If the Lakers can beat Montevideo and Melrose in their last three games, the Lakers could earn at least the fourth seed and a possible game at home to open up the playoffs against the Thunderhawks, Sauk Centre, or Melrose Dutchmen.

Looking at some of the other sections, Section 5AAA is interesting in that Annandale is 5-0, one team is 3-2, one is 2-3 and the remaining five teams are all 1-4 or worse.  Looks like a battle to see who faces Annandale in the playoff opener.  Section 2AAA meanwhile, looks like one of the stronger sections in the state with Dassel-Cokato (4-1), Water-Mayer (4-1), Litchfield (4-1) and Rockford (4-1) the top four teams.

A couple tough sections in AA are Section 5AA where EVW (5-0), Holdingford (4-1), KMS (5-0) and Kimball Area (4-1) hold down the top four spots, and Section 1AA where Chatfield (5-0) and Caledonia (5-0) are the top two seeds and also the top two Class AA teams in the state.  What’s this; Section 6AA has only five teams; Osakis (4-1), Staples-Motley (4-1), Pillager (3-2), WDC (1-4) and Menahga (1-4).  That looks like the section for me.