BRAINERD WARRIORS

Maya Tautges, Warriors silence Lumberjacks in Section 8-4A Tournament

Jeremy Millsop — Fri, 23 May 2025 02:47:42 GMT

BRAINERD — Mya Tautges was a walk away from a perfect game.

The senior pitcher was her stellar self as she struck out 13 Bemidji Lumberjack batters to lead the third-seeded Brainerd Warriors to a 10-0, six-inning victory over the No. 6 Lumberjacks Thursday, May 22, during the Section 8-4A Quarterfinals.

Tautges needed just 83 pitches for the complete-game victory. She threw 53 of those for strikes. Tautges now has 200 strikeouts for the season.

“She does what she always does,” Warriors head coach Shane Jordan said. “She hits her spots well. Her change-up is her key. If she can throw her change-up around the plate for strikes, she is almost unhittable. Change-up is key for her and she’s always been good at hitting her spots.

It was a small strike zone to start the game, which is fine, because I think it helps her narrow her focus and she did a heck of a job today.”

After letting her defense get the first two outs, Tautges struck out three straight before walking Ridley Hadrava. She was the only base runner Bemidji could produce. Tautges then silenced the Lumberjacks’ bats for the final 13 outs.

The lefty batter was equally effective on the base paths as she drew an intentional walk in the first inning and then stole second and third before scoring on a wild pitch.

Macy Goral walked as well and scored on consecutive errors. Bemidji finished with six errors, which didn’t help Lumberjack pitcher Karley LaZella. The sophomore struck out six, but allowed 10 runs, two earned, on seven hits and three walks.

“They saved her on Friday (Brainerd defeated Bemidji 13-1 Friday, May 16),” Jordan said. “We saw a different pitcher, so we were kind of excited for that. We enjoy the challenge. She’s a good pitcher, but our confidence is sky high. We want the best from everybody. We’ve said that all year. We tried to play good competition because we want to see the best. We don’t think there is anybody out there that is better than what we’ve seen.”

Brainerd doubled its score in the third when Ruthie Owen reached on an error and scored on Ari Halbert’s single. Jaycee Carlson then drove in Joze Tautges, who finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Carlson went 1 for 3 with two RBIs.

“I’d say my confidence is pretty high, just considering at the start of the year to now, I feel like I’ve just grown,” Carlson said. “(Shane) Jordan definitely helps with it, too. He has so much confidence in us when we’re up to bat. It’s been good.”

Mya Tautges walked again in the fourth and stole second. She then scored on an error in left field.

Joze Tautges led off the fifth by getting on base and her courtesy runner scored on a ground ball for a 6-0 advantage.

“We were just getting the ball in play and that’s so important,” Carlson said. “Every ball in play is just another chance for an error by the other team. We have some really good hitters on the team. Ari can just smack them out there, the same with Ruthie and Mya. Then we have base hitters so we can make things happen.”

Ericah Folden led off the sixth with a single. Mya Tautges reached on an error and Goral moved both over with a sacrifice bunt. Owen knocked one run in, and Taytum Goble singled in Mya Tautges. Joze Tautges singled in Goble before Halbert smashed a shot inches from her third home run of the season to end the game.

“I think we did everything well today,” Jordan said. “We pitched well. We hit well. We ran the bases well. I think it was our most complete game of the season. We’ve had games where we’ve gotten breaks, like maybe the other team had an error, but we didn’t get a timely hit. We talked about that lately and we got timely hitting today."

Bemidji will host seventh-seeded Sauk Rapids-Rice at 2:30 p.m. on Friday at the BHS softball field.

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Bemidji walks off Brainerd in unforgettable fashion to advance in Section 8-4A Tournament

Jared Rubado — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 20:18:21 GMT

BEMIDJI — The impeccable timing of JD Wood’s game-tying double in the bottom of the sixth inning cannot be understated.

The Bemidji High �� baseball sophomore has taken most of his cuts on the junior varsity team. But with the Lumberjacks trailing 7-5 against eighth-seeded Brainerd in a Section 8-4A Tournament elimination game, Wood was called on to pinch-hit with the tying runs in scoring position.

Wood took an outside pitch from Keaton Lingenfelter and drove it to the left-centerfield gap to tie the game at 7-7.

“I had a situation in East Grand Forks, and I didn’t pull through,” Wood said. “In this big situation, I was having flashbacks of that. You just have to go up there and swing the bat and get a couple of runs in.”

If that hit had come any later on Thursday evening, it wouldn’t have come at all.

Per the MSHSL rulebook, section tournament games do not have a seven-inning requirement regardless of weather conditions. So when the thunderstorms rolled through Bemidji 10 minutes after Wood’s clutch double, suspending the game until Saturday at noon, BHS caught the most fortunate of breaks.

“When we got to the top of the fifth, we talked to the guys about them understanding that they’re behind by more than just two runs,” head coach Jim Grimm said. “They might not get the opportunity to have some seventh-inning magic because the umpires had the power to call the game early (if it wasn’t tied). We needed to play with a sense of urgency and not coast through these innings. We pulled a rabbit out of our hat just in time.”

A similar situation happened on Memorial Day in New Prague.

No. 7 Rochester Century trailed second-seeded New Prague 2-1 going into the top of the sixth inning in a Section 1-4A Tournament contest. The Panthers thought they had tied the game when Sam Johnston delivered an RBI single. Century had runners at first and third and was poised to take the lead with just one out.

Then it rained.

Officials determined the game could not be finished on Monday night and there was no reasonably logistical way to continue the playoff game at a later time or date. In this instance, being the two teams had already completed five innings – enough to qualify as a completed game by MSHSL standards – the sixth inning was wiped from the game. New Prague was awarded a 2-1 win in five innings despite Centruy tying the game in the sixth inning.

So, if Thursday’s Bemidji weather had arrived 10 minutes earlier and Wood never stepped up to the plate, or if the sixth inning was never officially competed, officials could have – and likely would have – ruled Brainerd the winner in six innings, effectively ending the Lumberjacks’ season. It would’ve been like Wood’s tying double never happened.

But the rain held off just long enough.

Kobe Brown, who was pinch-hit for by Wood in the sixth, re-entered the game in the top of the seventh as a pitcher. He retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout, sending the Jacks to the bottom of the inning with the top of the order due up in a tie game.

“My dad is crazy about baseball and the weird rules like that,” Wood said. “He’s a big baseball guy and he thinks of all of these situations. He was telling me about how big that spot was that I was in after the game. It’s just a crazy, crazy story. I don’t think I’ll forget this game.”

Two days later, the game resumed, and Bemidji had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Atreyu Marcelo induced a flyout to get out of the inning and force an eighth.

Brown returned to the mound on Saturday, retiring the side in order on just nine pitches.

“Kobe has been a tough pitcher for us all year,” Grimm said. “If he gets past the first batter and has a little confidence, he’s good to go. Once he got the first out today, I knew we’d have to give them something to lose this game.”

Brown reached base with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning on a single. He stole second base, then took third on an errant throw down to second.

In stepped Gavin Kapaun, who drew a 3-0 count before blasting a double to deep centerfield to walk off Brainerd.

“I don’t think I had the green light,” Kapaun quipped. “I think if that ball gets caught I’m in big trouble. … I was just trying to put a good swing on it. It was a weird game, but we got the job done. We get to play another day. That means a lot to us.”

Grimm was excited to see his senior step up to the plate in another big spot.

“Gavin absolutely loves batting ninth,” Grimm said. “We started batting him ninth because he has a good bat and we don’t have an automatic out at the bottom of our lineup. He got a couple of hits, and he actually texted me asking if he could keep batting ninth. He likes it there. He embraces his role and does the best he can with it. We were fortunate he came up to the plate in that spot.”

The top of the first inning wasn’t ideal for the Jacks on Thursday. Bemidji committed three errors — two throwing and one fielding — through the first five batters starting pitcher Jack Lundquist faced. The Warriors plated their first two runs via errors before Brannon Amundson’s RBI single made it 3-0.

Brainerd loaded the bases with two outs but a fly out to Kapaun in right field ended the inning and halted any further damage. Despite allowing just two hits and a walk, Lundquist was tagged for three runs — all unearned.

The Lumberjacks were the beneficiary of Brainerd’s fielding mishaps in the bottom of the frame. The Jacks brought home two runs on an error and a single before the game was paused for a 20-minute rain delay.

Bemidji tied the game at 3-3 on a two-out RBI single from Reece Dokken. Brainerd catcher Griff Bartholomaus threw out Dokken at second base on an attempted steal to end the inning.

The Warriors tacked on three more runs in the second inning on two more errors and a fielder’s choice. Brown drove in a run for Bemidji on a fielder’s choice before Fisher Ganske cut the lead to 6-5 on a Brainerd throwing error on an attempted steal of third.

After a chaotic first two innings, the next three were scoreless. Lingenfelter gave himself a necessary insurance run in the top of the sixth with an RBI single before Wood tied the game in the bottom of the frame, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion on Saturday.

“It’s a complicated game, mentally,” Grimm said. “You’re excited to get the chance to come out here and win the game right away. You have to be careful that if you don’t score right away you don’t have a mental letdown. Good for them for keeping their wits about them and staying up the whole time.”

Bemidji 8, Brainerd 7 (F/8)

BRD 330 001 00 – 7-6-7

BHS 320 002 01 – 8-10-6

WP: Brown (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)

LP: Marcelo (1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

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Long ball lifts Brainerd over Bemidji in 8-4A softball 1st round

Jeremy Millsop — Thu, 23 May 2024 03:27:08 GMT

BRAINERD — With two outs and two strikes, Ericah Folden singled in the bottom of the fourth.

The pitch prior could have easily been called a strike, but Folden hung tough and collected her first hit of the Section 8-4A Quarterfinal on Wednesday, May 22, at Adamson Field.

After Folden’s single, the No. 2-seeded Brainerd High �� softball team erupted for eight runs and went on to top the seventh-seeded Bemidji Lumberjacks 10-0 to advance in the winner’s bracket.

“We’ve talked about two-strike hitting for the last month,” Warriors head coach Shane Jordan said. “From a coaching standpoint, that’s huge that they bought into the two-strike swing and just putting the ball in play and trusting that every one of those girls has great swings. Everyone worked hard to put themselves into positions in the batter’s box to be successful. Scoring a whole bunch of runs with two outs is kind of a coach's dream.”

Folden’s single was followed by a Macy Goral single and an RBI single from Emily Rademacher. Mya Tautges was intentionally walked to load the bases and Elsa Borchert reached on an error to score two runs. Maren Ceynowa doubled to score Tautges and Borchert, and Lacy Busch made it 8-0 with a blast over the left-center field fence.

“I didn’t realize it was gone,” Busch said of her home run. “I thought it was right to the centerfielder. I thought it was right to her. It felt good. It was a good fourth inning. We were all super strong and we were all confident.”

Busch’s blast was followed by Ruthie Owen’s home run for a 9-0 score after four innings.

“It felt great,” Busch said. “That was so unexpected, I would say because we were just trying to get it in play. The dugout was awesome. We were just cheering and being loud. I know both of our home runs felt good.”

Brainerd was held scoreless in the fifth, but Busch led off the sixth with a single. Ebanni Moore courtesy ran for her and scored on another Folden single to end the game.

“We came in after two tough losses, but I thought our girls did a good job of knowing what we needed to do to be better,” Jordan said. “They understood our ultimate goal was still ahead of us and that is the playoffs. Our last two practices were our best two practices of the year. Credit goes to the girls. They worked hard in practice and are doing all the little things it takes to win softball games.”

The Warriors’ first run came in the third when Tautges led off with a double and scored on Ceynowa’s single. Ceynowa finished 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a run. Folden went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run and Busch was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run. Tautges went 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored and a double.

She also pitched the victory. She struck out 10 in six innings and scattered three hits and one walk.

Tautges struck out all three batters in the third and had a no-hitter going until Aleah Shogren led off the fourth with a single. Shogren was later thrown out trying to steal. Mya Schmidt singled in the fifth and made it to second. Matjea Malterud singled to lead off the sixth but was called out because of runner interference attempting to reach third base. The play was called dead after the interference and Shogren was given first base despite not beating the throw.

“We made a few nice plays in the field,” Jordan said. “Maren made a really nice play to her left and made a nice play to her right kind of behind her. Our defense was good and Mya pitched really well.”

A Tautges strikeout ended the sixth inning and the Lumberjacks’ chances to put up a run.

The Warriors topped the Lumberjacks 2-0 and 10-6 during a doubleheader sweep April 11.

“It’s nice to get this win and get it done fast,” Busch said. “We’re all just super happy and excited for what’s next. We just need to come out with the same attitudes and same confidence and how we are mentally and do this again tomorrow.”

Brainerd 10, Bemidji 0

BEM 000 000 — 0-3-3

BRD 001 801 — 10-12-0

WP: Tautges 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

LP: Shogren 4 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

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43-year-old amateur hits home run in first at-bat in a decade

Andy Rennecke — Mon, 06 May 2024 21:47:24 GMT

ROYALTON — It was late in the summer of 2013 the last time that Derek Owen stepped into a baseball batter's box.

Owen was 33 years old and still playing amateur baseball for the Brainerd Braves. Owen, who played at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and at Bemidji State in 2001 and 2002, admitted his skills at that time weren't what they used to be. He and his wife, Jolene, had two kids under the age of 10.

"Life was getting busy and we had a younger family," Owen said. "To be honest, I wasn't playing up to my standards anymore. I had played college baseball and always held myself to a high standard. The game was getting frustrating. I couldn't show up and just go 4-for-4 anymore. I felt like the time was right to walk away and spend weekends with my family.

"I know (Jolene) was super excited about it. Plus, we had a cabin up north. You can't get to the cabin very often when you're playing amateur baseball every weekend."

Owen was a heck of a player in his day. He helped lead the Brainerd Braves to the 2000 Class C state amateur baseball championship and was part of the Central Lakes College team that reached the Junior College Division III World Series earlier that spring.

On Sunday, May 5, during a Victory League amateur baseball game at Royalton, the 43-year-old Owen found himself back in the batter's box, this time for the St. Mathias Devils. It was his first game after taking a decade off.

Why did he do it? Simple: He wanted to play with his son, Eli, who just finished up his freshman season playing for Central Lakes.

"We moved to St. Mathias recently and I thought there might be a good chance for us to join," Owen said. "I asked if they had room for a 43-year-old DH (designated hitter) and, sure enough, they did. I thought it would be fun to suit up with Eli and be on the same field together. I didn't have any expectations going into this, but baseball is in my blood.

"When Eli and our daughter (Ruthie) were really little, I knew it would be tough for them to remember me playing."

Owen definitely gave his family something to remember in his first at-bat Sunday against Royalton. With Ruthie recording a video, and Jolene providing commentary in the background, Owen took the first two pitches he saw for balls.

On Ruthie's video, someone says "I can see him biffing it running to first." Someone else says "don't swing and miss."

The best part is when Ruthie puts her phone on her mom and Jolene mutters, "I never thought I'd be watching amateur ball again."

https://www.facebook.com/victoryleaguebb/videos/1119938949227175

Then, Owen got one to hit. He sent the third pitch he saw over the left field wall for a home run.

Eli, sitting in the dugout, put his hands above his head and looked at Jolene in disbelief. Jolene got up and started cheering on her husband from behind the plate.

On the video, you can hear Jolene say "did he just ----ing hit a home run?" Ruthie starts laughing and saying "no he did not!" and then says "of course he did — why wouldn't he?"

What made it all the more amazing is that Owen hardly prepared at all for the amateur season. He hit some balls off a tee in his garage, and that was it. Despite that, the Devils put him in the No. 3 hole in the lineup to put even more pressure on him.

"Trotting around the bases after a home run is something you never forget," Owen said. "It was such a great feeling, but very surreal. I didn't know if I still had the power to get it out. My kids have heard all the stories about me playing college and amateur baseball. There was some pressure to show them that I wasn't just blowing smoke.

"I still can't believe I was hitting third. I definitely was ready to be in the eighth or ninth spot in the lineup."

Owen finished 3-for-3 on the day with two singles and two walks in his next four plate appearances. For Eli, it was quite the feeling to see his old man hit one deep in his first at-bat in a decade.

"It was amazing. I gave him a big hug when he got back to the dugout. I think everyone was surprised," Eli said. "I didn't expect much out of him, but he ends up going 3-for-3. That's unreal. I'm just excited to play with my dad. We share a love for baseball and it's going to be amazing to play with him all summer.

"I can't wait for the next game."

Owen, who coaches the Brainerd Legion team during the summer, admitted he missed playing baseball. He played some slowpitch softball, but being on a baseball diamond again is something he's going to cherish this summer. He's also going to coach Ruthie's summer softball traveling team.

"I still thought I could do this and be a pretty decent hitter. It wasn't awkward in the box for me. It felt like I was home again. I saw the pitch great and put a hard swing on it. I know I'm 43, but I don't feel old," Owen said. "I do feel a little sore (on Monday morning). But what made it even better is that we won 3-2. Hopefully I gave the guys at the St. Mathias bar something to talk about.

"But to me, this is all about having fun with Eli. This might be the only year we get to do it. I can't be more thankful for this chance."

And, Owen proved to his son that all of his baseball stories had some validity to them.

"Our entire family was freaking out," Eli said with a laugh. "He definitely looked like he had been there before."

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Photos: Section 4-3A Dance Meet at St. Michael-Albertville

Andy Rennecke — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 15:55:17 GMT

ST. MICHAEL — The Sartell-St. Stephen High �� jazz and high kick dance teams advanced to the Class 3A state tournament with a strong showing on Friday, Feb. 2, at the Section 4-3A meet at St. Michael-Albertville High ��.

The top three teams in jazz and high kick advanced. Sartell took third in jazz and second in kick. It's the 20th straight year that Sartell has advanced to the state meet.

Maple Grove took first in jazz and Brainerd was second. Brainerd took first in kick and Maple Grove was third.

Sauk Rapids-Rice and the St. Cloud Crush dance teams saw their seasons come to an end. The Storm took sixth in jazz and seventh in high kick. The Crush were eighth in jazz and high kick.

The Class 3A state jazz meet is Friday, Feb. 16, at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The high kick meet is the following day.

Team results Jazz: 1-Maple Grove, 2-Brainerd 10 rank points, 3-Sartell, 4-Rogers, 5-Andover, 6-Sauk Rapids, 7-St. Michael-Albertville, 8-St. Cloud, 9-Champlin Park, 10-Anoka, 11-Bemidji, 12-Moorhead, 13-Osseo. Kick: 1-Brainerd 5 rank points. 2-Sartell, 3-Maple Grove, 4-Rogers, 5-St. Michael-Albertville, 6-Andover, 7-Sauk Rapids, 8-St. Cloud, 9-Anoka, 10-Bemidji, 11-Champlin Park, 12-Moorhead, 13-Osseo.

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High �� Football: Brainerd’s defense forces 5 turnovers and retains Babe’s Bell

Conrad Engstrom — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 03:13:58 GMT

BRAINERD — Three turnovers in the first three drives proved to be too much for the Bemidji Lumberjacks to overcome Friday, Oct. 13.

The Warriors took full advantage scoring touchdowns off all three turnovers to cruise to a 42-7 win and retaining Babe’s Bell for a second year.

“Obvoiusly, it’s a big rivalrty game and we have a ton of respect for the Bemidji football program,” Freed said. “Anytime we have a chance to play for the bell it’s going to be a high-intensity game. To have the bell two years in a row was a big goal for our team and it was fun to see them go get that.”

For senior quarterback Eli Hoelz, it meant a lot to secure Babe’s Bell another year for the Warriors.

“It’s one of the best rivalries in the state,” Hoelz said. “To win like this at home is a great feeling.”

Brainerd’s defense forced five turnovers total and held the Lumberjacks to 142 yards of total offense.

“What I like is we are starting to create some turnovers,” Freed said. “I think the reason why is because we are playing really sound and disciplined. We talk about how creating turnovers comes from being in the right place at the right time. We are starting to figure some things out defensively and we are making some plays. To give our offense some short fields is a big deal and turnovers are huge momentum builders.”

Despite the rainy conditions, Brainerd’s offense compiled 288 yards, including 161 yards through the air.

Hoelz threw for 7-of-9 passing for all 161 yards. Jake Merseth caught three passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

Sean Holbrook carried the ball 21 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns to lead Brainerd’s ground attack.

“We were concerned about the weather and thought it would be worse,” Freed said. “But to come out and execute with a little wind and a little rain in the run and pass was huge. We have to be able to lean on both and I was really happy with the offense.”

Brainerd Football vs Bemidji on Oct. 13, 2023 klick! Gallery

Brainerd Football vs Bemidji on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at Brainerd.

The Lumberjacks fumbled on their third play from scrimmage recovered by the Warriors at their own 34, for their first takeaway.

Brainerd scored on a 9-play, 66-yard drive which ended in a 5-yard run by Holbrook.

Pinned inside its own 20 to start the next drive, Bemidji fumbled again on its second play recovered by the Warriors at Bemidji’s 11.

On the next play, Dylan Haar scored an 11-yard touchdown for the Warriors to make it 14-0.

The Lumberjacks took over again inside their own 20 and this time quarterback Peyton Neadeau threw an interception to Brainerd linebacker Ryan Kennedy who returned it to Bemidji’s 7. It was Bemidji’s third turnover in just eight plays from scrimmage.

“I thought our defensive line did an excellent job tonight of getting penetration,” Freed said. “It disrupted the timing of their offense and sped them up a little bit. I just thought we played well to get on their heels all game and play downhill.”

It took three plays before Hoelz ran it in from 3 yards out to make it 21-0.

The Lumberjacks finally got their first, first down with a minute left in the first quarter, but punted back to Brainerd to start the second quarter.

Brainerd put together an 8-play, 77-yard drive which was finished off by a 27-yard pass from Hoelz to Merseth.

“(Merseth) does a lot of things for the offense,” Hoelz said. “Whether it’s making those deep-ball catches or taking a screen to the house. He’s just a really good player in every aspect of the game.”

The Warriors made it 35-0 on a Holbrook 1-yard run, which was setup by a 23-yard connection from Hoelz to Merseth.

On the ensuing kickoff, Bemidji’s Kobe Brown returned it all the way to Brainerd’s 19 to give the Lumberjacks excellent field position.

They capitalized four plays later on a 3-yard run by Dawson Degelder to make it 35-7 Brainerd going into half.

Bemidji’s offense was led by Ephtam Boucher who rushed the ball 22 times for 67 yards. Degelder ran it 10 times for 39 yards, including the lone touchdown.

The second half started with Brainerd forcing a 3-and-out. On the Warriors’ second play of the second half, Merseth took a screen pass 53 yards for his second touchdown.

“Jake is a quiet senior leader for us,” Freed said. “He lets his play speak for himself and that’s what I love about him. He’s a young man who pays close attention to his craft as a wide receiver and it was fun to see him get involved.”

The Lumberjacks also turned it over twice in the second half on a lost fumble and on an interception by Mason Maske.

The No. 8 ranked Warriors move to 6-1 and finish the regular season Wednesday, Oct. 19, against St. Francis on the road.

“They are an underrated team,” Freed said of St. Francis. “We have a short week, so we will have to come Monday and be focused. More importantly, we want to finish the regular season on a strong note. We don’t want to back into the playoffs feeling like we aren’t playing well.”

Bemidji 0 7 0 0 — 7 Brainerd 21 14 7 0 — 42 First quarter Brd-Sean Holbrook 5-run (Sawyer Riffle) 5:19 Brd-Dylan Haar 11-run (Riffle kick) 4:21 Brd-Eli Hoelz 4-run (Riffle kick) 1:37 Second quarter Brd-Jake Merseth 27-pass from Eli Hoelz (Riffle kick) 8:30 Brd-Holbrook 1-run (Bennett Bernander kick) 3:21 Bem-Dawson Degelder 3-run (Alec Newby kick) 1:27 Third quarter Brd-Merseth 53-pass from Hoelz (Riffle kick) 9:24 Team statistics Rushes-yards: Brd 35-127, Bem 41-108 Pass comp-att-int-yds: Brd 7-10-0-161, Bem 3-9-2-34 Total offense: Brd 45-288, Bem 50-141 Individual leaders Rushing: Brd-Sean Holbrook 21-70, Eli Hoelz 5-25, Jake Merseth 1-22, Dylan Haar 1-11, Jayden Barnum 1-4, Preston Siebolds 2-3, Izaac Vanek 1-2, Drew Wood 2-0; Bem-Ephram Boucher 22-67, Dawson Degelder 10-39 Passing: Brd-Eli Hoelz 7-9-161; Bem-Peyton Neadeau 1-5-23 Receiving: Brd-Jake Merseth 3-103, Ty Nelson 2-31, Kade Stengrim 1-22, Sean Holbrook 1-5; Bem-Dawson Degelder 1-13, Braden Luksik 1-12, Gavin Osborn 1-9 Brainerd 42, Bemidji 7

Key: Brainerd forces five turnovers as Warriors cruise to an easy win.

Subdistrict: Brd 4-1, Bem 2-3.

Overall: Brd 6-1, Bem 3-4.

Next: Brainerd at St. Francis 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18.

CONRAD ENGSTROM may be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.

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'Thank You': Spuds honor Brainerd player who suffered brain injury here a year ago

Kevin Wallevand — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 04:00:48 GMT

MOORHEAD — It was an emotional football game in Moorhead Friday night, Sept. 22, between the Spuds and Brainerd.

For Conner Erickson of Brainerd, it was a night of handshakes and hugs.

For his dad Nick Erickson, it was an emotional drive into the parking lot in Moorhead. One year after their life changed forever.

"A little twinge in the stomach knowing the last time we were here was pretty tragic," Nick Erickson said.

EMT's, trainers and a medical staff rushed to Conner Erickson's side after collapsing, laying on the sidelines that night of Sept. 9. The game was in its fourth quarter.

"I think I said, 'I can't hear anything,' and then I passed out," Conner Erickson said.

Surgeons at Sanford Health operated immediately, and the injury to Conner Erickson's brain kept him in Fargo for several weeks. But slowly he worked and worked to get better.

It all paid off and on Friday night he met the first responders and medical teams that saved him,

"Not a good night, I think we will remember that for the rest of our lives," said Dr. Ben Noonan, a Sanford physician who worked on Conner Erickson that night.

Conner Erickson and the first responders walked to midfield where he presented them the game ball to start the Brainerd- Moorhead football game.

But Conner Erickson's biggest fan club is his family. His parents say they learned a lot about their son and themselves over this past year.

"It's what keeps me and my wife going. Everything that he does, he never gets crabby, he never gets upset, he's always looking forward, pushing, pushing, pushing," Nick Erickson said.

Coaches and players were moved by Connor Erickson's progress and courage.

He even got to see his little brother Beau Erickson play, wearing his jersey number — 21.

Friday night's return by Conner Erickson, more than any night, showed players and fans how strong the human spirit is. Conner Erickson is the poster boy.

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WOMEN'S SOCCER: Allyson Smith’s 30th career assist gets her into Bemidji State's records

Conrad Engstrom — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI — Allyson Smith engraved herself into the Bemidji State women's soccer record books last Friday.

The sixth-year senior and 2017 Brainerd High �� graduate notched one assist in the Beavers’ 3-0 win over Central Oklahoma in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The assist gave Smith the 30th of her career to make her the all-time assists leader in BSU history.

“It was a corner kick and the ball came in and my teammate Halle Peterson headed the ball and it kind of came to me,” Smith said. “I turned to shoot and it deflected off the goalkeeper and Halle came in to finish the job. It was cool, exciting and awesome.

“It meant a lot to me. It’s kind of been in the back of my mind all season just because it’s been there and lingering. Just to finally get it and on top of that, we got a big win for the program. The game and feeling overall were amazing.”

For the season, Smith has recorded nine goals and four assists. She was an All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference First Team selection for the third time in her career, helped the Beavers win the NSIC Tournament and reach the national tournament.

Bemidji State plays in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Nov. 20, against Ferris State at Chet Anderson Stadium. If the Beavers advance to Final Four, they will be held in Seattle.

“Earlier this season we were kind of struggling putting the ball in the back of the net,” Smith said. “Things started to click and we started to play really confidently. We started scoring and that was the biggest thing. We are sitting in a really good place and playing really good soccer right now.”

As a freshman in 2017, Smith earned Freshman of the Year in the NSIC as well as being named All-NSIC Second Team and All-Central Region Third Team. During her rookie season, she tallied nine goals and nine assists and helped the Beavers to a 15-1-4 record. They were bounced in the opening round of the national tournament.

“I just have a better understanding of the game,” Smith said. “Coach (Jim Stone) brought me under his wing and so did Rachael Norton, too. They taught me how to understand the game more and the patterns that take place on the field. The game has slowed down for me. The pace is obviously faster, but my vision slowed down and I’ve been able to set up my teammates a lot more than I did in high school which is cool.”

As a sophomore, Smith earned All-NSIC first team to go along with All-Central Region third team again. She finished with a career-high 10 goals and seven assists. The Beavers reached the second round of the national tournament where they were defeated by Central Missouri.

After an injury knocked her out of the 2019 season, the 2020 season was shortened due to COVID-19 and in three games Smith recorded one goal and two assists.

As a senior last year, she earned All-NSIC First Team, All-Region Third Team, NSIC All-Tournament Team as well as NSIC preseason player to watch.

She finished with five goals and eight assists. The Beavers reached the Sweet 16 of the national tournament for the first time in program history, losing to Central Missouri.

“I’ve been a part of some amazing teams every single year and you can’t do it without your teammates,” Smith said. “Especially with an assist record, the people putting the ball in the back of the net play a big role. Being surrounded by incredible players just helps you get better.”

She graduated with a major in physical education and minors in health, nutrition and coaching. She returned for a sixth season at BSU as a graduate student.

“I just couldn’t leave a program like this,” Smith said of returning for a sixth year. “Coming back and playing with such a great team, for coach Stone, you couldn’t pass that up. I’m excited to have the opportunity to come back and play four full years for them. It was a pretty easy decision.”

At Brainerd, Smith was a three-sport athlete for the Warriors. In soccer, she was voted team MVP three times and was All-Central Lakes Conference, All-Section, All-State second team and most valuable attacker in the conference.

“Coach (Grant) Gmiender helped a lot,” Smith said. “We were pretty successful and they helped me become more athletic.”

She ran track and field as well as played for the Brainerd/LIttle Falls girls’ hockey team. She was named team MVP three times on the ice. Her younger sister Gabby Smith is currently a Beaver on the women’s hockey team.

“I think being a three-sport athlete prepared me the most for the college level,” Smith said. “It teaches you how to compete and how to be a teammate. High school definitely prepared me for the college level, but no matter how prepared you are, the college level is a different game.”

Smith has enjoyed a consistent career at BSU. Her career high in goals in a game is two, which she’s reached six times. She’s had two assists in a game four times.

She currently sits with 35 goals and 30 assists in her career, and her 100 points are third-most in program history. She’s scored 15 game-winning goals including five this season.

“I can sometimes see things happening before they happen,” Smith said. “I’ve been fortunate to play with a lot of players who also see those things and are ready for the ball when I’m sending it. I’ve played with people who read me really well and it just clicks.”

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BOYS BASKETBALL: Jacks can’t stop Brainerd in 82-70 loss

Austin Monteith — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 03:54:11 GMT

BEMIDJI -- The Bemidji High �� boys basketball team answered Brainerd blow for blow in the first half Tuesday night before the visiting Warriors ultimately pulled away for an 82-70 win at the BHS Gymnasium.

“Brainerd is a nice team and they shot the ball really well,” Bemidji head coach Travis Peterson said. “We let them shoot it pretty well. We need to close out better on the perimeter. They also broke our press and scored layups on us. Seventy points should be enough for us to win games, but they took it to us.”

The Class 4A Warriors (15-9) connected on eight first-half 3-pointers -- half coming from Mason Malone -- to take a 41-33 halftime lead.

Brainerd led for most of the opening frame, though neither team had led by more than four points by the time the scoreboard read 30-30 with 3:52 to play before the break.

Following Spencer Konecne’s and-one putback and free throw that drew the teams even, the Warriors closed the half on an 11-3 run punctuated by a trio of treys.

The Lumberjacks (19-4) scored the opening bucket of the second half but Brainerd rolled out to a 13-4 run to bring the score to 54-39 four minutes into the half.

“We tried to turn up the pressure and they started scoring layups over the top of us,” Peterson said. “I mean they did some of that in the first half, but they really opened up in the second half.”

The lead grew to as many as 20 points at 70-50 with less than seven minutes to play.

The Jacks then went on a 17-6 run to cut the deficit to 76-67 with 2:12 to go after a pair of Silas Hess foul shots.

Ben Hess buried a deep 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to bring Brainerd’s lead back to single digits, but the comeback came up short.

“I’m proud of our boys,” Peterson said. “We battled back. … We just ran out of gas.”

Konecne paced Bemidji with 21 points. Silas Hess followed with 18 points, including 12 in the second half that were key in the team’s rally.

Joey Sauer talled a game-high 27 points for the Warriors. Owen Davis and Malone each nailed four 3-pointers on Brainerd’s 12-trey night. Davis tallied 20 points while Malone finished with 16.

The Lumberjacks will be hoping for good news injury-wise with Ryan Bieberdorf.

The senior fell hard to the court after contesting a Sauer dunk early in the second half and did not return to the game. Peterson said Bieberdorf was getting his left wrist X-rayed Tuesday night but had not yet heard about the extent of his injury.

Bemidji will return to Section 8-3A play Thursday night to wrap up the regular season with a 7:30 p.m. contest at Detroit Lakes. Seedings for the Section 8-3A Tournament will be announced Saturday, March 2.

“We want to be playing our best basketball,” Peterson said. “It’s our last regular-season game and it’s a chance for us to just tune things up before we start our section tournament next week.”

Brainerd 82, Bemidji 70

BRD 41 41 -- 82

BEM 33 37 -- 70

BRAINERD (15-9) -- Sauer 27, Davis 20, Malone 16, Staehling 9, Smith 5, Powers 4, Martin 1.

BEMIDJI (19-4) -- Konecne 21, S. Hess. 18, Bieberdorf 8, Jensen 7, Wilson 6, B. Hess 5, Beberg 3, Burley 2.

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BOYS HOCKEY: Jacks succumb to late goal in section-quarterfinal loss

Austin Monteith — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 03:48:55 GMT

BRAINERD -- The Bemidji High �� boys hockey team nearly pulled off a stunner to open the Section 8AA playoffs Tuesday night in Brainerd.

The sixth-seeded Lumberjacks -- depleted in energy by a flu bug that has swept through the team -- were minutes from capturing an upset victory over No. 3 Brainerd.

Having led by as many as two goals, Hunter Olson scored to return a 3-2 lead for the visitors at 6:09 of the third period, only for the Warriors to answer with a pair in the final eight minutes. Eric Pohlkamp deflected home the quarterfinal-winning goal with 2:02 remaining for the 4-3 Brainerd win.

“These kids gave a great effort,” Bemidji head coach Eric Monsrud said. “To have that adversity placed in front of them with that sickness and to play the way that they did just shows the heart and soul of the kids and our team.”

The Jacks, who had so many players out sick Saturday they canceled practice, came out firing in the first period, outshooting the Warriors 13-9.

“They just battled through it,” Monsrud said. “They knew they weren’t feeling well, a lot of these kids that were in the lineup. They took shorter shifts and they just battled through it.”

Ethan Maish gave the upstart Lumberjacks a 1-0 lead 11 minutes, 22 seconds into the contest. Wyatt Halvorson forced a turnover that led to Maish’s tally, which stood as the only goal of the period.

Hunter Marcotte extended the lead to two goals early in the second period. The sophomore received a long pass into the zone and tallied the breakaway goal at the 2:18 mark.

The 2-0 lead lasted until the 10:14 mark of the period when the Warriors finally got on the scoreboard. Wyatt Andres swept in a puck to cut the deficit in half for the home team.

Entering the third period, Nick Hastings fired home the game-tying goal at 4:39 of the frame, levelling the score at 2-2.

Only 90 seconds later, Olson returned the lead to Bemidji. The senior captain buried a power-play goal off a faceoff win with 10:51 to play.

However, the Warriors tied the game once more with Gavin Andres poking in a power-play goal through traffic at 9:16 of the period.

Overtime was barely two minutes away when Brainerd took its first lead of the game. On the power play, Pohlkamp deflected Mason Kruse’s shot for the game-winning goal with just 2:02 remaining.

Facing their first deficit of the game, the Lumberjacks were unable to find a late equalizer with the goalie pulled, suffering a 4-3 defeat.

Jacks netminder Broc Waldhausen braved a barrage of shots through the final two periods, making 41 saves on 45 shots.

“He saw a lot of vulcanized rubber tonight and he stood the test, that’s for sure,” Monsrud said.

Bemidji ends its season with an 8-16-1 record, while Brainerd improves to 17-9 and advances to the section semifinals.

“It was a little bit of a roller-coaster season, but in the end we weren’t on that roller coaster anymore and we were starting to play some good hockey,” Monsrud said. “I’m just glad that when we got to the playoffs here that everyone stepped up and played playoff hockey.”

Brainerd 4, Bemidji 3

BEM 1 1 1 -- 3

BRD 0 1 3 -- 4

First period -- 1, BEM, Maish (Halvorson), 11:22.

Second period -- 2, BEM, Marcotte (Olson, McNamara), 2:18; 3, BRD, Wy. Andres (M. Kruse), 10:14.

Third period -- 4, BRD, Hastings (We. Andres), 4:39; 5, BEM, Olson (Dondelinger), 6:09, PP; 6, BRD, G. Andres (Pohlkamp, Wy. Andres), 9:16, PP; 7, BRD, Pohlkamp (M. Kruse), 14:58, PP.

Goalies (saves-shots) -- BEM, Waldhausen (41-45); BRD, Saiko (21-24).

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