On the Bench with Byron Higgin
If Coach Chad Johnston of Minneota assesses it correctly, the Section 5A championship game Saturday could likely go a long way to determining the Class A State Champion. “The team that comes out of there could have a big affect on the state tournament,” he predicted.
Two 10-0 teams, the Minneota Vikings and the BOLD Warriors will saddle up and ride into Mattke Stadium at Southwest State University in Marshall at 11 a.m. Friday.
One will ride out the Section 5A Champion and will gallop straight into the state tournament.
BOLD returns most of their players from a team that played Wabasso in the section final last year. Led by sophomore quarterback Jordan Sagedahl, who has thrown for 200- and 300-yard games this year, the Warriors can both throw and run the ball. Two sturdy runners are back. Both Gavin Vosika and Austin Einerson have had 100-plus rushing game most of the season.
Defensively this team depends on Deven Gluesing, Hayden Tersteeg, Cade Morse and Blake Plass.
As usual, BOLD is big on the line and fast in the defensive backfield. On Saturday seven Warrior running backs piled up 188 yards and quarterback Jordan Sagedahl threw for 195 yards and TD passes to Luke Ryan and two to Gavin Vosika.
Sagedahl, Hayden Tersteeg and Austin Einerson also ran for scores in a 57-0 romp over Lac qui Parle Valley. Tersteeg also returned an interception 85 yards for a score and Ryan returned a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown.
The winner of the BOLD vs. Minneota game will play the winner of the Mahomen vs. Fertile-Beltrami game at noon Saturday, November 11 in Alexandria.
HERE IS THE LINEUP AT SMSU
Thursday, November 2, 7:30 p.m. 9-Man Section 3A Red Rock Central vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton
Friday, November 3 at SMSU 11 a.m. — Section 5A Minneota vs. BOLD 1:30 p.m. — Section 3A Wabasso vs. New Ulm Cathedral 4 p.m. — Section 3AA Redwood Valley vs. Pipestone Area 7:30 p.m. — Section 2AAAA Marshall vs. Waseca
Class A State match-ups will be: •Goodhue or Blooming Prairie vs. Upsala/Swanville or Mayer Lutheran.
•Bethlehem Academy or St. Clair vs. Wabasso or New Ulm Cathedral •Braham or Hinckley-Finlayson vs. Ottertail Central or Ada-Borup/NC West.
The state semifinals are Sat., Nov. 18 at US Bank Stadium with the finals the following week, Saturday, Nov. 25, also at US Bank Stadium. One highly-ranked state team is already out. Rushford-Peterson, in the state finals last year and ranked No. 1 a large part of the year, lost 21-20 to Blooming Prairie in Section 1. Goodhue, Blooming Prairie’s opponent, was the only other team to beat Rushford-Peterson.
Minneota gets Canby in Section 3A North finals. Minneota will play Canby at 6 p.m. Thursday at SMSU for the North Section 3A volleyball championship.
The Lancers were a 25-21; 25-18 and 25-16 winner over Russell-Tyler-Ruthton. In the south, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton beat Hills-Beaver Creek 25-20; 25-16 and 25-21 to advance to the 7:30 p.m. finals.
Their opponent will be Windom Area, a 27-25; 25-22 and 25-12 winner over Murray County Central.