NHR Playoff Central: March 10
Win or Go Home. That’s where we are at. There have been surprises, blowouts, and everything in between. Catch up with NHR Playoff Central.
The Big Stage (Saturday). St. Cloud or Rochester. If you want to fully engulf yourself with playoff spirit head to St. Cloud or Rochester tomorrow. Rochester has eight games in the Civic Center while St. Cloud has four games at St. Cloud State. Rochester has two different arenas running through games all day long which is the semi-finals for 1A, 1AA, 1AAA, and 1AAAA. St. Cloud has games at 2 and 3:30 followed by 6 and 7:30.
Metro Big State. Some are doing the section semi-finals at home sites, others are playing section semi-finals at locations. Some of the good locations will be STMA (5AA quarterfinals so four games), Hastings (the outstanding 4AAAA semi-finals), and Osseo (6AAAA).
Tonight! Quiet Night. Only six games at three locations. It’s highlighted by the 3AAAA semi-finals at Farmington matching Apple Valley vs Burnsville and Rosemount vs Eastview. At Bloomington Jefferson you have the 3AAA semi-finals of Richfield vs Highland Park and Simley vs St. Thomas. Up in Hibbing Princeton is against Chisago Lakes and Cloquet takes on Grand Rapids.
Upset City! Despite a huge night from Zac Olson (38 points on 13 of 23 shooting and 11 of 14 free throws), WEM was upset 81-65 by Fairmont led by the 24 points and 9 boards from Walker Tordsen. It was a statement game for Walker Tordsen who was supported by 17 points from Derek Missling. Huge win for the Cards.
Blaine has been a favorite for 7AAAA all year although not a heavy favorite, but the favorite. They lost to Andover 59-57 as Logan Rezac led his team with 14 points while Jacob Paul and Andrew Groebner each had dozen.
The Thursday Night Play of the Night! You’ve all see the video, it’s all over twitter right now. Sam Carver pulling up for a three at the buzzer and hitting it from NBA range for a 54-52 Coon Rapids win over Anoka. It was only’ Carver’s third score but it was a memorable one. Lionel Warner got his team to that point with 18 points.
No Repeat at Braham. Not that anybody was expecting it but the Bombers lost 65-64 to Foley. The Bombers actually earned second in the Great River this year with a 13-3 record, but the problems came in non-league play where they went 3-8. Braham lost their last four games in a row to end the year.
141-22. Minneapolis North beat Chesterton Academy by that score. That’s a point every 15 seconds or about a score every 30 seconds. North won this game by 119 points!
Were there other blowouts? Without a doubt. Cathedral beat Pierz 102-35, Breckenridge beat BGMR 94-35, and Perham beat Frazee 92-27. Prairie Seeds won their game 125-58 and New Life won theirs 83-22. Those were margins of 67, 59, 65, 67, and 61.
Let me say that again. Those other margins were 67, 59, 65, 67, and 61. And none of them were even close to North winning by 119. The sheer difference of that number is astonishing and baffling. I don’t even want to imagine what it was like possession by possession.
North had seven guys in double figures and 13 different guys who scored three or more times. Isaac Johnson and Jaquan Sanders-Smith barely even played and why would they even need to?
I don’t really have an opinion on this at all, other than the numbers are amazing to me. I mean 119 points?