Sports, Local Schools

By ROGER JEROME
Sports Correspondent

The Lake of the Woods Bears used a late rally in game three to complete a sweep of the Bronco girls volleyball team 25-17, 25-15 and 26-24 in the opening match of the season played Tuesday night at the Falls High Gym.

By JEFF ADAMS
Sports Correspondent

The Littlefork-Big Falls Vikings used dominant serving, good communication and a clear height advantage to sweep the Cherry Tigers 25-14, 25-19, 25-14 Tuesday night in the opening game of their season at the Littlefork gym.

By TOM LAVENTURE
Staff Writer

The Littlefork-Big Falls High School football team has big goals for 2008. Returning teammates learned a great deal from an amazing 2007 season and want to repeat as conference champions and another shot at the Minnesota Nine Man Football Tournament, according to the team’s coaches.
The 2007 Vikings went undefeated, 11-0, and claimed the Section 7 and St. Louis County Conference Nine Man championships before losing a 12–6 heartbreaker to Waubun at the state quarterfinal last November.

By ROGER JEROME
Sports Correspondent

With five players with varsity experience returning from the 2007 season, seventh year Bronco girls volleyball Coach Erin Shikowsky is expressing optimism in the face of tough competition as the 2008 season approaches.

All football players in grades 9-12 are to report to the Falls High School boy’s locker room on Monday, Aug 11 at 8 a.m. for the first day of practice.

The Falls High varsity and junior varsity boys basketball team recently competed in the Gopher Prep Showcase at Lakeville South High School.
The varsity played in the A/AA Division that started with pool play on Saturday afternoon.
In the first game, the Falls took on St. Agnes and lost a thriller 50-51.
"This was the best we have played so far this summer. We played with intensity, emotion, and took pride in our defense," varsity head coach Josh Koenig said.

The Falls High boys’ track and field team recently handed out its post-season awards.
The team awards two post-season awards each season. The awards are the Dick Ostroot Award which goes to the senior athlete that excels in the classroom and on the track. The other award is the Bruce Schmidt Contribution to Broncos Track and Field Award. The Bruce Schmidt Award goes to a person that has done something to help the boys’ track and field team on or off the track.
This season’s Dick Ostroot award went to senior Rocky LaBlanc. LaBlanc was a captain on this season’s squad and

The opening tipoff of the 2008-2009 high school basketball season may be four months away, but the Falls High Broncos boys’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams have played over 20 games each this summer.
Both teams have been on the road a lot competing in tournaments in Grand Rapids, Saint Cloud, Fargo and Bemidji. With tournaments in Lakeville and Saint Cloud coming up.

Falls High junior Jacob Casareto has been named to the Duluth News Tribune All-Area Baseball team.
Casareto was a captain on the Broncos team and finished the 2008 campaign with a .453 batting average and had 20 RBIs.
Casareto was also a dominant pitcher for the Broncos posting a 4-1 mark with a 1.40 ERA and 43 strike outs in 29 innings of work.

Maria Porter takes 27th; Travis Phillipe takes 55th place

Travis Phillipe and Maria Porter completed their play at the State Boys and Girls Golf Tournament on Thursday and Friday at the Ridges at Sand Creek Golf Course in Jordan.
Both Bronco golfers were playing as individuals in the tournament.
Porter fired a 87 and 95 for a 182 two-round total, which put her in 27th place overall in the field of 88 golfers.