Belle Plaine football is having its usual odd-year success

The calendar says it's an odd year. The Belle Plaine football team must be good.

Few programs have an every- other-year track record like the Tigers' football squad during the past 10 years.

In seasons that end in odd numbers, the Tigers excel. In seasons that end in even numbers, it's just the opposite.

"I don't know how to explain it. It's been crazy," Belle Plaine coach Justin Johnston said. Johnston has seen nearly all of the Tigers' recent trendin his ninth season at the helm of the program.

Belle Plaine enters its final regular season game with a perfect 7-0 mark. It was 7-3 in 2011, 9-1 in 2009 and 6-4 in 2007. The one hiccup was 4-5 in 2005.

"We had 17 starters coming back this year, and it has paid off," Johnston said. "I thought we would be good, but I didn't know we would be this successful."

On the even end of the spectrum, the Tigers were 3-6 in 2012 and 2010, 6-5 in 2008, 4-5 in 2006 and 2-7 in 2004.

So, what does the future hold for Johnston and the Tigers?

"Just to keep up with the trend, our sophomore class is the largest we've had," Johnston said.

The Prior Lake girls' tennis team won back-to-back Class 2A, Section 3 titles for the first time in school history. The fourth-ranked Lakers defeated Eastview 6-1 in the finals Thursday at Life Time Fitness in Lakeville.

"We're starting to make a name for ourselves now," Lakers sophomore and No. 1 singles player Chloe Hall said.

The Lakers (15-3) finished third in the 2012 state tournament. This year's tournament will be Oct. 22-25 at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

• Burnsville seniors Ali Ahmed and Vivian Hett swept the South Suburban Conference cross-country meet titles Friday at Eagan High School. Ahmed won the boys' title, covering the 5-kilometer course in 16 minutes, 28.1 seconds. Hett captured the girls' crown, covering the 4-kilometer course in 14 minutes, 50.8 seconds.