Count boys' basketball coaches Larry McKenzie of Minneapolis North and Tom Vix of Rushford-Perterson among those trying to bridge the gap between cultures and races.
North and Rushford-Peterson played a game Feb. 18, marking the third consecutive year the two teams have played. But it was the first time at North.
The Class 1A, No. 1 Polars cruised to a 73-48 victory, but more importantly was what happened after the game. The North team treated players and coaches from the southeastern Minnesota program to a soul food dinner at the Sunnyside Deli in North Minneapolis.
Scott has big games in a losing cause
Heritage Christian went 1-2 in the recently completed MCAA conference girls' basketball tournament, but it wasn't because of the play of Taylie Scott. The sophomore guard scored 78 points in the games, with a high of 38 in a 64-57 loss to Southwest Christian. Scott aded 17 assists, 11 rebounds and 11 steals.
Under the radar
The Delano boys' hockey team's high-scoring offense received most of the headlines this season and rightly so. The Class 1A, No. 3 Tigers (21-3-1) averaged nearly seven goals per game during the regular season. Linemates Ben Meyers and Brian Halonen finished 1-2 in the state in scoring, combining for 83 goals and 180 points.
But the Tigers can play some defense, too. Senior defenseman Nick Schreyer didn't score a goal this season and managed just seven points, but led the Delano defense with a plus-46 plus-minus rating.
"A lot of attention has been paid to our top handful of guys with lots of points," Delano coach Gerrit van Bergen said. "Nick is a rare three-sport athlete. I want to honor one of our subtle contributors."
JIM PAULSEN
