Erlandson, noll, and ruddy pick up varsity victories• By Coach Tom Haire The Breckenridge Cowboy wrestlers traveled to West Central Area on Friday, January 15th, for a triangular with section foe West Central Area, along with Heart O' Lakes Conference rival Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton. The Cowboys came up short in both duals, but Matt Noll (106 lbs.) and Daniel Erlandson (220 lbs.), went 2-0 on the night. Also picking up a win on the night was Aidan Ruddy (152 lbs.). In junior varsity action, Henry Slettedahl, David Erlandson, and Riley Kappes all picked up wins. “We’re a little banged up right now, but the guys who went out on the mat tonight wrestled well. Matt wrestled extremely well from start to finish in his matches, grinding out two hard fought decisions. Daniel dominated his opponents, coming up with two pins. Aidan, Wyatt Differding (285 lbs.), and Alex Martel (126 lbs.) also did some really good things tonight," said Haire. The Cowboy grapplers were back in action Tuesday, where they earned their first win of the season, a 39-30 outcome over Wadena-Deer Creek. The Cowboys host a varsity triangular today at 5:00 p.m.
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Anthony conzemius scores career-high 25 points
Pelican Rapids, a team ranked as high as no. 3 in some preseason Section 8AA polls, kept fighting to the finish. Eventually, they lost Korf to his fifth foul on another strong dribble drive by Yaggie. Shortly after, a 3-PT play by Junior Perez and a strong finish by Christensen sealed the deal by putting Breckenridge up 10 late in the game. Christensen finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Perez dished out three assists and the 5'7" firecracker tracked down a number of long rebounds which led to transition points.
Breckenridge continued to see strong defensive play from its guards. Anderson, Yaggie, and Perez all ended up in the steal column, with the latter two taking charges once again. Perez has shown great poise with the basketball in press-break situations on offense, as Anderson has been the one applying full-court pressure to opponents on defense. Breckenridge travels to Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton on Friday, January 22nd for another 7:30 p.m. section tilt. It will be the Cowboys first road game of the season, after a strong 2-0 start at home.
Three return touchdowns highlight 47-pt 1st half• By Robert Wanek Jr. The Breckenridge football team wasted no time scoring on Wednesday, as James Mertes took the opening kickoff 73 yards for a touchdown — one of three return scores for the Cowboys in a 54-0 victory over Staples-Motley. Breckenridge ends its regular season at 5-1, as the likely no. 1 seed heading into Section 6A playoffs next week against an opponent to be decided. Joining Mertes in the touchdown column were special teams speedsters Dylan Bernotas and Jacob Vizenor. Bernotas followed up last week’s excellent receiving game with a punt return touchdown that included breaking two shoe-string tackles on his way to the endzone. Vizenor scored three touchdowns, highlighted by a ridiculous return in which he changed direction several times before streaking 65 yards for the score. Cooper Yaggie dissected the defense once again with three passing touchdowns. His air raid began with a scrambling pass to Connor Twidwell, while the other two touchdowns went to Vizenor, who finished with with 2 catches for 69 yards. Yaggie’s longest completion went for 47 yards, a dime that dropped right into the breadbasket up the middle of the field to Vizenor. Yaggie had an extremely efficient regular season, completing 66% of his passes, amassing 934 total yards, and scoring 14 total touchdowns. Vizenor’s regular-season statistics were otherworldly. Despite a couple of injuries and sporadic usage resulting from load management, the senior scatback absolutely torched teams. He turned 26 touches into 582 yards and 10 total touchdowns, posting 116 yards per game. The second-half of Breckenridge’s beatdown saw Daniel Erlandson score on the ground. The state’s top fullback totaled 60 yards rushing and 40 receiving to reach the century mark in yardage for the first time this season. Reese Pederson recorded his first interception of the campaign and Gavin Johnson tallied a sack to highlight the defensive efforts. Johnson, an MSUM Dragons football commit, recorded three tackles for loss. Breckenridge enters postseason play averaging 40 points and allowing 14 per game. They are ranked no. 5 in the QRF formula, two spots behind section foe New York Mills (4-0).
Trojans ice it with 22-pt fourth quarter• Robert Wanek Jr.
A fantastic start faded to a painful second half for the Breckenridge football team on Friday night — literally. Already without lead running back Christian Nieto, the Cowboys lost Jared Aamold, Collin Roberts, and Bryant Hasse to injury, as they saw a 14-6 halftime lead wash away in a 44-22 loss. The game was tied 22-22 after three quarters — Breckenridge falls to 4-1 with the result. Breckenridge broke through on 3rd-and-15 late in the first quarter when Cooper Yaggie avoided a sack and delivered a zinger down field to tight end Connor Twidwell. The senior quarterback followed that up with a nine-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Dylan Bernotas which put Breckenridge in front 6-0 with 2:21 remaining in the opening quarter. All three of Bernotas’ catches in the game went for first downs, totaling 46 yards, the highlight of which was a diving catch at the one-yard line that set up a Daniel Erlandson rushing touchdown to put Breckenridge up 14-6. Barnesville threatened to tie things up before the break, but Adam Tonsfeldt’s dash for the endzone came to a halt when he was lit up by Erlandson inside the 10-yard line and fumbled into the waiting arms of Aamold. Tonsfeldt responded with wizardry to start the second half. He fumbled a snap, but quickly scooped the ball and dumped it off to Cameron Heng who ran 67 yards for a touchdown and tied the game at 14-14. Aaron Schiefert added a six-yard rushing score to give Barnesville it’s first lead with 2:37 left in the third. Capping off the third quarter, Yaggie led Breckenridge down the field courtesy of passes to Bernotas and Sebastian Anderson, before finding the endzone with his legs. He passed to James Mertes in the back corner for a two-point conversion that tied the game at 22-22. Yaggie had a turbulent outing, showing poise under pressure on some difficult throws, but also losing two fumbles. He finished with 153 total yards and two touchdowns. By the fourth quarter, Breckenridge’s missing pieces on defense had opened up some holes for Tonsfeldt to reach the century mark on the ground. The senior quarterback ran for 115 yards and threw for 146 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys couldn’t keep up with the dynamic run game of Barnesville by plugging in reserves in a heated rivalry game, which ultimately opened up the passing game for some key first downs that would ice the outcome. Jayce Werner was a bright spot for Breckenridge. The senior had multiple stops in long yardage situations on second and third down, where he upended Trojan rushers trying to turn the edge for big gains. Werner also finished the game with 37 rushing yards on the final drive. Jacob Vizenor had three carries for 62 yards, highlighted by a 57-yard end-around that set Breckenridge up for an early score. Breckenridge (4-1) will host Staples-Motley (1-4) on Friday in advance of this year’s Section 6A tournament, which they are expected to enter as the consensus no. 1 seed. • By Robert Wanek Jr.
The Breckenridge Cowgirls volleyball team extended their win streak to six games to begin the season with a 3-1 win at Frazee on Monday. Breckenridge’s 6-0 start is their best mark in 12 years, when they started the 2008 season with the same streak. Breckenridge benefited from another double-digit kills performance from Camryn Kaehler (12 kills) and the typical 20-assist night from Carcie Materi, who added seven digs and four aces to her ledger. Abby Johnson and Jude Held scored eight and six kills, respectively. The set scores were 25-22, 18-25, 25-15, and 25-21. Breckenridge hosts Barnesville (1-1) this Thursday in a Heart O’ Lakes conference battle of the B’s at 7:30 p.m. • By Robert Wanek Jr.
Breckenridge put on a house of horrors in Minnewaska on Saturday, where they ran over an opposing Royalton team with 35 first-half points on their way to a 41-8 victory. Coach Chad Fredericksen's team was led by another electric effort from Jacob Vizenor, who scored three rushing touchdowns and added 54 receiving yards. Breckenridge was far too physical for the Royals with their combination of size and athleticism on the offensive and defensive lines. The Cowboys improved to 4-0 with the victory, placing them atop Section 6A. They share that spot with New York Mills, who is also 4-0. Vizenor started the scoring with a nifty juke move that sent two Royals sliding past on the turf. He punched in the two-point conversion with a hurdle and Breckenridge jumped out 8-0. James Mertes put the Cowboys up two scores when he broke loose for a 59-yard rushing touchdown on a toss play. Vizenor tacked on two more scores, the longest of which stretched 74 yards on the ground. The lone receiving score on the afternoon came from Sebastian Anderson --- the first of his career. After securing the catch he exclaimed, "That's for 22 baby," a shoutout to teammate Christian Nieto who suffered a knee injury early in the contest and was forced out. Cooper Yaggie's model of efficiency returned once again, as the senior slinger completed all four of his passes for 64 yards while adding 21 rushing yards. On the defensive front, Breckenridge gang tackled the Royalton backfield frequently and recovered five fumbles. In on the recoveries were Yaggie, Anderson, Jared Aamold, and Daniel Erlandson. Reese Pederson forced his second fumble of the season, both were chase downs of breakaway ball carriers and potential touchdown saving plays. Breckenridge is scoring 41 points per game and allowing 9 points per game ahead of Friday's matchup with the also undefeated Barnesville Trojans. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Breckenridge for what's sure to be a classic Heart O' Lakes rivalry showdown. Barnesville is averaging 38 points per game and has allowed just two touchdowns. • By Robert Wanek Jr.
The Breckenridge Cowgirls volleyball team improved to 4-0 on Tuesday, defeating Wheaton/Herman-Norcross in four sets by scores of 25-12, 25-16, 20-25, and 25-15. The Cowgirls were mostly dominant aside from a sputtering third set in which they fell behind 6-0, before charging back in the final frame to topple the Warriors in a balanced performance. Camryn Kaehler and Abby Johnson led the scoring effort with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Kaehler did a fine job receiving spikes and finished with 20 digs, one behind libero Riley Finkral, and one more than Johnson. Carcie Materi Led Breckenridge with 19 assists, followed by 15 from Sophie Larson. Breckenridge has won 12 of 18 sets this year, narrowly defeating Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton and Perham in five-set matches to keep their win streak intact to begin the season. The Cowgirls will host a 3-2 Hawley team, Thursday October 29th in another home tilt at 7:30 p.m. Stat Leaders: Camryn Kaehler (12 kills, 20 digs) Abby Johnson (11 kills, 19 digs) Riley Finkral (21 digs, 5 aces) Carcie Materi (19 assists, 6 digs) Sophie Larson (15 assists, 10 digs, 4 aces) Jude Held (8 kills, 3 assists, 2 blocks) Grace Conzemius (6 kills, 2 blocks) Kaitlyn Banken (4 kills, 2 digs) Victoria Undem (3 kills, 1 dig) Ana Erickson (5 digs, 2 aces) vizenor electric in return from one-week absence
• By Robert Wanek Jr.
The Breckenridge Cowboys football team left no doubt whether they are a section contender this season on Saturday afternoon at Moorhead High School, handing the Knights of West Central Area/Ashby their first loss, 40-8. Jacob Vizenor returned from a one-game injury absence and caught 3 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. The defense forced seven turnovers, including four interceptions by Connor Twidwell, Dylan Bernotas, Cooper Yaggie, and Sebastian Anderson. Breckenridge went 64 yards on eight plays to start the contest, capped off by a Christian Nieto rushing touchdown on the edge. Nieto went on to score three touchdowns on 89 rushing yards, giving him eight for the season. The coaching staff has kept their lead back fresh, giving him no more than 14 carries in any game. He's responded with 307 yards through three games. Nieto utilized downhill running, stiff-arms, and cutbacks to establish the run and open up the air for another big day by Cooper Yaggie. Yaggie (8/13, 191 YDS, 3 TD) found tight end Twidwell in the endzone early in quarter two for a four-yard score. The quarterback made a pass through three defenders while being dragged to the ground. The pair connected again later in the game on a 21-yard strike when Yaggie grabbed the low snap and delivered a dart across the middle of the field. Twidwell was busy pancaking the Knights' defense and intercepting passes when he wasn't route running. It was a dominant day from the Breckenridge defense. MSUM commit Gavin Johnson recovered a fumble and repeatedly stuffed University of North Dakota commit and prolific rusher Jaden Norby. The standout finished with 49 rushing yards, while the Knights totaled less than 140 yards in the game. Jared Aamold recorded his first sack of the season and Jonah Christensen chased Dakota Ecker out of the pocket frequently to force errant throws. Coach Chad Fredericksen kept sending different looks at the Knights' defense, rolling Danny Erlandson out to the flat, finding Reece Pederson in the pass game, and getting Twidwell's big mitts on the football for his first career receiving touchdown. Breckenridge will be difficult to beat if they can use their weaponized depth to keep opponents off guard going forward. Breckenridge (3-0) welcomes Hawley (2-1) to town on Friday Oct. 30th for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Kaehler dominant with 22 kills• By Robert Wanek Jr.
Breckenridge looked sluggish in the opening set against Pelican Rapids on Tuesday, but that icy start quickly melted away behind the hot hand of Camryn Kaehler (22 kills, 10 digs, 9 aces). After a 25-21 defeat, the Cowgirls won three straight sets (29-27, 25-17, 25-16), improving to 2-0 with an impressive showing in their 2020 home opener. In danger of dropping the second set and falling behind 0-2, Breckenridge rallied to tie things up at 13-13 on a Sophie Larson ace. The Cowgirls benefited from a run of four consecutive aces by Kaehler and her crushing kill which sent the volleyball bouncing to the top of the bleachers near the press area. Larson clinched the set and evened the match with a clutch kill to end the action at 29-27. In the third set, Breckenridge again fell behind early, but took the lead on Kaehler’s 20th kill of the evening. Several diving plays from Libero Riley Finkral kept key volleys alive. At this point the Cowgirls looked very loose, as the bench involvement and surprisingly loud (and limited) crowd started to grasp the momentum from the Vikings. Jude Held (11 kills) started to exploit soft spots in the Vikings defense with finesse tips near the net, and Victoria Undem put the set away with a strong offensive push at the finish. Breckenridge ran through a deflated Vikings squad in set number four, 25-16. The Cowgirls travel to Perham on Thursday to face the Yellowjackets at 7:30 p.m. Stat Leaders: Camryn Kaehler (22 kills, 10 digs, 9 aces) Jude Held (11 kills, 6 digs) Abby Johnson (11 kills, 5 digs) Sophie Larson (22 assists, 8 digs) Carcie Materi (21 assists, 9 digs) Riley Finkral (18 digs, 4 assists) |