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January 5, 2012

Courrier: A year of note in local sports

By Chad Courrier Free Press Staff Writer

— A couple weeks of vacation allowed for plenty of time to reflect on 2011. It was a trying 12 months to be sure, but it also had enough highlights to keep the focus not only forward, but behind. In the spirit of lists, here's the top five local sports stories that made the last year seem like only 11 months.



5. The Mankato MoonDogs had their best season in franchise history, advancing all the way to the Northwoods League championship series.

The growth of this franchise has been amazing. When the Joe Schwei-Kyle Mrozek tandem came to town, few people cared about the team and some wanted it to leave. But now, every game night is an opportunity to celebrate another entertainment option in town.

It's good to see them have success, a fitting reward for their hard work.



4. The Minnesota State football team had a bounce-back season, tying for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate title after winning another South Division championship.

The Mavericks didn't qualify for the playoffs, that final regular-season game at Minnesota Duluth was a do-or-die. Even though Minnesota State lost that game, it was fun to watch a game that truly meant something, with both teams responding appropriately.

The Mavericks then won the Mineral Water Bowl, offering plenty of optimism for this young team.



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3. The most unlikely local sports story came courtesy of the Nicollet girls basketball team.

When the playoffs began, little was expected from the Raiders, who were the second seed in its subsection. But they kept winning and gaining confidence, and by mid-March, they were playing for the Class A championship. Even though the Raiders lost to Maranatha Christian Academy, they showed how unpredictably amazing a playoff system can be.



2. The Mankato West football team was expected to be pretty good, but quarterback Philip Nelson and the Scarlets gave us a ride that may never be seen again in this town.

West dominated almost every game, then won a state quarterfinal game against South St. Paul.

The semifinals were heavily hyped, and even in a loss to Bemidji, the Scarlets played some terrific football. Nelson ending up winning every award this state has to offer, and he'll surely continue to have success at the University of Minnesota.

This team has pushed the standard pretty high for future Scarlets.



1. After seven straight trips to the national tournament, the Minnesota State men's basketball team finally advanced out of the region and made it to the final eight at Springfield, Mass.

The quarterfinal victory over Alabama-Huntsville was thrilling, and the semifinal loss to Bellarmine was just as exciting. It would have been great to see Minnesota State get to the championship game, where they'd have had a solid shot to win.

When a team gets on a roll like that, as the Minnesota State women’s team did in 2009, you want it to continue. Any chance you had to watch Jefferson Mason, Marcus Hill and Cameron Hodges was a treat.



Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353 or e-mail at ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com or check out his local sports blog at www.mankatofreepress.com.

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