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By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
The NRHEG High School cross country teams took some high hopes and a season’s worth of work into the Section 2AA meet hosted by Norwood-Young America at Baylor Park Thursday, Oct. 26.
It did not go as they hoped.
The Panthers’ state hopefuls fell short and the girls’ squad finished 10th out of 17 teams, marking the end of the season for NRHEG distance runners.
Sophomores Devon Nelson and Jacob Karl, who placed first and third, respectively, in the Gopher Conference meet, finished far off the pace. Karl placed 28th, clocking 18:06.02 for 5 kilometers, while Nelton was 31st in 18:06.32. Also running for the Panthers were Jackson McGannon, who took 79th in 20:35.96, and Owen Flatland, who was 107th with a time of 23:57.69.
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By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
For the fifth year in a row, the NRHEG High School volleyball team faced arch-rival Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in the section tournament.
If you’ve been paying attention the last four years, you probably can guess what happened last Thursday when the teams met in the sub-section quarterfinals at Mankato East High School. Yes, the Buccaneers again prevailed, 3-0, winning 26-24, 25-18 and 25-5.
“This was a tough loss for the Panthers,” said NRHEG coach Ashley Tolzman. “They started out strong in the first set. You could see that they came ready to play. They were communicating well and covering the court.”
Unfortunately, it did not continue.
“The second set started out rough,” explained Tolzman. “We made a few mistakes and got in our heads and stopped talking. They were able to get past it and fight to make a comeback and make the score closer.”
Then everything fell apart.
“In the third set, all communication stopped and frustration took over,” said Tolzman. “WEM went on two long runs with serves that we just couldn’t return.”
Individually for the Panthers: Gabby Schlaak 7 kills, 1 block, 14 digs; Camryn VanMaldeghem 1 block; Izzy Stadheim 1 dig; Elsie Schultz 15 digs; Tayler Schmidt 7 kills, 19 digs; Hallie Schultz 26 set assists, 1 kill, 12 blocks, 15 digs; Keira Lenort 4 kills, 8 blocks; Madi Murray 11 kills, 12 blocks, 2 digs; Chloe Stork 5 blocks; Faith Nielsen 1 assist, 19 digs.
The Panthers completed their first season with Tolzman as head coach. The Panthers graduate seniors Elsie Schultz, Hallie Schultz, Erin Peterson, Sydney Lewer, Stadheim, Schmidt, Lenort, Murray and Nielsen.
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By JIM LUTGENS
Sports Editor
When the NRHEG High School football team started the season 0-4, not many people expected much out of the Panthers the rest of the way.
They proved those people wrong.
The Panthers posted four consecutive victories to finish the regular season, earning the No. 4 seed and a home section playoff game.
Unfortunately, that’s where the Panthers’ season ended, with a 34-22 loss to No. 5 seed Blue Earth Area Friday, Oct. 27 in New Richland.
“We had a hard start, with the Bucs moving the ball really well,” said NRHEG coach Marc Kruger, whose team finished with a record of 4-5. “We never caught up from there.”
But that does not mean Kruger didn’t take pride in the accomplish ments of the 2023 Panthers.
“I am very proud of this team and getting to 4-4 this year,” said Kruger. “Ending the year winning four straight is huge.”
The Panthers were never really in the game against BEA, trailing 12-0 after one quarter and 32-0 at halftime.
NRHEG put one touchdown on the scoreboard in the third period and two in the fourth.
The Bucs outgained the Panthers 429-178 in total yards, 348-142 rushing. The visitors totaled 22 first downs to NRHEG’s nine.
The Panthers will graduate seniors Jaylin Raab, Sam Olson, Jackson Chrz, Reese Routh, Zander Flatness, Garett Degen and George Roesler.
Blue Earth Area 38, NRHEG 22
BEA 12 20 6 0 — 38
NRHEG 0 0 6 16 — 22
First Quarter
BEA — 5 run (two-point conversion failed)
BEA — Langager 30 run (two-point conversion failed)
Second Quarter
BEA — 5 run (two-point conversion successful)
BEA — 2 run (two-point conversion failed)
BEA — Langager 11 run (two-point conversion failed)
Third Quarter
BEA — Langager 3 run (kick failed)
NRHEG — Raab 35 run (kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
NRHEG — Olson 4 run (two-point conversion successful
NRHEG — Lewison 20 run (two-point conversion successful
BEA NRHEG
First downs 22 9
Total plays 60 42
Rushing yards 348 143
Passing Yds. 82 35
Total yards 429 178
Third down 4-8 1-7
Fourth down 1-2 0-2
Turnovers 0 1
Penalties 3-25 4-35
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – NRHEG: Raab 3-39; Olson 5-37; Cromwell 4-29; Lewison 1-20; Dobberstein 9-18; BEA: Langager 20-129; Rhey 6-42; Rest of Team 25-177
Passing – NRHEG: Dobberstein 3-14-1, 35; Olson 0-1-0, 0; BEA: 6-8-0, 81
Receiving — NRHEG: Roesler 2-18; Bartlett 1-17; BEA: Sonnek 2-18; Rest of team 4-63
Defense – NRHEG: Cromwell 12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss; Olson 6 tackles; Roesler 6 tackles, 2 assists, 1 tackle for loss; Bartlett 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss; Ihrke 4 tackles, 1 assist; Parpart 3 tackles; Raab 2 tackles; Brouwers 2 tackles, 1 assist; Larson 2 tackles; Gilliland 1 tackle, 1 tackle for loss; Flatness 1 tackle, 1 tackle for loss; Rest of Team 8 tackles, 2 assists, 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss