Bayside Chatter: Girls hockey begins

Talk about it

The high school hockey season began for Silver Bay last night as the Mariner girls traveled to Duluth to play the Duluth Northern Stars at the Heritage Center. This season the team is made up of players from Silver Bay, Cook County, Ely, and Babbitt-Embarrass and will officially be known as the Silver Bay Area Mariners.

The same coaches return from last season along with newcomer Ron Rykken of Ely-Babbitt. The team’s next game will be at home next Friday against International Falls.

Undefeated

Twenty football teams and one volleyball team advanced to their state tournament undefeated. Eight unbeaten football teams fell in their section finals. Wadena-Deer Creek in AA is the only unbeaten volleyball team.

Only two local teams, Esko in AA and Cherry in A, advanced to the state volleyball tournament and neither one received one of the top four seeds. Of the three teams ranked No. 1 in the final regular season polls, only Minneota in A and Lakeville North in AAA advanced. Marshall in AA is the only defending champion to return.

Football

In the football state brackets there is no seeding. Four of the final six teams ranked No. 1 advanced in Wayzata in AAAAA, St. Thomas Academy in AAAA, Albany in AAA, and Nicollet in nine-man.

The three local teams to advance are Moose Lake-Willow River in AA and Mountain Iron-Buhl and Cromwell in nine-man. Minneota in A, Totino-Grace in AAAA, and Cretin-Derham Hall in AAAAA are the only returning champions.

The favorites as I see them are Nicollet, Lanesboro and Goodridge-Grygla in nine-man, Barnesville and Minneota in A, the winner of Moose Lake versus Eden Valley-Watkins in AA, Albany in AAA, St. Thomas and Totino-Grace in AAAA and Wayzata, Eden Prairie, Cretin, and Blaine in AAAAA.

Cross country

State cross country champions were crowned last weekend with Wayzata and Perham taking the honors for the boys. Eden Prairie and Adrian did so for the girls. Individual champions were Adam Zutz of St. Francis, Mason Ferlic of Mounds Park Academy, Maria Hauger of Shakopee, and Marisa Shady of Esko.

Hunting

Opening weekend of deer season in the eastern end of Lake County was pretty slow as the deer seemed to be moving mainly at night due to the warm weather.

The Lady Luck Camp saw a 10-pointer come in opening day and that was it. The Maple Grove Bar Association Camp (or the Johnson shack) got a six- and 10-pointer opening weekend.

For more information about deer hunting in Minnesota, check out the Department of Natural Resources’ Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/index.html. Send pictures of your deer hunting excursion to chronicle@lcnewschronicle.com.

Tags: bayside chatter, sports, schools, football