Adrian senior tailback Dusty Henning eludes Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin defender Kody Karschnik during Friday's Section 3A championship game in Mountain Lake. The Wolverines ended Adrian's 8-3 season by saddling it with a 19-7 setback.

By John Rittenhouse
Adrian's bid to qualify for the state football tournament for the first time since 1998 came to an end Friday in Mountain Lake.

Playing Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin in the Section 3A championship game, the third-seeded Dragons were hoping to upset the No. 1-seeded Wolverines and make their first appearance in a state tournament since placing second in 1998.

But, on a cold and windy night in Mountain Lake, AHS simply couldn't get the job done.

ML-B-O controlled the line of scrimmage while compiling 300 yards of total offense, and the Dragons helped the host's cause by turning the ball over five times. When the game’s final gun sounded, ML-B-O came out on the better end of a 19-7 decision.

The Wolverines advance to the state quarterfinals Friday night in Brownton, where it takes on Section 2A champion McLeod West. Adrian ends an 8-3 campaign.

When the game was over, all Adrian coach Randy Strand could do was tip his hat to the 11-0 Wolverines.
“They are a good football team,” he said. “The difference was ML-B-O handled us at the line of scrimmage. That was the big key - that and the fact that we just couldn't catch a break. While we would drop a possible interception, they ran for 12 yards on fourth down to pick up a first down. It just wasn't our night.”

With a couple of breaks, Adrian could have won the game.

The Dragons led 7-3 after scoring the game's first touchdown 2:29 into the second quarter. ML-B-O, however, moved in front 10-7 by halftime before outscoring AHS 9-0 in the second half to win by 12 points.

Each team's defense dictated play in the early stages of the game, and an AHS punt from deep inside its own territory into a strong wind is what set up the first tally of the game.

ML-B-O began its second offensive possession on the AHS 44-yard line and advanced the ball inside the 10 before the Adrian defense stiffened. On fourth down, Wolverine exchange student Sonny Skaaning booted a 28-yard field goal to give the hosts a 3-0 edge at the 5:22 mark of the first quarter.

The score remained the same through the remainder of the first as Adrian's next possession ended with the team's first of four interceptions, and ML-B-O’s next series stalled on downs inside AHS territory.

The Dragons took over on their own 17 at that point, where they produced their biggest play of the game. A first-down pass from Levi Bullerman to Dusty Spieker turned into an 83-yard touchdown pass and run. When Bullerman added the extra point, Adrian had a 7-3 advantage with 9:31 remaining in the second quarter.

ML-B-O countered Adrian's quick strike with a long scoring march in its next possession.

The Wolverines advanced the ball 72 yards in 12 plays before running back Kody Karschnik scored on a six-yard run with 4:06 left to play in the first half. Skaaning added the extra point to make the difference 10-7.

Adrian's inability to contain Karschnik proved to be costly in the game. The ML-B-O workhorse carried the ball 51 times for 258 yards, accounting for all but seven of his team’s 265 rushing yards.

Two more turnovers by the Dragons allowed the Wolverines to put the game away in the second half.

After Wolverine Adam Meyers picked off a pass to end Adrian's second possession of the third quarter, the ML-B-O offense mounted a 12-play, 60-yard drive.

The march ended with Karschnik scoring on a one-yard plunge with 59 seconds left in the third quarter. An incomplete two-point conversion pass attempt left the Wolverines sporting a 16-7 lead.

Another interception by the Wolverines set up an 11-play drive that ended with Skaaning kicking a 20-yard field goal to cap the scoring with 8:34 remaining in the game.

Skaaning actually received two chances to boot the final field goal.

His first attempt was blocked by the Dragons, but a ML-B-O player picked up the ball and ran toward the end zone. When Adrian was flagged for a face-masking penalty during the run, the officials awarded Skaaning another shot at booting the field goal he eventually made.

Team statistics
Adrian: 82 rushing yards, 96 passing yards, 178 total yards, five first downs, five penalties for 38 yards, five turnovers.
ML-B-O: 265 rushing yards, 35 passing yards, 300 total yards, 14 first downs, four penalties for 35 yards, zero turnovers.

Individual statistics
Rushing: Dusty Henning 13-55, Bullerman 8-25, Joe Kruger 2-2.
Passing: Bullerman 4-16 for 96 yards, Pete Hohn 0-1 for zero yards.
Receiving: Henning 2-84, Hohn 2-12.
Defense: Kruger 26 tackles, Brandon Schettler 18 tackles, Spieker 12 tackles.

By Sara Strong
In response to questions and suggestions from Parents: The Anti Drug and Violence Task Force, the Rock County Board of Commissioners gave an overview of county services relating to family issues and prevention of drug use.

Commissioners also addressed the county curfew issue, which was not passed last time it was on the table.

The Rock County Attorney's Office reviewed a possible curfew ordinance for the board to consider.

Assistant County Attorney Terry Vajgrt said in a memo that there are positives and negatives to a potential curfew imposed by the county board.

Benefits are:
•A county wide curfew ordinance would provide law enforcement with reason to require juveniles to go home and stay there during appropriate hours.

•A county-wide curfew would provide “probable cause” to stop vehicles when it is apparent that occupants are in violation of the curfew. Those brief stops can be a tool to stop other illegal activities.

•A county-wide curfew might help identify at risk youth before other crimes are committed.

Possible drawbacks are:

•Vajgrt said he is concerned “that enforcement of a curfew ordinance will take deputies away from matters that should have higher priority. To date this year, law enforcement has made 31 DWI arrests in Rock County. I see this trend toward higher numbers continuing. A majority of DWI arrests occur during the time periods in which the county-wide curfew would be enforced. A deputy cannot be on patrol observing a drunk driver cross a center line if they are babysitting a juvenile while his/her parents are notified that their child has been brought to the Law Enforcement Center.”

•“A county wide curfew might, in my opinion, strengthen the misguided belief that the supervision of young people is a function of law enforcement, corrections and the courts rather than parents.”

Commissioner Jane Wildung said that the structure of the Law Enforcement Center itself is a part of the issue. With no holding cell, officers have to sit with people in custody. In the case of juveniles, they would have to wait until a parent or guardian can pick up the curfew violator.

In the case of juveniles likely to be out past curfew, Wildung said, parents might not be home or available to pick up their children.

Other concerns for a county-wide curfew are the inconsistencies between cities and the county in general. The cities of Kenneth, Steen and Magnolia don’t have curfews, and other cities have varying hours.

Officers would have to memorize the different ordinances and hope people younger than 18 didn't congregate in the towns without curfews.

The proposed ordinance set curfew hours for children younger than age 16 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. For juveniles 16 to 18, the curfew would be from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. There would be exceptions for work and school activities at the least.

The ordinance wasn't voted on, but the County Board turned it back to the Rock County Collaborative for further review and input.

County service overview
Chair Wildung said, “The County Board takes concerns seriously and is trying to develop some type of protocol to address the issues of the community.”

Key services available to families of Rock County were presented to the board and attending public.

•Policing — Rock County Sheriff Ron McClure said the two months of community policing classes have made a big impact on the department. “We have really good guys and they really believe in the concept.”

Deputy Jeff Wieneke said most department members like community policing so far. Related to the drug issue, Wieneke said he thinks the department will be more open and get more information from the public. Beyond that, he thinks reorganization within the department will help in gathering evidence and completing warrants.

McClure said to look for more programs the department will be putting on for the community.

The Task Force had previously expressed interest in grants for a school resource officer, a police officer in the schools. The grants are past for this cycle and some applicants are already in for the next, but the county theorizes that scheduling and prioritizing time may make it possible to get a school officer even without the grant.

The grant Rock County researched is $125,000 over three years. A school officer would probably cost $70,000 a year in total needs, so the difference would have to be made up somewhere. So even if the county gets a grant at some point, local funds would be needed.

Task Force member Elaine Fick said, “I realize the cost is an issue, but my hope is that by the end of the three years, we find that we really need this and the cost is worth it, that we can't get along without it.”

She said the county might actually save money on the front end of law enforcement, rather than spending more money in detention and court fees.

•Public Health - Paula Anderson, public health educator for Nobles Rock Public Health is also a member of the Collaborative. She said the Collaborative looked at curfews in the past and decided it was better to encourage parents to better monitor their children.

As a reference tool for parents, the Collaborative will be distributing magnets that list appropriate curfews for children of different ages. The guideline may help parents set rules for the family.

Through her work with the Collaborative and Public Health, Anderson is trying to reach parents in different ways - through print material, classes and possibly the Internet - to get them information on parenting issues.

She has contacts to help parents and community groups looking for speakers or general information.

•Mental Health — Scott Johnson, director of the Southwest Mental Health Center, said addiction aftercare typically goes through Stephanie Pierce at Luverne Community Hospital.

“When I worked with people on an inpatient basis,” Johnson said, “some of the worst things, the scariest people were on meth. … I knew one patient who had gone through treatment 36 times. It's an ongoing problem.”

•Corrections -
Community Corrections deals with criminals on probation. Random drug tests are done in favor of scheduled tests, but the Task Force voiced concerns that those weren't done often enough.

Now, eight adults are on probation in Rock County for felony drug charges, most of which are fifth degree or for small amounts.

•Rock County Collaborative - The Collaborative's purpose is to empower parents and prevent risky behavior in young people.

The Collaborative is broken down into groups that work within certain ages and tailor programs to those ages. It has ongoing programs such as Healthy Families Home Visiting Project, gifts of “Rock-A-Bye Baby Reader,” Child Guide Program at the elementary school, Big Buddies, Book of the Week Club at Hills-Beaver Creek elementary, parenting seminars, summer recreation expansion, seatbelt checks, Top Teens, middle school after school program, and many others.

Name and place of residence: Layton Gruis, rural Adrian

Family information: Wife, Missy, and two sons, Brandon, 12, and Trevor, 11, both students in Ellsworth School District.

Occupation: Grain and livestock farmer

Education: Ellsworth High School diploma and two-year degree from Canby vo-tech.

Community activities and involvement: Member of Salem Reformed Church, Little Rock, Iowa, where he serves on the consistory. He's also been a board member of East Lyon County Co-op for several years and volunteers for the Little Rock ambulance.

Qualifications for service: Lifelong member of the Ellsworth School District.

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as school board member? In other words, if elected, what issues will be important to you?

"It is important to me to maintain a school district with a small class atmosphere while offering a quality education. In order to achieve this, we must efficiently use our tax dollars available to us. I will also strive to maintain a safe, well-disciplined atmosphere at Ellsworth Public Schools."

Name and place of residence: Joan Pater, Adrian

Family information: Husband, Darrin, and two boys, Jordan, 11, and Jase, 8.

Occupation: Kitchen staff at Adrian Elementary School

Education: Adrian High School diploma and Southeast Vo-tech accounting degree.

Community activities and involvement: Adrian Park Board and member of the Adrian Blue and Gold Parent Teacher Organization.

Qualifications for service: "I feel I'm qualified because I have two children who attend Adrian Elementary. I attend School Board meetings regularly, and I am very interested in my childrenÕs education."

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as school board member? In other words, if elected, what issues will be important to you?

"Budget cuts are the main issue right now, and, with the cuts, still being able to provide our students with the quality of education they deserve."

Deputy Auditor-Treasurer Shari Binford runs paper through the counting machine at the Rock County Courthouse Tuesday night. Pictured in back is Deputy Auditor-Treasurer Carol Weber. The counting wasn't complete until 5 a.m. Wednesday. Election story inside.

Photo by Lori Ehde

Southwest Conference Choral Festival 2002
Guest Choir Conductor Dr. P. Bradley Logan directs members of the Honor Choir Monday during the Southwest Conference High School Festival in the Luverne High School gymnasium. The Honor Choir is made up of eight singers from each of the seven conference schools. Luverne, Worthington, Jackson County Central, Redwood Valley, Windom, Marshall and Pipestone Area combined to form a mass choir of 575 voices. The festival culminated with an evening concert featuring each school performing two selections, followed by presentations from the Honor Choir and mass choir. Bruce Phelps, former Luverne choir director, was also a guest conductor for the event.

Photo by Sue Bruynes

Name and place of residence: Tim Honermann, Adrian

Family information: Wife, Judy, and children, Trista, 17, and Tanna, 14

Occupation: Contractor-cabinet maker

Education: Adrian Public School, Pipestone Vocational
Community activities and involvement: Jaycees member, Chamber member and board member of HRA and Cemetery Association.

Qualifications for service: "I've been in business for 17 years and also have two children in school."

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as school board member? In other words, if elected, what issues will be important to you?

"What I would like to accomplish if elected school board member would include good quality teaching, make sure kids are getting proper education to prepare them for college or careers when they graduate É also try to run the school with the funds that are available."

Name and place of residence: Colleen Nath, Luverne

Family information: Husband, Dan, and children, Matthew, 13, Rachel, 11, and Benjamin, 9

Occupation: Office manager at Luverne Family Chiropractic

Education: Graduate of Cottonwood County High School and Granite Falls Vocational Technical Institute.

Community activities and involvement: Music Boosters assistant treasurer, member of St. Catherine Church, St. Catherine women's auxiliary and church choir.

Qualifications for service: Concerned parent, communication skills, concern for the school system and the community and business understanding.

If elected, what should voters expect you to accomplish during your term as school board member? In other words, if elected, what issues will be important to you?

"My family has been in Luverne for only a few years, but we very much enjoy the school system and used it as a deciding factor when moving here. I think, as a new person coming into the school board, there would be a learning period to achieve a level of understanding on the issues that are being faced. The current board members have done a fine job, and I, myself, would like to become involved in the future educational needs of my children. I think I can bring a new set of opinions to the board as well as a caring attitude. I know I have a lot to learn, and I am up for the challenge."

Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton sophomore Tyler Bush approaches the finish of Saturday's Class A cross country race in Northfield. Bush placed 15th overall to lead the Patriot boys to a sixth-place effort as a team.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton's first appearance as a team at the Minnesota State Class A Cross Country Championships in Northfield has to be considered a big success.

With one Patriot boy running his way onto the All-State roster and a sixth-place finish as a team, H-BC-E-E can be proud of its performance during the fall classic staged on the campus of St. Olaf College.

“We finished sixth as a team out of 16 teams, and we were 19 points out of third place,” said Patriot coach Tom Goehle. “I’m extremely proud of our guys for placing sixth. You always want to finisher higher, but we could have easily have done worse and dropped out of the Top Ten.”

Goehle had a good idea that Staples-Motley and St. Cloud Cathedral, teams that finished first and second in the Class A standings with 77 and 127 points respectively would finish one and two. After offering that, he added that places three through 10 would be up for grabs.

Goehle’s foresight proved to be fairly accurate as 52 points separated the teams that placed third through 10th.
H-BC-E-E’s 191-point total was 19 counters behind La Crescent, which finished third with 172 counters. Perham (180) and Eveleth-Gilbert (185) bested the Patriots by 11 and six points respectively.

H-BC-E-E edged Blue Earth Area 191-192 for sixth place. Warroad (202), Canby-Minneota-Lincoln HI (213) and Plainview (224) round out the Top Ten.

Along with leading his team to a sixth-place finish, sophomore Tyler Bush became the second H-BC-E-E runner to earn all-state status during the course of the race in as many years.

Bush, the Patriots' top performer all season, placed 15th individually out of 159 runners. The Top 25 finishers in the race make the All-State Class A Team.

Brad Haak placed 14th at the state meet last year to become the first Patriots to make the all-state team.

Since H-BC-E-E was competing as a team, Bush’s adjusted place (which is the place an individual finished compared with all other members of 16 teams involved in the varsity race) was ninth.
Senior Zach Hadler, sophomore Kale Wiertzema, junior Todd Alberty and sophomore Greg Van Batavia made contributions to H-BC-E-E's team tally.

Hadler’s adjusted place was 33rd in 18:08. Wiertzema (43rd in 18:20), Alberty (51st in 18:27) and Van Batavia (55th in 18:29) impacted the scoring with their adjusted finishes.

Overall, Hadler, Wiertzema, Alberty and Van Batavia finished 60th, 76th, 87th and 92nd respectively.
Junior Lee Jackson and sophomore Derek Haak ran without influencing the scoring.

Jackson, who ran an 18:40, finished 66th in the adjusted standings and 108th overall. Haak, who ran a 19:47, finished 104th in the adjusted standings and 150th overall.

Considering all of his runners, with the exception of Halder, will be back next year, one would think Goehle would be looking forward to the 2003 season.

The coach, however, has a different take on the situation.

“Right now we're spending most of our time being thankful for making it to state this year instead of looking ahead to next season,” he said.

“There is a lot of time between now and next season, and we can put next year on the backburner for now. Besides, just because you were good one year doesn't necessarily mean you will have one the next year. The potential his there, but it will take a lot of hard work to get back to state.”

Here is a look at the final Class A boys' team standings.

Standings: S-M 77, SCC 127, La Crescent 172, Perham 180, E-G 185, H-BC-E-E 191, BEA 192, Warroad 202, C-M-LH 213, Plainview 224, Annandale 235, Minnehaha Academy 260, East Grand Forks 266, United South Central 283, Mayer Lutheran 350, Duluth Marshall 350.