Weekend roundup

Friday action:
The Mainstreeters boys' basketball team downed visiting Minnewaska Area 80-69 to improve to 3-1 on the season. The Sauk Centre-Melrose wrestling team placed seventh at the 10-team Willmar invitational. The Prairie Centre Area boys' hockey team lost 6-0 at Detroit Lakes

Saturday action:
The North Stars hockey team fell to 0-5 on the season with a 7-0 loss to Willmar at Long Prairie.

Read more on all the action in this week's Sauk Centre Herald.

MSC Fusion gearing up for new season

Here's a brief look at the Melrose-Sauk Centre Fusion swimming and diving team's preseason drills on Thursday this week at the Melrose pool.

The team is preparing for their season opener next Thursday, Dec. 11, at Melrose against Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato.

At Minnewaska Area on Thursday night, the Sauk Centre girls' basketball team won 55-38 to improve to 2-0 overall and in the West Central North Conference standings. Their next game is a non-conference outing at New London-Spicer next Tuesday. The Wildcats are 1-0 after beating sub-section rival Eden Valley-Watkins 49-44 in their season opener last night.

Tonight the Mainstreeters boys' basketball team (2-1) holds their home opener when Minnewaska Area comes to town. The Lakers are 1-1 overall with a 63-45 win over Paynesville Area in their season opener and then a 73-63 loss to Melrose Area on Nov. 25.

Also tonight, Prairie Centre Area (0-3, 0-1) travels to Detroit Lakes for a Midstate Conference boys' hockey game. The Lakers are 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the conference. On Saturday the North Stars host Willmar (1-1) in non-conference action at the Sauk Centre civic arena at 5:15 p.m.

Later this afternoon, the Sauk Centre-Melrose wrestling team travels to the Willmar tournament.

Scoreboard:
Hoops
SC Girls 94
Morris 81

SC Boys 40
LPGE 41

Hockey

Park Rapids 6

Prairie Centre 0

Boys' basketball is 2-0, hockey tagged with first loss

Cole Neubert leaps above two Tigers to haul down a rebound in Tuesday's win at Morris. PHOTO BY BROOKE KERN, MORRIS SUN-TRIBUNE.

In a tough road game at Morris on Tuesday, the Mainstreeters boys' basketball team defeated Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 57-49 in the West Central North Conference opener. As was the case in the season opener at Upsala, Sauk Centre's defense shined against the Tigers while building a 25-14 halftime lead. Leading scorers were Matthew Moritz (21) and Cole Neubert (14). Up next: a sub-section game and border battle at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle next Tuesday. After that is the home opener against their neighbors to the west, Minnewaska Area, on Friday, Dec. 5.

Prairie Centre Area fell to 1-1 on the season by a 4-3 score to host River Lakes at Paynesville on Tuesday. The North Stars were out shot 53-15 but still held a 3-2 lead after two periods, thanks in large part to 49 saves by goalie Mitch Bauer. Up next: the North Stars host Park Rapids Area/Menahga/Nevis/Walker-Hackensack-Akeley next Tuesday in Long Prairie. (Yes, that's a boys' hockey coop.)

The girls' basketball season opener is next Tuesday, Dec. 2 at home against Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta. The Melrose-Sauk Centre Fusion boys' swimming and diving team opens their season in Melrose on Thursday, Dec. 11 against Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato.

SCM sixth at Early Bird tournament

SCM medal-winners on Wednesday.

Will Funk in action on Wednesday in the season-opening tournament.

The Sauk Centre-Melrose wrestling team placed sixth at their season-opening Early Bird tournament in Melrose on Wednesday. They earned 108.5 team points.

Will Funk blazed his way to the 152-pound championship match, where he lost a close 4-1 decision to Jordan Engler (Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg).

Up next: the Paynesville triangular including Quad County on Dec. 11; it will start the West Central Conference meet schedule.

Season-opening win

For the second year in a row, the Sauk Centre boys' basketball team defeated Upsala in the season opener. Last night at Upsala, the Mainstreeters beat the Cardinals 59-54. Matthew Moritz led Sauk Centre with 11 points, while Austin Nelson was also in double figures with 10 points.

Up next is a trip to Morris next Tuesday (Nov. 25) to face the Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta Tigers in the West Central North Conference opener.

The Mainstreeters return a solid nucleus of talent from last year's 18-8, sub-section runner-up squad.

(Video) State swimming meet

Here's Dani Banal swimming in the 100 backstroke prelims at state: