Four Schools Win Best of Local High School Sports Contest

(KNSI) – Four area schools received donations to their activities departments, thanks to success in the 2023 Best of Local High School Sports contest.

Representatives from sponsors Leighton Broadcasting and Lutgen Companies presented the checks to Albany, ROCORI, Sartell, and Sauk Rapids-Rice High Schools. The awards ranged from $500 to $4,000.

Albany

Area listeners say the Huskies’ state title is the top championship moment of 2023. The Albany High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team cut the nets down at the Target Center in March after they defeated Minnehaha Academy. Activities Director Scott Buntje talked about when the school began to think a Huskies championship was possible.

“We knew the conference season would be a challenge, we knew the section would be a challenge, and I think we all believed if we had success in the regular season and sections, we’d have a good shot at giving her a run.”

Buntje says having the girls get to the state title game the week before in basketball and seeing the football team lose to state champion New London-Spicer in overtime in the section final made the boys’ basketball breakthrough that much sweeter.

ROCORI

Blattner Stadium, home of the Spartans, remains a cut above other facilities in the area. Activities Director Mitch Dorr says his student-athletes never take the facility for granted. He says it’s special because of the attention to detail.

“I mean, they thought of a lot of the little things. Even the entrance. As you come into the entrance, kind of the Coliseum look, with our Spartan mascot sitting there, the bronze mascot.”

Dorr encourages visitors to take a close look at the plaza itself when they walk through the gates next time. You will notice the school’s core values engraved into the paving stones. There are also monuments to the three state championship football teams.

Sartell

Sartell and Sauk Rapids battle it out in the area’s best rivalry. Sabres Head Coach Scott Hentges says both communities are similar and know each other well, which is a great recipe for hard-fought, close games.

“These kids grew up playing against each other, and I think that rivalry just continues right on through high school. [The] football rivalry has been going on since 2002. [It’s] been going on since then, I’ve been a part of all of them.”

Hentges says the unique thing about the Sabres and Storm is how even teams are across the board in every sport.

Sauk Rapids-Rice

The next edition of the rivalry is this Saturday in playoff volleyball. Storm setter Katelyn Anderson says it brings out each team’s “A” game.

“I feel like some schools get a little nervous or worried to play the big rival, but for Sauk Rapids and Sartell, we’re eager and want to play each other as much as we can, knowing that it will be a close game every time. It’s going to be this one call, or this one point is going to tip [it] either way, and I think it’s something that we really look forward to, is playing a big rival.”

(3) Sartell hosts (6) Sauk Rapids-Rice in the Section 8AAAA quarterfinals.

The Storm took home $4,000, winning a slew of categories, including best student section, favorite coach, best overall fans, and more. Anderson says all teams and clubs at the school have taken it to heart that they’re in it together.

She says the teams support each other during games. Both football (hosting Elk River) and volleyball are in the playoffs on Saturday. Anderson’s squad will be able to go to the first half before leaving to prepare for their match against Sartell at 6:00 p.m.

When asked what she would like to see the donation spent on, Anderson says she thinks the cheering section for the school can be even larger and rowdier.

“One thing that I know us seniors talked about, specifically, was maybe having a chance to have a bus or a van or an opportunity for the underclassmen who aren’t able to drive and travel with the team. Have some sort of a fan bus option, so we can make sure that we’re traveling to the best of our ability and getting those underclassmen involved as well.”

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