BHS Thursday preview: Jacks boys basketball hosts rival Moorhead

After an early week lull, occasioned by Tuesday's political caucuses, Bemidji High returns to a heavy day of sports action today.

At home are the boys basketball team with Moorhead and the swim and gym teams hosting Park Rapids, both at 6 p.m.

The cage game will begin at 7:30 with the preliminaries at 5:45, the freshmen in the auxiliary gymnasium.

On the road will be the girls basketball team at Pequot Lakes and the hockey team at Roseau.

The boys cagers should give Moorhead a battle at home, trying to salvage a split in the season series.

They lost the opener 72-69 at Moorhead, the victim of 32 fouls called and a 29-18 Moorhead bulge from the free throw line.

This is something, however, that has long been a problem at Moorhead.

Last year, the two teams split, Bemidji winning at home 64-58 and the Spuds on their court 63-53.

Bemidji has won its last six starts to reach 11-4 on the season and will host Alexandria Saturday at 3 in the nightcap of a girls-boys double header.

Moorhead has struggled and is 8-7y on the year but scored a major upset in its last start beating St. Cloud Tech 83-71.

Moorhead has gone 4-2 since the Bemidji win losing to West Fargo and Fargo North decisively but beating Fargo South, Fergus Falls, Thief River and Tech.

For the once high ranked Tigers, it was their third loss in the past five starts, following other setbacks to Apollo and Rocori.

Carey Woods, who hit 26 at Moorhead and Ryan Rude, who tallied 18 will lead the Jacks attack tonight.

Dan Frost, Grant Richardson and Czar Woods round out the starting cast.

Ryan Sederquist, who led Moorhead with 26 in the first game, will be the key scorer to control.

Seek upset win

The girls hockey team will be seeking a major upset tonight at Roseau, a team that stands between it and a possible trip to the state.

Bemidji outshot the Rams 22-18 in their first game at Nymore but came out on the short end of a 2-0 score.

At Roseau, the Rams are always tough and will be so tonight.

But Bemidji had untracked its attack to a great extent since the early going and now can put two productive scoring lines on ice.

It will take another top effort to bring back the victory but certainly a goal that is within their grasp.

Bemidji is 15-4-1 on the year, far better than early season expectations.

Roseau is 15-5 and ranked ninth in the latest hockey poll. Bemidji is rated 12.

Roseau scored in the first and third periods of the previous game, both at even strength.

Only five penalties were whistled, three on Bemidji.

Bemidji now shows seven double figure scorers led by Shelby Sauer with 31 points. Alli Lapp has 30 with Becca Gregg needing a single point to reach 20.

Three defenders are closing in on double figures to join Emily Larson who has 15.

Maria Thomson should be in goal tonight.

CEC took a 13-7-2 mark into this week. It beat Bemidji 2-1 at Cloquet last winter..

Cagers tested

The girls basketball team can expect a stiff test at Pequot tonight despite as a gaudy 15-1 record that has them rated third in the state behind DeLaSalle and Benilde.

Pequot is unranked in 2A but dangerous. The Patriots are 15-4, losing only to East Grand Forks, Hawley, Barnum and Staples, the last reversing an earlier win. Hawley and Barnum are both state ranked.

The Pats show a 20 point win over Brainerd which took Bemidji into overtime recently and decisive wins over Little Falls, Detroit Lakes, Crookston, and Hibbing.

Kayla Hirt, who hit a season high 35 in last year's 82-56 Bemidji win here, will be a top threat for Pequot to contain.

She has topped that total four times this year, hitting 36 twice and 38 and 40 once. She has now reached 450 points and could top the 500 mark by Saturday afternoon with two normal efforts.

Kelsey Heisler, Abby Hendricks Megan Huseby and Erika Weimann round out the starting five with Jess Yost, Kenzie Kane and Selina Gilbertson first off the bench. And Caitlin Gangelhoff is getting closer to returning from the injury list.

The B Team brings a 5-10 mark and the freshmen 8-5 into play tonight.

Swim, gym favored

The swim and gym teams will be favored at home against Park Rapids teams that can be pesky.

The swimmers are coming off a fine showing at home, winning a triangular over Moorhead and Fargo South.

They are 4-0 in duals, beating Thief River twice and Grand Rapids and Detroit Lakes once.

Leading the way will be seniors Matt Wilcox and Paul Voss, juniors Dylan Hoven, Adam Falk and Nick Nyberg and sophs Pat Voss and Nick Gubbels.

But the team has been developing more strength at the younger levels in recent outings to increase its depth.

It took last year's meeting 104-76 at Park Rapids.

The gym team should enjoy getting back to its own level after home and home meets against state champion Perham.

It won its first meeting at Park Rapids 128-115 and should maintain that margin at home.

Coach Don Papreck now has eight gymnasts contributing at the varsity level led by seniors Rachel Bell and Katie Parker, sophs Katie Jensen, Nicole McDonald, Jessica Bergquist, Brooke Beck, and Tiana Stinar and seventh grader Amy Carey, all scoring points in recent meets.

And senior Amanda Sycks has returned to action after a long injury layoff, regaining her skills with the JV.