BHS Friday Preview: Unbeaten Jacks boys basketball team hosts Brainerd
The Bemidji boys basketball team will put their unbeaten status on the line today when they entertain Brainerd at 7:30 p.m. BHS (8-0) will also be home Saturday when Moorhead comes to town for a 7:15 p.m. contest.
In its most recent outing Bemidji blistered Crookston 86-48 Tuesday night. The Pirates held a huge size advantage over the Jacks but couldn't match Bemidji's speed and quickness. In the end, speed dominated height and BHS cruised to the victory.
The Lumberjacks enter the weekend ranked fourth among the state's Class 3A schools, according to Minnesota Basketball News, and is the only unbeaten team in the top 10. De LaSalle (7-1) leads the 3A ratings, St. Paul Johnson (8-1) is second and Benilde-St. Margaret's (4-2) is third.
Completing the top-10 are Delano (8-1), Minneapolis Washburn (6-2), Orono (7-1), Columbia Heights (6-1), St. Cloud Apollo (5-2) and St. Thomas Academy (6-1).
Brainerd has struggled this winter and is 1-6 after losing 74-60 Tuesday to Moorhead. The Warriors opened their season with a 53-50 double-overtime win over St. Cloud Tech but has since lost to Alexandria, Moorhead (twice), Willmar, St. Michael and Roseville.
Moorhead is 6-0 in games reported. Its victims have been Alexandria, Fargo South, Thief River Falls, Brainerd (twice) and Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton.
Bemidji was seeded fifth in the eight-team Hibbing Invitational and will face No. 4 Chisago Lakes in today's 4 p.m. opener.
Today's other first-round matchups pit No. 1 Centennial against No. 8 Virginia, No. 2 Princeton against No. 7 Nashwauk and No. 3 Hibbing against No. 6 Deer River.
Following the first round the teams will be placed into two pools and play a round-robin with the other teams in their bracket. The first-round winners will form one pool and the losers will form the other.
Saturday's action begins at 11 a.m. and the awards ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Among the candidates for Bemidji's varsity spots this weekend are:
112-Brian Maas and Michael Fogarty
119-Logan Crosby and Gary Molash
130-Craig Maas and Ryle Masterson
140-Colton Doty and Isaiah Moore
152-Kodi Craft and Dustin Greenman
Heavyweight-Alex Johnson and Keefer Bender
So far in dual meets Bemidji owns a 3-4 record.