Boys Basketball: Color these Tigers green

Darren Beenken, returning starter
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Farmington's school colors are orange and black but don't blame Tiger coach Shane Wyandt for trying to outfit his 2011-12 team in green jerseys for the early part of the season. Green...as in young and inexperienced.

"Consistency could be a problem early," Wyandt said. "We are extremely young and most of our older guys don't have a lot of varsity experience so in some ways we have to grow up fast.

"We see the ability there but we need to see it more consistently which we hope we do as the year moves on."

Four seniors head the list of 10 returnees: guards Austin Bassett (below) and Alec Hogstad; guard/forward Jacob Hanson and forward Grant Bloomster.



Other returning letterwinners from 2010-11 include juniors Darren Beenken (forward); Alex Chadwick (guard) and Tom Sell (forward/center) and sophomores Nick Varner (center); MacKinley Bassett (forward) and John Dittman (guard).

"We have some depth at guard this year," Wyandt said, "but it is young depth. We are looking at Johnny Dittman and Alex Chadwick to make an impact early while while some other guys develop at the junior varsity level.

"Nick Varner gained some much needed minutes last year as a freshman and we expect a big year from him. Jacob Hanson will provide some depth for us at multiple positions and that should help greatly."

Wyandt said his team doesn't have the size of some other teams in the Missota Conference but he hopes to make up for that with an amped-up, up-tempo style of play

"When we stay under control, we can be very fast and fun to watch," he said.

Wyandt picked Chanhassen to be a conference contender but noted as usual, the league will have no shortage of talent. Newcomer Lakeville North figures to be the odds-on favorite in Section 1.

"We would like to position ourselves to be in the top half of both the conference and the section," Wyandt said. "Hopefully we can play well enough to get a home playoff game. After that anything can happen."

Tharen Johnson returns as junior varsity coach with ex-Tiger Trevor Davis taking over the B-squad coaching duties. Robb Virgin and Roland Bradley will share the ninth-grade coaching chores.

The Tigers open their season Friday night (Dec. 2) in Rochester against John Marshall. They kick off their home season next Tuesday against Rochester Century.

Girls Hockey: Wayzata edges Tigers in OT

by Nate Rowan

Jessica Erchul
52 saves vs. Wayzata
(photo by Jim Lindquist)


Becca Senden scored at 5:54 of overtime as Wayzata defeated Farmington 1-0 in girl’s hockey action Tuesday night at the Plymouth Ice Center.

The Trojans (4-2-0) earned their first win in the last three games. Paige Marcy made nine stops, earning the shutout.

Jessica Erchul kept Farmington in the game, stopping 52 of 53 shots.

“We did a better job of not letting them get quality shots,” Tigers head coach Jon Holmes said. “She didn’t make any outstanding or amazing saves. She looked normal last night and remained calm and made some saves look easy.”

“We’ve expected that out of [Erchul] this year,” he said. “It’s just a matter of her feeling comfortable in the net again.”

Both teams went scoreless on the power play, with Farmington earning three chances while Wayzata had two opportunities.

The Tigers (1-4-0) have now lost four games in a row after opening the season with a win. In those four contests, Farmington has scored just four total goals and has six for the season.

“We haven’t been able to sustain a forecheck ,” Holmes said. “By the time we clear the zone it’s time for a line change.”

Holmes says his young team is still figuring out its identity and hopes to have some more answers in the next few weeks.

“It’s one of those things that by the Christmas tournament we’ll have more of an idea of where we’re at,” he said.

The Tigers will travel to New Prague on Thursday. Puck drops at 7:15 p.m. at the New Prague Community Center.

Girls Basketball: Tigers fall to Panthers 64-33 in opener

Mariah Mincke
11 points, 3 steals vs. Rochester Century


Rochester Century jumped to an early lead and never looked back in a 64-33 win over the Tigers Tuesday, Nov. 29, in Rochester. The non-conference contest between the section rivals was the first of the season for both teams.

The game was also the inaugural game for Tiger coach Sondra Chadwick who said her young team would have to do a better job on the glass if it is going to stay in games.

"Rebounding was our biggest problem," she said. "We only had 13 and we gave them too many second chances. If we don't rebound, it is difficult to get momentum by pushing it in transition.

"The girls will really need to focus on getting physically and mentally tougher as we are a small team. That means we have to work harder."

Century led 37-19 at intermission and then held the Tigers to just 14 second half points.

The Tigers who were without the services of leading scorer Taylor Meyer (knee) as well as Gabby White and Dava White, were led by Mariah Mincke with 11 points.

Freshman guard Sofia Chadwick finished with nine points, three assists and two steals in her first varsity game. Her back court mate, Isis Alexander, scored seven points, handed out five assists and came up with a pair of steals.

The Tigers open their home season Friday night (Dec. 2) when they entertain Rochester John Marshall at 7:30 at Tiger Gym.

Boys Hockey: Tigers skate to 2-2 OT tie with John Marshall

by Nate Rowan

Andrew Peterson (No. 7) scores the tying goal with 1:56 to play
(photo by Jim Lindquist)


Andrew Peterson’s goal with 1:56 to play in the third period tied the game as Farmington skated to a 2-2 tie with Rochester John Marshall in boys hockey action Tuesday night at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

The Rockets (0-0-1) opened the scoring at the 14:06 mark of the first period on Kyle Andrews’ goal. Nick Paulson and Jared Bromberg were credited with assists.

Kevin Olund tied the game 3:32 into the second period for the Tigers (0-0-1), scoring on a rebound after the initial shot from the point was blocked. John Donnelly and Sean Johnson picked up assists on the first Tiger goal of the season.

Tied heading to the third, John Marshall used a power play goal from Gavin Sandwick to take a 2-1 lead. Alex Lovett and Ryan Lakin earned assists.

That set the stage for Peterson, who picked up a loose puck in the slot and slid it past the John Marshall goaltender. Grant Hauswirth picked up the lone assist on the game-tying goal.

Peterson had a breakaway opportunity with under 10 seconds to play in overtime, but was stopped by Rockets goaltender Jacob Garvey who made 21 saves.

“It’s a good sign that we can keep our composure,” Farmington head coach Keith Revels said. “We got down, came back, got down, came back. We dealt well with adversity tonight.”

Victor Simones (No. 35) 32 saves in season opener
(photo by Jim Lindquist)


Farmington goaltender Victor Simones stopped 32 of 34 shots for the Tigers.

“[Victor] is going to need to be consistent all year for us to be successful,” Revels said.

John Marshall was 1-for-5 on the power play while Farmington did not have an opportunity with the man advantage.

Revels was content with the play of his team, especially his young players, many of whom made their varsity debuts.

“We had nearly half our players in their first varsity action,” Revels said. “The speed of the game is the biggest difference for those guys.”

“All were pretty solid. They look like they belong.”

The Tigers will next play Thursday at Schmitz-Maki Arena when they host Rochester Century at 7:15 p.m.

Tiger Scoreboard: November 29, 2011

Boys Hockey
Farmington 2 Rochester John Marshall 2 (OT)

Girls Hockey
Wayzata 1 Farmington 0 (OT)

Girls Basketball
Rochester Century 64 Farmington 33

Dance Team
Missota Conference Kick
1. Chaska 2. Chanhassen, 3. Holy Angels, 4. Farmington 5. Shakopee 6. Northfield

Wrestling: Tigers young and light

Kyle Benjamin
All-Missota Conference honorable mention in 2010-11
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

On the bright side, the 2011-12 Tiger roster will boast 16 wrestlers who earned varsity letters last winter. The flip side of that coin is only five of that number are upperclassmen.
"Our strengths will be our youth and our lower weights," second-year coach Chad Olson said. "But even though we are still a young team, all but one of our younger wrestlers have at least one season of varsity experience."
The five returning seniors who will provide much of the leadership and fill out the upper portion of the lineup include Ridge Raddatz (145/152/160); Trevor Breezley (152/160); Tyler Engel (182/195); Dakota Louis-Dupay (220) and Bret Hoffman (285).
The sophomore class is a strong one with six letterwinners returning: Jacob Goddard (106/113); Joe Liden (132/138); Jake Rudeen (138/145); Chris McCue (145/152/160); Joe Hoeve (152/160) and Godfrey Mpetey (220).
Other returnees include freshmen Kyle Benjamin (113); Matt Rustad (120); John Waltz (126/132) and Brayden Chapman (132) and eighth-grader Taylor Venz (106).
Benjamin received all-Missota Conference honorable mention last season as a freshman and Venz is ranked ninth at 106 lbs. in the Class 3A pre-season state poll.
Sophomores Kelvin O’Brien (113/120) and Brian Caravantes (138/145) and freshman Logan Haakana (145/152) should also vie for varsity mat time.
"We will be more competitive in our conference duals and in our section," Olson predicted. "We'll be able to fill out a complete lineup but we don't have much depth in the top four weight classes."
The Tigers will find out a lot about their abilities in the first weeks of the season, starting with a big 16-team tournament at Lakeville on Dec. 3, followed by match-ups with four state-rated teams the following weekend.
Olson said Shakopee looks like the team to beat in the Missota Conference race with the Sabers and Prior Lake expected to be the front-runners in the chase for Section 2AAA honors.
Former Tiger varsity coach Jon Lund and Doug Quick will serve as varsity assistants this winter with Lance Offerman and Steve Gliva handling the middle school program.

Nate Rowan to cover Tiger hockey

Farmington High School graduate Nate Rowan will cover the Tigers boys and girls hockey teams for the school district's athletic website the remainder of the 2011-12 season.
During his high school days at Farmington, Rowan served as boys hockey manager in the winter and public address announcer for Tiger home baseball games in the spring.
Rowan graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead with a degree in communications earlier this year. Last summer he served an internship with the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, the same league as that of the St. Paul Saints.

Gymnastics: Veteran Tigers aiming high

Kiana Lord (bottom) 6th on beam; 19th in all-around at state meet
Nadia Lorencz 10th in vaulting at state
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Last season was a memorable one for coach Lynn Bauman and her Tiger gymnasts. They set a new school point record (142.75), finished a best-ever runner-up at the Section 1AA Championships, ranked third in the Missota Conference and sent three individuals to the state meet.
Terra Klima, the school record holder on the uneven bars and Erin Hickey are gone from that team but six other letterwinners return, leaving Bauman excited about the season ahead.
"Watch out, here we come, better than ever," she said. "For real, it should be an exciting year...as long as we stay healthy."
One of the primary reasons for Bauman's rosy outlook is the return of Kiana Lord and Nadia Lorencz, both all-Missota Conference performers and state meet participants in 2001-11.
Lord finished sixth on the balance beam at state and ranked 19th in the all-around standings. Lorencz, who set a new school record in vaulting last winter, turned in a 10th place effort in that event at the state meet.
The other veterans from last year's section runners-up include Jade Alm, Tahra Eckert, Kylie Wharton and Kathryn Beckett.
Bauman rattled off a list of newcomers who for now will be working with the junior varsity team, including Kayla Bauman, Rachel Kiminski, Samantha Kramer, Anna Timerson, Jenna Klatt, ReAnn Eidahl and Racquel Beckett.
"I believe we will be good all-around," Bauman said. "We've had multiple girls work hard over the off season.
"If I had to pick an event that would be our strongest I'd have to go with the vault. The girls have some new and amazing vaults they have been working on."
Bauman said that she is looking for a move up from last year's third place finish in the conference. As for the section, the Tigers have been shifted from Section 1AA to 3AA so the competition is somewhat unknown.
"I'm guessing Park of Cottage Grove will be the favorite," she said. "They were third at the state meet last year."
Bauman returns a veteran staff of assistant coaches. Nick Tews begins his second year with the program and Beth Moore enters her third.
The Tigers vault into their 2011-12 season Saturday, Dec. 3. with an appearance at the Austin Invitational.

Alumni Tracker: Ex-Tigers move deep into post-season play

A handful of ex-Tigers now competing at the collegiate level have helped their respective teams advance well into the fall post-season.
Cody Eich (left) of the FHS Class of 2007, had three tackles and three assists to help defending NCAA Division II national champion University of Minnesota-Duluth to a 24-21 win over previously unbeaten Colorado-Pubelo in this year's second round. The Bulldogs, who have won two of the last three Division II national titles, play Metro State University (Michigan) in the national quarterfinals this weekend.
2011 Tiger grad Katie Habeck, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Volleyball Freshman of the Year for Concordia University-St. Paul, will be in San Bernardino, California this weekend as the Golden Bears chase their fifth straight Division II national crown. Habeck has already been named to the all-NSIC and All-Central Region teams this fall.

Danielle Dombeck (left) of the FHS class of 2009, is a defensive specialist for the North Dakota State University volleyball team that enters NCAA Division I post-season play Friday night against the University of Minnesota at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis.
2005 Tiger male co-Athlete of the Year Matt Simon continues to bask in the glow of his first year as a coach. The former Tiger and Northern Illinois University football standout is the tight ends coach at the University of St. Thomas who routed Monmouth (Illinois) 38-10 last Saturday to advance to the NCAA Division III quarterfinals against Saint John Fisher (New York) this Saturday in St. Paul.
1989 Tiger male Athlete of the Year Matt Walter saw his Annandale High School football team's dream post-season run end at the Metrodome in a 21-9 loss to eventual Class 3A runner-up Fairmont in the state semifinals. Annandale began the season 0-4 before finishing the regular season 3-5 and reeling off four straight playoff wins.
2011 Tiger alum Krystal Baumann's four goals and four assists make her the second leading scorer for the University of Vermont women's hockey team this season....2011 Tiger grad Tyler Grubb dressed for his first collegiate game for Wisconsin-River Falls in the Falcons' 2-1 win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Nov. 19.
2009 female Athlete of the Year Kirstee Rotty had a season-high 15 points, including three three-pointers, 5 rebounds and three assists in St. Olaf's 71-60 non-conference win over Luther College...Abby Kenealy, a 2008 FHS graduate, is scoring 16.3 points and pulling down three rebounds a night for Southwest State University...Through 11 games in her freshman season at Jamestown College (North Dakota), 2011 Tiger alum Jordan Bridges is averaging 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds a game.

Farmignton swimming and diving was well-represented in the University of St. Thomas' recent win at the Alman Invitational at Macalester College in St. Paul with four former FHS swimmers scoring points for the winners. Erik Huls (left) was on the winning 200 medley relay team and took fifth in the 100 breaststroke while brother Brian Huls ranked third in the 100 freestyle. Nick Haugen placed eighth in the 100 breaststroke and Taylor Trowbridge finished 10th in the 100 freestyle....Tiger grad James Awbrey is a senior swimmer for Carleton College.

Girls Basketball: New coach, new style

Taylor Meyer
3-time all-conference
14 points, 8 rebounds a game last year
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

Last winter coach Jason Berg traded in his full-court pressure, up-tempo style of play for one with more emphasis on half-court sets and defense.
With Berg moving on to an administrative position in Owatonna and all-conference post players Jordan Bridges and Elena Koch lost to graduation, first-year coach Sondra Chadwick is looking to change things up again.
"We will be a physically smaller team than last year, but much quicker," Chadwick said. "We will use that speed to play an up-tempo style of game, applying a variety of full-court pressure and scoring in transition."
Chadwick has 15 varsity hopefuls practicing for the upcoming season, including seven seniors: forwards Taylor Meyer, Desiree Loftus, Mariah Mincke, Deva White and Allie Rice and guards Isis Alexander and Gabby White.
Meyer is a three-time all-Missota Conference selection who averaged 14 points and eight rebounds a contest to help lead the Tigers to the Section 1AA championship game last season. Unfortunately, the 1000-point scorer will be unavailable for duty in the early going after tearing a knee ligament last summer.
"Our hope is that she will be able to join in games by the time we begin conference play at the start of January," Chadwick said. "In her absence, it will give some of the other girls an opportunity to step into what will be for many their first varsity experience."
Underclassmen expected to compete for varsity floor time this season include junior forwards Callie Halterman and Rikaya Wofford; sophomore forwards Jeanna Gaalswyk and Ally Grebner; sophomore guard Kylee Glen; freshmen guards Sofia Chadwick and Abby Gallus and freshman forward Sydney Speer.
"The team has a mix of solid experience in our senior group, plus some talented and hard-working underclassmen who are eager to contribute," Chadwick said.
"There will be a learning curve, but I'm hoping we can hit our stride by mid-season and become a stronger team overall heading into both conference and section play. It will depend on how quickly the players can adapt to one another and a new style of play."
Chadwick hopes to put together a top-four finish in both the Missota Conference and Section 1AA races. She picked Chanhassen as an early favorite in the Missota with newcomer Lakeville North a heavy favorite in the race for section honors.
Pam Quiram, a former assistant at Osseo and Eden Prairie, steps in as Chadwick's top assistant with Joe McCarthy returning to handle the B-squad coaching chores. Mike Woody and Jon Ostgaard team up to coach the eighth-graders with Katie Buehlo and Teresa Oyen slated to coach the seventh grade teams.
The Tigers open their season Tuesday, Nov. 29, with a non-conference game at Section 1 rival Rochester Century.

16 Tigers named All-Missota for fall season

Sixteen Tiger athletes earned all-Missota Conference post-season honors for their performance during the 2011 fall season. Another 14 received all-league honorable mention.
Twelve of the Farmington all-league honorees came from football, boys soccer and girls swimming who had four apiece. Girls soccer produced two and volleyball and girls cross country.
Football, volleyball, and boys and girls soccer selections are made by league coaches while boys and girls cross country, girls swimming and diving and tennis are determined by performance in conference competitions.


2011 Fall All-Missota Conference
Football: Athen Ashton, Darren Beenken, Drew Hegseth and Andrew Peterson
Girls Swimming and Diving: Kaitlyn O'Reilly; Kirsten Kracke, Cora Ruzicka and Zoe Avstruz
Boys Soccer: Sam Leske, Brandon Scott, Cole Landwehr and Chad Stivers
Girls Soccer: Ashley Kimmel and Kelli Harstad
Volleyball: Bekah Lippert
Girls Cross Country: Sofia Chadwick

Honorable Mention
Football: Nathan Graham and Bret Hoffman
Girls Swimming and Diving: Abby Haugen and Hannah Seitzinger
Boys Soccer: Michael Ricker and Tyler Vue
Girls Soccer: Izzie Firm and Kelli Elmer
Girls Cross Country: Maria Kiminski and Maricia Pacheco
Girls Tennis: Meghan Lindstrom and Maggie Rudorfer
Volleyball: Mia Johnston
Boys Cross Country: Jordan Lugowski

Boys Hockey: Tigers lost a lot but have a lot

Andrew Peterson (below) 17 goals, 20 assists in 2010-11
Victor Simones 10-7, .892 save percentage last season
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


The Tigers lost 11 seniors from their 210-11 squad to graduation, including three double digit scorers, but coach Keith Revels still likes his team's chances this winter.
"We have a returning goaltender, depth at both forward and defense and a physical, hard-working roster, the bulk of which are upperclassmen," he said.
"Even with all of the losses, we look to improve on our 7-7 record in the conference, and we'd like to at least match our first-ever semifinals appearance in the section tournament."
Nine of the returning 13 letterwinners are seniors: forwards Andrew Peterson (captain), Blake Weinand (captain), Michael Giebel, Jake Eldred, Ryan Schoening, Trevor Howard, and Sean Jensen; defenseman Jack Buss and goalie Victor Simones.
Peterson was an all-Missota Conference selection as a junior, scoring 17 goals and assisting on 20 more. Simones started 17 games in net last season, finishing 10-7 with an .892 save percentage.
Underclassmen returnees include juniors Grant Hauswirth (forward), John Donnelly (defense), Kevin Olund (forward) and Jason Thomas (forward). Hauswirth and Olund are alternate captains.
Newcomers expected to battle for varsity ice time include juniors Jordan Lugowski (defense) and Zach Colaw (defense) and sophomores Corey Rudrud (defense), Jack Erickson (forward) and Dan Block (forward).
One of the reasons for Revels' positive outlook for the season ahead is his team's performance at a recent pre-season scrimmage in northern Minnesota against Eveleth, Proctor and Virginia.
"We played very well," Revels said. "We scored some goals and only gave up one against each team."
Revels picked perennial Missota Conference power Holy Angels and Chanhassen as the teams to beat for league honors with Lakeville South the pre-season favorite in Section 1AA.
Veteran Todd Karich, former varsity coach Shawn Anderson, ex-Tiger Ryan Donnelly, and Dean Weasler will serve as assistant coaches this winter.
The first regular season puck drops on Tuesday, Nov. 29, when the Tigers entertain section rival Rochester John Marshall at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

Girls Hockey: Stormhawks roll past Tigers in conference opener

Chloe Batta (No. 7) looks back as her shot finds the net as
Grace Gavin (No. 5), who assisted on the goal, celebrates.
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

Prior to the start of Tuesday night's Missota Conference opener with Chaska/Channassen at Schmitz-Maki Arena, Tiger coach Jon Holmes offered that for his team to beat the Stormhawks it would have to hold them to no more than three goals.
When the visitors matched that total in the game's first 7:16 the writing was on the wall. Before the final horn sounded Farmington gave up five more scores in a hard-to-swallow 8-1 loss.
"In my years here we have never been beaten like that," Holmes said. "We came out and gave them a goal on their first shift and then it sort of snow-balled. I think we couldn't believe what was happening in the first period."
The Stormhawks led 4-0 after one period but the Tigers seemed to gain some momentum early in the second. Chloe Batta's goal (from Grace Gavin) at 5:17 of the second gave the home team some hope but a disputed penalty less than a minute later led to a Chaska/Chanhassen power play goal and from there on it was all Stormhawks all the time.
"I'm not saying we would have come all the way back but that power play goal seemed to suck the life out of us," Holmes said. "We as coaches and players have to get back and start doing things that take advantage of our strengths. We have some work to do."
The shot stats reflect the one-sided nature of the contest with the winners finishing with a 42-14 edge, including a 10-1 margin in the first period and a 17-4 bulge in the third.
Jess Erchul played the first two-and-a-half periods in goal and finished with a season-high 30 saves. Ashley Corcoran relieved her with seven-plus minutes remaining and stopped all four shots she faced.
Farmington (1-3) will try to re-group and come back strong after the holiday break. The Tigers resume play Tuesday, November, 29 with a non-conference game at Wayzata.

Scoreboard: November 23, 2011

Girls Hockey
Chaska/Chanhassen 8 Farmington 1

Alumni Tracker: Rotty helps Oles to Tip-Off title

2009 FHS female Athlete of the Year Kirstee Rotty, (left) a junior guard at St. Olaf College, had 22 points and seven rebounds in two games to help the Oles win the four-team Tip-Off Classic at the University of Redlands (California) last weekend. Rotty netted 14 points in the 68-64 win over Chapman College in the title game.
Abby Kenealy of the FHS class of 2008, now a senior at Southwest State University, averaged 20 points a contest in that school's first two games of the season. Kenealy will get out of the Minnesota cold over the Thanksgiving weekend to play in a four-team tournament in Florida.
Kenealy's, younger sister, Jamie Kenealy (2011), has seen reserve action for Wisconsin-River Falls in each of the Falcons' first two contests...Jordan Bridges, also a member of the Tiger class of 2011, had a career-high 10 points for Jamestown College College (North Dakota) in its recent 96-52 win over Dakota Wesleyan.

2011 Tiger grad Katie Habeck totaled 19 kills and nine blocks to help four-time defending NCAA Division II national champion Concordia-St. Paul to the 2011 Central Region title in Kearney, Nebraska last weekend. With the regional win the Golden Bears advance to the national tournament...Ex-Tiger Danielle Dombeck (left) had 17 digs as North Dakota State defeated Oakland and Oral Roberts in the final two rounds of the Summit League Championships to advance to the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament.

A quartet of former Tigers dot the roster of the University of St. Thomas men's swimming and diving team: Erik Huls, Brian Huls, Nick Haugen and Taylor Trowbridge...Ex-Tiger Michael Brasgalla is swimming for Pacific Lutheran (Washington) and Tyler Smith is a member of the Carthage College (Wisconsin) men's team...Two members of the 2010-11 Tiger team, Tyler Magalis and Brandon Molnar, are performing for St. Cloud State.
Former Tiger girls swimming standout Kristin Peters swims the freestyle events for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. In a recent triangular meet, she placed second in the 200 medley relay, fourth in the 200 free and fifth in the 50 free...2011 Tiger alum Caitlin Kracke is swimming for Limestone College (South Carolina).

2007 Tiger grad Cody Eich had two tackles, an assist and 2 pass break-ups in Minnesota-Duluth's 30-27 NCAA Divsion II playoff win over Saginaw State last Saturday. UMD travels to play Colorado State-Pueblo in a second round game this Saturday....Former Tiger Nick Albano (left) is a linebacker for Rochester Community and Technical College who played Iowa Western in the Graphic Edge Bowl at the University of Northern Iowa on Sunday. Rochester, the seventh-rated junior college team in the nation, entered the game with an 11-0 record.

Former Tiger Katrina Waltz, a forward on the Minnesota State, Mankato women's soccer team, played in all 23 games for the Mavericks this season...Another ex-FHS player, Kayla Sievert, was a starting defender for Wisconsin-Stout...Christian Thao of the FHS Class of 2011 was a member of the Benedictine College (Kansas) men's team...

Girls Swimming: O'Reilly, Avestruz, relay team all-state; team point record shattered

Kaitlyn O'Reilly
All-State in 3 events

Last November the Tigers set school records in points and team ranking at the Class AA state swimming and diving meet, totaling 43 points and finishing 17th in a field of 39.
Last weekend at the 2011 state meet, coach Jen Marshall's six entrants raised the standard even higher, racking up 72 team points and placing 13th among the 34 teams scoring.
Individually, the news was equally impressive. Kaitlyn O'Reilly, an all-state performer in the 100 backstroke last fall, led the way by earning all-state honors in three events.


All-stater Zoe Avestruz warms up before
swim-off for 8th place in 50 freestyle

Zoe Avestruz made all-state in the 50 freestyle and she and O'Reilly were joined by Kirsten Kracke and Abby Haugen in an all-state effort in the 200 medley relay.
O'Reilly finished eighth in the 100 backstroke last year and this year moved up five slots to place third in 57.18. The finishing time tied her own school record set at last week's Section 1AA Championships.
In the 100 backstroke the fleet sophomore ranked seventh. O'Reilly's 2:06.37 time in the prelims set a new school record.
Freshman Avestruz scored points in two individual events at state, finishing eighth in the 50 freestyle and 16th in the 100 butterfly. She clocked a school-record 24.33 in the preliminaries.
The 200 medley relay foursome became the first-ever Farmington relay team to earn all-state honors, placing seventh in 1:49.20, just slightly above the 1:48.84 school mark it set in the prelims.

200 medley relay team on the awards podium


The other Tiger relay entrant, the 400 freestyle quartet of O'Reilly, Avestruz, Kracke and Cora Ruzicka scored 13th place points with a 3:38.79 finishing time.
"We had the best state preliminaries in the history of the program," Marshall said. "The girls swam faster than they did at sections and broke some records they had just set the week before.
"I am so proud of this group of girls and what they have accomplished in and out of the water this year. They were great representatives of Lady Tiger swimming and diving with all of the hard work and dedication they put in."

Girls Swimming: Tigers make big splash in state prelims

All six Tiger entrants in the Class AA state swimming and diving meet turned in impressive performances in Thursday's preliminary round.
Sophomore Kailtyn O'Reilly led the way with respective second and third place finishes in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke.
Freshman Zoe Aveztruz also excelled in two individual events, ranking eighth in the 50 freestyle and 12th in the 100 butterfly.
The 200 medley relay quartet of O'Reilly, Avestruz, Abby Haugen and Kirsten Kracke placed sixth and the 400 freestyle foursome of O'Reilly, Avestruz, Kracke and Cora Ruzicka finished ninth.
The championship finals are slated for 6:00 p.m. Saturday at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

Girls Hockey: Tigers fall to Mayo 3-1

Betsy Anderson and Haley Doll battle for a loose puck
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

Rochester Mayo scored twice in the first period and added an insurance goal in the second in a 3-1 non-conference win over the Tigers Thursday night, Nov. 17, at Schmitz-Maki Arena.
Farmington coach Jon Holmes wasn't making any excuses for his team's second loss in three outings as he put his team through some intense conditioning drills on Friday.
"We just didn't play very well," he said. "I thought we got out-hustled and I think we got tired late in the game. We have to come ready to play for three periods every night."
The Spartans scored six minutes into the opening period to take the lead but Farmington answered two minutes later when Haley Doll put the puck on net and Michaela Tonsnager banged home the rebound. Tonsager's goal was the first of her varsity career.
Mayo scored the game-winner late in the first stanza and then made it official with a score midway through the second.

Jesscia Erchul 33 saves vs. Mayo
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

Senior goalkeeper Jessica Erchul kept her team in the game with a 33-save performance. The all-conference netminder has chalked up 84 stops in her first three starts.
For the night the Spartans outshot their hosts by a dominant 36-24 count.
Farmington opens Missota Conference play Tuesday, Nov. 22, with a home game against pre-season favorite Chaska/Chanhassen. Face-off is 7:15 at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

Scoreboard: November 18, 2011

Girls Hockey
Rochester Mayo 3 Farmington 1

Tiger Scoreboard: November 16, 2011

Girls Hockey
Hastings 3 Farmington 2

Girls Hockey: Raiders nip Tigers 3-2

Katie Burgess 1st goal of the season
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

Danielle Duffy scored three goals in the first period as Hastings (2-0) edged the Tigers 3-2, Tuesday night, Nov. 15, at Hastings Civic Arena.
Duffy opened the scoring just 3:31 after the opening face-off before Chloe Batta countered three minutes later for the visitors with an unassisted goal, her second of the young season.
Duffy then completed her first period hat trick to give her team a two-goal cushion at the first break.
"All three of their goals came from repeated attempts in front of the net," coach Jon Holmes said. "We talked about it not just being good enough to be in the right spot...we changed it up and played well the rest of the game.
Tiger defender Katie Burgess provided the only scoring of the second period with a shorthanded goal on an assist from Haley Doll.
The Raiders outshot Farmington 28-17 in the contest, including a 10-5 advantage in the pivotal first period.
Tiger goalie Jess Erchul stopped 25 of 28 shots to run her two-game save total to 51 (of 55 shots), a save percentage of .927.
"The girls sure gave it their all and played tough until the final buzzer," Holmes said. "All in all, we have some real positives to take from the game while still understanding that we have some work to get done this week in practice."
The Tigers (1-1) jump back into action Thursday night when they entertain Section 1AA rival Rochester Mayo at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

Volleyball: A failure to close

The Tigers final season record of 7-20 could have been a lot better had they found the correct formula for closing out games. In many of their contests, they played the opposition tough only to come up short down the stretch.
Farmington won just one of seven matches against Missota Conference opponents and finished in a seventh place tie with Northfield in the final league standings.
The mostly inexperienced Tiger team started the season well, splitting its first eight matches but manged just three more wins in its final 19 outings.


Statistical leaders

Kills
Bekah Lippert 144
Laura Steege 126
Emily Nelson 91
Emma Fahning 73
Allie Pierskalla 58

Serving
Mia Johnston 96.9 percent
Steege 96.3
Alexis Smith 95.3
Fahning 95.1
Adrienne Jolicoeur 94.4

Assists
Johsnton 261
RuthAnne Schmitt 101
Smith 87

Digs
Fahning 341
Johnston 261
Jolicoeur 193
Schmitt 101
Smith 87


Serve Receptions
Rachel Eckert 299
Fahning 235
Jolicoeur 231
Nelson 194
Steege 124


Blocks
Lippert 108
Kaylene Seurer 40
Steege 40
Pierskalla 32
Courtney Johnston 18

Girls Swimming: O'Reilly, Avestruz and 2 relay teams move on to state

Kaitlyn O'Reilly
State qualifier in 4 events; section record in 100 backstroke
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

To say that Tiger coach Jen Marshall was pleased with her team's performance at last weekend's Section 1AA Championships in Rochester would be like saying the Grand Canyon is a pretty good-sized hole.
Farmington qualified entrants in six of 12 events for this week's state meet at the section, breaking one meet record and setting six new new school marks in the process.
Defending champion Rochester John Marshall nipped crosstown rival Rochester Mayo 381-374 to win the team title. Farmington ranked third at 316, followed by Hastings 309, Winona 258, Rochester Century 206 and Owatonna 203.
"Keeping with Lady Tiger tradition, we had an awesome preliminaries and even better finals," Marshall said. "The girls were dropping chunks of time in every event. As a team we dropped 88.83 seconds in the prelims. Simply put, it was amazing."
Kaitlyn O'Reilly and Zoe Avestruz had huge days for the Tigers with each moving on to state in four events.
O'Reilly won the 100 backstroke in a meet record 57.18 seconds and placed second in the 200 individual medley, just 0.6 seconds behind winner Taylor Bass of John Marshall.

Zoe Avestruz
State qualifier in 4 events

Avestruz also made state in two individual events, ranking fourth in both the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
In addition, O'Reilly and Avestruz each swam a leg on the third place 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams that made the state cut. Abby Haugen and Robin Ellis also swam on the 200 medley relay team while Cora Ruzicka and Kirsten Kracke joined O'Reilly and Avestruz to fill out the 400 freestyle lineup.
But the six state qualifiers didn't tell the whole Farmington story. During the two-day competition, the Tigers established six new school records and personal best times fell like rain drops in April.
The new school standards included O'Reilly's two state-qualifying efforts; the two state entrant relays; Avestruz's clocking in the 50 freestyle and Ruzicka's eighth-place efort in the 500 freestyle.
Marshall especially noted the performances of Victoria Resch in the 100 breaststroke; Chloe Holton in the 200 medley and 100 butterfly; Sarah O'Reilly in the 200 and 500 freestyle and Ellis in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke.
"Victoria had an unbelievable 100 breaststroke in the prelims," Marshall said. "She dropped almost six seconds and went from 23rd to 13th place to qualify for the finals."
The Class AA state meet preliminaries are set for Friday, Nov. 18 with the finals to follow on Saturday at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
"We'd like to get as many all-state (top 8) performances as we can," Marshall said. "We've never had an all-state relay so that would be pretty exciting."

Other Tiger Top 10 finishes at the Section 1AA meet:
200 freestyle: 8. Kracke
One-meter diving: 6.Nikki Cayard; 10. Tori Sontag
100 butterfly: 9.Ruzicka
100 freestyle: 5. Kracke 8. Ellie Sundet
200 freestyle relay: 5. Ellis, Haugen, Sundet, Kracke
100 backstroke: 7. Ellis
100 breaststroke: 8. Haugen

Tiger Scoreboard: November 13, 2011

Girls Swimming and Diving
Section 1AA Championships at Rochester
Rochester John Marshall 381, Rochester Mayo 374, Farmington 316, Hastings 309, Rochester Century 258, Winona 206, Owatonna 203

Boys Cross Country: Setting a baseline

Jordan Lugowski (bottom) Most Valuable Runner
Dan Block All-Missota Conference honorable mention


Ex-Tiger running standout Lisa Lippold said her first season at the helm of the boys program was one of learning.
The Tigers ranked seventh at the Missota Conference Championships and ninth in the 16-team field at the Section 1AA meet.
"It was a good year to evaluate what we need to bring to this program," she said. "One key component is starting a summer training program. We want to come into next season with a good amount of base miles in our runners. With that the times and team scores will start a lot lower than they did this year."
Lippold and her staff awarded 13 varsity letters this season, six of them to seniors: Trevor Breezely, Jameson Gillespie, Tyler Jarvis, Chad Retterath, Patrick Sunderman and Andrew Morris.
Underclassmen lettermen included juniors Jordan Lugowski, Tyler Lerbakken, Adam Wallenta and Caleb Eiffert and sophomores Dan Block, Jake Rudeen and Tanner Grubb.
Block finished 20th at the Missota Conference meet and received all-league honorable mention for his effort.
Lugowski received the Most Valuable Runner award at last night's post-season banquet while Block was tabbed as "Most Improved Runner".
Lerbakken and Rudeen shared Rookie of the Year honors and Sean Dogherty won the title of "Most Dedicated Runner." Senior Retterath and junior Wallenta were named captains of the 2011 squad.
Lippold offered that this year's success could be seen in the individual times of her runners.
"Last year we had six runners break 19 minutes," she said. "this year 14 did it. Last year, only Elliot Fenske went under 18 minutes; This year six different runners did it.
"I also thought we ended the season well by finishing ninth at the section meet and beating New Prague who beat us at the conference meet."
Lippold also liked what she saw from her junior varsity runners throughout the season. At the Waseca Invitational the Tigers grabbed the first five individual places in the JV race.
Lippold said that if she could have changed any of the aspects of the season just completed they would be team finishes at a handful of meets and a rash of injuries.
"Adam Wallenta and Alec Wilson battled injuries all season," she said, "and that affected our ability to lower our team score...But overall, the season was great. The times the boys ran at the end of the season were where I had hoped they would be."

Girls Cross Country: Young and Improving

Sofia Chadwick (front) MVP, All-Missota Conference
Maria Kiminski All-Missota Conference honorable mention; Most Dedicated

The 2011 season was one of notable improvement in individual performance and modest gains in team accomplishments.
The Tigers ranked sixth in the eight-team Missota Conference meet and placed 14th among 16 teams at the Section 1AA Championships.
"I was very happy how dedicated the girls were and so glad they got to see the results of all of their hard work," coach Heidi Revels said. "Proof of that came in small amounts, like passing runners on a hill or gaining confidence in passing runners who may seem intimidating.
"Overall, it was a great season full of significant improvements and connections. I see it as a stepping stone to next season and all that we can do together between now and next August."
Eleven Farmington runners received varsity letters at last night's award banquet: seniors Bailey Opsal, Natalia Sitzman and Marissa Stewart; juniors Maria Kiminski and Ashley Durbin; sophomore Maricia Pacheco; freshmen Sofia Chadwick, Sarah Cummings, Victoria Jacoby and Alexis Johnson and eighth-grader Maricella Pacheco.
"The seniors have all been great role models for the younger girls," Revels said. "They have always included them not only in practice and at meets but in activities outside cross country.
"I have had these three runners for all three years I have coached and it been fun to watch them improve and become more confident in their skills. I will miss them next year."
Chadwick, the team MVP, won a spot on the all-Missota Conference team while Kiminski and Maricia Pacheco earned all-league honorable mention.
Kiminksi was selected as the team's Most Dedicated Runner; Cummings the Most Improved Runner and Johnson Rookie of the Year.
Revels said the biggest accomplishment of the 2011 season came in the form of individual improvement.
"Every runner on the varsity team set a new personal record," she said. "Sofia (Chadwick), Maria (Kiminski) and Maricia (Pacheco) all went under the 16:00 minute mark and Sarah (Cummings) beat last year's times by two to three minutes every race."
On the flip side of the coin was the total team score, an area that Revels hopes to see improve as her young squad matures.
"The team scores were probably the most disappointing thing for everyone," she said. "It's frustrating to see such improvement by individuals not make a big difference in the team score.
"What we continue to work at is bridging the gap between the first three runners and the last four. Once we can finish closer together in the race, our scores will improve."
With all of the primary varsity runners slated to return next season, Revels said the future looks promising.
"The girls are figuring out how to work together as a team," she said, "so it will be a positive to already have the dynamics established for next season.
"As we continue to build up year-round training opportunities, I believe that not only will individual time to continue to drop, but our success as a team will also improve."

Tiger Scoreboard: November 11, 2011

Girls Hockey
Farmington 2 Rochester John Marshall 1

Girls Hockey: Tigers squeak by John Marshall 2-1 in season opener

Tigers stick together for 1st victory
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

Senior goaltender Jessica Erchul came up with a bushel basketful of big saves and the offense did just enough to get the job done in a season-opening 2-1 win over Rochester John Marshall Thursday night at Schmitz-Maki Arena.
"If I had one word to describe our play tonight it would be 'jittery'," coach Jon Holmes said. "John Marshall is a much-improved team since we played them two years ago but we were very nervous.
"The girls were saying that it's a different atmosphere knowing that they have to do so much themselves now after relying on Krystal (Baumann) and Hannah (Alexander) for so long."
Baumann, now a starter for the University of Vermont, and Alexander combined for 71 goals and 110 points last season.
All of the scoring took place in the opening period with the Rockets drawing first blood on a 5-on-3 power play just 4:31 into the contest.

Haley Doll celebrates 1st goal of the season
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers notched their first goal of the season three minutes later when Haley Doll cruised the end line and scored on a wrap-around on the left side.
Chloe Batta provided the game-winner on an assist from Grace Gavin with just 53 seconds left in the period.

Jessica Erchul makes one of her 26 saves
(photo by Jim Lindquist)















The final two periods produced no scoring thanks in large point to the play of Erchul who finished the night with 26 saves. Farmington missed a golden opportunity for a third goal late in the second period when Betsy Anderson's rocket from just inside the right circle clanged off the crossbar
"We know Erch and the defense have to play well for us to be successful, especially early in the season," Holmes said. "We got what we needed from her but we still have some things to work out defensively."
The Tiger coach said he feels his team has the ability to play much better hockey as witnessed by a strong effort in an early week scrimmage against a quality Burnsville squad.
"Right now we need to get back on the ice and get more playing time together," Holmes said. "We have a lot of new combinations out there."
The Tigers will get plenty of that over the next two days when they hop on a bus and head to Hibbing for a six-team jamboree on the Iron Range.

Meyer signs with Minnesota-Duluth

Taylor Meyer has her eyes on a college career at UMD
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

After her senior season Taylor Meyer will be trading in her Tiger roar for a Bulldog bark.
Meyer fulfilled a long-time goal Wednesday when she put her signature on a NCAA National Letter of Intent to play basketball for the University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) beginning next winter.
"I started to think about playing in college when I was playing with my first AAU team, the Lady Lightning," Meyer said. "My coach was Lumumba Samuels and he encouraged me."
Meyer, a four-year starter for the Tigers who has led her team to two Section 1 championship games, enters her senior season tied with Krista Cordes for fourth place on the all-time school scoring ladder with 1071 points. Only Julie Bauer (1438), Lisa Soweija (1317) and Kirstee Rotty (1126) have scored more.
Meyer has improved her numbers each year, averaging 10.2 points per game as a freshman, 12.4 as a sophomore and 14 per contest last winter. The three-time all-Missota Conference performer has also been a consistent force on the glass for the Tigers, pulling down 5.6 rebounds a game her freshmen and sophomore seasons and eight a night during the 2010-11 campaign.
Meyer said she initially wanted to play at the NCAA Division I level but after visiting Northern Iowa and North Dakota State realized the heavy commitment to basketball might get in the way of her primary goal of earning a degree in veterinary science.
A freak knee injury (torn anterior cruciate ligament) suffered while pulling down a rebound last summer also affected Meyer's eventual choice of schools.
"Once I got hurt, some of the schools who had been interested in me weren't anymore," she said. "I think I learned a little bit about what a business college basketball can be."
In the end, the choice came down to a pair of Division II schools, UMD and Wayne State College, also a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. She liked the Nebraska school but once she stepped on the Duluth campus the choice became clear.
"I loved it from the beginning," she said. "They really wanted me to be there and the injury didn't matter at all. They said they liked what they saw of me as a basketball player as a junior and they acted like they wanted me there as a person."
As for the injury, Meyer is currently on limited duty with the Tigers. She meets with her surgeon on Dec. 18 and hopes to get a release for full-time activity before Jan. 20, the six-month anniversary of her surgery.
"They say six months but I have worked hard on rehab and right now my knee feels good," she said. "I guess I'll just have to wait and see what the doctor says."
In the meantime, Meyer intends to do what she can do and support her teammates...and maybe work a little bit on her Bulldog growl for next year.
Taylor Meyer is the daughter of Mark and Penny Meyer of Farmington.

Girls Hockey: Getting Defensive

Jessica Erchul 2.21 goals against, .914 save percentage, all-Missota Conference
(photo by Jim Lindquist)


Betsy Anderson 2 goals, 19 assists, all-Missota Conference
(photo by Jim Lindquist)

Last winter the Tigers sailed through their Missota Conference season with a perfect 12-0 record and won their second straight league title. They did so behind the one-two scoring punch of Krystal Baumann and Hannah Alexander, a standout goaltender in Jessica Erchul and a fast-improving defense.
Buamann and Alexander graduated last spring, taking 71 of the team's 98 goals with them and leaving a Grand Canyon-sized hole in the offense.
Senior Erchul is back in the nets and the veteran defensive corps is mostly in tact but if a three-peat is to be in the cards, the 2011-12 edition of Tiger hockey will have to earn it in a different manner.
"Although losing Krystal and Hannah is an obstacle to overcome, I believe we have the personnel to gradually fill the void," coach Jon Holmes said. "As we progress we will come to grips with having a more spread out, balanced approach to scoring. This will help us at the end of the season by having a team that relies on everyone showing up for every game and executing.
"This year's team also has a very unique chemistry and works well together on and off the ice. This will only benefit us as the season progresses."
Holmes welcomed back 15 letterwinners to the opening day of practice on Oct. 31, including Erchul and senior defenders Betsy Anderson, Katie Burgess and Molly Friedlund. Erchul and Anderson were both all-Missota Conference players last season.
Underclassmen returnees include junior forwards Haleigh Zwart and Grace Gavin; sophomore forwards Haley Doll, Maddie Strid, Shaye Jenrich, Brenna Raske and sophomore defenders Scootie Donnelly and Rachel Welzin and freshmen forwards Chloe Batta and Emily Johnson and freshman goalie Ashley Corcoran.
Newcomers expected to vie for varsity ice time include freshmen forwards Morgan Medved and Michaela Tonsager and eighth grade forward Maddie Oines.
"Over the past three years we have graduated only seven seniors," Holmes said. "This year we have four seniors and two juniors so once again we are a young team. This means we will be looking to those young but experienced players for more and more as well as having the newcomers come in and learn fast.
"We have a lot of work to do, but we expect a lot out of our players no matter what grade level they are. We will definitely be a blue-collar type of team."
Leading the blue-collar effort will be the defensive quartet of Erchul (2.2 goals against average), Anderson (21 points), Burgess and Friedlund.
"The three defenders have a combined 16 years of varsity experience and as a veteran goalie Jessica brings a calmness to the game that turns mistakes into memories.
"We have pledged to each other as players and coaches that we will take pride in taking care of our defensive zone. We want to keep opponents away from good shots and clear rebounds. There are many philosophies about how to win hockey games."
Holmes said he isn't lowering the expectations bar at all, meaning a third straight league title is right at the top of the team's to-do list.
"We will have to work harder than ever to get it," Holmes said. "Both Chaska/Chanhassen and Shakopee will be extremely tough and Red Wing will also be in the mix. We'll have to battle night in and night out to get there."
Holmes picked Lakeville South the team that defeated the Tigers in the Section 1AA finals last year, and Lakeville North as the teams to beat in the race for post-season honors.
The Tigers return a veteran group of assistant coaches, including Jason Kohlbeck, Dan Pickens and Al Jenrich.
Farmington opens the 2011-12 season Thursday night with a non-conference game with Rochester John Marshall at Schmitz-Maki Arena.

Football: A move up the Missota ladder

Ather Ashton (left) 971 total yards, 44 points
Darren Beenken 1537 totals yards, 11 touchdowns
(photos by Jim Lidnquist)



















After a disappointing 1-8 2010 season the Tigers made strides toward a return to the upper division of the Missota Conference in 2011.
Coach Mark Froehling's squad finished 3-6 overall and its 3-4 run in the Missota landed them in fifth place in the final league standings.
"I'm proud of the team's improvement this season," Froehling said. "They were great competitors under all kinds of circumstances. The coaching staff enjoyed working with this group of athletes. They were positive and hard-working and wanted to learn and improve."
Froehling rattled off a list of positives from the 2011 campaign, including a big 27-0 homecoming win over Northfield that brought home the Tractor Trophy; a three-place move up the conference ladder; improved execution on both offense and defense; a successful move to a two-platoon system and quality play at the sub-varsity level.
"I am very happy with our two-platoon system," Froehling said. "This allowed more teaching and learning time for each athlete and that helped improve execution both on offense and on defense."
The veteran Tiger coach added the final numbers could have been even better had the Tigers found a way to play more consistently.
"We gave up a lead to Mayo in our first game and then played a poor first half in our loss at Red Wing," he said. "Our loss to New Prague in the last game of the season hurt us because of the playoff implications."
The 2011 edition of Tiger football featured one of the most balanced offensive attacks by a Farmington team in many years with quarterback Darren Beenken and tailback Ather Ashton leading the way.
Beenken completed 110 of 210 passes (52.4 percent) for 1265 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for an additional 272 yards and two scores for 1537 yards of total offense.
The hard-running Ashton carried the ball 170 times for 770 yards and caught 18 passes for another 201 yards for 971 yards of total offense. Ashton scored six touchdowns and led the team in scoring with 44 points.
Six different receivers caught at least 10 passes, including Nathan Graham (26), Dillon Jones (21), Austin Bassett (18), Ashton, John Dittman (17) and MacKinley Bassett (12).

Andrew Peterson (left) 3 pass interceptions
Drew Hegseth 90 tackles, two sacks
(photos by Jim Lindquist)


Senior linebacker Drew Hegseth led the defense with 90 tackles and tied Tyler Engel with a team-high two sacks. Blake Weinand had 68 tackles, Ryan Schoening 56, Mason Auge 48 and Alex Chadwick 46.
Andrew Peterson recorded a team-high three pass interceptions and Weinand and Jake Erickson picked off a pair apiece.
With the successful transition to the new platoon system and the encouraging play of the sub-varsity teams, Froehling said he is optimistic about his program's future.
"The JV was 4-1 and the sophomores were 5-3," he said. "The seventh through ninth grade teams had good numbers and some great athletes. We have the potential for continued progress toward being a strong contender in the conference and section.
"The key to improvement will be our athletes' commitment to their off-season work in the weight room."
Froehling reserved his final reflections on the 2011 season for the members of the senior class.
"I really liked working with this group," he said. "They were great leaders and teammates who played the game with pride and class. They were great role models who demonstrated a consistently strong effort and a never-give-up attitude."

Habeck named NSIC Freshman of the Year

In 2009 Katie Habeck led the Tigers to their first-ever trip to the Class 3A state volleyball tournament.
A year later as a senior she made several all-state teams, leading to a scholarship offer from four-time defending NCAA Division II national champion University of Concordia-St. Paul.
This week the Golden Bears' 6-0 middle blocker added another couple of lines to her already impressive list of accomplishments by earning the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC) Freshman of the Year Award and landing a spot on the all-conference team.
During the regular season Habeck ranked second in the NSIC in kill percentage (.349) and third in blocks per set (1.08). She led Concordia in blocks with 97 and finished third in kills with 212.
Concordia plays two more regular season matches before starting post-season play on November 17.

Tiger athletic director inducted into Waseca High School Hall of Fame

FHS athletic director Jon Summer (upper left)
and the other 2011 Waseca Athletic Hall of Fame inductees

FHS athletic director Jon Summer didn't attend the Tiger football game at Holy Angels on Sept. 30, but as it turned out he had a legitimate excuse. On that night he was back in his hometown of Waseca where with four other former Bluejay athletes and one coach he was inducted into that school's athletic hall of fame.
Summer earned seven letters in thee varsity sports during his playing days at the South Central Conference school.
In football, he was a two-time all-conference performer at end and linebacker. As a receiver, Summer had 22 pass receptions and averaged more than 17 yards a catch during his senior season. The same year he ranked fourth in the conference in tackles with 66.
During the winter season he switched his attention to wrestling, making the all-conference and all-area team twice. During his senior year, he set the school record for victories (32) and celebrated his second appearance in the state meet with a third place finish in the 171 lbs. division.
Summer also had success in the spring as a two-year starter for the Bluejay baseball team. In his senior season, he helped his team to a sub-section championship and a berth in the Section 2A title game.
After graduating from Waseca in 1993, Summer moved on to Hamline University where he was a three-year starter at tight end in football. In his senior season he tied a school record with three touchdown passes in one game and landed a spot on the all-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team.
After graduating from Hamline in 1997, Summer spent two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse where he earned a Master of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Science: Sports Administration. Then came a year in Texas as an intern in athletic facilities and event operations at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Summer served as assistant athletic director in the Hopkins Public Schools from 2001-2005 before taking over the head Farmington position in the fall of 2005.
The Tiger AD said the hall of fame recognition from his high school alma mater was a meaningful one.
"I was both humbled and honored to be recognized as a Bluejay hall of fame recipient," he said. "It was especially neat to do it at the same time as Gary Meuer, my high school wrestling coach."

Boys Soccer: Buss Section Coach of the Year

Julian Buss took the helm of the Tiger boys soccer team in the fall of 2009, a season that produced just four victories. Three years later he has been chosen by his peers as the Section 1AA Coach of the Year.
The good news came at an end-of-the-year meeting of section coaches where the third-year Tiger coach was nominated by Lakeville North coach Peter Tyma. The vote was unanimous.
"I was honored to receive the reward because I was chosen by my peers," Buss said. "They felt our team had improved and come to the point where we are at a different level than we have been. That means a lot to me."
Buss coached the Tigers to an 8-7-2 record this season, the fist winning mark in the program's history. Among the highlights of the 2011 campaign were a thrilling 1-0 win over Missota Conference runner-up Northfield and a grueling 0-0 overtime tie with Lakeville North.
"Beating Northfield at home was the biggest memory for me," Buss said. "That was the point where I felt like we had reached where we wanted to be as a varsity team. Now we need to look at playing at that level consistently."
Buss said his coaching philosophy centers around athletics serving as an extension of the classroom.
"None of the soccer-specific skills we work on every day in practice will translate into finding and keeping a good job," he said. "But the other skills learned like working as a team, believing in one's ability, dealing with adversity, winning and losing, sacrificing, communicating, working hard and dedicating oneself transcend the playing field."
Buss added that one of the aspects of his coaching duties that he will continue to stress is promoting boys soccer at the high school.
"I need to get out and spread the word," he said. "There are still boys out there
that should play soccer but for various reasons do not participate in high school athletics.
"These are the boys I am trying to reach. It is next to impossible to have a competitive program without high participation numbers. Success breeds success so hopefully we have made the turn toward a successful program by increasing participation and having our first winning record."

Alumni Tracker: Bridges helps Jamestown to 6-0 start

Jordan Bridges

2011 Tiger grad Jordan Bridges has her collegiate basketball career off and running. The 6-1 forward has scored 23 points in six games to help Jamestown College to a perfect 6-0 record....Abby Kenealy of the FHS class of 2008, a senior on the Southwest State University women's team, had 10 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal as the Mustangs opened their 2011-12 season with a 76-50 exhibition loss at South Dakota State.
Taylor Meyer, a member of this year's Tiger team, will take her first step toward a college hoops career Wednesday when she signs a national letter of intent to play for the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
In eight games, ex-Tiger Alex Carlson has a goal and three assists for the Ohio State University men's hockey team....2011 Tiger grad Krystal Baumann has scored two goals and assisted on three more for the University of Vermont women's team....Another 2011 FHS graduate, Tyler Grubb, is just one of two players on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls roster who is playing right out of high school. The others all have junior league hockey experience.
Cody Eich of the Tiger class of 2007, had six solo tackles, two assists and a fumble recovery in Minnesota-Duluth's 48-7 win over Minnesota-Crookston last Saturday...2010 Tiger alum Nick Albano is a linebacker on the Rochester Community College team that won the Minnesota Junior College title Sunday with a 45-14 win over Northland. The Yellowjackets, ranked No.12 in the national junior college poll, finished with a perfect 11-0 record.

2011 FHS male Athlete of the Year Carl Elmer


2011 Tiger male Athlete of the Year Carl Elmer, a freshman at St. Olaf College, kicked off his collegiate wrestling career with a fourth place finish at the Yellowjacket Invitational held at Rochester Community and Technical College last Saturday.
2011 FHS female Athlete of the Year Devyn Alberts played in 17 of 18 games for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay women's soccer team this fall...Another former Tiger soccer player, Cassie Solis, played the same position for Dakota County Technical College...A third former Tiger, Laine Trowbridge, saw action in three games for Concordia University-St. Paul this fall.
2011 FHS grad Katie Habeck had 11 kills and three blocks to help the Concordia University-St. Paul women's volleyball team defeat No. 1 ranked Minnesota-Duluth 3-0 last week. Concordia, the four-time NCAA Division II national champions, is 26-2 this season and ranked fourth nationally...
2009 female Athlete of the Year Kirstee Rotty has joined the St. Olaf College basketball team after playing volleyball for the Oles this fall...Ex-Tiger Jake Lippert played 10 minutes with a rebound and an assist for the University of St. Thomas in its season opening exhibition loss to Winona State last week.
1989 FHS male Athlete of the Year Matt Walter never got to play in the state football tournament as a player but he will get to enjoy the experience as a coach.
Walter, the veteran coach at Annandale of the Wright County Conference, saw his team finish the regular season with a so-so 3-5 record, good enough for only a seventh seed in the Section 6AAA tournament.
In the post-season the Cardinals got going, opening with a big 21-20 upset of New London-Spicer. Then they went to Albany and pulled out a 14-9 win. In last Friday's Section 6 championship game they completed the trifecta with a nail-biting 21-20 victory over top-seeded Zimmerman. Friday night Annanadale starts state tournament play with a quarterfinal match-up with Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin at Chisago Lakes High School.
2004 FHS male co-Athlete of the Year Matt Simon is the tight ends coach for the University of St. Thomas who completed its second straight unbeaten regular season with a 56-0 shutout of Carleton...1979 Tiger grad Mike Markuson, the running game coordinator for the University of Mississippi, isn't having nearly as much fun this fall as his team fell to 2-7 after a 30-13 loss to Kentucky...Former Tiger Tony Alberts is an assistant coach at Marshall High School who went unbeaten during the regular season before losing to Hutchinson in the Section 2AAAA semifinals.

Football: FHS to host state tournament game

The 2011 Tiger football season may be over but there is still one more opportunity for local fans to see a game at FHS this year.
Farmington will play host to the Class 2A state quarterfinal game between Caledonia and Maple Lake Friday night, Nov. 11.
Caledonia (10-1), the defending Class 2A champion, reached the state tournament with a 41-6 win over Zumbota-Mazeppa in Section 1 while Maple Lake (7-4) edged Norwood-Young America 24-21 for the Section 4 title.
The winner of Friday night's game will advance to the state semifinals Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Metrodome against the winner of the Warroad-Paynesville game.
This Friday's game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. at Tiger Stadium.