Gator Wreslers Take Big Bear

By: Ryan Bergeron

            Coming off of two team titles, the Gators came into the 32 team Big Bear tourney in Cass Lake looking to finish off the pre-holiday schedule off right. The Gators did just that and more, continuing their winning ways with their most impressive tournament showing thus far, especially considering they had two open weight classes. They went on to win the  two-day tourney over second place Thief River Falls by 52.5 points, as they showed great balance by having eight placers, including four champions.

Coach Bergeron commented on his team’s impressive finish, “I couldn’t be prouder of the boys. They proved that they will be a hard team to beat come tournament time.”

            Claiming the four Gator titles were Isaac Novacek (120), Brandon Waage (126), Tejay Wojchowski (170), and Alex Yeager (285). Isaac went 4-0 on the weekend to claim his title, capping it off with a solid 5-3 victory over Park Rapids Area’s Ben Baumgartner; Novacek is 11-0 heading into the holiday break. Brandon Waage claimed his title in emotional fashion as he came up with an impressive come from behind victory over a solid Cody Weiland of Crookston, pulling away late to win 10-2; Brandon went 4-0 on the weekend. Tejay Wojchowski also claimed a come from behind victory, scoring four points in a matter of just a few seconds to erase a 3-0 deficit and hold on to win by a narrow 4-3 score over  a very good Colin Huckbody of Walker-Hackensack-Akeley-Nevis ; Tejay went 5-0 in the tournament. Alex Yeager claimed his title in typical Yeager fashion, recording five pins, including his final pin over ranked Zach Gibson of Morris Area at the 3:42 mark.

            Achieving the next highest finish for the Gators was Wyatt Becker (106), as he went on to a solid third place finish, continuing to open up more and more every weekend. Wyatt went 5-1, including an impressive 12-5 decision over state ranked Colton LaPlante of Aitkin in the quarterfinals. John Westman (182) and Tomm Ingle (160) each had nice fifth place finishes. John came back from a first round loss to go 5-2 overall, while Tomm had a tough semifinals loss, but had a solid tournament by finishing 4-2 overall. Rounding out the placing for the Gators was Devin Dostal, wrestling tough and placing sixth in a very good weight class. Corey Hasbrouck (132), Gunner Gust (138), Jake Jenson (145), and Brendon Dostal (152) didn’t place for the Gators but wrestled hard and will continue to do so as the season progresses.

            The Gators will head back to the practice room during Christmas break coming off a great first half of the season. They know that will have to continue to work hard in the practice room if they want to carry that success into the second half of the season, having a lot of tough competition ahead. Some young kids have stepped it up and the Gators have impressed thus far, but if they hope to have continued success they will need to keep working hard and, most importantly, come together as a “TEAM”. The Gators would like to thank all of the great support that was shown in Cass Lake, “Gator Nation” definitely made its impression known on Saturday. Come on out and continue to support the Gators as the calendar turns to 2012. The next action for the Gators is a dual at home against the Mahnomen-Waubun Cougars on January 3. GO GATORS!!

Gator Boys Lose Home Opener

The BGMR Gator Boys Basketball Team spent the first 30 minutes of a 36 minute game sleep walking and because of this, a talented Kittson Central Bearcat team jumped on the Gators and cruised to a 50-39 win. 

     BGMR found themselves down by 20 at the 6:00 minute mark of the second half.  At that time the Gators boys decided to play with a passion that eluded them for the first 30 minutes.  BGMR cut the lead to 9 but time ran out on the Gators and thus gave the Bearcats the road win.

     BGMR was lead in scoring by Jacquan Rhen.   Rhen needed 24 shots to net 13 points.  Jacob Anderson also managed to land in double figures for the Gators as he pumped in 11.  Nathan Hietala continued his sold play with 9 points. 

     Defensively the Gators did a nice job limiting a solid Bearcat team to 50 points.   Zach Rynning, who torched the Gators for 39 points in last years playoff game dumped in 15.  Derek Coffield who has also hurt the Gators in the past netted 14.

     BGMR will complete its pre-holiday schedule on Tuesday when they go back out on the road traveling to Plummer to take on the Red Lake County Rebels.  BGMR is hoping to go into the holiday break with a victory.  It will not be an easy task as the Rebels have been playing better basketball as of late. 

     The BGMR Boys Players would like to take this time to thank all parents who worked the successful supper before the Kittson Central game.  A special thank you to Becky Dostal and Connie Creviston for heading up the work crew.

Gators Bring Home Road Win

     The BGMR Gators Boys Basketball Team pushed their record to 2-3 with a 61-47 road win over the Clearbrook-Gonvig Bears.  The Gators played their best team basketball of the year as they landed 3 individuals in double digit scoring and two others with 8 and 7 points. 

     The Gator’s first half defense resembled the Grinch Who Stole Christmas as they limited the Bears to 14 points.  Using their defense as a jump start the Gators went into halftime with a 29-14 lead.  The second half saw the Gators come out a little flat and the Bears cut the Gator lead to seven.  BGMR was able to answer and hit some key baskets down the stretch to bring home the win.

     Freshman Aaron Dostal had a huge game for the Gators.  Dostal scored a career high 20 and pulled down 10 rebounds.  Jacob Anderson also had a double double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.  Senior guard Nathan Hietala broke out of his mini slump and poured in 11.  Jacquan Rhen scored 8 and Tanner Creviston 7.  The Bears were led by Verdell Beaulieu who netted 14 and the lightening quick Weston Bakke had 12.

     The Gators will now shift their attention to their home opener on Friday night.  It will be a tall order as an impressive Kittson Central team comes to town.  The Bearcats are lead by all conference players Derek Coffield and Zach Rynning and are a team to watch in Section 8A.   BGMR will need to take care of the ball better and will have to be at the top of their game in order to come away with a home victory.  It will also be the first time this year that Gator Nation will be able to witness their team on its home court.  Basketball parents will be serving a soup and sandwich supper before the game.  Come on out and let the parents do the cooking and enjoy some great basketball action.

Trivia Question:  (Answers can be given to Coach Dahl between the J.V. and Varsity game.  Winners will get a pair of Coach Kierah Kimbrough socks.)

How many points did Coach Kimbrough have in her high school career?

Gator Wrestlers Capture Grant Co. Title

by Coach Bergeron

The Gator Wrestling teams took to the road as the JV wrestled in Barnesville for the JV tournament and the Varsity went to Baret, Mn to take part in the West Central tournament. Both were very successful as the Varsity took home the title and the JV made their mark as they posted a 29-13 record. Isaak Isane, Nash Sovde, Trevor Undeberg, Luke Nelson, Zach Berg, Devin Pries and Adam Lorenson  all captured titles. Hunter Gullikson, Seth Dostal and Beau Blumer finished second while Dakota Gullikson and Ely Novacek were 3^rd and Collin Berard and Ethan Novacek finished fourth. It was a great weekend for the boys.

The Gator Varsity took part in the Grant Co. Tournament filling 12 of the 14 weight classes. The Gators once again showed great balance as they had 4 champions, 3 runner ups, 2 3^rd placers and one 5^th placer.

Winning titles for the Gators were Devin Dostal 113, Isaac Novacek 120, Jake Jenson 145, and Alex Yeager 285.

Devin Dostal wrestled awesome as he claimed his first varsity title over Jake Larkin of WCA. Congrats Devin on a great showing and hope that is the first of many to come.

Isaac Novacek proved to win one of the toughest weights in the tournament as it featured 3 state medalist from last year in Abbot Aho from Fergus Falls who was fourth in the state last year , while Shane Novak NYM is a returning state runner up and Isaac Novacek finished 3^rd in last year’s state tournament. Isaac had a great day as he took home the title with a 7-3 dec.over Novak in the finals. Isaac also claimed his 150^th career win in that match along with claiming the Outstanding wrestler award for the tournament. Awesome job Isaac not a bad day at the office.

Jake Jenson proved he is going to be a tough one to battle this year as he wrestled solid and claimed an exciting 3-2 dec. over Dane Ringquest from Fergus Falls. This is also Jake’s first varsity title. Great job Jake on a very solid tournament and solid start to  the season.

The final title for the Gators went to Alex Yeager as he defeated a very solid Brandon Schmitt from DBL QPV who is currently ranked #4 in AA. Schmitt got off to a solid start as he took an early 4-0 lead. Yeager showed a lot of control as he battle back to put Schmitt on his back late in the match to seal a close 10-8 dec.

The Gators also had 3 other finalist in Tomm Ingle, TeJay Wojchowski, and Flying John Westman.

Tomm had a solid day going 3-1 and  losing a hard fought match to a solid wrestler Austin Maanum from Border West. Maanum took home a 8-3 dec. over Ingle.

Tejay Wojchowski also had his hand full as he took on Sam Haas from DBL QPV who is currently the #3 ranked wrestler in AA. TeJay is currently ranked #4 in class A. It proved to be a great match as it was tie in the second period before Haas caught Wojchowski with one second left on the clock. Tejay finished the day with a 2-1 record.

John Westman took the mat against Lennard Bennett of LPGE. It was and entertaining match with a lot of action but Bennett would pull away late to take the title over Flying John Westman. John also had a nice day as he finished with a solid 2-1 record.

The Gators showed great balance Wyatt Becker and Brandon Waage showed great heard as they battle their ways to solid third place finishing’s and both wrestlers finished 3-1 on the day.

Corey Hasbrouck went 2-2 on the day and finished 5^th ,while Gunner Gust went 1-2 and Brendon Dostal wrestled hard and went 0-2.

The Gators will get back it  and get ready for the Big Bear Tournament in Cass Lake,Mn on Dec. 16^th and 17^th. The classic tournament features 32 teams from all over the state of Minnesota and is a great challenge.

Come on out and show your Gator Pride as the Gators will take the mat for the last time before the holidays.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Grant County Tournament
1. Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 212.5
2. Dawson-Boyd/Lac qui Parle Valley 195.0
3. Morris Area/Hancock/Chokio-Alberta 133.0
4. Border West 127.0
5. New York Mills 122.5
6. Fergus Falls 114.5
7. Browerville/Eagle Valley 102.5
8. Ottertail Central 92.0
9. Mille Lacs 91.0
10. Alexandria 76.0
11. West Central Area/Ashby 55.0
12. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 53.5

Gator Wrestlers Takedown Rams

By: Coach Bergeron

The Gator wrestling team opened their season with a solid 48-18 road victory over the Rams. The Gator wrestling team took the mat with some new varsity wrestlers in Wyatt Becker, Devin Dostal, Zach Berg, and Eli Novacek. The Gators also took the mat with four State ranked wrestlers in Isaac Novacek, Tomm Ingle, TeJay Wojchowski and Alex Yeager, along with returning solid starters in Brandon Waage,  Gunner Gust , Jake Jenson and John Westman.

Wyatt Becker got the Gators rolling with a solid 7-3 victory controlling  the action over a solid Brett Jerome to give the Gators an early 3-0 lead.

Devin Dostal BGMR had an exciting match as he got out to a 7-4 second period lead before pinning Casey Warner at the 5:41 mark to give the Gators a 9-0 lead.

Isaac Novacek BGMR took his #1 ranking in the state to the mat and proved to be too much for Derek Olson as he jumped out to an early 6-1 lead before pinning Olson at the 1:30 mark of the first period. After Brandon Waage dominated the action is his match against a solid Jaufen Sikorski with a pin in :48 seconds the Gators took a commanding 21-0 lead.

The Rams would put together two victories as upper classmen Jesse Eastman and Kyle McCourt took the mat.  Jesse Eastman and Zach Berg took the mat for an exciting first period at Eastman took a 2-1 lead into the second period and pinned Berg at the 3:22 mark. Kyle McCourt and Gunner Gust took the mat at 138, which proved to be the most exciting match of the night as senior McCourt held on to win a very entertaining 10-9 dec. over an up and coming 9th grader Gunner Gust to cut the lead to 21-9

Jake Jenson got the Gators back on the board at 145 as he took control early and  pinned a strong Ryan Erickson at the 2:37 mark of the second period to give the Gators a 27-9 lead.

The Rams Colton Miller (152) took on Brendon Dostal and pulled away late to take a 11-5 dec. and pulled the score to 27-12.

The Gators would win five of the next six matches wrestled as State ranked wrestlers Tomm Ingle (160) and TeJay Wojchowski (170) would take home victories. Ingle would take home a close 4-2 dec. over a solid Trevor Peterson and Wojchowski would control the match from the start as he dominated a strong Tyler Crabtree with a pin at 1:25 of the first period to give the Gators a 36-12 lead.

John Westman (182) would take the Forfeit, followed by a double ff at 195. This would make the score 42-12 before Roseau’s Kieren Oksanen (220) would take on a young Eli Novacek and record a pin at the 1:10 mark of the first period.

Returning State Champ Alex Yeager would close out the scoring as the Rams were open at 285.

The Gators will take their 1-0 record to Wadena on Saturday as they battle in a very tough Wadena Tournament.

The Gator team would like to thank the large crowd that came out to support the Gators to a solid 48-18 opening match victory.

December 1, 2011

Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 48 Roseau 18
106 Wyatt Becker (BGMR) Dec. Brett Jerome (ROS) 7-3
113 Devin Dostal (BGMR) Fall Casey Warner (ROS) 5:41
120 Isaac Novacek (BGMR) Fall Derek Olson (ROS) 1:30
126 Brandon Waage (BGMR) Fall Jaufen Sikorski (ROS) :48
132 Jesse Eastman (ROS) Fall Zach Berg (BGMR) 3:22
138 Kyle McCourt (ROS) Dec. Gunner Gust (BGMR) 10-9
145 Jake Jensen (BGMR) Fall Ryan Erickson (ROS) 2:37
152 Colton Miller (ROS) Dec. Brendon Dostal (BGMR) 11-5
160 Tomm Ingle (BGMR) Dec. Trevor Peterson (ROS) 4-2
170 TeJay Wojochowski (BGMR) Fall Tyler Crabtree (ROS) 1:25
182 John Westman (BGMR) Won by FF
195 Double Forfeit
220 Kieren Oksanen (ROS) Fall Eli Novacek (BGMR) 1:10
285 Alex Yeager (BGMR) Won by FF

Relentless Gators Fall Short Against Storm

  
   If the start of the 2011-2012 basketball season is any indication of things to come, Section 8A fans will be in for a treat.  In the opening game for both the BGMR Gators and the Stephen-Argyle Storm the Storm were able to take advantage of some sloppy Gator play and managed to grind out a 56-45 victory over the visiting Gators.

     The start of the game was slow offensively for both teams and this would continue much of the night.  The Storm defense started to create early havoc on the Gators and Stephen-Argyle raced to a 27-18 halftime lead.  The Gators needed a huge effort from their bench just to stay in the game as Gator starters Jacquan Rhen and Tanner Creviston found themselves in early foul trouble.

     Coming out of halftime the Gators would let the Storm surge ahead by 14.  The never say die Gators would fight back and cut the lead to 6 a couple times but could not get any closer.  Whenever it looked as if the Gators would break through the Storm would hit a big shot or turn up the pressure defensively and the Gators were unable to answer.

     BGMR was lead by senior Jacob Anderson who poured in 16 points with 10 of them coming in the second half.  Freshman Aaron Dostal had a nice game as he ended up with 9 points and 10 rebounds.  No other Gator managed to make double figures and the Gators shot only 33 percent on the night.  The Storm landed 3 individuals in double digit scoring.  Brandy Swanson had 13, Blake Labine 12 and Luke Yutrzenka notched 10.

     BGMR will not have time to sulk.  On Monday they travel to Northland Community and Technical College to take part in the NCTC Holiday Tournament.  The Gators will face Fertile Beltrami at 3:00.  The Falcons are a well coached team and beat the Warren-Alvarado-Oslo Ponies on Friday night.  It should be a good match-up as these two teams have developed a little rivalry over the years.  BGMR will need to shoot the ball better and keep key individuals on the playing floor if they hope to keep with the Falcons.

Important Financial Aid Meeting for Juniors, Seniors, and their Parents

A very important meeting is scheduled for

Thursday, January 12 at 5:30 p.m.

in the music room

at the Greenbush school site. 

Junior and Senior students and parents should be starting to prepare for financial planning if students are going on for education after high school.  ALL students, no matter what their financial status, should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) paperwork. Gerald Schulte, a representative from Northland Community Technical College, will be presenting at the January 12 meeting to explain types of financial aid available and how to complete the FAFSA.  He will be available to answer questions parents or students have after the presentation.  Information on scholarship resources will also be presented. He will be presenting information that applies to all colleges and universities – not just Northland.

Scarves, Scarves, Scarves!

Greenbush School Art Room

December 7^th, 2011 @ 6:30

Instructor: Debbie Aune

Fee: $5

Want to make a great stocking stuffer for Christmas? Join me as we make hand-made scarves from all sorts of special yarns. I’ll teach you how to finger weave and we’ll use that yarn in your scarf to make it extra special.  If you want to make more than one scarf I will have materials available for purchase.

Pre-register by calling either 782-223, ex. 239 or 222-3310 and mention “Scarves, Scarves, Scarves” community ed. class.

Let's Make Felted Wool Mittens!

December 14^th, 2011, 6:30

Middle River School Art Room

Instructor: Debbie Aune

Cost: $5

Don’t throw those worn, wooly sweaters away, let’s make mittens instead! You know how I love to recycle, well this is no exception. We will turn felted sweaters into beautiful, warm mittens.  Before you arrive to class you must felt a couple wool sweaters.  Alpaca, cashmere, or a blend will work as well. Felting is easy. Felting simply means abusing wool. In other words, in the hottest setting with any kind of soap, wash your sweater in the washing machine and dry it in dryer on high. Or, you can heat up water on top the stove, add some soap and stir, poke, twist and abuse your wool there. If you have a front-load washing machine, you may have to do the stove-top method.

Gather up the following materials:

Sewing machine; you must provide your own machine

At least 2 felted sweaters

At least 15 inches elastic for each pair of mittens: 1/4 inch is fine

Good scissors for cutting material

Neutral colored thread

Buttons for embellishing, optional

Pre-register by calling either 782-223, ex. 239 or 222-3310 and mention “Let’s Make Felted Wool Mittens” community ed. class.

Gator Boys Basketball looking to Gain Confidence

     Snow is on the ground.  Not only does this mean that winter is here but so is another high school boys’ basketball season.   The BGMR Boys Basketball Team began practice on Monday, November 23^rd.  With over 40 boys in grades 7-12 signed up for basketball quantity of players is not an issue.  The coaching staff however will be looking to make that quantity into quality. 

     The Gator Boys are coming off a surprising 15-12, 2010-2011 season.  With only 1 senior on last years’ squad the Gators are hoping that experience and hard work will take them to the upper core of teams in Section 8A.  The Gators however will sorely miss the services of graduated senior Nathan Stanelle.  Stanelle had a remarkable senior campaign averaging more than 19 points and 6 rebounds per game.  More importantly Stanelle provided leadership that will be tough to replace.

     Returning starters from last season’s team are Jakob Anderson, Nick Dostal, Jacquan Rhen, and Tanner Creviston.  Also returning were key reserve players Nathan Hietala, Alex Rhen, Ryan Modahl and Trey Langaas.  Here is a season preview of Gator players and the program:

     Senior players Anderson, Dostal, Modahl and Hietala will be counted on heavily to replace the loss of Stanelle.  Anderson averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.  He is a player who can shoot well from the outside and can go inside if he puts his mind to it.  Dostal will be off to a slow start for the Gators as he recovers from a broken leg suffered in football.  Dostal had an amazing summer and the Gators were really looking forward to his senior year.  Dostal averaged 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assist per game last season.  Fortunately for the Gators they hope to get Dostal back by just after holiday break.  Hietala is a streaky player who at times showed flashes of brilliance.  He must gain confidence in himself and his teammates in order to even out his inconsistent play.  If he does Hietala will be a player to watch out for.  Modahl is a lunch bucket player.  He doesn’t put up the big statistics but does the much needed dirty work and is an outstanding team player.  Also working for playing time is senior Trey Langaas.  Langaas plays good defense and has a motor that doesn’t quit.  He will have to protect the ball on offense in order to get into the regular rotation.

     Returning juniors, Rhen, Creviston and Rhen will also be asked to step up their game compared to their sophomore year.  Jacquan Rhen is a gifted athlete who averaged 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds last season.  Deciding how good he wants to become and working to become that good will be the focus for Jacquan.  Creviston had a surprising sophomore year.  He was one of the Gators best defensive players and was an ever present rebounder.  Improving his offensive game and outside shooting will be a key for Creviston.  Alex Rhen is another good athlete who needs to find out how good he can be.  Rhen is a strong rebounder, and decent shot blocker.  Offensively he has the tools but needs to refine his game.  Other juniors searching for playing time will be Nick Wilson, Jacob Randall and Tyler Bentow.  All 3 are great teammates but have small flaws to their game.  If they worked on improving their flaws during the off season they all could see the varsity floor.  The Gators may have a freshman who could see varsity playing time.  Aaron Dostal had a nice summer and showed he has skills to play at the varsity level.  Varsity action is a different level of play and one in which the Gator coaching staff doesn’t like to rush players so Dostal will really need to show that he can stand the physical and mental components of varsity play.

     The numbers in the program are good and because of this there will be vicious competition for playing time at all levels.  This in turn should make for competitive and intense practices.  The coaches know that this will only take place if the players allow it too and work for each second of playing time.

     Many in Gator Nation have been expecting big things from this years’ team.  The coach staff and boys will do everything in their power not to disappoint.  We hope that Gator Nation will be out in full force throughout the WHOLE season as the Gators have a tough schedule ahead of them.  This will be a team to keep your eye on as they seem to be able to put the ball in the basket and they play well together.  With the positive support of the Gator faithful this season will be successful no matter what the record turns out being.  These young men will represent the school and communities well and will be a team that fans can be proud of.

     Section 8A should be a battle again.    Several teams; such as Warren-Alvarado-Oslo, Northern Freeze, Kittson County Central, Grygla-Goodridge, Cass Lake-Bean and Fertile Beltrami just to name a few have their eye on the prize and a trip to the state tournament.

     Set your watches as the Gators tip off the season on Friday December 2 when the Gators travel to Stephen to take on Stephen-Argyle.  It will be a tough test but one in which the Gators are looking forward too.

     

Gators fall to Freeze

By:TyLynn McKeever


The Gators were coming off a big win and were looking to bring the momentum into this match. The Gators had seen the Freeze at the beginning of this week and didn’t play so hot against them; they looked at this match to regain themselves. Once set one started the Gators had no energy or spark to get them going. When things weren’t going their way they never found a way to dig themselves back out of the hole. The Freeze took the match 25-15, 25-10, and 25-13. Coach Dahl commented, “We seemed so worried on defense and never got anything started offensively.  We let the Freeze score many points in a row and struggled on serve receive.  Players really needed to step up and make big plays, and we never got fired up to compete.  It was a disappointing match; however, we did make some good strides throughout the season.  This was a growing year, and we learned that we could play really good volleyball at times.” The leaders for the night were Kate Howell with four kills; Shanyce Bishop with four assists; and Tori Mekash with two aces. The Gator Volleyball Team would like to thank all of the fans for all of their support throughout the year; they have been the best! 

Gators Start Off With A Win In Playoffs

By:TyLynn McKeever

The Gators played in the Pig Tail game against Red Lake Falls. The Gators came out fired up and were going to give it their all knowing they had nothing to lose. The Gators won in five; 13-25, 25-21, 12-25, 25-21, and 15-13. Passing was consistent throughout the night which led to many kills for their hitters. They battled hard throughout the whole night and never did give up even when they were down. The Gators came together as a team and everyone did their part to contribute to the win. Coach Dahl commented, “This was a roller coaster game, but the team battled and pulled out the win.  We had a slow start but were able to steal a couple sets.  It wasn’t always pretty, but the work ethic and level of play in the sets we won was sharp.  Going into the fifth set, we managed to claw our way out of a four point deficit and played very controlled volleyball the last eight balls.  Overall, it was a valiant effort and the girls worked tremendously hard.  It was a fantastic playoff win!” The leaders for the night were Katie Langaas (15) and Tori Mekash (11) for kills; Shanyce Bishop (23) and Andrea Burkel (16) for assists; TyLynn McKeever (5) and Kate Howell (3) for aces; and Alyssa Wahl with four blocks. The Gators will be playing the Freeze next. Come and show your Gator support. Gooo Gators!

Gators vs. Freeze

By: TyLynn McKeever

The Gators were traveling to Karlstad to play the last match of their regular season against the Freeze. The Gators knew that this would be no cake walk and that they had to bring their best selves. The Gators had a hard time with passing the ball; and if you can’t pass the ball you can’t set anything up. When the Gators were in a hole, they often had a hard time of siding out to get the momentum going back their way. Coach Dahl said, “We struggled to pass the ball on serve receive and played in a panic mode all night. We just didn’t step up to compete against a high quality team.” The leaders for the night were Katie Langaas (3), Kate Howell (2), and Tori Mekash (2) for kills; Shanyce Bishop with five assists; and Tori Mekash with one ace. The Gators will go into playoffs on a better note and will have the never back down attitude. Hope to see you all there! Goo Gators!

Gators vs. Roseau

By:TyLynn McKeever

The Gators went to Roseau to take on the Rams. Like the previous games the Gators were determinded to push them games and to play consistent the whole night. The Gators were unable to defeat the Rams; the scores were 17-25, 25-22, 14-25, and 19-25. Serve receive passing was not consistent and the “nothing hits the floor” mentality wasn’t there throughout the whole night. The Gators did battle hard throughout each set and were in it as a team. Head coach commented, “The Gators battled throughout the match but had too many errors and uncontested balls dropping to the floor.  There were moments of really sharp volleyball; however, the Gators need to pull it together for an entire match.  This is a great rivalry and it’s exciting to play in such a charged atmosphere—the Gators used the environment to fuel their sets but just couldn’t push the Rams to 5.  Again, it’s another great learning experience this season that will help the team grow and improve for next year.” Looking to improve on these little things, the Gators will bring it into a game situation and show how they really can compete. Leaders for the night were Katie Langaas (12) and Tori MeKash (10) for kills; Vanessa Burkel (15) and Shanyce Bishop (14) for assists; and Katie Langaas (2) for aces. Goooo Gators!

AYP

Most  Greenbush-Middle River students were proficient on the spring 2011 reading and math Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA).  However, schools are required to keep increasing proficiency each year until the 2014 tests when 100% of students are expected to be proficient.  If a school or district fails to increase scores for two consecutive years, the state requires an improvement plan. This is the first year GMR did not make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) in reading, with 74% of students proficient. Since MCA tests began in 2006, GMR student proficiency has ranged from 71-77% in reading.

GMR	District	High school	Middle school	Greenbush Elementary	Middle River Elementary
All students	Making AYP in math; not making AYP in reading	Making AYP in math and reading	Making AYP in math; not making AYP in reading	Making AYP in math; not making AYP in reading	Making AYP in math and reading
Students categorized as American Indian, Hispanic, Asian, Black	Student groups too small to count for AYP	Student groups too small to count for AYP	Student groups too small to count for AYP	Student groups too small to count for AYP	Student groups too small to count for AYP
White Students	Making AYP in both math and reading	Making AYP in both math and reading	Making AYP in math; not making AYP in reading	Making AYP in both math and reading	Making AYP in both math and reading
Special Education	Student group too small to count for AYP	Student group too small to count for AYP	Student group too small to count for AYP	Student groupstoo small to count for AYP	Making AYP in both math and reading
Students qualifying for Free/Reduced meals	Student group too small to count for AYP	Student group too small to count for AYP	Student group too small to count for AYP	Student group too small to count for AYP	Making AYP in both math and reading

When our district did not meet targets in math for the student group “Special Education” in 2009 and 2010, the resulting district improvement plan was very successful in raising scores. Although the state doesn’t require an improvement plan at this AYP stage, GMR is moving forward with a specific plan to increase students’ reading proficiency.

About two-thirds of Minnesota’s middle schools and junior highs did not make AYP.  About half Minnesota’s high schools did not make AYP, although GMR High School did. All neighboring schools or districts have some history of not making AYP.

Our district’s 2011 reading scores were nearly identical to large and small area schools:

GMR, Grygla 74%

Badger, Thief River Falls, Kittson Central, WAO, Warroad 75%

Roseau 76%

MCC 73%

Tri-County 72%

Goodridge 61%

Lancaster 83%

State of Minnesota: 75%

GMR’s 2011 MCA math scores were generally better than area schools:

GMR 71%

Kittson Central 74%

Badger 81%

Roseau 62%

Tri-County 60%

MCC 52%

TRF 42%

WAO 41%

Lancaster 38%

Goodridge 28%

Warroad 22%

Grygla 18%

State of Minnesota: 49%

Important Information about the 2011 Referendum

The proposed $1,135 per pupil does not mean that your taxes will go up by $1,135!  What does it mean?  

2011 Market Value                          Pay 2011                              Pay 2012                          (Yearly) Difference

      50,000                                         66.63                                     152.56                                   85.93

     75,000                                          99.95                                     228.84                                 128.89

    100,000                                         133.27                                    305.12                                 171.85

    150,000                                         199.90                                    457.68                                 257.78

    200,000                                         266.54                                    610.24                                 343.70

    300,000                                         399.80                                    915.36                                 515.55

    500,000                                         666.34                                  1,525.59                                859.25

Taxes are based on taxable market value, not estimated market value.  They are applicable to residential, homesteads, apartments, and commercial-industrial properties.  Farms are only taxed on the home, garage, and one acre.

So, if the taxable market value of your home is $100,000, your taxes would go up $171.85 next year.  

Of the $435 increase, local tax payers will only pay approximately 50%!  The other 50% is payed by the state.  If the referendum does not pass, we will lose out on that state money!  

If you have any questions about the referendum please contact a school board member!  This funding is crucial to the continued success of our school!  

Governor Dayton Recognizes the Juneberry Firefighting Effort

Governor Mark Dayton listens to the fire report.

By: Josh Peterson

Governor Mark Dayton made a last minute visit to the Greenbush fire hall today. He stopped on his way from Thief River Falls to hear how our community was fighting the wildfire that started last Wednesday (5 days ago). The officials from the Minnesota National Resources had an extremely well laid out plan to show to the governor. I learned a lot in the 20 minutes that they were reporting.

Firefighters detailing the fire spread.

There is a reported 31,216 acres that have been burned; areas that are burning include the Salol fire, Juneberry fire, and the Cannon fire. The Juneberry fire is the largest by far with 28,673 acres burned. The Cannon fire comes in second with 2,388 acres and Salol with only 155 acres. The Juneberry fire is the only one that has any cost damage. The cost to date is $532,000 dollars. Mostly all of the fires have been contained. The Salol fire is completely contained and 95% of the Juneberry fire is under control which is good news as it is the largest.

Local and out-of-state firefighters accept the governors compliments.

Firefighters and other officials say the fires will be under full control in the next two days, if not tomorrow, for sure and Governor Mark Dayton gave his phone number out freely to anyone who would like to contact him to update him on the fire. The number can be found in the Middle River ‘Honker’. No fatalities have occurred and only one injury (a broken arm) is reported. Surprisingly enough, the smell of the northwestern fires can be smelt all the way down to Grand Forks and the skies have been foggy and cloudy ever since last Wednesday. After everything was said, Mark Dayton stepped up to address the men who were fighting the fire. He thanked them dearly and recognized their hard work and commitment. He was very charming and intellectual.

Greenbush Corn Maze.

By: Karley Forst  

You know that feeling when you don't know which way to turn because it seems like in every direction is a dead end? Well if you haven't experienced that feeling, make it come true! Brandon & Jessica Kuznia and Erik & Kara Heggedal are in charge of the new corn maze in Greenbush. The corn maze is located 1/2 Mile West of State Hwy 11 on County Rd 4.Design: combining with a John Deer. Last tickets are sold one hour before closing. The fee for attendants 4 years old and younger is free; 5-17 is five dollars and 18 and up are seven dollars. There is lots to do other than walking through the maze! You can go play on the hay bales, play in the corn box, find a token, go to a bon fire, eat at the concession stand, and try figure out the riddles for a chance to get your name in a drawing for a prize.  You can go on a field trip to see the corn maze! Just call e-mail maizecraze@wiktel.com or call 218-782-CORN (2676) and remember to dress warm and bring a flashlight hope to see you there.

 Hours are

Friday:  5pm-10pm.

Saturday: 10am.-10pm.

Sunday: 12am-8pm.

To Kill a Mockingbird Tea

Every year sophomore English students participate in Mrs. Dahl's tea party.  This activity also highlights one of the most important themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”   For this activity, students must “climb into the skin” of a character in the book and assume his/her identity as students visit with other characters in the book about the novel’s events.  Students dress up in costume similar to what their character would dress in that time---Alabama, 1930s, and research a Southern dish to share with the class.  This project is always a hit, and it’s exciting to see the characters interact; some students nail the personas and understand the characters even more intimately.  Students also write a character analysis showing what makes their characters tick.

Gators Take 4th Place at the Pony Invitational

By: TyLynn McKeever

The Gators traveled to Warren on September 17^th for the Pony Invitational Tournament. The tournament started off with pool play then went into tournament play based off of your pool play recorded. Here the Gators would have the chance to face new teams and teams that they have already seen.

The Gators started off the morning with regular pool play; their first match was against Fertile Beltrami. They Gators started off on more of a shaky start. As the set went on, the Gators were able to come from behind to pull off a 25-23 win. The second set the Gators came out on a better note; serve receive passing was more consistent. Staying hardnosed the Gators were able to pull off a win in the second set, 25-20, to pull off a full win against Fertile-Beltrami.

The Warren Ponies were next on the Gators pool play list. The Gators were looking forward to playing the Ponies; hoping to improve from the last time they saw them earlier this season.  They Gators battled hard against the Ponies, but poor serve receive passing and serving errors resulted in a loss to the Ponies; 21-25 and 19-25.

The Gators were to face Mahnomen next for the last regular pool play game. It was important that the Gators won this match in order to compete for third place. The Gators came out playing hard and were consistent on all aspects of the game. The Gators won both sets against Mahnomen 25-21 and 25-21.

Going into tournament play, the Gators found out that they were going to compete against Stephen-Argyle for third place. The Gators were glad they had another shot against Stephen. The first set went to Stephen 25-21 as the Gators were not able to have consistent passing. The second set the Gators turned their game on with consistent passing and attacking which resulted in a 25-18 win for the Gators. Since there was a split, a third set had to be played for the tie breaker. The Gators ropes on Stephen, but critical serving and attacking errors cost the Gators and they lost 12-15; the loss resulted in a fourth place finish.

Throughout the day the Gators were led by Tori Mekash(26), Kate Howell(23), Courtney Kirkeide(15), Katie Langaas(14), Vanessa Burkel(6), and Alyssa Wahl(2) in kills. Vanessa Burkel and Shanyce Bishop with 33 assists followed by TyLynn McKeever with 2 and Courtney Kirkeide, Kate Howell, and Katie Langaas each with one assist. Tori Mekash led the Gators for Aces on the day with 7; following Mekash was Shanyce Bishop, TyLynn McKeever, and Kate Howell each with 6, and Vanessa Burkel and Katie Langaas with 5 each. There was a total of three blocks for the Gators throughout the day; Katie Langaas with two and Kate Howell with one. “Overall, it was a GREAT day for Gator volleyball.  Solid, consistent play throughout the day was fun to watch—huge strides and improvement” commented head coach Stacy Dahl. The Gators look to continue to improve as they host the Warroad Warriors on September 20^th in the Swamp for Parent’s night. Come to the Swamp and show your support for the Gators.  Goooo GATORS!