Seasons wrapping up

The opening game is a showdown between two Section 5A-East teams, with Ogilvie and Swanville currently ranked third and fifth, respectively. A Lions win would solidify their ranking, with Swanville needing a victory to have any chance of moving up a spot. 

“From what I’ve seen of Swanville so far they look to be a pretty equal matchup for us,” says Ogilvie head coach Daryl Adickes.  

The Bulldogs sport an even 11-11 record, and while this is the first meeting between the two teams, they share a handful of common opponents, with the results against each being the same for both teams. Ogilvie’s record sits at a solid 14-9, with two tough losses last weekend to Pine City and Mountain Iron-Buhl coming on the heels of a solid 8-1 stretch of play. Friday’s game concludes the regular season for both teams, so depending on section seedings and schedules it could be the last chance to see the Lions on their home court this season.

The nightcap is also a Section 5A-East battle between two evenly matched boys teams. Ogilvie and McGregor share 5-15 records, and both sit in a virtual tie with Braham for fifth place in the East standings. Lions head coach Sam Weaver looks forward to the matchup.  

“McGregor has a couple good guards and also a couple good bigs. Our challenge will be to keep the guards uncomfortable while making sure the bigs stay off the glass. If we are able to do those things it should be a competitive game.” After a long January, the Lions have played much better basketball in February, posting two wins and narrowing some deficits from earlier losses.  

“We’re really starting to figure out what it means to play together by rotating defensively as a unit, all five players on the court boxing out, and playing through each other offensively,” said Weaver, “I’ve been very impressed with the growth we have had in the last stretch of games.”  

The Lions will have two more home games next week to wrap up their regular season schedule, but with this being the final Friday game Coach Weaver hopes to see full bleachers. “Being that it’s a double header, it will be a great night to come out. There will be a lot of great basketball being played.”

Keep an eye on …

… the Mora High School basketball court, which nears the end of its days. The Mustang girls will play their final home game on Friday, Feb. 24 against Foley, with the Mustang boys hosting Spectrum on Tuesday, Feb. 28, for what will be 

the final regular season game ever played in the blue and white’s home gymnasium. For decades opponents’ buses have rumbled down East Maple Avenue to deliver teams to the Mora gym to volley, grapple or dribble. When the new high school opens next fall those buses will travel a bit farther north, leaving the old gym silent and empty, except for the host of memories it holds from the thousands of athletes and fans who brought it to life over the years.

Darren Lukenbill teaches math, science and social studies to fifth-grade students at Mora Elementary. He also has 27 years of coaching under his belt, with 22 years in Mora.