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Battle tested FF boys ready for DL
Published 10:31am Wednesday, March 6, 2013After a tough regular season schedule, a 16-10 record and a number one seed in the Section 8AAA North the Fergus Falls boys basketball team will look to prove that they are a state caliber team.
The Otters will take on long time rival and last season’s section champion Detroit Lakes Lakers. The anticipation has been building and after last night’s postponement, fans and players a like can’t wait for a rematch of last season’s section final.
Fergus Falls Coach Dave Rund doesn’t see the game as a rematch of last season but a new challenge.
“These are two totally different teams. This is about this years’ squads and its DL vs FF, a rivalry that dates back a long time. They have knocked us out the last two seasons so let’s just say that we are very excited to be playing them at our place in the first round.”
In their lone regular season meeting, the Otters were able to control the Lakers on the way to a 75-50 home win.
Fergus will look to stop senior guards Kirk McLeod and Derek Long, two starters from last season’s section title team, from reeking havoc offensively.
Another key player to Detroit Lakes’ success is junior point guard Jackson Lyngaas. Lyngaas was able to use the Otters emphasis on McLeod and Long to hit five first half three pointers in their regular season meeting.
“Coach Flint and his staff do such an outstanding job of preparing their teams for competition. They do a great job of changing defenses to keep your offense out of sync. Everything they do has a purpose.”
The biggest question for the Otters going into the game is the status of senior post Mike Millard. Millard injured his shoulder in the team’s final regular season game against Brainerd, but returned and finished the night with 20 points.
“Mike’s shoulder is very, very sore but he is such a warrior. He is planning to find a way to play through the pain and help us compete,” Rund stated.
The Otters will need another hot night from the floor as their first meeting saw them shoot 58 percent from the field and have four players in double figures.
Look for seniors Reece Johnson and Jackson McAllister and junior Austin Rund to pick up the slack offensively for the Otters.
Coach Rund feels that the boys are well prepared as the Otters closed out their season with the toughest part of the schedule.
“We feel it made us battle tested and ready for the kind of pressure we will face during the playoffs.
The game will begin at 7 p.m. with radio coverage beginning at 6:15 p.m. on KJJK 1020 AM
