Pair of sixes
Fergus Falls, Battle Lake girls both ranked 6th in state
Published Saturday, February 23, 2008
When a high school basketball team is ranked in the top 10 of its class, that’s an honor for players, coaches and fans in their respective communities. Both basking with number six rankings in the latest poll Thursday morning were the Battle Lake girls team in Class 1A and Fergus Falls in Class 3A.
"Polls are a reflection of the success teams are having through their hard work and preparation,” Fergus Falls High School head girls basketball coach Dave Rund said. “Anytime your team is ranked it’s an honor. At the same time, it (being among the top 10) places a target on your back."
Battle Lake head girls coach Dave Marso agrees with Rund that rankings are just for fun and gives people something to talk about.
“However,” Rund said, “this year the 3A state tourney will be seeded by the eight head coaches of the teams that made it. Then, the polls will really mean something.”
Rund and Marso lived in Pelican Rapids at the same time about 12 years ago.
“Dave (Marso) was a bachelor, renting an apartment,” Rund said. “He moved out just before getting married. Then I moved into the same apartment, became engaged and was married a year later. How’s that for a small world?”
Marso said he and Rund participated in adult league basketball games in Pelican Rapids. That forged a friendship that remains to this very day.
Fergus Falls, 20-4, scrimmaged Battle Lake, 22-0 through Thursday morning, earlier in the season.
“It was, in my opinion, that they (Battle Lake girls team) had the opportunity to be special,” Rund said. "Our team is focused on the goal of winning Fergus Falls girls' basketball first ever Section 8AAA Championship."
On Thursday evening the Battle Lake girls made it a perfect regular season with a victory over Rothsay.
“The girls didn’t talk much about the won-lost record during the regular season since they wanted to stay focused on the next game,” Marso said. “However, after last night’s win over Rothsay to go 23-0, I could see on their faces the real pride they have in going unbeaten.”
Both Battle Lake and Fergus Falls are looking forward to tournament action, what many fans refer to as “March Madness.”
Go Battlers and Go Otters!
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