Otters off to the Big Dance

Girls, ‘Fergus Fever’ the talk of the town

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Friday, March 7, 2008

All around Fergus Falls this morning the talk of the town was the Otter girls varsity basketball team winning its first sectional championship Thursday evening in Moorhead.

The win vaults Fergus Falls to its first ever state girls basketball tournament.

At the Viking Cafe in downtown Fergus Falls, the Otter girls were the main topic of conversations at many tables.

“What an exciting win,” said Dutz Domholt, a retired Ford salesman. “The one-point victory shows that during tournaments things often come down to the final seconds. I’m really happy for the Otter girls, and for the entire community.”

Rod Berg, a retiree of Otter Tail Power Company, who sat across from Domholt at the coffee table, said the Otter win Thursday evening is making for a fantastic experience for the team, coaches, fans and everyone else in Fergus Falls.

“This is something the players, and others involved with the Otter girls program, will remember for the rest of their lives,” Berg said. “Today and for the next several days people have the opportunity to build some super memories.”

At Fergus Falls High School, as students prepared to begin a day of classes, the Otter girls win Thursday evening also was a main topic of conversation.

Otter girls basketball B team member Kate Angulski, a sophomore, said the section title victory will set the standard for years to come.

“The 2008 varsity team, and what they accomplished, will really impact younger girls who play basketball in future years,” Angulski said. “This year’s team also shows what can be accomplished with hours of practice and hard work.”

Fellow sophomore Mitchell Thorsen said he is relieved that the Otter girls finally made it to state.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Thorsen said. “It’s an exciting time for the entire school.”

Hannah Rausch, a junior at Fergus Falls High School, attended last evening’s section title game in Moorhead and said she screamed with excitement when the final horn sounded.

“I said to myself, ‘Oh, my gosh, we’re finally going to state.’ It was shocking, in a way. People are so really happy.”

Rausch, who participates in soccer, pep band and Knowledge Bowl, said the Otter girls going to state enhances school pride.