By Kerry Rodd
Ogichidaa outpace Wrens for big win
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Dan Saletel
Wrenshall #2 Carter Woodall makes a break for the net around Fond du Lac #11 Mukwa Bellanger as the Wrens host the Ojibwe Ogichidaag Tuesday evening.
The boys high school basketball season is coming to a close, and as the season winds down every game is important from a seeding and momentum standpoint. Tuesday night Wrenshall hosted the Fond du Lac Ogichidaa with FDL coming out on top by a score of 80-45.
"We had Jordell (Brown) going for his 1,000th point tonight, and he was able to get that done, and the guys did a good job of staying focused on the game as well," said FDL coach Cameron Thompson. "I was super-happy for Jordell, but also happy with how well the team played as a group."
Leading the offense for the Ogichidaag were Brown, who scored 29 points, and Dannin Savage with 22.
"We did not have an answer for their big guy on offense or defense," said Wrenshall coach Jon Bartczak of Savage. "He controlled the boards. Brown was going for his 1,000th point tonight so we put Peyton Johnson on him. Peyton did a good job in that first half, but they are so well-coached they find a way to get him open."
Johnson and Carter Woodall led the Wrens with 15 and 10 points. While Wrenshall had seven scorers in the game, they were unable to keep up with the fast-paced style of Fond du Lac.
"They play much like we did a few years ago," Bartczak said. "They like to run the floor and shoot the 3-pointer and they are well-schooled, so it makes them tough to play against."
Fond du Lac held a 41-24 halftime lead and then pulled away in the second half to secure their 10th win of the season.
"It was a good atmosphere in Wrenshall," Thompson said. "Our community traveled well and it was a good night for all of our players."
Dan Saletel
Fond du Lac Ogichidaa team members celebrated Jordell Brown's 1,000th point Tuesday after a win in Wrenshall.
Also scoring for FDL were Mukwa Bellanger with 13 points; Anthony Reynolds added nine, Chazz Martineau scored seven, and Jordan Brown finished with three points.
For Wrenshall, AJ Olesen had seven points, while Wes Ward and Uriah Loucks scored five each. Ty Mills added two and Jesh Sjodin scored one.
"Even though we lost, I am super happy with how far our team has come this season," Bartczak said. "We scheduled some bigger schools early in the season so we could see what better competition would be like. The guys have stayed positive and away from the negatives, and I just think we are starting to see the team play better basketball at the right time."
The win improved Fond du Lac's record to 10-8 on the season while the Wrens fell to 7-17.
