12/29/21: @Cloquet

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2GfB9N

Varsity: L (78-72)

Boys basketball takes on Cloquet over break

By Heidi Burger editor@pinecitymn.com

The Dragon boys basketball team headed up to Cloquet for a tournament on December 28, eager to get a game going after their loss to North Branch. They would begin playing by facing off the Proctor Rails.  

Proctor put up the first basket of the game. The Dragons tightened up their defense. Kameron Jucszak went to the free throw line and put one in for the Dragons, the first point of the game. The Dragons continued to apply pressure and senior Dylan Peterson made a big play by setting his feet and taking the charge. The bench audibly erupted with excitement.

Coach Kyle Allen recalls, proudly, “We came out and played our most complete game of the year to this point. I was really proud of how the boys executed new concepts that we had put in over break.” 

Still working hard on offense to get a bucket, Jusczak was finally able to put up and sink a three, assisted by Levi Wilson. The Dragons began to get their rhythm and pulled ahead 12 to 2. By the end of the first half, the Dragons had gained quite a lead and some of the other players from the bench were able to see some playing time. The Dragon boys went into the second half with a nice lead of 51 to 30.

Well into the second half, the Dragons were in a nice position with some of the other players coming off the bench and contributing to the game. The team stats were growing by the minute, with each player being a big part of this Dragon victory.  

The Dragon’s defense continued to be a constant growing force, and their offense looked so smooth with the drives into the key and the ball being passed back out to open teammates. The Dragons were able to finish the game strong with a win of 99 to 64.  

The leading rebounders were Petersen with 6 points, Jusczak with 5, Wilson with 5, and Lamont Sydney with 5. Wilson also had a game high with 9 assists, followed by Jusczack with 6. Cole Waxberg, Jason Thieman and Colton Blaisdell were also huge contributors with the stats. 

“We really attacked both ends of the floor well and did a great job on the boards. We also shot the ball extremely well,” said Coach Allen. “All of this is correlated to our defense, rebounding and energy.” 

The next day, the Dragons faced the hosting team, Cloquet. Cloquet is a AAA school with a more sizable enrollment than Pine City High School. Allen noted, “Cloquet has one of the best players we will see this year in Connor Barney who is a senior for them. His athleticism is second to none. I thought we did a nice job on him for the most part throughout the game, but that is the difference between most AA schools and a AAA school; there are more players available to choose from.” 

Luke Wilson was able to drive to the hoop for the first bucket of the game. Wilson then picked off the ball from Cloquet, passed to Waxberg who handed the ball off to Peterson for two points. The score was 4 to 0, Dragons. The Dragons were up and they worked hard, but they had a big slide the second part of the first half. The Dragons went into halftime trailing by eight points. They never gave in and battled hard. At one point the Dragons were down by eighteen, but they fought back and were able to bring the score to within one basket several times. “The ball just didn’t roll our way a few times at the end and we didn’t have enough to pull out the comeback,” recalled Allen.

The game ended with a score of 72 to 78, with Dragons losing by five points. Petersen and Jucszak again led on the boards with nine each. Waxberg also hit the boards with five, while also contributing an assist and a steal. Thieman and Wilson each grabbed three rebounds.  Thieman also had two assists and two steals. Wilson had five assists and three steals. Points were added by all players, and the Dragon boys are a team worth watching. 

Coach Allen commented on the tournament and the season as of now, “We really liked our game plan coming into the game and when it was executed, we were the better team. Again, part of the process of scheduling all these big schools early are these experiences. We are getting closer and closing the gap on the items we need to fix. I am excited and fully expecting this team to continue to fight towards success on the court through our system.”

This week, the Dragons will play at Mille Lacs on Tuesday, at Rush City on Thursday, and then travel up to Duluth East to play Hermantown on Saturday.

12/28/21: Proctor (@Cloquet)

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2GfFhH

Varsity: W (99-64)

Boys basketball takes on Cloquet over break

By Heidi Burger editor@pinecitymn.com

The Dragon boys basketball team headed up to Cloquet for a tournament on December 28, eager to get a game going after their loss to North Branch. They would begin playing by facing off the Proctor Rails.  

Proctor put up the first basket of the game. The Dragons tightened up their defense. Kameron Jucszak went to the free throw line and put one in for the Dragons, the first point of the game. The Dragons continued to apply pressure and senior Dylan Peterson made a big play by setting his feet and taking the charge. The bench audibly erupted with excitement.

Coach Kyle Allen recalls, proudly, “We came out and played our most complete game of the year to this point. I was really proud of how the boys executed new concepts that we had put in over break.” 

Still working hard on offense to get a bucket, Jusczak was finally able to put up and sink a three, assisted by Levi Wilson. The Dragons began to get their rhythm and pulled ahead 12 to 2. By the end of the first half, the Dragons had gained quite a lead and some of the other players from the bench were able to see some playing time. The Dragon boys went into the second half with a nice lead of 51 to 30.

Well into the second half, the Dragons were in a nice position with some of the other players coming off the bench and contributing to the game. The team stats were growing by the minute, with each player being a big part of this Dragon victory.  

The Dragon’s defense continued to be a constant growing force, and their offense looked so smooth with the drives into the key and the ball being passed back out to open teammates. The Dragons were able to finish the game strong with a win of 99 to 64.  

The leading rebounders were Petersen with 6 points, Jusczak with 5, Wilson with 5, and Lamont Sydney with 5. Wilson also had a game high with 9 assists, followed by Jusczack with 6. Cole Waxberg, Jason Thieman and Colton Blaisdell were also huge contributors with the stats. 

“We really attacked both ends of the floor well and did a great job on the boards. We also shot the ball extremely well,” said Coach Allen. “All of this is correlated to our defense, rebounding and energy.” 

The next day, the Dragons faced the hosting team, Cloquet. Cloquet is a AAA school with a more sizable enrollment than Pine City High School. Allen noted, “Cloquet has one of the best players we will see this year in Connor Barney who is a senior for them. His athleticism is second to none. I thought we did a nice job on him for the most part throughout the game, but that is the difference between most AA schools and a AAA school; there are more players available to choose from.” 

Luke Wilson was able to drive to the hoop for the first bucket of the game. Wilson then picked off the ball from Cloquet, passed to Waxberg who handed the ball off to Peterson for two points. The score was 4 to 0, Dragons. The Dragons were up and they worked hard, but they had a big slide the second part of the first half. The Dragons went into halftime trailing by eight points. They never gave in and battled hard. At one point the Dragons were down by eighteen, but they fought back and were able to bring the score to within one basket several times. “The ball just didn’t roll our way a few times at the end and we didn’t have enough to pull out the comeback,” recalled Allen.

The game ended with a score of 72 to 78, with Dragons losing by five points. Petersen and Jucszak again led on the boards with nine each. Waxberg also hit the boards with five, while also contributing an assist and a steal. Thieman and Wilson each grabbed three rebounds.  Thieman also had two assists and two steals. Wilson had five assists and three steals. Points were added by all players, and the Dragon boys are a team worth watching. 

Coach Allen commented on the tournament and the season as of now, “We really liked our game plan coming into the game and when it was executed, we were the better team. Again, part of the process of scheduling all these big schools early are these experiences. We are getting closer and closing the gap on the items we need to fix. I am excited and fully expecting this team to continue to fight towards success on the court through our system.”

This week, the Dragons will play at Mille Lacs on Tuesday, at Rush City on Thursday, and then travel up to Duluth East to play Hermantown on Saturday.

Alumni On Break

It is always good to have alumni stop back in and check on the program.  We had several alumni at our last home game against North Branch, and even had some alumni out scouting the other night!

#DragonBasketballIsFamily

#OnceADragonAlwaysADragon

12/21/21: North Branch

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2Gdj4U

V: L (51-69)

JV: L

C-Squad: L

Dragon Boys Basketball falls to North Branch

By Heidi Burger Editor@pinecitymn.com

The Dragons boys basketball team came up against a well-coached, consistent team on Tuesday, Dec. 21. The North Branch Vikings traveled to the Dragons home court, and it was a well-fought game. 

The Dragons came out strong with the first two points coming from senior Kameron Juszcak at the block. Cole Waxberg, also a senior, was then able to make a 3 point shot to put the Dragons ahead 5 to 0. But North Branch answered back with a 2 and 3 pointer, making the score tied 5-5  just 5 minutes into the game.

Waxberg put in another 3 point shot to put the Dragons up 8 to 7, but this would be their last lead of the game. Luke Wilson, a junior, and Jusczak also both worked hard to grab rebounds.  

“Jusczak took our lone two charges on the night. Kameron is doing everything he can to help us win; putting the team in front of himself. He continues to be a great example of what we are looking for. Luke has an extremely high basketball IQ and can see things on both ends of the court,” stated Coach Allen.  

Allen added, “Joining Jusczak in hustle plays and grit are Dylan Petersen and Colton Blaisdell. Those two young men will do whatever it takes to win. They will play whatever role is needed and try to execute anything needed for the team to win.”  

That is exactly what was seen on the court; Peterson and Blaisdell were ever-present players, a constant on both offense and defense. Waxberg also battled through an injury during the game but was able to show some of his shooting and defensive skills.

The half was started with the Dragons down 25 to 33. The first points of the half were made by Wilson, who put in a 3 pointer.  A 2 pointer was then scored by Jusczak with a step-through under the basket. This brought the score to 30 to 35. Ten minutes into the half, North Branch was gaining the lead at 39 to 51. The game ended with a few points being scored and the final being 51 to 69.

“We came out well against North Branch, but like the previous two games, made too many small mistakes to come out with the win,” recalled Coach Allen. “North Branch has one of the best and most consistent starting five that we will see this year. On top of that, they are well coached and maybe the best shooting starting five we have ever played. We knew we were in for a challenge, but we were excited to keep measuring ourselves against the best. We won’t have to play schools as big as St. Francis and North Branch when it comes to our conference and eventually sectional schedule, but we know it will give us the opportunity to be battle tested and prepared for those schedules.”

The Dragon Boys Basketball will be Tuesday, December 28 when they attend the Cloquet Tournament.

2021-2022 Pine City Boys Basketball Hype Video

 

12/17/21: @Spectrum

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2Gcy2h

Varsity: L (77-78)

JV: L

C-Squad: L

Boys basketball takes two tough losses for the week

By Heidi Burger Editor@pinecitymn.com

The Dragon Boys played a hard fought second half against Spectrum last Friday but once again found themselves in a “too little, too late” situation. At the half, the Dragons were down 38 to 46. They came out aggressive in the second half by hitting the boards and playing tough defense, which put them in the lead a few times. At the end of the fourth quarter, senior Kameron Jusczak hit a two pointer which put them ahead 77 to 75. Spectrum then took possession of the ball and hit a quick three down in the corner. This put Spectrum up 78 to 77 which would be the final score of the game. Hard to lose like that, but a second half that was well-fought.

Senior Colton Blaisdell continued to be a steady, consistent player in the game. “A lot of what he does doesn’t show up in the box score; he is always in the right spot on defense, works his tail off, and is always trying to do the right thing,” said Coach Allen. “He really showed up in the box scores against Spectrum, shooting 5 for 5 from outside.” 

Dylan Peterson, a senior, was also a driving force in the game. In the words of Coach Allen, Peterson is “the ultimate competitor; his ability to grind is second to none.” Peterson led the team in assists with three.

Jusczak had an impressive second half. He led the team in rebounds with 11. Jason Thieman and Luke Wilson came in second with five rebounds each.

Going into the game, the Dragon boys knew it was going to be a tough test. Spectrum is predicted to finish in the top five of their section. Coach Allen and the Dragons were grateful for the opportunity and experience of playing Spectrum.

Allen recalls Coach Hansmann’s words of wisdom after the game, “If we win this game, we will be pretty happy and excited. If that last shot doesn’t fall for Spectrum, we are sitting like fat cats. But fat cats get complacent. Do we fix our mistakes if he misses that last shot?” 

To this Coach Allen’s response was, “That has to be the mindset. The goal is not to be playing our best basketball now, it is to be playing our best basketball at the end. We are playing the toughest schedule we have played in my tenure; we will be battle tested.”

The final score was a tough loss of Dragons 77, Spectrum 78.

12/14/21: @St. Francis

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2GbyK9

Varsity: L (60-77)

JV: L

C-Squad: L

Boys basketball takes two tough losses for the week

By Heidi Burger Editor@pinecitymn.com

On Tuesday, Dec. 14, the Dragon Boys traveled to St. Francis with anticipation to play a strong, fast and talented team. They were looking forward to the opportunity to play the Saints. Coach Allen reflected on the game and said, “What a fun game and atmosphere. We knew going into the game that we were in for a battle.”

The Dragons came out strong and put up 15 points to the Saint’s 7. The Dragon’s offense was moving well, and they had a 15-8 lead. The Saints rallied, seized the momentum and then took the lead. When asked about the game, senior Cole Waxberg responded saying, “We kept dropping our feet on defense and couldn’t recover.”

The second part of the first half was tough as the Saints hit 5 3’s and pulled ahead with an 18 point lead at halftime. “We really fought back hard in the second half and were able to cut the lead to single digits a few times. The halftime hole just proved to be too much. We did beat them in the second half by one to take the 17 point loss,” added Allen.

The moment took a swing when Lamont Sydney, Waxberg and Luke Wilson took some big charges for the team. The Saints put up 51 points in the first half; however, the Dragons limited them to only 26 in the second half. The second half showed the Dragons playing a much better game at executing the game plan and adjusting. But there just wasn’t enough time to recover from the 51 points the Saints scored in the first half.

Allen stated, “When you play high level competition, the margin of error really goes away. Every mistake, missed assignment and miscommunication is amplified. It was so fun to be able to measure ourselves against some of the best.” For the Dragons, this was a non-conference game, so it will only affect their QRF rankings.

Senior Kameron Jusczak hit the boards by pulling down eight rebounds.  He also had an assist and two steals and put up 24 points for his team.  Luke Wilson also was big on the boards and grabbed eight rebounds while also being a team player with seven assists.  Wilson had eight points and three steals. Senior Dylan Peterson had five points, two rebounds, three assists, and a steal.  Jason Thieman had four points, one assist and two steals. Senior Cole Waxberg played a big part by putting up ten points, grabbing two rebounds, and getting one assist and one steal. Senior Colton Blaisdell had five points, two rebounds, and one assist. Lamont Sydney had three points and one rebound.

Coach Allen’s concluded by saying, “Luke Wilson really showed up in the box stats. He and Kameron Jusczak led us in rebounds with eight, and Wilson chipped in a game high seven assists. Overall, we did not meet many individual or team goals for this game.  We did not do enough to win. But we did get a good look at ourselves and are able to now adjust moving forward. I am excited about this game. We learn a lot more about ourselves in games like this. Our hope is it will spark growth in our team moving forward into this year.”

The Dragon Boys Basketball program has a strong foundation. They start in third grade running the same concepts as the varsity team. The goal is to master and build on these concepts throughout their years of play. Coach Allen gets the young kids interested and wanting to play ball like the big boys. The enthusiasm and excitement in the young kids is contagious.

The final score was a Dragon loss 77-60.

The Dragon boys will host North Branch on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 7:15 pm.

12/11/21: Youth Camp

 

Familiar Faces

On Friday evening, The University of Minnesota-Morris hosted North Central University for a college men's basketball game.

Featured in the game for the opposing sides were former Dragon standouts Koleman Lind (UMM) and Konnor Jusczak (NCU); both 2020 graduates for Coach Allen.

12/10/21: @East Central

Boys basketball refocus and bring in a win over East Central

Sierra Kingen Publicnotices@pinecitymn.com

Pine City Boys Basketball traveled to East Central on Friday, Dec.10 for their first conference game of the year. Both the C-Squad and JV teams were able to earn wins on this night. The varsity team won a final score of 72-37.

Coach Kyle Allen explained that the first half of the game felt a bit off. “It felt like we were trying to go a little too fast, not allowing the game to come to us. This happens when you are a team that wants to play fast all the time,” he noted.

Coming into the second half, the boys re-focused and got everything back on track. “Part of that is we are still working on rotations and substitutions. We are constantly looking at matchups, lineups, and who gels with who,” Allen said. He described that they take risks and try new things at the beginning of the season so that by the end, they have a good feel of what helps the team play at optimum speed.

“East Central had one of the best teams in the state last year, but they graduated nine seniors. They have a nice mixture of youth and some upperclassmen who can carry the load. They are well coached and coached hard; they never give up or give in,” said Allen. 

When it came to the players, Allen remarked on Lamont Sydney and Riley Cummings. They came off the bench for the team and led them in rebounding with nine. They were accompanied by Dylan Peterson, Kameron Jusczak, and Luke Wilson who each at seven. Petersen and Colton Blaisdell each took a charge in the game. Wilson led us in assists with seven.

According to Allen, Dylan Peterson is a “do everything” kind of kid and watching him play basketball is special. 

Colton Blaisdell continued to be very consistent on both ends of the floor. 

After a sluggish start, Micah Overtoom gave some great hustle plays to the start of the second half.

Ashton Seals and Mason Charles’ energy was great; finding times where the team needed it most to be loud and energetic.

Looking forward to the year, Allen states that they are playing a lot of games on the road and against a lot of big and tough schools. The team faces off with St. Francis on Tuesday, Dec. 14, then to Spectrum High School on Friday, Dec. 17. Next week they will host North Branch, another school with a bigger enrollment. Over Christmas, the team will travel to Cloquet for their holiday tournament where they will take on Proctor and Cloquet.

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2Gaegs

Varsity: W: 72-37

JV: W

C-Squad: W