1/29/24: @LILA

Varsity: W (73-63)

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2NJd1V

JV: W

Boys basketball goes 1-3 on the week

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

The boys traveled north to play Duluth Marshall last Tuesday for a good match up. Coach Kyle Allen said Pine City had played there in the past but hasn’t for awhile. It was a good game for the boys to go to and learn and work on things. They later played Zimmerman and Lake International.  

Pine City 73, Lake International 63

The boys headed to Lake International to play on Monday night. The score was 73-63, Dragons took the win. They will then play Braham away on Thursday, February 1 at 7 p.m.

Dragon Boys Basketball takes a win on the road

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

The boys basketball team was able to grab another win this past week against Lakes International Language Academy in Forest Lake. 

Coach Kyle Allen commented on this being a new team for the Dragons to play, they first played them in summer league this past summer. “We were able to string things more together this game than we have been,” he said. “Great game play by both Austin Wiener and Matt Blake as they were our bottom guys on the defense side.”  

Wiener also pulled down nine rebounds, the high for the Dragons. “We need this from him (Austin),” stated Allen, “with his size and what he brings to the table. He had a solid game.” 

The game was a good game for the Dragon boys; they worked well together and the game looked smooth. They took the win, 73-62. 

The boys then headed over the neighboring school to play the Braham Bombers on Thursday, February 1. 

Allen felt the team competed a lot better this time around. The Dragons grabbed a few more rebounds, Wiener (9) and Sawyer McDaniel (8) as the 2 high numbers. 

The Dragons made a good run in the second half; there was a solid group on the floor with a good rhythm. Although the boys had good things happen this game, the Bombers shot really well, and the Dragons struggled to get their shooting percentage up. 

“Shooting will always be up and down,” Allen said. “We need to continue to focus on those foundational elements.” The Dragons fell to Braham, 71-52. 

The boys have a busy week on the road, they traveled to Mora on Monday, February 5. The score was 86-50 with a Dragon loss. They will then head over to St. Cloud Apollo on Tuesday and will finish out the week in Ogilvie on Friday, Feb. 9. 

@LILA Tickets

We are all set for our 5:30 PM Boys' JV Basketball, 7:00 PM Boys' Varsity Basketball games, at Lakes International Language Academy (LILA) on Monday, January 29, 2024! 

The address is 19850 Fenway Ave N, Forest Lake, MN 55025. Please remind parents/coaches/team that we have multiple campuses so make sure they type in the correct address for their GPS. Everyone will enter through the activities/athletics entrance (Door 7). 

Concessions will be open. 

We are using HomeTown Ticketing for our admission fees this year! Ticket prices will be $5 for adults and $3 for children (5 and under are free) with a $15 family max plus around a $1 transaction fee per ticket.

Tickets must be purchased using the HomeTown Ticketing App.  Scan the QR code or download their mobile app.  Be prepared and download the app to purchase your tickets prior to the event start to avoid delays at the entrance. 

Home Town Ticketing QR Code

1/26/24: 3rd Grade

At halftime of our game against Zimmerman, our 3rd graders entertained the crowd playing a few games!

1/26/24: Zimmerman

Varsity: L (81-51)

Highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/2/421951/65b6dee44dec891ba05c1654

JV: L

C-Squad: L

Boys basketball goes 1-3 on the week

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

The boys traveled north to play Duluth Marshall last Tuesday for a good match up. Coach Kyle Allen said Pine City had played there in the past but hasn’t for awhile. It was a good game for the boys to go to and learn and work on things. They later played Zimmerman and Lake International.  

Zimmerman 81, Pine City 51

The boys then played Zimmerman on Friday. Allen commented on how the boys seemed to come out “shell-shocked” again, and had a harder time recovering. The boys did rebound on the defensive end well in the first half. “We play these 3A schools as a challenge, to see where we stack up against a team like them. It’s a good learning block,” he said. Although the score again ended in a loss, the boys had things they improved on and learned from the Zimmerman game.  The score was 81-51.

1/25/24: JV/V @JH

On Thursday, the JV and Varsity showed up to support our current 7th and 8th graders at their game agaisnt Hinckley-Finlayson.

1/23/24: @Duluth Marshall

Varsity: L (79-67)

Highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/2/421951/65b4df49bd6abe10189a0ec6

JV: L

C-Squad: W

Boys basketball goes 1-3 on the week

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

The boys traveled north to play Duluth Marshall last Tuesday for a good match up. Coach Kyle Allen said Pine City had played there in the past but hasn’t for awhile. It was a good game for the boys to go to and learn and work on things. They later played Zimmerman and Lake International.  

Duluth Marshall 79, Pine City 67

Duluth Marshall has one exceptional athlete, Brooks Johnson, standing at 6 foot 5 inches with a very athletic build and movement. “We knew going in that it was going to be tough, and we would really have to control him,” commented coach Allen. The Dragons came out a bit “shell-shocked” and found themselves down by 16 points early on in the game. But they found their footing and played a much better game the rest of the time. However, due to playing catch up from the beginning of the game, the Dragons found themselves down by about 10 points at the end of the game. The final score was 79-67. 

Senior Matt Blake again showed his leadership on the court with eight rebounds. AJ Ostenson also played well in his role as the creator and setting the flow of the game. Coach Allen said, “We know AJ can do a good job in this role.”

1/24/24: Referendum Q&A

 

@Duluth Marshall: Tickets

Please find below the link to HomeTown Ticketing for you to share with your fans for our games on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. You are the first school we are trying online ticketing with, so we hope it goes well for your fans to either buy tickets in advance or at the door. Because it is our first time, we will also offer a cash option at the door just to make sure everyone who wants to see the game will be able to.

Please let me know one way or the other what your fans thought. 

Thank you! Kevin

https://events.ticketspicket.com/agency/2b639c89-aff3-4902-b321-4ea9c7bbba10/events/83fa11f4-ad51-4c3f-a11c-9bd8d9865e23

1/18/24: Hinckley-Finlayson

Dragon Boys Basketball gets another win

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

The Dragon Boys Basketball team got another win this past week against the Mille Lacs Raiders on Tuesday, January 16. Coach Kyle Allen said it was a good game for the boys, and they had good focus. “We came out a little sluggish, then got into a nice little rhythm. We showed that we can do good things in spurts, in sections. And we had individuals who have experienced success.” 

At half time, the Dragons were up by 10 points, and they kept their lead until the end of the game and won 63-53. Coach Allen praised the effort and leadership of senior Matthew Blake. “Matty had a great game,” he said. “He works his tail off and does what we ask. He is our only senior and takes a lot on as our leader.”

The boys then hosted Hinckley on January 18. The coaches and boys both knew it would be a harder game than Tuesday’s as Hinckley is a well coached team. At half time, it was a three-point game. “They (Hinckley) came out the second half and hit us hard, and we couldn’t recover,” commented Allen. “The stats show our rebounding in the first half was great, but the second wasn’t. We are continuing to build positiveness in our program.” 

Freshman Grant Larson saw court time again and is getting stronger as a varsity player. Coach Allen commented on the comradery of the team which is getting better and stronger each week. “It’s exciting to see growth and progress, even if it doesn’t always show in the score.” The final score of the game was 63-56, with a Dragon loss.

The boys will play Duluth Marshall on Tuesday, January 23 and then Zimmerman on Friday, January 26.

Varsity: L (56-63)

Highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/2/421951/65acc91e5b3d3c0bf0a5a04d

JV: L

C-Squad: W

Special shoutout to the wrestling and hockey teams for coming out and supporting us tonight!  Was great to have you in the crowd!!!

1/16/24: @Mille Lacs

Varsity: W (63-53)

Highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/2/421951/65aa7cdd9a9b9405b4ca71d7

JV: L

C-Squad: W

Dragon Boys Basketball gets another win

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

The Dragon Boys Basketball team got another win this past week against the Mille Lacs Raiders on Tuesday, January 16. Coach Kyle Allen said it was a good game for the boys, and they had good focus. “We came out a little sluggish, then got into a nice little rhythm. We showed that we can do good things in spurts, in sections. And we had individuals who have experienced success.” 

At half time, the Dragons were up by 10 points, and they kept their lead until the end of the game and won 63-53. Coach Allen praised the effort and leadership of senior Matthew Blake. “Matty had a great game,” he said. “He works his tail off and does what we ask. He is our only senior and takes a lot on as our leader.”

The boys then hosted Hinckley on January 18. The coaches and boys both knew it would be a harder game than Tuesday’s as Hinckley is a well coached team. At half time, it was a three-point game. “They (Hinckley) came out the second half and hit us hard, and we couldn’t recover,” commented Allen. “The stats show our rebounding in the first half was great, but the second wasn’t. We are continuing to build positiveness in our program.” 

Freshman Grant Larson saw court time again and is getting stronger as a varsity player. Coach Allen commented on the comradery of the team which is getting better and stronger each week. “It’s exciting to see growth and progress, even if it doesn’t always show in the score.” The final score of the game was 63-56, with a Dragon loss.

The boys will play Duluth Marshall on Tuesday, January 23 and then Zimmerman on Friday, January 26.

1/12/24: @East Central

Varsity: L (89-53)

Highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/2/421951/65a3b9092347fc048c980443

JV: L

C-Squad: L

Dragon Boys Basketball takes tough loss in overtime

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

East Central 89, Pine City 53

The East Central game was going to be a tough opponent; the Dragons already knew this. The coaches knew they were a well-coached team. Although the scoreboard wasn’t great to look at toward the end of the game, Coach Allen was pleased that the boys still “went out and competed.” Austin Wiener and Sawyer McDaniel both had good rebounds. AJ Ostenson had four assists. Grant Larson, a ninth grader, played some good minutes. Allen said Larson is doing well and he is excited for his growth as Larson moves forward. Senior Matthew Blake had an awesome six deflects playing against East Central’s biggest guy. “Matthew showed a lot of grit and effort,” said Allen. “Now, moving forward, its about consistency.” The final score was 89-53 with a Dragon loss.

The boys will play away against Mille Lacs on Tuesday, January 16 and will then host Hinckley on Thursday, January 18 at 7 p.m.

1/11/24: Basketball @Hockey

On Thursday, members of the Pine City Boys Basketball teams gathered and attended the home boys hockey game to cheer on the Dragons!

Photo Credit: Four Seasons Photography

1/9/24: @Rush City

Varsity: L 81-84 (OT)

Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2N3diC

JV: L

C-Squad: W

Dragon Boys Basketball takes tough loss in overtime

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

The Dragon Boys basketball team played their best game of the season on Tuesday, January 9 against neighbor school Rush City, and it was a game to be at!  

Rush City 84, Pine City 81

The Dragons came out and played; they shot, they pushed, they hustled. But the outcome was not what they hoped for.  At half time, they had the lead 40-35, and they kept that lead most of the second half. With a minute left in the game, the Dragons were up by four points, and just that fast, the Rush City Tigers tied the game, resulting in overtime. 

Overtime did not go as well as the first half of the game, and the Dragon found themselves out of time and down three points at the end of the game – consequently losing 84-81. Coach Kyle Allen said he was pleased with the huge improvement during the game.  “During 80% of this game, I thought we were the better team,” he said. “We played really well; we just lacked that varsity level experience of closing a varsity game, and we definitely let this one slip away.”

Allen commented on a few standout players, one of them being Junior Bryer Willert. “Bryer had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.  That is phenomenal! He understands what we’re asking of him and the team and he’s having lots of individual success.”

1/6/24: Youth Camp

 

1/4/24: Braham

Varsity: L (79-60)

Highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/2/421951/6597c8d94decd80db464ad01
JV: W

C-Squad: W

Dragon Boys Basketball continues to renovate program

By Heidi Burger Pine City Pioneer

The boys basketball team fell to conference opponent Braham on Thursday at home. The start of the game looked good for the boys, but they ended up falling short on the scoreboard 77-60.  Coach Kyle Allen continues to look at the positives, and he commented that in this game there were many good things that happened on the court, even if the score wasn’t in the Dragon’s favor. 

 

“Lots of improvement in this game. We are fixing the crack in the foundation, and we are finding the positives as we move forward. As we are renovating the program as a team, we’re aware that it's going to be a process. We’ve been very purposeful in building our foundation first,” he said. 

 

Allen reported on how the team did well against the Braham zone press, as well as their 1-3-1.  The Dragons also did better putting up shots. “Willert led with 9 rebounds and also had 5 assists, that’s great!” said Coach Allen. “Sawyer McDaniel, Jace Peterson, and Eli Fromm all had nice games; Charlie Ausmus is a hustle kid that goes out and does what is needed for the team.”

 

The boys continue to work hard and work on the process at practice each day. Allen summed up by saying, “We’re not going to sacrifice today for tomorrow, so we are building it correctly today so that the sustainability will be there moving forward.”

 

The Dragon boys will play two games this week on the road. Tuesday is against Rush City at 7 p.m. and Friday against East Central at 7 p.m.

Go4TheGoal: 2023-24

Pine City has once again teamed up with Braham for Go4TheGoal; wearing gold laces between their two games this year!

Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=T9V55T6MEM3NY&ssrt=1704478747447

Our Mission

Our unwavering mission is to improve the lives of children battling cancer by providing financial support, developing and implementing unique hospital programs, funding innovative research, and granting personal wishes. Through our first hand experience with pediatric cancer and our medical background, Go4theGoal provides the best practices to patients, their families, and the hospitals and staff that care for them.

Our Beginnings

Go4theGoal was founded in 2006 only weeks after Richard Stefanacci was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. After a yearlong battle, Richard lost his fight with cancer just a few months shy of his 15th birthday.

Though Richard lost his battle, Go4theGoal’s determination to continue our mission remained and was only strengthened when his cousin Blake was diagnosed with another rare cancer, Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, on March 11, 2010. Blake bravely fought her cancer and is now a thriving survivor!

Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer® started in 2011 in answer to requests from youth soccer teams in New Jersey that wanted to show their commitment to the fight against pediatric cancer.  Today, teams across the country representing every sport from youth to professional have Laced Up in Go4theGoal’s GOLD laces.

12/30/23: Alumni Game

We had 24 alumni show up to take part in the annual alumni game this year!

Always great to share the court and a meal with our aluni!

Rough and tumble alumni game

• T.A. LeBrun | Pine City Pioneer

Pine City High School Boys Basketbal coach, Kyle Allen, held his annual alumni game on Saturday. Recently graduated and not so recently graduated came out for the event, along with several spectators.