When keepin' the comments real goes wrong

The hatred of Dickinson Trinity athletics never seems to end. And it never ceases to amaze me.

As of 4 p.m. Saturday, our Region 7 boys basketball championship game story had generated 55 comments. And remember, Beulah won the game 52-51 on Casey Duppong’s last-second shot in one of the best high school basketball games I’ve seen in my four years covering sports at The Dickinson Press.

Still, the jokers came out of the woodwork to blast the Titans, Trinity staff members, the officials, the fans and the venue. Pretty much everybody they could think of EXCEPT the players and coaches.

Now, I condone the trolls for at least leaving the players and coaches that made this ‘instant classic’ game alone in their rants and raves. But they should be ashamed of themselves for the way they’ve gone back and forth with ridiculous one-upmanship and uneducated bashing of things they just don’t seem to understand.

So, I’ve decided to unwittingly join their little “debate” and try to explain a few things.

— Leave the venue alone. The fans in this area should feel lucky to have a basketball arena like Knights of Columbus Activities Center in which to watch games. I’ve covered basketball throughout the state, as have several people I’ve worked alongside, and they all say that Trinity’s gym may be the best high school basketball facility in the state when it comes to tournament time.
The weather outside was weird again the night of the championship, but people turned out in droves to watch this game. Why? It’s simple. Dickinson is centrally located and easily accessible by the entire populous of southwest North Dakota. Half of those kids from schools who aren’t playing aren’t going to that game if it’s in Beulah, Hazen or Bowman. As for the adults, they knew they were going to find a good seat to watch the game. It’s that easy for a lot of people.
Changing the venue of this region title game makes no sense unless the three-class system goes through. Then you might be able to get away with having tournaments at Dickinson State’s Scott Gymnasium or Dickinson High School if you want a neutral site. But, that costs bucks — especially renting out Scott Gym for three days.
If you want your schools to keep making money off this tournament, keep it at Trinity. If you want them to lose money, or you’d rather stay at home, feel free to move it to another site.
I just don’t hope the activities directors of area schools get swayed by people complaining about having the tournament at Knights of Columbus Activities Center to feel they have to move it somewhere else for a year. It makes no sense and the majority of people/fans could care less about it being on Trinity’s home floor.

— If kids want to make Facebook groups, let them. Those commenting on the kids who created the anti-Trinity fan club on Facebook were basically calling for the damnation of these kids’ souls. One person went as far as suggesting anyone associated with the group be tracked down and suspended from school for being associated with that kind of “harassment.”
To them I have three words: Freedom of Speech.
Remember that little thing called the First Amendment that also allows you the right to bash a bunch of high school kids for creating a Facebook group? It also gives these kids the right to do the exact same thing Duke fans do for North Carolina athletics. And kudos to the Trinity kids for making a Titan Pride group to combat it. That's the kind of stuff that makes rivalries and sports great and keeps it competitive. I remember being in those kids’ shoes once upon a time. Ninety percent of what they are doing is all in fun. Oh. and that “epic fail” sign the kids in the stands were holding up? Watch a college basketball game sometime. Or, for that matter, just Google it. If I was a player from Trinity and saw a Beulah fan holding that sign, I’d probably laugh and wonder why my student section didn’t think of it first. Believe me, I've seen and heard far worse from the stands when covering basketball championships in Minnesota. What we view as "bad sportsmanship" in the stands of high school games in North Dakota is pretty tame compared to other states, even our neighboring ones.
Also, Trinity has never cried over the fact that everyone seems to hate them. Titan teams have fed off it for years and have a couple state titles to prove it. State titles won in arenas where the only people cheering for them were wearing red.

— Trinity doesn’t recruit. Trinity doesn’t pay off officials. Trinity doesn’t set up fan sections to their advantage. Trinity doesn’t pay some obscene dollar amount so they get to host every region tournament. Oh and Trinity doesn’t do some magic voodoo spell on their opponents before games, just in case you were wondering.
In fact, if you want to talk fan sections, I overheard Thursday that Trinity head coach Gregg Grinsteinner made the suggestion to athletic director Rick Gordon that Beulah’s fans should sit behind their team, which also allowed the BHS student section sit closer to their team. That also worked out well so that neither Beulah nor Trinity student sections could interfere with their opponents during the second half when it came to free throws or things of that nature.

— People were complaining that the officials are from Dickinson. To them I say, “So. Where do you want them to come from?” Who do you think travels up to 100 miles during weeknights to ref games in small surrounding towns? Do you really think Region 7 is going to go out and pull officials from Bismarck-Mandan for this tournament? Not happening.
Especially during a night when every basketball venue in the state has games going on. Be appreciative of the guys who have the fortitude to put on the stripes and stand by themselves while 2,500 people watch their every step and wait for them to screw up, even though 99 percent of the time, they do their jobs well.

I never thought people would be this ridiculous about Trinity losing a region championship game. I just hope people realize how good of a game this was and be grateful that you were there to be a part of it.

Posted by: monke on 3.13.2010 at 5:06 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Tags: basketball, beulah miners, idiots, preps, region 7, titans

Duppong's buzzer-beater

It's late and I'm tired, but here's the video of the Casey Duppong buzzer-beater and the ensuing bedlam from Beulah's 52-51 win over Trinity duThursday night's Region 7 championship victory. (Sorry it's shaky and I can't help that referee Jim Glasser decided to step in front of me so he could better see the play). 

Posted by: monke on 3.12.2010 at 1:10 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: basketball, beulah miners, buzzer beaters, preps, region 7, titans

Something to look forward to

Well the weather outside is ... weather. In these gross weather times, it's difficult to think that we're only about a month or so away from hitting the links. I was messing around with golf course Web sites the other day, looking at fees and whatnot and decided to check on Bully Pulpit. What I found was a newly redesigned Web site for the Medora golf course that was desperately needed and really showcases just how nice the course is.

Click here to check it out. If you've never been to Bully Pulpit, take the course tour. You'll want to book a tee time as soon as you can. I know I do.

Posted by: monke on 3.11.2010 at 1:08 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: bully pulpit golf course, golf

4th Pound 'Em Pro fights have a name, date

Pound 'Em Productions promoter Mike Wilkinson posted on his Facebook wall today their next mixed martial arts fight card will be known as MayDay Mayhem and are scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, May 1 at the Dickinson Recreation Center. There is no fight card on their Web site yet.

Posted by: monke on 3.10.2010 at 9:30 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: mma, pound em pro

A couple of DSU recruiting items

Dickinson State women's basketball recruiting
I talked to DSU women's basketball coach Andre Goldberg today about his job being advertised in the classifieds section of The Dickinson Press. He and DSU athletic director Roger Ternes said because Goldberg was appointed to the position on an interim basis, the job legally had to be advertised and Goldberg has to apply to be hired as a full-time coach.

Anyway, during that conversation, Goldberg told me recruiting efforts are shaping up well. He has received verbal commitments from New England senior guard Jordyn Bender and Harding County (S.D.) senior forward Devan Koch.

Most of you know Bender, who'll likely be an all-state selection again this season after averaging 22 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 3 assists a game for the Tigers.

Koch (pronounced Cook) averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 steals a game for the Ranchers, who finished the season 14-6. She played big roles the previous two season when the team reached the South Dakota Class B state tournament. This year, they played in one of the tougher regions in their state and lost out early.

I also know that the Blue Hawks are pursuing Hazen forward and Region 7 senior athlete of the year Stef Bohrer and Killdeer forward Hailey Schaper. They like Schaper for both basketball and track.

Dickinson State men's basketball recruiting
People who are both Trinity and DSU fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Ty Orton confirmed Tuesday that Titans senior guard Robbie Morey has verbally committed to play for the Blue Hawks. Orton likes Morey at either guard position, but they'd love to groom him into a point guard since he doesn't mind behing unselfish with the basketball. DSU also needs a point guard who can play now and Orton and his staff believe Morey can come into the DAC and play immediately.

The Blue Hawks have also been paying very close attention to Bowman County swingman Brock Boos lately and are planning to bring him in for a tour of the campus and talk to him about playing after the season is over. Boos said the only other schools he's spoken with are Bismarck State and Mayville State. If you've read this blog before, you know that I'm pretty high on Boos. I just like the way he plays and after watching the DAC for the past four seasons, I honestly believe that with the right coaching, he can be shaped into an impact player in the league. 

Also on DSU's radar: Linton's Trent Roemmich, Kidder County's Adam Randall, a couple of the Bismarck Century seniors and a few South Dakota high schoolers. They don't start with the JuCo recruiting until the spring and summer. Remember, they didn't lock down both Matt Lee and Josh Henry until the summer.

Dickinson State football recruiting
The Blue Hawks will likely release a list of recruits sometime within the next week. Among the area players signing are Mott-Regent senior Luke Honeyman, who'll likely play defensive back for DSU, and Dickinson High running back Calen Beaudoin and receiver Lucas Lupo.

Posted by: monke on 3.10.2010 at 4:06 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink

Tags: basketball, blue hawks, college, dsu, recruiting

Midgets are going to miss Jung

Dickinson High is searching for a new girls basketball coach. First off, I want to give my two cents on the Greg Jung era. First of all, I want to prefice everything by saying I've known Greg a long time and I've known his family my entire life.

Unlike some people out there, I thought he did a good job with what he had to work with at Dickinson High. Coaching in the West Region is no easy gig and when he had the talent to win, he did. He may never have won the West or a state title (no easy thing coaching against guys like Greg Amundson or his ex-New England teammate Jim Jeske for many of those years), but he helped the Midgets accomplish a lot and helped prepare many girls for excellent college careers. I like how DHS athletic director Calvin Dean pointed out that Jung coached for 11 years -- also known as a lifetime in today's high school basketball world -- in Jason Adkins' story on Jung in Wednesday's Press story.

In the last couple years, Greg took -- and put up with -- a lot of crap from different sources. It doesn't take long for that to wear thin on a coach, especially if he isn't having a ton of success. Don't get me wrong, I think Dickinson has had the talent to do a little more in recent years but the West is a fickle beast and even if you've got the talent, it doesn't mean you're going to get to the state tournament. This year was a perfect example of that. Belcourt has a great season, gets upset in the first round by a hot team and then falls short of taking a well-deserved team to state.

With Jung and his assistant coach John Abrahamson both out, DHS may be in for a tough time trying to fill this position. You know they'd love to hire a female for the job since they don't currently have a female varsity head coach. There's a rumor of a couple people who I've heard DHS wouldn't mind applying but I won't mention names for the sake not contributing to rumors.

Next year, the Midgets return possible all-state forward Jess Herauf, point guard Brie Lynch and forward Leslie Beaudoin, who showed flashes of brilliance this season. It's a good core to start with, but there's not a lot of time for the new coach to "build" with Herauf and Lynch both being seniors.

I honestly think if the new coach is able to get the best out of the the afformentioned trio, the Midgets are a state tournament contender. Now, it's up to the DHS administration to find a coach who can click with those players and also has what it takes to continue building a program. There is talent coming up at Dickinson High, now it'll be up to a new coach to make things go well.

As for Greg Jung, it's good to see people giving him props on our Web site instead of tearing him down as has happened with so many other coach resignation stories we've published in the past. Also, I found out today that someone has built Jung a Facebook Fan Page if you'd care to join it. Several of his former players already have.

Posted by: monke on 3.10.2010 at 2:31 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: basketball, coaching, dickinson high, greg jung, midgets, preps

Somebody bring da Amber Lamps!!

Somebody should have brought the "Amber Lamps" after Duke's 70-52 win over the Tar Heels last week.

Posted by: monke on 3.10.2010 at 10:56 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: amber lamps, college basketball, duke, epic beard man, unc

Hank Biesiot has a Facebook fan page

I noticed about a week ago that someone made Dickinson State football coach Hank Biesiot a Facebook Fan Page. When I asked Hank about it, he laughed and said he had no idea, but jokingly blamed it one of his assistant coaches. I was pretty shocked Hank even know what Facebook was. But hey, times are a changin'.

Posted by: monke on 3.10.2010 at 1:39 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: blue hawks, college, football, hank biesiot

Trinity's O'Donnell signs with DSU

Dickinson State head volleyball coach Ryan Platt didn’t have to look far for his first recruit for the 2010 season.

On Monday, Platt announced the signing of Dickinson Trinity standout Danielle O’Donnell to a letter of intent.

As a senior, the 5-foot-10 O’Donnell played middle blocker for the Titans and was an all-Region 7 selection last season after totaling 315 kills, 60 blocks, 32 aces and 159 digs.

Platt said O’Donnell, the daughter of DSU wrestling and cross country head coach Thadd O’Donnell, will likely make the switch to setter in college and that it’s possible she will redshirt her freshman season as she adjusts to the new position.

Platt said he plans to announce more signings in the next few days.
 

Posted by: monke on 3.08.2010 at 3:22 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: blue hawks, college, danielle odonnell, recruiting, titans, volleyball

For Hanstad, missing state means missing out on a chance to showcase his skills

When the Dickinson High boys basketball team’s season ended in the West Region Tournament on Saturday, so did junior guard Joe Hanstad’s chances to perform in front of more big-time college coaches.

Before the West Region Tournament, Hanstad informed me that he had been told by at least a dozen college coaches that they would be watching him in person if the Midgets reached the Class A state tournament.

Though his numbers fell a little bit this year, Hanstad pushed his points per game average back up to 24.2 by season’s end and averaged around 7 rebounds a game.

His drop in points has not deterred scouts from pursuing him. For example, NDSU assistant David Richman was in Bismarck to watch the team’s consolation loser-out game against Jamestown on Friday.

NDSU is after Hanstad hard and I honestly believe they have a good shot at him, although he admits he’d like to go as big as possible.

South Dakota State as also reportedly joined NDSU and UND in offering Hanstad a scholarship. They were in Dickinson for the Bismarck High game during the regular season and appeared to walk away impressed despite Joe having sort of a down night.

Now, he’ll really need to play good in summer ball to increase his stature on a national scale.
He has been to Gonzaga and Minnesota on unofficial visits and said he’s still scratching his head as to which five schools to officially visit during the summer and fall. That, he says, will ultimately be determined by his summer and who comes courting the hardest.

Fast forward to 4:10 for the Joe Hanstad Highlight of the Year. He made a lot of great and crucial jumpers this year ... but they don't compare to his dunk against St. Mary's.

Posted by: monke on 3.07.2010 at 11:56 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink

Tags: basketball, joe hanstad, midgets, preps, recruiting