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Class 1A, No. 2 Sebeka sets standard

By Ron Haggstrom, 01/14/11, 2:42PM CST

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Squad had five 1,000-point scorers


Cody Pulju (3), John Clark (2), and Alex Brockpahler (4) are three of the five Sebeka players from last year's starting lineup to go over 1,000 career points. Star Tribune file photo

Most basketball pundits will agree that reaching 1,000 career points in high school isn’t as impressive as it was years ago. The addition of the three-point line, longer games and an expanded season has taken away from reaching the milestone.

But those factors still can’t take away from what a small town in northwestern Minnesota apparently has accomplished prior to any other school in the state. Sebeka will never be mentioned in state high school basketball lore with the likes of Edina in the 1960s, Minneapolis North in the 1990s or Minneapolis Henry and Hopkins in the past decade.

As a matter of fact, the Trojans didn’t make their first state tournament appearance until 2009. They followed it up by being the Class 1A state runner-up last season, losing to Minnesota Transitions 61-52 in the title tilt.

It’s that starting five that enters the record books. All five of the starters from that 2010 state tournament team have now scored over 1,000 career points.

Two starters — Joey Cuperus and Alex Brockpahler — had eclipsed the mark by the time they graduated last year. Cuperus finished with 1,802 points, while Brockpahler wound up with 1,137.

The other three starters — Cody Pulju, John Clark and Ryan Sharp — from that squad are seniors on this season’s unbeaten (7-0) squad. Pulju entered the season with 1,092 points, and Clark and Sharp reached the milestone this season. Clark went over 1,000 career points in the opening game of the season, while Sharp did so in the first game of the Sebeka holiday tournament.

That’s right, the entire starting five from one team accomplished the feat.

Oh, by the way, the Trojans’ coach is Jon Lillquist. He graduated from Sebeka in 1989.

Yes, you guessed it. He was a 1,000-point scorer during his playing days. Lillquist finished his prep career with 1,069 points.

So, there is still some merit in reaching the once-coveted milestone.
 

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