Henning guard Lee Bjorklund (2) held up the team's Class 1A state championship trophy for fans. Photo: Shari L. Gross ¥ shari.gross@startribune.com
A journey that began in tragedy two years ago ended Saturday in emotional triumph for the Henning boys’ basketball team.
The No. 7-ranked Hornets won the school’s first state championship in any sport with a 67-42 victory over No. 6 North Woods in the Class 1A finals Saturday at Target Center. It comes nearly two years after teammate Jacob Quam was killed in a car accident.
“I feel like it was fate,” Henning coach Randy Misegades said. “It felt like it was going to happen but when it comes to fruition, it is remarkable.”
Quam died April 13, 2017, when the vehicle he was driving was struck head-on by a semitrailer truck that crossed the centerline on Hwy. 210 in rural Otter Tail County. He would have been a senior starter/captain on this year’s squad.
“We had more to play for than just basketball,” Misegades said.
Henning, a town of about 800 people about 165 miles northwest of Minneapolis, was making its first state tournament appearance since back-to-back trips in 1965 and 1966.
“This is big for our community,” Misegades said.
Quam’s jersey, No. 33, occupied a vacant seat on the Henning bench throughout the season. Before leaving town the tournament, the team stopped to visit his gravesite. Henning won its semifinal game by 33 points, 67-34 over Spring Grove.
During the game Saturday, fans chanted “33, 33, 33.’’ At the awards ceremony, a championship medal was draped over the hangar carrying Quam’s jersey and team members paraded around with it and the team championship trophy.
Fate can go a long way. Henning is evident.
The No. 7-ranked Hornets won the school’s first state championship in any sport with a 67-42 triumph over No. 6 North Woods in the Class 1A finals Saturday at Target Center.
It comes nearly two years after teammate Jacob Quam was killed in a car accident.
Quam was killed on April 13, 2017, when the vehicle he was driving was struck head-on by a semitrailer truck that crossed the centerline on Hwy. 210 in rural Otter Tail County. He would have been a senior starter/captain on this year’s squad.
His jersey, No. 33, occupied a vacant seat on the Henning bench. Henning won its semifinal game by 33 points, 67-34 over Spring Grove.
Henning last played in the state tournament in 1966, losing to Edina in the semifinals when the competition was in one class.
In the finals, Henning came out and hit nine of its first 13 shots, sprinting to a 21-9 lead midway through the first half. Junior guard Parker Fraki was 5-for-7 from the floor, including three three-pointers, and scored all 13 of his points in the quick start.
The Hornets’ defense also knew were North Woods standout Cade Goggleye was every trip down the floor. The senior guard didn’t make his first basket, a deep three-pointer, until five minutes, 15 seconds remained in the first half. Henning countered with a layup seven seconds later. Goggleye was limited to five points on 2-for-13 shooting for the day.
Henning senior guard Sam Fisher had 14 of his game-high 22 points at halftime as the Hornets (31-1) carried a 36-17 lead into halftime. He finished two perfectly executed alley-oop passes from Fraki against the Grizzlies’ zone defense.
The Hornets maintained a 16- to 25-point cushion throughout the second half.
Junior forward Trevor Morrison paced the Grizzlies (29-3), who never led in the game, with 11 points.
For North Woods, it was an all too familiar ending to a successful season. It was the Grizzlies’ state record third consecutive runner-up finish in the state tournament. They fell to Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 59-55 last year and Minneapolis North 96-49 in 2017.
Check back later for more on the game.
Henning guard Parker Fraki (32) and North Woods guard Cade Goggleye (3) both fell to the court after a loose ball in the first half. Photo: Shari L. Gross • shari.gross@startribune.com