Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year everyone! Well, 2016 was kind of a crazy year. Hopefully we can keep it up in 2017. Anarchy for all.

Here are some photos from Dec. 15-20.

Little Falls senior Wyatt Lillemoe wrestles in Foley, Dec. 15.

Josh Beack gets a hold of his opponents leg.

Flyers senior Lane Rutten takes down his Falcons foe.

Rutten takes a forehead full of mat.

Gabe Nagel wrestles at 126 pounds.

Nagel stares in at his opponent.

Pierz senior Thomas Funk watches after releasing a shot.

Pierz' Carson Huls wrestles against Big Lake, Dec. 20.

Jalen Jansen wrestles at 160 pounds.

Funk for three, Dec. 20.

Swanville sophomore Emily Beseman dribbles upcourt, Dec. 19, against Ogilvie.

Bulldogs sophomore Avery Jackson reaches for a rebound.

Swim in the Light

 As far as the combo rapper/R&B artists go, there is only one option opposite of Drake and that is Kid Cudi. He was doing it before Drake even, and he continues to do it well with his latest album "Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin.'" He has a slew of great guests including Andre Benjamin, Travis Scott, Willow Smith and Pharrell Williams. He is definitely still on top of his game. 

I am on to the the championship in only one of my fantasy leagues :( I am in the third place game and fifth place game in the two others. I ditched my fourth league (a dynasty league team that I co-owned) to take over another owners team in the same league. It will take some major rebuilding to be successful. 

I have a couple dozen photos from events from Dec. 8-13. Included: gymnastics, girls basketball and boys basketball. 

Flyers seventh grader Madeline Dehn competes in the balance beam against Sauk Rapids, Dec. 13.

Payton Kimman, a Flyers sophomore, finishes a maneuver on the beam.

Flyers junior Alexandra Becker with a stretch on the balance beam.

Flyers sophomore Gabby DeSmet-Bellefeuille shows off her strength in the balance beam.

Eighth grader Ashley Turkowski does her exit move off the balance beam.

DeSmet-Bellefeuille flips off the uneven bars.

Danielle Schirmer, a seventh grader, competes in JV uneven bars.

Upsala sophomore guard Jenna Ripplinger dribbles while being guarded by Swanville sophomore Mackenzie Feuling, Dec. 9 in Swanville.

Cardinals senior Katlin Welinski fires up a three pointer.

Ripplinger is called for a foul after contacting Bulldogs senior Sophie Larson.

Feuling (No. 12) double teams Upsala's Amber Biniek with teammate Emily Beseman (No. 10).

Upsala's Laura Lange grabs down a rebound as Swanville junior Brooklyn Thieschafer (No. 31) and Beseman chase toward her.

Biniek drives into the paint with Swanville senior Madison Beseman chasing her down.

Welinski soars for a rebound over Larson and Beseman (No. 22).

Royalton junior Brock Snyder follows through after a jumper against Pillager, Dec. 8.

Royals junior Riley Smieja fights for a rebound.

DeSmet-Bellefeuille lands after a flip run during the floor exercise.

Becker stretches out on the beam.

Dehn cartwheels along the balance beam.

Cardinals junior Stefani Pohlman launches a three.

Turkowski leans to hold her balance.

Beseman goes for the steal on Upsala senior Mia Roerick.

Dehn with a flip up and over on the vault competition.

I Can't Quit You Baby

It had been more than a decade since the Rolling Stones had released an album. That shouldn't be surprised since they are mostly corpses at this point, but they are still capable musicians apparently, as proven by their latest relsease "Blue and Lonesome." The album is a collection of blues songs and are pretty gosh darn good. My favorite features a lead guitar guest spot by Eric Clapton, "I Can't Quit You Baby." Keep rocking until you drop Stones.

Fantasy football was a bit of a downer this week. I was on bye in two leagues, having captured No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in a pair of leagues. In the other two, it was the final week of the regular season, and losses in each ended my playoff hopes. Here's to a championship run with my remaining two teams.

I have a couple dozen photos from some wrestling and basketball, Dec. 1-6.

Royalton-Upsala's Sam Costanzo wrestles at 113 pounds against Holdingford's Tate Lange, Dec. 1.

Pierz senior Lukas Otte throws a tough pass between the Flyers' Derek Poser (No. 34) and Brett Zawatzke, Dec. 2.

Junior Alec Lochner launches a three.

The Pioneers' Taryn Becker looks for a teammate to pass to in the first game of a girls/boys doubleheader against the Flyers, Dec. 2.

The Flyers' Kali Mammenga throws up a three points shot.

Pierz junior Brittney Boser wrangles up a loose ball.

Mammenga puts up a layup.

The Flyers' Rachel Tembreull stops and prepares to pass.

Mammenga defends against Pierz senior Tori Fleischhacker in the post.

Mammenga is sandwiched between Fleischhacker and Avy Lease.

Flyers senior Destiny Young boxes out Pierz' Malea Boser.

Pioneers junior Kelsi Stuckmayer goes up for two of her 35 points in the game.

I believe this is the Royals' Jackson Held and Holdingford's Blake Sigler.

The Huskers' James Welle puts a cross face on Royalton's Brady Conrad at 126.

Conrad attempts to escape from Welle.

Pierz senior Becca Athman goes in for a fast break layup in a win over Royalton, Dec. 6.

Pierz' Kacy Broschofsky tears a rebound away from Royalton's Morgan Wagner. 

Brittney Boser drives in past Jenna Carlson of Royalton.

Lease is tripped up after fighting for a loose ball.

Carlson fights with Stuckmayer for a loose ball and Macy Petron waits to pounce.

R-U's Lyle Zimmerman gets wrapped up by Pierz' Brandon Ortman.

Ortman takes Zimmerman down in the match, Dec. 6.

The Royals' Randale Fernelius tries to wriggle free from Pierz' Reese Kapsner.