Osseo-Fairchild unbeaten at holiday break, Augusta gets first win

The opponents lined-up and Osseo-Fairchild kept knocking them down last week.

The Thunder improved to 8-0 overall, 7-0 in the Large Dairyland Conference and well ahead of the second place team in the league (Independence/Gilmanton at 3-4) with a pair of victories last week.

O-F walloped Alma/Pepin 91-55 on Tuesday. Dec. 17 at Alma. O-F played in its closest game in league play so far but still were able to edge Whitehall at home 57-51 on Friday. Dec. 20 in a doubleheader with the girls' varsity team who also played the Norse.

The Thunder can really set itself up to take control of the Large Dairyland in the month of January. The game with Whitehall was the first in a long homestand that finds OFHS playing seven of its next eight games at home. Next up for the Thunder is a non-conference contest with Mondovi next week Thursday, Jan. 2 followed 24 hours later by a home game against Eleva-Strum.

E-S was foiled in its attempts to get its first win of the season last week Friday, Dec. 20 in a doubleheader contest with the girls' varsity at Augusta. The Beavers, 1-6 overall, were able to secure win one for themselves 77-75 rallying from a halftime deficit. AHS's Bryce Buttke has emerged as one of his team and the Large Dairyland's leading scorers as he had a game-best and season-best 33 points with teammate Owen Lee also in double figures with 16 points and Beau Harmer, back in the Augusta line-up from a leg injury, scoring 10 points and Noah Schroeder scored eight. Harmer had a double-double in his first contest back as he grabbed a game-best 12 rebounds. In fact, AHS overcome an ice cold 1-for-17 showing behind the three-point line as they out-rebounded the Cards 47-31 and notched many second-chance points.

Augusta has a good shot of getting its second win next week Monday, Dec. 30 at home in a non-conference game vs. Colfax.

Calvin Barneson had 20 points for E-S and teammates Ty Fjelstad scored 12 points and Brody Hanson had 10 in defeat against the Beavers. Hanson also had a game-best five assists. The Cardinal dropped another close league contest last week Tuesday, Dec. 17 vs. Independence/Gilmanton at Gilmanton by a 68-60 score. The Cards will try for win one all the way in Minneapolis at the Target Center on Saturday, Dec. 28 as they take on Houston, Minn. in a non-conference contest.