Scott Middleton had a secret. It was delicious and improbable, and made him downright giddy.
"I was on cloud nine trying to hold it in at school," he said with a giggle.
The reason for the childlike euphoria? Middleton, the Moorhead High girls soccer coach, learned this week that his squad had been named the No. 1 seed for the Class 2A, Section 8 playoffs and would receive a
first-round bye.
He couldn't wait to tell his team, which started the season 1-4 and almost beyond repair, the news.
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This wasn't a surprise, it was a coup.
"It just makes you feel so good for the players, because they've worked so hard," he said. "They could have just thrown in the towel and just said, 'We're no good,' but they've worked really hard at practice and had a great attitude all year."
The Spuds (9-7) earned top billing thanks to a 7-1 record against section competition, and narrow defeats against No. 9-ranked Osseo and No. 10 Eden Prairie.
But they got to this point due to a gradual melding of an assortment of players from four different classes.
Junior Danielle Enervold
(13 points) and senior Laura Peterson (10 points) lead the way offensively, but the emergence of converted keeper Molly Smemo has keyed the feel-good turnaround. She's 6-1 as a starter.
"She was one of my junior midfielders and didn't really want to play goalkeeper ... I just said that we needed to give this a try," said Middleton, whose team will host a section semifinal Tuesday. "Luckily, she's a great athlete and a good person and a good leader and she was willing to do that for the team."
Spuds win one for Minnesota
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It was just one night in one sport, but it did, and should, open eyes.
In the first marquee meeting between area intrastate volleyball teams, Moorhead beat Fargo South 3-1 Tuesday.
That's right, the sub.-500 Spuds (8-9) got the best of the previously unbeaten Bruins (16-1).
Call it a testament to the strength and parity among Minnesota schools.
"They were very fired up to play and show them that even though our record doesn't show it we're playing tough competition," said Moorhead coach Char Lien, whose Spuds, along with the top-ranked teams in each of Minnesota's three classes, will enter the Alexandria Invitational this weekend.
"It's paying off for us."
Something else
Moorhead's Chuck Gulsvig was named Class 4A boys coach of the year for 2001-02 by the Minnesota State Basketball Coaches Association. ... The Perham boys ended Warroad's 12-year run as Heart O' Lakes cross country champions by winning Monday's conference meet with 47 points. The Warriors were second with 53. Pelican Rapids, meanwhile, won its second consecutive girls HOL title. ... Like its football team, Ulen-Hitterdal is enjoying a banner season in volleyball. The Spartans are 17-3-1 and have been in and out of the Class 1A poll throughout the season.
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Readers can reach Terry Vandrovec at (701) 241-5548 or tvandrovec@forumcomm.com
