PERHAM, Minn. -- It's the Highway 10 hierarchy: football in Detroit Lakes, wrestling in Frazee, baseball in Perham, each city bearing an athletic association as deep and clear as the lakes by which they are separated.
But tradition isn't in the water, it's in the sweat, and it's a responsibility not a right.
"They realized it doesn't come with the territory," Perham baseball coach Hans Hanson said. "You have to work."
The Yellowjackets did work, twice weekly for an hour at 6:30 a.m. beginning in January, and at 12:30 p.m. today at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud they will play in the Minnesota Class 2A state quarterfinals.
Talent was never a question, but things came too easily at first. Perham graduated the top 13 players from the 2001 section title team, allowing most of a vaunted sophomore class to leapfrog into key roles last spring. "Shell shocked," according to pitcher/first baseman Brandon Fritz, the 'Jackets started the 2002 season 3-8 and didn't win the Section 8 championship for the first time in three years.
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"We didn't realize how high the competition was coming to the varsity level," said Fritz, now a junior. "By the end of the year we started to get used to it."
There are 14 juniors, six learnedly verbose seniors and zero stars on the current Perham roster, though with an 8-0 record, 1.70 ERA and .453 batting average, Fritz is the closest thing. The group is well-rounded, hitting .372 with a 2.40 ERA, and Chicago-style pizza deep. Pete Guck, for example, 6-0 and conference MVP as a sophomore, has thrown only 30 innings as a junior.
And every Yellowjacket has two full seasons of experience.
"Our goal wasn't to get down there (to state)," said senior right fielder Adam Palan, dubbed Mr. Clutch Hitter by Hanson. "Not to be arrogant, but we thought like we should go down there. And we should do something there."
Not that anything will be easy. In six years under Hanson, Perham (22-2) has been to the state quarterfinals four times. It has drawn the eventual champion in each of the previous three. This time the opponent is No. 4-ranked LaCrescent, 23-3 after beating No. 1 Rochester Lourdes in the section finals.
It all starts with taking infield, Palan said; a crisp warmup sets the tone for a clean game.
"We have nice enthusiasm," he added. "We always have."
Ever since they were tikes, tagalongs who bonded during the games of older brothers.
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Now the tradition is theirs to uphold.
"They see the picture this season," Hanson said. "I have to kick them off the field. 'Roll the ball to yourself. I'm going home.'"
Readers can reach Forum reporter Terry Vandrovec at (701) 241-5548
