REFLECTIONS

IT’S TRUE!

HEARTS STILL FLUTTERING AFTER 61-59 COMEBACK WIN

THE BLOOMING PRAIRIE  BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM IS ON FIRE

Team excitement abounds as the Blooming Prairie boys basketball team finds a new home in the new gymnasium. All is well in Blossom town!

The state tournament run begins Thursday, Feb. 29, at home in the Awesome Blossoms’ new gym. Four wins will put the Awesome Blossoms in the state tournament for a third time.

The Awesome Blossoms have loved their new home, which features a brand new look with larger gymnasium ancillary facilities and two modern scoreboards that not only record the score but place the player’s number in flashing lights after a score is made.

I’m an old-timer but not in the sense that I know all the analytics associated with Blooming Prairie boys and girls basketball.

Let’s talk Blooming Prairie boys basketball for this column.

I’m sure there are some games that loyal fans will never forget. It should be a given that the BP boys teams that went to the state tournament in 1966 and 2019-20 are on that list. The virus wiped out the 2020 trip to the state tourney. 

In all my years covering Minnesota sports, I have never witnessed such an amazing comeback as the Blooming Prairie boys fashioned on Saturday night, Feb. 24, in the new Blossoms gym. The Awesome Blossoms scratched, clawed, and played the best defensive play a team could muster.

Hats off to coaches Cameron Rutledge, Andrew Hardecopf, Kobe Foster, and John Bruns.

Kudos go to the players, to the students and staff, and most importantly to the loyal fans. Again, Blooming Prairie has been put on the map.

I would like to give you a snapshot of the highlights of last Saturday’s Gopher Conference championship game between the BP Blossoms and the Janesville-Waldorf Pemberton.

Thrilling highlights

Blooming Prairie made the first basket of the game. The lead then traded hands until Janesville pulled away and led by 11 at halftime.

Janesville expanded its lead to 16 with 8 minutes left in the game.

Fast forward to the winning bucket. With 2.5 seconds put on the clock by the officials, Brady popped a 10-foot jump shot to put the Blossoms ahead, 61-59. Janesville tried a desperation shot and saw it go awry.

It was celebration time with the presentation of the Gopher Conference trophy. A tall ladder was brought out, which allowed coaches and players to get part of the net. Coach Cameron Rutledge was one of the first to snip a piece of the net.

Roger Hein, father of twin towers Gabe and Zach Hein, put the Blossom games on Facebook all season.

Good luck Awesome Blossoms Thursday night in round one of the Section 1 tournament.