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Sports from the week of March 8, 2000Headlight Herald - Serving Tracy, Minnesota, since 1880

 

Jackson eliminates T-M boys

The Panther boys' basketball team saw their season ended Saturday in the Section 3AA Tournament, with a 63-59 loss to Jackson County Central at Worthington.

The team finished with a 9-14 season record and were 6-8 in the tough 212 Conference for a fifth place finish.

The Panthers lost four games in a row since they played their best basketball of the season while beating 212 Conference champion Belview-Danube-Renville-Sacred Heart at Tracy Feb. 18. However, the team played well against Jackson County Central , similar to the type of game they played against the Jaguars. Without a decrease in their intensity in the early minutes of the third quarter they could very well have beaten the Huskies . The Panthers also hurt themselves with poor passing, especially in the first half.

The game closed out the prep cage careers of seniors Chris Gervais, John Rialson, Coquyt, Goltz and Rialson.


Winning smiles

A Tracy Community Education sixth grade girls' basketball team was all smiles after winning a sixth grade tournament at Canby, February 26. Pictured are: (front row from left) Manager Aric Carpenter, Angie Towne, Jessie Coulter, Ashley Carpenter, Suzanne Knott. Back row: Coach Jeff Carpenter, Cassie Willard, Amber Gooden, Jackie Coulter, Sara Fritz, Emily Miller. The other community ed team of fourth and fifth graders placed third in the same tournament.


Defensive specialist becomes hoop offensive threat too

This was Melissa Sweetman's last season with the Panther basketball ream. She has been a steady contributor since ninth grade to the team's success on the hardwood court. Melissa was mostly a defensive specialist during her early years on the team but this season she made a big contribution on offense as well.

"We have been depending on Melissa to show the way on our pressure defense for a good many years," said Panther Coach Paul Soupir. "She has always played the game hard and with a lot of enthusiasm."

Melissa usually drew the defensive assignment of guarding the opposition's best ball handler and has contributed more than her share of steals to the team's defensive pressure scheme. In Panther girls basketball the defense frequently puts more points on the board than the team does on half-court offense.