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Boys' basketball team will return to action without its coach
Sports Writer The Crosby-Ironton Rangers boys' basketball team decided for itself what it will do for this week's West Subsection 7, Class 2A tournament.
The top-seeded Rangers will play even if the teachers' strike, which enters its 21st day Tuesday, is not settled.
Senior co-captain Matt Brady said Monday the team took a vote Thursday and decided to play.
"It was tough knowing that we might not have our coach, but everyone really wanted to play," said Brady. "We have a lot of seniors on the team this year and we really wanted to play."
Brady is one of eight seniors on the 15-11 Rangers, who will play eighth-seeded Blackduck at Greenway 7:45 p.m. Thursday. Blackduck is winless in 20 games.
Bryce Tesdahl is the only player who will not play. Both of the starting freshman forward's parents are teachers. His father, Neil, also is the varsity assistant coach.
"It was my own decision," said Tesdahl, a first-year starter. "I thought this whole season that I wasn't going to play for anyone else but the two coaches that we started with, Dave Galovich and my dad. I based it on that.
"My dad said it was my own decision and he wasn't going to tell me what to do. I just made my own decision. Hopefully, this whole thing will get done by Thursday."
Tesdahl is still practicing with the team in hopes the strike will be settled.
"I understand why my teammates want to play because they're mostly all seniors," said Tesdahl. "I can't blame them."
Ben Hoge's father, Paul, also is an assistant coach, but not a teacher. The senior guard will play.
"We all got together and talked about what we wanted to do as a team," said Ben Hoge. "I believe it is important that we get out there and play our last game. I would rather play it than forfeit it."
C-I was 15-5 before the strike was announced. The Rangers had successfully wrapped up the top seed in the subsection before the strike.
C-I has not played since Feb. 8 when the Rangers defeated Proctor 53-40.
The team practiced Monday at Westside Baptist Church in Aitkin. They will practice Tuesday at the Crosslake Community Center.
Hoge said he and teammates aren't worried about not being in game shape.
"We rely on ourselves to do our own running," said Hoge. "In practice we're doing our plays and doing the basics to stay in good shape for the game."
Brady said the decision to play was made easier because of the girls' basketball team's situation. The C-I girls were given a deadline of 3 p.m. Feb. 24, the day they were supposed to play their opening-round game against fourth-seeded Blackduck. The deadline passed with the strike still on and the girls forfeited the game, ending their season.
The girls could have played, but wanted the blessing of striking teachers.
"They were disappointed that they didn't play, they really wanted us to and we wanted to," said Brady. "We just voted and everybody decided they wanted to. We don't want to play without our coach, but if it isn't settled by Thursday we hope he can come back to coach us if we win our first couple of games."
JEREMY MILLSOP can be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.
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