Minneapolis DeLaSalle Makes History

It's never happened before. The Minneapolis DeLaSalle Islanders won their fifth straight state title Saturday evening in a 79-65 win over Fergus Falls.

Islander head coach Dave Thorson also collected his 500th career victory with the accomplishment.

DeLaSalle had just one returning starter from last year's squad and the win prompted many along press row to wonder if they should bump up a class after a half-decade of dominance in Class 3A.

The Islanders led the Otters 37-25 at the half.

DeLasalle had a 22-10 advantage in points off turnovers but finished the game with fewer field goals than Fergus Falls. The difference in the game was the 20-1 advantage at the free throw line. The Islanders were 20 of 29 and Otters 1 of 3 in the game.

DeLasalle could be back again next year because they started two sophomores and a junior, and the junior (Goanar Mar) is listed as one of the top 150 junior recruits in the country.

After the game, coach Thorson raced over to his senior point guard Samm Jones and gave him a huge embrace. The Islanders head coach called him the leader of his team and said the young man was brilliant. Jones has a 4.2 grade point average and scored a 32 on his ACT.

Jones was chosen for the All-Tournament team along with Goanar Mar and Gabe Kalscheur. Fergus Falls had Nathan Rund, Harrison Christensen and Matthew Monke chosen.

Monke has a Faribault connection. His father, Dean, was the Faribault Junior High principal for a number of years and is now the Fergus Falls High School principal.

Red Wing won the third-place trophy and individual medals and placed Travis Toivonen, Joe Sevlie and Ben Munson on the All-Tournament team.