The match had some nice moments, but it seemed like both teams were aware of what the outcome was going to be and it just felt a little flat to me. After coming off an emotional victory against Luck the previous game and with some sick girls, the Pirates were able to win decisively.

Here's the match.

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Pirates win *audio and video*

2011 West Lakeland All-Conference

Post from: We are Grantsburg

Softball all-conference announced

They've not only done it, but they've done it BIG!

They've outscored their opponents 262-18…

Played a full game (7 innings) just once, the rest were 10-run rule games…

Shut out opponents 10 times…

Gave up just one run 4 times…

One of only four undefeated high school fastpitch teams in the state Wisconsin…

They have the highest team batting average (.462) in team history…

They have the most home runs (8) in team history…

They have four pitchers who have combined for the stats listed above (with some help from a very good defense)…

Kylie Pewe has a .643 batting average. .643! That's going to beat the all time team record set in 2010 (.610) by, um, her.

And they have the funkiest website in America…

They have accomplished this run with an unorthodox approach to pitching, if you've seen the games then you'll know what I'm talking about.

Are they a shoe-in for state? No. Do they have a chance? You better believe it!

As we learned last year, there are no "for sure's" in this game… except that girl from Arcadia was "for sure" out at home… but I digress….

Its another great season put out there by the Pirate gals and they're so much fun to watch… seems like they're always smiling and having fun and relaxed, but they do everything right… or at least the come close to doing everything right… not many strikeouts… lots of walks, hits, and putting the ball in play….

It seems like a lot of the competition has trouble with knowing where to throw the ball… situational stuff… not always an athletic problem… a thinking ahead problem Throwing the ball around and giving up extra bases because of that has not been an issue for Grantsburg.

What I'm getting at is there are some pretty fantastic coaches working with the team and it starts with Don Bjelland and Steve Johnson. They have a lot of differences, but they both know the game and have a knack for teaching it. Then it moves down to the "minor leagues" and those teams are staffed with coaches who care and are also knowledgeable in the basics and fundamentals of the game. It is truly a great system in Grantsburg with parents and coaches who really care a lot about this sport and the ones playing it.

Congratulations on a fantastic REGULAR season… *the real season starts now.

Juniors then… taken at the 2010 season banquet. Photo courtesy of Scott Hoffman.

Grantsburg seniors walk away from their home field after the last regular season game of their careers. Photo courtesy of Steve Johnson.

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Softball finishes* 18-0

They head to Sectionals tonight and play Mellen (who actually lost to South Shore last week, but South Shore had a scheduled band trip and had to forfeit the game to Mellen, thus Mellen advances to play Siren tonight).

If the Dragons win tonight and the Pirates lose, I'll be there for the Sectional Championship game in Spooner on Saturday to broadcast the game.

Go DRAGONS!!!

Post from: We are Grantsburg

Good luck to Siren, too

Thursday: Grantsburg (19-5) vs. Phillips (12-11) boys in Rice Lake 7pm

Friday: Spring Valley (2-21) @ Grantsburg (14-7) girls 7pm

Saturday: Grantsburg boys Sectional Final 1pm from Chippewa Falls

Saturday: Grantsburg Regional final in Osceola (or Siren in Spooner if the Pirate girls lose on Friday). This game has to potential to be Grantsburg vs. Webster if the Tigers can get by #1 seed Boyceville. Webster won in overtime in their game against Glenwood City on Tuesday night 62-56.

Boys

Division 3 Unity

Division 4 Grantsburg

Division 5 Luck

Girls

Division 3 nobody left for the West Lakeland. St. Croix Falls and Unity both lost on Tuesday

Division 4 Grantsburg and Webster

Division 5 Siren, Luck and Frederic

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Not counting chickens quite yet…

The Pirates will wait to play until Friday, March 4th as a benefit of receiving a first round bye while Webster will host #6 Boyceville on Tuesday, March 1st.

Webster had their conference championship hopes dashed when they lost to Luck last Friday (31-22). Coincidentally, that loss also eliminated Grantsburg from contention and Luck will be the top team in the West Lakeland again this year. The Pirates host Luck this week in what is now a fairly meaningless game (somewhat like your second semester as a senior).

In other news:

Unity received a number one seed in D3 while St. Croix Falls nabbed a #6 seeding.

Luck got a #1 seed, Siren received a #2 seed and Frederic secured the #3 seed. All three teams are in the same region! That's some West Lakeland power!

All told the West Lakeland had THREE number one seeds, a number two, two number three seeds and a number six. That's a total of three first round byes and six first game home games.

Nice year, boys!

D3 Bracket (Unity, SCF)

D4 Bracket (Grantsburg and Webster)

D5 Bracket (Luck, Siren, Frederic)

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Boys basketball brackets

I've noticed a lot of confidence building in the girls from the beginning of the year until now and with a tough schedule looming (their next two conference opponents are Siren then St. Croix), they'll need all of it, plus some.

But even if they can't pull an upset off during the next couple games one thing is for sure… Grantsburg is relevant again in the West Lakeland.

***

The boys had a very difficult time tonight and fell to the Luck Cardinals 55-63. It was Grantsburg's second conference loss of the season and the Luck win puts the Cardinals atop the West Lakeland with just one loss.

Here's audio of the game.

The Pirates kept it close and actually tied it up in the third quarter but were in such heavy foul trouble it was only a matter of time until the game was decided on the free throw line and when it came down to the end Luck wasn't brilliant from the line, but they did enough to secure the victory.

***

Grantsburg plays Siren next Tuesday and we'll have the doubleheader on 105.7 WXCX.

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Boys and girls split in Luck

Basketball season is well underway in the area and some interesting story lines are already developing in the West Lakeland.

Coming into the season on the boy's side I thought the top of the conference would be Luck and Grantsburg followed by Siren and Webster and I felt each of them had a legit shot at winning the conference. After a handful of conference games under their belts, it looks like I was mostly right. Webster has beaten Grantsburg, Siren has beaten Webster and Luck and Grantsburg have beaten Siren. And now you have to give Unity their props because they've beaten Luck and lost to Webster by two. Grantsburg beat them and they play Siren tomorrow night.

It's still anyone's conference.

The Siren girls have been dominant and have only one loss to conference foe, St. Croix Falls. It was a shocker to me that they lost, but talking to some others who know what SCF has, it shouldn't have been as big of an upset as I thought it was.

The Grantsburg girls have improved a lot this year compared to recent years and it looks like new head coach Adam Hale has brought some renewed energy to the team.

My next broadcast will be Friday, Jan 14 with Frederic hosting a doubleheader against Grantsburg. Tune into 105.7 WXCX for all the action.

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Basketball

So a good showing from the West Lakeland as they go 8-3 in the first round with a set record of 26-10 (if you take out the Clayton/Frederic tilt the set record is 23-7).

Siren, Shell Lake and Frederic have been eliminated.

results courtesy of WisSports.net

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How’d the rest of the conference do?

Barely anyone noticed as the Pirates (19-0, 8-0) guaranteed themselves another conference championship tonight as they defeated the Turtle Lake Lakers (15-9, 6-2… currently ranked #6 in division 4) 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-8).

With only two matches left the Pirates have a two game lead over Webster and Turtle Lake. With matches against Siren (5-8, 2-5) and Shell Lake (1-18, 0-7) coming up the Pirates are all but certain to win the conference outright. In essence their magic number is one (kinda).

It was another decisive victory over an opponent. The Pirates have played in 48 games this year. They have held their opponents under ten points on eighteen occasions, including all three games over Frederic (3-11, 0-8) last week.

Congratulations, Pirates on another conference championship!

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Grantsburg volleyball wins conference