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Noah Bjerke-Wieser posted his message on Facebook at 10:18 p.m. and the darn thing exploded. In 239 very well-written, very respectable words, he asked everyone to think about what they had been doing.

One thing is certain about the boys basketball team from Cherry High School: The Tigers aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this season. Last year, Cherry made headlines by advancing to the Class A state tournament for the first time in a quarter century.

Asked how it sounds to have his name and Bob McDonald’s in the same sentence, Mike Dreier said, “It doesn’t sound like they belong together. He was an icon.”

Dwight Lundeen started the Becker football team in 1970 and has never left. In his 53 years as head coach, Lundeen has amassed an overall record of 390-166-3 with three state championships, 19 section titles and 24 conference championships.

Time after time, game after game, coaches and athletes, winners and losers, expressed how much they appreciated each other and their shared experience.

Brett Carlson was truly a servant leader and individual who always put others first.

“It's a great life lesson to get knocked down and have to get back up and completely buy into something,”

“It's everything. It’s just so emotional. I'm just so happy. I run the weight room and I wake up with these guys every day and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been a journey and they finally got here.”

Watching the football team from Springfield High School play in the Class A state semifinals, as well as this weekend’s Prep Bowl, brought back memories. I have attended one Springfield home football game, but it was not played on the Tigers’ home field, which had been the victim of severe flooring.

Tackle Cancer began 10 years ago, and by the time all the participating high schools and colleges in Minnesota send in the funds they have collected this fall, the 2022 total will exceed $400,000. In the decade that Tackle Cancer has existed, nearly $3 million has been raised to fight cancer.

“These kids were going for the win. We didn't come here to tie, we didn't come here to lose, we came here to win the ballgame. And I have all the faith and confidence in these kids.”