Chuck Fitzer
Recent Stories
Sports
Chisago Lakes bests Mankato West, crowned Scarlet Invite champions
The Wildcats won all three of their games at the Wiest Mankato Scarlet Invitational last Saturday at Caswell Park in North Mankato to claim the tournament championship.
Sports
Hunters chase down Wildcats
The Duluth Denfeld Hunters broke open a close game with six runs in the bottom of the fifth and beat the Wildcats 8-2 Friday, April 18 at historic Wade Stadium in Duluth. Zander Bleymeyer started and took the loss for the Wildcats.
Sports
Offensive explosion gives ‘Cats convincing 10-3 win over North Branch that moved them to 6-1
Jess Dittel went 4-for-5, scored four runs, drove in two and stole three bases from her spot at the top of the order to lead the Chisago Lakes Wildcats to a 10-3 win over the North Branch Vikings at North Branch High School. The Wildcats, who pounded out 18 hits, scored in every inning but the first, and put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh inning. Makenna Thorsen went the first six innings to pick up the win. She allowed three runs – two earned – on six hits, walked one and struck out two. Anna Zaruba saw her first action as a pitcher this season, pitching a scoreless bottom of the seventh inning. Alyssa Rediske went all the way for the Vikings and took the loss.
Sports
After a tight start to the game, Chisago Lakes ran away with an 8-3 win over North Branch
Trailing 3-1 after four innings, the Chisago Lakes Wildcat baseball team scored seven runs in the final three innings to beat the North Branch Vikings 8-3 on Tuesday, April 15 at North Branch High School. Lucas Weinzetl started and picked up the win for the Wildcats, allowing three runs – two earned – on four hits. He walked seven and struck out seven. Lucas Goggin started for the Vikings. Ethan Thorsen pitched just 2/3 of an inning but took the loss for the Vikings.
Sports
Trio of former CL teammates thriving on college hockey’s biggest stage
In 2021, senior Jenna Lawry and juniors Dani Burgen and Dani Brunette led the Wildcat girls’ hockey team to its highest finish ever. The Wildcats beat Mound-Westonka 4-3 in the opening round of the state tournament and lost 6-0 to Gentry Academy in the semifinals. The third-place game was not played that year due to pandemic-related restrictions. Lawry graduated and went to Division 1 University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) in the fall of 2021. The three players were reunited when Burgen and Brunette followed Lawry to UMD the next year.
NEWS
Franconia Township notes...
The Franconia town meeting was held at the Franconia Town Hall March 11. Highlights included updates on several road projects to take place over the next three years, including the roundabout at Highways 243 and 95, the road rebuild on 240th Street (the border between Franconia Township and the City of Scandia), the replacement of the bridge between Franconia Township and Osceola, and the relocation of the intersection of Highway 95 and Pleasant Valley Road (CR 26).
Sports
Logan Bender crowned heavyweight champ again
Senior Logan Bender had a scary medical incident near the end of the first period of his championship match at last Saturday’s state championship match against senior Samuel Winkels of Austin but recovered and went on to beat Winkels 5-1 to claim the Class AA state title at 285 pounds for the second year in a row. Bender is only the third Wildcat wrestler to win a state title, and he is the first one to win two state titles. Seniors Connor Frederixon and Conner Aspenson both lost the two matches they wrestled in the tournament and did not place.
Sports
Chisago Lakes wins instant classic over Princeton; earns top seed in section
Junior Jacob Kletti’s laser beam from 40 feet out into the top right corner of the net with 1:09 left in overtime gave the Wildcats a 5-4 win over the Princeton Tigers in the Wildcats’ final home game of the 2024-2025 season. An aside –this reporter has watched hundreds of high school hockey games over the past 20-plus years, and this is one of the most exciting and most entertaining games I have ever seen. There was end-to-end action the entire game, nearly 100 combined shots on goal, great saves by both goalies. For Wildcat fans who were lucky enough to be there, a fantastic way to end the home season with a comeback win as the Wildcats head for the section playoffs.
Sports
CL wins one before bowing out to Simley
The eighth-seeded Wildcat wrestling team defeated the ninth-seeded St. Paul Humboldt-Open World Learning 39-30 in the opening round of the Section 4AA Team tournament on Saturday, February 15 at Mahtomedi High School.
Sports