Bluejays look to avenge gridiron loss to NDSCS in MCAC semifinal Sunday

Minnesota West will look to avenge a loss to North Dakota State College of Science earlier this season when it travels to play the Wildcats on Sunday in an MCAC football semifinal matchup.

The Bluejays, who have a record of 5-3 on the season and are ranked fourth in the latest NJCAA Division 3 poll, faced NDSCS on Sept. 13 and were beaten 38-20 at Trojan Field. Minnesota West committed seven turnovers in that game.

In their quarterfinal game this past Sunday against Minnesota State-Fergus Falls, the Bluejays won in a 63-7 rout. Armon Vinson passed for 282 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions and added 63 yards rushing with a TD. Jaylen Neely led the Minnesota West ground game with eight carries for 93 yards and two scores, and four different players — Talik Brooks, Kevaunte Vignaude, Jaiden Proctor and Dontrell Harris — each had TD catches. Defensively, Tyreese Thames Jr. had a team-best seven total tackles and Stephen Tolliver added six.

NDSCS, 8-1 and ranked No. 2 in Division 3, pounded Minnesota North-Vermilion 59-0 this past Sunday. Sophomore quarterback Jacob Mattick has passed for 18 TDs this season and has been picked off just four times. Sophomore Michael Douglas Jr. has 796 rushing yards on only 100 carries, and freshman Tellise Clark has run for 637 yards on 84 carries. Sophomore Trevon Rodriguez has caught 11 touchdown passes and sophomore Ishmael Emmanuel-Holloway has caught nine. Freshman linebacker Michael Woods tops the team in tackles.

Kickoff time Sunday in Wahpeton, N.D. is 1:30 p.m.

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In the South Subsection 3AA volleyball championship match Thursday night in Springfield, Jackson County Central topped Windom 3-0. Game scores were 25-20, 25-21, 25-21.

The Huskies advanced to the sectional finals for the 12^th time in school history and will meet North Subsection champion New London-Spicer, which edged Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 3-2 in Willmar to move on.  The JCC vs. New London-Spicer match is set for 5 p.m. Saturday at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall; the winner goes to state.

In the Section 3A South Subsection volleyball finals Thursday, top-seeded Russell-Tyler-Ruthton — the third-ranked team in the state — faced No. 2 seed Westbrook-Walnut Grove, and the Knights beat the Chargers 3-0. Game scores were 25-17, 25-21, 25-21.

It was the second year in a row that R-T-R knocked off W-WG in the South Subsection final. The Knights will now meet second-ranked Minneota, which topped ninth-ranked MACCRAY 3-1 Thursday at SMSU to take the North Subsection crown. That match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, also in Marshall, with the winner advancing to state. 

In Wednesday night high school volleyball, Marshall — ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3A — ensured its eighth straight trip to state by defeating Willmar 3-0 at Redwood Valley High School. Game scores were 25-21, 25-16, 25-15.