Boys Basketball: Menahga overcame obstacles, went 7-20

First-year head coach Cory Kapphahn was satisfied with the effort of the Menahga boys basketball team this season.

The Braves finished fourth in the Park Region Conference standings with a 7-7 record while going 7-20 overall. Even though his team didn’t win as many games as preferred, Kapphahn said the season was a success.

“Overall, I think that our season went well considering the obstacles that we had to work through. Starting off by not having a summer to work between coach and players due to my hire date, to having five practices before we played a large number of games early in the season against high quality programs, to all of the injuries and illnesses throughout the year. My teams did a lot of learning and growing throughout the season and were much better at the end of the season than we were early on in the schedule,” siad Kapphahn. “When I think back to the goals that I had at the beginning of the season, we didn't reach those goals in terms of our record. However as a coach, I always look at each individual player to see if they are improving on the court and maintaining the high standards we expect in the classroom. Those two areas, we definitely met our goals and expectations.”

Menahga started the season by losing nine of its first 10 games. After losses to Northland Remer (86-58), Pine River-Backus (78-64) and Nevis (75-38), the Braves dropped conference games to Henning (64-40) and New York Mills (73-42). Losses to Red Lake (72-58 in a section game) and Browerville-Eagle Valley (77-46) left Menahga with an 0-7 record. A 46-45 conference win over Verndale was followed with a section loss to Crookston (54-52) and a conference and section loss to Wadena-Deer Creek (78-65).

Back-to-back conference wins over Bertha-Hewitt (66-64) and Sebeka (74-53) were followed with losses to Aitkin (64-49), Park Rapids (81-44 in a section game), Pillager (83-63 in a conference game) and Henning (75-40). That losing streak ended with a 63-54 win over Pillager. After a 71-45 loss to Barnesville in a section contest, the Braves defeated New York Mills (60-47).

Menahga ended the regular season by going 1-6 in the final seven games. A loss to Long Prairie-Grey Eagle (56-45) and a loss to Verndale (51-43) were followed with a 74-39 victory over Sebeka. The Braves entered the playoffs with losses to Lake Park-Audubon (68-49), W-DC (73-55), Pillager (60-46) and Frazee (63-51 in overtime in a section game).

During the regular season, Menahga went 0-7 against Section 8AA opponents to receive the No. 16 seed for the playoffs. The Braves’ season ended with a 79-45 loss to No. 1 Thief River Falls in the tournament opener. No. 3 Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton defeated Thief River Falls 77-67 in overtime in the section championship game.

In the 27 games, the Braves averaged 53.7 points a game by making 36.7% of their shots (544 for 1,481, including going 139 for 545 on 3-pointers) and 50% on free throws (224 for 448). Menahga averaged 16.9 turnovers a game while forcing 14.5 turnovers and allowing 64.6 points a night.

Playing the majority of the minutes for the Braves were seniors Brock Berttunen, Ryan Tolkkinen and Isaiah Usher; juniors Bodie Berttunen, Brayden Aho, Knaylor Howard and Blaise Anderson; and sophomore Carder Jettmann. Bodie Berttunen earned all-conference honors and was named the team’s MVP and Offensive MVP while Howard was an all-conference honorable mention player. Tollkinen was named the Braves’ Defensive MVP. Other team awards went to freshmen Tyrell Aho (Mr. Hustle) and Izaiah Aho (Most Improved Player).

Bodie Berttunen led the Braves by scoring 442 points (16.4 points a game), making 63 3-pointers and tallying 48 steals while finishing second with 189 rebounds (7.0 per game), 50 steals and 17 blocked shots in 27 games.

Aho was second in scoring with 258 points (9.6 per game) while contributing 104 rebounds, 27 steals and 20 assists in 27 games.

Tolkkinen averaged 7.7 points a game, scoring 103 points in 25 games. Tolkkinen was second on the team with 17 3-pointers while chipping in 96 rebounds, 25 assists and 25 steals.

Howard played in 26 games and scored 198 points (7.6 per game) and led the Braves with 81 assists. Howard also had 113 rebounds and was second on the team with 40 steals.

Brock Berttunen led Menahga with 234 rebounds (9.0 per game) and 49 blocks while scoring 148 points (5.7 per game). Berttunen also had 33 steals and 26 assists in 26 games.

Usher averaged 3.3 points a game with 40 rebounds, 21 assists and 19 steals in 22 games.

Jettmann played in 21 games and averaged 3.2 points while adding 68 rebounds, 18 assists and 11 steals.

Anderson averaged 2.9 points a game and had 31 rebounds and 20 steals.

Also seeing some varsity time were senior Quincy Jantz, junior Wesley Hodge and sophomore Jonas Lusti.

Even though the Braves will graduate four players, Kapphahn is looking forward to having even more success next season.

“We graduate Brock, Ryan, Isaiah and Quincy. These guys meant a lot to our program, and all had different experience and brought different things to the team. I think that each understood their role on the team and worked hard during practice to live up to that role come game day. These guys are going to be missed,” said Kapphahn. “We didn't have as much success as we wanted this season in regards to the W-L columns, but we have some talented, athletic guys of all ages in our program. I'll be returning four juniors and a sophomore that gained a lot of experience on the varsity court this season, along with some talented younger guys that are eager to make the jump to the varsity level next season. These guys have the expectation of being in the gym this summer to work on their individual skills, and we will be playing a lot of games too. I am very excited and ready to get to work with them to get where we want to be next winter. These returning guys in the program are committed to getting better and competing this summer is going to be key as to what we are going to be next season. When I think about this summer, I get excited to think of the gains that we can make both individually and as a team/program. I need to see guys coming to work in the gym if we want to climb the conference and section ladder next season.”