Osseo Rolls Into Playoffs

Lately, the Osseo Boys basketball team has been on a roll. In mid Febuary, things seemed to be going tough for the Orioles. They were defeated in back-to-back games against Andover and Champlin Park. Things seemed to be going tough for them then. However, in the last three games agianst Maple Grove, Elk River and Anoka the Orioles have made a turn around and have been winning big. They have won their last three games by an average margin of 16 points and scored 99 points in their final regular season game against Anoka.

Orioles head coach Tim Theisen commented, "You want to be hitting on all cyllinders at the end of the season. We have been excuting our offensive sets with greater efficiency as of late. Our guys realize that the playoffs is a new season and all the work that was put in during the regular season will payoff if we stay focused."

The Orioles have been getting contributions from many players on offense. Six differnt players have scored in double figures in the last three games, including two 23-point performances by Chris McMorris. Aaron Anderson has also contributed two 20-point performances in his last two games.

The Orioles play at home to open the 5AAAA section playoffs against conference foe Centennial. Then, next Tuesday, the Orioles will play at Rogers High school against the winner of the Champlin Park and Spring Lake Park game.

Osseo Falls to Andover at Home

Osseo basketball suffered a tough loss to the Huskies at home on Thursday. The game came down to the final few possessions, but Andover was able to hold off the Orioles in a hard fought game. Andover held a narrow one-point lead with 40 seconds to play, but controlled the ball well and scored under the basket with just 10 seconds left. Osseo emerged from the timeout knowing they had to make a three point shot to tie the game. Andover stepped up and played good defense on the final play by not allowing the Orioles to get a great look at the basket. It was a disappointing 57-54 loss for the team on their home court. Their leading scorers were Chris McMorris with 16 points and John Bailey with 12. Aaron Anderson also played exceptional with his acrobatic shots under the basket. Osseo will look to get back on track Tuesday when they face the conference-leading Champlin Park Rebels. The crucial conference battle could also be a preview of a possible match up for these teams in the section playoffs.

By Nathan Palm

Quote of the Day"

"...Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. Attitude will make or break a team.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes."
-Anonymous

Osseo Hoopsters Stomp Blaine

Osseo rolled over the Blaine Bengals at home on February 16 to a 73-51 victory. The Orioles distributed the ball well with four players scoring in double digits. They took an early lead with help from Chris McMorris who lead the team with 15 points for the game. In the first half, Osseo played tough defense by only giving up 18 points to the bengals. The team played sound defense throughout the rest of the game by only allowing one opponent to reach double digits. Ian Theisen played a key role with 11 points off the bench in one of his best games of the season. Osseo continued to hold onto its lead in the second half and secured another victory in the Northwest Suburban Conference. The Orioles are third in 4A state rankings just behind the second ranked Champlin Park Rebels. It will be a great match up Tuesday, February 23 when the two teams battle for the conference lead. They’ve been close in the standings all season, and Osseo will look to knock off the rebels after losing to them on their home court earlier this season. At 18-3, the team has been playing well since the season began in early December. They’re currently on an eight-game winning streak that they’ll look to build on for the remainder of the season and into the playoffs.
By Nathan Palm

Oriole Boys Outlast Park Center

Sixth ranked Osseo defeated the Park Center Pirates for the second time this season on Friday, February 5th. Osseo held a steady lead of about seven to eight points for the majority of the first half. John Bailey got the momentum rolling early for the orioles with a few baskets and Chris McMorris contributed early and finished the game with a team-high 16 points. At halftime, Osseo held a solid 35-25 lead over Park Center. Late in the second half, the pirates made a run and closed the gap with a few minutes to go. Osseo responded with great ball control led by Aaron Anderson, who had 15 points. The team continued to make their free throws in the final minutes and finish off Park Center in a 62-54 victory. The road win kept Osseo at first in the Northwest Suburban Conference with a 9-1 record in conference play and 15-3 overall. They are on a five-game win streak and are only giving up 52.8 points a game, which is the least in the conference. With only eight games remaining in the regular season, Osseo will look to hold its conference lead as they face Coon Rapids and Centennial in the upcoming week.
By Nathan Palm

Quote of the Game:
Assistant coach Neil Swanson commented after the game, "I think, for the most part, all of the guys were focused on their responsibilities this last week in practice and throughout the pregame and in the game itself. We understood that we needed to prevent their guards from controlling the game's tempo. A win at Park Center is never easy."

Osseo Wins at Anoka

Osseo squared up against fifth-ranked Anoka in a pivotal conference game on Friday, January 29, 2010. The first half was a back and forth battle with multiple shifts in momentum. Dalton Graff gave the team an offensive boost with his sharp shooting and finished the game with 15 points. Osseo held a slim lead of 35-34 going into halftime. In the second half John Rowland led the team with superior post defense that set the tone for the rest of the game. Despite not scoring, Rowland nearly had a rare triple-double consisting of rebounds, blocks, and assists. Jerrod Berven led the team in scoring with 16 points, contributing Osseo’s 61-49 win at Anoka. The Oriole’s outstanding second-half defense held Anoka to only 15 points. It was an important win for Osseo that moved them into a two-way tie for first place in the conference with Champlin. Both schools have a 7-1 conference record, followed by Anoka at 6-1. The Osseo team improved to a 13-3 overall record, as they won their third straight game.
By Nathan Palm

Quote of the Day: "A competitor will find a way to succeed. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quitters take bad breaks and use them as reasons to give up. It's all a matter of pride."

Osseo Defeats Rival Maple Grove

The Osseo Boys basketball team defeated Maple Grove 85 to 41 on Tuesday, January 25. The game started out with great defense by Osseo, as they kept Maple Grove to minimal points and caused multiple turnovers throughout the first half. The Orioles shooting was excellent from the field, especially from their three point attempts. John Bailey went a perfect 5 for 5 from beyond in the arc, contributing a solid 15 points to the team’s victory. John Rowland led the team with 19 points as he controlled the post for the majority of the game. The team separated themselves from their competition early with a commanding 51 to 24 lead at half. They had four players score in double digits and also held Maple Grove to only 33% shooting from the field. The win keeps Osseo tied for first place with Anoka and Champlin Park in the Northwest Suburban Conference standings. All three teams hold a currently own a 6-1 conference record, but that will change when Osseo travels to Anoka on Friday, January 29. Anoka has won six straight games, but Osseo will look to slow down the tornadoes and surpass them in the league standings.

By Nathan Palm

IMPORTANT DATES:

February 12th - Parents Night and Youth Night
(Home vs Centennial)

Osseo Boys Roll at Andover

The Osseo Boys basketball team traveled to Andover on Friday night to face the Huskies. Osseo was able to pull away for a 76-49 Northwest Suburban Conference victory. Chris McMorris had on of his finest performances of the season by playing hard-nosed defense and contributing 22 points. The Orioles obtained a 33-18 halftime lead by denying Andover any easy basket oppurtunities. For the game, Osseo was able to hold the Huskies to only 22% shooting from the field. Assistant Coach Greg Burke commented on the game, "Tonight we were able to get easy shots because we created them by playing tough defense and rebounding the baketball. Scoring is a lot easier when you get defensive stops and run the court."

Scoring Summary versus Andover: Osseo: Rowland 12, Anderson 12, McMorris 22, Bailey 3, Jones 2, Bervin 10, Sonnenfeld 15. Andover: My 2, Schmalzer 5, Burnt 10, Schneider 8, Wagner 2, Siebold 2, Finnes 12, Wolf 1, Elliot 7.

Osseo Falls to Champlin Park

The Osseo Orioles watched a 40-game home-winning streak end as they were defeated by the Champlin Park Rebels, 61-53. The Rebels led at half-time 34-24 and the Orioles could never competely close the gap in the second half. Osseo pulled within four points with six minutes remaining, but Champlin Park was able to hold the Orioles off. Head coach Tim Theisen commented, "Champlin is a tough physical team. You never want to lose on your home court where you practice everyday and where your fans are; it was a tough loss. I know are kids will learn from the game and work hard to improve and that is what we ask as coaches."

Osseo Defeats Duluth East

John Rowland led the way last Saturday, as the Orioles defeated Duluth East, 70-64. Duluth matched Osseo's energy throughout the game and trailed only by four points at halftime. In the second half Osseo found ways to get easy baskets and hold off a strong offensive performance by Duluth East.

Osseo Boys' Varsity Remains Unbeaten in Conference

The Osseo Boys basketball program took two more games this week by defeating Blaine on Tuesday and Centennial on Thursday. The Orioles are now 4-0 in the Northwest Suburban Conference and 9-2 overall this season. Blaine was able to baffle the Oriole offense much of the game on Tuesday. The Orioles were eventually able to hit some perimeter shots to extend their lead in the second half. Assistant coach Neil Swanson commented on the game, "Blaine's 2-3 defense had our guys a little perplexed. We have not had much time in practice to work against that zone. But our half-court defense picked up some of the slack." The Orioles won the game 57-33. Thursday's game against Centennial showed that the Orioles could again play defense on the road. Osseo held the Cougars to 30% shooting and the Orioles won 62-40. Assistant coach Greg Burke said this after the victory, "Right now we are playing unselfish basketball. Our shots are not always falling, but we are continuing to play the other parts of the game. I think a team that learns to play unselfish on the offensive and defensive end of the court is going to win some ball games."

Osseo Starts the Conference Season Undefeated

On Tuesday, Jan 5th, the Osseo Orioles boys' basketball team defeated Coon Rapids, 88-52. The game marked the beginning of the Northwest Subruban Conference basketball season. Head coach Tim Theisen commented on the game, "We played a complete game, both on the offensive end and defensive end. Aaron (Anderson), I thought, did a nice job controlling the pace of the game at the point gaurd position. I thought our guys played unselfish and it resulted in a lot of points going up on the board." ** On Friday, Osseo was at home to challenge rival Park Center. The game was back and forth on the scoreboard with the Orioles obtaining a 21-20 halftime lead. Eventually, Osseo was able to take the game, 48-39. John Bailey led the way with a clutch three pointer to put the Orioles up by five with time running down in the second half. Head sophomore coach Andy Sawatzke commented on the game, "Give Park Center a lot of credit they made our kids look ragged when we were on offense. We turned the ball over and shots were not falling for us, but we were able to bring deffensive energy and that is what saved us tonight. We preach effort and intensity at the defensive end and our kids brought that."

Keep track of Osseo Basketball and Minnesota High School Basketball scores and ratings at the following website: ** minnesota-scores.net

Varsity Takes 3rd at Granite City Classic

The Osseo boys basketball team was able to pull off a third place finish in Saint Cloud. Over the holiday break, the Orioles played three games from December 28th-30th in the Granite City Classic eight team tournament. In the first round, Osseo was able to win with a sound defensive effort and defeat a tough team from Sartell, 87-51. Captain Dalton Graff led the way defensively by shutting down the guard play of Sartell. Head coach Tim Theisen appreciated the defensive efforts that Graff and his teammates displayed, "If we play good team defensive, help defense, then we are a tough team." The second round of the tournament matched Osseo up against a top 5 rated Saint Cloud Tech team. Tech came out and physically matched the Orioles for a full 36 minutes and won the contest 62-54. The Orioles were outscored by 17 points in the second half and watched a nine point halftime lead evaporate. Assistant Coach Neil Swanson commented after the game, "Tech is a tough, tough team and we were not able to match their intesity for the entire game." In the third place game, Osseo came out with energy and was able to beat a veteran Forest Lake Team, 94-68. Joey Sonnenfeld had a breakout game offensively and scored over 20 points on the night. Coach DeVries was impressed with the juniors performance, "Joey came out with confidence and as always, energy,...you combine those two ingredients with Joey and you get the kind of game that he had tonight." Sonnenfeld was named to the all tournament team.

The Orioles play two conference games at home this week. Coon Rapids will take on Osseo Tuesday and rival Park Center will challenge the Orioles on Friday.

Boys Basketball Parents Meeting

Tuesday December 1st @ 6:30 PM - School Library

The basketball coaches would like to have all parents of basketball players, 9th grade thru Varsity, attend this informational meeting tomorrow night. There are a number of items that we need to address from a program perspective and to also get parent’s help throughout the year that helps out our program.

Agenda for Tuesday’s meeting:

Meet the coaches
Program Procedures
Fundraisers for the year
Concession stand signup
Meet other parents of players

Players are not expected to attend the meeting. We will hold a separate meeting with them later this week.

Open Gym

Open Gym: Wednesday, November 18th from 6:30-8:30

NEW INFORMATION FOR 2009-2010 SEASON

1. New Schedule released for the upcoming 2009-2010 season

Click Here to View the 2009-2010 Varsity Game Schedule

2. Tryout Information (click the links below to view tryout information for each level)

Varsity/JV Tryouts

10th Grade Tryouts

9th Grade Tryouts

2009 Section/State Playoff Photo Gallery



        Click Here to View Photos