Albany runs past Pelican Rapids, 80-57

Victories at the state-tournament level are rarely easy, though the Albany Huskies have a tendency to make it look that way.

Top-seeded Albany had four players in double figures and rode that balanced attack to an 80-57 win over eighth-seeded Pelican Rapids in the Minnesota State High School League Class AA State Tournament quarterfinals March 18 at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena in Minneapolis. In all, nine players scored for the Huskies, who shot a blistering 57% (30 of 53) from the field.

The Huskies (30-0) will have two days off before making their third straight appearance in the state semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday, March 21, at Williams Arena. Albany will face fourth-seeded Caledonia (29-2), which downed Minnehaha Academy 72-56. Waseca (31-0) faces Breck (20-10) in the other semifinal.

Waseca needed a furious last-minute rally to get past Pequot Lakes 49-45, while defending state champion and No. 3 Breck overwhelmed No. 6 Montevideo 73-49. Both of those games were at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Albany head coach Cory Schlagel said other than a couple minutes late in the first half and also to start the second, his team hit on all cylinders.

“The first half was fantastic,” Schlagel said. “We played good defense, we got up and down in transition and executed in the half court. From that standpoint, that was a good way to set the tone. We were kind of slow to start the second half, but, after the first five minutes or so, we were able to right the ship.”

Sam Hondl scored 16 points, Zeke Austin and Braeden Justin each had 14, and Ethan Meyer hit his first five shots, all from close range, and finished with 12 for the Huskies. Elliott Burnett had nine points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while Bennett Hylla hit two 3-pointers and finished with seven.

Austin, one of the state’s top 3-point shooters, was 7-for-7 on free throws to offset a rare off night from the field. He finished 3 of 11, including 1 of 7 on 3-pointers.

Schlagel jokingly hinted he would reinstall a pushup rule in practice the next two days when a player misses a layup, drawing chuckles from his players.

To which Austin added: “Maybe on threes, too.”

Jack Welch, a 6-foot-7-inch junior, was a bit of a headache for the Albany defense. He slashed his way to 29 points to lead the Vikings, who lost in the state quarterfinals for the second straight year.

Caledonia, which won Class AA state championships in 1997, 2015 and 2018 and was runner-up in 2021, is sure to present a challenge in the semifinals. The Warriors’ lone losses are to Stewartville and Onalaska, Wisconsin.

It also presents an interesting family dynamic for Albany’s Austin. The Warriors are coached by Brad King, Austin’s uncle. In addition, three of his first cousins — Mason King, Grant King and Reid Klug — play for Caledonia.

“I have kind of always wanted to play them, so it’ll be fun,” Austin said with a smile. “It’ll be personal.”
PR        26   31-57
ALB      47   33-80
Albany: Hondl 16 (5 rebounds, 7 assists), Austin 14, Justin 14, Meyer 12 (6R), Burnett 9 (8A, 7R), Bennett Hylla 7, Ashton Olson 4, Jake Buttweiler 2, Brady Rueter 2. Field goals 30-53, 3-pointers 8-20, free throws 12-14.