is this an epic title game?

[point/center]

Anyone remember the school enrollment of Epping and Hillsboro from 30 years ago? Is Grafton vs TL-M a David vs Goliath?

Klinske vs Malzer?

[NDSportsFan]

I think a lot of people will be against Grafton because of their towns size and the fact they already won the hockey title this year. Not quite Epping/Hillsboro but I think the crowd will be mostly for TL-M.

[hoop_fan1]

Grafton is not exactly a basketball mecca in north dakota like hillsboro was back then, they'll be lucky to get back again in the next 20 years. TL-M isn't that small either, i thought there was a post somewhere else that showed their enrollment.
However, it's still has a big vs. small feel, and I like it. If TL-M can pull it off, it just shows that it's about quality, not quantity.

[demon201]

The NDHSAA directory lists TL-M as having 56 students, grades 9-12. Kudos to them for putting together a team that's reached the finals from a small enrollment total! Grafton on the other hand is listed at 275 students.

On a side note, where are all the haters on the blogs across the state who spent their every breath bashing Dickinson Trinity for not going to class A when they were rolling over people for much of the last decade ... they've got more than 100 fewer students than Grafton. I don't agree that anyone should change classes just because they're successful, but the gripers ought to be consistent.

Hope it's a great game - whoever wins. There have been some great finals in The B two and three years ago ... may this one rank up with those!!

[gfhockey]

Rumor has is that the NDHSAA is going to let grafton play with 6 players on the court haha jk no but this is gunna be a good game. go turtle lake.

[vizio]

haha Are they going to move the championship game to grafton????

[ndfan]

Yeah It will be played in Grafton, It will be 9 on 5 (6 players on court and 3 hand picked refs by Grafton), also Grafton fans will be the only ones allowed in the gym. Go SPOILERS

[InTheKnow]

Yeah It will be played in Grafton, It will be 9 on 5 (6 players on court and 3 hand picked refs by Grafton), also Grafton fans will be the only ones allowed in the gym. Go SPOILERS

So the refs will be hockey officials you are saying?


As far as the Dickinson Trinity situation it is because they are a private school and were getting players in just for sports because of their private school status. Thats what the complaining was about.

[ndfan]

Yeah It will be played in Grafton, It will be 9 on 5 (6 players on court and 3 hand picked refs by Grafton), also Grafton fans will be the only ones allowed in the gym. Go SPOILERS

So the refs will be hockey officials you are saying?


As far as the Dickinson Trinity situation it is because they are a private school and were getting players in just for sports because of their private school status. Thats what the complaining was about.

Well if you listen to Watford City fans hockey refs were reffing last night.

[tellmeaboutit]

As far as the Dickinson Trinity situation it is because they are a private school and were getting players in just for sports because of their private school status. Thats what the complaining was about.[/quote]


I just love that the Trinity Haters always go back to "recruitment" arguments that are based on rumors and lies. Please don't post this nonsense again, unless you can back it up.

[rep]

i think the championship game comes down to how kliniske handles what tlm does to him. he should eliminate the paint for the most part on defense and should get just about every rebound within three feet of him.

of course, i say that having watched tlm constantly overcome their height disadvantage in the previous two games very convincingly.

so if kliniske dominates, my guess is the game is going to swing in grafton's favor. if tlm can get him into foul trouble or grab some boards, tlm all the way. probably the other x-factor is tlm's shooting from the perimter. if the trojans are hitting their shots, i don't know if too many teams that can keep up that kind of offensive pace.

[Unity77]

The NDHSAA directory lists TL-M as having 56 students, grades 9-12. Kudos to them for putting together a team that's reached the finals from a small enrollment total! Grafton on the other hand is listed at 275 students.

As I stated in a different post Grafton's enrollment (9-12) at the beginning of the 07-08 school year was 306 so NDHSAA's numbers are a little questionable.

I predict Grafton will go the entire game without having a foul called against them and all the obvious missed calls will end up on YouTube. RR fans will join TL-M fans in forming an anti-Grafton movement where they will have support group sessions and discuss conspiracy theories on how and why they were screwed. Their main mission, however, will be to capture their state title trophy and return it to their rightful owners.

[mplsfan]

Don't think this is a Hillsboro/Epping type game. That game wasn't just about enrollment. It was about Hillboro's storied program and success and if I remember correctly previous to that season Epping had recently set a state record for successive losses. It was David vs. Goliath on a couple of fronts.

I do see some similarities to 2005 however. The Bottineau girls were state favorites and failed to get out of the region championship game. The Bottineau boys however went on to get to state and into the championship game. The Grafton girls expected to get to state this year but didn't. Now their boys get there and are in the championship game. TLM probably didn't come in to the tourney carrying the favorites role like New Rockford. However it's still large B school against small and large school boys filling the role their girls hoped for and expected.

[mplsfan]

except..... the Grafton boys pull it out and Bottineau lost in a truly memorable, perhaps epic championship game. Congrats Spoiler!