Last November, I had an idea to honor our hometown high schools with special tailgate visits to their playoff football games. After such a good local response, I decided to bring 'em back for basketball season...
Students, parents, teachers, alumni, and proud community members heard the call and voted for their favorite Central Minnesota high schools! Oh, and did they vote...to the tune of 1856 votes in a week long period! Thank you for supporting our local area schools! Unfortunately, not every Central Minnesota school earned a 98 Tailgate this time around, but still a huge congratulations is due to these four Central Minnesota high schools and their communities!

Photo by Two Man Productions
Photo by Two Man Productions
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The Maple Lake Irish, a high school with 308 kids from the halfway point between Buffalo & Annandale, earned their 1st ever 98 Tailgate with the Eden Valley-Watkins Eagles this past Thursday night. With a packed gymnasium, it was a great game between these two good programs who had a combined 28-1 record. I added music, t-shirts, Outlet Recreation frisbees and free Minnesota Timberwolves tickets for the fans! With only 1.8 seconds left in the game, the Irish trailed the Eagles 50-49. Maple Lake's 6'2" junior forward  & Jet's Pizza Player of the Game Chase Olson canned a 17-foot turnaround jumper as time expired to give MLHS the 51-50 win. 5'11 sophomore guard Reese Jansen of Eden-Valley Watkins added 11 points for the Eagles, earning top player honors for EVWHS.

Photo by Two Man Productions
Photo by Two Man Productions
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The Isle Huskies, a high school with only 118 kids on the southeast corner of Lake Mille Lacs, earned their 1st ever 98 Tailgate with the Aitkin Gobblers this past Friday night. With another packed gymnasium, it was a festive atmosphere with music, t-shirts, Outlet Recreation frisbees and free Minnesota Timberwolves tickets for the fans! It was Country Western dress up day in Isle, and the whole school from K-12th grade participated as well as making posters about the huskies & 98 Country! The Jet's Pizza Players of the Game were sophomore guard Wyatt Sandford for AHS and senior guard/forward Trevor Oswald for IHS. The visiting Gobblers hushed the huskies 81-64 on Friday night.

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