By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The top ranked and undefeated Henning Hornets not only secured their fourth straight conference title, but did so in dominating fashion. 

The Hornets secured a commanding 70-51 win over the second place New York Mills Eagles on Tuesday night and overwhelmed Wadena-Deer Creek by a score of 85-45 on Thursday night to ensure their fourth straight title.

Not only have the Hornets won four straight Park Region Conference titles, but they have won an astounding 59 straight conference games dating back to four years. Each of their previous three conference championships have ended with a perfect 14-0 record. 

On Saturday the Hornets improved to 23-0 on the season as they defeated previously unbeaten Hankinson as part of the Breakdown Red River Shootout at Moorhead High School. Not only did the Hornets avenged last season lost to the Hankinson Pirates with a 90-56 win on Saturday night, but senior Kale Misegades broke his own school scoring record by becoming the first Hornet to score 50 points in a game. 

This week the Hornets will wrap up their conference schedule on the road against Verndale on Friday night, before hosting Brandon-Evansville next Tuesday and wrapping up their regular season on Friday, Feb. 27 at home against the Underwood Rockets. 

Tuesday

In front of a nearly standing room only crowd, the Henning Hornets secured a 70-51 win over one of the top teams in the Park Region Conference on the road on Tuesday night. On the back end of a boys-girls doubleheader, the Hornets opened up a 32-23 halftime lead over the New York Mills Eagles and pulled away in the second half thanks to 49 percent shooting from the floor and another balanced scoring attack by the entire Hornet offense. 

“Another quality win against a solid New York Mills squad. We opened up a decent margin after halftime and held them off down the stretch. A nice effort all the way around for our team,” said head coach Randy Misegades.

Coming into the game the Eagles were 8-2 in the conference with their lone losses coming to Henning and Pillager. At the end of the night the Hornets took control of the Park Region Conference as the lone unbeaten team on the season. 

Henning was once again led offensively by Kale Misegades who scored 31 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists. Zack Wiederich finished with 14 points on just 4-8 shooting and Ryan Despard scored 10 points to also reach double figures.

Todd Bjerke scored seven points, Easton Misegades and Dawson Bushman each scored three points and Beck Thorson rounded out the scoring with two points of his own. 

POINTS: Misegades 3, Wiederich 14, Bushman 3, Bjerke 7, Despard 10, Thorson 2, Misegades 31

ASSISTS: Bushman 2, Bjerke 2, Despard 5, Misegades 4, Arndt 1

REBOUNDS: MIsegades 1, Wiederich 3, Bushman 5, Bjerke 2, Despard 5, Thorson 1, Misegades 9, Arndt 1

STEALS: Wiederich 1, Bushman 1, Bjerke 1, Despard 1, Thorson 1, Misegades 2

Thursday

Henning officially made it four straight Park Region Conference championships and won its 59th consecutive conference game with a commanding 85-45 win over Wadena-Deer Creek on Thursday night. Not only is this the first time in school history that the Hornets have won four straight conference titles, they are just one game away from capping off their fourth straight undefeated season in conference action.

“Proud of our guys as we claimed our fourth consecutive Park Region Conference championship tonight in Wadena. We’ve won three straight conference titles on several occasions, but never four,” said head coach Randy Misegades.

The Hornets jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as they led by a score of 42-19 at halftime, before outscoring the Wolverines 43-26 in the second half. As a team the Hornets knocked down 13 3-pointers and went an amazing 16-18 from the free throw line. 

“We got contributions from a lot of guys on both ends of the floor. We were fortunate to get our entire program extra playing time as we were able to play four levels of games. And our teams came away 4-0,” said Misegades.

The Hornets were led by Kale Misegades who scored 30 points to go along with eight assists, eight rebounds and six steals. He needed just 18 shots from the floor to finish with his 30 points.

Zack Wiederich went 6-7 from the floor and a perfect 5-5 from behind the 3-point line to finished with 19 points and five rebounds, while Todd Bjerke scored 13 points and blocked three shots and Ryan Despard also reached double figures with 11 points. Beck Thorson chipped in with five points, Teghan Wiirre scored three and Dawson Bushman and Andrew Suchy rounded out the scoring with two points apiece. 

POINTS: Wiederich 19, Bushman 2, Bjerke 13, Despard 11, Thorson 5, Misegades 30, Wiirre 3, Suchy 2

ASSISTS: Wiederich 1, Bushman 1, Bjerke 1, Despard 5, Thorson 1, Misegades 8, Suchy 1

REBOUNDS: Wiederich 5, Bushman 2, Bjerke 4, Despard 3, Thorson 2, Misegades 8, Arndt 1, Suchy 1

STEALS: Bjerke 1, Despard 3, Thorson 2, Misegades 6, Wiirre 1

BLOCKS: 

Saturday

Kale Misegades was a man on a mission on Saturday as the Henning senior broke his own school scoring record by scoring 50 points in a 90-56 statement making win against previously unbeaten Hankinson. The Pirates are one of the top small school teams in the state of North Dakota and handed Henning one of its four losses in the same Red River Shootout in Moorhead last year. 

“Quality win for our guys in the Red River Shootout hosted by the Breakdown in Moorhead this evening. Hankinson was unbeaten coming into the game and handed us a loss last season in the same event,” said head coach Randy Misegades. 

Kale Misegades led the charge for the Hornets as he went 19-29 from the floor and knocked down 7-12 3-pointers on his way to a double-double with 50 points and 12 rebounds. He set the previous single game scoring record of 49 points in the regular season opener against Lake Park-Audubon on November 29. 

While Misegades set the school scoring mark and led the way for Henning in the game, it was the quick shooting of junior Zack Wiederich early on that set the tone for the Hornets. Wiederich finished with four 3-pointers and 16 points, much of which came in the early moments of the game. 

“We jumped out big early thanks to Zack Wiederich’s shooting and then Kale Misegades took over from there. Kale broke his own single game scoring record with 50 points,” said Misegades. “Ryan Despard and Todd Bjerke assisted on most of Kale’s buckets and the rest of our guys did a great job putting him in position to score.  All of our guys were solid defensively, but I thought Dawson Bushman and Todd Bjerke were especially good in this game.”

Henning led 47-21 at halftime and continued to pour it on in the second half with a number of bench players getting extended game action in front of a large group of Henning faithful at Moorhead High School. The Hornets forced 15 Pirate turnovers and  outrebounded Hankinson by a 34-22 margin. 

Nine players reached the scoring column for the Hornets including Misegades with 50, Wiederich with 16, Ryan Despard with six and Todd Bjerke with four points. Easton Misegades, Dawson Bushman, Beck Thorson and Isaac Eckhoff all scored three points and Andrew Suchy rounded out the scoring with two points.

POINTS: Misegades 3, Wiederich 16, Bushman 3, Bjerke 4, Despard 6, Thorson 3, Misegades 50, Eckhoff 3, Suchy 2

ASSISTS: Wiederich 1, Bushman 1, Bjerke 7, Despard 7, Thorson 1, Misegades 5, Arndt 3, Thalmann 1

REBOUNDS: Wiederich 4, Bushman 3, Bjerke 7, Despard 3, Thorson 3, Misegades 12, Wiirre 1, Arndt 1

STEALS: Bjerke 1, Despard 2, Thorson 1, Misegades 3