BBE hopes to keep the party rolling

Belgrade- Brooten-Elrosa sophomore quarterback Luke Dingmann attempts a pass against Kerkhoven- Murdock-Sunburg on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021 in Belgrade.

The Jaguars have 15 letterwinners back from their first state playoff team

BY TOM ELLIOTT | West Central Tribune

BELGRADE — To say the 2021 season felt good for Belgrade- Brooten-Elrosa is to understate. It was the best football season in school history.

“It was crazy,” head coach Chris Moscho said.

BBE qualified for the state playoffs for the first time since the Belgrade and Brooten school districts merged in 1989. The Jaguars posted an 8-4 record, winning the Section 4A championship by beating Upsala/ Swanville Area 52-44 in the championship game. They then fell 18-6 to Rushford- Peterson in the state Class A quarterfinal at Crown College.

For a school known for its basketball and wrestling, it was a satisfying season.

And while most of last season’s team has moved on, the Jaguars have hope that 2022 will be a promising one.

They have the most players out in recent memory, 42.

“I think that’s all the helmets we have,” said Moscho, who is in his 14th season.

They also return starting quarterback Luke Dingmann. The strong-armed junior took over in ‘21 when his brother Ashton Dingmann was hurt.

He’ll have one of the top targets in Mid State Sub District 3 in Jameson Reed. Reed is 6-foot-5 wide receiver who also plays defensive end. Moscho said that college scouts are interested.

Also back is Ethan Spanier, a returning defensive end and center.

Dingmann, Reed and Spanier are captains. They’ll lead a squad that has 15 returning letterwinners after having lost 13 seniors from the memorable 2021 season.

“We’ll have a young line, but at least we know we won’t have to go two ways,” Moscho said. “We have a lot of kids to work with.”

Moscho said the program’s success has encouraged a lot of players to try out who were reluctant to play when they were younger. For the Jaguars’ coaching staff, catching that group up and getting them ready for varsity will be the challenge.

The Jaguars open at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2 at Kerkhoven-Murdock- Sunburg. KMS figures to be one of the top teams in the sub district, Moscho said. He’s also anticipating Atwater-Cosmos- Grove City, USA and BOLD to be among the strongest teams on their schedule.

“It’ll be fun,” he said.