The Jackson County Central boys basketball team is one upset win away from a second trip to the State Tournament in three years.
Top-ranked and unbeaten Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta awaits in the Section 3AA Championship on Thursday night.
The eighth-ranked Huskies are 24-6 overall as they seek a fifth State appearance in 10 years. JCC head coach Alex Hein led the Huskies to the 2020 State Tournament before COVID canceled it. He fulfilled a lifelong dream of coaching at State during their sixth-place finish in 2024. Coach says it’s a privilege to have the chance.
FULL COACH INTERVIEW
JCC outlasted third-ranked Montevideo 77-63 in the South sub-section title on Saturday. That last victory avenged a one-point heartbreaker loss to Monte in last year’s section title game. JCC also beat Pipestone 62-48 and Fairmont 70-52 as the higher #2 South seed in the first two rounds.
The 28-0 Tigers cruised past Minnewaska Area 74-44 in the North sub-section championship after walking through ACGC 89-29 and New London-Spicer 69-37. The top-seeded Tigers outscore opponents by an average of 25 points. JCC has a 14-point positive differential per game this season.
Morris Area had four appearances before adding Chokio-Alberta. That included a 1994 runner-up finish in Class A. This is the Tigers’ second chance in three years to advance to State again after back-to-back appearances in 2021 and 2022. JCC actually beat the Tigers for the 2017 section title during a Huskies return trip to State following their 2016 Class AA runner-up finish.
Coach Hein says both teams will be motivated and prepared for this latest showdown.
Thursday’s tip-off inside the RA Facility at SMSU is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. with coverage expected to begin at 7:45 on your hometown Huskies station, KKOJ.
The Section 3A Championship between Hills-Beaver Creek and Central Minnesota Christian tips off the evening at 5:00 p.m.