Grand Forks basketball coaches reflect on memorable weekend

Mar. 13—GRAND FORKS — Scrolling through social media over the weekend, Grand Forks Red River boys basketball coach Kirby Krefting saw what was on the minds of a lot of area sports fans.

Is Grand Forks Red River a basketball school?

Known more as a boys hockey powerhouse, the Red River boys and girls basketball programs put Grand Forks basketball on the map with rare trips to the North Dakota Class A championship games in Fargo.

The Red River girls beat Bismarck Century to win the program's first state championship in 35 years after reaching the title game for the first time in 31 years. The Red River boys lost to Fargo North in the program's first state championship appearance since winning it all in 2012.

"The culture we're setting, both (Red River girls basketball coach Kent Ripplinger) and I feel, is something special," Krefting said. "It was a special day for Red River."

Ripplinger is in his 13th season as head coach after spending 13 years as an assistant coach at Red River. The Roughriders have been to 18 state tournaments since 2000 but never made the final in that span.

"I think it was awesome," Ripplinger said of both Red River programs advancing to the final. "You had all of the parents for the Red River boys team joining our parents. I know the student crowd would've been better if we didn't have such bad weather, but it led to a really fun, special night in that building. Any basketball fan interested in Class A basketball saw two really good teams play really well. It was a fun night."

Ripplinger reminded his team no return trip to state is ever guaranteed. Red River's first-round opponent, Minot, for example, won a state title in 2021-22 and was fueled by a pair of all-state eighth-graders, yet the Roughriders advanced in the quarterfinals this season.

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't," Ripplinger said of getting back to the state final. "I mentioned a couple of times not everyone gets to do this. That was a lot of the message the entire state tournament. Sometimes, to these young players, it feels like you can get there every year."

Red River junior Jocelyn Schiller was named Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring a championship-game record 34 points, which eclipsed the 33 points of Durene Heisler of Devils Lake in 1984. Schiller also set a title game record with 18 made free throws.

"We were trying to put all five players on her and we still couldn't stop her," Century coach Nate Welstad told the Bismarck Tribune. "Her motor just keeps running. That, I think is the most amazing thing about her. She never stops."

The Red River girls started just one senior in all-tournament pick Cassidy O'Halloran. The Riders have three seniors on the roster.

Ripplinger said there was value in his young players seeing first-hand what it takes to win a title.

"O'Halloran, Schiller, (Hannah) Litzinger ... they all bring it in practice," Ripplinger said. "They show the young players how to do it. (O'Halloran) is having fun and working her tail off. Have you ever seen anyone smile as much as she does when she plays? That's the group. Even Joc. She has fun. She's serious, and she's a competitor, but she's enjoying it."

The Red River boys will be remembered for never giving up, Krefting said. The Riders came back to beat defending state champion Minot in the quarterfinals on a Zachary Kraft buzzer-beater, then overcame an 18-point second-half deficit to beat Fargo Davies in the semifinals.

Even in the title game defeat, Red River overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to lead by four before the Spartans finished strong.

The Red River boys will graduate heavy from the state runner-up run. Kraft and Reis Rowekamp carried much of the scoring load, while posts Carter Byron and Logan Arason, as well as role player Hudson Flom, were big pieces of the team, too.

"Those five seniors have been with us since they were sophomores, and they're going to be tough to replace," Krefting said. "It takes special kids who know roles likes that. The seniors laid that culture. I get choked up talking about this group. They just set the standard, and it's a high standard. They don't care who gets the credit. That's hopefully what younger players are learning from and it all rubs off on them. Hopefully, we can continue to succeed if just a portion of what the seniors brought rubs off on them."

With bad weather closing down most of North Dakota roads Saturday night, the Red River girls were able to celebrate their championship together at the team hotel in Fargo.

The team celebrated by jumping and sliding into the hotel pool still in uniform, including Ripplinger.

Ripplinger said his team also received an incredible note following the state title win. Every member on his roster holds a 4.0 grade-point average.

"It was storybook, putting it all together like that," Ripplinger said.