by Scott DCamp
Sports Editor
The Thief River Falls Boys Basketball Team is off to a 1-1 start two games into the 2021 season.
The Prowlers opened on the road Thursday (Jan. 14) with a dominant 66-27 win over the Roseau Rams after getting big contributions from the three Jacks. Sophomore post Jack Manning scored 21 points, with junior Jack Onkka and sophomore Jack Rosendahl adding seven points each. Jonah Kalsnes added eight points for the Prowlers.
The Prowlers looked to keep the momentum going in their home opener Saturday night against a Perham Yellowjacket squad that knocked the Prowlers out of the Section 8AA playoffs last year.
The 2019-20 Perham Yellowjackets were 28-0 heading into the Section 8AA championship game when the season was abruptly cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s Perham squad appears to have picked up where last year’s team left off. The Yellowjackets brought a 1-0 record into Saturday’s contest  after defeating the Detroit Lakes Lakers 70-36 Thursday night.
The Prowlers led 6-3 early in Saturday’s game at Lincoln High School, before the Yellowjackets went on an 8-0 run to take an 11-6 lead.
The Prowlers rallied to cut the deficit to one, but the Yellowjackets answered with a 22-7 run to take a 33-17 lead into the break.
The Yellowjackets continued to pull away in the second half for the 65-37 win.
The Yellowjackets had three players finish in double figures, led by 16 points from Finn Diggins. Manning was the only Prowler to reach double figures, scoring 10 points.
Scoring                         1      2        T
Thief River Falls            29   37       66
Roseau                             12    15       27
Thief River Falls – Dylan Hahn 4, Jack Onkka 7, Jack Rosendahl 7, Jonah Kalsnes 8, Aidan Strandberg 5, Brevyn Lingen 6, Brady Olson 6, Trevor Rose 2, Jack Manning 21.
Roseau – Jed Dunham 7, Steele Walsh 2, Clive Gordon 2, Jere Bender 3, David Nelson 8, Tyler Dirks 1, Peter VandeWege 4.
Scoring                         1       2        T
Perham                          33      32       65
Thief River Falls          17       20       37
Perham – Chas Mevin 4, Soren Anderson 8, Marcus Bolka 10, Finn Diggins 16, Grant McMartin 3, Gabe Thompson 12, Caden Schossow 4, Elijah Morris 5, Carson Hespe 3.
TRF – Dylan Hahn 2, Jack Onkka 2, Jack Rosendahl 7, Aidan Strandberg 6, Brevyn Lingen 6, Brady Olson 7, Jack Manning 10.