It all started at the beginning of March with 35 nominees for our Winter Sports Athlete of the Season. All 35 of those athletes were more than deserving to win this award. But after a month of narrowing down the list we have our 2 winners!

We started with 35 nominees for the Winter Sports Athlete of the Season! Then it was down to 17, and now its down to the final four. It's bitter sweet to see this process, while we believe each of these athletes deserves the award, there can only be two. Here are the final four nominees, two boys and two girls.

Braham made the State Tournament after winning the Section 5A Championship over Pine River-Backus! On the 1st day of the tournament they, as the 8th seed, took on the number team at state, Mountain Iron-Buhl. The start of this game was less than ideal, they struggled with turnovers and couldn't quite find their footing. But it was more than understandable, they were trying to take in the moment of being at State. Once they worked through the jitters they started to look li

Well the winter sports season has officially come to an end here at WCMP. We certainly had a lot of fun and memorable moments throughout the season. Thanks to Pine Insurance Agency we we able to do a Athlete of the Week to highlight some of the great local athletes in our area. But we wanted to do one more thing to recognize local athletes in our area. And that bring us our, Winter Sports Athlete of the Season Award!

We had two teams compete at Foley in the section quarterfinals. Braham was up first and they played against Swanville. These two teams met earlier in the season and Braham won but only by 11.

Pine City played Legacy Christian Academy on Saturday at St. Ben's. This game was a rematch from earlier in the season, when the Dragons lost by a single point. The Dragons were looking to get some revenge on the Lions, but they knew it wouldn't be easy. The first half was a bit of a struggle on both sides of the ball. While the Dragons didn't play bad on either side of the court, it just seemed like everything was going the Lions way. Legacy found some early success fro

Pine City hosted Melrose on Thursday night. The Lady Dragons were able to host a playoff game on Thursday and no doubt the energy was high. They were also looking to get a sour taste out of their mouths from losing at home on Senior night. They came into the playoffs as the 5 seed but Melrose was a very good 12 seed.

Chisago Lakes made the trip up to Duluth Denfeld on Wednesday night. The Wildcats opened up the 1st round of playoffs on the road, despite that they were full of confidence going up against the Hunters. The game began with both teams feeling each other out, while also playing off some of the nerves that come with playoff basketball. But once each team got a feel for the game and settled in, it was all gas no brakes. The Wildcats lead much of the 1st half but not by much.

The Playoffs are upon us! Let's take a look at how each team finished and where they'll play in the 1st round of the playoffs! Class A Section 5A East Braham 20-6(11-0), 1st in section The Bombers have their heads down looking to get back to the section championship. They scheduled maybe one of the toughest seasons but it all paid off. They'll host Hinckley-Finlayson on Thursday. Ogilvie 12-13(8-5), 5th in Section The Lions have a younger team this year but have

Pine City hosted St. Francis on Friday night. The Dragons came in looking for one final win on the regular season, but also to keep a top 5 spot for the playoffs.

Pine City hosted Spectrum on Tuesday night. Pine City came into the final week of the regular season in position to lock themselves into a home playoff game. They first needed a win over another section opponent in Spectrum. There was also alittle bit of revenge that the Dragons were seeking, after the Sting beat them last year.

The Lady Bombers hosted Moose Lake-Willow River on Monday night. The Bombers started the final week of the regular season at home. They were able to celebrate the seniors, all five of them. But as the game started, it was all Braham all the time. Their offense was unstoppable and the defense gave no ground to gain. They also had a plethora of takeaways and held the Rebels to 9 first half points. The Bombers continued their dominance the entire half and at the break they l

The Lady Dragons traveled to Mora on Friday night. These two teams met a week before and the Dragons were able to hold on for a tight win. But this time the game was in Mora, with alot on the line. Not just a conference win, but a section win, which would help both teams elevate their seedings for playoffs. The 1st half of the game saw Pine City get the lead early, but Mora kept themselves within a few possessions. Both teams battled it out, Pine City held the lead but co

Pine City hosted Hinckley-Finlayson on Tuesday night. The last time these teams met was in Hinckley, with Pine City coming away with a double digit win. So this time the Jags were looking for some revenge on the road.

Pine City traveled to Braham on Monday night. What a game to open up the new week, two teams who are extremely talented and have only grown and gotten better since their last meeting. The action on the court lived up to all the hype.

Pine City hosted Aitkin on Friday. Both teams played their style of basketball very well. And alot of times when you have one team who likes to push the pace, that can lead to a lopsided game. But the Dragons defense held its ground for much of the game, especially in the 1st half.

East Central traveled to Braham to face the Bombers to decide who will hold the top spot in Section 5A. There is still three weeks left in the regular season, so there is still time for movement. But with a 78-63 victory, Braham is the team the beat for now.

Cambridge-Isanti traveled to North Branch on Thursday. Both teams came into the game with their records not quite where they wanted them to be. But nothing like a conference rivalry to get back on track. The Bluejackets struck first and managed to get out to nearly a early double digit lead. But the Vikings were quick to go on a run of their own and even captured the lead. Suddenly the momentum had shifted hands and the Vikings were hoping to use that to potentially build

Pine City hosted Mora on Wednesday night. There was alot on the line in this game for both sides, a win overall yes, but a chance for a section and conference win along with pride. A win for either team vastly improves their standing in the section as we approach playoffs. In the early stages of the 1st half, it was a bit of a feeling out process for both sides. But once both teams settled in, there was non stop action. Defenses played a big part in this game, and even th

Hinckley-Finlayson hosted Braham on Tuesday. This game saw the top team in the section in Braham play a Jags squad that has seen great growth since the beginning of the season.