ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Basketball was abundant in Southeast Minnesota on Saturday for the 2026 Southern Minnesota Hoops Fest. Four schools took part in hosting the day-long event, with 27 total games being played.

At Byron high school, Rushford-Peterson claimed victory over Lake City, 69-54. The Trojans have just two losses on the season.

At Goodhue, Southland took down Lewiston-Altura 68-51. Both teams received votes in the most recent Class A poll (Minnesota Basketball News).

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Every youth athlete goes through periods of rapid growth — but not all of them experience pain or injury along the way. So, what separates the athletes who stay healthy from those who get sidelined? 

Growth itself isn’t the issue. The real challenge lies in how the body adapts to increases in size, speed and overall physical stress. During growth spurts, bones often lengthen faster than muscles and tendons can keep up. This mismatch can affect coordination, control and overall movement quality. Without adequate relative strength, movement competency and physical capacity, young athletes are more vulnerable to overuse injuries such as Osgood-Schlatter’s, Sever’s disease and even stress fractures. 

At Rehab 2 Perform, we focus on bridging the gap between rehabilitation and sports performance with a proactive, development-based physical therapy approach. Our rehab program includes age-appropriate movement assessments, targeted strength training and education for both athletes and their parents. We don’t simply help young athletes rehab and recover; we help them build resilience, confidence and the physical foundation needed for long-term success. 

By moving beyond the traditional “rest and wait” approach—or ignoring pain altogether—we empower young athletes to understand their bodies, address their weaknesses and take ownership of their development. Growth doesn’t have to equal growing pains. With the right environment, coaching and training principles, athletes can grow stronger, move better and stay on the field. 

At Rehab 2 Perform, we believe the true measure of success isn’t just returning to play—it’s creating durability and longevity in sport and in life. 

Dr. Josh Funk, DPT
Rehab 2 Perform

About the Author

Dr. Josh Funk, DPT, is the Founder and CEO of Rehab 2 Perform, a leading performance-based physical therapy company with 14 locations across the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region. A former collegiate and pro lacrosse player, Dr. Funk specializes in bridging the gap between rehab and performance for athletes of all levels.

Awards & Honors

Crean Lutheran’s Hunter Caplan moves the ball as Cypress guard Ethan Mai defends Friday night. (Photos courtesy Crean Lutheran Shutterbugs, John Luciano, Samantha Burgett and Howard Lyon).

Crean Lutheran’s boys basketball team battled back from a four-point halftime deficit to defeat Cypress 72-60 in a Crestview League opener Friday night at Crean Lutheran.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

It was a back and forth game up until the final two minutes of the game before the Saints (13-5, 1-0) were able to finish strong against the Centurions (14-6, 0-1), according to Crean Lutheran Coach Austin Loeb.

“Hats off to Cypress and Coach {Derek] Mitchell as they are a very disciplined team and play great team basketball,” Loeb told OC Sports Zone. “I thought our guys pulled together late in the fourth quarter and started to execute which helped us get the lead and ultimately the win.”

Hunter Caplan led Crean Lutheran with 19 points and two assists. Chadrack Mpoyi had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Nick Giarrusso had 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Saints.

Ryan Gov scored 21 points and Gavin Kroll 18 points to lead Cypress.

Crean Lutheran was again without starter Jacob Majok, who is out with an ankle injury, Loeb said.

In another league game, La Habra (15-4) defeated Foothill 57-46 Friday night at Foothill.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com

Nick Lovell, a fifth-generation Adams County native, local small business owner, and President of the Littlestown Area Board of School Directors, announced at a campaign event today that he is running as a Republican to represent the 91st District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

The 91^st District seat, which covers most of Adams County, is presently held by Dan Moul,

Lovell has served on the Littlestown Area School Board since 2023, when he was elected as the top vote recipient in both the primary and the general election. He currently serves as board president. In addition to his public service, Lovell runs his own business and has been active in his local church, where he serves as a worship leader. He is also deeply involved in the youth sports community, managing multiple baseball leagues in the area.

“Families across our district are working hard and doing everything right to make ends meet. They deserve a state representative who works just as hard for them,” Lovell said. “Leadership is service. It means showing up, listening, and getting results for your constituents. I’m running to fight for real property tax relief, stronger schools with accountability to families, and a state government that does its job on time and with fidelity.”

Lovell emphasized his commitment to practical solutions that help working families and seniors, protect taxpayers, and strengthen local communities.

“As a Christian and a lifelong Pennsylvanian, I believe public service is a calling,” Lovell added. “I’m proud of my roots here, and I’m ready to bring a strong work ethic and fresh energy to Harrisburg on behalf of the people of the 91st district.”

Lovell’s campaign will focus on property tax reform, fair and effective school funding, affordability, greater accountability in the state budget process, and term limits.

Voters can learn more and get involved at NickLovellForPA.com.

Young girls in Loudoun County, Virginia, interested in playing flag football will have a chance to do so in their own backyard.

The Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services is organizing its first girls’ flag football league this spring. It will have a middle school and high school division.

Sharon Moseley, the department’s youth sports program coordinator, told WTOP that girls of all ages are interested in the sport, and the league will make it more accessible to players in the county.

“It was just a matter of seeing the need and trying to meet it,” Moseley said.

The department will partner with Michael Rivera, who founded the Virginia Hurricanes girls’ flag football program and is currently the head coach of Marymount University’s women’s flag football team. Moseley said he brings the knowledge and passion for the sport, which makes it a great partnership.

“We want to give them the opportunity to play at a competitive level, to be able to just continue playing a game that they love and are learning, but also to improve at that game so they can have successful high school careers,” Rivera said.

Season runs for 6 weeks

Preseason practices would begin in March, with the season starting on April 12. The spring season will run over six Sundays, culminating with the final slate of games on June 7. All the games will take place on the turf field at Loudoun County High School in Leesburg, allowing multiple games to be played at the same time, Rivera said.

Families can register their child on the PRCS Connect page dedicated to flag football through March 1.

Players are required to register individually but will be asked questions during the process about which team they want to play for. The league will also be open to out-of-county residents.

While officials have been encouraging high school teams to register to play, Rivera said players of all skill levels are welcome to join and will be placed on a team to match their skill level.

A combination of volunteers and experienced coaches will assist during the first season. Moseley hopes that high school players entering the league will motivate their coaches to also participate in the future.

The addition of the flag football league comes as the sport continues to grow. Last September, 12 of the 13 high schools in Prince William County fielded girls flag football teams, four of which opened the inaugural season at the Washington Commanders training facility. Girls’ flag football also became a varsity sport in neighboring Maryland.

Flag football to premiere at Olympics

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the number of girls playing the game in high schools has more than doubled, with 42,955 girls participating in the 2023-24 season. Its increased popularity comes as a new collegiate flag football conference is set to begin in the spring, and the sport will debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Rivera, who’s been involved in the sport for over a decade, said that once girls try it, they are instantly hooked.

“I have so many players who have just come out and just by trying it, realize how much they love it, and it clicks very, very quickly,” Rivera said. “So, we’re trying to make it accessible to as many girls as possible.”

It costs $175 per player to join the league, with players receiving an NFL Flag Football jersey and a flag football belt. Players will be required to bring their own mouth guard and wear shorts or pants with no pockets as part of their uniform, Moseley said.

Officials say the inclusion of middle school players will be a starting point in getting younger girls involved in the sport. Moseley added that eventually, the league will include elementary school children as well.

“The younger we can start them and get them interested and get the skills and confidence, then they’re just going to thrive even more as they get older,” she said.

Moseley said once the sport becomes an official varsity high school sport in Virginia, Loudoun County’s rec league will become a place for players to get “supplemental training.”

While all skill levels are welcome, Rivera said players should expect a competitive environment on the gridiron in the spring.

“We want to make sure we make meaningful athletic opportunities for these girls and just make sure that we are keeping pace with everybody else,” Moseley said. “We don’t want them falling behind because the opportunity isn’t there.”

STILLWATER, Okla. – The University of Houston women’s basketball team dropped its lone regular-season meeting with rv Oklahoma State, 83-52, at the Gallagher-Iba Arena on Saturday. 
 
Senior guard TK Pitts led the Cougars (6-8, 0-3 Big 12) in scoring with 15 points, marking her sixth game this season in double figures. Freshman forward Jade Jones notched 10 points on the day, tallying her seventh outing of the year in double-digit scoring. Graduate forward Amani Bartlett set a career high of six rebounds.
 
Oklahoma State (13-3, 2-1) and Houston kept it close in the first, but the Cowgirls used a 10-2 run to take an 18-9 lead at the end of the quarter.
 
A game of runs ensued as a 17-4 stretch through the opening five minutes of the second extended Oklahoma State’s lead to 35-13. After trading scores late into the period, Houston sparked a 9-3 run to cut the deficit down to 16 at 45-29 to enter halftime. 
 
Jadyn Wooten and Micah Gray each produced 21 points on the day for the Cowgirls, leading five double-digit scorers for Oklahoma State to pull away in the second half.
 
UP NEXT
The Cougars return to Fertitta Center for a two-game homestand beginning with Kansas State at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, for Family Game Night. Fans can play bingo during the game to win special prizes. Fans can also stay after the game for postgame autographs with redshirt-senior guard Kyndall Hunter.
 
Houston welcomes rv/- BYU at 1 p.m., Saturday, for Youth Basketball Day. Fans can stick around for postgame autographs with senior guard TK Pitts.
 
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS 
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Women’s Basketball by providing NIL opportunities, purchasing tickets and joining Full Court Press, which provides support directly to Houston Women’s Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget. 
   
STAY CONNECTED 
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarWBB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team’s Facebook page at UHCougarWBB or on the team’s Instagram page at @UHCougarWBB. 
  

– UHCougars.com –