I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
July 23, 1999
By Devlyn Brooks
Red Lake Warriors boys basketball star Delwyn Holthusen will participate in a basketball tournament in Australia this weekend.
Holthusen, who signed to play college basketball at Minot (N.D.) State University in April, will be joined by six team members who also played basketball for Minnesota high schools this past season.
His teammates include Derrick Carter, Totino-Grace High School in Fridley; John Gullingsrud, Norman County East High School in Twin Valley; Kyle Ness, Win-E-Mac High School in Erskine; Kevin Philion, Red Lake Falls High School; Beau Trauger, Norman County West High School in Halstad; and Kellen Shebeck, Underwood High School.
Red Lake Falls boys basketball coach Brian Remick will coach the team down under.
The all-Minnesota squad will be competing in the Down Under Hoops Classic III sponsored by International Sports Specialists, Inc. of Utah. And they will compete Friday, Saturday and Sunday against not only other U.S. high school athletes, but international players as well.
International Sports Specialists was founded in 1989 by a New Zealand man, who wanted to promote the sport of football in his home country and Australia, according to a news release.
ISS was founded to bring American high school all-star football players down under, and because of the success of the Down Under Bowls, the company expanded to the Down Under Hoops Classic basketball tournaments. The basketball program is in its third year.
In addition to the opportunity of playing abroad, the players have the opportunity to go sight seeing and they will practice in the same Sydney, Australia, facility where the basketball events of the 2000 Olympics will be held.
Holthusen, who started as a center, scored more than 1,800 points in a five-year career for the Red Lake Warriors boys basketball team.
He helped lead the team to the last three state tournaments, and he also participated on the vaunted Minnesota Select basketball teams the last two summers.
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