Dec. 9—It's safe to say Avery Christensen has gotten off to a good start in his senior season.

The Willmar boys basketball player has earned Central Lakes Conference Performer of the Week honors. The 6-foot-2 senior guard put up 36 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the Cardinals' season-opening 83-72 win at Fergus Falls.

It was Willmar's first season-opening win since Dec. 6, 2022, a 72-67 victory over Marshall. The Cards try for their first 2-0 start since the 2020-21 season when they play at 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Sauk Rapids. Tuesday's game with Alexandria was postponed.

That year was played with a reduced schedule that began Jan. 16, 2020. Willmar beat Rocori 58-50 and Sauk Rapids 58-56, finishing with a 7-13 record.

Willmar's next home game is 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16 against Rocori.

Willmar's boys hockey team beat River Lakes 4-3 in overtime on Friday. It ended a Central Lakes Conference losing streak dating nine years. Willmar last beat a CLC opponent during the regular season in 2015-16. That year, the Cardinals went 3-11 in CLC play. They ended the regular season Feb. 9, 2016 with a 3-1 win over Fergus Falls. They also beat Sauk Rapids 4-1 on Jan. 5 and River Lakes 4-1 on Dec. 15, 2015.

In 2018-19, Willmar went 0-8-2 in the CLC, getting ties against Fergus Falls (4-4 on Dec. 2, 2018) and Sauk Rapids (4-4 on Jan. 8, 2019).

But until Friday's win, the Cardinals had gone 0-89-2 in the CLC since the 2015-16 season.

Willmar, 2-1 this season, next plays at 7 p.m. Thursday at Hutchinson. The Cardinals then play at 6 p.m. Friday against Morris/Benson Area at the Lee Community Center in Morris.

The Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association, which does its own state rankings separate from the Minnesota Basketball News, has Montevideo ranked second in Class AA behind Jackson County Central.

Dawson-Boyd also pops up at No. 5 in the Class A rankings.

The complete top-10 rankings from the MBCA:

* Class A — (1) Cherry; (2) Pelican Rapids; (3) Red Lake County; (4) Hills-Beaver Creek; (5) Dawson-Boyd; (6) Henning; (7) Nevis; (8) Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton; (9) Southland; (10) Braham.

* Class AA — (1) Jackson County Central; (2) Montevideo; (3) Goodhue; (4) Belle Plaine; (5) Pequot Lakes; (6) Holy Family; (7) Lake City; (8) Minneapolis North; (9) Albany; (10) Minnehaha Academy.

* Class AAA — (1) Totino-Grace; (2) Richfield; (3) Mankato East; (4) DeLaSalle; (5) Mahtomedi; (6) St. Paul Johnson; (7) Orono; (8) Becker; (9) Hibbing; (10) St. Peter.

* Class AAAA — (1) Wayzata; (2) Maple Grove; (3) Tartan; (4) Cretin-Derham Hall; (5) Hopkins; (6) Alexandria; (7) East Ridge; (8) Prior Lake; (9) Apple Valley; (10) Eagan.

The Northwoods League had two Willmar Stingers selected on its 2025 Major League Baseball Alumni Team.

Left-handed pitcher Noah Cameron of the Kansas City Royals played with the Stingers in 2020. Louie Varland got to pitch in the World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays. The former Stinger played for Willmar in 2017 and '18.

Also playing in MLB in 2025 are former Stingers first baseman Kyle Manzardo of the Cleveland Guardians, pitcher Nick Mears and infielder Joey Ortiz of the Milwaukee Brewers, infielder Brooks Lee of the Minnesota Twins, pitcher Tanner Banks of the Philadelphia Phillies, pitcher Jacob Barnes of the Toronto Blue Jays and pitcher Colin Poche of the Washington Nationals.

Manzardo was an honorable mention on the all-alumni team.