MANKATO – The Hayfield Vikings are Section 2A Class AA boys basketball champions.

Saturday, March 17, 2001

MANKATO – The Hayfield Vikings are Section 2A Class AA boys basketball champions.

The Vikings easily defeated Blue Earth Area, 46-26, in the championship game at Bresnan Arena in the Taylor Center at Minnesota State University in Mankato on Friday night.

Hayfield had 11 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second, nine in the third and four in the fourth. Blue Earth had 11 points in the first quarter, six in the second, seven in the third and two in the fourth.

Matt Harvey was Hayfield’s top scorer with 16 points. Jon Severson had 10 points and four steals and Aaron Tempel had seven rebounds to lead the Vikings to victory.

Blue Earth had nine out of 48 shots, or 19 percent. As a team, Hayfield got 19 out of 30 free throws.

"We got to the line quite a bit," Hayfield first-year coach Chris Pack commented after the game.

The town of Hayfield welcomed the returning team by escorting the bus from Blooming Prairie. Two fire trucks led the bus and three fire trucks were behind the bus, with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

When the team arrived back at the Hayfield gym, there were 400 cheering well-wishers. Pack said the team was overwhelmed by the reception.

Tickets go on sale at Monday for the state quarterfinals with Hayfield playing DeLaSalle of Minneapolis at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Gustavus-Adolphus in St. Peter. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students.