February fever has hit the area with high school basketball and wrestling seasons nearing their respective ends in Gasconade County.

Over the weekend at Union High School, four Zach Bollmann coached Owensville High School (OHS) Dutchgirl wrestlers punched their tickets to the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Girls Wrestling Championships scheduled for Feb. 21-22 at Mizzou Arena on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus.

Now a three-time state qualifier, Bailee Dare has helped double the number of qualifiers over the past two seasons.

Joining Dare next week in Columbia will be her younger sister in freshman Rylee Dare and the junior duo of Madison Lewis and Elizabeth Adams.

This will mark the first time since 2013 that OHS has had a pair of siblings qualify for state wrestling.

The Dare sisters now join the Dolles brothers (Chris and Cody) from 2013 and the Saebens brothers (Jack and Alex) from 2010 as the lone sets of sibling state qualifiers during the same season.

Dustin Howard’s Dutchmen wrestlers will get their chance to join the Dutchgirl quartet of state qualifiers this weekend during the MSHSAA Class 2, District 1 Wrestling Tournament at Sullivan High School.

Wrestling will get underway Friday in Sullivan at 5:30 p.m., with first-round action and resume Saturday morning at 10 a.m., beginning with the second round of wrestlebacks.

Looking to finish in the top four of their respective weight classes to qualify for state, Owensville will be competing against fellow wrestlers from Affton, Central (Park Hills), Dexter, Herculaneum, Jennings, John Burroughs, Kennett, KIPP, Normandy Collaborative, Potosi, St. Clair, St. James, Ste. Genevieve, Sullivan and University City.

On the hardwood, John VanLeer’s Owensville Dutchgirl basketball team saw their chances at an outright Four Rivers Conference (FRC) title take a big hit following a 42-25 loss Monday night at Union. They will now need road wins at St. James tomorrow (Thursday) and Sullivan next Tuesday in order to guarantee at least a share of the title.

Cullen VanLeer’s Dutchmen will look to end their regular season with road wins at St. James Friday night and Sullivan next Tuesday to go into the upcoming MSHSAA Class 4, District 3 Tournament with some positive momentum.

Up in northern Gasconade County, Jake Witthaus’ Hermann Bearcats have put themselves into the driver’s seat for an outright FRC title.

A win last night (Tuesday) at New Haven would give them no worse than a share of the title. Hermann can clinch the outright title with a road win Friday night at Pacific.

Witthaus’ Bearcats earned the second seed for the upcoming MSHSAA Class 3, District 7 Boys Basketball Tournament at New Bloomfield High School beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 20. They will face the winner of the South Callaway/Missouri Military Academy game in the district semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Andy Emmons’ Hermann Lady Bearcat basketball team is looking to end their regular season on a positive note Thursday night at Pacific before opening the MSHSAA Class 3, District 7 Tournament at North Callaway High School in Kingdom City against the host Lady Thunderbirds on Monday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m.