HSGN's Top 10 Game Show Announcers of All Time

They introduce the contestants and host as well as describe the prizes that can be won.  That's the job description of a game show announcer and HSGN has the Top 10 of all time.

1.  Johnny Olson.  Since he started out with the Goodson-Todman game show Play Your Hunch, he became the voice for the bulk of the company's shows such as What's My Line, Match Game and the Price is Right where he became famous for one of the most popular game show catch phrases of all time "Come on down!"  He was a trouper, never missing a show.  According to Stan Blits' book on The Price is Right, on one occasion he was so sick to his stomach that he kept a trash can next to his lecturn and barfed into it between "Come on downs."  Not only did he announce many game shows, he was also the announcer for the Jackie Gleason Show when it was produced in Miami Beach from 1964 to 1970.  His voice was heard over the shots of the Atlantic Ocean as he opened each show with "From the sun and fun capitol of the world."  Olson was also heard in an episode of Maude as the announcer on the fictitious game show Beat the Devil, where Maude and Vivian were contestants and they were eventually disqualified because Vivian's nephew worked on the show.

2.  Johnny Gilbert.  At 92, Gilbert is still going strong as the voice who opens every episode of Jeopardy with his signature three word opening "This is Jeopardy!"  The former night club singer made his game show debut as host of Music Bingo in 1958 and three years later he made his announcing debut on the game show Yours for a Song, the first of more than 30 shows he worked on.  When the original version of The Price is Right moved from NBC to ABC, Gilbert would replace Don Pardo as the show's announcer because Pardo was still under contract to the Peacock Network.  He would also fill in as host for Cullen and would also host two syndicated game shows in the late 60s  Fast Draw and Beat the Odds.  Both of them would last only one season.

3.  Gene Wood.  Since beginning his announcing career on the revived Beat the Clock in 1969, a show he would later host, Wood has been more of a second lieutenant to Olson as an announcer for Goodson-Todman, becoming famous for introducing the families on Family Feud and reading the opening poems of the original version of Card Sharks.  Before Wood became involved with game shows, he was a writer for Captain Kangaroo, creating the cartoon series The Adventures of Lariat Sam.  He also announced shows for other packagers, including Love Connection and Win, Lose or Draw.

4.  Kenny Williams.  He was the main announcer for game shows produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley that began in 1960 with Video Village.  Among the shows he announced were PDQ, Hollywood Squares, Gambit and High Rollers.  Williams would also appear on camera as the Town Crier on Video Village, Kenny the Cop on Shenanigans that was hosted by Stubby Kaye and also on the kids version of Hollywood Squares, the Storybook Squares.  The only two shows he didn't announce for Heatter-Quigley were Temptation and The Magnificent Marble Machine.  BTW, Carl King did Temptation and Gilbert did The Magnificent Marble Machine.  But he's best known for introducing Peter Marshall as "The Master of the Hollywood Squares."

5.  Jay Stewart.  Not only was the announcer on the show he's best known for Let's Make a Deal but he also frequently appeared on camera to assist host Monty Hall with the various deals.  He was a key to the show's 13 year run and would later go on to announce for Jack Barry and Dan Enright, working on shows such as The Joker's Wild, Tic Tac Dough and Bullseye.  Stewart would move on to announce for Reg Grundy Productions, working on Sale of the Century and Scrabble.

6.  Charlie O'Donnell.  Before announcing game shows, O'Donnell was the announcer on American Bandstand and sidekick to Dick Clark.  He would later work with Clark on numerous specials and awards shows.  As far as game shows are concerned, he's best known as the announcer on Wheel of Fortune.  He would serve two announcing stints on the long running game show, starting with the debut in 1975 until leaving to become the primary voice for the Barry-Enright game shows and returning in 1989 until he passed away in 2010.  In addition, he would announced The Academy Awards, the Miss America Pageant and read the news on Los Angeles TV station KCOP-TV.

7.  Rod Roddy.  Since his voice was first heard as the announcer/narrator on the controversial sitcom Soap in 1977, he would move into game show announcing two years later with Whew!  Since then, he worked on shows such as Battlestars, Hit Man and Press Your Luck before being selected to replace Olson, who died in 1985 as the announcer on The Price is Right.  He would work on the long running game show for 17 years until he passed away in 2003.  One thing Roddy was known for was his outlandish silk jackets that came from fabric he bought on his frequent trips to Thailand.

8.  Don Pardo.  The NBC staff announcer worked on a number of New York based game shows for the network, including the original Price is Right where his catch phrase was "Price authority..." in mentioning the name of the company that supplied the prize up for bids.  Pardo would stay with the network when the show moved to ABC in 1963 and in 1964 he would become the announcer on the original Jeopardy with Art Fleming.  He would also announce other shows such as Eye Guess and Three on a Match before landing his longest running gig in 1975 as the voice for Saturday Night Live.  Pardo would also announce for many year's NBC's coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

9.  Johnny Jacobs.  Since TV viewers first heard him in 1965 on Chuck Barris' maiden voyage into game shows The Dating Game, he would be the announcer for almost every show that Barris produced.  His long time friend Jack Barry would use him as the announcer on The Joker's Wild when the show debuted in 1972.  Before Jacobs got into game show announcing, he appeared in an episode of Leave it to Beaver as the moderator of a TV show Beaver appeared on Teenage Forum.

10.  John Harlan.  Second to Gilbert as the oldest surviving game show announcer, Harlan's voice has been heard frequently on shows produced by packagers named Ralph, Andrews and Edwards.  He would be the announcer on Tom Kennedy's first hit show You Don't Say in 1963 and reunite with him on Name that Tune in the mid 70s.  But Harlan's also did shows for other companies.  He was the announcer on the early 70s incarnation of Password and the short lived 1978 revival of Jeopardy.  Harlan's voice was also heard on another music game show Face the Music.

2016 Schwan Cup High School Tournament Preview

The Schwan Super Rink in Blaine is the site for plenty of high school hockey holiday tournament play this week with the 2016 Schwan Cup girls and boys high school hockey tournaments.

In addition, the girls and boys championship games and the boys Gold Division quarterfinal and semi final games will be played at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

The girls portion of the Schwan Cup gets underway Monday with opening round games in five divisions.  Three Top 10 teams are in the Gold Division as the Centennial Cougars, ranked seventh in Class AA, take on the Buffalo Bison.  Perennial power Lakeville North plays in the second game against the Duluth Icebreakers.  A Class A state tournament preview could take place if a pair of teams win their quarterfinal games.  The first pits Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids against seventh ranked Proctor/Hermantown.  In the second lower bracket game, the East Ridge Raptors battle the fifth ranked Thief River Falls Prowlers.

It's a new look Silver division with six new teams joining incumbents Holy Family/Waconia and Moose Lake.  Moose Lake opens the day's festivities against the Irondale Knights, followed by Holy Family/Waconia and Andover.  The Anoka Tornadoes face North/Tartan and Cloquet/Esko/Carlton battles the Rogers Royals.

The only Twin Cities area match up in the Bronze Division is the opening round game with the Mahtomedi Zephyrs taking on the Totino-Grace Eagles.  Outstate teams comprise the remainder of the bracket.  St. Cloud takes on International Falls, followed by the only Canadian team in this year's tournament, the Fort Francis Muskies.   Their opponent is the Owatonna Huskies.  Wrapping up the bracket will be St. Francis/North Branch and the Green Bay Bay Bears.

In the American Division, the Luverne Cardinals face the Chisago Lakes Wildcats, floowed by the Rochester Mayo Spartans and the Henry Sibley Warriors.  Northland Pines from Wisconsin plays the Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets and the evening wraps up with the "Battle of the Prairies" as Sun Prairie, WI faces Prairie Center.

There's only six teams in the National Division so it will be a round robin format as Arrowhead, WI faces the Eveleth-Gilbert golden Bears, followed by a southern Minnesota showdown between the Marshall Tigers and the Fairmont Cardinals and concluding the first day's action is Northern Lakes from Breezy Point and the North Metro Stars.

As for the boys tournament that begins on Thursday, December 29, head over to Ridder Arena as the Gold Division quarterfinals open with the defending Class AA champion Wayzata Trojans battle the St. Thomas Academy Cadets.  The Trojans Lake Conference rivals, the Minnetonka Skippers play the next game against the Centennial Cougars.  Two perennial powers play in the third game, the Hill-Murray Pioneers and the Eden Prairie Eagles and it's followed by the Burnsville Blaze and the Edina Hornets.  There's plenty of outstanding talent in this division, including Eden Prairie's Casey Mittlestadt.

Back in Blaine, there's the Silver Division bracket with the fourth ranked team in Class A, the Breck Mustangs facing the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders.  The sixth ranked Mahtomedi Zephyrs battle the Buffalo Bison in the second game.  The third game is a north suburban shootout as the Mounds View Mustangs face the Anoka Tornadoes.  Concluding the day's action is the St.Michael-Albertville Knights and the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars.

The only non Minnesota team in the boys tournament is the Hudson Raiders and they open up Bronze Division quarterfinal play against Minneapolis.  Next up is the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles and the Rogers Royals, followed by a couple of private school powers the Holy Angels Stars and the Blake Bears.  The Chanhassen Storm and the Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets wrap up Bronze Division quarterfinal Thursday.

The final boys division is the Open Division as the Mankato East Cougars begin the quarterfinals against the Spring Lake Park Panthers.  The Minnehaha Academy Redhawks fly up Highway 65 to take on the Chisago Lakes Wildcats, followed by the Chaska Hawks and the Princeton Tigers.  There could be an "All Tigers Semifinal" as the Marshall Tigers square off with the Simley Spartans.

There it is.  Six days of exciting high school hockey.  Whether you take in the girls games or the boys games, there's plenty of outstanding talent that will skate on all eight rinks in Blaine and Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.  It's a great way to wrap up 2016 in Minnesota high school hockey.

Hopkins/Park Royals Rally to Beat Eagan Wildcats

The holidays will be happier for Kylie Hanley who scored two goals, including the game winner with 2:18 left in regulation time to lead the Hopkins/Park Royals to a 3-2 come from behind win Thursday night at The Rec Center in St. Louis Park.

The Wildcats would take the early lead when Hannah Kojetin received a pass from Megan Plaschko and she went along the left boards, cut into the slot and went top shelf for the first Eagan goal.  They would go up  by two when Abby Barger passed to Kayla Vrieze in the center slot and she lined the puck into the net.

Neither team would score in the second period but Eagan goalie Ashley Larson made several glove saves to keep the margin at two.

In the third period, the Royals would begin their comeback when Hanley rebounded Kate Glover's shot to cut the lead to one.  They would tie the game at two as Jenna Kimbrel made a right side pass to Makayla Jones-Klausing in the right slot and she would put it past Larson.  Would there be overtime in the first of two Rec Center home games (the next is January 21) for Hopkins/Park?  Hanley would answer the question with a shot from the center slot that would cross the goal line with 2:18 to go.  Eagan head coach Dan Wilson would pull Larson with under a minute to go for a sixth attacker and the Wildcat defense would prevent any other pucks from entering the net.

Hopkins/Park improved their record to 11-3 and will open up the Mid-Winter Border Battle on Wednesday, December 28 at 10 AM against the Hayward, WI Hurricanes at Fogerty Arena in Blaine. Eagan returns to action on Tuesday, December 27 at 5:45 PM as they wrap up the opening day of the Mid-Winter Meltdown against the Eden Prairie Eagles at the Eden Prairie Community Center.

Emily Cronkhite of Eagan is the daughter of Steve Cronkhite, who played on the 1987 state boys hockey champion Bloomington Kennedy Eagles.

SLP Oriole Athletic Teams to Play in Holiday Tournaments

St. Louis Park's athletic teams will be hitting the road after Christmas to participate in holiday tournaments.  Here's where the Orioles will be playing.

The boys hockey team will be heading north to Heritage Arena in Duluth December 27-29.  They will open up the day's festivities on the 27th against the Owatonna Huskies at 1 PM.  On Wednesday, December 28, they will take on the Apple Valley Eagles at 3:30 and they will wrap up their trip to the Twin Ports on the 29th against the host team, the Duluth Denfeld Hunters at 3 PM.

As for the combined Hopkins/SLP girls hockey team, they will head up to Fogerty Arena in Blaine to play in the Mid-Winter Border Battle December 28-30.  Their opening round game on the 28th is at 10 AM against the defending Wisconsin state champion Hayward Hurricanes.  They will play either Forest Lake or White Bear Lake on the 29th at 10 AM or 2 PM.

Not too far from Blaine is Arden Hills, where the Oriole boys basketball team will play in the Bethel University Tournament December 28-29.  Their game on the 28th is against the Eagan Wildcats at 4:15 PM.

The girls basketball team will be heading down I-35 to Northfield to play in the St. Olaf Holiday Hoops Classic December 28-30 at Skoglund Center on the St. Olaf College campus.  They will battle the Eagan Wildcats on the 28th at 6:45 PM.

Take your pick.  Whether you decide to head north to Duluth for boys hockey, south to Northfield for girls basketball or venture to the north metro for boys basketball in Arden Hills or girls hockey in Blaine, there's plenty of holiday tournament action coming up for Oriole fans.  Hopefully, the weather picture will be favorable for a tournament road trip.

Groves Academy Griffins Win First Game of Season

There will be no lumps of coal in the Groves Academy Griffins Christmas stockings as Malik Bodden scored 25 points to lead them to a 65-49 win over the Chesterton Academy Bulldogs Tuesday night in St. Louis Park.

The win snapped a four game losing streak for Groves Academy.

Max Bilcik began the scoring for the Griffins :24 into the game when he scored on a rebound.  Zach Halpin would even the game at two and would put the Bulldogs on a 6-0 run that would end when Bilcik scored four straight points.  Bodden would score to event the game at six and larry Mohamed would hit a free throw to put Groves Academy ahead.  Mohamed would also put the Griffins on a 4-0 run that would end on a pair of free throws from Chesterton Academy's Dundee Peterson.  Groves Academy would move ahead further and Patrick Quinn would hit the game's first three pointer with 6:20 left in the half.  Bodden would also hit from Highway 100 as foul trouble would plague the Bulldogs when Greg fink picked up his third foul with 1:31 left in the half.  The Griffins would lead 32-15 at halftime.

Chesterton Academy would begin the second half on a 5-0 run that included a three pointer from Pilon.  Kolbe Lahmis picked up his fourth foul with 16:07 to play and the Bulldogs would try to get back in the game as they went on a 6-0 run.  Zach Halpin would later hit a three point play that would cut the lead to seven but that would be as close as Chesterton Academy could get.  Bodden would use his speed and hot shooting to score eight of the Griffins next 10 points to put the game out of reach.  The Bulldogs would go on a 5-0 run but they couldn't drop the margin to under 10.  Groves Academy would lose Bilcik on fouls with 3:00 left but they would hold their lead to clinch the victory leading into the Christmas break.

Bilcik and Quinn were the only other Groves Academy players in double figures, scoring 10 points apiece.  Halpin led Chesterton Academy with 25 points.  Pilon piled in 10.

The Griffins improved their record to 1-4 and will participate in the North Lakes Academy Tournament December 28-29 in Forest Lake.  Their game on the 28th is against North Lakes Academy at 7 PM.  The Bulldogs fell to 0-1 and will play in the Calvin Christian Tournament December 27-29 in Fridley.

HSGN's Top 10 Game Show Hosts of All-Time

Of all the game shows that have aired since the late 40s, there have been many hosts, including several who have gone on to greater fame with multiple shows.  Here is HSGN's Top 10 Game Show Hosts of All-Time.

1.  Bill Cullen.  Not only has he hosted more game shows than anyone on this list with 23, he was a regular panelist on two long running shows.  He had a 15 year run on I've Got a Secret and a nine year run where he also filled in as host on the syndicated revival of To Tell the Truth with another host who made this list.  He was a bright and witty man who made the contestants feel at home and brought humor to the proceedings.  Though Cullen hosted a number of flops throughout his career, he was best known for hosting the original Price is Right and a couple of games that were produced by his best friend Bob Stewart Eye Guess and Three on a Match.  When you watch a Cullen show, you usually saw him seated due to a limp that came from polio.

2.  Bob Barker.  He was discovered by Ralph Edwards when he heard him on his car radio and was hired in 1956 to host Truth or Consequences in two runs that would run a total of 18 years.  But his biggest success came in 1972 when Mark Goodson hired him to host the revamped Price is Right and he would stay with the show until he retired in 2007.  His ability to handle audience participation shows and bring out the best in contestants that were chosen from the audience earned him many Emmy Awards.

3.  Bob Eubanks.  At the age of 28, he made his TV debut as host of The Newlywed Game, a show he would host in three other incarnations.  Though he hosted several flops such as The Diamond Head Game, Rhyme and Reason and Trivia Trap, his other game show success was the 1986-89 version of Card Sharks.  What puts Eubanks high on the list is his ability to do what every great game show host does well, listen and react.  And he did that so well with a dash of humor mixed in.  One little known fact about Eubanks, he managed country superstars Dolly Parton and Merle Haggard.

4.  Alex Trebek.  Since he came from Canada in 1973 to host NBC's The Wizard of Odds, he has hosted shows such as High Rollers, Double Dare (not the kids show on Nickelodeon), The $128,000 Question and Battlestars.  In 1984, he would become the host of Jeopardy and he still guiding the show 32 years later.  In 1991, he became the first host to host three daily game shows with Classic Concentration and To Tell the Truth along with Jeopardy.  He was also the host of The National Geographic Bee from 1989-2013.

5.  Allen Ludden.  One of the best dressed hosts of all-time, Ludden would be the original host of the GE College Bowl until he became the host of the landmark word game Password.  Not only would Password be his greatest success, it was on that show he would meet and later marry Betty White.  His friendly and classy and caring personality was a plus as he interacted well with the celebrities and contestants.  Ludden would also go on to host two other versions of Password until he had to step down due to cancer, which took his life in 1981.  Two little known facts about Ludden, he would host a quiz segment on the program Agriculture USA and a PBS game show on personal finance You Owe it to Yourself, which aired on the Twin Cities on KTCA-TV in the mid 70s.

6.  Garry Moore.  He was one of the busiest hosts of the 50s and 60s that had two long running hits.  The first was I've Got a Secret, which he hosted from 1952-64 and his own variety show that introduced the nation to a young comedienne named Carol Burnett who sang about making a fool of herself over John Foster Dulles.  Moore would make a comeback in 1969 when he replaced Bud Collyer as host of To Tell the Truth.  He would host the show until he developed throat cancer and had to leave the show in 1977.

7.  Wink Martindale.  Since making his national debut in 1964 (aka Win) as host of What's This Song, he would host several other short-lived game shows such as How's Your Mother in Law, Words and Music and Can You Top This before he hit it big with Gambit and later Tic Tac Dough.  He would also create and host Headline Chasers and host other cable shows, including Debt.  Before he made it big in game shows, he had a hit record with Deck of Cards.

8.  Tom Kennedy.  The brother of Jack Narz, Kennedy would become a household name in 1963 when he became the host of You Don't Say.  He would also have two other hit shows, Split Second and the long running Name That Tune.  He would also host an attempted effort to bring back the big money quiz show 50 Grand Slam but it was gone after 13 weeks.  Kennedy would also go on to replace Ludden as host of Password Plus in 1980 when Ludden left due to illness.

9.  Monty Hall.  He hosted shows in his native Canada before coming to the United States in the mid 50s.  He would be a substitute host on Strike it Rich and Twenty One before he replaced Narz as host of the first Heatter-Quigley game show Video Village in 1960.  Three years later, he would create, produce and host the show that would be his biggest hit, Let's Make a Deal.  It would run for 13 years, the first five on NBC before moving to ABC for the rest of its run.  He was the perfect host for one of the hardest formats to host since there are so many different variables but Hall made it look easy, putting the costumed contestants at ease and injecting humor.  Before hosting game shows, he was the radio color commentator for the New York Rangers home games until he was hired for Video Village.

10.  The final host in the top 10 is Gene Rayburn.  After becoming the first announcer on The Tonight Show in 1954, he would go on to hosting game shows such as Dough Re Mi, Choose Up Sides and Play Your Hunch before becoming the host of the original Match Game in 1962.  He would be brought back to host the extremely popular 70s incarnation that brought his wacky sense of humor into the forefront.  He also read the comedic questions as he portrayed characters such as Dracula and Old Man Periwinkle.  He was also one of the few hosts who never lived in California, commuting every other week for each taping from his Cape Cod home.

Snowstorm Postpones SLP Orioles Saturday Matinee

The heavy snowstorm that hit much of Minnesota Friday night has caused Saturday's boys hockey game between the North Shore Storm and the St. Louis Park Orioles to be postponed.

No word on any rescheduled for the nonconference game.

On December 15, the Orioles returned to the win column with a 7-5 win over the Mound-Westonka Whitehawks.  Bauer Neudecker scored four goals for the Orioles, who improved their record to 3-2.

St. Louis Park has a tough test coming up on Tuesday, December 20 when they host the defending Class AA state champion Wayzata Trojans at 7 PM at The Rec Center.  It's their last home game before the holiday break.  The Orioles will play in a tournament December 27-29 at the Heritage Arena in Duluth.  Their opening round game on the 27th is against the Owatonna Huskies at 1 PM.

St. Paul Prep Falcons Rout Groves Academy Griffins

Though only six players were in uniform for the St. Paul Prep Falcons, they would use their speed and athleticism that was led by Aaron Gill's 29 points en route to a 102-34 defeat of the Groves Academy Griffins Thursday night in St. Louis Park.

Malcolm Golden would open the scoring for the Falcons :11 into the game.  Gill would put St. Paul Prep on a 5-0 run with four straight points until Malik Bodden put the Griffins on the scoreboard.  The Falcons would would get three pointers from Romell Adams and Roberto Riganti as well as Gill who missed a couple of gigantic dunks.  Groves Academy's outside shooting was like the subzero windchills that plagued the Twin Cities area this week as they fell behind 35-8.  St. Paul Prep displayed outstanding passing as well as three point shooting from Adams and golden and they would extend their lead even further, leading 67-14 at halftime.

The Falcons would widen their lead to start the second half going on a 6-0 run.  Gill gave the small throng a sampling of his athletic ability when he glided through the land=e, changed hands and made a lay up.  St. Paul Prep would go on a 16-0 run as the Griffins would not get their first basket until Max Greseth, who made his first start in place of the injured Martin Schmitz would hit a three pointer with 12:37 to go.  He would be the lone bright spot for Groves Academy as he later hit his second three pointer.  The Griffins would lose Bilcik and Noah Madson to fouls as the game would head into running time and head coach Peter Shutte would give several reserves an opportunity to get some playing time.

Other players in double figures for the Falcons were Adams with 22 points, Riganti with 21 and Golden 20.  Bilcik was the Griffins leading scorer with eight points.

St. Paul Prep improved their record to 3-0 and will travel to Brooklyn Park on Monday, December 19 to face the Prairie Seeds Academy Lycans at 7 PM.  Groves Academy fell to 0-4 and will wrap up their home stand on Tuesday, December 20 with a 5:30 game against Chesterton Academy.

A Tribute to Alan Thicke

On December 13, the multi talented Alan Thicke passed away at 69 from a heart attack.  He was best known for portraying Jason Seaver on the sitcom Growing Pains but he also was involved with game shows as a host, producer and composer of theme songs.

HSGN looks back at the game show career of Thicke.

The Canadian born Thicke hosted four game shows.  His first was in his native Canada, when he presided over the Montreal produced comedy game show First Impressions.  The show ran from 1976 to 1977.  In 1987, he hosted his first network game show when he became the host of the Saturday morning game show Animal Crackups.  The show featured four celebrities who answered questions about animals in a quest to win $2500 for their animal related charity.

The show made extensive use of footage from the Tokyo Broadcasting System since it was based on a Japanese show titled Waku Waku.  Thicke also co-wrote and performed the theme song "Animals are Just Like People Too."  It was an outstanding mix of education and entertainment and Thicke did an outstanding job as host.  He was very personable and interacted well with the celebrities. Animal Crackups had a short run in prime time before moving to Saturday mornings and ran until it was cancelled in 1990.

Another show Thicke would host would be Pictionary, which was based on the board game and similar to Win, Lose or Draw.  The show debuted in syndication in the fall of 1997 and like many first run shows that didn't begin their life spans on a network, it would only last one season.

The last game show Thicke would host would be a revival of the late 70s Chuck Barris show Three's a Crowd that aired for one season on GSN.

But Thicke was better known behind the camera as a composer of game show theme songs.  His first came in 1973 when he was the producer of the NBC daytime game show The Wizard of Odds.  He would also write and perform the show's theme song which was one of the few in game show history that was sung.  Even though the show lasted only a year, it would also be known as the first game show that was hosted by Thicke's fellow Canadian Alex Trebek.  Ten years after the demise of the Wizard of Odds, he would go on to bigger success as host of Jeopardy, which he still hosts today.

Among Thicke's other game show theme credits include the second theme from the original Joker's Wild that replaced Perrey & Kingsley's The Savers, Celebrity Sweepstakes and the original theme for a show that was hosted by Chuck Woolery and is still very much alive with Pat Sajak at the helm Wheel of Fortune.  Other shows that had themes composed by Thicke were Blank Check, Stumpers, The Diamond Head Game and Whew!

The game show world has lost one of its most personable and creative geniuses in Thicke.  May he rest in peace.

Heritage Academy Hawks Hover Over Groves Academy Griffins

The Heritage Academy Hawks flew in to the Groves Academy gym on a frigid Tuesday night and got a game high 20 points from Aburahkman Musee to lead them to a 78-42 rout of the Griffins in St. Louis Park.  

Zachary Roblay scored the Hawks first basket :37 into the game.  Max Bilcik would put the Griffins ahead with five straight points but Musee would score to regain the lead for Heritage Academy.  Foul trouble would plague the Hawks in the first half when Ibrahim Mohamed picked up his second foul and Abdulahe Jama picked up his third foul with 7:28 left in the half,.  But Musee picked up the slack by scoring four straight points.  Max Greseth made his home debut for Groves Academy, coming off the bench and he scored to end the Heritage Academy run.  It would be one of the few bright spots for the Griffins in the first half as the Hawks began to pull away, scoring 17 consecutive points.  Martin Schmitz would end the run for Groves Academy.  Foul trouble also hit the Griffins in the first half when Malik Bodden went to the bench with his third foul with 2:41 to go.  Heritage Academy would widen their lead which would end up at halftime 45-14.  

The Hawks would begin the second half with a couple of three pointers from Musee and Jama.  Bilcik would score to end the early 6-0 run.  There would be some life for the Griffins when it was discovered that Heritage Academy did not enter a number 11 in the scorebook so the referee assessed the Hawks a technical foul.  Following Schmitz's free throws, Bilcik would shoot the technical free throws and the Griffins remained in possession.  However, it did little to cut the Hawks margin since Bilcik would pick up his fourth foul with 12:24 remaining.  Heritage Academy would use its speed,  athleticism and scoring depth to wear down Groves Academy and head coach Ahmil Jihad would go to his bench with the game decided  The game was also on the verge of heading into running time but the Griffins would go on a 9-0 run to delay the start of running time.  They would also get a scare when Bilcik was hit in the nose in front of the seating area.  Fortunately, it wasn't serious and he would return to the game in a couple of minutes though the game would enter running time with less than a minute to play.  

Other players in double figures for Heritage Academy were Ahkmid Mohamed with 16 points.  Hussein Kahdee had 11 and Abdi Fatah added 10.  Groves Academy was led by Bilcik's 16 points.  Bodden was the only other Griffin in double figures, tallying 11 points.  

Before coming to Heritage Academy, Jihad was the head girls basketball coach at Minneapolis South.  One of the players he coached would go on to greater success at Ohio State University and the WNBA's Washington Mystics, Tayler Hill.  Jihad looked back at what it was like coaching a player like Hill.  

"She came to practice.  I have not seen a kid yet that could match her work ethic."  

The Hawks improved their record to 1-2 and host the High School for Recording Arts Wednesday, December 14 at 7 PM.  Groves Academy fell to 0-3 and continues their home stand on Thursday, December 15 against the St. Paul Prep Falcons at 7 PM.  

Third Period Surge Sparks Orono Spartans Win Over SLP Orioles

While the snow was falling outside Saturday,  the pucks were flying inside the nets as David Burns and Dane Korsi scored two goals apiece as the Orono Spartans broke a 2-2 tie with four third period goals to beat the St. Louis Park Orioles 6-2 at The Rec Center.

Burns began the first period for the Spartans as he got a pass from Jack Suchy and his shot from the right slot entered the net.  Korsi would put Orono ahead by two with 1:10 left in the period as he rebounded Daniel Eckerline's shot and scored.

The Orioles would bounce back in the second period to tie the game with a pair of goals.  Johnny Sorenson would score off a pass from Brenton Ryan and Bauer Neudecker would rebound Ryan's shot to even the score at two.

Orono would vault into the lead in the third period.  St. Louis Park goalie William Pinney was playing out of the net and he paid the price as Max Luedtke found an opening on Phinney's right to put the puck in the net.  Burns would pick up his second goal on a pass from Nick Anderson while both teams were skating four on four for :55.  Landon Wittenberg picked up his first goal of the season as he scored from the left side of the net.  As time was winding down in the third period,  Oriole head coach Colin Hohman pulled Phinney for a sixth attacker and Korsi wrapped up the scoring on an empty net goal with :23 to play.

The Spartans improved their record to 3-2 and return to action on Thursday, December 15 against the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles at  PM at the Bloomington Ice Garden.  The Orioles fell to 2-2 and will also be in action on the 15th as they travel to Mound-Westonka Whitehawks at 7 PM.

AFSA Eagles Ground Groves Academy Griffins

Can do.  can do.  There's a lot Kyle Cantwell can do on the basketball court such as scoring a game high 29 points to lead the Academy for Science and Agriculture Eagles to a 74-52 win over the Groves Academy Griffins in the regular season opener for both teams Tuesday night in St. Louis Park.

Danny Leahy began the scoring for the Eagles 1:06 into the game with a pair of free throws.  Noah Madson would put the Griffins on the newly installed installed scoreboard with a free throw.  Jesse Rodriguez would hit a couple of three pointers for AFSA to even the game at eight as Max Bilcik, the 6'6" freshman would heat up for Groves Academy, scoring 11 straight points.  The Eagles went on a 7-0 run that would end on a Malik Bodden three pointer.  But Cantwell would answer and he would increase the lead to seven.  The Griffins would get their offense going that would also include a basket from Martin Schmitz that would cut the Eagle lead to two.  AFSA increased the lead on Rodriguez's third three pointer.  Madson would score five straight points for Groves Academy and just when the Griffins would come close, the Eagles would forge ahead on another score from Cantwell.  AFSA led 43-32 at halftime.

Madson would score for the Griffins  :41 into the second half.  However, the Eagles would begin to distance themselves from the Griffins as Cantwell went on another five point spree.  Foul trouble would begin to plague Groves Academy in the second half as Madson picked up his fourth foul with 14:42 left in the game and Quinn would also commit his fourth foul :50 later.  Griffin head coach Peter Shutte had to go to his bench and he put in a newcomer who was making his varsity debut, freshman Gabe Gordon.  Gordon made the most of his inaugural playing time by hitting a shot from Minnetonka Blvd.  There was very little Groves Academy could do to catch up as Cantwell would score four straight points, including two off a Griffin turnover.

Rodriguez was the only other Eagle to score in double figures, scoring 17 points.  Bilcik led the Griffins with 19 points and Madson added 11.

AFSA opened the season at 1-0 and returns to action on Thursday, December 8 as they host the Heritage Academy Hawks at 4:30 PM.  Groves Academy falls to 0-1 and will also be in action on the 8th when they head for St. Paul to face the Hmong Academy Warriors at 6 PM.  The Warriors head coach was the former head girls soccer coach at Benilde-St. Margaret's James Cave.

Apple Valley Eagles Beat Minneapolis North Polars

Saturday's final game in the 2016 Breakdown Sports Tip Off Classic featured a match up between two of last year's state boys basketball champions, the Minneapolis North Polars from Class A and the Class AAAA champion Apple Valley Eagles, who were led by Tre Jones' 29 points that led them to an 84-70 victory over the Polars at Hopkins High School.

Jones got the packed West gym crown going with a jam to open the scoring 1:04 into the game. The Polars would get a three pointer from Jaquan Sanders-Smith to take the lead.  Mason Morse would counter with a shot from Highway 169 and Tre Jones would score on a right handed lay up to put Apple Valley on a 5-0 run.  North would come back on a block from Odell Wilson IV and a basket from Isaac Johnson to even the game at seven.  The lead would go back and forth a few times until Sanders-Smith and Marquis Holloman sparked a 5-0 Polar run.  Luke Martens would cut the lead to one and that was followed by dueling three pointers from Morse and Isaac Johnson.  A basket from Sanders-Smith would put North ahead by eight.  The Eagles would come close on Mohmaed Kone's three pointer that cut the lead to two. Apple Valley would forge ahead with a late 6-0 run that would give them a 42-35 halftime lead.

The start of the second half looked like a three point shooting clinic as the Eagles hit three from the arc.  Two were from Ely Hendrickson and the third was from Jones.  Nathan Macho would also contribute for Apple Valley with four straight points.  Then there was more action from the three point line Michael Thomas would score for the Eagles and Isaac Johnson countered for the Polars.  North would stay alive as they went on a 5-0 run that included a Sanders-Smith three pointer.  Apple Valley would go up by nine as Martens and Kone scored.  Wilson would hit a three point play that drew the Polars close but it was Jones, the brother of Minnesota Timberwolf Tyus Jones that would hit a couple of three point plays down the stretch to wrap up the win.

In addition to his 29 points, Jones had 11 assists and five blocked shots.  Other Apple Valley players in double figures were Martens with 15 points followed by Kone and Macho with 10 apiece.  Isaac Johnson led North with 21 points.  Sanders-Smith finished with 20 and Wilson contributed 19.

The Eagles opened the season without their top player from last year's title team Gary Trent Jr.  He signed with Duke and transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, CA.  Apple Valley head coach Zach Goring commented before the game on the loss of his top player from last season.

"He wanted to go somewhere where he could play against Division I talent every day.  He was ready to move on."

Apple Valley opened the season with a 1-0 record and returns to action on Thursday, December 8 when they head down Highway 7 to take on the Minnetonka Skippers in a 7 PM game.  North fell to 0-1 and will travel to Edina on Tuesday, December 6 for a 7 PM battle with the Hornets.

Champlin Park Rebels Rout Rochester John Marshall Rockets

 The Champlin Park Rebels got the right stuff from McKinley Wright IV as he scored a game high 27 points to led them to a 113-74 win over the Rochester John Marshall Rockets Saturday night in the Breakdown Sports Tip Off Classic at Hopkins High School.

The Rebels, who open the season as the top ranked team in Class AAAA got the early lead on Wright's basket :13 into the game.  The Rockets played the Rebels close as Matthew Hurt, brother of Golden Gopher Michael Hurt scored four of the team's first ten points.  They had a 10-9 lead before Marcus Hill hit a pair of free throws to put Champlin Park ahead.  Dedoch Chan scored to put JM ahead.  Wright would hit a couple of three pointers to put the Rebels ahead and Isaiah Walden would hit for the Rockets to cut the lead to one.  Hurt would put the Rockets ahead on a 4-0 run that would end with a basket by Theo John.  John would pick up an assist on Wright's right handed lay up.  Hurt would score to even the game at 21 but it would be the last time JM would lead since Champlin Park  used their speed, athleticism and outstanding passing to put hem ahead and distance themselves from the Rockets.  Brian Smith, who wears number zero would come up big in the scoring department with 12 straight points.  The lead was up to 17.  The Rockets had a care when Hurt got hit in the nose going in the paint for a shot and it caused a short delay to wipe up the blood on the court.  Hurt would return with :13.7 left in the half and the Rebels led at halftime 57-42.

Champlin Park opened the second half scoring on John's basket :23 into the half.  Marcus Hill would pick up a couple of assists on baskets from DJ Hunter and Josiah Strong.  Strong would put the Rebels up by 20 with a shot from Cedar Lake Rd.  Champlin Park also played a strong diagonal 2-1-2 defense to low down JM.  Walden would pick up his fourth foul with 9:20 to go and the Rebels would pull away, even sending the game into running time.  John also dazzled the fans in the blue bleachers when he blocked \Hurt's shot.  With 3:00 left in the game, both teams let their reserves enter the game.

Other players in double figures for Champlin Park were Smith with 22, John with 15, Hunter and Strong added 14 points and Hill added 11.  Hurt led JM with 29 points. Chan had 16 and Walden added 11.

The Rebels open the season 1-0 and return to action on Saturday, December 10 in the second Breakdown Sports Tip Off Classic at Hopkins High School in a rematch of last year's Class AAAA final against the Apple Valley Eagles at 8:30 PM.  The Rockets fell to 0-1 and face their city rival the Rochester Mayo Spartans on Friday, December 9 at 5:45 PM.

SLP Orioles Open New Era With Rout of Rochester Mayo Spartans

The Colin Hohman Era began Thursday night for the St. Louis Park boys hockey team in a big way with Bauer Neudecker scoring six goals to lead the Orioles o a 10-0 win over the Rochester Mayo Spartans at the Rec Center.

Hohman took over as the Orioles head coach when Terry Keseley resigned after last season.

It was the "Bauer Neudecker Show" in the first period when he scored St. Louis Park's first four goal. The first came on a line drive shot just inside the blue line on the left side and the second came on a right side wraparound.  His third goal came on the power play as he rebounded Luke Mobley's shot and scored. The St. Louis Park senior scored his fourth goal when he went through the center slot like traffic on Excelsior Blvd., dribbled the puck a few times and sent it toward the net.

Bauer Neudecker picked up his fifth goal in the second period after Johnny Sorenson passed to him on the right side of the net and Bauer Neudecker found an opening and put the puck in. It wasn't all Bauer Neudecker in the Orioles 2016-17 season opener.  Mobley would score on a rebound and Conor Schubring brought the Orioles another goal :21 later.  Bauer Neudecker would pick up an assist on St. Louis Park's eight goal, dribbling around the net and passing to Austin Stafne and he would score.

Bauer Neudecker would get a double hat trick in the third period as he got a centering pass from Sorenson and he set it to the net.  Jackson Hand would have a hand in the scoring column as he would score the Orioles final goal.

Todd Huyber, who replaced long time Rochester Mayo head coach Lorne Grosso after he retires after 50 years heading the Spartans boys hockey program took time for an interview following the game.  Huyber has known Grosso since he was five and played for the veteran head coach back in the mid 80s. He commented on what it was like to take over the Mayo program.

"It's an honor to take over the program," Huyber said.  He also mentioned about a part of Grosso's philosophy he brought over to the program.  "You got to remain calm."

St. Louis Park begins the season with a 1-0 record and faces the Edina Hornets on Saturday, December 3 at 7 PM at Braemar Arena.

Rochester Mayo fell to 1-1 and also in in action on the 3rd when they take on their city rival the Rochester Century Panthers at 7:15 at the Rochester Recreation Center.