September 1970. The Bloomington Ice Garden opened with one rink before its later expansion to three, the Valley West Shopping Center was a month away from opening on the corner of France Ave. S. and Old Shakopee Rd. and just up France Ave. was the opening of the city's third high school, Jefferson.
This season marked the 50th year of the West Bloomington school's football program. The first head coach was Bruno Waldner. Like many teachers and coaches, he came from Kennedy. Among his assistants were Stan Skjei and Dick Coombs.
School colors, still to this day are Columbia blue and silver and the nickname for all athletic teams would be the Jaguars.
In 1970, the Lake Conference was divided into two divisions, the Red and the Blue. The Jaguars were in the Blue Division with their city rival the Lincoln Bears. Lincoln shut down in 1982. Another school that would later be defunct would be Robbinsdale, nicknamed the Robins. Two new high schools would also be in the Blue Division, Hopkins Lindbergh (now Hopkins High School) and Robbinsdale Armstrong. St. Louis Park and Mound rounded out the Lake Blue.
Who would be the first quarterback in Jaguar history? It would be John Anderson. Jerry Yoneji and Bruce Ahlers would comprise the backfield. At wide receiver would be Dan Hoffman, who would later become one of the first top players on the boys basketball team.
As for the Jefferson tri-captains, they were Tom Ruud, Don Finley and Bill Fiola.
The season opened for Jefferson September 11 as they faced their crosstown rival the Kennedy Eagles at Bloomington Stadium. Back in 1970, all three high school teams and even Normandale Community College played their home games at the corner of 88th St. & Queen Ave. S. In some instances, there would be doubleheaders, with the first game starting at 3 PM.
No expansion blues for the Jaguars as they got two touchdowns from Ruud and beat the Eagles 14-6. The following week, many people across the state tuned into WTCN-TV (now KARE 11) to see Jefferson face Minnesota and they went to 2-0 with a 9-0 win over the Skippers. A 47 yard pass from Ahlers on a fake punt to Ruud turned out to be the clincher.
"I was really surprised we came as far as we did since the opening of practice. We had an entirely new system to team these kids and I have to credit offensive coach Stan Skjei and defensive coach Dick Coombs for the excellent jobs they did," Waldner to the Bloomington Sun for the September 19 edition.
Jefferson continue to dominate the opposition in their maiden voyage season. They would beat Lindbergh 33-8, Mound 27-12 and improve their record to 5-0 with a 12-7 win over Alexander Ramsey from Roseville.
But the Jaguars wouldn't go undefeated since they lost their first game to Armstrong 15-8 and thyeir second straight St. Louis Park 28-8. They would get back on the winning track with a win over Lincoln and wrapped up the season on November 2 with a Friday matinee at Bloomington Stadium against the Robbinsdale Robins and lost 26-14 to conclude their first season with a record of 6-3. There was no playoff system or state tournament until 1972 so that was the end of the season.
The first football season would set the stage for the program's future. In 1974, they advanced to their first state tournament and made it to the Class AA finals before falling to the Rochester John Marshall Rockets. Today, the Jaguars are led by one of Waldner's former players Tim Carlson and though they had a losing record in 2019, his legacy lives on as the man who built the football program when the school opened in 1970.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Monday, October 28, 2019
Opening Day of Practice for Girls Hockey
As the road to the state tournament continues in football and volleyball and state champions are close to being crowned in soccer, Monday marks the start of practice in Minnesota girls high hockey. Here's a look at the opening games for last year's state title teams and others worth mentioning.
The Class A champion Breck Mustangs open their season like last year with their home opener against the Centennial Cougars at Anderson Ice Arena at 3 PM. As for the Class AA champion Edina Hornets, head coach Sami Reber's bunch begins their quest for an unprecedented fourth consecutive state title hosting the Andover Huskies at 7 PM. They will get a chance to face Breck at Braemar Arena Tuesday, December 3 at 7 PM. Get there early. There could be a large crowd for this nonconference tilt.
Over in St. Louis Park, the combined Hopkins/St. Louis Park team opens with five of their first six games on the road. They will open the season in the Twin Ports starting on Friday, November 8 against Duluth at the Heritage Center and on the 9th they will face the Proctor/Hermantown Mirage at 2 PM at the Hermantown Hockey Arena. Their home opener takes place Saturday, November 16 against the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars at 3 PM at the St. Louis Park Rec Center.
The Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights open their season against Breck on Tuesday, November 12 at 7 PM at the Anderson Ice Arena. Friday, November 15 will be their home opener against the Andover Huskies, 7:15 at The Rec Center.
As these fine young athletes bring out their sticks and pucks and lace up their skates to start a new season, one goal for each of the teams in the state is a trip to St. Paul in February for the state tournament. Let the season begin in November.
The Class A champion Breck Mustangs open their season like last year with their home opener against the Centennial Cougars at Anderson Ice Arena at 3 PM. As for the Class AA champion Edina Hornets, head coach Sami Reber's bunch begins their quest for an unprecedented fourth consecutive state title hosting the Andover Huskies at 7 PM. They will get a chance to face Breck at Braemar Arena Tuesday, December 3 at 7 PM. Get there early. There could be a large crowd for this nonconference tilt.
Over in St. Louis Park, the combined Hopkins/St. Louis Park team opens with five of their first six games on the road. They will open the season in the Twin Ports starting on Friday, November 8 against Duluth at the Heritage Center and on the 9th they will face the Proctor/Hermantown Mirage at 2 PM at the Hermantown Hockey Arena. Their home opener takes place Saturday, November 16 against the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars at 3 PM at the St. Louis Park Rec Center.
The Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights open their season against Breck on Tuesday, November 12 at 7 PM at the Anderson Ice Arena. Friday, November 15 will be their home opener against the Andover Huskies, 7:15 at The Rec Center.
As these fine young athletes bring out their sticks and pucks and lace up their skates to start a new season, one goal for each of the teams in the state is a trip to St. Paul in February for the state tournament. Let the season begin in November.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Irondale Knights End SLP Orioles Season
The rust came off the Irondale Knights armor Tuesday night in the Section 5AAAAA football quarterfinals as Griffin Bourassa scored two touchdowns and Noah Kiani kicked three field goals to eliminate the host St. Louis Park Orioles 30-28.
Irondale ended a five game losing streak and the win came after they were cremated last Wednesday by the Hopkins Royals 54-13.
The Orioles took the early lead when quarterback Aaron Ellingson scored the first of his four touchdowns on a 49 yard keeper run down the left side of the field sand St. Louis Park led 6-0. The Knights would tie the game on Bourassa's 13 yard keeper run but it was called back due to an illegal motion penalty.
There would be good news for the Irondale fans who came from New Brighton as Kiani put the Knights on the board with a 37 yard field goal to cut the Oriole lead to three. Ellingson would head to the end zone a second time when he muscled his way through the Knights defense to the one yard line and scored on a one yard run to increase the lead to 12-3. But Irondale would counter a Bourassa threw a 38 yard touchdown pass to Iggy Ejiofor with 2:16 left in the half and St. Louis Park led 12-10 at halftime.
The Knights would strike twice in the third quarter. The first touchdown was aided by a couple of pass interference penalties against the Orioles and Irondale would capitalize as Reuben King scored on a four yard run. Bourassa would score his second touchdown on a five yard keeper run with :45.2 to go and the Knights built a 24-12 lead.
Both teams would tally twice in the fourth quarter. Irondale would account for two booted field goals from Kiani, the first from 41 yards and the second from 30 yards. St. Louis Park would get a third touchdown from Ellingson as he kept the ball and scored on a 61 yard right side run. he would score his fourth touchdown on a one yard run with :32.3 left to play to cut the lead to two. Could St. Louis Park make a comeback? The answer would be no as the onside kick went to the Knights and they would run out the clock to end the game.
Irondale improved their record to 3-6 and head to Spring Lake Park on Saturday, October 26 at 3 PM for their semifinal game with the Panthers. St. Louis Park ended their season with a record of 4-5.
Irondale ended a five game losing streak and the win came after they were cremated last Wednesday by the Hopkins Royals 54-13.
The Orioles took the early lead when quarterback Aaron Ellingson scored the first of his four touchdowns on a 49 yard keeper run down the left side of the field sand St. Louis Park led 6-0. The Knights would tie the game on Bourassa's 13 yard keeper run but it was called back due to an illegal motion penalty.
There would be good news for the Irondale fans who came from New Brighton as Kiani put the Knights on the board with a 37 yard field goal to cut the Oriole lead to three. Ellingson would head to the end zone a second time when he muscled his way through the Knights defense to the one yard line and scored on a one yard run to increase the lead to 12-3. But Irondale would counter a Bourassa threw a 38 yard touchdown pass to Iggy Ejiofor with 2:16 left in the half and St. Louis Park led 12-10 at halftime.
The Knights would strike twice in the third quarter. The first touchdown was aided by a couple of pass interference penalties against the Orioles and Irondale would capitalize as Reuben King scored on a four yard run. Bourassa would score his second touchdown on a five yard keeper run with :45.2 to go and the Knights built a 24-12 lead.
Both teams would tally twice in the fourth quarter. Irondale would account for two booted field goals from Kiani, the first from 41 yards and the second from 30 yards. St. Louis Park would get a third touchdown from Ellingson as he kept the ball and scored on a 61 yard right side run. he would score his fourth touchdown on a one yard run with :32.3 left to play to cut the lead to two. Could St. Louis Park make a comeback? The answer would be no as the onside kick went to the Knights and they would run out the clock to end the game.
Irondale improved their record to 3-6 and head to Spring Lake Park on Saturday, October 26 at 3 PM for their semifinal game with the Panthers. St. Louis Park ended their season with a record of 4-5.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
2019 Section 5AAAAA Football Tournament Preview
The Road to the Prep Bowl gets underway Tuesday, October 22 as high school football teams, including the St. Louis Park Orioles begin their quest for a state tournament berth. Here's a preview the Section 5AAAAA bracket.
Quarterfinal play begins as the St. Louis Park Orioles host the Irondale Knights. The Knights armor hasn't been shining bright as they head into section play with a 2-6 record and have lost their last five games, including a 54-13 drubbing by the Hopkins Royals. Irondale is led by quarterback Griffin Bourassa who also gained 321 rushing yards this season. The Orioles are on a roll, ending the regular season with a two game winning streak to even their record at 4-4. They have been successful with Alexander Hager getting most of the snaps in the backfield with Sajid Nathim and Tobyous Davenport out due to injuries. Hager has made the most of the opportunity, rushing for five touchdowns in the final two games. He could add more against the Knights.
Now comes the bad news. The winning team will have to face the top seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers. The Panthers enter section play with a 6-2 record and have won five consecutive games, including a 49-14 win against St. Louis Park September 20. Spring Lake Park is a team that likes to run run run. Quarterback Zach Dunbar has 674 rushing yards and running back Henry Dennis added 642. Add this up and that's 1,316 yards combined. They're one of the favorites for the section title.
Over in the lower bracket, it's been a sunk ship for the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates since they finished the regular season 0-8. Their opponent will be the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers, one of two schools from the Minneapolis City Conference that's never been to the state tournament since the advent of the state tournament era in 1972. The other school, Minneapolis South. The Lakers, who lost their final regular season game to the unbeaten Fridley Tigers 34-7 are led by running back TK Marshall, who will wear green and gold next season at North Dakota State. Marshall is having a stellar season with 1,464 rushing yards and entered the end zone 20 times. Can the Lakers Marshall Plan lead Southwest to a potential state tournament berth?
But wait. There's the second seeded Cooper Hawks, the third section team with a 6-2 record and coming off a 57-6 rout of the DeLaSalle Islanders. The Hawks are led by The Brothers Russell, Joe is the quarterback and Sherrod is the running back. Like Spring Lake Park, Cooper is a run oriented team with Terrence Matthews also contributing in the backfield. When Joe Russell sends the ball through the air, his top target is Cornelius Wooten who led the Hawks with nine touchdowns. Mix in a strong defense and there's another section favorite.
Could a Hawks-Panthers rematch be possible or will Southwest head north for the section final November 1? Keep your eye on this section. It could be a three team race.
Quarterfinal play begins as the St. Louis Park Orioles host the Irondale Knights. The Knights armor hasn't been shining bright as they head into section play with a 2-6 record and have lost their last five games, including a 54-13 drubbing by the Hopkins Royals. Irondale is led by quarterback Griffin Bourassa who also gained 321 rushing yards this season. The Orioles are on a roll, ending the regular season with a two game winning streak to even their record at 4-4. They have been successful with Alexander Hager getting most of the snaps in the backfield with Sajid Nathim and Tobyous Davenport out due to injuries. Hager has made the most of the opportunity, rushing for five touchdowns in the final two games. He could add more against the Knights.
Now comes the bad news. The winning team will have to face the top seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers. The Panthers enter section play with a 6-2 record and have won five consecutive games, including a 49-14 win against St. Louis Park September 20. Spring Lake Park is a team that likes to run run run. Quarterback Zach Dunbar has 674 rushing yards and running back Henry Dennis added 642. Add this up and that's 1,316 yards combined. They're one of the favorites for the section title.
Over in the lower bracket, it's been a sunk ship for the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates since they finished the regular season 0-8. Their opponent will be the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers, one of two schools from the Minneapolis City Conference that's never been to the state tournament since the advent of the state tournament era in 1972. The other school, Minneapolis South. The Lakers, who lost their final regular season game to the unbeaten Fridley Tigers 34-7 are led by running back TK Marshall, who will wear green and gold next season at North Dakota State. Marshall is having a stellar season with 1,464 rushing yards and entered the end zone 20 times. Can the Lakers Marshall Plan lead Southwest to a potential state tournament berth?
But wait. There's the second seeded Cooper Hawks, the third section team with a 6-2 record and coming off a 57-6 rout of the DeLaSalle Islanders. The Hawks are led by The Brothers Russell, Joe is the quarterback and Sherrod is the running back. Like Spring Lake Park, Cooper is a run oriented team with Terrence Matthews also contributing in the backfield. When Joe Russell sends the ball through the air, his top target is Cornelius Wooten who led the Hawks with nine touchdowns. Mix in a strong defense and there's another section favorite.
Could a Hawks-Panthers rematch be possible or will Southwest head north for the section final November 1? Keep your eye on this section. It could be a three team race.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
SLP Orioles End Regular Season With Senior Night Win
Wednesday night was Senior Night for the St. Louis Park Orioles football team and it was a tale of two seniors Aaron Ellingson, who passed for two touchdowns and Alex Hager ran for two more to lead the Orioles to a 28-7 win over the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars.
After their first three drives went 0-3 on fourth down, the fourth time would turn out to be the charm for St. Louis Park as Hager ran 21 yards up the middle to put the Orioles ahead 7-0 with 2:11 left in the first quarter.
St. Louis Park would score the second quarter's lone touchdown came after Deontez Ross recovered a fumbled Jefferson punt returned. The Orioles regained possession and Ellingson fired a 29 yard pass to Cole Ewald and he put the Orioles ahead 14-0. The Jaguars would lose quarterback Carter Hanson after he got injured following a Tony Stadler sack. But the good news for fans who made the trip from Bloomington, Hanson would return in the second half.
The Orioles would extend the lead to 20 when Jefferson turned the ball over on downs at their own 17 yard line and Ellingson struck quickly with a 17 yard touchdown pass to McCabe Dvorak. There would be no shutout on this chilly Wednesday night as the Jaguars, deep in their own territory most of the game used a little trickery. Hanson pitched the ball to Manny Montgomery and he threw a beautiful pass to Hunter Burgess and he hauled it into the end zone for an 81 yard touchdown. St. Louis Park concluded the scoring on Hager's second touchdown of the game a 19 yard run with no time remaining.
St. Louis Park ended the regular season at 4-4 and Bloomington Jefferson finished with a record of 2-6. Section play begins Tuesday, October 22.
After their first three drives went 0-3 on fourth down, the fourth time would turn out to be the charm for St. Louis Park as Hager ran 21 yards up the middle to put the Orioles ahead 7-0 with 2:11 left in the first quarter.
St. Louis Park would score the second quarter's lone touchdown came after Deontez Ross recovered a fumbled Jefferson punt returned. The Orioles regained possession and Ellingson fired a 29 yard pass to Cole Ewald and he put the Orioles ahead 14-0. The Jaguars would lose quarterback Carter Hanson after he got injured following a Tony Stadler sack. But the good news for fans who made the trip from Bloomington, Hanson would return in the second half.
The Orioles would extend the lead to 20 when Jefferson turned the ball over on downs at their own 17 yard line and Ellingson struck quickly with a 17 yard touchdown pass to McCabe Dvorak. There would be no shutout on this chilly Wednesday night as the Jaguars, deep in their own territory most of the game used a little trickery. Hanson pitched the ball to Manny Montgomery and he threw a beautiful pass to Hunter Burgess and he hauled it into the end zone for an 81 yard touchdown. St. Louis Park concluded the scoring on Hager's second touchdown of the game a 19 yard run with no time remaining.
St. Louis Park ended the regular season at 4-4 and Bloomington Jefferson finished with a record of 2-6. Section play begins Tuesday, October 22.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
SLP Orioles Sweep BSM Red Knights
The St. Louis Park Orioles volleyball team's regular season wrapped up Tuesday night with a three set sweep of their city rival the Benilde-St. Margarets Red Knights at Haben Center on the BSM campus.
In the first set, the Red Knights scored the first two points and the Orioles vaulted into the lead with three straight points. They would go on an 8-0 run that was keyed by outstanding front line play from Raegan Alexander and a Kendall Coley kill which would lead them to a 25-13 win.
To the second set as BSM and St. Louis Park played pretty close throughout the set as neither team would go on a big run with ties at 19, 20, 21 and 22 before the Orioles scored the last three points to win 25-22.
The third set would be a complete team set for St. Louis Park. It was a combination of a Coley kill , service aces from Elsa Bergland and Makaila Winward and Alexander's outstanding front line play that held off a Red Knight rally to led them to a 25-20 win. There were seven ties and the Red Knights did take the lead by the Orioles would clinch the set on a Faith Johnson kill.
St. Louis Park head coach Whitney Meierotto-Simon was interviewed prior to the start of the match about the team's most successful regular season in years. "The girls work really hard in practice," she said.
One of the keys to the Orioles success is Winward, the senior setter. According to Meierotto-Simon "She's done a good job spreading the offense."
Another top player the Oriole head coach mentioned was outside hitter Hannah Howell. "She's done a real good job of carrying our offense this season."
St. Louis Park ended their season with a record of 21-6 and enters Section 6AAA tournament play next week. Section play begins Tuesday, October 22. If the Orioles get a first round bye, they will host a quarterfinal game on Thursday, October 24. Meierotto-Simon said the Orioles could be one of the top contenders along with Bloomington Jefferson.
BSM lost their third straight match and finished their regular season at 18-10. The Red Knights also begin section play on October 22.
In the first set, the Red Knights scored the first two points and the Orioles vaulted into the lead with three straight points. They would go on an 8-0 run that was keyed by outstanding front line play from Raegan Alexander and a Kendall Coley kill which would lead them to a 25-13 win.
To the second set as BSM and St. Louis Park played pretty close throughout the set as neither team would go on a big run with ties at 19, 20, 21 and 22 before the Orioles scored the last three points to win 25-22.
The third set would be a complete team set for St. Louis Park. It was a combination of a Coley kill , service aces from Elsa Bergland and Makaila Winward and Alexander's outstanding front line play that held off a Red Knight rally to led them to a 25-20 win. There were seven ties and the Red Knights did take the lead by the Orioles would clinch the set on a Faith Johnson kill.
St. Louis Park head coach Whitney Meierotto-Simon was interviewed prior to the start of the match about the team's most successful regular season in years. "The girls work really hard in practice," she said.
One of the keys to the Orioles success is Winward, the senior setter. According to Meierotto-Simon "She's done a good job spreading the offense."
Another top player the Oriole head coach mentioned was outside hitter Hannah Howell. "She's done a real good job of carrying our offense this season."
St. Louis Park ended their season with a record of 21-6 and enters Section 6AAA tournament play next week. Section play begins Tuesday, October 22. If the Orioles get a first round bye, they will host a quarterfinal game on Thursday, October 24. Meierotto-Simon said the Orioles could be one of the top contenders along with Bloomington Jefferson.
BSM lost their third straight match and finished their regular season at 18-10. The Red Knights also begin section play on October 22.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars-SLP Orioles Football Preview
Two former Lake Blue Conference rivals battle Wednesday night to wrap up the Minnesota high school football regular season as the St. Louis Park Orioles host the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars.
This season marks the 50th year for Jefferson football. The Jaguars inaugural season was 1970 with Bruno Waldner as the team's first head coach. Jefferson and St. Louis Park met on October 21 and the Orioles, under the leadership of head coach Rob Roy, beat the Jaguars 28-8. St. Louis Park's quarterback Brian Glover scored two touchdowns and Blair Wachutka also crossed the goal line. Defense also factored as Dave Carlson intercepted a pass from Jefferson quarterback John Anderson and ran for a touchdown. The Jaguars finished 6-3 in 1970 and there was no section play or state tournament until 1972.
Now back to the present. Last Friday, the Orioles routed the DeLaSalle Islanders 41-0 as snowflakes were flying above the turf field. Though St. Louis Park had a depleted backfield with Sajid Nathim out with a torn ACL and Tobyous Davenport departing the game in the first quarter due to an injury, the running game would get a huge boost from senior Alex Hager as he ran 13 times for 121 yards and made three trips to the end zone. Quarterback Aaron Ellingson threw two touchdown passes to McCabe Dvorak and McCabe's brother Will relieved Ellingson with the game decided in the fourth quarter to conclude the scoring. Freshman Tyree Shorter also got playing time with six carries for 18 yards.
On defense, Christian Artega and Darrell Kemp had nine tackles apiece. The Orioles also recorded three sacks.
Jefferson ended a three game losing streak last Friday with a 12-7 win over the Henry Sibley Warriors. They were down 7-6 in the fourth quarter until Manny Montgomery scored on a two run run with :29 in regulation time. The Jaguars season hasn't been mighty, heading into the regular season's final week with a 2-5 record. Three of their five losses were to powerhouses Benilde-St. Margaret's. Cooper and Chaska.
The keys to the game for St. Louis Park are for the running game to continue its momentum and for the defense to put pressure on Jefferson quarterback Carter Hanson. Jefferson's keys to the game are for the offensive line to create opportunities to run the ball and for Hanson to get into a good passing rhythm.
The good news is that the weather will be warmer than last Friday with Wednesday's high around 50. But bundle up if it gets chilly late in the game. Game time is 7 PM.
This season marks the 50th year for Jefferson football. The Jaguars inaugural season was 1970 with Bruno Waldner as the team's first head coach. Jefferson and St. Louis Park met on October 21 and the Orioles, under the leadership of head coach Rob Roy, beat the Jaguars 28-8. St. Louis Park's quarterback Brian Glover scored two touchdowns and Blair Wachutka also crossed the goal line. Defense also factored as Dave Carlson intercepted a pass from Jefferson quarterback John Anderson and ran for a touchdown. The Jaguars finished 6-3 in 1970 and there was no section play or state tournament until 1972.
Now back to the present. Last Friday, the Orioles routed the DeLaSalle Islanders 41-0 as snowflakes were flying above the turf field. Though St. Louis Park had a depleted backfield with Sajid Nathim out with a torn ACL and Tobyous Davenport departing the game in the first quarter due to an injury, the running game would get a huge boost from senior Alex Hager as he ran 13 times for 121 yards and made three trips to the end zone. Quarterback Aaron Ellingson threw two touchdown passes to McCabe Dvorak and McCabe's brother Will relieved Ellingson with the game decided in the fourth quarter to conclude the scoring. Freshman Tyree Shorter also got playing time with six carries for 18 yards.
On defense, Christian Artega and Darrell Kemp had nine tackles apiece. The Orioles also recorded three sacks.
Jefferson ended a three game losing streak last Friday with a 12-7 win over the Henry Sibley Warriors. They were down 7-6 in the fourth quarter until Manny Montgomery scored on a two run run with :29 in regulation time. The Jaguars season hasn't been mighty, heading into the regular season's final week with a 2-5 record. Three of their five losses were to powerhouses Benilde-St. Margaret's. Cooper and Chaska.
The keys to the game for St. Louis Park are for the running game to continue its momentum and for the defense to put pressure on Jefferson quarterback Carter Hanson. Jefferson's keys to the game are for the offensive line to create opportunities to run the ball and for Hanson to get into a good passing rhythm.
The good news is that the weather will be warmer than last Friday with Wednesday's high around 50. But bundle up if it gets chilly late in the game. Game time is 7 PM.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
A Royal Shocker in St. Louis Park
On a cold and windy Saturday afternoon, the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals continued their momentum from their quarterfinal win last Thursday with two goals from Evan Komschlies that led them to a 2-1 upset of the host St. Louis Park Orioles in the semifinals of the Section 6AA Boys Soccer Tournament,
The Royals, with three wins entering semifinal play, would take the lead on Komschlies' header following a corner kick and they would lead 1-0 at halftime.
Hopkins would go up by two in the second half as Komschlies would score his second goal in a flurry of action near St. Louis Park goalkeeper Beau Finley, who replaced starting netminder Luis Benitez Matias. The Orioles would strike back :20 later as Nick Riley fed Alex Ruiz-Shimada and he sent the ball injto the net to cut the lead to one. No matter how many opportunities St. Louis Park had to send the game into overtime, the Hopkins defense would play very strong to prevent scoring chances.
The Royals improved their record to 4-11-3 and will face either Wayzata or Minneapolis Washburn for the Section 6AA title on Tuesday, October 15 at 7 PM. The Orioles ended their season with a record of 12-2-1.
The Royals, with three wins entering semifinal play, would take the lead on Komschlies' header following a corner kick and they would lead 1-0 at halftime.
Hopkins would go up by two in the second half as Komschlies would score his second goal in a flurry of action near St. Louis Park goalkeeper Beau Finley, who replaced starting netminder Luis Benitez Matias. The Orioles would strike back :20 later as Nick Riley fed Alex Ruiz-Shimada and he sent the ball injto the net to cut the lead to one. No matter how many opportunities St. Louis Park had to send the game into overtime, the Hopkins defense would play very strong to prevent scoring chances.
The Royals improved their record to 4-11-3 and will face either Wayzata or Minneapolis Washburn for the Section 6AA title on Tuesday, October 15 at 7 PM. The Orioles ended their season with a record of 12-2-1.
Friday, October 11, 2019
DeLaSalle Demolition
Friday night was cold, windy and snowy but it didn't stop a small throng of fans from seeing Alexander Hager score three touchdowns to lead the host St. Louis Park Orioles to a 41-0 demolishing of the DeLaSalle Islanders.
The Orioles entered the game without their leading rusher Sajid Nathim, who tore his ACL last week against Chanhassen, leaving them shorthanded in the backfield. Nathim's replacement, Tobyous Davenport would leave the game near the end of a scoreless first quarter due to an injury as well as Khalid Powell, who was taken to Children's hospital in an ambulance.
With Nathim and Davenport sidelined, who would St. Louis Park use to run the ball? The answer would be Hager as he would help put the game away in the second quarter with two touchdowns. The first would come on a 30 yard run up the middle and the second would come after Henry Bendickson sacked Islander quarterback Brandon Hoban on fourth down, setting up first and goal at the DeLaSalle seven yard line. On the first play of the drive, Hager headed into the end zone to put the Orioles ahead 14-0. They would go up by 22 on quarterback Aaron Ellingson's 10 yard touchdown pass to McCabe Dvorak with :27.9 left in the first half and it would be the halftime margin.
St. Louis Park would score two more touchdowns in the third quarter as the Ellingson to McCabe Dvorak combination prevailed again, scoring on a five yard pass completion. Hager would reach the end zone for his third touchdown but it was called back due to a penalty. He would later score on a 10 yard run to increase the lead to 35.
As the game headed into running time in the fourth quarter, the Oriole reserves got into the game. William Dvorak replaced Ellingson at quarterback and he scored the game's final touchdown on a one yard keeper run bolstered by several runs from freshman Tyree Shorter.
The Orioles improved their record to 3-4 and end their regular season on Wednesday, October 16 as they host the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars at 7 PM. The Islanders, with 30 players on their roster, also conclude their season on the 15th hosting the Cooper Hawks at 7 PM.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Six Goals and All Well for SLP Orioles
It was a wet Thursday night in St. Louis Park as the host Orioles opened quarterfinal play in the Section 6AA Boys Soccer Tournament with four goals from Randy Mayele that led them to a 6-1 win over the Cooper Hawks.
St. Louis Park would set the table 5:00 into the game as Thomas Salanzadeh faced a three player Cooper wall for a free kick and he lined it into the net. The Orioles would go up by two as Daniel Lainsbury headed in a rebound from a missed Nick Riley shot. Then it would be Mayele's turn in the St. Louis Park spotlight as he would score the next two goals. The last one would come with :05.2 remaining in the first half following a collision with Hawks goalkeeper Matthew Wood that sent the ball to the net. Wood would leave the game and be replaced by Jayden Hove. St. Louis Park led 4-0 at halftime.
With an insurmountable lead going into the second half, Oriole head coach Chato changed goalkeepers, replacing Beau Finley with Luis Benitez Matias. But it was Mayele who displayed speed and outstanding footwork as he would get the hat trick with his third goal coming from the center slot. The St. Louis Park senior would pick up his fourth goal following a pass from Thomas Salamzadeh. There would be no shutout for the second seeded Orioles when James Sondo would score from the right side of the net with 7:59 to conclude the scoring.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 12-1-1 and will host the Section 6AA semifinal game against the Hopkins Royals on Saturday, October 12 at 3 PM. The sixth seeded Royals upset the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers 1-0 in overtime.
Cooper concluded their season with a 3-12 record.
St. Louis Park would set the table 5:00 into the game as Thomas Salanzadeh faced a three player Cooper wall for a free kick and he lined it into the net. The Orioles would go up by two as Daniel Lainsbury headed in a rebound from a missed Nick Riley shot. Then it would be Mayele's turn in the St. Louis Park spotlight as he would score the next two goals. The last one would come with :05.2 remaining in the first half following a collision with Hawks goalkeeper Matthew Wood that sent the ball to the net. Wood would leave the game and be replaced by Jayden Hove. St. Louis Park led 4-0 at halftime.
With an insurmountable lead going into the second half, Oriole head coach Chato changed goalkeepers, replacing Beau Finley with Luis Benitez Matias. But it was Mayele who displayed speed and outstanding footwork as he would get the hat trick with his third goal coming from the center slot. The St. Louis Park senior would pick up his fourth goal following a pass from Thomas Salamzadeh. There would be no shutout for the second seeded Orioles when James Sondo would score from the right side of the net with 7:59 to conclude the scoring.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 12-1-1 and will host the Section 6AA semifinal game against the Hopkins Royals on Saturday, October 12 at 3 PM. The sixth seeded Royals upset the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers 1-0 in overtime.
Cooper concluded their season with a 3-12 record.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
SLP Orioles-DeLaSalle islanders Football Preview
The team bus has landed! The St. Louis Park Orioles football team returns home for their final two regular season games, starting with the DeLaSalle Islanders Friday night.
Last week, the Orioles concluded their road portion of the regular season as they headed down Highway 212 to Chanhassen to face the Storm and it was a cloudy result for St. Louis Park as they got beat by Chanhassen 40-22.
There was a bright spot for the Orioles that night in quarterback Aaron Ellingson, completing 11 of 22 passes for 313 yards and throwing three touchdown passes. Two of them were to McCabe Dvorak with the first for 62 yards and the second hauled in for 80 yards. The junior receiver caught five passes for 198 yards. Ellingson, who is 18 passing yards away from 1000 also had a stellar night on defense, recording 10 tackles. Jack Townsend also had an outstanding night on defense, recording nine tackles and the Orioles lone interception.
What's happened to the DeLaSalle Islanders? Two years ago, they lost in double overtime to Fridley in the section final and last season they finished 4-6. This season, the Minneapolis school near the Mississippi River hasn't been mighty in 2019, heading into Friday's game with a record of 1-5. Their lone win came on September 28 with a 21-0 shutout of the North St. Paul Polars. Last week, the Islanders were overwhelmed by the Orono Spartans 45-7. It doesn't get easier for DeLaSalle in next Wednesday's final regular season game as they host the Cooper Hawks.
The keys to the game for St. Louis Park are for Ellingson to continue what he did well against Chanhassen and create opportunities for McCabe Dvorak and his receivers to put the ball in the end zone. The running game has to be reestablished since the Orioles had only 42 yards on the ground, including 15 from Sajid Nathim.
The keys to the game for DeLaSalle is to get into an offensive groove and to tighten the defense that fell apart last week against Orono.
\A heads up to fans attending Friday's game. It will be a wintry weather picture with a possible rain and snow mix so bring an umbrella and dress warm. Game time is 7 PM.
Last week, the Orioles concluded their road portion of the regular season as they headed down Highway 212 to Chanhassen to face the Storm and it was a cloudy result for St. Louis Park as they got beat by Chanhassen 40-22.
There was a bright spot for the Orioles that night in quarterback Aaron Ellingson, completing 11 of 22 passes for 313 yards and throwing three touchdown passes. Two of them were to McCabe Dvorak with the first for 62 yards and the second hauled in for 80 yards. The junior receiver caught five passes for 198 yards. Ellingson, who is 18 passing yards away from 1000 also had a stellar night on defense, recording 10 tackles. Jack Townsend also had an outstanding night on defense, recording nine tackles and the Orioles lone interception.
What's happened to the DeLaSalle Islanders? Two years ago, they lost in double overtime to Fridley in the section final and last season they finished 4-6. This season, the Minneapolis school near the Mississippi River hasn't been mighty in 2019, heading into Friday's game with a record of 1-5. Their lone win came on September 28 with a 21-0 shutout of the North St. Paul Polars. Last week, the Islanders were overwhelmed by the Orono Spartans 45-7. It doesn't get easier for DeLaSalle in next Wednesday's final regular season game as they host the Cooper Hawks.
The keys to the game for St. Louis Park are for Ellingson to continue what he did well against Chanhassen and create opportunities for McCabe Dvorak and his receivers to put the ball in the end zone. The running game has to be reestablished since the Orioles had only 42 yards on the ground, including 15 from Sajid Nathim.
The keys to the game for DeLaSalle is to get into an offensive groove and to tighten the defense that fell apart last week against Orono.
\A heads up to fans attending Friday's game. It will be a wintry weather picture with a possible rain and snow mix so bring an umbrella and dress warm. Game time is 7 PM.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
2019 Section 6AA Soccer Tournament Preview
The road to the state soccer tournament gets underway this week for both St. Louis Park Oriole soccer teams as they head into the Section 6AA quarterfinals this Thursday. Here's a preview of both the boys and girls pairings.
First up is the boys quarterfinal matchups as two Minneapolis schools square off for the second time this season. The eighth seeded Minneapolis South Tigers take on the top seeded Minneapolis Washbuen Millers. The Millers, ranked fourth in Class AA, captured the number one seed with a big 2-1 win over St. Louis Park October 5. Washburn dominated South in their regular season meeting September 12 4-0. Seven of the Millers 12 wins have been by shutout. They are one of the favorites in Section 6.
It's the "Battle of Plymouth" in the second upper bracket game with the fifth seeded Armstrong Falcons facing the fourth seeded Wayzata Trojans. The two Plymouth schools did not face each other in the regular season but their records are nearly identical with the Falcons 8-6-2 and the Trojans 8-5-3. Armstrong finished the regular season winning three of their last four games, losing their regular season finale to the Centennial Cougars. Wayzata is the defending section champion and has lost only one game since they were beaten bay the top ranked Edina Hornets 3-0 September 19. Don't count out the Trojans for a potential battle with the top seeded Millers.
To the lower bracket and a rematch of a September 12 game between the seventh seeded Cooper Hawks and the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles. The Orioles came out on top 6-2 against the Hawks. Cooper has scored only one goal in its final two regular season games and it will be a tough task against a St. Louis Park team that came close to ending the regular season unbeaten but they were defeated by Washburn. The Orioles play outstanding defense and move the ball around well to set up scoring plays. Keep an eye on St. Louis Park. It could be their first trip to state since 2009 if they can get by the Millers in the section final.
Concluding the quarterfinals is the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals and the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. It hasn't been a royal season for Hopkins, who did not win a game until they defeated the Eden Prairie Eagles 2-1 September 28. They did face Southwest in the regular season and tied the Lakers 1-1 August 29. The Lakers have won 10 of their last 11 games and look to head to state for the first time since they finished second in 2010.
Looking at the girls tournament bracket, there is a new top seed for the first time in many years, the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The Raiders ended the regular season on a five game winning streak and on a quest to advance to their first state tournament since 2004. First, they have to defeat the eighth seeded Armstrong Falcons who they opened their season against and demolished them 9-0 August 22. Armstrong has won only one game this season, the win coming against Park Center. Can CDH end Wayzata's Section 6 domination?
A season ending victory over the Minneapolis Washburn Millers earned the St. Louis Park Orioles the fifth seed. They will take on the fourth seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. It's been an up and down year for the Orioles, who had a four game winning streak before losing three in a row. Southwest has won seven of their last eight games, including a 1-0 win over St. Louis Park September 26. It should be a great quarterfinal game.
Over in the lower bracket, it's an All Minneapolis Showdown as the seventh seeded South Tigers battle the second seeded Washburn Millers. Washburn beat South in their regular season meeting 1-0 on September 12. The Millers are a tough team to score against and it showed late in the season with five straight shut outs, outscoring the opposition 24-0. They will need to continue their strong defense in order to play for a state tournament berth.
Wrapping up the quarterfinals is the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals and the third seeded and defending section champion Wayzata Trojans. No, it's not a typo. The Trojans are seeded third since they had a down regular season with two losing streaks of three games. Wayzata tied Washburn 1-1 August 27 and a rematch is very likely as the Trojans begin their journey to their 28th state tournament.
There are the pairings. Be sure and dress warm since it will be chilly, rainy and possibly snowy for Semifinal Saturday.
First up is the boys quarterfinal matchups as two Minneapolis schools square off for the second time this season. The eighth seeded Minneapolis South Tigers take on the top seeded Minneapolis Washbuen Millers. The Millers, ranked fourth in Class AA, captured the number one seed with a big 2-1 win over St. Louis Park October 5. Washburn dominated South in their regular season meeting September 12 4-0. Seven of the Millers 12 wins have been by shutout. They are one of the favorites in Section 6.
It's the "Battle of Plymouth" in the second upper bracket game with the fifth seeded Armstrong Falcons facing the fourth seeded Wayzata Trojans. The two Plymouth schools did not face each other in the regular season but their records are nearly identical with the Falcons 8-6-2 and the Trojans 8-5-3. Armstrong finished the regular season winning three of their last four games, losing their regular season finale to the Centennial Cougars. Wayzata is the defending section champion and has lost only one game since they were beaten bay the top ranked Edina Hornets 3-0 September 19. Don't count out the Trojans for a potential battle with the top seeded Millers.
To the lower bracket and a rematch of a September 12 game between the seventh seeded Cooper Hawks and the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles. The Orioles came out on top 6-2 against the Hawks. Cooper has scored only one goal in its final two regular season games and it will be a tough task against a St. Louis Park team that came close to ending the regular season unbeaten but they were defeated by Washburn. The Orioles play outstanding defense and move the ball around well to set up scoring plays. Keep an eye on St. Louis Park. It could be their first trip to state since 2009 if they can get by the Millers in the section final.
Concluding the quarterfinals is the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals and the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. It hasn't been a royal season for Hopkins, who did not win a game until they defeated the Eden Prairie Eagles 2-1 September 28. They did face Southwest in the regular season and tied the Lakers 1-1 August 29. The Lakers have won 10 of their last 11 games and look to head to state for the first time since they finished second in 2010.
Looking at the girls tournament bracket, there is a new top seed for the first time in many years, the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The Raiders ended the regular season on a five game winning streak and on a quest to advance to their first state tournament since 2004. First, they have to defeat the eighth seeded Armstrong Falcons who they opened their season against and demolished them 9-0 August 22. Armstrong has won only one game this season, the win coming against Park Center. Can CDH end Wayzata's Section 6 domination?
A season ending victory over the Minneapolis Washburn Millers earned the St. Louis Park Orioles the fifth seed. They will take on the fourth seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. It's been an up and down year for the Orioles, who had a four game winning streak before losing three in a row. Southwest has won seven of their last eight games, including a 1-0 win over St. Louis Park September 26. It should be a great quarterfinal game.
Over in the lower bracket, it's an All Minneapolis Showdown as the seventh seeded South Tigers battle the second seeded Washburn Millers. Washburn beat South in their regular season meeting 1-0 on September 12. The Millers are a tough team to score against and it showed late in the season with five straight shut outs, outscoring the opposition 24-0. They will need to continue their strong defense in order to play for a state tournament berth.
Wrapping up the quarterfinals is the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals and the third seeded and defending section champion Wayzata Trojans. No, it's not a typo. The Trojans are seeded third since they had a down regular season with two losing streaks of three games. Wayzata tied Washburn 1-1 August 27 and a rematch is very likely as the Trojans begin their journey to their 28th state tournament.
There are the pairings. Be sure and dress warm since it will be chilly, rainy and possibly snowy for Semifinal Saturday.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
SLP Orioles Split Home Season Finale With Chanhassen Storm
It was a chilly Thursday night in St. Louis Park as the Oriole soccer teams concluded the home portion of their regular season schedule against the Chanhassen Storm with the girls defeated 1-0 and the boys shutting out Chanhassen 5-0.
First up was the girls game where the Storm, who entered the final week of the regular season with two wins, got a first half goal from Riley Lyons to lead them to a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Park Orioles.
Lyons would roar down the field, dribbling the ball and sent it into the net for the only first half goal that would turn out to be the game's only goal. The Orioles had a number of chances to send the game into overtime but Chanhassen goalkeeper Jess Maus made a number of outstanding saves to preserve the shutout. Dare Kroeten would get a free kick as she went up against a three player Chanhassen wall but Maus would come out of the net to make the save. Maus' counterpart in goal for St. Louis Park, Sophia Romero would also prevent the ball from entering the net as she saved Kennedy Beld's shot.
The Storm conclude their regular season with a record of 3-8-2. They will open Section 2AA tournament play on Tuesday, October 8. The Orioles fell to 6-5-2 and end their regular season on Saturday, October 5 at 3 PM in Minneapolis against the Washburn Millers.
To the boys game where Claudy Zua scored two goals to lead the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 5-0 clouding of the Chanhassen Storm.
St. Louis Park would put the game away with four first half goals. The first came with a flurry of action on the right side of the net as the ball deflected off a Storm player and entered the net. Zua would get credited for the goal. Their next two goals would come from penalty kicks as the Chanhassen defense played aggressive to prevent St. Louis Park from scoring but it would cost them not once but twice. Randy Mayele would score the first one and Thomas Salamzadeh score the other to put the Orioles up by three. They would score their fourth goal when the ball deflected off Alex Ruiz-Shimada and ended up inside the net with :09 left in the first half to lead 4-0 at halftime.
The Orioles would add another goal to their total in the second half as Zua would position himself on the right side of the net to rebound Mayele's shot and he would extend the lead to five.
Following the game, Oriole head coach Chato was honored for his 20 years of service to the boys soccer program.
St. Louis Park improves their record to 11-0-1 and ends the regular season on Saturday, October 5 with a 5 PM against the Millers at Minneapolis Washburn. Chanhassen also closes the regular season on the fifth as they head down I-494 to Woodbury to face the East Ridge Raptors at 1 PM.
First up was the girls game where the Storm, who entered the final week of the regular season with two wins, got a first half goal from Riley Lyons to lead them to a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Park Orioles.
Lyons would roar down the field, dribbling the ball and sent it into the net for the only first half goal that would turn out to be the game's only goal. The Orioles had a number of chances to send the game into overtime but Chanhassen goalkeeper Jess Maus made a number of outstanding saves to preserve the shutout. Dare Kroeten would get a free kick as she went up against a three player Chanhassen wall but Maus would come out of the net to make the save. Maus' counterpart in goal for St. Louis Park, Sophia Romero would also prevent the ball from entering the net as she saved Kennedy Beld's shot.
The Storm conclude their regular season with a record of 3-8-2. They will open Section 2AA tournament play on Tuesday, October 8. The Orioles fell to 6-5-2 and end their regular season on Saturday, October 5 at 3 PM in Minneapolis against the Washburn Millers.
To the boys game where Claudy Zua scored two goals to lead the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 5-0 clouding of the Chanhassen Storm.
St. Louis Park would put the game away with four first half goals. The first came with a flurry of action on the right side of the net as the ball deflected off a Storm player and entered the net. Zua would get credited for the goal. Their next two goals would come from penalty kicks as the Chanhassen defense played aggressive to prevent St. Louis Park from scoring but it would cost them not once but twice. Randy Mayele would score the first one and Thomas Salamzadeh score the other to put the Orioles up by three. They would score their fourth goal when the ball deflected off Alex Ruiz-Shimada and ended up inside the net with :09 left in the first half to lead 4-0 at halftime.
The Orioles would add another goal to their total in the second half as Zua would position himself on the right side of the net to rebound Mayele's shot and he would extend the lead to five.
Following the game, Oriole head coach Chato was honored for his 20 years of service to the boys soccer program.
St. Louis Park improves their record to 11-0-1 and ends the regular season on Saturday, October 5 with a 5 PM against the Millers at Minneapolis Washburn. Chanhassen also closes the regular season on the fifth as they head down I-494 to Woodbury to face the East Ridge Raptors at 1 PM.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
SLP Orioles-Chanhassen Storm Football Preview
The final road test of the regular season for the St. Louis Park Orioles football team takes place down Highway 212 in Chanhassen Friday night as the Orioles battle the Storm.
Both teams head into the sixth week of the regular season with identical 2-3 records.
St. Louis Park headed to Orono last week to face the Spartans as Aaron Ellingson threw two touchdown passes to McCabe Dvorak to lead them to a 28-14 win. Ellingson was effective under center, completing 11 of 15 passes for 156 yards and carrying the ball 13 times for 48 yards and a touchdown. Sajid Nathim led the Oriole rushing attack with 111 yards on 20 carries.
Defense was also a factor for St. Louis Park as Tobyous Davenport was credited with 10 tackles and Alex Hager had the Orioles lone sack.
Chanhassen ended a three game losing streak last Friday with a 19-13 overtime win over the Waconia Wildcats. Jack Schaefer's two touchdown passes in the first quarter put the Storm ahead 13-0 but the Wildcats would tie the game on Mac McEnelly's one yard touchdown run to send the game into overtime. Chanhassen would get the game winner on a four yard touchdown run from Jason Collins. He led the Storm in rushing with 73 yards on 18 carries.
On defense, Eli Mau led Chanhassen with 12 tackles. Chris Ewing had the lone Storm sack.
The keys to the Orioles beating the Storm is for Ellingson to have another outstanding game and throw to his receivers McCabe Dvorak, Davenport and Cole Ewald. The offensive line has to create opportunities for Nathim to pick up yardage as they head for the .500 mark going into their final two home games against DeLaSalle and Bloomington Jefferson.
The keys to the Storm beating the Orioles is for Collins to test the Oriole defense on the ground and for the defense to get to Ellingson.
The weather picture for Friday doesn't call for rain but bring a blanket since it might get chilly as well as a radio or a smartphone since the Twins open their playoff series against the Yankees that night. Game time is 7 PM.
Both teams head into the sixth week of the regular season with identical 2-3 records.
St. Louis Park headed to Orono last week to face the Spartans as Aaron Ellingson threw two touchdown passes to McCabe Dvorak to lead them to a 28-14 win. Ellingson was effective under center, completing 11 of 15 passes for 156 yards and carrying the ball 13 times for 48 yards and a touchdown. Sajid Nathim led the Oriole rushing attack with 111 yards on 20 carries.
Defense was also a factor for St. Louis Park as Tobyous Davenport was credited with 10 tackles and Alex Hager had the Orioles lone sack.
Chanhassen ended a three game losing streak last Friday with a 19-13 overtime win over the Waconia Wildcats. Jack Schaefer's two touchdown passes in the first quarter put the Storm ahead 13-0 but the Wildcats would tie the game on Mac McEnelly's one yard touchdown run to send the game into overtime. Chanhassen would get the game winner on a four yard touchdown run from Jason Collins. He led the Storm in rushing with 73 yards on 18 carries.
On defense, Eli Mau led Chanhassen with 12 tackles. Chris Ewing had the lone Storm sack.
The keys to the Orioles beating the Storm is for Ellingson to have another outstanding game and throw to his receivers McCabe Dvorak, Davenport and Cole Ewald. The offensive line has to create opportunities for Nathim to pick up yardage as they head for the .500 mark going into their final two home games against DeLaSalle and Bloomington Jefferson.
The keys to the Storm beating the Orioles is for Collins to test the Oriole defense on the ground and for the defense to get to Ellingson.
The weather picture for Friday doesn't call for rain but bring a blanket since it might get chilly as well as a radio or a smartphone since the Twins open their playoff series against the Yankees that night. Game time is 7 PM.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Mayer Lutheran Crusaders Sweep Bethlehem Academy Cardinals
Two Class A volleyball powers clad in red and black met Tuesday night in Mayer as the top ranked Mayer Lutheran Crusaders swept the Bethlehem Academy of Faribault Cardinals three sets to none.
The Crusaders took home the first set 25-14 behind a couple of key kills from Liv Tjernagel and outstanding center line play from sophomore Lilly Wachholz, one of three Wachholz sisters to play for Mayer Lutheran. The other two are Gabby, a freshman and Anna, a senior.
To the second set as Bethlehem Academy started the set with a 2-0 lead and Mayer Lutheran went on a 4-0 run to forge ahead. Mayer Lutheran fell behind 7-4 and would bounce back to take the lead on a left side kill from Claudia Stahlke. The Crusaders would go on a 10-2 run and emerge with a 25-19 win.
Mayer Lutheran opened the third set on a 3-0 run and Bethlehem Academy would come back to take a 7-6 lead. But it was the only time they would lead as the Crusaders displayed outstanding hitting as well as defense to wrap up the match 25-11.
Cardinal head coach Chris Bothum is in her first season leading the Faribault based team replacing long-time head coach Franz Boelter. Bothum, who played for the veteran head coach mentioned how very influential he was to her as a coach. "His record and many trips to the state tournament have helped."
Bothum mentioned about one thing about Boelter that she applied when she took over the program was the determination to win and have a winning attitude.
The first year head coach, who heads a program that has taken home six Class A championship trophies described what it would take to return to the Xcel Energy Center, site of the state tournament in St. Paul. "Continued hard work. Always moving. Knowing we can go out and beat good teams. "
Also interviewed was veteran Crusader head coach Joelle Grimsley, who is in her 25th season at Mayer Lutheran. She spent seven years coaching in Missouri. She mentioned the difference between high school volleyball in Missouri and Minnesota. "Minnesota was at a high level of play."
Grimsley said the keys to the Crusaders success are being positive and highly motivated. She also said that setting high expectations and meeting those expectations were also keys to the program's success.
The Crusaders improved their record to 17-1 and will travel to Arlington on Thursday, October 3 to take on the Sibley East Wolverines at 7 PM.
The Cardinals fell to 7-11 and will also be in action on the 3rd as they host the Medford Tigers at 7:15 PM.
The Crusaders took home the first set 25-14 behind a couple of key kills from Liv Tjernagel and outstanding center line play from sophomore Lilly Wachholz, one of three Wachholz sisters to play for Mayer Lutheran. The other two are Gabby, a freshman and Anna, a senior.
To the second set as Bethlehem Academy started the set with a 2-0 lead and Mayer Lutheran went on a 4-0 run to forge ahead. Mayer Lutheran fell behind 7-4 and would bounce back to take the lead on a left side kill from Claudia Stahlke. The Crusaders would go on a 10-2 run and emerge with a 25-19 win.
Mayer Lutheran opened the third set on a 3-0 run and Bethlehem Academy would come back to take a 7-6 lead. But it was the only time they would lead as the Crusaders displayed outstanding hitting as well as defense to wrap up the match 25-11.
Cardinal head coach Chris Bothum is in her first season leading the Faribault based team replacing long-time head coach Franz Boelter. Bothum, who played for the veteran head coach mentioned how very influential he was to her as a coach. "His record and many trips to the state tournament have helped."
Bothum mentioned about one thing about Boelter that she applied when she took over the program was the determination to win and have a winning attitude.
The first year head coach, who heads a program that has taken home six Class A championship trophies described what it would take to return to the Xcel Energy Center, site of the state tournament in St. Paul. "Continued hard work. Always moving. Knowing we can go out and beat good teams. "
Also interviewed was veteran Crusader head coach Joelle Grimsley, who is in her 25th season at Mayer Lutheran. She spent seven years coaching in Missouri. She mentioned the difference between high school volleyball in Missouri and Minnesota. "Minnesota was at a high level of play."
Grimsley said the keys to the Crusaders success are being positive and highly motivated. She also said that setting high expectations and meeting those expectations were also keys to the program's success.
The Crusaders improved their record to 17-1 and will travel to Arlington on Thursday, October 3 to take on the Sibley East Wolverines at 7 PM.
The Cardinals fell to 7-11 and will also be in action on the 3rd as they host the Medford Tigers at 7:15 PM.
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