In Memory of Jake Lynch

 He helped coach the Bloomington Jefferson boys basketball team to three state titles in 1982, 1986 and 1987 as well as many athletes that included his four sons.  

On December 20, Jake Lynch passed away at the age of 85.  

Lynch was also a World History teacher at Jefferson from 1970-1997 and I had him for a teacher my junior year but I remember him the most from my days as boys basketball statistician junior and senior year.  

Before he came to Jefferson, he coached at St Cloud Cathedral before he headed south to Owatonna.  He left Minnesota to become the head basketball coach at Central High School in Billings, Montana and led the Rams to a fourth place finish in the 1965 state tournament.  He then left The Treasure State to return to Minnesota and became the assistant football and track coach at Waconia High School before settling into Bloomington in 1968, serving as the assistant football coach at Lincoln.  

In 1970, when Jefferson opened, Lynch moved down 102nd St. to teach World History and serve as an assistant boys basketball and football coach.  He was also the junior varsity coach where he coached many talented athletes, including his four sons.  

The first was Mike, who graduated with me in 1980.  He was a starter along with a guard who would later succeed his father Jack as head coach, Jeff Evens.  Though he was the only Lynch never to play in a state tournament, one memorable moment stands out.  With time running out and the Jaguars behind against Burnsville, Chris MacGowan misses a shot but Mike tips in the rebound for the game winner.  

The second was John, who played in two state tournaments in 1981, where they lost to Anoka in the Class AA quarterfinals and in 1982 as a part of the state championship team.  John's brother Tim was also part of the Class AA title team that included Greg Montbriand, Mark Nelson and Steve Hill.  

The last of the Lynches would turn out to be one of the best players to wear a Jefferson uniform and it would be Kevin.  A three year starter, he played in three state tournaments, including the school's last two state titles in 1986 and 1987.  But his playing career wasn't over yet.  He would play four years at Minnesota under Clem Haskins and had a short stint in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets before heading overseas.  He currently is a studio analyst for Bally Sports North and a color commentator for 45TV's state tournament coverage.  

In 1997, Jake retired from coaching but he got to see his grandson Kyle play for Jefferson, where one of his teammates, Brian Mariska is the son of another former Jaguar guard Todd Mariska.  I also got to see his granddaughter Grace in action as a member of the St. Louis Park girls lacrosse team where I still do the public address announcing to this day.  

My condolences go out to the Lynch family on Jake's passing and may he rest in peace.  

Power Play Pays Off For Holy Angels Stars

 Monday night's game between the Holy Angels Stars and the St. Louis Park Orioles was brought to you by the number two.  Jack Bartfield scored two goals and the Stars capitalized on three power play opportunities to beat the Orioles 4-1 at The Rec Center.  

Neither team would erase the zeros from the scoreboard in the first period.  St. Louis Park would take the early lead as Ben Farley went two on one like traffic driving down Excelsior Blvd. and he found an opening to the right of Holy Angels goalie Bryce Hess to put the puck in the net.  But the lead didn't last for the Orioles due to a couple of penalties that the Stars would cash in on.  The first came when Henry Schrader was sent to the penalty box for tripping and :09 later, Noah Hermanson scored from the right slot.  The second came after Phillip Hirte went off for roughing and Holy Angels tallied :12 later on Bartfield's first goal.  

It looks like the Stars would widen their lead to two in the third period.  But after a summit meeting between the three officials, the ruling was no goal.  No problem for the Stars.  Barfield would score Holy Angels third power play goal.  After St. Louis Park called time out, head coach Ben Horsch pulled goalie Josh Middleton for a sixth attacker and Carter Hermanson would fire the puck into the empty net to clinch the victory.  

The Stars improved their record to 6-1 and will host the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Lumberjacks on Thursday, December 23 at 7 PM at the Richfield Ice Arena.  The Orioles ended a two game winning streak and fell to 2-3.  They return to action on Wednesday, December 22 at noon against Minneapolis at the Parade Ice Garden.  

Wayzata Trojans Beat CDH Raiders in Class AAAA Final Rematch

 If you missed last April's Class AAAA championship game between the Wayzata Trojans and Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders due to the pandemic, the two teams would battle again as Carter Bjerke scored 16 points to lead the Trojans to a 59-50 win over the Raiders in the Breakdown Big 12 Classic Saturday night at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley.  

Bjerke would begin the scoring :12 into the first half.  Ryan Harvey would spark a 5-0 run on a goaltending call against Donavhan Cain for a three point play.  Tre Holloman, headed for Michigan State next season would help put the Raiders on the scoreboard with a lob pass to Cain and he would score on a right handed jam.  The lead would go back and forth a few times until Wayzata would widen the lead on a 11-3 run.  They would play solid defense and box out well in the post and it would result in baskets to Bjerke and Davis Hay.  Holloman would be the bright spot for Cretin-Derham Hall as he stole the ball and slammed it home.  The Trojans led at halftime 27-22.  

In the second half, Hayden Tibbits, who wasn't heard from in the first half began the Trojan scoring with a pair of free throws :22 into the half.  But the Raiders would come close to the defending Class AAAA champions with a three pointer from Cain that cut the lead to three.  Foul trouble would hit CDH in the second half when Adam Tauer picked up his fourth foul with 13:50 to go and Sam Koopmeiers 1:36 later.  Tauer would return to the game and hit a three pointer to cut the Wayzata lead to five.  Cain would keep the Raiders in the game with three consecutive three pointers but they would have to foul late in the game to keep the Trojans from running out the clock as Tibbits would clinch the win with a pair of free throws with :07.1 to play.  

Other players in double figures for Wayzata were Tibbits with 12 points, all in the second half.  Drew Berkland contributed 10.  Cain led CDH with 18 points and Holloman added 10.  

The Trojans improved their record to 3-2 and will head to Champlin Park on Tuesday, December 21 for a 7 PM game with the Rebels.  The Raiders fell to 1-2 and are off until Wednesday, December 29 as they will play in Woodbury in the East Ridge Tournament against the Lakeville South Cougars at 6 PM.  

Regguinti's Return Sparks SLP Orioles to First Win

 After sitting out a one game suspension for fighting, Stanley Regguinti returned to action Tuesday night and scored two goals to lead the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 6-1 win over the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles at The Rec Center's outdoor rink. 

It was the Orioles first win of the season and the first for new head coach Ben Horsch,.  

St. Louis Park would break out of the starting gate early on Griffin Krone's goal :25 into the game.  They would go up by two when Jacob Favour passed to Michael Hoikka and he went round the left side of the cage and stuffed the puck over the goal line for a power play goal.  Kennedy would get on the scoreboard thanks to the Brothers Manning.  Nick would get credit for the goal after rebounding Jack's shot.  The Orioles would regain the two goal margin on Phillip Hirte's unassisted goal with 1:11 left in the period.  

Krone would pick up his second point of the game as he sent the puck to Ben Farley and he would score from the right slot.  St. Louis Park would increase their lead to four on Regguinti's right slot goal.  

Regguinti's second goal would account for the third period's only goal.  The Eagles had a five on three advantage for 1:05 but the Oriole defense and solid penalty killing would deny any scoring opportunities.u

St. Louis Park improved their record to 1-2 and will head to Long Lake on Saturday, December 18 to face the Orono Spartans at 2 PM at Morrison Arena.  Kennedy fell to 0-4 and will also be back in action on the 18th as they battle their city rival the Jefferson Jaguars at 3 PM at the Bloomington Ice Garden.  

Hanus' Hat Trick Helps Minnetonka Skippers Sink SLP Orioles

It was an honorable night for Reed Hanus as he scored a hat trick to lead the Minnetonka Skippers to a 7-1 sinking of the St. Louis Park Orioles Thursday at The Rec Center.  

The Orioles were playing without Stanley Regguinti who was serving a one game suspension due to a game disqualification penalty in last Thursday's game against the Edina Hornets.  

St. Louis Park would get the early lead in the first period on a slap shot from Ben Olson that would enter the net.  

The Oriole lead would be short-lived in the second period as the Skippers took the lead with two goals.  Michael Manning would score the first one from the right slot and Alex Lunski would fire a shot from the left face off circle that landed in the net.  St. Louis Park goalie Josh Middleton was busy in the net, facing 30 shots in the period.  

Minnetonka would put the game away in the third period with five unanswered goals.  Manning would pick up his second point when he set up Hanus' first goal.  The Skippers would score four goals in a stretch of 1:18.  Baer would begin the run on a shot from ahead of the blue line.  Hanus would get the hat trick, scoring the next two goals.  Danny Pasqua would wrap up the scoring for Minnetonka.  

The Skippers out shot the Orioles 64-19.  

Minnetonka head coach Sean Goldsworthy is the son of the late former Minnesota North Star Bill Goldsworthy.  

The Skippers improved their record to 3-2 and will head up I-94 to face the Rogers Royals on Saturday, December 11 at 7 PM at the Rogers Activity Center.  The Oead outside for their next game on Tuesday, The Orioles fell to 0-2 and will head outside for their next game on Tuesday, December 14 as the host the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles at 7 PM at the Recreation Outdoor Center.  

Edina Hornets Sting SLP Orioles

 Ben Horsch's maiden voyage as head coach of the St. Louis Park Oriole Boys Hockey Team hit rough waters Thursday night as Trey Fechko scored two goals to lead the Edina Hornets to a 7-1 rout of the Orioles at The Rec Center.  

The Hornets, ranked number one in Class AA, tested Oriole goalie Josh Middleton early as they dominated the first period with four goals and held St. Louis Park without any shots until there was :26.6 left in the period.  John Halverson would score Edina's first goal from the center slot off a pass from Prescot Sexton.  The Hornets would go up by two on Caden Morgan's power play goal.  Trey Fechko and Ryan Flaherty would round out Edina's first period scoring.  

Trey Fechko would fetch the puck from Henry Whittlef and he would score his second goal of the game.  Sexton's shot from the right corner would enter the next to put the Hornets ahead by six.  

Edina would add another goal to their ledger in the third period when Jimmy Clark went top shelf. The one bright spot for the Orioles in tonight's game was there would be no shutout.  While Morgan was serving a tripping penalty,  Teddy Dahlin scored a power play goal on a rebound.  As the clock ticked down toward zero, several players from both teams got into a fight.  One player from each team received a game disqualification.  They were Sexton from Edina and Stanley Regguinti from St. Louis Park.  

The Hornets improved their record to 3-0 and return to action on Saturday, December 4 at 8 PM against the White Bear Lake Bears at Braemar Arena in Edina.  The Orioles opened their season with an 0-1 record and travel down Highway 5 to Waconia on Tuesday, December 7 to take on the Wildcats at 7 PM at the City Ice Arena.  

Mankato West Scarlets Get the Gold

 The final game of the 2021 Prep Bowl featured Alex Dittbenner throwing two touchdown passes to lead the Mankato West Cougars to a 21-10 win over the Mahtomedi Zephyrs Saturday afternoon in the Class AAAAA Football Championship Game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  

It was the fifth state title for Mankato West in the 13th state tournament appearance and their first Class AAAAA championship since 2014.  

Many red and black clad Scarlet fans (as well as The Blogger) who were stuck in line waiting to enter the US Bank Stadium's purple seats missed the Mankato West defense coming up big when Mahtomedi's Gunnar Woods fumbled and Ryan Haley recovered and went 34 yards into the woods for the touchdown.  The Scarlets would go up by 14 as Dittbenner would rush for 37 yards on three plays and fire a nine yard pass to Brady Haugum on first and goal with :20 left in the quarter.  

Mankato West, the top ranked team in Class AAAAA most of the season had trouble hanging on to the ball, losing three fumbles.  The first was recovered by the Zephyrs Dominic Rohrer and it gave Mahtomedi an opportunity to cut the lead to seven.  But they would only gain one yard on three plays thanks to the Scarlet defense and Joseph Heinsch would put the Zephyrs on the board with a 31 yard field goal.  Mankato West led 14-3 at the half.  

The Zephyrs would inch closer to the Scarlets in the third quarter when Charles Brandt completed a 34 yard pass to Woods but he fumbled and this time he recovered the ball at the Mankato West four yard line.  They would cash in on Jordan Hull's one yard touchdown run.  However, the Scarlets would widen their lead to 11 when Dittbenner threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Gibson Blackstad.  

Mankato West would conclude the scoring in the fourth quarter on Drew Smook's 35 yard field goal with 4:17 to go.  Mahtomedi had a chance to narrow the lead to seven on their final drive but once again the Scarlet defense came through on Haley's sack or Brandt and on fourth and 16, Brandt's pass to Quinn Walek was deflected by Damian Riewe and the Scarlets got the ball and ran out the clock to send the fans down Highway 169 home happy.  

Dittbenner led Mankato West completing 11 of 18 passes for 121 yards and rushing for 48 yards.  Mahtomedi was led by Ethan Loss who gained 130 yards on seven completions.  

The Scarlets ended their season with a 13-0 record and Mahtomedi finished with a record of 10-3.  

Long Drives Help Dassel-Cokato Chargers Win Class AAA Title

 Fans from five communities got to see Eli Gillman rush for 150 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Dassel-Cokato Chargers to a 28-21 victory over the Plainview-Elgin-Millville Bulldogs in the Class AAA Football Championship Game Saturday afternoon at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  

It was the first state title for Dassel-Cokato in their fourth trip to state.  The Chargers returned to the Class AAA final after losing to the Pierz Pioneers 28-27 in 2019.  

The Charger defense would prevail in the early going when Kyan Lynk intercepted Bulldog quarterback Connor McGuire's pass.  It would begin a drive would culminate with Eli Gillman's eight yard touchdown run.  But the replay review ruled that Eli Gillman came short of the goal line.  so he got the ball again and this time he scored the touchdown, capping a 14 play drive that lasted 5:49.  

In the second quarter, P-E-M, aided by a D-C encroachment penalty got a one yard keeper touchdown from McGuire to tie the game at seven.  Then it would be D-C's turn and they kept the Bulldog defense on the field for a long long time.  They went 3 for 3 on fourth down conversions and it would culminate in 20 plays lasting (;30 with Eli Gillman's two yard touchdown run.  P-E-M would go into the locker room at halftime with a deficit.  They used a bit of trickery.  McGuire completed a pass to Kaiden Peters, he lateraled the ball to Jason Felis and he scampered down the left sideline like the fan buses heading down I-90 for a 44 yard touchdown to tie the game at 14.  

Heading into the third quarter, the Chargers methodical offense would strike again as they used 18 plays and 8:45 that would result in Eli Gillman's third touchdown of the game, his second from two yards.  

D-C would extend their lead to 14 in the fourth quarter when Keyton Johnson bulged through the Bulldog defense and scored from 10 yards.  P-E-M would cut the margin to seven on McGuire's nine yard touchdown pass to Hunter Tentis.  The Bulldogs would get the ball back, thanks to an onside kick that was recovered Peyton Schumacher.  Could they send the game into overtime or pull off the win?  The answer would be no as McGuire would misfire on all four downs and turn the ball over to the Chargers.  Two kneels later, the game ended.  

Statistics worth noting.  D-C ran 71 plays, P-E-M 34.  The Chargers had the ball 32:44, the Bulldogs 15:16.  

D-C finished the season with a 14-0 record and P-E-M ended their campaign with a record of 11-3.  

LeRoy-Ostrander Cardinals Win First State Nine Man Title

 Saturday morning was the season finale of the football reality show The Chase, starring Chase Johnson who threw four touchdown passes and ran for two more to lead the LeRoy-Ostrander Cardinals to a 58-8 rout of the Fertile-Beltrami Falcons in the Nine Man Football Championship Game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  

It was the first state title for the Cardinals in their 13th trip to state.  

Johnson would be a factor in L-O's two first quarter touchdowns.  The first was a 29 yard left side pass to Tristan Lewison and Johnson keep the ball, break through three tackles and reach the end zone to put the Cardinals ahead 14-0.  

Things would get even futile for F-B in the second quarter.  Rylin Petry's pass was intercepted by Tanner Olson and the Cardinals would cash in on Lewison's second receiving touchdown, a 38 pass from Johnson.  Lewison would also shine on defense as he picked up another Petry interception that resulted in Olson's one yard touchdown run.  It looked like Isaiah Wright would score the Falcons first touchdown.  But it was called back due to an illegal block in the back. L-O would get a third touchdown pass from Johnson with a 10 yard strike to Gavin Sweeney.  Lo and behold.  F-B would get the zero of their portion of the scoreboard on a one yard run from Everett Balstad.  The Cardinals would wrap up the first half scoring on Johnson's fourth touchdown pass, a 55 yard pass that soared toward the end zone and caught by Layne Bird to put L-O ahead at halftime 41-8.  

The Cardinals would add two more touchdowns from Tanner Olson in the third quarter, giving him three for the game.  He would score on a three yard run and go to the left side 36 yards into the end zone.  

With the large lead in the fourth quarter, running time was utilized.  Most of the L-O reserves got an opportunity to play in the Nine Man final but there was one more addition to the Cardinals score total.  It came on a 23 yard field goal from Sweeney with 4:39 left to play.  

Johnson would enter the Prep Bowl record book with 412 total yards.  He rushed for 272 yards and completed five of seven passes for 140 yards.  

L-O finished the regular season with a record of 12-2 and F-B- ended their season 13-1.  

Twenty Straight Wins Equals Class AAAAAA Title for Lakeville South Cougars

 Former Viking Ben Birk is in his second year as head coach of the Lakeville South Cougars and has won 19 straight games.  Make that 20 on two keeper touchdowns from Camden Dean that led them to a 13-7 win over the Maple Grove Crimson in the Class AAAAAA Football Championship Game Friday night at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  

It was the first state title for Lakeville South since 2006 in their seventh trip to state.  

Both teams did not erase the zeros from the gigantic US Bank Stadium scoreboard in the first half.  In the first quarter, the Crimson had a 15 play drive that consumed 6:49 but it would go for naught as Cayden Vogel was hit with a 10 yard loss.  There were also field goal attempts that were missed or blocked, including a chance for Maple Grove to take the lead at halftime.  But Connor Fournier's try was blocked by Lakeville South's Delainey Suraju.  

There would be good news for Crimson fans in the third quarter when Tanner Albeck hauled in a 24 yard pass from Jacob Kilzer.  The Cougars would even the score as Dean kept the ball, broke through two tackles and went down the right sideline into the end zone.

Dean would score the eventual game winning touchdown on a 48 yard keeper run with 3:05 left in regulation.  Maple Grove would have a chance to tie or even win the game.  The Crimson would go 2 for 2 on fourth down conversions.  Could they get a third?  Facing fourth and 10 at the Cougar 35 yard line, Kilzer kept the ball, headed toward the left sideline but came up one yard short and lost the ball to Lakeville South.  A couple of kneels later, they would take home the championship trophy.  

Dean would lead the Cougars with eight carries for 109 yards.  

Lakeville South concluded their season at 13-0 and Maple Grove ended their campaign with a record of 11-2.  

Six State titles for Hutchinson Tigers

 The Hutchinson Tigers were on their A Game Friday afternoon as Alex Elliot and Andrew Ladwig scored two touchdowns apiece to lead them to a 42-14 win over the Kasson-Mantorville KoMets 42-14 in the Class AAAA Football Championship Game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  

It was the sixth state championship for Hutchinson in their 24th tournament appearance.  

Elliot would account for the Tigers only first quarter touchdown when he broke a tackle and headed 40 yards into the end zone.  

Hutchinson would start the second quarter with Ladwig scoring a two yard touchdown run following Elliot's 20 yard run that ended the first quarter. It looked like the Komets would be in striking distance of the Tigers on Brooks Buchanan's 72 yard kickoff return.  A sideline interference penalty on the Tigers would move the ball to the Hutchinson six yard line.  However, on the next play, K-M quarterback Matthew Donovan fumbled and Logan Hoppe recovered the ball for the Tigers.  Two plays later, Mitchell Piehl peeled down the left sideline like the team bus heading down Highway 7 and he scored a 90 yard touchdown to give Hutchinson a 20-0 lead.  There would be no shutout for the Tigers as Donovan kept the ball and ran 30 yards to the end zone.  Elliot would score his second touchdown of the game on the pitch from quarterback Colin Nagel and he scored from 12 yards to give the Tigers a 28-7 halftime lead.  

Both teams would tally in the third quarter.  Ladwig reached the end zone for the second time on a two yard run for the Tigers and the KoMets got a 14 yard run from Anthony Moe-Tucker.  

K-M had a chance to score their third touchdown in the fourth quarter but they lost the ball on downs to Hutchinson.  Nagel would keep the ball for runs of five and four yards before concluding the scoring on a two yard run.  

The Tigers ran for 423 yards with Piehl the leading rusher at 128 and Elliot with 127.  

Hutchinson ends their season with a record of 12-1 and K-M finishes with a record of 9-4.  

2021 Prep Bowl Preview Part Two

 If there was plenty of excitement from the first day of the 2021 Minnesota Prep Bowl, the second day could add even more.  Here's a preview of Day Two's championship games.  

10:00:  Nine Man:  LeRoy Ostrander vs. Fertile-Beltrami.  It's the "Battle of the Birds" to open the Prep Bowl's second day as the LeRoy Ostrander Cardinals face the unbeaten Fertile-Beltrami Falcons.  The Cardinals, in their 13th state tournament trip, have been keeping the scoreboard operators busy in the state tournament as they routed Wheaton-Herman-Norcross in the quarterfinals 57-26 and shutout Kittson County Central in semifinal action 49-0.  Leroy-Ostrander has more Chase scenes than a Monkees episode as running back Chase Johnson ran for 229 yards and three touchdowns against Kittson County Central.  The Falcons, making their sixth trip to state, have a high powered offense that has had three straight shutouts in the regular season, outscoring their opponents 175-6.  Anchoring the Fertile-Beltrami offense is running back Everett Balstad, who reached the end zone three times in the semifinals against Hills-Beaver Creek.  Will the first state title be in the Cards or will the Falcons head north with their first state championship?  

1:00:  Class AAA:  Plainview-Elgin-Millville vs. Dassel-Cokato.  Five towns.  Two teams.  One goal to aim for and that's the state Class AAA title.  The Bulldogs are in their fifth state tournament and looking for their first state title since 2011.  They are on a roll with a six game winning streak. But look out fans.  Eli's coming but unlike the Three Dog Night song you don't need to hide your heart unless you're a P-E-M fan because the Eli in this post is the Chargers top running back Eli Gillman.  Gillman has been the key to Dassel-Cokato's success, rushing for 2,066 yards and 39 touchdowns.  He will be playing next season at Montana.  The Chargers, in their fourth trip to state utilize an offense that resembles the successful Elk River teams coached by Steve Hamilton, they run run run.  In their semifinal game against the Esko Eskomos, quarterback Gregory Clark did not throw a single pass.  Dassel-Cokato is 0-2 in state title games.  Will the third time be the charm for the Chargers or will the Bulldogs end their 10 year drought?  

4:00:  Class AAAAA:  Mahtomedi vs. Mankato West.  The Prep Bowl comes to a close as the Mahtomedi Zephyrs battle the top ranked and unbeaten Mankato West Scarlets.  The Zephyrs, in their 15th state tournament are on a quest for their first state title since 2005.  They clobbered the Cooper Hawks in the semifinals 34-7 as the Hawks were without quarterback Joe Russell who was sidelined due to an injury.  It will be a tough task for the Zephyrs as they go against the Scarlets, who have been atop the Class AAAAA rankings most of the 2021 season.  Mankato West routed the Rogers Royals 42-7 in the semifinals.  Ryan Haley ran for two touchdowns and also recovered a fumble he took to the end zone.  The Scarlets, in their 13th state tournament appearance have outscored their opponents in a six game stretch 246-6.  Mankato West have headed down Highway 169 with four state title trophies.  Can they make it five?  

Blogger's Note:  Research for this preview has come from mnfootballhub.com and mshsl.org.  

2021 Prep Bowl Preview Part One

 The morning after Minnesotans wake up from their Thanksgiving feast is the start of the 2021 Minnesota Prep Bowl November 26 and 27 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  Here's a preview of the four games played on November 26.  

10:00:  Class A:  Minneota vs. Mayer Lutheran.  The Minneota Vikings are in their 15th state tournament as they head into their 11th state title game as they try to bring home their eight championship trophy to southwestern Minnesota.  The Vikings beat Mahnomen/Waubun and Rushford-Peterson to head into the championship.  Conner Sik has been making opposing defenses sick with five touchdowns in two state tournament games.  He reached the end zone twice against Mahnomen/Waubun and three times against Rushford Peterson.  What a successful fall season it has been for Mayer Lutheran.  The girls volleyball team took home the Class A title trophy and now the Crusaders in their seventh trip to state have a shot at their first state football title.  Mayer Lutheran has won 12 straight games since losing their season opener to Gibbon-Fairfax Winthrop and has cruised through the Class A bracket with wins over Murray County Central and New York Mills.  Can the Crusader fans head home happy down Highway 7 if they beat Minneota?  

1:00:  Class AA: Chatfield vs. West Central Area.  Yes sir folks.  There's a changing of the guard in this year's Class AA final as the Caledonia Warriors reign is over.  The two new combatants are the Chatfield Gophers, in their eight trip to state and vying for their fifth state title and the West Central Area Knights from Ashby who are in their first state tournament since 2017 and looking to win their first state title.  The Gophers gobbled up the Minneapolis North Polars in the quarterfinals and in the semifinal game against the Barnesville Trojans, they were trailing 18-14 until Parker Delaney threw a 46 yard touchdown pass to Luke Carrier with 2:21 left to clinch the championship berth.  The Knights, losing their only game by two points to Osakis, beat Moose Lake-Willow River 14-6 in the quarterfinals and got a third quarter safety from Hunter Norby that held up for the win against the Maple River Eagles.  Who will be the new kings of the Class AA hill?  

4:00:  Class AAAA: Kasson-Mantorville vs. Hutchinson.  The Kasson-Mantorville KoMets are playing in their 11th state tournament but have never headed home down Highway 52 with a championship trophy.  They earned the opportunity to win their first after pulling the upset of the tournament in the semifinals with a 24-20 win over the unbeaten Becker Bulldogs.  They used solid defense and came through on Matthew Donovan's touchdown pass to Brooks Buchanan with :09 remaining to clinch their first Prep Bowl trip.  But things are getting tougher for the KoMets as they face the perennial power Hutchinson Tigers, in their 24th trip to state and playing for their sixth state title.  The Tigers only loss this season was to Becker 21-12 but K-M ended any possibility of a rematch.  Hutchinson has scored more than 40 points in for of their last five games.  Can the Tigers make it five of six or will the KoMets play the role of giant killers again?  

7:00: Class AAAAAA:  Maple Grove vs. Lakeville South.  If you can only make it to one Prep Bowl game over the two days, head to downtown Minneapolis for the Class AAAAAA final.  Keep an eye on the Crimson's top running back Derrick Jameson.  He scored a 77 yard touchdown in the semifinals against the Eden Prairie Eagles and has made 23 trips to the end zone this season.  The unbeaten Lakeville South Cougars have been the top ranked team most of the season in Class AAAAAA thanks to junior running back Carter Hansen who also has 23 touchdowns and 1,959 yards.  Memo to PJ Fleck.  HSGN hopes you are in attendance for this game before you face Wisconsin Saturday.  You'll be seeing two possible additions to your backfield.  Both teams are playing for their first state championship.  Can the Crimson stay hot or will the Cougars cruise to the title trophy?  

Next up.  Saturday's games in Part Two.  

Kasson-Mantorville KoMets Stun Becker Bulldogs

 Matthew Donovan was a sunshine superman in the fourth quarter as he ran for two touchdowns and threw the game winning touchdown pass to Brooks Buchanan with :09 left to lead the Kasson-Mantorville KoMets to a 24-20 shocker over the top ranked Becker Bulldogs Thursday in the Class AAAA semifinals at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  

Neither team would score in the first quarter but the Bulldogs had a golden opportunity to take the lead after a run by Carter Callahan spotted the ball first and goal at the KoMet seven yard line.  But Becker couldn't get the ball in the end zone.  They would forge ahead with 10 straight points in the second quarter as Ryan Bengston threw a seven yard touchdown pass to Logan Eisley.  Zach Bengston would wrap up the first half scoring on a 36 yard field goal with :03 remaining.  

Both teams would tally in the third quarter.  K-M would erase the zero from the giant US Bank Stadium scoreboard on a 21 yard field goal from Andrew Donovan.  Becker would reach the end zone on Ryan Bengston's second touchdown pass of the game, a 34 strike to Alexander Weiss and the Bulldogs increased their lead to 17-3.  Time was expiring in the third quarter and Becker was on the move toward a three touchdown lead.  However, Gavin Giesler came right in front of Ryan Bengston and intercepted his pass that started the KoMets next drive at the Bulldogs three yard line.  But K-M fans would have to wait a couple of minutes because the third quarter came to an end.  

Now on to the fourth quarter.  The KoMets would cash in on Giesler's pick when Matthew Donovan scored on a one yard keeper.  K-M would tie the game as Matthew Donovan made another trip to the end zone on a three yard run.  But Becker still had some life and a chance to advance to next Friday's Class AAAA final when Dailen Adu-Gyamfi intercepted Matthew Donovan.  It would pay off on a 26 yard field goal from Zach Bengston with 1:30 left in regulation time.  The KoMets would get the ball for the potential game winning drive.  Matthew Donovan would advance the ball on a 14 yard keeper but a facemask penalty on Becker would move the ball to the Bulldog 13 yard line.  On third down and five from the the Becker seven yard line, Matthew Donovan would throw a left side pass to Buchanan and he hauled it in for the game winner.  

Matthew Donovan led the KoMets with 25 rushes for 134 yards.  Callahan led the Bulldogs with 18 carries for 106 yards.  

K-M improved their record to 9-3 and will play the winner of the Orono-Hutchinson game for the Class AAAA title Friday, November 26 at 4 PM at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  Becker concluded their season with a record of 11-1.  

2021 State Football Semifinal Schedule

 Minnesota high school football fans won't have to worry about sitting through rain and snow that dampened a number of quarterfinal games throughout the state last weekend as the scene shifts inside to US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis this weekend for 14 semifinal games over three days

Here is the semifinal schedule for the three fun filled football days in Minneapolis.  

                                      THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18

11:30:  Nine Man:  Kittson County Central vs. LeRoy-Ostrander

 2:00:  Class AA:  Barnesville vs. Chatfield

 4:30:  Class AAAA:  Becker vs. Kasson-Mantorville

 7:00:  Class AAAAAA:  Eden Prairie vs. Maple Grove

                                       FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19

9:00;  Nine Man:  Fertile-Beltrami vs. Hills-Beaver Creek

11:30:  Class AA:  West Central Area vs. Maple River

2:00:  Class AAAAA:  Cooper vs. Mahtomedi

4:30:  Class AAAA:  Orono vs. Hutchinson

7:00:  Class AAAAAA:  St. Michael-Albertville vs. Lakeville South

                                    SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20

9:00:  Class A:  Minneota vs. Rushford-Peterson

11:30:  Class A:  New York Mills vs. Mayer Lutheran

2:00:  Class AAA:  Annandale vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville

4:30:  Class AAA:  Esko vs. Dassel-Cokato

7:00:  Class AAAAA:  Rogers vs. Mankato West

There's plenty of exciting high school football action this weekend.  

Armstrong Falcons End SLP Orioles Season

Armstrong quarterback James Malone overcame a slow start after four first half interceptions with five touchdown passes, including two to Eustace McGowan that led the Falcons to a 36-25 win over the St. Louis Park Orioles Saturday afternoon in the Section 5AAAAA football semifinals in Plymouth.  

The Oriole defense was strong in the early going, intercepting Malone four times but they could only cash in once on Nick Kent's 15 yard goal to put St. Louis Park ahead 3-0.  The Falcons would take the lead on Malone's 51 yard strike to Peyton Newburn with 1:11 left in the first quarter to give them a 7-3 lead.  

Armstrong would widen their lead in the second quarter as Malone would throw three touchdown passes.  The first was a 24 yard completion to Kayden College that followed a 47 yard run by Ernest Evans and he added another 10 prior to the touchdown.  Malone would find McGowan in the end zone twice.  The first came on a  40 yard pass and the second a six yard strike that came after the Falcons were moved back 10 yards due to a holding penalty.  Armstrong led 29-3 at the half.  

St. Louis Park would inch closer to Armstrong in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns, followed by two point conversions.  The first was a one yard run from Deontez Ross Jr.  The second featured the familiar combination of Will Dvorak and Stefano Giovannelli as Dvorak fired a 21 yard pass to Giovannelli to cut the Falcon lead to 29-16. 

The Dvorak-Giovannelli  duo would strike again inn the fourth quarter, this time on a 32 yard pass and the lead was cut to 29-26.  But the Orioles couldn't catch the Falcons as Malone threw his fifth touchdown pass of the game, a 30 yard completion to Marquan Tucker to wrap up the scoring.  

The Falcons improved their record to 6-3 and will face their district rival, the Cooper Hawks for the Section 5AAAAA title on Friday, November 5 at 7 PM in New Hope.  The Orioles concluded their season with a 5-4 record.  

2021 Section 5AAAAA Football Preview

 The road to the 2021 State Football Tournament will likely go through the Robbinsdale school district as the Cooper Hawks and the Armstrong Falcons are the top two seeds in Section 5AAAAA.  Here's a preview of the five team section.  

Two Minneapolis City Conference rivals will battle in the lone game on Tuesday, October 26 as the fifth seeded Minneapolis Washburn Millers travel to Southwest to take on the fourth seeded Lakers.  It will be a rematch of the September 23 game where the Lakers routed the Millers 41-7.  Preston Engen threw three touchdown passes, two to Cam Holter and Declan Maida declared victory with two rushing touchdowns.  Southwest overcame a three game losing streak in the season finale with a 19-2 win over the Minneapolis South Tigers.  As for Washburn, it has been a rough road for this long-time Minneapolis football power house that ended a five game run of giving up 40 points or more with a 28-14 win over the Minneapolis Roosevelt Teddies.  Could there be an upset in the making?  

The winner will face the top seeded Cooper Hawks, entering section play with a 6-2 record.  They are on a four game winning streak since losing to the Holy Angels Stars 56-34 on September 24.  The Hawks have an experienced quarterback in Joe Russell, who has thrown 21 touchdown passes, 10 of them to David Connors.  In the backfield, Camden Royal has been the King of the Cooper End Zone, making 14 trips this season and rushing for 1255 yards.  The only game where he has been held under 100 yards was the September 10 game against the Waconia Wildcats, rushing for only 73 yards.  Could there be a celebration in New Hope November 5?  

Concluding the Section 5AAAAA bracket is the third seeded St. Louis Park Orioles and the second seeded Armstrong Falcons.  In the regular season finale against the unbeaten Chaska Hawks, the Orioles came close and fell to the Hawks 21-14.  The combination of quarterback Will Dvorak and wide receiver Stefano Giovannelli have helped St. Louis Park has a successful second season under head coach Jason Foster with a record of 5-3.  Ten of Dvorak's 13 touchdown passes have gone to Giovannelli, including the eventual game winner against the Waconia Wildcats October 14.  The second seeded Falcons enter section play with an identical 5-3 record.  After a three game winning streak where they put 40 points or more on their end of the scoreboard, Armstrong has lost two straight games.  They lost to Chaska and Spring Lake Park.  Jamen Malone has anchored the Falcon offense, passing for 17 touchdowns.  Seven of them were to Peyton Newbern, son of former Gopher men's basketball player Melvin Newburn.  Jordan McClorn has been a bright spot in the Falcon defense, recording four interceptions.  It should be an interesting matchup to find out who will play in the November 5 section final.  

There's plenty of outstanding section football coming up and it all begins this coming Tuesday.  

SLP Orioles to Wrap Up Regular Season in Chaska

 The final week of the Minnesota high school football regular season has the St. Louis Park Orioles heading down Highway 212 to Chaska to battle the Hawks.  

If you left last Friday's St. Louis Park-Waconia game early, you made a big mistake as the Orioles came back from a 21-0 deficit to score 29 fourth quarter points to beat the Wildcats 29-28.  Will Dvorak threw four touchdown passes, three of them to Stefano Giovannelli that led to the eventual game winner with :04.2 left in regulation time and Deontez Ross Jr. made the two point conversion to comp-lete the miraculous comeback. Defense also was a factor for the Orioles as Zach Helfmann recorded nine tackles and an interception.   Looking at St. Louis Park's section, 5AAAAA, it resembles a late season baseball pennant race with Armstrong, Cooper, Minneapolis Southwest and St. Louis Park battling for the top seed.  Minneapolis Washburn, the fifth team in the section is a lock as the fifth seed.  

As for the unbeaten Chaska Hawks, they beat the Armstrong Falcons last week 17-6.  The Hawks are led by running back Jack Boyle who is 39 yards short of 1000 yards.  His season high was 251 in the season opener against the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars.  Chaska has a powerful ground game, piling up 256 yards last Friday against the Falcons.  Going into the season finals, they have average 246 rushing yards per game.  On defense, Myles Meiller had two interceptions last week, his first of the season.  

The key to the game for the Orioles is to build on the momentum of last week's win but not get overconfident because they are playing a very tough Chaska team.  The Dvorak-Giovannelli combination will need to beat The Brothers Dietel on defense, Jacob and Dominic.  

The key to the game for Chaska is for the running game to wear down the St. Louis Park defense.  They have to get to Boyle who has been their main offensive cog in 2021.  

It will likely be a wet weather picture for Wednesday with rain in the forecast.  So if you plan on making the trip to support the Orioles in their regular season finale, you might want to bring an umbrella.  Game time is 7 PM.  

Five Reasons Why the 1980 Version of To Tell the Truth Failed

In 1980, the classic panel game show To Tell the Truth returned to syndicated TV after the last incarnation ended production after a nine year run.  But its run was much shorter than the original version hosted by Bud Collyer and the five day a week syndicated version that was hosted by Garry Moore and later Joe Garagiola.  

So why did the 1980 To Tell the Truth revival fail?  Here are five reasons why. 

1.  It came back too soon.  When this version of To Tell the Truth came back, it was two years after Garagiola signed off for what would be the final time.  The show went into decline after Moore retired due to throat cancer in 1977 and ended the following season.  

2.  No regular panel.  The first two versions of To Tell the Truth were successful due to the chemistry between the regular panelists.  In the Collyer version's heyday, there was Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean and Kitty Carlisle.  Cass and Carlisle would be regulars on the syndicated version along with Bill Cullen, who also filled in for Moore as host occasionally.   The Three Cs of Cass, Cullen and Carlisle made numerous appearances on the 1980 incarnation but they weren't regulars.  Among the semiregulars were Soupy Sales, Nipsey Russell and Pat Collins.  But no regular panelists were signed on and there wasn't any chemistry.  

3.  An inexperienced host.  Who was Robin Ward?  He was an actor from Canada that Mark Goodson hired as the show's new host.  Prior to hosting To Tell the Truth, he was seen on American television in the Muppets special Hey Cinderella and a syndicated science fiction series The Starlost.  Going into To Tell the Truth, he didn't have any hosting experience and it showed early in the run.  In Adam Nedeff's biography of Bill Cullen Quizmaster, Allen Koss mentioned about replacing Jack Barry who died of a heart attack after production for The Joker's Wild ended for the 1983-84 season, "You can't replace an older host with a really, really young host because viewers won't accept him."  Goodson made that mistake. 

4.  This format was too rushed.  On the Moore version, there was time for contestant demonstrations just like the syndicated version of What's My Line. But on the Ward version, there were none, except leading into the closing credits and question rounds were sped up in order for a new feature One on One, which brought back the four imposters from the first two spots.  One of them had a concealed fact that the panel had to figure out.  It would have been better to abandon the One on One feature.  

5.  A saturated syndicated game show market.  When To Tell the Truth debuted in 1980, it joined a crowded syndicated game show lineup.  There were four shows from Jack Barry and Dan Enright, The Joker's Wild, Tic Tac Dough, Bullseye and Play the Percentages.  Two shows still aired once a week, Match Game PM and the $100,000 Name That Tune.  Speaking of Match Game, it was one of two daily syndicated games from Goodson-Todman.  The other was Family Feud, which just expanded from two nights a week to five and became the highest rated syndicated game show.  Also in syndication was The $50,000 Pyramid, which was launched after ABC canceled The $20,000 Pyramid in 1980.  

So that's why the 1980 version of To Tell the Truth failed.  In the Twin Cities, WTCN (now KARE) aired the show at 3 PM before moving the show to 11 AM.  The NBC affiliate aired To Tell the Truth instead of Card Sharks.  Both shows were gone in 1981.  

A Miracle on Lake St.

 If you left the Waconia-St. Louis Park football game early Friday night, you missed a miraculous comeback from the host Orioles who got a game winning touchdown from Stefano Giovannelli with:04.2 left in regulation time that led them to a 29-28 win over the Wildcats.  

The Orioles were hurt by turnovers in the early going, including the first offensive play of the game.  Their second turnover would be costly as Max McEnelly followed up a 35 yard run with a three yard run to put the Wildcats ahead 7-0.  

It looked like St. Louis Park would even the score in the second quarter on Will Dvorak's 75 yard touchdown pass to Giovannelli.  Unfortunately, a holding penalty nullified the score.  Instead, Alex Riley would run left for a 15 yard touchdown and Waconia led 14-0 at halftime.  

McEnelly, who would finish the game with 207 rushing yards, would score his second touchdown, this time from 15 yards and the lead ballooned to 21.  

Going into the fourth quarter, the Orioles had a mountain to climb in order to catch the Wildcats.  The key was Dvorak's four touchdown passes.  The first was a 15 yard strike to Giovannelli, followed by a 21 yard score to Stanley Regguinti.  However, the Wildcats were not done yet.  Riley scored his second touchdown of the game on a one yard run and it would be 28-13 in favor of Waconia.  St. Louis Park got the ball and once again the Dvorak-Giovannelli combination unlocked the Waconia defense for a 24 yard touchdown with :30.7 remaining.  Hold on there.  The game was not over yet.  And why?  Because the Orioles would recover an onside kick and it would pay dividends as Dvorak threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game, the third to Giovannelli for 36 yards with :04.2 left.  Deontez Ross Jr. got the handoff from Dvorak to make the two point conversion and complete a 29 point fourth quarter miracle victory.  

Following the game, HSGN caught up with Dvorak who game his reaction to the game winning pass to Giovannelli.    

"You've got to give him a chance and I did."  

The Orioles improved their record to 5-2 and wrap up the regular season on Wednesday, October 20 at 7 PM as they head down Highway 212 to face the Chaska Hawks.  The Wildcats fell to 3-4 and will also  conclude their season on the 20th, hosting the Holy Angels Stars at 7 PM.  

SLP Orioles Soccer Teams Advance in Section 6AAA Tournament

 It was a chilly Thursday night in St. Louis Park but there was plenty of hot soccer action in the Section 6AAA Soccer Tournament with the Oriole soccer teams hosting quarterfinal action with the girls winning in overtime over the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers 1-0 and the boys flying past the Armstrong Falcons 4-2.  

First up was the girls quarterfinal game and just when you thought the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers and St. Louis Park Orioles were headed for a shootout after close to 100 minutes of game time, Hanna Wilsey scores the game winning goal with 1:43 left in overtime to lead the Orioles to a 1-0 win over the Lakers.  

The game was a defensive battle throughout regulation time and neither team would erase the zeros from the St. Louis Park stadium scoreboard.  So the game headed to the first of two 10:00 overtime periods.  The second one wouldn't be needed because Hanna Wilsey would score from the center slot with 1:43 left in the period to send St. Louis Park into the semifinals.  

The Orioles improved their record to 8-8 and will face the Hopkins Royals on Saturday, October 16 at 1 PM at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka.  The Lakers ended their season with a record of 6-7-3.  

What a night for Luca Guarin.  He would get the hat trick as the St. Louis Park Orioles bounced back from an early deficit to beat the Armstrong Falcons 4-2.  

The Falcons would break out of the starting gate early on William Saar's left side goal :28 into the game.  The Orioles would even the score at one on Bennett Kouame's goal.  

St. Louis Park would break the game open in the second half with a pure hat trick from Guarin.  His first two goals would come off passes from Bennett Kouame, the first 1:01 into the second half.  He would pick up his third goal after Kouame's goal was disallowed due to an offside call.  The goal would come on a penalty kick and the Orioles led 4-1.  But Armstrong would not go away.  The Falcons would cut the deficit to two as Nathan Hunt got a pass from Jonathan Castro and he would put it past St. Louis Park goalkeeper Luis Benitez Matias.  That would also be the final goal of the game.  

The Orioles improved their record to 11-4 and advanced to the semifinals on Saturday, October 16 at 3 PM in Minneapolis as they face the top seeded Southwest Lakers.  The Lakers punched their ticket to the semifinals with their fourth consecutive shutout, a 5-0 win over the Cooper Hawks.  The Falcons end their season with a record of 7-9.  

SLP Orioles-Waconia Wildcats Football Preview

 Week Seven of the high school football season brings the first of two straight battles with Carver County schools for the St. Louis Park Orioles.  

First up is the Orioles home season finale against the Waconia Wildcats.  Last Friday, the Orioles four game winning streak ended in a 49-25 defeat to the Holy Angels Stars.  The St. Louis Park defense was just too much for Holy Angels running back Emmett Johnson as he had 24 carries for 416 yards and scored five touchdowns.  There were some bright spots for the Orioles.  Quarterback Will Dvorak completed 17 of 31 passes for 301 yards and two touchdown passes to his top target Stefano Giovanneli.  Dvorak also rushed 40 yards and ran for a touchdown.  According to mnfootballhub.com, there was no mention of any defensive statistics.  

As for the Wildcats, they were shutout last week by the Chanhassen Storm 27-0.  The Storm defense held the Wildcats leading rusher Max McEnelly to 88 yards on the ground.  It's the second lowest rushing total for the junior running back this season.  On September 24 against the Chaska Hawks, he was held to only 61 rushing yards in a 7-0 loss to the Hawks.  On defense, Gage Mueller recorded 11 tackles.  

The key to the game for the Orioles is for the Dvorak-Giovannelli combination to wear down the Wildcat defense and for the St. Louis Park defense to slow down McEnelly, who is 206 yards short of 1000 yards for the season.  

The key to the game for the Wildcats is for McEnelly to get back on track and the offense line to create opportunities for him to rack up yardage.  

Friday's weather picture is going to be a bit cooler as the night progresses so you might need to bundle up if you plan to attend the game.  As usual, game time is 7 PM.  

2021 Section 6AAA Soccer Tournament Preview Part Two

 After examining the eight boys teams in Section 6AAA, here's a preview of the eight girls teams in the section.  

No fans, this is not a typo.  The Hopkins Royals are the top seed in Section 6AAA.  They are three wins away from their first state tournament trip since 2014.  Hopkins won six straight games, including a 1-0 win over one of the most dominant teams in the state the Wayzata Trojans (more on them later).  Their first round opposition is the eighth seeded Cooper Hawks who have recorded only one win this season.  Could the Royals and Trojans meet for a third time this season in the section final.  

Concluding the upper bracket is the fourth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles and the fifth seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers.  It's been a transitional season for the Orioles with Anne Beaton taking over the coaching reigns after the retirement of Benji Kent.  They lost their first six games before finishing the season 7-2, including a couple of game winners from senior Alma Beaton.  Looking at the Lakers, they came back from defeats against Lake Conference powers Wayzata to finish the season 3-3.  Can the Orioles maintain their late season momentum or will Southwest comeback after losing their regular season finale to Holy Angels.  

Over in the lower bracket, the third seeded Minneapolis Washburn Millers lost their first three games and won three straight by a combine total of 10-0.  They lost three of their last four games to Edina, Hopkins and St. Louis Park.  They beat their section opponent, the sixth seeded Minneapolis South Tigers 5-0 September 14.  In order to upset the Millers, they have to put the ball in the net. They have scored only three goals in their last six games.  

Concluding the preview will be the second seeded Wayzata Trojans and the seventh seeded Armstrong Falcons.  The Trojans, led by veteran head coach Tony Peznecker are in the hunt for their 28th trip to the state tournament.  But it won't be an easy one for the Plymouth Powerhouse because the Trojans will likely face their Lake Conference rival the top seeded Hopkins Royals for the third time this season.  They tied the Royals 1-1 September 9 and lost to Hopkins 1-0 September 30.  They open quarterfinal play against the seventh seeded Armstrong Falcons that has only one win this season.  Don't count out Wayzata from a possible state tournament berth but first they have to win their first two games.  

There's plenty of action coming up and it begins Thursday, October 14.  

2021 Section 6AAA Soccer Tournament Preview Part One

 This season is a historic one for Minnesota high school soccer as the state tournament expands from two classes to three.  Both St. Louis Park Orioles teams are in Section 6AAA and here's a look at how the sections shape up.  

First up is the boys bracket and the top seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers enter section play unbeaten and looking for their first state tournament trip since 2013.  The Lakers have been playing solid defense in their final three regular season games, outscoring their opponents 6-0.  A key nonconference win came on September 21 over the Minnetonka Skippers 3-1.  Their quarterfinal opponent is the eighth seeded Cooper Hawks who hope to end an eight game losing streak.  It won't be easy against a tough Southwest team.  

Should the Lakers prevail in the quarterfinals, they will play the winner of the fifth seeded Armstrong Falcons and the fourth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles.  The Falcons, the only Northwest Suburban Conference team in the section has had an up and down season.  They lost four straight games outscored 12-2 before finishing the regular season winning four of their last five games.  Looking at the Orioles under the veteran leadership of Chato, they lost their regular season opener to the perennial section power Wayzata Trojans before embarking on a nine game winning streak.  However, St. Louis Park hit a bump in the road to wrap up the regular season, losing three of their last four games, including a 3-1 defeat to section rival Minneapolis Washburn in the season finale.  Can the Orioles get back on track or will the Falcons pull a upset?  

And speaking of Washburn, the Millers com in as the third seed.  They have won four of their last five games by a margin of 10-2 and have not given up more than two goals in their four defeats.  They will face their conference rival, the sixth seeded Minneapolis South Tigers in the quarterfinals.  It will be a rematch of the September 14 game that was won by Washburn 5-1.  The Tigers got off to a hot start with four straight wins but have cooled off going 3-4-1 since then.  Could South pull an upset or will Washburn make it two straight against the Tigers?  

Wrapping up the quarterfinals is a Lake Conference battle between the second seeded Wayzata Trojans and the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals.  The two teams played each other twice in the regular season with the Trojans recording shutouts of 3-0 and 2-0.  Wayzata won their first seven games before they got blanked by the Edina Hornets 3-0 on September 20.  They face a Hopkins team that has won only two regular season games.  The Trojans have a great shot to earn their 16th trip to the state tournament but could they get past Southwest if they meet in the section finals?  

Next up will be the girls Section 6AAA preview.  

Hastings Raiders Hold Off Surging Two Rivers Warriors

 If you pardon the cliche, Axel Arnold was firing on all cylinders.  He passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one to lead the Hastings Raiders to a 42-31 win over the Two Rivers Warriors Saturday afternoon in Mendota Heights.  

The Raiders would tally twice in the first quarter.  Arnold would play a role in the first as he ran the ball to Warriors two yard line and reached the end zone on the next play.  Hastings got the ball back on an interception by Luke Chorlton.  It would pass off on Arnold's 11 yard touchdown pass to Stephen Reifelsberger to put the Raiders ahead 14-0.  

Two Rivers would get their only points of the first half on Eric Lail's blocked punt that landed in the end zone for a safety.  Hastings forged further ahead with three touchdowns, capitalizing on Two Rivers turnovers.  The first would come after Thomas Reifelsberger recovered a fumble and Rico Cooper caught a six yard touchdown pass from Arnold.  The second came on a seven yard score from Brenden Freiermuth.  Defense would help set up the final first half points thanks to Will Meyer's sack of Warrior quarterback Jonny Youness that forced a fumble and returned the ball to Hastings.  Once again, it was Arnold's arm that factored in the equation as he fired a 34 touchdown pass to Jonathan Bezdicek and the Raiders led 35-2 at halftime.  

Both teams reached the end zone in the third quarter.  First came the Raiders, as Bezdicek would score his second touchdown of the game, a 31 yard run around left end.  The Warriors would get a two yard touchdown run from Carl Strohofer and Hasting led 42-9 at the end of the third quarter.  

If you thought the game was over and considered heading to your car to beat the post game traffic, think again as Two Rivers would extend their scoring run to 29 with three more touchdowns.  Hastings turnovers would also be part of the Two Rivers run.  The first came following a fumbled Raider punt that awarded the ball to the Warriors and Mason Moynihan ran around right end for a 10 yard touchdown run.  Moynihan would strike again as Two Rivers got the ball back on a fumbled onside kick and the junior ran around left guard for a 34 yard touchdown run.  The Warriors regained possession on Arnold's fumbled kickoff return and Gabriel Golderman ran 35 yards down the left sideline and into the end zone.  Could there be a miracle on Delaware Ave.?  The answer would be no as Arnoild returned to quarterback and ran out the clock to preserve the win.  

The Raiders improved their record to 4-2 and will head to Bloomington Stadium on Thursday, October 14 for a 7 PM game against the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars.  The Warriors fell to 0-6 and will also be in action on the 14th against the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders at Seafoam Stadium on the Concordia University campus in St. Paul.  Game time is also 7 PM.  

Maple Grove Crimson Celebrates Homecoming With Win over Wayzata Trojans

 Crimson clad fans packed the Maple Grove High School stadium Friday night for Homecoming football action and they got plenty of it from Derrick Jameson who scored two touchdowns to beat the Wayzata Trojans 21-3.

There wasn't a lot of scoring in the first half.  Both teams defense would shine bright as the Trojans line would put pressure of Crimson quarterback Jacob Kilzer and the Crimson defense partially blocked a Wayzata punt that gave them a golden opportunity to get on the scoreboard since the ball was spotted at the Trojan 20 yard line.  Unfortunately, Maple Grove came up shot on fourth down and couldn't capitalize on great field position.  

The scoreless tie would eventually be broken on a 33 yard field goal from the Trojans kicker Andy Vrudny with :08 left in the first half and Wayzata led at halftime 3-0.  

The Trojans lead would be short lived in the third quarter.  Jameson would put the Crimson ahead as he ran down the sideline, cut to the center of the field and reach the end zone on an 84 yard touchdown run.  Maple Grove would get the ball back on a bad snap from a Wayzata punt that would begin the Maple Grove drive at the Trojan 16 yard line.  On the first play, Cole Newell, on the option play, fired a 16 yard strike to Kilzer and the Crimson took a 14-3 lead.  

Turnovers would plague the Trojans throughout the game, including a pass intercepted by Maple Grove's Jacob Anderson.  The Crimson would line up in the Wildcat formations and on a direct snap to Jameson, ran down the field like traffic heading down Highway 81 for a 50 yard touchdown to clinch the victory.  

Maple Grove improved their record to 5-1 and host the St. Michael-Albertville Knights on Friday, October 15 at 7 PM.  Wayzata fell to 4-2 and will also return to action on the 15th as they head to Blaine to take on the Bengals at 7 PM.  

SLP Orioles End Home Season With Sweep of Cooper Hawks

 Thursday night was the home season finale for the St. Louis Park soccer teams with the boys back on the winning track against the Cooper Hawks 4-1 and the girls shutting out the Hawks 3-0.  

First up was the boys game as they bounced back from consecutive losses to DeLaSalle and Orono with scoring balance to beat the Cooper Hawks 4-1.  

It didn't take long for the Orioles to reach the next thanks to Amauel Shetaye's right side pass to Bennett Kouame and he would tally :26 into the game.  Kouame would set up to second goal as he fed Sebastian Tangelson and he would put St. Louis Park ahead by two.  The lead would increase by three on Abdi Abdullahi's goal with five minutes left in the first half.  

Both teams would score in the second half.  There would be no shutout for the Orioles as Saymon Simons would line a shot to the net.  St. Louis Park would get a rare goal from Beau Finley, who serves as a backup goalkeeper. But tonight he received a pass from Mason Boesche and his shot would roll into the net with :40.8 seconds remaining.  

The Orioles improved their record to 10-3 and conclude the regular season Saturday, October 9 at 1 PM in Minneapolis.  The Hawks fell to 3-10-1 and also end their season on the ninth as they head to Golden Valley to face the Breck Mustangs at 3:30 PM.  

Now to the girls game.  It was Senior Night and it turned into the Alma Beaton Show as she got the hat trick to lead the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 3-0 win over the Cooper Hawks.  

In the first half, she had a chance to give the Orioles the early lead but her shot bounced off the crossbar.  The second try would be the charm as the ball headed to the net.  Beaton would score her second goal with 1:59 left in the first half and St. Louis Park led 2-0 at halftime.  

Following the Senior Night ceremony that honored nine seniors and a student manager, it was Beaton, who will be playing next season for Minnesota that would wrap up the scoring as she did what she did best this season, scoring on a free kick.  She would face a Cooper wall and lined the ball into the net.  

St. Louis Park improved their record to 6-8-1 and ends their regular season in Minneapolis on Saturday, October 9 against the Washburn Millers at 11 AM.  The Hawks conclude their season with a record of 1-12-1.  

SLP Orioles-Holy Angels Stars Football Preview

 Welcome to Week Six of the high school football season and it's time for another episode of Two Hot Teams.  In this week's episode, a pair of 4-1 teams will battle in Richfield this Friday night as the St. Louis Park Orioles take on the Holy Angels Stars.  

Last Friday, the Orioles, thanks to a missed game winning field goal by Jack Kalman, won their fourth straight game 22-21 over the Orono Spartans.  Quarterback Will Dvorak completed 10 of 13 passes for 154 yards and added 47 on six runs.  He threw a 33 yard touchdown pass to Stefano Giovannelli and a 50 yard strike to Stanley Regguinti that he took to the end zone.  Deontez Ross Jr rushed 18 times for 75 yards and accounted for a touchdown.  On the defensive side, Zach Helfmann matched his uniform number with 15 tackles.  

Looking at Holy Angels.  You'll need only two words to describe the Stars offense.  Emmett Johnson.  Last Friday, in a 35-3 rout against the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights, he rushed for 222 yards and four touchdowns.  In five games this season, the senior has rushed for 1,037 yards and made 19 trips to the end zone.  Johnson's season high was 360 yards and five touchdowns on September 17 against the South St. Paul Packers.  PJ Fleck, are you taking notice?  Your Gophers could use him in the backfield next season.  But the Holy Angels offense is more than Johnson.  Quarterback Aaron Boarman has also added to the Stars rushing attack with a season high of 82 yards against Cooper.  Ryan Bercich was the key to the Stars defense last week with 11 tackles.  

The key to the game for the Orioles is for the defense to slow down Johnson and for Dvorak to continue to find Giovannelli downfield. 

The key to the game for the Stars is for Johnson to continue his offensive momentum and beat the St. Louis Park defense and for Boarman to utilize the passing game to test the Oriole defense.  

Friday's weather picture looks promising with the high temperature in the upper 70s.  If you plan to make the trip to Richfield, you might want to bring a jacket in case the weather cools down.  as usual, game time is 7 PM.  

The Passing of Alan Kalter

 Another veteran game show announcer has been silenced.  

Alan Kalter, best known as the announcer on the Late Show With David Letterman as well the voice for several New York based game shows passed away October 4 at the age of 78.  The cause of death was not known.  

Kalter, a former Long Island English teacher, made his game show debut as the announcer on the short-lived ABC daytime game show The Money Maze from December 1974, to June 1975 that was hosted by the brother of singer Rosemary Clooney, Nick Clooney.  

He would move on to announcing the first season of the $64,000 Question revival The $128,000 Question.  The second season was produced in Toronto with Alex Trebek hosting and Sandy Hoyt replacing Kalter.  

Kalter was also one of several fill in announcers for the $10,000 and $25,000 Pyramid when Bob Clayton stepped down due to illness and his death in November 1978.  He didn't get the permanent job which eventually went to New York disc jockey Steve O'Brien.  

Kalter would also have the distinction of being the first announcer since Johnny Olson to work two versions of To Tell the Truth.  In 1977, he announced the final syndicated season of the show, replacing the man who would replace on The Late Show, Bill Wendell.  He would also announce the 1980 incarnation that was hosted by Canadian actor Robin Ward but unfortunately it would last only one syndicated season.  

After his game show announcing career ended, Kalter would do many commercial voiceovers and become the voice of the USA Network.  

His big break came in 1995 when he was hired to replace the retiring Wendell on CBS' Late Show With David Letterman.  In addition to the witty introductions of the title host, he was sometimes seen on camera in sketches.  

Though he was best known for exclaiming "Daaaaaaavid Letterman!" on late night TV, he will also remembered as a New York based game show announcer.  May he rest in peace.  

Another Beaton Game Winner for SLP Orioles

 For the second straight game it was Alma Beaton who would score the game winning goal for the host St. Louis Park Orioles and she did it 4:55 into the second half to lead them to a 2-1 win over the Armstrong Falcons Saturday afternoon.  

The Falcons, who have score only three goals this season would add a fourth on Ella Picka's center slot goal.  The lead would be short lived as Beaton's free kick went en route to the goal area where Vesna Dennison's header tied the game at one.  

In the second half, it would be Beaton who would once again deliver the game winner for St. Louis Park.  Facing a free kick on the left side of Armstrong goalkeeper Sydney Smith and a two player wall, she lined the ball to the right side of Smith and it would land in the net.  It would hold up for the victory.  

The Orioles improved their record to 5-7.  Since they started the season 0-6 under first year head coach Anne Beaton, who teaches English at Armstrong, they have won five of their last six games.  They will head to Long Lake on Tuesday, October 5 to face the Orono Spartans at Pesonen Stadium at 5 PM.  

The Falcons fell to 1-11-1.  They will head up Highway 169 to Anoka to take on the Tornadoes on Monday, October 4 at 7 PM at Goodrich Field.  

Four Wins in a Row for SLP Orioles

 It was no rhapsody in the rain for Orono kicker Jack Kalman as he missed a game winning field goal Friday night that resulted in the host St. Louis Park Orioles beating the Spartans 22-21.  

Neither team would reach the end zone in the first quarter.  The Orioles would strike first in the second quarter when Will Dvorak's 42 yard keeper run set up Deontez Ross Jr.'s eight yard touchdown run to give them a 6-0 lead.  The Spartans would vault ahead on Aidan Mueller's six yard run and a converted extra point to put them ahead 7-6.  But St. Louis Park would regain the lead as Dvorak fired a 33 yard touchdown pass to Stefano Giovannelli and the Orioles led at halftime 12-7.  

St. Louis Park would add a Nick Knt field goal in the third quarter to take a 15-7 lead that was proceeded by Ross' 36 yard run.  

On to the fourth quarter as a downpour engulfed the St. Louis Park stadium.  The game would go on and Orono would tally twice.  The first would come on a 12 yard touchdown pass from Charlie Kraus to Connor Mahoney.  The two point conversion was successful and the game was even at 15.  The Spartans would forge ahead as Kraus faced a fourth down and two situation.  He converted on a 20 yard strike to Bradley Walker but the extra point attempt was blocked and Orono led 21-15.  The Orioles would get the ball back following a Spartan fumble and they paid dividends off the Orono turnover when Dvorak sent a 50 yard right side pass to Stanley Regguinti and he went to the end zone to put St. Louis Park ahead.  Orono had a chance to send their fans down I-394 home happy.  It would be first and goal at the Oriole nine yard line following a pass interference penalty.  Kalman would attempt the game winning field goal.  He got the snap on the wet turf, aimed the ball toward the goal posts and it would go wide to the right, securing the win for the Orioles.  

St. Louis Park won their fourth straight game and improved their record to 4-1.  They will travel to Richfield to face the Holy Angels Stars on Fridau, October 8 at 7 PM.  Orono fell to 1-4 and will also be in action on the 8th, hosting the Chaska Hawks at Pesonen Stadium at 7 PM.  

SLP Orioles-Orono Spartans Football Preview

 Heading into the second half of the 2021 Minnesota high school football season, the St. Louis Park Orioles are "Hot hot hot" as they will attempt to win their fourth consecutive game against the Orono Spartans Friday night. 

Last Friday, it was a happy Homecoming for the Orioles as they beat their city rival the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights 31-21.  Quarterback Will Dvorak threw two touchdown passes to Stefano Giovannelli and Deontez Ross Jr. reached the end zone twice.  He scored his first touchdown on a five yard run and ran a kickoff return 94 yards into the end zone.  

The Spartans got beat last week, falling 26-6 to the Chanhassen Storm.  Orono's lone touchdown came on a 28 yard completion from Charlie Kraus to Hunter Fox.  Aiden Mueller ran for 52 yards to lead the Spartan Rushing attack.  He ran for 242 yards and three touchdowns in Orono's lone win against the Holy Angels Stars September 10.  The Spartan defense got two sacks apiece from Nash Tichy and Charlie Brophy.  

The key to the game for the Orioles is for Ross to utilize his speed that has resulted in five touchdowns in three games and for the team of Dvorak and Giovannelli to continue their momentum.  They also have to solve the Orono defense.  

The key to the game for the Spartans is for the defense to put pressure on Dvorak and for the offense to get into a rhythm.  

Friday's weather picture looks like possible scattered thunderstorms so if you plan on going to the game, you might consider bringing an umbrella.  As usual, game time is 7 PM.  

Two One Goal Games for SLP Soccer Teams

 The St. Louis Park Oriole soccer teams closed out September on a high note as they hosted the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles with the girls coming from behind to beat Kennedy 3-2 and the boys holding off the Eagles 4-3.  

First up was the girls game and Alma Beaton made her head coach mom Anne and the fans in attendance happy by scoring the game winning goal with :39.1 in regulation time to beat the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles 3-2.  

The Eagles would score the lone goal of the first half when Isabella Lone, daughter of head coach Mario Lone, lined a shot from the 35 yard line that landed in the net.  

Kennedy would increase the margin to two in the second half.  Alex Rosales made a centering pass from the far left corner to Ruthie Gyasi and she would connect to make the score 2-0.  But the Orioles were not out of this one yet.  A shot by Amelia Beach barely crossed the goal line to cut the lead to one.  Then Alma Beaton, wearing number six, would even the score after her free kick was block and she would score on a rebound.  Would there be overtime on this warm Thursday night?  Not according to Alma Beaton.  Following a restart due to a Kennedy yellow card, Beaton lined the ball toward the goal and it went passed Eagle goalkeeper Kaysawn Carlson for the win.  

The Orioles improved their record to 4-7 and host the Armstrong Falcons on Saturday, October 2 at noon.  The Eagles fell to 7-4 and will also be in action on the 2nd, hosting the Park Center Pirates at noon.  

Now to the boys game as the red hot Orioles got two goals from Claudy Zua to lead them to a 4-3 win over the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles.  

It looked like the Eagles would cool off the Orioles in the first half with a pair of early goals.  Diego Perez would strike first followed by Geradito Ontiveros Castillo :55 later.  But the news would be good for St. Louis Park as Zua would score on a rebound and Zuca Guarin would tally :39 later to tie the game at two at halftime.  

Zua would record his second goal of the game, scoring from the center slot to put the Orioles ahead.  Shetaye would line a shot that deflected off of Eagle goalkeeper Brandon Cruz Rojas and enter the net to put St. Louis Park ahead by two.  Kennedy would get back into the game on a penalty kick goal from Santiago Singer Eman but that would be it as St. Louis Park would play strong defense.  

The Orioles won their ninth straight game to improve their record to 9-1.  They will return to action on Saturday, October 2 at 1 PM in Minneapolis against the DeLaSalle Islanders.  The Eagles fell to 5-7 and host the Cooper Hawks on Friday, October 1 at 5 PM.  

A Five Set Thriller in Chaska

 The bleachers were packed with red and maroon clad volleyball fans Tuesday night to see the battle of top ranked teams the Mayer Lutheran Crusaders in Class A and the host Southwest Christian Stars in Class AA and it turned out to be a thriller as the Stars scored four straight points in the fifth set to beat the Crusaders three sets to two.  

There were several ties in the first set as the Stars used powerful attacks to go on a 5-0 run. Southwest Christian went on a 7-2 run that also included the 2000th career assist for senior setter Ella McIntosh that resulted in a 25-20 win.  Estelle Haugen, headed for Georgia next season got the set winning kill.  

To the second set where the lead changed hands throughout.  Mayer Lutheran would even the score at 18 and Southwest Christian would regain the lead.  They would score three straight points to clinch the win, including a kill from Annika Veurink.  

Down two sets to none, the unbeaten Crusaders would bounce back in the third set as the lead went back and forth like a pendulum on a grandfather clock.  Outstanding blocking by Mehlayna Straub and and Callie Coughlin kept the Stars shining in the set.  With the score tied at 24, Mayer Lutheran scored the last two points to win 26-24.  

The Crusaders, led by the all around play of Lily Wachholz, who will be heading down I-35 to Iowa State next season took the fourth set 25-22, thus forcing a fifth set.  

And what a fifth set it was as both teams displayed excellent volleyball and was the Stars who would prevail as they put the set away 15-11.  

Both head coaches Jessy Tow-Arnett of Southwest Christian and Joelle Grimsley were interviewed prior to the start of the match.  Tow-Arnett stated the key to the Stars success.  

"They understand high level volleyball has to be fought.  Every game shouldn't be an easy win."  

Grimsley gave her reaction to the expanded state tournament from three to four classes.  

"It's a great opportunity for people.  More people to experience the state tournament."  

The Stars improved their record to 16-2 and head to Delano to face the Tigers on Thursday, Spetember 30 at 7 PM.  The Crusaders fell to 17-1 and will also be in action on the 30th as they host the Belle Plaine Tigers at 7 PM.  

A Happy Homecoming for SLP Orioles

 The bleachers were packed with mostly orange and black clad fans Friday night for the St. Louis Park Orioles Homecoming football game and they would go home happy thanks to a pair of touchdown passes from Will Dvorak to Stefano Giovannelli that led St. Louis Park to a 31-21 win over the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights.  

Things got a bit sloppy in the first quarter for the Red Knights as a bad snap on a fourth down punt led to an Oriole safety.  St. Louis Park would reach the end zone on their first drive on Dvorak's 48 yard completion to Giovannelli and they would lead 9-0.  BSM would erase the zero from their portion of the scoreboard on pass from Jamarrius Courtney to Max Benning and he broke through a couple of tackles and reached the end zone to cut the Oriole lead to two.  But the combination of Dvorak and Giovannelli would strike again.  This time on a 51 yard strike and St. Louis Park led 15-7.  

It would be Deontez Ross Jr. who would account for the Orioles lone second quarter touchdown.  After catching a screen pass from Dvorak, he would score on a five yard run.  The Red Knights on third down got a 46 yard pass from Courtney to Benning and Courtney, the junior quarterback put the finishing touch on the drive with a four yard keeper touchdown with :09.1 left in the first half.  St. Louis Park led 22-14 at halftime.  

BSM would come close in the third quarter as Courtney completed his second touchdown pass of the game, a six yard completion to Zane Slater.  It wouldn't take long for St. Louis Park to reach the end zone.  On the kickoff, Ross would run like he was heading down Highway 7 94 yards for a touchdown and the Orioles would lead 29-21.  

For the second time, a bad fourth down punt snap would land the ball in the end zone for another Oriole safety.  The Red Knights would have a chance to get closer to the Orioles.  Facing fourth down and goal at the St. Louis Park 10 yard line, Courtney was unable to get the ball in the end zone.  

Ezra Hudson and Victoria Schmelzele were crowned Homecoming King and Queen at halftime.  

Looking at the stat sheet, Dvorak completed 7 of 11 passes for 170 yards and Ross had 22 carries for 84 yards for St. Louis Park.  For BSM, Courtney was 14 of 27 for 248 yards and rushed for 60 more.  Benning caught six passes for 196 yards.  

The Orioles improved their record to 3-1 and will host the Orono Spartans on Friday, October 1 at 7 PM.  The Red Knights fell to 0-4 and will host the Holy Angels Stars, also on October 1 at 7 PM.  

Previewing SLP Orioles Homecoming Football Battle of St. Louis Park

 It's The Battle of St. Louis Park to highlight Homecoming 2021 as the Oriole football team takes on the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights Friday night.  

Last Friday, the Orioles won their second straight game as they head down Highway 62 to Mendota Heights and beat the Two Rivers Warriors 31-7.  Deontez Ross Jr. continued his hot offensive run for St. Louis Park running 18 times for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns, giving him four in two games.  Quarterback Will Dvorak completed 10 of 17 passes for 133 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Brady Walsh.  The Oriole signal caller also led their rushing attack with 109 yards and a touchdown.  On the defensive side, Henry Bendickson had eight tackles.  

This season has been transitional for the Red Knights under first year head coach Sean McMenomy.  The former Mpls. Southwest head coach took over BSM after Jon Hanks retired.  They go into Week Four with a record of 0-3 that also includes defeats to the Spring Lake Park Panthers and last week, the Chaska Hawks 41-14.  The Red Knight offense was led by quarterback Jamarrius Courtney as he completed 14 of 22 passes for 154 yards and ran into the end zone twice.  Brady Wine led BSM with 12 tackles and Ryan Sever added 10.  

The key to the game for St. Louis Park is for the running game, bolstered by the return of Zeke Oppegaard from an injury to wear down the BSM defense.  The defense has to put pressure on Courtney and force turnovers.  

The key to the game for the Red Knights is establish an offense beyond Courtney.  They have to get other people involved that will put the ball in the end zone.  Where has Max Benning been in the Red Knight offense?  He scored two touchdowns in the season opener against Irondale and hasn't been heard from since.  The defense has to come up with a big play.  

The weather picture looks a bit cooler this coming Friday night with temperatures in the 60s.  Bring a jacket and get there early since it will be a large crowd for Homecoming.  Game time, as usual is 7 PM.  

SLP Orioles Sweep New Prague Trojans

 On a wet Monday night, the St. Louis Park Oriole soccer teams took the field with the girls winning their second straight game with a 1-0 win over the New Prague Trojans and the boys blasting the Trojans 5-2.  

It came early but Vesma Dennison's goal 1:38 into the game turned out to be the only goal of the game that led the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 1-0 win over the New Prague Trojans.

Dennison, one of three Oriole sophomores, lined a shot from the right side 1:38 into the first half.  The Trojans suffered a blow in the half when goalkeeper Alexis Mattern left the game due to an injury that she suffered in a collision with a St. Louis Park player.  Evie Wegner replaced Mattern in goal.  She did keep New Prague in the game with solid defense.  

The Orioles improved their record to 2-6 and return to action against the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars on Wednesday, September 22 at 7 PM at Bloomington Stadium.  The Trojans fell to 2-5 and will also be in action on the 22nd as they host the Chaska Hawks at 7 PM.  

Last Saturday, St. Louis Park won their first game under first year head coach Anne Beaton with a 3-1 victory over the Richfield Spartans.  Prior to the start of the game, she gave her reaction to the team's inaugural win in her leadership.  

"I'm excited for the girls to get their first win and we're hoping to build on it moving forward."  

Now to the boys game as it was Senior Night, honoring 10 players in their final season in the Oriole soccer program.  Four seniors tallied a goal en route to a 5-2 win over the New Prague Trojans.  

The Trojans looked like they were on their way to an upset when Luke Fortner scored 1:07 into the game.  But the first Oriole senior to put the ball in the net was Evan Rosvold to tie the game at one.  St. Louis Park would vault ahead on Bennett Kouame's liner that landed in the net and the Orioles led 2-1 at halftime.  

Two more seniors would enter the scoring column for St. Louis Park in the second half.  First was Jovan Dennison followed by a left side shot from Nick Kent.  The only non senior to send the ball to the net was Sam Wolden.  The junior made his varsity debut and scored on a rebound.  Jacob Lee would end St. Louis Park's five goal run for the Trojans and that was all that they could manage.  

The Orioles improved their record to 5-1 and return to action on Wednesday, September 22 when they head to Bloomington Jefferson to face the Jaguars at 4:45 PM.  The Trojans fell to 1-7 and will also be in action on the 22nd, hosting the Chaska Hawks at 5 PM.   

SLP Orioles Split With Hopkins Royals

 Friday night is the usual night that high school football is in the spotlight but in St. Louis Park it was soccer that took center stage as the Orioles hosted the Hopkins Royals with the boys on top 5-2 and the girls routed 7-1.  

In the boys game, Claudy Zua's two consecutive second half goals led the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 5-2 win over the Hopkins Royals.  

The Orioles struck first on Nick Kent's shot from the far post that landed in the net.  Zua would pick up an assist on St. Louis Park's second goal as he fed Bennett Kouame and the Orioles led by two.  An Oriole own goal would put Hopkins on the board that was credited to Elijah Peterson and St. Louis Park led 2-1 at halftime.  

Zua would score his first goal of the second half after Elijah Proost's shot was blocked and Zua picked up the lost ball and sent it toward the open net.  His second goal came on a centering pass from Kouame and the Orioles lead increased to three.  Ty Perkins would end the St. Louis Park run with a right side goal.  The Oriole bench also contributed when eighth grader Tyler Puentes lined a shot from the left side and into the goal to wrap up the scoring.  

St. Louis Park won their fourth straight game to improve their record to 4-1 and hosts the New Prague Warriors on Monday, September 20 at 7 PM.  It will also be Senior Night.  Hopkins fell to 1-6 and will host the Edina Hornets on Saturday, September 18 at 3 PM.

Now to the girls game as Bryn Etzell scored two goals to help spark a five goal first half to lead the Hopkins Royals to a 7-2 rout of the St. Louis Park Orioles.  

Avery Shaw would score first to give the Royals the early lead.  The Orioles would tie the game on Alma Beaton's lined shot but Hopkins would put the game away with four unanswered goals.  Etzell would strike twice in a :35 second span.Kate Nielsen's shot would deflect off of Oriole goalkeeper Sophia Romero and into the net and Lizzie Norman would line a shot off Romero that gave Hopkins a 5-1 halftime lead.  

The Royals would add two goals to their ledger in the second half, coming from Avery Petty and Abby Hoiska.  Beaton would score her second goal of the game with 11:22 left to conclude the scoring.  

Both teams return to action on Saturday, September 18.  Hopkins improved their record to 3-1-1 and hosts the Edina Hornets at 1 PM.  St. Louis Park, looking for their first win under first year head coach Anne Beaton fell to 0-6 and heads to Richfield for a 1 PM battle with the Spartans.  

SLP Orioles-Two Rivers Warriors Football Preview

 While the St. Louis Park soccer teams host a rare Friday night home doubleheader, the Oriole football team goes over the river and down Highway 62 to Mendota Heights they go to face the Two Rivers (nee Henry Sibley)Warriors.  

The Orioles improved their record to 1-1 with a win in their home opener as they beat the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars 26-20 in overtime.  Deontez Ross, Jr. scored the game winning touchdown on St. Louis Park's second overtime possession to give returning fans a chance to celebrate the home opener.  Ross rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns.  

As for the Warriors, they head into the game with an 0-2 record following a 55-0 drubbing by their city rival, the perennial Class AAAAA power the St. Thomas Academy Cadets.  The Cadets would score 30 second quarter points and take a 38-0 halftime lead.  Sophomore Savion Lopez scored four touchdowns for St. Thomas Academy and now has six on the young season.  According to mnfootballhub.com, a frequent source for material in game previews, there were no statistics for Two Rivers first two games. 

The key to the game for the Orioles is for Ross to have another outstanding running game and the defense to shut down Two Rivers and come up with the big play like Darryl Kemp III did in overtime against Jefferson as he stopped the Jaguars drive with an interception that would give St. Louis Park the win when they went on offense.  

The key to the game for the Warriors is to establish an offensive rhythm and not get behind early like they did last week against St. Thomas Academy.  They also need to have a strong second half.  In their opening game against the Tartan Titans, the lost 29-22 with all their points coming in the first half.  

It's going to be a cooler weather picture with the temperature around 65 degrees at game time, which is 7 PM.  If you plan on making the trip to Mendota Heights, you might consider bringing a jacket.  

HSGN'S Take on Why The New Price is Right Flopped in 1994

 "Get set, America it's time to come on down!"  Intoned the voice of announcer Burton Richardson as he opened each episode of The New Price is Right, the version with a run much shorter than the hour long daytime show that just began it's 50th season on September 13.  

So why did this half hour syndicated version of the long running Price is Right turn out to be a flop?  HSGN gets to the bottom of this matter.  

First, when Jonathan Goodson took over the company that produced the show after his father, creator Mark Goodson passed away in 1992, he felt that The Price is Right needed to be overhauled to attract a younger audience.  So he made a number of changes that didn't go well with fans of the Bob Barker show.  

And speaking of Barker, his decision not to host this version led Goodson to hire a new host.  Doug Davidson, best known for his role as Paul Williams on the soap opera The Young and the Restless would be the new host.  Also, with Rod Roddy and his flamboyant jackets also not part of the festivities, it would be Richardson, coming from The Arsenio Hall Show uttering the famous phrase "Come on down!"  None of Barker's Beauties would also be involved with the show.  Instead, younger models Julie Lynn Cialini, Ferrari Farris and Lisa Stahl would assist Davidson. 

Also, there was no Contestants Row.  This also eliminated the play along factor when an item went up for bids and home viewers would shout at the screen.  Instead, it went right to the pricing game.  Some games were also modified.  The Clock Game didn't have the familiar clock that was on the turntable.  The time was displayed in graphic form.  

There was also a new feature that took place after the third game called The Price Was Right.  A vintage commercial was shown and the three contestants placed their bids on what the price was back in the year the spot aired.  Whoever came close to the actual retail price without going over would advance to the showcase.  Worth noting, there were some episodes where contestants spun The Big Wheel due to a shortage of vintage ads.  

The showcase was also changed.  One player would bid, using a larger version of the rangefinder from the familiar Range Game.  If the price came within the range, the contestant won the showcase.  

But the main reason why The New Price is Right flopped was a large number of stations preempted the show as well as Richard Dawson's return to Family Feud to air the O. J. Simpson trial.  Some stations aired the show when many viewers were in bed and other didn't carry it.  After 16 weeks, The New Price is Right was canceled.  

On the brighter side of things, Davidson turned out to be a competent host and would later get an opportunity to replace Barker on the daytime version.  Unfortunately, he was one of many candidates who lost to Drew Carey.  He has not hosted another game show since then.  Richardson did go on to announce other shows, including the current version of Family Feud early in its run.  He also was a candidate to replace Roddy on the daytime show but Rich Fields became the show's third announcer.  He did fill in for Fields in one episode when he had laryngitis.  

In addition, there were more expensive prizes on the show and great shots from an aerial crane camera.  

So that's HSGN'S take on why The New Price is Right had a short run.  You'll find a number of episodes on youtube.com.