After two years of shivering at St. Cloud State University, high school soccer fans can head inside to US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday for the first state high school tournament to be played at the new home of the Minnesota Vikings.
St. Croix Valley soccer fans will have to set their alarm clocks early because the top seeded and unbeaten Stillwater Ponies will have the honor of playing the first game in the new venue as they take on the Andover Huskies in the Class AA semifinals at 8 AM.
The Ponies advanced with the second straight win over their Suburban East Conference rival the Mounds View Mustangs 6-1 and the Huskies shut out the Moorhead Spuds 2-0.
At 10 AM, it's a battle of two Lake Conference teams as the Wayzata Trojans face the Edina Hornets. Both teams advanced by way of a shut out. Wayzata got two goals from Maclane King to beat the Owatonna Huskies 5-0. Edina had a pair of goals from Matt Lindberg to beat the Burnsville Blaze 2-0. The Trojans won both games against the Hornets by the identical score of 2-0. Can they make it three in a row?
Whether or not you leave for lunch, there's more soccer at noon as a couple of Big Nine Conference teams open the Class A boys semifinals, the Northfield Raiders and the Mankato West Scarlets. It took a shootout for the Scarlets to win their quarterfinal game over the Bemidji Lumberjacks 2-1 and the Raiders also won in a shootout over the Willmar Cardinals by the same 2-1 score.
The 2 PM game pits the Blake Bears and the St. Thomas Academy Cadets. The Bears came from behind with three unanswered goals to beat the Duluth Denfeld Hunters 3-1. The Cadets got two goals apiece from Amanuel Bird and Logan Davis for a 5-0 shut out of St. Paul Como Park.
Concluding the inaugural day's festivities is a Class A girls semifinal twinbill. First up, it's the defending Class A champion Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights taking on a rival that's familiar to hockey fans, the Hill-Murray Pioneers. Vivian Shinall scored four goals to lead the Red Knights to a 6-0 win over the St. Cloud Apollo Eagles and Katherine Schindler's goal 1:26 into the second half was the game winner for the Pioneers over the Waconia Wildcats 1-0.
The day's final game features the Dover-Eyota Eagles and the Mankato West Scarlets. Ashlee Olson, who played on the state Class AA girls basketball championship team in 2015, scored two second half goals to lead the Eagles over the St. Paul Academy Spartans. Junior Shelby Lund got the hat trick to help the Scarlets rout the North Branch Vikings 7-1.
So there's the first day of competition at US Bank Stadium. It should be a monumental day as state tournament action comes in from the cold.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Martin is Key to Hopkins Volleyball Success
She's one of Minnesota's top volleyball players and part of the Hopkins Royals successful season as they are the fourth ranked team in Class AAA and the top seed in Section 6AAA.
Jazmyn Martin took some time before the Royals quarterfinal match with the St. Louis Park Orioles for an interview.
Before Martin went full tilt with volleyball, she also was a member of the Hopkins girls basketball team that has been coach for years by Brian Cosgriff. "he's a good guy to be around and taught me a lot of sports in general," Martin said. "He's really good to be around.
One of the top players that was a teammate of Martin is now a freshman at Michigan State, Nia Hollie. Martin gave her thoughts on how Hollie will do with the Spartans. "I think she's going to do great. She's a great player and she has a lot coming for her."
Martin decided to forego basketball and concentrate on volleyball. She felt it was hard to do both basketball and volleyball.
Martin's volleyball career will continue on the collegiate level when she will play next season at the University of Minnesota. She will be reunited with her former Royal teammate who is having an outstanding sophomore season as the Gopher setter, Samantha Seliger-Swenson. "The Gophers is a great program and one of the main reasons I picked the program is to play with Sam again."
She also commented on playing next season for Gopher head coach Hugh McCutcheon. "I very excited to get trained by him."
But first, Martin has to hep Hopkins in their quest to a return trip to the state volleyball tournament and she did in a big way Thursday night as she made some key blocks and kills to lead the Royals to a three set sweep of the St. Louis Park Orioles. The first two sets were an identical 25-16 score and in the third set, Martins outstanding serving and powerful attacks were the key to advancing Hopkins into the Section 6AAA semifinals with a 25-8 win.
Jazmyn Martin took some time before the Royals quarterfinal match with the St. Louis Park Orioles for an interview.
Before Martin went full tilt with volleyball, she also was a member of the Hopkins girls basketball team that has been coach for years by Brian Cosgriff. "he's a good guy to be around and taught me a lot of sports in general," Martin said. "He's really good to be around.
One of the top players that was a teammate of Martin is now a freshman at Michigan State, Nia Hollie. Martin gave her thoughts on how Hollie will do with the Spartans. "I think she's going to do great. She's a great player and she has a lot coming for her."
Martin decided to forego basketball and concentrate on volleyball. She felt it was hard to do both basketball and volleyball.
Martin's volleyball career will continue on the collegiate level when she will play next season at the University of Minnesota. She will be reunited with her former Royal teammate who is having an outstanding sophomore season as the Gopher setter, Samantha Seliger-Swenson. "The Gophers is a great program and one of the main reasons I picked the program is to play with Sam again."
She also commented on playing next season for Gopher head coach Hugh McCutcheon. "I very excited to get trained by him."
But first, Martin has to hep Hopkins in their quest to a return trip to the state volleyball tournament and she did in a big way Thursday night as she made some key blocks and kills to lead the Royals to a three set sweep of the St. Louis Park Orioles. The first two sets were an identical 25-16 score and in the third set, Martins outstanding serving and powerful attacks were the key to advancing Hopkins into the Section 6AAA semifinals with a 25-8 win.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Romero's Big Night Bolsters SLP Orioles into Section 5AAAAA Semifinals
The weather was wet and the crowd was sparse but it didn't stop the host St. Louis Park Orioles from having a breakout game as quarterback Logan Romero scored four first half touchdowns to lead them to a 49-0 sinking of the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers in the Section 5AAAAA quarterfinals Tuesday night.
After the Lakers first drive took :55, the Orioles got the ball for their first series and Romero would go up the middle on a keeper for a nine yard touchdown. Romero would head for the end zone a second time as he kept the ball and cut to the left side to score from 27 yards. St. Louis Park took a 15-0 lead.
In the second quarter, Romero scored two more touchdowns as the Southwest offense looked like it was stuck in traffic on Excelsior Blvd. The senior quarterback got the center snap, broke through a couple of tackles and scored a 16 yard touchdown. The only bad news for Romero was he had a touchdown called back due to a holding penalty. The good news was that he redeemed himself and picked up touchdown number four on a one yard keeper. The Orioles led at the half 28-0.
It wasn't all Romero for St. Louis Park on this cold and damp Tuesday night. Peyton Morrison began the second half scoring with a one yard touchdown run. Then sophomore Aaron Sledge would wrap up the scoring with two touchdowns. The first came from four yards and the second a one yard run. Defense was also a factor as Riley Dvorak intercepted Laker quarterback Brennan Hawkins. The small throng in the stadium bleachers would get running time in the fourth quarter so they could thaw out after being pelted with rain and shivering in the cold weather.
The Orioles improved their record to 2-7 and advanced to the semifinals on Saturday, October 29 as the head up Highway 65 to face the top seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers at 1 PM. The Lakers end their season at 1-8.
After the Lakers first drive took :55, the Orioles got the ball for their first series and Romero would go up the middle on a keeper for a nine yard touchdown. Romero would head for the end zone a second time as he kept the ball and cut to the left side to score from 27 yards. St. Louis Park took a 15-0 lead.
In the second quarter, Romero scored two more touchdowns as the Southwest offense looked like it was stuck in traffic on Excelsior Blvd. The senior quarterback got the center snap, broke through a couple of tackles and scored a 16 yard touchdown. The only bad news for Romero was he had a touchdown called back due to a holding penalty. The good news was that he redeemed himself and picked up touchdown number four on a one yard keeper. The Orioles led at the half 28-0.
It wasn't all Romero for St. Louis Park on this cold and damp Tuesday night. Peyton Morrison began the second half scoring with a one yard touchdown run. Then sophomore Aaron Sledge would wrap up the scoring with two touchdowns. The first came from four yards and the second a one yard run. Defense was also a factor as Riley Dvorak intercepted Laker quarterback Brennan Hawkins. The small throng in the stadium bleachers would get running time in the fourth quarter so they could thaw out after being pelted with rain and shivering in the cold weather.
The Orioles improved their record to 2-7 and advanced to the semifinals on Saturday, October 29 as the head up Highway 65 to face the top seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers at 1 PM. The Lakers end their season at 1-8.
Monday, October 24, 2016
2016 Section 5AAAAA Football Preview
The road to the first Prep Bowl at the new US Bank Stadium gets underway throughout Minnesota Tuesday night as Section 5AAAAA quarterfinal action is the first step on the road to a state tournament berth.
In the upper bracket, the top seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers get a first round bye and they will await the winner of the game between the fifth seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers and the fourth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles. Last time the two schools met was in the 2014 section semifinals in Linden Hills with the Lakers eliminating the Orioles on a chilly Saturday night. This year, the scene shifts to St. Louis Park where both teams have identical 1-7 records. The Orioles lone win came against Park Center and the Lakers only victory was against Minneapolis South on September 22 41-0.
Last week, St. Louis Park had a chance to win their second game of the season but quarterback Logan Romero's pass on fourth and goal to Mykel Howard with :10.4 to go was incomplete. The key to the game for the Orioles is to take care of the football and play strong defense.
As for Southwest, they came up short last week against the St. Anthony Village Huskies. They did get their offense going against the Huskies, losing 28-22. They will need to get the offense going just like they did last week.
Now to the lower bracket where the second seeded Cooper Hawks wait in the wings for the winner of the second quarterfinal game between the Park Center Pirates and the Irondale Knights. No, this isn't a rerun of last week's game that had the Knights beat the Pirates 28-13 to improve their record to 2-6 while Park Center fell to 0-8. Sean Sutherlin caught two touchdown passes from Brendan White and Deandre Clarke ran for 80 yards and reached the end zone twice. It's pretty unusual that two teams that played each other the previous week play the following week. Irondale has the talent to go for its second straight win against the Pirates.
Following semifinal play on the 29th, the section final game takes place on Friday, November 4. It could have the makings of another battle between Spring Lake Park and Cooper. The Panthers beat the Hawks on October 19 57-39. How many points will the two teams combine for if it does come to fruition?
In the upper bracket, the top seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers get a first round bye and they will await the winner of the game between the fifth seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers and the fourth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles. Last time the two schools met was in the 2014 section semifinals in Linden Hills with the Lakers eliminating the Orioles on a chilly Saturday night. This year, the scene shifts to St. Louis Park where both teams have identical 1-7 records. The Orioles lone win came against Park Center and the Lakers only victory was against Minneapolis South on September 22 41-0.
Last week, St. Louis Park had a chance to win their second game of the season but quarterback Logan Romero's pass on fourth and goal to Mykel Howard with :10.4 to go was incomplete. The key to the game for the Orioles is to take care of the football and play strong defense.
As for Southwest, they came up short last week against the St. Anthony Village Huskies. They did get their offense going against the Huskies, losing 28-22. They will need to get the offense going just like they did last week.
Now to the lower bracket where the second seeded Cooper Hawks wait in the wings for the winner of the second quarterfinal game between the Park Center Pirates and the Irondale Knights. No, this isn't a rerun of last week's game that had the Knights beat the Pirates 28-13 to improve their record to 2-6 while Park Center fell to 0-8. Sean Sutherlin caught two touchdown passes from Brendan White and Deandre Clarke ran for 80 yards and reached the end zone twice. It's pretty unusual that two teams that played each other the previous week play the following week. Irondale has the talent to go for its second straight win against the Pirates.
Following semifinal play on the 29th, the section final game takes place on Friday, November 4. It could have the makings of another battle between Spring Lake Park and Cooper. The Panthers beat the Hawks on October 19 57-39. How many points will the two teams combine for if it does come to fruition?
Friday, October 21, 2016
Blake Bears and BSM Red Knights Clinch State Soccer Tournament Berths
It was a chill Thursday night in St. Louis Park as the Section 5A boys and girls soccer championship games heated up with the Blake Bears clinching a berth in the boys tournament and the defending state Class A girls champions the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights on their way to their fourth state title in seven years.
The boys title game was first and just when you thought there would be sudden death overtime you would be wrong as Ethan roe scored the game winning goal with :38.8 left in regulation time to lead the Blake Bears to a 1-0 win over the Breck Mustangs.
It was a rematch of the September 22 game where the Bears and the Mustangs played to a 1-1 tie.
Neither team would score in the first half though Blake goalkeeper Quinn Kiernat made several outstanding saves to keep second seeded Breck from scoring. In the second half, the game looked like it would be headed to two sudden death overtime periods until Mustang goalkeeper Hudson Haecker played way out of the net and Ethan roe found a huge gap near the net and put it in with :38.8 to go.
The Bears, seeded fourth in Section 5A advanced to the Class A boys state tournament and have a record of 15-3-2. The tournament will be seeded this weekend. The Mustangs 12 game unbeaten streak came to an end and they finish the season 14-3-3.
Now to the girls game as the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights will go for their fourth state title in seven years thanks to two goals apiece from Amanda Cassidy and Vivian Shinall that led them to a 5-1 victory over the top seeded Totino-Grace Eagles.
The Red Knights got the only goal of the first half as Maren Noble fed Cassidy on the right side and she would scored to give BSM a 1-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Eagles would even the score when Arianna Del Morals corner kick was headed into the net by Lexi Serryn :42 into the half. BSM would send Totino-Grace back up Highway 65 to Fridley with four unanswered goals to clinch a return trip to the state tournament. Cassidy would pass to Shinall and she would score with 26:00 left to put the Red Knights ahead and Cassidy, a sophomore, would score her second goal to solidify the lead. She would pick up her second assist as she made a pass to Noble in the center slot to put BSM ahead by three. With the game decided, Red Knight head coach Scott Helling-Christy emptied his bench and let the reserve players get their shot in the section final.. One reserve who would contribute to the scoring was Brooke Ferrer who picked up an assist on Shinall's second goal with 3:50 left in the game.
BSM won their fifth straight game and improved their record to 15-4-1 and advanced to the state Class A girls soccer tournament that will be seeded this weekend. Totino Grace finished the season 14-4 and ended their seven game winning streak.
The boys title game was first and just when you thought there would be sudden death overtime you would be wrong as Ethan roe scored the game winning goal with :38.8 left in regulation time to lead the Blake Bears to a 1-0 win over the Breck Mustangs.
It was a rematch of the September 22 game where the Bears and the Mustangs played to a 1-1 tie.
Neither team would score in the first half though Blake goalkeeper Quinn Kiernat made several outstanding saves to keep second seeded Breck from scoring. In the second half, the game looked like it would be headed to two sudden death overtime periods until Mustang goalkeeper Hudson Haecker played way out of the net and Ethan roe found a huge gap near the net and put it in with :38.8 to go.
The Bears, seeded fourth in Section 5A advanced to the Class A boys state tournament and have a record of 15-3-2. The tournament will be seeded this weekend. The Mustangs 12 game unbeaten streak came to an end and they finish the season 14-3-3.
Now to the girls game as the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights will go for their fourth state title in seven years thanks to two goals apiece from Amanda Cassidy and Vivian Shinall that led them to a 5-1 victory over the top seeded Totino-Grace Eagles.
The Red Knights got the only goal of the first half as Maren Noble fed Cassidy on the right side and she would scored to give BSM a 1-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Eagles would even the score when Arianna Del Morals corner kick was headed into the net by Lexi Serryn :42 into the half. BSM would send Totino-Grace back up Highway 65 to Fridley with four unanswered goals to clinch a return trip to the state tournament. Cassidy would pass to Shinall and she would score with 26:00 left to put the Red Knights ahead and Cassidy, a sophomore, would score her second goal to solidify the lead. She would pick up her second assist as she made a pass to Noble in the center slot to put BSM ahead by three. With the game decided, Red Knight head coach Scott Helling-Christy emptied his bench and let the reserve players get their shot in the section final.. One reserve who would contribute to the scoring was Brooke Ferrer who picked up an assist on Shinall's second goal with 3:50 left in the game.
BSM won their fifth straight game and improved their record to 15-4-1 and advanced to the state Class A girls soccer tournament that will be seeded this weekend. Totino Grace finished the season 14-4 and ended their seven game winning streak.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
SLP Orioles Come up Short in Regular Season Finale
Xavier Roberts scored the game winning touchdown with 10:29 to play as the DeLaSalle Islanders held off a game winning rally by the host St. Louis Park Orioles 21-16 Wednesday night.
Sage Booker would open the scoring for the Islanders in the first quarter with a six yard touchdown run up the middle. The Orioles had an opportunity to reach the end zone but they couldn't convert on fourth down and two at the DeLaSalle eight yard line.
Both teams would score in the second quarter. Booker got his second touchdown of the game for DeLaSalle on a two yard run around right guard. St. Louis Park would get on the scoreboard as quarterback Logan Romero threw a 41 yard pass to Johnny Sorenson then Romero would end the Islander shutout with a one yard touchdown run. DeLaSalle led at halftime 15-8.
There would be good news for the Orioles on Senior Night where 14 seniors were honored prior to the opening kickoff. They would take the lead in the third quarter on Romero's second keeper touchdown, this time a 13 yard run around right end. It would be 16-15 in favor of the Orioles.
The Islanders would take lead in the fourth quarter as Roberts would score a one yard touchdown with 10:29 to go. Could St. Louis Park send the small throng in attendance home happy on that chilly Wednssday night? They had a golden opportunity late in the game with the ball spotted first and goal at the Islander six yard line. They would pick up two yards on three plays and Romero and the Oriole offense lined up at the four yard line with :10.4 left to play. Romero would fire a right side pass to Mykel Howard in the end zone and he was unable to hang on which resulted in Islander ball and they would run out the clock to clinch the win.
DeLaSalle wrapped up the regular season with a record of 3-5 and St. Louis Park ended their season at 1-7. Section play begins throughout the state on Tuesday, October 25.
Sage Booker would open the scoring for the Islanders in the first quarter with a six yard touchdown run up the middle. The Orioles had an opportunity to reach the end zone but they couldn't convert on fourth down and two at the DeLaSalle eight yard line.
Both teams would score in the second quarter. Booker got his second touchdown of the game for DeLaSalle on a two yard run around right guard. St. Louis Park would get on the scoreboard as quarterback Logan Romero threw a 41 yard pass to Johnny Sorenson then Romero would end the Islander shutout with a one yard touchdown run. DeLaSalle led at halftime 15-8.
There would be good news for the Orioles on Senior Night where 14 seniors were honored prior to the opening kickoff. They would take the lead in the third quarter on Romero's second keeper touchdown, this time a 13 yard run around right end. It would be 16-15 in favor of the Orioles.
The Islanders would take lead in the fourth quarter as Roberts would score a one yard touchdown with 10:29 to go. Could St. Louis Park send the small throng in attendance home happy on that chilly Wednssday night? They had a golden opportunity late in the game with the ball spotted first and goal at the Islander six yard line. They would pick up two yards on three plays and Romero and the Oriole offense lined up at the four yard line with :10.4 left to play. Romero would fire a right side pass to Mykel Howard in the end zone and he was unable to hang on which resulted in Islander ball and they would run out the clock to clinch the win.
DeLaSalle wrapped up the regular season with a record of 3-5 and St. Louis Park ended their season at 1-7. Section play begins throughout the state on Tuesday, October 25.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Final Week of Regular Season Could Settle Logjam in Section 5AAAAA Football
As the Minnesota high school football season heads into its final week of the regular season, rather than do a St. Louis Park football preview post, HSGN will preview the match ups among the Section 5AAAAA schools since there's a three way tie between Irondale, St. Louis Park and Minneapolis Southwest with overall records of 1-6.
First up is the St. Louis Park Orioles hosting the DeLaSalle Islanders. Good news for Orioles fans last Friday. They saw St. Louis Park pick up the season's first win as they beat the Park Center Pirates 29-21. It was a big night for quarterback Logan Romero as he ran for two touchdowns and threw a 26 yard pass to Johnny Sorenson in the end zone. Romero would rush for 184 yards.
Two years ago, the DeLaSalle Islanders advance to the Class AAAA championship game, losing to the Becker Bulldogs. This season the Islanders have had a miserable 2-5 season. Last week, they lost to the Armstrong Falcons 48-26. The Falcons had a monumental game from Jesse Sherwood who rushed for 176 yards and reached the end zone five times. DeLaSalle got off to a 2-1 start and has lost four straight games. Can the Islanders snap their losing streak or will the Orioles win their second consecutive game?
It will be a battle of 1-6 teams in the Linden Hills section of Minneapolis as the Southwest Lakers host the St. Anthony Village Huskies. St. Anthony Village, coming off their first win of the season against Brooklyn Center on October 7 got shut out by the Fridley Tigers the following week 34-0. The Lakers were routed last week by the St. Paul Highland Park Scots 42-6. They also had a three game stretch when they scored 14 points in losing efforts to St. Paul Central, Minneapolis Washburn and the top ranked team in Class AAA, the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders.
The Irondale Knights will host the only 0-7 team in the section, the Park Center Pirates. Irondale got beat last week by the Cooper Hawks 28-7 as Sean sutherlin scored the Knights only touchdown. The Pirates are still looking for their first win and if they solve the Knights, the season could end with a pair of 1-7 teams.
And to wrap up this week's preview, the game that could be a preview of the section final November 4, the two unbeaten teams in the section will converge on the turf field in New Hope, the Spring Lake Panthers and the Cooper Hawks. Both teams are ranked in the Class AAAAA top ten with Spring Lake Park third and Cooper sixth. It should be a great game that features a pair of high powered offense and some outstanding defense. Whoever wins this game could clinch the number one see and a first round bye in Section 5AAAAA. If you plan on attending the game, get there early. The stadium will be packed for this showdown of unbeatens.
First up is the St. Louis Park Orioles hosting the DeLaSalle Islanders. Good news for Orioles fans last Friday. They saw St. Louis Park pick up the season's first win as they beat the Park Center Pirates 29-21. It was a big night for quarterback Logan Romero as he ran for two touchdowns and threw a 26 yard pass to Johnny Sorenson in the end zone. Romero would rush for 184 yards.
Two years ago, the DeLaSalle Islanders advance to the Class AAAA championship game, losing to the Becker Bulldogs. This season the Islanders have had a miserable 2-5 season. Last week, they lost to the Armstrong Falcons 48-26. The Falcons had a monumental game from Jesse Sherwood who rushed for 176 yards and reached the end zone five times. DeLaSalle got off to a 2-1 start and has lost four straight games. Can the Islanders snap their losing streak or will the Orioles win their second consecutive game?
It will be a battle of 1-6 teams in the Linden Hills section of Minneapolis as the Southwest Lakers host the St. Anthony Village Huskies. St. Anthony Village, coming off their first win of the season against Brooklyn Center on October 7 got shut out by the Fridley Tigers the following week 34-0. The Lakers were routed last week by the St. Paul Highland Park Scots 42-6. They also had a three game stretch when they scored 14 points in losing efforts to St. Paul Central, Minneapolis Washburn and the top ranked team in Class AAA, the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders.
The Irondale Knights will host the only 0-7 team in the section, the Park Center Pirates. Irondale got beat last week by the Cooper Hawks 28-7 as Sean sutherlin scored the Knights only touchdown. The Pirates are still looking for their first win and if they solve the Knights, the season could end with a pair of 1-7 teams.
And to wrap up this week's preview, the game that could be a preview of the section final November 4, the two unbeaten teams in the section will converge on the turf field in New Hope, the Spring Lake Panthers and the Cooper Hawks. Both teams are ranked in the Class AAAAA top ten with Spring Lake Park third and Cooper sixth. It should be a great game that features a pair of high powered offense and some outstanding defense. Whoever wins this game could clinch the number one see and a first round bye in Section 5AAAAA. If you plan on attending the game, get there early. The stadium will be packed for this showdown of unbeatens.
Monday, October 17, 2016
A Classic Comedy Game Debuts 50 Years Ago
"Today, one of these stars is sitting in the Secret Square," boomed the voice of announcer Kenny Williams as he introduced the nine celebrities on the premier episode of Hollywood Squares that debuted 50 years ago on October 17, 1966.
For the record, the first center square was former McHale's Navy star Ernest Borgnine. Also comprising the panel were regulars Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Wally Cox and Cliff Arquette as Charley Weaver. There was also Abby Dalton, Agnes Moorehead of Bewitched, Nick Adams and Pamela Mason.
The "Master of the Hollywood Squares" was Peter Marshall, a former comedy straight man and musical comedy actor who was reluctant to take the job because he felt the show would last 13 weeks and instead it would turn out to be a career move since he would host every episode, daytime, nighttime and syndicated for 15 years.
Hollywood Squares was the creation of the production team of Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. The duo produced an earlier variation titled The Celebrity Game that was hosted by Carl Reiner. The show aired for two short prime time runs in 1964 and 1965. But Heatter was set on developing another game show with many celebrities, so he came up with the idea of putting nine celebrities in a tic-tac-toe board.
Heatter and Quigley pitched the show to ABC, CBS and NBC and they were turned down. However, CBS did let them do a pilot so they cast as host Bert Parks. Unfortunately, the network rejected the show in favor of a short-lived Bob Stewart game The Face is Familiar.
But lo and behold, NBC game Hollywood Squares another shot on the condition that they find another host. So that's how Marshall came into the picture.
When Hollywood Squares debuted, it was up against reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show on CBS and Chuck Barris' first game show hit The Dating Game on ABC. It got off to a slow start because according to Heatter, the show was too slow when he saw an episode on a business trip to New York. When he returned, he demanded to add more questions and do a lot of editing. That gave birth to what made Hollywood Squares a hit, the "zinger." It allowed the stars to give humorous bluff answers and the show would move quicker.
Heatter's mandate worked. The ratings improved and it would become one of NBC's most successful game shows. In January, 1968, a prime time version debuted that also marked the debuted of an actor/comedian who would become the permanent center square Paul Lynde. With the addition of Lynde, the daytime show's ratings would zoom even higher. The network would also add a Saturday morning version titled The Storybook Squares, that featured children as contestants. The show lasted from January 1969 to August 1969 and was revived a few times on the daytime version in the 70s.
As Hollywood Squares moved into the 70s, the show became the number one daytime game show and would hold that post for three years. It also spawned a nighttime syndicated version that debuted in 1971, started at one a week and would later expand to bi-weekly. It also survived the deaths of two of its regulars, Cox and Arquette. Charley Weaver's spot in the lower left corner was filled by comedian George Gobel. Also, Karen Valentine became a semiregular.
But by 1976, Hollywood Squares was dropping in the ratings due to CBS's expansion of The Price is Right to an hour. NBC would move the show four times over the next four years and Lynde would leave in August, 1979. On June 20, 1980, after 14 yeras, Hollywood Squares was cancelled to make room for a new daytime talk show starring David Letterman.
As for the syndicated version, it would expand to five days a week and would move its production base from NBC in Burbank to the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. But Hollywood Squares was getting old and tired and up against shows such as Family Feud, The Joker's Wild and Tic Tac Dough. After a total of 15 seasons on the air, X got the square for the last time.
There would also be three revivals since the end of the original version in 1981. The first was part of NBC's Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour with Jon (Bowzer) Bauman of Sha Na Na taking over for Marshall as host. It got killed in the ratings opposite soap operas General Hospital and Guiding Light and was cancelled after 39 weeks. In 1986, the show returned in a more free wheeling version with John Davidson as host. Announcer Shadoe Stevens (who replaced Casey Kasem on American Top 40) would later appear on camera and introduce the host as "JOHHHHHHHHHHHHN DAVIDSON!" This incarnation would also go on location for special shows in Hollywood, Florida and Radio City Music Hall in New York.
The last version would have a longer run, running from 1998 to 2004 and featured Tom Bergeron as host and Whoopi Goldberg as the center square. Also taking part in the hysteria were Caroline Rhea, writer Bruce Vilanch and Gilbert Gottfried. There was one episode where Gottfried was called on for a whole show because a contestant guessed incorrectly that would win the game and it propted him and Penn Jillette to shout "YOU FOOL!" When Goldberg left the show, Henry Winkler would become one of the executive producers along with his partner Michael Leavitt. The problem with this version was that it didn't have a consistent bonus round, using three different ones throughout the show's run.
Hollywood Squares had many celebrity guests throughout its many incarnations. But 50 years ago, it would debut and would eventually become one of the funniest game shows of all-time.
For the record, the first center square was former McHale's Navy star Ernest Borgnine. Also comprising the panel were regulars Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Wally Cox and Cliff Arquette as Charley Weaver. There was also Abby Dalton, Agnes Moorehead of Bewitched, Nick Adams and Pamela Mason.
The "Master of the Hollywood Squares" was Peter Marshall, a former comedy straight man and musical comedy actor who was reluctant to take the job because he felt the show would last 13 weeks and instead it would turn out to be a career move since he would host every episode, daytime, nighttime and syndicated for 15 years.
Hollywood Squares was the creation of the production team of Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. The duo produced an earlier variation titled The Celebrity Game that was hosted by Carl Reiner. The show aired for two short prime time runs in 1964 and 1965. But Heatter was set on developing another game show with many celebrities, so he came up with the idea of putting nine celebrities in a tic-tac-toe board.
Heatter and Quigley pitched the show to ABC, CBS and NBC and they were turned down. However, CBS did let them do a pilot so they cast as host Bert Parks. Unfortunately, the network rejected the show in favor of a short-lived Bob Stewart game The Face is Familiar.
But lo and behold, NBC game Hollywood Squares another shot on the condition that they find another host. So that's how Marshall came into the picture.
When Hollywood Squares debuted, it was up against reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show on CBS and Chuck Barris' first game show hit The Dating Game on ABC. It got off to a slow start because according to Heatter, the show was too slow when he saw an episode on a business trip to New York. When he returned, he demanded to add more questions and do a lot of editing. That gave birth to what made Hollywood Squares a hit, the "zinger." It allowed the stars to give humorous bluff answers and the show would move quicker.
Heatter's mandate worked. The ratings improved and it would become one of NBC's most successful game shows. In January, 1968, a prime time version debuted that also marked the debuted of an actor/comedian who would become the permanent center square Paul Lynde. With the addition of Lynde, the daytime show's ratings would zoom even higher. The network would also add a Saturday morning version titled The Storybook Squares, that featured children as contestants. The show lasted from January 1969 to August 1969 and was revived a few times on the daytime version in the 70s.
As Hollywood Squares moved into the 70s, the show became the number one daytime game show and would hold that post for three years. It also spawned a nighttime syndicated version that debuted in 1971, started at one a week and would later expand to bi-weekly. It also survived the deaths of two of its regulars, Cox and Arquette. Charley Weaver's spot in the lower left corner was filled by comedian George Gobel. Also, Karen Valentine became a semiregular.
But by 1976, Hollywood Squares was dropping in the ratings due to CBS's expansion of The Price is Right to an hour. NBC would move the show four times over the next four years and Lynde would leave in August, 1979. On June 20, 1980, after 14 yeras, Hollywood Squares was cancelled to make room for a new daytime talk show starring David Letterman.
As for the syndicated version, it would expand to five days a week and would move its production base from NBC in Burbank to the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. But Hollywood Squares was getting old and tired and up against shows such as Family Feud, The Joker's Wild and Tic Tac Dough. After a total of 15 seasons on the air, X got the square for the last time.
There would also be three revivals since the end of the original version in 1981. The first was part of NBC's Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour with Jon (Bowzer) Bauman of Sha Na Na taking over for Marshall as host. It got killed in the ratings opposite soap operas General Hospital and Guiding Light and was cancelled after 39 weeks. In 1986, the show returned in a more free wheeling version with John Davidson as host. Announcer Shadoe Stevens (who replaced Casey Kasem on American Top 40) would later appear on camera and introduce the host as "JOHHHHHHHHHHHHN DAVIDSON!" This incarnation would also go on location for special shows in Hollywood, Florida and Radio City Music Hall in New York.
The last version would have a longer run, running from 1998 to 2004 and featured Tom Bergeron as host and Whoopi Goldberg as the center square. Also taking part in the hysteria were Caroline Rhea, writer Bruce Vilanch and Gilbert Gottfried. There was one episode where Gottfried was called on for a whole show because a contestant guessed incorrectly that would win the game and it propted him and Penn Jillette to shout "YOU FOOL!" When Goldberg left the show, Henry Winkler would become one of the executive producers along with his partner Michael Leavitt. The problem with this version was that it didn't have a consistent bonus round, using three different ones throughout the show's run.
Hollywood Squares had many celebrity guests throughout its many incarnations. But 50 years ago, it would debut and would eventually become one of the funniest game shows of all-time.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
SLP Orioles Soccer Teams Eliminated By Hopkins Royals
Section 6AA soccer play took place Thursday night at Hopkins High School as both St. Louis Park Orioles teams had their seasons come to an end.
The boys game was up first and freshman Clarence Weah broke a scoreless tie with 4:36 left in the first half that led the Royals to a 2-0 win over the Orioles.
Weah accounted for Hopkins only first half goal as he scored from the left side to give them a 1-0 halftime lead. Royals goalkeeper Ryan St. Clair kept the Orioles from tying the game with several outstanding saves. Hopkins would get an insurance goal from Andy Berris and St. Louis Park couldn't get anything past St. Clair as the senior goalkeeper helped the Royals advance to Saturday's semifinals.
Hopkins improved their record to 8-7-2 and will travel to Minneapolis Washburn to play the Millers in the semifinals at 3 PM on Saturday, October 15. St. Louis Park ended their season at 3-11-2.
In the girls game, Chance Douglass scored two goals to lead Hopkins to a 3-1 win over St. Louis Park.
Isabelle Olson would ring the Royal bell with the first half's only goal. She lined a shot from the left side and it went past Oriole goalkeeper Anna Roethler and into the net. Hopkins led 1-0 at the half.
Hopkins would go up by two in the second half on Chance Douglass' right side goal. St. Louis Park would get back in the game as Malaika Bigirindavyi would score from the center slot to cut the lead to one. Was overtime possible on this chilly Thursday night? It wouldn't be possible when Chance Douglass tripped in the penalty area and the official called a foul that awarded her a penalty kick. she made the most of the opportunity and sent the ball into the net.
The Royals improved their record to 11-5-1 and will head to Minneapolis to take on the Washburn Millers in the semifinals on Saturday, October 15 at 5 PM. The Orioles ended a 10 game unbeaten streak and finished their season with a record of 9-5-1.
The boys game was up first and freshman Clarence Weah broke a scoreless tie with 4:36 left in the first half that led the Royals to a 2-0 win over the Orioles.
Weah accounted for Hopkins only first half goal as he scored from the left side to give them a 1-0 halftime lead. Royals goalkeeper Ryan St. Clair kept the Orioles from tying the game with several outstanding saves. Hopkins would get an insurance goal from Andy Berris and St. Louis Park couldn't get anything past St. Clair as the senior goalkeeper helped the Royals advance to Saturday's semifinals.
Hopkins improved their record to 8-7-2 and will travel to Minneapolis Washburn to play the Millers in the semifinals at 3 PM on Saturday, October 15. St. Louis Park ended their season at 3-11-2.
In the girls game, Chance Douglass scored two goals to lead Hopkins to a 3-1 win over St. Louis Park.
Isabelle Olson would ring the Royal bell with the first half's only goal. She lined a shot from the left side and it went past Oriole goalkeeper Anna Roethler and into the net. Hopkins led 1-0 at the half.
Hopkins would go up by two in the second half on Chance Douglass' right side goal. St. Louis Park would get back in the game as Malaika Bigirindavyi would score from the center slot to cut the lead to one. Was overtime possible on this chilly Thursday night? It wouldn't be possible when Chance Douglass tripped in the penalty area and the official called a foul that awarded her a penalty kick. she made the most of the opportunity and sent the ball into the net.
The Royals improved their record to 11-5-1 and will head to Minneapolis to take on the Washburn Millers in the semifinals on Saturday, October 15 at 5 PM. The Orioles ended a 10 game unbeaten streak and finished their season with a record of 9-5-1.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
SLP Orioles-Park Center Pirates Football Preview
The St. Louis Park Orioles take their final road trip of the regular season and head to Brooklyn Park to take on the Park Center Pirates as the regular season heads into Week Seven.
Last week, it looked like the Orioles would have a happy Homecoming as they led 14-13 at the half. But the Irondale Knights had a very strong second half to put away St. Louis Park 32-14.
The Orioles, now 0-6 go up against the 1-6 Pirates and the green and gold has been anything but golden since the opening game of the season when they trounced the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles 35-7. The defense has been prone to giving up mass quantities of points this season, including a 34-3 loss last week to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. Ricky Floyd scored three touchdowns for BSM. Park Center has played a tough district schedule, going up against Armstrong, Cooper, DeLaSalle and Spring Lake Park.
The key to the game for St.. Louis Park is for quarterback Logan Romero to cut down on the turnovers and find an offensive rhythm He has a couple of solid receivers in Mykel Howard and Johnny Sorenson but they also need to getting a running game going. ,
Park Center's key to the game is to play a much stronger defense and not give up so many points.
Please be advised that Friday's game starts at 5 PM instead of the usual 7 PM starting. Looking for somewhere to go after work? Head over to Park Center and see the Orioles in action. They could get their first win.
Last week, it looked like the Orioles would have a happy Homecoming as they led 14-13 at the half. But the Irondale Knights had a very strong second half to put away St. Louis Park 32-14.
The Orioles, now 0-6 go up against the 1-6 Pirates and the green and gold has been anything but golden since the opening game of the season when they trounced the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles 35-7. The defense has been prone to giving up mass quantities of points this season, including a 34-3 loss last week to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. Ricky Floyd scored three touchdowns for BSM. Park Center has played a tough district schedule, going up against Armstrong, Cooper, DeLaSalle and Spring Lake Park.
The key to the game for St.. Louis Park is for quarterback Logan Romero to cut down on the turnovers and find an offensive rhythm He has a couple of solid receivers in Mykel Howard and Johnny Sorenson but they also need to getting a running game going. ,
Park Center's key to the game is to play a much stronger defense and not give up so many points.
Please be advised that Friday's game starts at 5 PM instead of the usual 7 PM starting. Looking for somewhere to go after work? Head over to Park Center and see the Orioles in action. They could get their first win.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
2016 Section 6AA Soccer Tournament Preview
The one common thread in both the Section 6AA Boys and Girls Soccer tournaments is that the top seed is the Wayzata Trojans. Here's a preview of both section tournaments.
First up is the boys tournament. The top seeded Wayzata Trojans have won seven straight games and in their last five have outscored their opponents 19-1. They go up against the Armstrong Falcons who the Trojans routed on September 24 8-0. Keep your eye on Wayzata. They are the favorites to take home the championship trophy.
The second quarterfinal game is an all inner city battle between the Minneapolis South Tigers and the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. Please note that the game will be played at Minneapolis Roosevelt because South's home field is devoid of lights. The two schools played each other on September 10 with the Tigers beating the Lakers 1-0. South has a strong defense that has given up three or more goals in two games this season. They gave up four in their season opener to St. Paul Academy and three to Minneapolis Washburn. Who will win the rematch?
Now to the lower bracket as the sixth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles return to Hopkins to take on the third seeded Royals. The two teams met on October 1 and played to a 2-2. It's been a tough year for head coach Chato and St. Louis Park as they lost a number of key players to graduation and have battled through injuries that led the veteran coach to bring up players from the junior varsity team. The good news is that the Orioles get Daniel Decker back and if they get their offense going, they can pull off an upset. As for the Royals, they have hit a bump in the road, going 0-5-2 in their last seven games. Will there be overtime again? Leave work early and catch the 5 PM game at Hopkins. It could be a dandy.
Wrapping up the quarterfinal pairings will be the second seeded Minneapolis Washburn Millers and the seventh seeded Cooper Hawks. The Millers faced the Hawks on September 6 and shut them out 5-0. Cooper got off to a 2-0 start and lost the remainder of their regular season games. They go up against a Washburn team that has seven of their ten wins via shutout. If there's any team that could deny Wayzata's ticket to state, it could be Washburn.
On the girls side, the top seeded Wayzata Trojans got off to a hot start winning their first seven games by a margin of 26-1. head coach Tony Pesznecker has another outstanding team that could earn another trip to state. But first they have to face the Minneapolis South Tigers who finished the regular season with two straight wins after five straight losses. Can the momentum continue for South?
Next up is the fifth seeded Armstrong Falcons and the fourth seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The Raiders are on a roll, going 7-1-2 after losing to the Stillwater Ponies on September 13. They face the hot Falcons who have finished the season on a 5-1-1 run. They also have eight shutouts this season. This could be the most interesting game of the quarterfinals.
Over in the lower bracket, the sixth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles battle for the second time this season, the third seeded Hopkins Royals. The two teams met on October 1 and no balls entered the net. The Orioles got off to a rough start, losing their first three games by 1-0 scores but they have bounced back and have gone 9-1-1 the remainder of the regular season to win the Metro West Conference title. One of their wins was against the top ranked team in Class A, the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. Can they stay hot and prove that they are better than their sixth seed? They will need an outstanding game from goalkeeper Anna Roethler to shut down the Royals.
Concluding quarterfinal play will be another hot team, the second seeded Minneapolis Washburn Millers as they take on the seventh seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. The Millers beat the Lakers on September 1, and shut them out 2-0. They also won the rematch on September 22 5-0. After losing to the Eagan Wildcats on September 19, the Millers have played outstanding soccer, outscoring their last six opponents 30-0. Should they face Wayzata in the Section 6AA final, it could come down to whoever gets the first goal. An outstanding match up could be in the works on October 18. Take a drive up Highway 55 if Wayzata and Washburn battle for a trip to state.
First up is the boys tournament. The top seeded Wayzata Trojans have won seven straight games and in their last five have outscored their opponents 19-1. They go up against the Armstrong Falcons who the Trojans routed on September 24 8-0. Keep your eye on Wayzata. They are the favorites to take home the championship trophy.
The second quarterfinal game is an all inner city battle between the Minneapolis South Tigers and the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. Please note that the game will be played at Minneapolis Roosevelt because South's home field is devoid of lights. The two schools played each other on September 10 with the Tigers beating the Lakers 1-0. South has a strong defense that has given up three or more goals in two games this season. They gave up four in their season opener to St. Paul Academy and three to Minneapolis Washburn. Who will win the rematch?
Now to the lower bracket as the sixth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles return to Hopkins to take on the third seeded Royals. The two teams met on October 1 and played to a 2-2. It's been a tough year for head coach Chato and St. Louis Park as they lost a number of key players to graduation and have battled through injuries that led the veteran coach to bring up players from the junior varsity team. The good news is that the Orioles get Daniel Decker back and if they get their offense going, they can pull off an upset. As for the Royals, they have hit a bump in the road, going 0-5-2 in their last seven games. Will there be overtime again? Leave work early and catch the 5 PM game at Hopkins. It could be a dandy.
Wrapping up the quarterfinal pairings will be the second seeded Minneapolis Washburn Millers and the seventh seeded Cooper Hawks. The Millers faced the Hawks on September 6 and shut them out 5-0. Cooper got off to a 2-0 start and lost the remainder of their regular season games. They go up against a Washburn team that has seven of their ten wins via shutout. If there's any team that could deny Wayzata's ticket to state, it could be Washburn.
On the girls side, the top seeded Wayzata Trojans got off to a hot start winning their first seven games by a margin of 26-1. head coach Tony Pesznecker has another outstanding team that could earn another trip to state. But first they have to face the Minneapolis South Tigers who finished the regular season with two straight wins after five straight losses. Can the momentum continue for South?
Next up is the fifth seeded Armstrong Falcons and the fourth seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The Raiders are on a roll, going 7-1-2 after losing to the Stillwater Ponies on September 13. They face the hot Falcons who have finished the season on a 5-1-1 run. They also have eight shutouts this season. This could be the most interesting game of the quarterfinals.
Over in the lower bracket, the sixth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles battle for the second time this season, the third seeded Hopkins Royals. The two teams met on October 1 and no balls entered the net. The Orioles got off to a rough start, losing their first three games by 1-0 scores but they have bounced back and have gone 9-1-1 the remainder of the regular season to win the Metro West Conference title. One of their wins was against the top ranked team in Class A, the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. Can they stay hot and prove that they are better than their sixth seed? They will need an outstanding game from goalkeeper Anna Roethler to shut down the Royals.
Concluding quarterfinal play will be another hot team, the second seeded Minneapolis Washburn Millers as they take on the seventh seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. The Millers beat the Lakers on September 1, and shut them out 2-0. They also won the rematch on September 22 5-0. After losing to the Eagan Wildcats on September 19, the Millers have played outstanding soccer, outscoring their last six opponents 30-0. Should they face Wayzata in the Section 6AA final, it could come down to whoever gets the first goal. An outstanding match up could be in the works on October 18. Take a drive up Highway 55 if Wayzata and Washburn battle for a trip to state.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Mpls. Henry Patriots Win First Game in Section 5A Tournament
Soccer fans in the Camden section of north Minneapolis can celebrate as the Minneapolis Patrick Henry Patriots got a goal from Ismael Montiel 1:53 into the game to lead them to a 1-0 win over the Groves Academy Griffins in the Section 5A Boys Soccer Play-in Game Monday night at Benilde-St. Margaret's School in St. Louis Park.
It was the first win of the season for the Patriots who came into section play 0-14-1. The tie came on September 2 when they tied Spectrum 1-1.
Montiel would come down the left side of the field and fire a shot past Griffin goalkeeper jack Lowe for what would be the only goal of the game. Ben Wright had a couple of chances to even the score in the second half, but Henry goalkeeper Eric Estrada saved both shots.
The Patriots improved their record to 1-14-1 and will face the top seeded Totino-Grace Eagles on Thursday, October 13 at 5 PM in Fridley. The Griffins end their season with a record of 5-9-1.
It was the first win of the season for the Patriots who came into section play 0-14-1. The tie came on September 2 when they tied Spectrum 1-1.
Montiel would come down the left side of the field and fire a shot past Griffin goalkeeper jack Lowe for what would be the only goal of the game. Ben Wright had a couple of chances to even the score in the second half, but Henry goalkeeper Eric Estrada saved both shots.
The Patriots improved their record to 1-14-1 and will face the top seeded Totino-Grace Eagles on Thursday, October 13 at 5 PM in Fridley. The Griffins end their season with a record of 5-9-1.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
SLP Orioles Conclude Regular Season With Loss to Buffalo Bison
Senior Day was a Saturday matinee for the St. Louis Park boys soccer team that was decided by Blake Habisch's game winning goal with 7:36 left in regulation time to lead the Buffalo Bison to a 1-0 over the host Orioles.
Neither team scored in the first half though St. Louis Park had an opportunity to take the lead but Ian Lockhart's shot bounced off the crossbar.
In the second half, it looked like there would be a scoreless tie that would force overtime. Not so for Buffalo as Spencer Lund dribbled the ball down the left side of the field and made a centering pass to Habisch and he sent the ball to the net.
The Orioles wore their orange jerseys instead of their regular home white uniforms to give the senior varsity and junior varsity players a chance to play in the regular season finale. The only underclass players who saw action were Nicholas Beaton, Zinedine Kroeten, Fabio Leyva, Abati Dedefo and Jacob Stillman.
The Bison conclude their regular season with a record of 9-4-2. They finish on a 7-0-1 run since losing to St.Cloud Tech September 19. The Orioles end their season 3-10-2. St. Louis Park has gone 0-5-1 since September 22 when they shut out the Cooper Hawks 2-0.
Neither team scored in the first half though St. Louis Park had an opportunity to take the lead but Ian Lockhart's shot bounced off the crossbar.
In the second half, it looked like there would be a scoreless tie that would force overtime. Not so for Buffalo as Spencer Lund dribbled the ball down the left side of the field and made a centering pass to Habisch and he sent the ball to the net.
The Orioles wore their orange jerseys instead of their regular home white uniforms to give the senior varsity and junior varsity players a chance to play in the regular season finale. The only underclass players who saw action were Nicholas Beaton, Zinedine Kroeten, Fabio Leyva, Abati Dedefo and Jacob Stillman.
The Bison conclude their regular season with a record of 9-4-2. They finish on a 7-0-1 run since losing to St.Cloud Tech September 19. The Orioles end their season 3-10-2. St. Louis Park has gone 0-5-1 since September 22 when they shut out the Cooper Hawks 2-0.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Irondale Knights Spoil SLP Orioles Homecoming
Things looked bright for the St. Louis Park Orioles in their Homecoming game Friday night but the Irondale Knights scored 19 straight second half points to win their first game of the season 32-14.
Irondale began the scoring in the first quarter on a two yard touchdown run from Deandre Clarke that was help by a pass interference penalty against St. Louis Park. The Knights would get the ball back on an interception from Joshua Netere that spotted the ball on the Orioles three yard line and Parker Freiberg parked the ball in the end zone from one yard to give Irondale a 13-0 lead.
St. Louis Park would erase the zero from their end of the scoreboard in the second quarter when quarterback Logan Romero scored on a two yard keeper. Romero would help the Orioles get their only lead of the game as he threw a 23 yard left side touchdown pass to Johnny Sorenson. The extra point was good and St. Louis Park led at halftime 14-13.
Could the Orioles be on their way to their first victory of 2016? The answer would be no as Brendan White threw two touchdown passes to give the Knights the lead. The first came on a fourth down and 10 play that resulted in a 22 yard touchdown pass to Aden Price. As for the second touchdown. White lofted a high right side pass to Sean Sutherlin and he scored from 27 yards to put Irondale ahead 25-14.
Freiberg would wrap up the scoring for the Knights in the fourth quarter as he went around left end and scored from one yard.
The 2016 Homecoming Court was presented at halftime with Devante Childress named Homecoming King and Bre Dickens Homecoming Queen.
Both Irondale and St. Louis Park return to action on Friday, October 14 at 5 PM. Irondale improved their record to 1-6 and will travel to New Hope to take on the Cooper Hawks. St. Louis Park fell to 0-6 and will face the Park Center Pirates in Brooklyn Park.
Irondale began the scoring in the first quarter on a two yard touchdown run from Deandre Clarke that was help by a pass interference penalty against St. Louis Park. The Knights would get the ball back on an interception from Joshua Netere that spotted the ball on the Orioles three yard line and Parker Freiberg parked the ball in the end zone from one yard to give Irondale a 13-0 lead.
St. Louis Park would erase the zero from their end of the scoreboard in the second quarter when quarterback Logan Romero scored on a two yard keeper. Romero would help the Orioles get their only lead of the game as he threw a 23 yard left side touchdown pass to Johnny Sorenson. The extra point was good and St. Louis Park led at halftime 14-13.
Could the Orioles be on their way to their first victory of 2016? The answer would be no as Brendan White threw two touchdown passes to give the Knights the lead. The first came on a fourth down and 10 play that resulted in a 22 yard touchdown pass to Aden Price. As for the second touchdown. White lofted a high right side pass to Sean Sutherlin and he scored from 27 yards to put Irondale ahead 25-14.
Freiberg would wrap up the scoring for the Knights in the fourth quarter as he went around left end and scored from one yard.
The 2016 Homecoming Court was presented at halftime with Devante Childress named Homecoming King and Bre Dickens Homecoming Queen.
Both Irondale and St. Louis Park return to action on Friday, October 14 at 5 PM. Irondale improved their record to 1-6 and will travel to New Hope to take on the Cooper Hawks. St. Louis Park fell to 0-6 and will face the Park Center Pirates in Brooklyn Park.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
A Rout and an Upset in SLP Soccer Battle
The "Battle of St. Louis Park" in soccer took place Thursday night as torrential rain pelted the Orioles home turf that had the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights beat the St. Louis Park Orioles in the boys game 4-1 and the Oriole girls pulling an upset on the No. 1 ranked in Class A Red Knights 2-0.
First up was the boys game as Luke Horton scored a hat trick to lead the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Park Orioles.
Horton, who is also a member of the Red Knights boys hockey team took three shots at the Oriole net in the first half. His first shot was saved by St. Louis Park goalkeeper Luis Sanchez, the second went wide right and the third hit the left goalpost. BSM got on the board when Nick Burns went along the left side and fired it into the goal. The fourth try would be the charm for Horton as his first goal put the Red Knights ahead by two with 2:30 to go in the first half.
There would be some good news for the Orioles in the second half as Jacob Stillman went through the center slot and scored to cut the Red Knight lead to one. But the good news would turn to bad for St. Louis Park as Horton scored the game's final two goals to clinch the win.
BSM improved their record to 6-6-3 and concludes their regular season as the host the Minneapolis Washburn Millers on saturday, October 8 at 7 PM. St. Louis Park fell to 3-9-3 and also wraps up their regular season on the 8th when they host the Buffalo Bison in a noon game.
It was "Monsoon Soccer" for the girls game as the rain came down pretty hard and the St. Louis Park Orioles got goals from Samantha Baer and Alex Balfour to upset the top ranked team in Class A the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights 2-0.
Baer would give the Orioles the early lead with the lone first half goal from the right side.
In the second half, St. Louis Park played strong defense to prevent BSM from sending the game into overtime. The Orioles would get an insurance goal from Balfour as the rain came down harder and harder.
The Orioles extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games and conclude their regular season with a 9-4-1 record. The Red Knights fell to 10-4-1 and host the Mahtomedi Zephyrs on Saturday, October 8 to end their regular season at 5 PM.
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
It's Homecoming for SLP Orioles as They Face Winless Irondale Knights
The bleachers will be packed Friday night as the St. Louis Park Orioles, looking for their first win of the season play their annual Homecoming game against the Irondale Knights.
Last Friday, the Orioles faced their city rival the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and lost their fifth straight game 38-22. All three St. Louis Park touchdowns were scored by Mykel Howard. He was the bright spot to the Oriole offense. The Red Knights did not get another near record setting game from their running back Ricky Floyd but he did score two touchdowns, including a 63 yard pass from Alex Houlihan. Floyd rushed for a game high 139 yards.
As for the Knights, they have an identical 0-5 record and almost got their first win of the season last week against the Armstrong Falcons. They were ahead at the end of the third quarter 14-10 and lost 18-14 on a two yard run by Isaiah Poster with :28 left in regulation time. Irondale is led by quarterback Brendan white who passed for 134 yards and rushed for 27.
The key to the game for St. Louis Park is to establish a running game. Last week against the Red Knights, their total rushing yardage was -25. A team cannot win a game with a huge deficit in rushing yardage and they do need to run the ball and get good blocking from their offensive line.
Irondale's key to the game is to get a good all around game from White and a solid defensive effort from Sergio Hernandez who had 12 tackles against Armstrong. It was his highest tackle total since the opening game on September 1 against the Waconia Wildcats.
Game time is 7 PM. Get there early because it's going to be crowded as either the Orioles or Knights will pick up their first win of 2016.
Last Friday, the Orioles faced their city rival the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and lost their fifth straight game 38-22. All three St. Louis Park touchdowns were scored by Mykel Howard. He was the bright spot to the Oriole offense. The Red Knights did not get another near record setting game from their running back Ricky Floyd but he did score two touchdowns, including a 63 yard pass from Alex Houlihan. Floyd rushed for a game high 139 yards.
As for the Knights, they have an identical 0-5 record and almost got their first win of the season last week against the Armstrong Falcons. They were ahead at the end of the third quarter 14-10 and lost 18-14 on a two yard run by Isaiah Poster with :28 left in regulation time. Irondale is led by quarterback Brendan white who passed for 134 yards and rushed for 27.
The key to the game for St. Louis Park is to establish a running game. Last week against the Red Knights, their total rushing yardage was -25. A team cannot win a game with a huge deficit in rushing yardage and they do need to run the ball and get good blocking from their offensive line.
Irondale's key to the game is to get a good all around game from White and a solid defensive effort from Sergio Hernandez who had 12 tackles against Armstrong. It was his highest tackle total since the opening game on September 1 against the Waconia Wildcats.
Game time is 7 PM. Get there early because it's going to be crowded as either the Orioles or Knights will pick up their first win of 2016.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
ABC to Revive The Gong Show
Following in the success of Celebrity Family Feud, The $100,000 Pyramid, Match Game and To Tell the Truth, ABC has another game show revival in the works that will be launched in 2017, The Gong Show.
Will Arnett, who starred in the sitcom The Millers will be the executive producer of the reboot of the bizarre talent show that was created and hosted by Chuck Barris. No word on who will be the new host.
The Gong Show made its debut back in June in 1976 on NBC. The original host was John Barbour, but he was fired after the pilot so instead of the network scrapping the show, Madeline David, who was the vice president of daytime programming for NBC suggested to Barris that he host the show himself because she felt he knew the concept the best and he was bad as the acts that appeared on the show.
On June 14, 1976, veteran announcer Johnny Jacobs intoned "From Hollywood, almost live. It's The Gong Show!" Then Barris would introduce the acts, who were judged by a panel of three celebrities. Frequently appearing on the panel were Jamie Farr, Arte Johnson, Jaye P. Morgan, Phyllis Diller and Anson Williams. One of the most unusual guest judges was Dodger Stadium peanut vendor Roger Owens. At the end of each show he was on, he would distribute peanuts to audience members. A lot of the acts were bizarre and terrible so if an act was really bad, a celebrity would hit a gong and that would be the end of the act. Barris would usually ask why the panelist gonged the act and the reply would be hilarious.
Also adding to the mayhem were The Unknown Comic and stagehand Gene Patton as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine. Occasionally, there would be Chuckie's Fables with The Mighty Gong Show Players.
In addition to the daytime version, there was also a nighttime syndicated version that was first hosted by Gary Owens and later by Barris. When Owens hosted, he would tell viewers "All acts know beforehand that they may be gonged."
Unfortunately, Twin Cities TV viewers did not see the first six months of The Gong Show because KSTP-TV, the NBC affiliate at that time was committed to a local talk show with Steve Edelman and Sharon Anderson titled Twin Cities Today. When NBC moved The Gong Show to 3 PM in January 1977, the station did air The Gong Show, even when the network moved the show back to its original time period in December of that year.
The Gong Show was cancelled on July 21, 1978 after two seasons to make room for a new alternative to soap operas and game shows, a talk show titled America Alive. But there would be three attempts to revive the show. The first was in 1988 with former KDWB disc jockey True Don Bleu as the host. It only lasted a season. Game Show Network revived the show under the title Extreme Gong. It was another one season run. The last attempt was on Comedy Central with comedian Dave Atell hosting. It had the shortest run of the revivals, lasting only eight episodes.
Can the new version of The Gong Show be another prime time game show hit for ABC? Wait until next year.
Will Arnett, who starred in the sitcom The Millers will be the executive producer of the reboot of the bizarre talent show that was created and hosted by Chuck Barris. No word on who will be the new host.
The Gong Show made its debut back in June in 1976 on NBC. The original host was John Barbour, but he was fired after the pilot so instead of the network scrapping the show, Madeline David, who was the vice president of daytime programming for NBC suggested to Barris that he host the show himself because she felt he knew the concept the best and he was bad as the acts that appeared on the show.
On June 14, 1976, veteran announcer Johnny Jacobs intoned "From Hollywood, almost live. It's The Gong Show!" Then Barris would introduce the acts, who were judged by a panel of three celebrities. Frequently appearing on the panel were Jamie Farr, Arte Johnson, Jaye P. Morgan, Phyllis Diller and Anson Williams. One of the most unusual guest judges was Dodger Stadium peanut vendor Roger Owens. At the end of each show he was on, he would distribute peanuts to audience members. A lot of the acts were bizarre and terrible so if an act was really bad, a celebrity would hit a gong and that would be the end of the act. Barris would usually ask why the panelist gonged the act and the reply would be hilarious.
Also adding to the mayhem were The Unknown Comic and stagehand Gene Patton as Gene Gene the Dancing Machine. Occasionally, there would be Chuckie's Fables with The Mighty Gong Show Players.
In addition to the daytime version, there was also a nighttime syndicated version that was first hosted by Gary Owens and later by Barris. When Owens hosted, he would tell viewers "All acts know beforehand that they may be gonged."
Unfortunately, Twin Cities TV viewers did not see the first six months of The Gong Show because KSTP-TV, the NBC affiliate at that time was committed to a local talk show with Steve Edelman and Sharon Anderson titled Twin Cities Today. When NBC moved The Gong Show to 3 PM in January 1977, the station did air The Gong Show, even when the network moved the show back to its original time period in December of that year.
The Gong Show was cancelled on July 21, 1978 after two seasons to make room for a new alternative to soap operas and game shows, a talk show titled America Alive. But there would be three attempts to revive the show. The first was in 1988 with former KDWB disc jockey True Don Bleu as the host. It only lasted a season. Game Show Network revived the show under the title Extreme Gong. It was another one season run. The last attempt was on Comedy Central with comedian Dave Atell hosting. It had the shortest run of the revivals, lasting only eight episodes.
Can the new version of The Gong Show be another prime time game show hit for ABC? Wait until next year.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
London Key to East Ridge Raptors Success
He wears number 28 like current Viking Adrian Peterson and he's one of Minnesota's top high school running backs who is part of the East Ridge Raptors football success.
Though he missed most of the game due to a sprained ankle, Dominik London took time after the Raptors 21-7 Homecoming win over the Cretin-Derham Hall raiders for an interview.
Last season, London was one of the key components to East Ridge's first trip to the Class AAAAAA championship game, losing to the Osseo Orioles. London described what it was like to play in the Prep Bowl.
"Playing in the Prep Bowl is amazing and I hope to go back there again"
This season, after two years at TCF Bank Stadium, the Prep Bowl is moving back inside to the new home of the Vikings, US Bank Stadium. London mentioned about the Raptors chances of playing at the new stadium. "That's going to be great. I don't like to talk about the future. We take it practice by practice every week."
This season, the Raptors are 4-1 and were ranked seventh in Class 6A. London mentioned how this year's team is different from last year's state finalist. "I think we came back even stronger. Last year was amazing."
One of the keys to this year's team is London's backfield mate AJ Tittle, who picked up the slack after London was injured. "I knew he could get the job done," London said. He also said that Tittle has amazing speed.
On the defensive side of the football, there are a number of outstanding players such as Will Walker and Marques Haskins. London commented on the East Ridge defense. "We have a lot of key components to the defense. Our defense is stronger than last year."
Next season, London will be wearing maroon and gold since he will be playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. "I love Minnesota. It felt like the right decision to do it."
One of London's teammates will also be playing for the Gophers, kicker Grant Ryerse. "He's a great player and I love him," London said.
The interview concluded with London giving high marks for East Ridge head coach Dan Fritze. "He's been a great coach to me. I couldn't ask for a better coach."
Can Fritze and London lead the Raptors to another trip to the state tournament?
Though he missed most of the game due to a sprained ankle, Dominik London took time after the Raptors 21-7 Homecoming win over the Cretin-Derham Hall raiders for an interview.
Last season, London was one of the key components to East Ridge's first trip to the Class AAAAAA championship game, losing to the Osseo Orioles. London described what it was like to play in the Prep Bowl.
"Playing in the Prep Bowl is amazing and I hope to go back there again"
This season, after two years at TCF Bank Stadium, the Prep Bowl is moving back inside to the new home of the Vikings, US Bank Stadium. London mentioned about the Raptors chances of playing at the new stadium. "That's going to be great. I don't like to talk about the future. We take it practice by practice every week."
This season, the Raptors are 4-1 and were ranked seventh in Class 6A. London mentioned how this year's team is different from last year's state finalist. "I think we came back even stronger. Last year was amazing."
One of the keys to this year's team is London's backfield mate AJ Tittle, who picked up the slack after London was injured. "I knew he could get the job done," London said. He also said that Tittle has amazing speed.
On the defensive side of the football, there are a number of outstanding players such as Will Walker and Marques Haskins. London commented on the East Ridge defense. "We have a lot of key components to the defense. Our defense is stronger than last year."
Next season, London will be wearing maroon and gold since he will be playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. "I love Minnesota. It felt like the right decision to do it."
One of London's teammates will also be playing for the Gophers, kicker Grant Ryerse. "He's a great player and I love him," London said.
The interview concluded with London giving high marks for East Ridge head coach Dan Fritze. "He's been a great coach to me. I couldn't ask for a better coach."
Can Fritze and London lead the Raptors to another trip to the state tournament?
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