Oh there's no place like the rink after the holidays as the 2018 Schwan Cup High School Hockey Tournament takes place December 26-January 1 at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine and Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. Here's a preview of the five girls and four boys varsity divisions.
Ridder Arena will be the site for the Gold Division that features several outstanding teams. Opening up quarterfinal play on december 26 will be the Mahtomedi Zephyrs and St. Paul United. The Zephyrs, ranked eighth in Class A played SPU on November 21 and shut out the team comprised of students from St. Paul Academy and Visitation 5-0. It's been a down year so far for SPU as last year's Class A consolation has a record of 3-6-2. Can they pull off the upset?
Next up the Rogers Royals take on the eighth ranked team in Class AA the Andover Huskies. The Royals enter tournament play with a 7-3-2 record. It's been an outstanding hockey season so far in the growing metropolis of Andover. The boys are ranked second in Class AA and the girls are off to a solid 10-2 start. It could be an outstanding match up.
Also having an outstanding season is the Blake Bears. The second ranked team in Class AA has not lost a game since they lost to their Section 6AA rival the Edina Hornets on November 13. The Bears will battle the Holy Family Catholic Fire who is on a three game unbeaten streak.
Wrapping up the Gold Division quarterfinals is the third ranked team in Class A, the Proctor-Hermantown Mirage and last year's Class AA runner up the Centennial Cougars. The Cougars have struggled since losing Gabby Hughes and Anneke Linser to graduation and head coach Kristi King left ot be an assistant coach with the University of St. Thomas women's hockey team.
The other four divisions will be playing at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine. In the Silver Division, could there be an All Duluth final as the Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers and the Duluth Northern Stars are entered in the field. There's also Spring Lake Park, Buffalo, Delano, Cambridge-Isanti-Mora-Pine City. Bloomington Jefferson and Rochester Lourdes. The Bronze Division has the Red Wing Wingers, a perennial Class A power that has gone 4-5 since a 0-4 start. There are also two Open Division brackets. The American division has three Wisconsin teams. They are Green Bay Area, University School of Milwaukee and the Cap City Cougars from Madison. It's all outstate teams in the American Division that features the "Battle of the Cardinals" in the quarterfinals as Fairmont faces Luverne.
Now to the boys. Where have all the top teams in the Gold Division gone? Down to only four. It will be a round robin event featuring the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders, the Hill-Murray Pioneers, the Burnsville Blaze and the Centennial Cougars. The only ranked team in the division is Hill-Murray, ranked 10th in Class AA.
A perennial Class A power is in the Silver Division, the Breck Mustangs. The Mustangs are off to a slow 3-5 start as they face the Hudson Raiders in the quarterfinals. The St. Louis Park Orioles are also entered as they will take on the Minneapolis Novas in their quarterfinal game.
Two teams that play their home games at the Super Rink could meet in the Bronze Division semifinals. The Totino-Grace Eagles open up quarterfinal play against the Minnehaha Academy Redhawks and the Mounds View Mustangs battle the Holy Angels Stars. The lower bracket has the St. Paul Academy Spartans and the Spring Lake Park Panthers followed by the Rogers Royals and the University School of Milwaukee.
In the Open Division (which the author of this blog will be at the Public address mike for the December 29 quarterfinals), There could be a lot of orange and black in Rink 2 as the Princeton and Marshall Tigers open the day's festivities. The second game will be a Metro East Conference battle featuring the Simley Spartans and the Henry Sibley Warriors. Looking at the lower bracket, the Pine City Area Dragons take on the Southwest Christina/Richfield Stars and the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles conclude the day against the Chisago Lakes Wildcats.
Girls division finals take place at Ridder Arena Wednesday, December 28 and the boys finals Tuesday, January 1, also at Ridder. Plenty of hockey action coming up. Hopefully, the weather picture won't be a winter storm.
Monday, December 24, 2018
Friday, December 21, 2018
Princeton Tigers Crush Columbia Heights Hylanders
The holidays will be happier for Jon Stimmler as he scored 18 points to lead the Princeton Tigers to a 80-49 win over the host Columbia Heights Hylanders Friday night.
The Hylanders, who lost to Delano in last year's Class AAA championship game, broke out of the starting gate on a 5-0 run that also included a three pointer from Amir Davis. Columbia Heights showed outstanding ball control in the early going as Jordan Jones was adept as switching hands on a dribble. The Tigers would get on the scoreboard on a basket from Adam Williams and a three pointer from Calvin Peterson. Peterson would hit another shot from Central Ave. There would also be dueling three pointers from Davis and Reilly O'Neill before Tate Laabs put Princeton ahead. But the Hylanders would stay close as the game would be tied at 14, 16, 18 and 20. Princeton, ranked second in Class AAA would take the lead on Cody Miller's basket and Peterson would hit his third three pointer of the game. He also would play the post well as he got into position following a nifty one handed bounce pass from Cody Alickson that resulted in a score. The Tigers would lead 33-22 at halftime.
Princeton would increase their lead as they would open the second half on a 10-0 run. Columbia Heights would start Spencer Alvarez, a 6'5" freshman who didn't play in the first half to try to slow down the 6'7" Stimmler but the Tigers would pull away. Alickson would pick up a couple of second half assists. The first came after he missed an inside jumper and Laabs boxed out toward the right side of the basket and rebounded the ball and tallied. Alickson's second assist would be an inside pass to O'Neill for two points. Laabs would score a three point play and Alickson would hit a three pointer to put the Tigers ahead by 30 as both teams utilized their reserves with the game decided.
Other players in double figures for the Tigers were Peterson with 14 points, including four three pointers and O'Neill with 11. The Hylanders were led by Davis, who also had 18 points and Kaich Ogul added 12.
Princeton head Brett Cloutier was interviewed following the game and described the key to the Tigers hot start. "We got a group of kids who are binding to their roles and they're hungry."
According to Cloutier, Stimmler has drawn interest from MIAC schools St. John's and Augsburg.
Cloutier also mentioned what it would take to return to the state tournament for the first time since 1932. Last year, the Tigers won 20 games after a seven win season the year before. "We're trying to get 1% better every day," he said.
The Tigers improved their record to 4-0 and will return to action on Friday, December 28 as they will participate in the Granite City Classic in St. Cloud. Their first game is against the Rocori Spartans at 4 PM at St. Cloud Apollo High School. The Hylanders fell to 2-3 and will head down Highway 52 to play in the Rochester Rotary Classic December 27-29. On the 27th, they will take on the Hutchinson Tigers at 2:45 PM at the Mayo Civic Auditorium.
The Hylanders, who lost to Delano in last year's Class AAA championship game, broke out of the starting gate on a 5-0 run that also included a three pointer from Amir Davis. Columbia Heights showed outstanding ball control in the early going as Jordan Jones was adept as switching hands on a dribble. The Tigers would get on the scoreboard on a basket from Adam Williams and a three pointer from Calvin Peterson. Peterson would hit another shot from Central Ave. There would also be dueling three pointers from Davis and Reilly O'Neill before Tate Laabs put Princeton ahead. But the Hylanders would stay close as the game would be tied at 14, 16, 18 and 20. Princeton, ranked second in Class AAA would take the lead on Cody Miller's basket and Peterson would hit his third three pointer of the game. He also would play the post well as he got into position following a nifty one handed bounce pass from Cody Alickson that resulted in a score. The Tigers would lead 33-22 at halftime.
Princeton would increase their lead as they would open the second half on a 10-0 run. Columbia Heights would start Spencer Alvarez, a 6'5" freshman who didn't play in the first half to try to slow down the 6'7" Stimmler but the Tigers would pull away. Alickson would pick up a couple of second half assists. The first came after he missed an inside jumper and Laabs boxed out toward the right side of the basket and rebounded the ball and tallied. Alickson's second assist would be an inside pass to O'Neill for two points. Laabs would score a three point play and Alickson would hit a three pointer to put the Tigers ahead by 30 as both teams utilized their reserves with the game decided.
Other players in double figures for the Tigers were Peterson with 14 points, including four three pointers and O'Neill with 11. The Hylanders were led by Davis, who also had 18 points and Kaich Ogul added 12.
Princeton head Brett Cloutier was interviewed following the game and described the key to the Tigers hot start. "We got a group of kids who are binding to their roles and they're hungry."
According to Cloutier, Stimmler has drawn interest from MIAC schools St. John's and Augsburg.
Cloutier also mentioned what it would take to return to the state tournament for the first time since 1932. Last year, the Tigers won 20 games after a seven win season the year before. "We're trying to get 1% better every day," he said.
The Tigers improved their record to 4-0 and will return to action on Friday, December 28 as they will participate in the Granite City Classic in St. Cloud. Their first game is against the Rocori Spartans at 4 PM at St. Cloud Apollo High School. The Hylanders fell to 2-3 and will head down Highway 52 to play in the Rochester Rotary Classic December 27-29. On the 27th, they will take on the Hutchinson Tigers at 2:45 PM at the Mayo Civic Auditorium.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Lemke to Retire from St. Croix Lutheran Football
It's the end of an era in West St. Paul when Carl Lemke decided to retire after 23 years as head coach of the St. Croix Lutheran football team.
Before he came to the West St. Paul school, he coached at Martin Luther Academy in New Ulm in 1968. He also heading football programs in Wisconsin, including Wisconsin Lutheran Academy in Milwaukee and Martin Luther Preparatory School in Prairie du Chien.
In addition to coaching the Crusaders, Lemke also was St. Croix Lutheran's activities director, a position he retired from in 2015.
Under Lemke's leadership, St. Croix Lutheran has played in eight state tournaments and won two state Class AAA championships in 2011 and 2013. The 2013 Class AAA final was a back and forth affair against the New London-Spicer Wildcats that the Crusaders won 48-44 as they racked up 426 rushing yards. St. Croix Lutheran also played in the 2016 and 2017 state Class AAA title games but they came up short, losing to Rochester Lourdes and Pierz.
Lemke also entered the record books in 2018 when he won his 300th career game on September 28 against the Minneapolis Washburn Millers 28-14. He's the seventh coach in Minnesota high school football history to reach that milestone.
Next season, the Crusaders football program will be led by Adam Frey. Can he help the West St. Paul school return to US Bank Stadium and compete for another Class AAA title in 2019?
Before he came to the West St. Paul school, he coached at Martin Luther Academy in New Ulm in 1968. He also heading football programs in Wisconsin, including Wisconsin Lutheran Academy in Milwaukee and Martin Luther Preparatory School in Prairie du Chien.
In addition to coaching the Crusaders, Lemke also was St. Croix Lutheran's activities director, a position he retired from in 2015.
Under Lemke's leadership, St. Croix Lutheran has played in eight state tournaments and won two state Class AAA championships in 2011 and 2013. The 2013 Class AAA final was a back and forth affair against the New London-Spicer Wildcats that the Crusaders won 48-44 as they racked up 426 rushing yards. St. Croix Lutheran also played in the 2016 and 2017 state Class AAA title games but they came up short, losing to Rochester Lourdes and Pierz.
Lemke also entered the record books in 2018 when he won his 300th career game on September 28 against the Minneapolis Washburn Millers 28-14. He's the seventh coach in Minnesota high school football history to reach that milestone.
Next season, the Crusaders football program will be led by Adam Frey. Can he help the West St. Paul school return to US Bank Stadium and compete for another Class AAA title in 2019?
First Win for Mounds Park Academy Panthers
To quote the rock group Steely Dan, "Go back Jack and do it again." That's what Jack Paulson did Tuesday night as he scored 23 points to lead the Mounds Park Academy Panthers to a 72-44 rout of the Groves Academy Griffins in St. Louis Park.
It was the first win of the season for the St. Paul based school that snapped a five game losing streak.
The Griffins got off to a solid start in the first half as center Sam Goldstein scored six straight points. He would score eight of Groves Academy's first 10 points with the other two coming from Larry Mohamed. But there would be no first half shut out as Paulson put the Panthers on the board 3:22 into the game. MPA would then go on an 8-0 run that was ended by Goldstein, who showed some outstanding inside play in the early going. The Panthers offense would heat up like a hot air balloon as Ben Nippolt would put MPA ahead with a pair of three pointers and a three point play, A basket from TaeVion Wilkins would spark another 8-0 Panther run. The Griffins were hit with foul trouble when Nick Maiers picked up his third personal with 5:44 left in the half. Maiers changed his uniform number from 52 to 51 because he needed a bigger sized jersey. MPA would forge further ahead on Nippolt's third three pointer and Fruchterman and Paulson would also tally as the Panthers led at halftime 36-21.
It would take a while for the second half scoring to begin as Gabe Gordon would open the scoring for the Griffins 1:08 into the half. But it was Paulson who would dominate the second half as he would help MPA put the Griffins away with jumpers and outstanding inside shooting. Nippolt would hit his fourth three pointer of the game and the Panther bench also contributed, including a three pointer from Ayoub Mahamoud. Groves Academy lost the bulk of their offense late in the game when Mohamed picked up his fifth foul.
Other players in double figures for the Panthers were Nipport with 19 points and Parker law with 10. The Griffins were led by Goldstein with 21 points and Mohamed added 15.
MPA improved to 1-5 and will host their holiday tournament December 27 & 28. Groves Academy fell to 2-4 and will play their final game before the holiday break on Thursday, December 20 as they head back to Forest Lake to take on Lakes International Language Academy at 6 PM.
It was the first win of the season for the St. Paul based school that snapped a five game losing streak.
The Griffins got off to a solid start in the first half as center Sam Goldstein scored six straight points. He would score eight of Groves Academy's first 10 points with the other two coming from Larry Mohamed. But there would be no first half shut out as Paulson put the Panthers on the board 3:22 into the game. MPA would then go on an 8-0 run that was ended by Goldstein, who showed some outstanding inside play in the early going. The Panthers offense would heat up like a hot air balloon as Ben Nippolt would put MPA ahead with a pair of three pointers and a three point play, A basket from TaeVion Wilkins would spark another 8-0 Panther run. The Griffins were hit with foul trouble when Nick Maiers picked up his third personal with 5:44 left in the half. Maiers changed his uniform number from 52 to 51 because he needed a bigger sized jersey. MPA would forge further ahead on Nippolt's third three pointer and Fruchterman and Paulson would also tally as the Panthers led at halftime 36-21.
It would take a while for the second half scoring to begin as Gabe Gordon would open the scoring for the Griffins 1:08 into the half. But it was Paulson who would dominate the second half as he would help MPA put the Griffins away with jumpers and outstanding inside shooting. Nippolt would hit his fourth three pointer of the game and the Panther bench also contributed, including a three pointer from Ayoub Mahamoud. Groves Academy lost the bulk of their offense late in the game when Mohamed picked up his fifth foul.
Other players in double figures for the Panthers were Nipport with 19 points and Parker law with 10. The Griffins were led by Goldstein with 21 points and Mohamed added 15.
MPA improved to 1-5 and will host their holiday tournament December 27 & 28. Groves Academy fell to 2-4 and will play their final game before the holiday break on Thursday, December 20 as they head back to Forest Lake to take on Lakes International Language Academy at 6 PM.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Groves Academy Griffins Close Out Kaleidoscope Comets
After a slow start, the Groves Academy Griffins got their offense "N-Sync" as Larry Mohamed scored 22 points to lead them to a 64-55 win over the Kaleidoscope Charter Comets Thursday night in St. Louis Park.
Based in Otsego, located between Rogers and Elk River, Kaleidoscope is in it's first season of varsity athletics under the auspices of the Minnesota State High School League.
Both teams couldn't find the basket early in the first half. The Comets erased the zeros on the blue and red scoreboard on Jacob Donnett's basket 1:18 into the game. Kaleidoscope would go on a 7-0 run until Gabe Gordon hit a three pointer for the Griffins with 13:04 left in the half. The Groves Academy offense warmed up like a car running in subzero weather as they would go on a 16-0 run and it looked like they would dominate the game. But there are 36 minutes in a regulation Minnesota varsity basketball game and it would be the Comets turn to trim the Griffins margin as Donnett was on a roll scoring eight straight points. Groves Academy did not have a lot of height in the lineup due to the absence of senior center Sam Goldstein but Alfie Galle, who filled in for Goldstein did a fine job in the forward spot, even on defense as he had a nice inside block. Kaleidoscope would vault into the lead late in the half on a pair of three pointers from Donnett and the comets led at halftime 27-26.
In the second half, Gordon began the scoring with a three pointed that sparked the Griffins on an opening 7-0 run to start the half. Donnett, who had 22 first half points, was not heard from much in the second half as Groves Academy tightened their defense and started to build a lead. But the comets held close as there were several ties at 33, 40, and 45. The fouls would start to pile up for the Comets and the Griffins would be shooting free throws that would widen the lead as Kaledoscope looked to foul to prevent Groves Academy from stalling. And the Griffins would cash in from the line. Mohamed would also clinch the game with five straight points that included a three point play.
Kaleidoscope head coach Chris Buerman is in his first season coaching the Comets after leading the Maranatha Christian Academy Mustangs to five consecutive trips to the state tournament, including two Class A second place finishes in 2015 and 2016. He mentioned about why he left Maranatha to build the Kaledoscope boys program.
" It was an opportunity to start from scratch and go back to boys. We expect to see growth pretty fast from this group."
Donnett led Kaleidoscope with 29 points. AJ Kargel was the only other Comet in double figures, scoring 16 points. The only other Griffin to reach double figures was Gordon with 15 points.
The Griffins evened their record at 2-2 and play their first road game on Friday, December 14 at 5:45 PM as they head to Forest Lake to take on North Lakes Academy. The Comets fell to 1-4 and return to action on Wednesday, December 19 as they host Lincoln International at 6:30 PM.
Based in Otsego, located between Rogers and Elk River, Kaleidoscope is in it's first season of varsity athletics under the auspices of the Minnesota State High School League.
Both teams couldn't find the basket early in the first half. The Comets erased the zeros on the blue and red scoreboard on Jacob Donnett's basket 1:18 into the game. Kaleidoscope would go on a 7-0 run until Gabe Gordon hit a three pointer for the Griffins with 13:04 left in the half. The Groves Academy offense warmed up like a car running in subzero weather as they would go on a 16-0 run and it looked like they would dominate the game. But there are 36 minutes in a regulation Minnesota varsity basketball game and it would be the Comets turn to trim the Griffins margin as Donnett was on a roll scoring eight straight points. Groves Academy did not have a lot of height in the lineup due to the absence of senior center Sam Goldstein but Alfie Galle, who filled in for Goldstein did a fine job in the forward spot, even on defense as he had a nice inside block. Kaleidoscope would vault into the lead late in the half on a pair of three pointers from Donnett and the comets led at halftime 27-26.
In the second half, Gordon began the scoring with a three pointed that sparked the Griffins on an opening 7-0 run to start the half. Donnett, who had 22 first half points, was not heard from much in the second half as Groves Academy tightened their defense and started to build a lead. But the comets held close as there were several ties at 33, 40, and 45. The fouls would start to pile up for the Comets and the Griffins would be shooting free throws that would widen the lead as Kaledoscope looked to foul to prevent Groves Academy from stalling. And the Griffins would cash in from the line. Mohamed would also clinch the game with five straight points that included a three point play.
Kaleidoscope head coach Chris Buerman is in his first season coaching the Comets after leading the Maranatha Christian Academy Mustangs to five consecutive trips to the state tournament, including two Class A second place finishes in 2015 and 2016. He mentioned about why he left Maranatha to build the Kaledoscope boys program.
" It was an opportunity to start from scratch and go back to boys. We expect to see growth pretty fast from this group."
Donnett led Kaleidoscope with 29 points. AJ Kargel was the only other Comet in double figures, scoring 16 points. The only other Griffin to reach double figures was Gordon with 15 points.
The Griffins evened their record at 2-2 and play their first road game on Friday, December 14 at 5:45 PM as they head to Forest Lake to take on North Lakes Academy. The Comets fell to 1-4 and return to action on Wednesday, December 19 as they host Lincoln International at 6:30 PM.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Bethany Academy Eagles Ground Groves Academy Griffins
The Bethany Academy Eagles cut to the chase Tuesday night as Chase Bixel scored a game high 27 points to lead the Bloomington based school to a 69-54 win over the Groves Academy Griffins Tuesday night in St. Louis Park.
Larry Mohamed opened the first half scoring for the Griffins :24 into the game and Sam Goldstein would tally to put Groves Academy on a 4-0 run. Seth Peters would put the Eagles on the board and score four straight points before Gabe Gordon would hit from Lake St. But it was Bixel who would fill up the Bethany Academy shot chart as he scored 10 straight points from various spots on the floor. The Griffins would get a pair of three pointers from Gordon and Nick Maiers to go on a 6-0 run. Bixel would display some more outstanding shooting as he scored four straight points to even the score at 21. Goldstein's inside basket would put Groves Academy ahead and Gordon would increase the lead with his third three pointer. The Eagles would go on a 4-0 run before Maiers would hit his second three pointer as the Griffins led 29-27. The lead wouldn't last as Thomas Anderle would score a three point play to put Bethany Academy ahead. Foul trouble would plague the Griffins late in the first half when Robert Hall picked up his third foul with :54.6 left in the half. The Eagles led 40-31 at halftime.
Bethany Academy would come out on fire in the second half as Peters, Kaeden Kotula and Bixel would open the scoring on a 6-0 run to widen their lead. There would be a bright spot for Groves Academy as they tried to cut the margin as Mohamed would score seven straight points. The Eagle bench would also contribute as Isaac Krug would hit a three pointer. The Griffin bench would help cut the lead to 10 on Josh Lightowler's basket but Bethany Academy would pull away as Bixel would hit a pair of late free throws following a technical foul on the Griffin's Noah Yager with :34.3 remaining in the game.
Peters was the only other Eagle in double figures, scoring 15 points. Mohamed led the Griffins with 19 points. Gordon added 12.
Bethany Academy head coach Nathan Schroeder coached last season at Math & Science Academy. He replaced long time head coach and activities director Jeff Ray. Assistant coach Steve Dahlen played for the Eagles in 1999.
The Eagles won their third straight game to improve their record to 3-1. They will return to action on Friday, December 14 against the Chesterton Academy Knights in Edina. The Griffins fell to 1-2 and wrap up their four game homestand on Thursday, December 13 against the Kaleidescope Charter Rockets. The Rockets are coached by former Maranatha Christian Academy head coach Chris Buerman.
Larry Mohamed opened the first half scoring for the Griffins :24 into the game and Sam Goldstein would tally to put Groves Academy on a 4-0 run. Seth Peters would put the Eagles on the board and score four straight points before Gabe Gordon would hit from Lake St. But it was Bixel who would fill up the Bethany Academy shot chart as he scored 10 straight points from various spots on the floor. The Griffins would get a pair of three pointers from Gordon and Nick Maiers to go on a 6-0 run. Bixel would display some more outstanding shooting as he scored four straight points to even the score at 21. Goldstein's inside basket would put Groves Academy ahead and Gordon would increase the lead with his third three pointer. The Eagles would go on a 4-0 run before Maiers would hit his second three pointer as the Griffins led 29-27. The lead wouldn't last as Thomas Anderle would score a three point play to put Bethany Academy ahead. Foul trouble would plague the Griffins late in the first half when Robert Hall picked up his third foul with :54.6 left in the half. The Eagles led 40-31 at halftime.
Bethany Academy would come out on fire in the second half as Peters, Kaeden Kotula and Bixel would open the scoring on a 6-0 run to widen their lead. There would be a bright spot for Groves Academy as they tried to cut the margin as Mohamed would score seven straight points. The Eagle bench would also contribute as Isaac Krug would hit a three pointer. The Griffin bench would help cut the lead to 10 on Josh Lightowler's basket but Bethany Academy would pull away as Bixel would hit a pair of late free throws following a technical foul on the Griffin's Noah Yager with :34.3 remaining in the game.
Peters was the only other Eagle in double figures, scoring 15 points. Mohamed led the Griffins with 19 points. Gordon added 12.
Bethany Academy head coach Nathan Schroeder coached last season at Math & Science Academy. He replaced long time head coach and activities director Jeff Ray. Assistant coach Steve Dahlen played for the Eagles in 1999.
The Eagles won their third straight game to improve their record to 3-1. They will return to action on Friday, December 14 against the Chesterton Academy Knights in Edina. The Griffins fell to 1-2 and wrap up their four game homestand on Thursday, December 13 against the Kaleidescope Charter Rockets. The Rockets are coached by former Maranatha Christian Academy head coach Chris Buerman.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Mohamed and Maiers Lead Groves Academy Griffins to First Win of Season
Larry Mohamed and Nick Maiers are to Groves Academy Basketball as Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were to the 1961 Yankees.
Wednesday night, the Griffins M&M combination combined for 32 points to lead the Griffins to a 53-38 win over the Academy for Science and Agriculture Eagles in St. Louis Park.
The Griffins broke out of the starting gate early when Gabe Gordon scored the game's first basket :22 into the first half. Mohamed would use his outstanding speed that included a couple of drives to the post that accounted for six straight points en route to a 9-0 run. Jake Colestock would put the Eagles on the board to end the opening run. AFSA would be charged with a technical foul because two players were not entered in the official scorebook. In many cases, the home book is the official book and since the two players were not listed on AFSA's side, it would send Josh Lightowler to the free throw line. Though he missed one of the two free throws, the Griffins would also benefit from Maiers, who would hit four of his five three pointers in the first half. The Eagles would try to catch up as they went on an 8-0 run that included a basket from Nebel Walton, who was one of six players added to the AFSA roster. But Groves Academy would double up AFSA 36-18 when Noah Yager would hit a three pointer. The Eagles ended the first half on a 5-0 run and the Griffins led at halftime 36-23.
The second half got off to a slow start in the scoring department as both teams were cold from the floor in the early going. The Eagles opened the scoring on a free throw from Nate Lundy 1:22 into the half. It would be more than 2:30 before a shot went through the net as Maiers hit his fifth shot from Minnetonka Blvd. It wasn't just Mohamed and Maiers who carried the offense on this chilly Wednesday night. Senior center Sam Goldstein would score six consecutive points and also made an outstanding play on defense when he blocked Colestock's shot. As Groves Academy pulled away from AFSA, head coach Peter Shutte went to his bench and gave reserves Danny Berthoud and Ethan Ellertson some playing time.
Mohamed led the Griffins with 17 points and Maiers added 15. Goldstein was also in double figures, scoring 10 points. Colestock led the Eagles, also scoring 17 points. Lundy contributed 10 points.
Olivia Thomas was a reserve player for AFSA, a rare case of a girl player on a boys team. She joined the boys varsity as a result of the Vadnais Heights based school dropping the girls program due to low numbers.
Groves Academy improved their record to 1-1 and will host the Bethany Academy Eagles on Tuesday, December 11 at 7 PM. AFSA fell to 0-1 and will head to St. Paul to face the Hmong College Prep Academy Warriors on Thursday, December 6 at 7 PM.
Wednesday night, the Griffins M&M combination combined for 32 points to lead the Griffins to a 53-38 win over the Academy for Science and Agriculture Eagles in St. Louis Park.
The Griffins broke out of the starting gate early when Gabe Gordon scored the game's first basket :22 into the first half. Mohamed would use his outstanding speed that included a couple of drives to the post that accounted for six straight points en route to a 9-0 run. Jake Colestock would put the Eagles on the board to end the opening run. AFSA would be charged with a technical foul because two players were not entered in the official scorebook. In many cases, the home book is the official book and since the two players were not listed on AFSA's side, it would send Josh Lightowler to the free throw line. Though he missed one of the two free throws, the Griffins would also benefit from Maiers, who would hit four of his five three pointers in the first half. The Eagles would try to catch up as they went on an 8-0 run that included a basket from Nebel Walton, who was one of six players added to the AFSA roster. But Groves Academy would double up AFSA 36-18 when Noah Yager would hit a three pointer. The Eagles ended the first half on a 5-0 run and the Griffins led at halftime 36-23.
The second half got off to a slow start in the scoring department as both teams were cold from the floor in the early going. The Eagles opened the scoring on a free throw from Nate Lundy 1:22 into the half. It would be more than 2:30 before a shot went through the net as Maiers hit his fifth shot from Minnetonka Blvd. It wasn't just Mohamed and Maiers who carried the offense on this chilly Wednesday night. Senior center Sam Goldstein would score six consecutive points and also made an outstanding play on defense when he blocked Colestock's shot. As Groves Academy pulled away from AFSA, head coach Peter Shutte went to his bench and gave reserves Danny Berthoud and Ethan Ellertson some playing time.
Mohamed led the Griffins with 17 points and Maiers added 15. Goldstein was also in double figures, scoring 10 points. Colestock led the Eagles, also scoring 17 points. Lundy contributed 10 points.
Olivia Thomas was a reserve player for AFSA, a rare case of a girl player on a boys team. She joined the boys varsity as a result of the Vadnais Heights based school dropping the girls program due to low numbers.
Groves Academy improved their record to 1-1 and will host the Bethany Academy Eagles on Tuesday, December 11 at 7 PM. AFSA fell to 0-1 and will head to St. Paul to face the Hmong College Prep Academy Warriors on Thursday, December 6 at 7 PM.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
MN Transitions Wolves Trounce Groves Academy Griffins
Groves Academy Log: Day 1 A.M.B.(After Malik Bodden). Playing their first game of the 2018-19 season after the graduation of Groves Academy's all-time leading scorer Bodden and the transfer of center Max Bilcik to Benilde-St. Margaret's, it was a tough night for the Griffins as LaShawn Patterson scored a game high 21 points to lead the Minnesota Transitions Wolves to a 72-35 win Thursday night in St. Louis Park.
The game did not begin with a jump ball because during warm ups, the Wolves were dunking which is illegal so the team was charged with a technical foul. Therefore, the game opened at the free throw line with Gabe Gordon shooting the two technical free throws and he made them both. The game went back and forth as both the Wolves and Griffins were tied at two, three, five and seven. Minnesota Transitions would forge ahead on four straight points from Patterson. Groves Academy would later go on a 5-0 run but the Wolves used a balanced scoring attack to pull ahead. Foul trouble would be an issue for Minnesota Transitions as Carreon Christian picked up his fourth foul with 3:08 to go in the first half. They would get help from their bench as Cornell Allen made a shot that widened the Wolves lead that would later be 35-21 at half time.
In the second half, Michael Emory-Miner would open the scoring :22 into the half. It would spark a 15-2 run that would put greater distance between the Wolves and the Griffins. The one bright spot for Groves Academy would be Gorden, who not only ended the Minnesota Transitions run, he would score five straight points. The Wolves physical play and outstanding passing would put the game out of reach as every player listed in the score book for the Wolves had at least one point. The game would go into running time with under 6:00 left due to Minnesota Transitions 35 point lead.
Other players in double figures for the Wolves were Christian with 13 and Emory-Miner had 12. The Wolves were led by Larry Mohamed with 13 points. Sam Goldstein, the newest member of the Groves Academy varsity, added 10 points in his debut game.
Minnesota Transitions began their season with a 1-0 record and will host the Metro Schools College Prep Lions on Tuesday, December 4 at 5:30 PM. Groves Academy fell to 0-1 and returns to action on Wednesday, December 5 as they host the Academy for Science and Agriculture Eagles at 6:30 PM.
The game did not begin with a jump ball because during warm ups, the Wolves were dunking which is illegal so the team was charged with a technical foul. Therefore, the game opened at the free throw line with Gabe Gordon shooting the two technical free throws and he made them both. The game went back and forth as both the Wolves and Griffins were tied at two, three, five and seven. Minnesota Transitions would forge ahead on four straight points from Patterson. Groves Academy would later go on a 5-0 run but the Wolves used a balanced scoring attack to pull ahead. Foul trouble would be an issue for Minnesota Transitions as Carreon Christian picked up his fourth foul with 3:08 to go in the first half. They would get help from their bench as Cornell Allen made a shot that widened the Wolves lead that would later be 35-21 at half time.
In the second half, Michael Emory-Miner would open the scoring :22 into the half. It would spark a 15-2 run that would put greater distance between the Wolves and the Griffins. The one bright spot for Groves Academy would be Gorden, who not only ended the Minnesota Transitions run, he would score five straight points. The Wolves physical play and outstanding passing would put the game out of reach as every player listed in the score book for the Wolves had at least one point. The game would go into running time with under 6:00 left due to Minnesota Transitions 35 point lead.
Other players in double figures for the Wolves were Christian with 13 and Emory-Miner had 12. The Wolves were led by Larry Mohamed with 13 points. Sam Goldstein, the newest member of the Groves Academy varsity, added 10 points in his debut game.
Minnesota Transitions began their season with a 1-0 record and will host the Metro Schools College Prep Lions on Tuesday, December 4 at 5:30 PM. Groves Academy fell to 0-1 and returns to action on Wednesday, December 5 as they host the Academy for Science and Agriculture Eagles at 6:30 PM.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Two Straight Class AAAAA Titles for Owatonna Huskies
The end of an era. One of the great players in Minnesota high school football history Jason Williamson played his final game and scored two second half touchdowns to lead the Owatonna Huskies to a 14-3 win over the St. Thomas Academy Cadets in the Class AAAAA Championship game Saturday afternoon at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
It was the third state title for the southern Minnesota school in their eighth trip to the state tournament.
The Cadets scored the only first half points as Charlie Fafinski threw a 37 yard completion to Joe Deyak and John Copeland would end the 10 play drive with a 27 yard field goal. As for the Huskies, who broke the 30 point mark in 10 of their 12 games, they couldn't get the offense in sync as they were forced to punt on their first four drives and on the fifth, they lost the ball on downs. Williamson would also run into a blue and white lagoon of Cadet defenders as they prevented the future Minnesota Golden Gopher from getting a long run. St. Thomas Academy led at halftime 3-0.
But there would be good news for the numerous Huskies fans who made the trip up I-35 to downtown Minneapolis. Williamson would finally solve the St. Thomas Academy defense. In the third quarter, Williamson would break through four Cadet players in the middle of the field and score on a 71 yard touchdown run to put Owatonna ahead 7-3.
Williamson would also close the curtain on his career with 1:27 left to play as he scampered into the end zone from 44 yards. He would finish the game with 23 carries for 184 yards.
St. Thomas Academy was led by Brendan McFadden who rushed the ball 30 times for 105 yards.
The Huskies ended their season with a 13-0 record and the Cadets closed their campaign at 12-1.
It was the third state title for the southern Minnesota school in their eighth trip to the state tournament.
The Cadets scored the only first half points as Charlie Fafinski threw a 37 yard completion to Joe Deyak and John Copeland would end the 10 play drive with a 27 yard field goal. As for the Huskies, who broke the 30 point mark in 10 of their 12 games, they couldn't get the offense in sync as they were forced to punt on their first four drives and on the fifth, they lost the ball on downs. Williamson would also run into a blue and white lagoon of Cadet defenders as they prevented the future Minnesota Golden Gopher from getting a long run. St. Thomas Academy led at halftime 3-0.
But there would be good news for the numerous Huskies fans who made the trip up I-35 to downtown Minneapolis. Williamson would finally solve the St. Thomas Academy defense. In the third quarter, Williamson would break through four Cadet players in the middle of the field and score on a 71 yard touchdown run to put Owatonna ahead 7-3.
Williamson would also close the curtain on his career with 1:27 left to play as he scampered into the end zone from 44 yards. He would finish the game with 23 carries for 184 yards.
St. Thomas Academy was led by Brendan McFadden who rushed the ball 30 times for 105 yards.
The Huskies ended their season with a 13-0 record and the Cadets closed their campaign at 12-1.
Saturday, November 24, 2018
Rochester Lourdes Eagles are Lords of Class AAA
This decade, the Rochester Lourdes Eagles have been in each championship game in an even numbered year and now have four wins in five trips to the Prep Bowl as Zach Jungels scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to lead Lourdes to a 24-7 win over the Fairmont Cardinals in the Class AAA title game Saturday afternoon at US Bank stadium in Minneapolis.
The only loss in an even numbered year was 2012 when they lost to the Blue Earth Buccaneers 30-7. It was also the fifth state title for Rochester Lourdes in their 14th trip to the state tournament.
Jake Groteboer would score first half's only touchdown on a four yard run with 1:37 left in the first quarter. He would rush for 63 yards in the first quarter and the Eagles led at halftime 7-0.
The Cardinals would tie the game on a 56 yard left side pass from Garrett Myren to Thomas Johnson. Rochester Lourdes would regain the lead on a 36 yard field goal from Ben Limberg to give them a 10-7 lead.
There would be no bungle in the jungle for the Eagles in the fourth quarter since Jungels would send the purple and gold clad fans home happy down Highway 52 with a pair of touchdowns. He got a right side pitch from quarterback Matthew Hayford and went 50 yards to the end zone. Rochester Loudes wouldget the ball back after Fairmont lost the ball on downs and Jungels ended an 11 play drive that culminatedin a 22 yard touchdown run.
Jungels led the Eagles with 233 rushing yards. Myren led the Cardinals completing 14 of 27 passes for 207 yards. Jordan Wolter had 21 carries for 110 yards.
Rochester Lourdes ended their season 14-0 and Fairmont wrapped up their season with a 11-2 record.
The only loss in an even numbered year was 2012 when they lost to the Blue Earth Buccaneers 30-7. It was also the fifth state title for Rochester Lourdes in their 14th trip to the state tournament.
Jake Groteboer would score first half's only touchdown on a four yard run with 1:37 left in the first quarter. He would rush for 63 yards in the first quarter and the Eagles led at halftime 7-0.
The Cardinals would tie the game on a 56 yard left side pass from Garrett Myren to Thomas Johnson. Rochester Lourdes would regain the lead on a 36 yard field goal from Ben Limberg to give them a 10-7 lead.
There would be no bungle in the jungle for the Eagles in the fourth quarter since Jungels would send the purple and gold clad fans home happy down Highway 52 with a pair of touchdowns. He got a right side pitch from quarterback Matthew Hayford and went 50 yards to the end zone. Rochester Loudes wouldget the ball back after Fairmont lost the ball on downs and Jungels ended an 11 play drive that culminatedin a 22 yard touchdown run.
Jungels led the Eagles with 233 rushing yards. Myren led the Cardinals completing 14 of 27 passes for 207 yards. Jordan Wolter had 21 carries for 110 yards.
Rochester Lourdes ended their season 14-0 and Fairmont wrapped up their season with a 11-2 record.
Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds Win Class A Title
The Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds were go Saturday morning as quarterback Jon Starkey scored three touchdowns, including the game winner with 5:12 left to play that led them to a 22-21 win over the BOLD Warriors in the Class A championship game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
It was the first state title under the new co-op between the two northwestern Minnesota communities. Mahnomen made 26 trips to the state tournament and won eight state championships.
The scoring went back and forth in the first quarter. First to break in the scoring column was the Warriors as Jordan Sagedahl, facing second and 14 threw a 43 yard touchdown pass to Gavin Vosika to give them the early lead. Starkey would strike first for the Thunderbirds as he scored on a one yard run, following up a six yard run. BOLD, which stands for Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian and Danube utilized the Sagedahl-Gavin Vosika combination as Sagedahl threw a 50 yard pass toward the left sideline and Gavin Vosika hauled it into the end zone with :42 left to give the Warriors a 14-6 lead.
Both teams scored in the second quarter. Mahnomen/Waubun tied the game on a two yard run from Parker Syverson. BOLD would score following a 37 keeper run by Sagedahl and two plays later he ran the ball into the end zone for a three yard touchdown run. The Warriors led 21-14 at halftime.
Neither team would score in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Thunderbirds would cap a 13 play drive that ate up 6:06 on Starkey's 10 yard keeper run. The senior quarterback made the two point conversion to put Mahnomen/Waubun ahead. Could BOLD bring the championship trophy down Highway 212? The answer would be no as Jayden Heisler recovered a Dawson Vosika fumble and that wouldbe the clincher.
Syverson led the Thunderbirds with 30 carries for 189 yards. Sagedahl led the Warriors completing 14 of 19 passes for 251 yards. Gavin Vosika had seven receptions for 140 yards.
Mahnomen/Waubun ended their season 14-0 and BOLD finished with a record of 12-1.
It would also be the final game for Warrior head coach Steve Solem, who is retiring after heading the BOLD program for 33 years.
It was the first state title under the new co-op between the two northwestern Minnesota communities. Mahnomen made 26 trips to the state tournament and won eight state championships.
The scoring went back and forth in the first quarter. First to break in the scoring column was the Warriors as Jordan Sagedahl, facing second and 14 threw a 43 yard touchdown pass to Gavin Vosika to give them the early lead. Starkey would strike first for the Thunderbirds as he scored on a one yard run, following up a six yard run. BOLD, which stands for Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian and Danube utilized the Sagedahl-Gavin Vosika combination as Sagedahl threw a 50 yard pass toward the left sideline and Gavin Vosika hauled it into the end zone with :42 left to give the Warriors a 14-6 lead.
Both teams scored in the second quarter. Mahnomen/Waubun tied the game on a two yard run from Parker Syverson. BOLD would score following a 37 keeper run by Sagedahl and two plays later he ran the ball into the end zone for a three yard touchdown run. The Warriors led 21-14 at halftime.
Neither team would score in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Thunderbirds would cap a 13 play drive that ate up 6:06 on Starkey's 10 yard keeper run. The senior quarterback made the two point conversion to put Mahnomen/Waubun ahead. Could BOLD bring the championship trophy down Highway 212? The answer would be no as Jayden Heisler recovered a Dawson Vosika fumble and that wouldbe the clincher.
Syverson led the Thunderbirds with 30 carries for 189 yards. Sagedahl led the Warriors completing 14 of 19 passes for 251 yards. Gavin Vosika had seven receptions for 140 yards.
Mahnomen/Waubun ended their season 14-0 and BOLD finished with a record of 12-1.
It would also be the final game for Warrior head coach Steve Solem, who is retiring after heading the BOLD program for 33 years.
Friday, November 23, 2018
Lakeville North Panthers Go Unbeaten for Class AAAAAA Title
Lakeville North fans would go "Rah rah!" for RaJa Nelson as he scored three touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a 28-21 win over the Eden Prairie Eagles in the Class AAAAAA championship game Friday night at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
The game was a rematch of the September 7 game where the Panthers shut out the Eagles 14-0. It was also the first state title for the city of Lakeville since 2003 prior to the split into North and South high schools.
Eden Prairie would get the early lead on a 49 touchdown pass from Cole Kramer to Daejon Wolfe. But the Panthers would vault into the lead with two straight touchdowns. Nelson would score on a seven yard right side run and Brennan Kuebler fired a 68 yard pass to Keaton Mohs to put Lakeville North ahead 14-7.
The Eagles would score a couple of rushing touchdowns in the second quarter. First, Felipe Izumi would score on a one yard run. The second would come as Jordan Amundson would break two tackles and score on an 80 yard run to put Eden Prairie ahead 21-14. The lead wouldn't last as Nelson scored his second touchdown on a one yard run to tie the game at 21 at halftime.
Once again, it was Nelson, the junior running back who would land the ball in the end zone for the eventual game winner in the third quarter as he scored on a 10 yard run up the middle. The Eagles had a chance to send the game into overtime in the fourth quarter as future Gopher Cole Kramer faced fourth and 25 and he threw a 22 yard pass to his brother Cade with :24 left and the Panthers ran out the clock to clinch the win.
Eden Prairie was led by Cole Kramer, who completed seven of 16 passes for 146 yards. Brian Curtis Jr. led Lakeville North with 22 rushes for 100 yards.
Lakeville North ended their season 13-0 and Eden Prairie finished with a record of 10-2.
The game was a rematch of the September 7 game where the Panthers shut out the Eagles 14-0. It was also the first state title for the city of Lakeville since 2003 prior to the split into North and South high schools.
Eden Prairie would get the early lead on a 49 touchdown pass from Cole Kramer to Daejon Wolfe. But the Panthers would vault into the lead with two straight touchdowns. Nelson would score on a seven yard right side run and Brennan Kuebler fired a 68 yard pass to Keaton Mohs to put Lakeville North ahead 14-7.
The Eagles would score a couple of rushing touchdowns in the second quarter. First, Felipe Izumi would score on a one yard run. The second would come as Jordan Amundson would break two tackles and score on an 80 yard run to put Eden Prairie ahead 21-14. The lead wouldn't last as Nelson scored his second touchdown on a one yard run to tie the game at 21 at halftime.
Once again, it was Nelson, the junior running back who would land the ball in the end zone for the eventual game winner in the third quarter as he scored on a 10 yard run up the middle. The Eagles had a chance to send the game into overtime in the fourth quarter as future Gopher Cole Kramer faced fourth and 25 and he threw a 22 yard pass to his brother Cade with :24 left and the Panthers ran out the clock to clinch the win.
Eden Prairie was led by Cole Kramer, who completed seven of 16 passes for 146 yards. Brian Curtis Jr. led Lakeville North with 22 rushes for 100 yards.
Lakeville North ended their season 13-0 and Eden Prairie finished with a record of 10-2.
SMB Wolfpack Wins First Class AAAA Championship
He's best known for his basketball prowess but Jalen Suggs also shines on the football field as he threw three touchdown passes, ran for one and also scored one on defense to lead the SMB Wolfpack to a 44-18 win over the Willmar Cardinals Friday in the Class AAAA football final at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
It was the first state title for the combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake in their state tournament debut.
Siegel Howard began the scoring on a four yard run. Then the Wolfpack would go up by 10 on a 19 yard field goal from a member of the Class A state boys soccer champions the Blake Bears, Tate Crosby. Following the field goal, the Cardinals Ethan Roux would return the kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to cut the SMB lead to 10-6.
Suggs would use his speed to score the Wolfpack's first second quarter touchdown as he scored on a 27 yard keeper. Willmar would counter as Drey Dirksen threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Ty Roelofs. SMB would wrap up the first half scoring as he threw a six yard touchdown pass to his Redhawk basketball teammate Kaden Johnson with :15 to go and SMB led at halftime 24-12.
Both teams would tally in the third quarter. Not only did Suggs play quarterback for the Wolfpack, he also played defense and intercepted Dirksen's pass on fourth and goal to go 97 yards for a touchdown. Willmar got their touchdown on a 21 yard pass from Dirksen to Jake Evans and SMB led 31-18.
The Wolfpack would add two touchdowns to their ledger in the fourth quarter. Both scores came on touchdown passes from Suggs. The first came on a 76 yard completion to Johnson and the second on a 28 yard strike to Tony Avila-Tovalin with 1:17 left in the game.
SMB ended their season with a 13-0 record and Willmar finished 11-2.
It was the first state title for the combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake in their state tournament debut.
Siegel Howard began the scoring on a four yard run. Then the Wolfpack would go up by 10 on a 19 yard field goal from a member of the Class A state boys soccer champions the Blake Bears, Tate Crosby. Following the field goal, the Cardinals Ethan Roux would return the kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to cut the SMB lead to 10-6.
Suggs would use his speed to score the Wolfpack's first second quarter touchdown as he scored on a 27 yard keeper. Willmar would counter as Drey Dirksen threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Ty Roelofs. SMB would wrap up the first half scoring as he threw a six yard touchdown pass to his Redhawk basketball teammate Kaden Johnson with :15 to go and SMB led at halftime 24-12.
Both teams would tally in the third quarter. Not only did Suggs play quarterback for the Wolfpack, he also played defense and intercepted Dirksen's pass on fourth and goal to go 97 yards for a touchdown. Willmar got their touchdown on a 21 yard pass from Dirksen to Jake Evans and SMB led 31-18.
The Wolfpack would add two touchdowns to their ledger in the fourth quarter. Both scores came on touchdown passes from Suggs. The first came on a 76 yard completion to Johnson and the second on a 28 yard strike to Tony Avila-Tovalin with 1:17 left in the game.
SMB ended their season with a 13-0 record and Willmar finished 11-2.
Caledonia Warriors Win Fourth Straight Class AA Title
The Caledonia Warriors have done it again! They took home their fourth consecutive Class AA championship as they shut out the Barnesville Trojans 21-0 Friday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
It was the 54th consecutive win for the southeastern Minnesota school and 11th overall state title.
The Warriors, who outscored their first two state tournament opponents 81-6 got off to a slow start in the first quarter, going 0-2 on fourth down conversions. They would score their only first half points on a 22 yard touchdown run from Nick McCabe that put Caledonia ahead 7-0 at the half.
There was no scoring in the third quarter but in the fourth, the Warriors would impress the fans in attendance wearing Vegas Gold and Black with a pair of touchdowns. The first came on a one yard run from Tate Meiners. Defense would play a role in Caledonia's final touchdown as Payton Schott intercepted Barnesville quarterback Preston Snobl and return the ball 43 yards to the end zone.
McCabe led the Warriors with 14 carries for 115 yards. Adam Tonsfeldt led the Trojans with 15 carries for 94 yards.
Caledonia concluded their season 13-0 and Barnesville wrapped up the season with a 11-3 record.
It was the 54th consecutive win for the southeastern Minnesota school and 11th overall state title.
The Warriors, who outscored their first two state tournament opponents 81-6 got off to a slow start in the first quarter, going 0-2 on fourth down conversions. They would score their only first half points on a 22 yard touchdown run from Nick McCabe that put Caledonia ahead 7-0 at the half.
There was no scoring in the third quarter but in the fourth, the Warriors would impress the fans in attendance wearing Vegas Gold and Black with a pair of touchdowns. The first came on a one yard run from Tate Meiners. Defense would play a role in Caledonia's final touchdown as Payton Schott intercepted Barnesville quarterback Preston Snobl and return the ball 43 yards to the end zone.
McCabe led the Warriors with 14 carries for 115 yards. Adam Tonsfeldt led the Trojans with 15 carries for 94 yards.
Caledonia concluded their season 13-0 and Barnesville wrapped up the season with a 11-3 record.
Spring Grove Lions Roar to Second Straight Nine Man Title
Alex Folz closed out his high school career in a glorious way as he scored four touchdowns and ran for 263 yards to lead the Spring Grove Lions to a 40-12 win over the Mountain Lake Area Wolverines in the Nine Man title game Friday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
It was the second consecutive Nine Man football championship for the Lions in their fourth trip to state.
Folz put Spring Grove on the board on a seven yard keeper run. Mountain Lake Area got their first touchdown as quarterback Abraham Stoesz kept the ball, ran down the right side of the field and cut to the center to head toward the end zone. It wasn't all Folz for the Lions as the senior quarterback pitched the ball to Tyler Kersten and he would score on a 58 yard run to put Spring grove Ahead 14-6.
Neither team would tally in the second quarter but the Wolverines looked like they would cut the Lion lead as Sam Paulson hauled in a 46 yard touchdown pass. But after a replay review, the official ruling was he stepped out of bounds and Mountain Lake Area was called for illegal participation. So the score remained 14-6 in favor of Spring Grove at halftime.
Kersten would account for the only third quarter scoring as he scored his second touchdown on a two yard left side pitch from Folz.
In the fourth quarter, Folz would score three times to clinch the championship trophy. His first touchdown looked like he was headed for the light rail station as he scored on an 88 yard run. He reached the end zone a third time on a four yard run up the middle. But Mountain Lake Area wasn't finished yet. Stoesz would throw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Drake Harder and run 51 yards for another score. Folz would wrap up the scoring on a 50 yard keeper with 1:08 left to play.
Stoesz would finish with 20 carries for 244 yards.
Spring Grove ended their season with a 14-0 record and Mountain Lake Area concluded their season with a 12-1 record.
It was the second consecutive Nine Man football championship for the Lions in their fourth trip to state.
Folz put Spring Grove on the board on a seven yard keeper run. Mountain Lake Area got their first touchdown as quarterback Abraham Stoesz kept the ball, ran down the right side of the field and cut to the center to head toward the end zone. It wasn't all Folz for the Lions as the senior quarterback pitched the ball to Tyler Kersten and he would score on a 58 yard run to put Spring grove Ahead 14-6.
Neither team would tally in the second quarter but the Wolverines looked like they would cut the Lion lead as Sam Paulson hauled in a 46 yard touchdown pass. But after a replay review, the official ruling was he stepped out of bounds and Mountain Lake Area was called for illegal participation. So the score remained 14-6 in favor of Spring Grove at halftime.
Kersten would account for the only third quarter scoring as he scored his second touchdown on a two yard left side pitch from Folz.
In the fourth quarter, Folz would score three times to clinch the championship trophy. His first touchdown looked like he was headed for the light rail station as he scored on an 88 yard run. He reached the end zone a third time on a four yard run up the middle. But Mountain Lake Area wasn't finished yet. Stoesz would throw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Drake Harder and run 51 yards for another score. Folz would wrap up the scoring on a 50 yard keeper with 1:08 left to play.
Stoesz would finish with 20 carries for 244 yards.
Spring Grove ended their season with a 14-0 record and Mountain Lake Area concluded their season with a 12-1 record.
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
2018 Prep Bowl Preview Part 2
Three more championship games wrap up the 2018 Prep Bowl on Saturday, November 24. Here's a preview of Saturday's games.
10:00: Class A: BOLD vs. Mahomen/Waubun: It's a battle of the unbeatens that opens the final day of the 2018 Prep Bowl. It's also the final game for Warrior head coach Steve Solem who will be retiring after 33 years leading the school that represents Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian and Danube. He's led the Warriors to state titles in 1990 and 1991 and hopes to close out his career with their first state title in 27 years. Now there's a familiar name back in the state championship game-Mahnomen. Once upon a time, they were known as the Mahnomen Indians, who played in the first Prep Bowl game in 1982 and later won four consecutive state championships. This year, the team goes by the Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds and the Thunderbirds offense has been thunderous as they have outscored their state tournament opponents Deer River and Springfield by a combined score of 80-0. Seven of Mahnomen/Waubun's 12 wins have been shut outs. Can BOLD be number eight?
1:00: Class AAA: Rochester Lourdes vs. Fairmont: It's a "Battle of the Birds" as the Rochester Lourdes Eagles take on the Fairmont Cardinals. The Eagles have been one of the most dominant outstate teams in the 2010s, winning state titles in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Can they win their fourth of the decade? All hasn't been fair for Fairmont. The Cardinals are playing in their 10th state tournament and have played in only one championship game, losing 34-32 to the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders in the 2011 Class AAA final. Who will coming out flying toward the end zone?
4:00: Class AAAAA: Owatonna vs. St. Thomas Academy: The 2018 Prep Bowl concludes with the defending Class AAAAA champion Owatonna Huskies facing the St. Thomas Academy Cadets. It's also a golden opportunity to see another future Gopher in actions, Huskie running back Jason Williamson. He has made 44 trips to the end zone in 2018 and rushed for close to 2,900 yards. But the Cadets have a backfield weapon in Brendan McFadden. He ran for 211 yards and three touchdowns in St. Thomas Academy's semifinal win over the Bemidji Lumberjacks. Set your DVR for the Minnesota-Wisconsin football game and head to US Bank Stadium for the exciting climax to two days of outstanding Minnesota high school football.
10:00: Class A: BOLD vs. Mahomen/Waubun: It's a battle of the unbeatens that opens the final day of the 2018 Prep Bowl. It's also the final game for Warrior head coach Steve Solem who will be retiring after 33 years leading the school that represents Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian and Danube. He's led the Warriors to state titles in 1990 and 1991 and hopes to close out his career with their first state title in 27 years. Now there's a familiar name back in the state championship game-Mahnomen. Once upon a time, they were known as the Mahnomen Indians, who played in the first Prep Bowl game in 1982 and later won four consecutive state championships. This year, the team goes by the Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds and the Thunderbirds offense has been thunderous as they have outscored their state tournament opponents Deer River and Springfield by a combined score of 80-0. Seven of Mahnomen/Waubun's 12 wins have been shut outs. Can BOLD be number eight?
1:00: Class AAA: Rochester Lourdes vs. Fairmont: It's a "Battle of the Birds" as the Rochester Lourdes Eagles take on the Fairmont Cardinals. The Eagles have been one of the most dominant outstate teams in the 2010s, winning state titles in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Can they win their fourth of the decade? All hasn't been fair for Fairmont. The Cardinals are playing in their 10th state tournament and have played in only one championship game, losing 34-32 to the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders in the 2011 Class AAA final. Who will coming out flying toward the end zone?
4:00: Class AAAAA: Owatonna vs. St. Thomas Academy: The 2018 Prep Bowl concludes with the defending Class AAAAA champion Owatonna Huskies facing the St. Thomas Academy Cadets. It's also a golden opportunity to see another future Gopher in actions, Huskie running back Jason Williamson. He has made 44 trips to the end zone in 2018 and rushed for close to 2,900 yards. But the Cadets have a backfield weapon in Brendan McFadden. He ran for 211 yards and three touchdowns in St. Thomas Academy's semifinal win over the Bemidji Lumberjacks. Set your DVR for the Minnesota-Wisconsin football game and head to US Bank Stadium for the exciting climax to two days of outstanding Minnesota high school football.
2018 Prep Bowl Preview Part 1
After many Minnesotans conclude their Thanksgiving feast, Friday, November 23 begins a feast of high school football at US Bank Stadium as the 2018 Prep Bowl gets underway. Here's a preview of Friday's four championship games.
10:00: Nine Man: Spring Grove vs. Mountain Lake Area. If the Spring Grove Lions look to repeat as state champions, they will have to follow the Folz and stray no more. The Folz is senior quarterback Alex Folz who threw four touchdown passes and ran for three more in the Lions 48-12 rout of the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals. The Mountain Lake Area Wolverines put the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers out of range and are going for the school's first state title.
1:00: Class AA: Caledonia vs. Barnesville. Can anybody beat Caledonia? The answer was 53 times no as the Warriors go for their 54th straight win and fourth consecutive Class AA championship. Their mission is to shut the barn door on the Barnesville Trojans who missed an undefeated regular season with one point defeats by the Hawley Nuggets and the Breckenridge Cowboys. The key to the Trojans quest to take the championship trophy to northwestern Minnesota is to shut down the Warrior offense that has scored 81 points in two games.
4:00: Class AAAA: SMB Wolfpack vs. Willmar: The combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake is one win away from their first state title. The Wolfpack clinched their berth in the finals with two fourth quarter touchdowns from Siegel Howard. But look out for the Willmar Cardinals. They have a very high powered offense that routed the Hermantown Hawks in the quarterfinals 44-0 and sent the St. Paul Johnson Governors fans to the Green Line Light Rail with a 62-20 rout. It's the Cardinals first trip to the finals since they lost to the Eveleth Golden Bears 28-18 in 1973. Could it be a big day for the Big Red or will the Wolfpack defense keep Willmar out of the end zone?
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Eden Prairie vs. Lakeville North. When the Eagles met the Panthers on September 7, it turned out to be a rare shut out loss for Eden Prairie as they were beaten by Lakeville North 14-0. Now the stakes are higher for this rematch as the Eagles go for their 12th state title against the top ranked Panthers. It's also an opportunity to see a future Gopher in action as Eden Prairie quarterback Cole Kramer plays his final game for the red and black.
Up next: Saturday's Prep Bowl match ups.
10:00: Nine Man: Spring Grove vs. Mountain Lake Area. If the Spring Grove Lions look to repeat as state champions, they will have to follow the Folz and stray no more. The Folz is senior quarterback Alex Folz who threw four touchdown passes and ran for three more in the Lions 48-12 rout of the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals. The Mountain Lake Area Wolverines put the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers out of range and are going for the school's first state title.
1:00: Class AA: Caledonia vs. Barnesville. Can anybody beat Caledonia? The answer was 53 times no as the Warriors go for their 54th straight win and fourth consecutive Class AA championship. Their mission is to shut the barn door on the Barnesville Trojans who missed an undefeated regular season with one point defeats by the Hawley Nuggets and the Breckenridge Cowboys. The key to the Trojans quest to take the championship trophy to northwestern Minnesota is to shut down the Warrior offense that has scored 81 points in two games.
4:00: Class AAAA: SMB Wolfpack vs. Willmar: The combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake is one win away from their first state title. The Wolfpack clinched their berth in the finals with two fourth quarter touchdowns from Siegel Howard. But look out for the Willmar Cardinals. They have a very high powered offense that routed the Hermantown Hawks in the quarterfinals 44-0 and sent the St. Paul Johnson Governors fans to the Green Line Light Rail with a 62-20 rout. It's the Cardinals first trip to the finals since they lost to the Eveleth Golden Bears 28-18 in 1973. Could it be a big day for the Big Red or will the Wolfpack defense keep Willmar out of the end zone?
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Eden Prairie vs. Lakeville North. When the Eagles met the Panthers on September 7, it turned out to be a rare shut out loss for Eden Prairie as they were beaten by Lakeville North 14-0. Now the stakes are higher for this rematch as the Eagles go for their 12th state title against the top ranked Panthers. It's also an opportunity to see a future Gopher in action as Eden Prairie quarterback Cole Kramer plays his final game for the red and black.
Up next: Saturday's Prep Bowl match ups.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
SMB Wolfpack Advances to Class AAAA Finals
The purple seats at US Bank Stadium were populated with fans from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake who saw Siegel Howard score two fourth quarter touchdowns, including the game winner with 8:05 left to play that led the SMB Wolfpack to a 23-15 win over the Waseca Blue Jays in the Class AAAA semifinals Thursday in Minneapolis.
Neither team scored in the first quarter though Howard ran for 23 yards on the final three plays that spotted the ball on the Blue Jays seven yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Jalen Suggs, who also excels on the basketball court for Minnehaha Academy, threw a seven yard right side pass to Craig McDonald to put the Wolfpack ahead. Waseca would tie the game on a 12 yard touchdown pass from Hunter Rodriguez to Kyreese Willingham. After the replay official reviewed the play to see if Kyreese Willingham crossed the left pylon, it was ruled a touchdown. SMB would regain the lead on a 31 yard field goal from Theo Crosby with :30 left in the half and the Wolfpack led at the half 10-7.
The Blue Jays surged into the lead in the third quarter as Kyreese Willingham's brother Malik caught a 25 yard pass from Rodriguez to lead 15-10. Waseca had a chance to extend their lead after Mathhew Olsem recovered a McDonald fumble. But the Wolfpack defense prevailed as Bennett Thiesen made an outstanding tackle that lost two yards and forced Waseca to punt.
SMB would get the ball back in the fourth quarter and Suggs would convert on fourth and one that also added nine yard more yards due to a personal foul penalty on Waseca. It would pay off for the Wolfpack as Howard would score the eventual game winner on a two yard run with 8:05 left in regulation time. There would be good news for the Blue Jays when Andrew Morgan blocked Jack Mahler's punt. Could Waseca seek a win on this wet Thursday? The answer would be no when Rodriguez on the first play of the drive was intercepted by Andrew Mollison. It would be Wolfpack ball and they would clinch a berth in next week's Prep Bowl as Suggs threw a 53 yard completion to Kaden Johnson and Howard go up the middle for a 15 yard touchdown run. The Blue Jays had another chance to possibly send the game into overtime but Howard also displayed his defensive prowess when he stopped Joe Hagen on fourth and one and SMB got the ball back. They would run out the clock to end the game.
SMB was led by Howard, who rushed for 125 yards. Rodriguez led Waseck with 8 of 14 completions for 104 yards and 87 rushing yards.
The Wolfpack improved their record to 12-0 and will face the Willmar-St. Paul Johnson winner for the Class AAAA title on Friday, November 23 at 4 PM at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Blue Jays ended their season with a record of 10-3.
Neither team scored in the first quarter though Howard ran for 23 yards on the final three plays that spotted the ball on the Blue Jays seven yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Jalen Suggs, who also excels on the basketball court for Minnehaha Academy, threw a seven yard right side pass to Craig McDonald to put the Wolfpack ahead. Waseca would tie the game on a 12 yard touchdown pass from Hunter Rodriguez to Kyreese Willingham. After the replay official reviewed the play to see if Kyreese Willingham crossed the left pylon, it was ruled a touchdown. SMB would regain the lead on a 31 yard field goal from Theo Crosby with :30 left in the half and the Wolfpack led at the half 10-7.
The Blue Jays surged into the lead in the third quarter as Kyreese Willingham's brother Malik caught a 25 yard pass from Rodriguez to lead 15-10. Waseca had a chance to extend their lead after Mathhew Olsem recovered a McDonald fumble. But the Wolfpack defense prevailed as Bennett Thiesen made an outstanding tackle that lost two yards and forced Waseca to punt.
SMB would get the ball back in the fourth quarter and Suggs would convert on fourth and one that also added nine yard more yards due to a personal foul penalty on Waseca. It would pay off for the Wolfpack as Howard would score the eventual game winner on a two yard run with 8:05 left in regulation time. There would be good news for the Blue Jays when Andrew Morgan blocked Jack Mahler's punt. Could Waseca seek a win on this wet Thursday? The answer would be no when Rodriguez on the first play of the drive was intercepted by Andrew Mollison. It would be Wolfpack ball and they would clinch a berth in next week's Prep Bowl as Suggs threw a 53 yard completion to Kaden Johnson and Howard go up the middle for a 15 yard touchdown run. The Blue Jays had another chance to possibly send the game into overtime but Howard also displayed his defensive prowess when he stopped Joe Hagen on fourth and one and SMB got the ball back. They would run out the clock to end the game.
SMB was led by Howard, who rushed for 125 yards. Rodriguez led Waseck with 8 of 14 completions for 104 yards and 87 rushing yards.
The Wolfpack improved their record to 12-0 and will face the Willmar-St. Paul Johnson winner for the Class AAAA title on Friday, November 23 at 4 PM at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Blue Jays ended their season with a record of 10-3.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
2018 Minnesota State Football Semifinals Lineup
Put away your winter coats, mittens and hats. Minnesota high school football is headed inside US Bank Stadium as The Road to the Prep Bowl continues with semifinal action November 15-17. Here's a lineup and preview of each day's games.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15
11:30: Nine Man: It's North vs. South as the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals contend with the defending state champion Spring Grove Lions.
2:00: Class AA: A rematch of last year's Class AA semifinals pits the Paynesville Bulldogs and the Caledonia Warriors. The Warriors are on a quest to win their fourth consecutive state championship. Can Paynesville, in their fourth trip to state inject pain and sorrow into Caledonia fans or will the Warriors, led by quarterback Noah King continue their explosive offense en route to bringing back another trophy to the southeastern Minnesota town?
4:30: Class AAAA: For the first time, the SMB Wolfpack, comprised of students from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake head to US Bank Stadium as they battle the Waseca Bluejays, in their first state tournament trip since 2009. The Wolfpack quarterback's name may also be familiar to basketball fans, Jalen Suggs. The Minnehaha Academy standout also has a chance to lead SMB to their first football state title.
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Day one wraps up as the defending champion Eden Prairie Eagles take on the Blaine Bengals. It took awhile for Blaine to advance because of a power outage in their quarterfinal game against Eastview as they go for their first state title in 30 years.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16
9:00: Nine Man: Coming to the early game? Bring a thermos of Folger's Coffee for this "Mountain Grown Battle" as the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers take on the Mountain Lake Wolverines. The Rangers are in their first state tournament since 2010 and have a tough task ahead against the unbeaten Wolverines.
11:30: Class AA: The Barnesville Trojans look toward returning to the Prep Bowl for the first time since 2010. But they will face the unbeaten Minneapolis North Polars who are playing in their first Class AA tournament since they moved up from Class A. Could former Polar and current Gopher wide receiver Tyler Johnson be present to watch his alma mater look toward a possible showdown with Caledonia?
2:00: Class AAAAA: A rematch of last year's Class AAAAA title game features the Elk River Elks and the defending champion Owatonna Huskies. If you haven't seen the Huskies top running back jason Williamson in action, take time off from work or follow the game online. He's one of the best players in the state in years and he has been piling up rushing yards by the bushel.
4:30: Class AAAA: The St. Paul Johnson Governors are two steps away from becoming the first school from the St. Paul City Conference to play for a state football title (though conference play doesn't count in football). First, they have to take on the Willmar Warriors, in their first trip to state since 1988.
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Expect to see busloads of fans head up I-35 to US Bank Stadium as the Lakeville North Panthers face their city rivals the Lakeville South Cougars. The Cougars are coming off an upset of the Woodbury Royals in the quarterfinals. Can they pull off another one?
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17
The first two games of the day are Class A semifinals, starting at 9 AM with a pair of unbeaten teams as the BOLD Warriors battle the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms. Can BOLD be bold or will the Awesome Blossoms be awesome? The winner plays the winner of the 11:30 game between the Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds and the Springfield Trojans. The Thunderbirds have six shutouts this season, including a quarterfinal win over Deer River. Could the Trojans be number seven? Springfield advanced on a game winning field goal against Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity and look to continue their momentum against the northwestern Minnesota powerhouse.
Next up will be a couple of Class AAA semifinal games, beginning with two undefeated teams, the Pierz Pioneers and the Rochester Lourdes Eagles at 2 PM. The high powered Pioneer offense routed the Annandale Cardinals in the quarterfinals. The Eagles earned their semifinal berth with a win over the Jordan Hubmen. The second semifinal game is the Perham Yellowjackets and the Fairmont Cardinals. The Yellowjackets are a win away from their first trip to a championship game since 1989, when they lost the Class B title game to the Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Thunderbirds. The last time the Cardinals plyed for a state title was 2011 when they lost 34-32 to the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders.
7:00: Class AAAAA; Semifinal play concludes as the Bemidji Lumberjacks look to head to their first championship game since 2011. The city that will host Hockey Day Minnesota in January could have a football day on Saturday the 25th in Minneapolis if they can get past the unbeaten St. Thomas Academy Cadets who beat the Tartan Titans in the quarterfinals. Last time the Cadets played in the AAAAA final, it was the last Prep Bowl game played at TCF Bank Stadium and they were defeated by the St. Michael-Albertville Knights.
Plenty of high school football action this weekend in downtown Minneapolis. No need to freeze outside.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15
11:30: Nine Man: It's North vs. South as the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals contend with the defending state champion Spring Grove Lions.
2:00: Class AA: A rematch of last year's Class AA semifinals pits the Paynesville Bulldogs and the Caledonia Warriors. The Warriors are on a quest to win their fourth consecutive state championship. Can Paynesville, in their fourth trip to state inject pain and sorrow into Caledonia fans or will the Warriors, led by quarterback Noah King continue their explosive offense en route to bringing back another trophy to the southeastern Minnesota town?
4:30: Class AAAA: For the first time, the SMB Wolfpack, comprised of students from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake head to US Bank Stadium as they battle the Waseca Bluejays, in their first state tournament trip since 2009. The Wolfpack quarterback's name may also be familiar to basketball fans, Jalen Suggs. The Minnehaha Academy standout also has a chance to lead SMB to their first football state title.
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Day one wraps up as the defending champion Eden Prairie Eagles take on the Blaine Bengals. It took awhile for Blaine to advance because of a power outage in their quarterfinal game against Eastview as they go for their first state title in 30 years.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16
9:00: Nine Man: Coming to the early game? Bring a thermos of Folger's Coffee for this "Mountain Grown Battle" as the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers take on the Mountain Lake Wolverines. The Rangers are in their first state tournament since 2010 and have a tough task ahead against the unbeaten Wolverines.
11:30: Class AA: The Barnesville Trojans look toward returning to the Prep Bowl for the first time since 2010. But they will face the unbeaten Minneapolis North Polars who are playing in their first Class AA tournament since they moved up from Class A. Could former Polar and current Gopher wide receiver Tyler Johnson be present to watch his alma mater look toward a possible showdown with Caledonia?
2:00: Class AAAAA: A rematch of last year's Class AAAAA title game features the Elk River Elks and the defending champion Owatonna Huskies. If you haven't seen the Huskies top running back jason Williamson in action, take time off from work or follow the game online. He's one of the best players in the state in years and he has been piling up rushing yards by the bushel.
4:30: Class AAAA: The St. Paul Johnson Governors are two steps away from becoming the first school from the St. Paul City Conference to play for a state football title (though conference play doesn't count in football). First, they have to take on the Willmar Warriors, in their first trip to state since 1988.
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Expect to see busloads of fans head up I-35 to US Bank Stadium as the Lakeville North Panthers face their city rivals the Lakeville South Cougars. The Cougars are coming off an upset of the Woodbury Royals in the quarterfinals. Can they pull off another one?
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17
The first two games of the day are Class A semifinals, starting at 9 AM with a pair of unbeaten teams as the BOLD Warriors battle the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms. Can BOLD be bold or will the Awesome Blossoms be awesome? The winner plays the winner of the 11:30 game between the Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds and the Springfield Trojans. The Thunderbirds have six shutouts this season, including a quarterfinal win over Deer River. Could the Trojans be number seven? Springfield advanced on a game winning field goal against Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity and look to continue their momentum against the northwestern Minnesota powerhouse.
Next up will be a couple of Class AAA semifinal games, beginning with two undefeated teams, the Pierz Pioneers and the Rochester Lourdes Eagles at 2 PM. The high powered Pioneer offense routed the Annandale Cardinals in the quarterfinals. The Eagles earned their semifinal berth with a win over the Jordan Hubmen. The second semifinal game is the Perham Yellowjackets and the Fairmont Cardinals. The Yellowjackets are a win away from their first trip to a championship game since 1989, when they lost the Class B title game to the Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Thunderbirds. The last time the Cardinals plyed for a state title was 2011 when they lost 34-32 to the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders.
7:00: Class AAAAA; Semifinal play concludes as the Bemidji Lumberjacks look to head to their first championship game since 2011. The city that will host Hockey Day Minnesota in January could have a football day on Saturday the 25th in Minneapolis if they can get past the unbeaten St. Thomas Academy Cadets who beat the Tartan Titans in the quarterfinals. Last time the Cadets played in the AAAAA final, it was the last Prep Bowl game played at TCF Bank Stadium and they were defeated by the St. Michael-Albertville Knights.
Plenty of high school football action this weekend in downtown Minneapolis. No need to freeze outside.
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Breck Mustangs Opens Season On High Note
A marquee match up opened the 2018-19 Minnesota girls high school hockey season Saturday afternoon with the defending Class A champion Breck Mustangs getting the game winning goal from Ella Brophy with 8:50 left in regulation time that led them to a 4-3 win over last season's Class AA runner up the Centennial Cougars at the Anderson Ice Arena in Golden Valley.
The game marked the head coaching debut of David K.B. Cole leading the Cougars and Keith Radloff behind the Mustangs bench.
Breck struck first in the opening period Allyson Qualley fed Emily Zumwinkle at the left point and she send it into the net. Centennial evened the score when Allison Pitlick rebounded Maija Almich's shot. The Mustangs would regain the lead as Qualley sent the puck toward the center slot and Ashley Halverson went top shelf to put Breck ahead 2-1.
Neither team would tally in the second period but the Cougars almost tied the game on a shorthanded opportunity by Pitlick. But Mustang goalie Ally Frantzick made the save.
There would be good news for Pitlick as she would score a shorthanded goal :49 into the third period to tie the game at two. Breck would once again vault into the lead as freshman Shae Messner would score from the right slot. The Cougars, despite losing Annika Linser and Gabby Hughes to graduation did not give up. Megan Goodreau lined a shot from the slot and the game was tied at three. Would there be overtime as snow was starting to fall outside the Anderson Ice Arena? Not on this chilly Saturday as Stella Retrum, one of four Mustang eighth graders, made a pass to Brophy along the boards parallel to the right of the Centennial bench and she would put it past Centennial goalie Mackenna Stoterau to put Breck ahead.
The lead would hold up when Cole pulled Stoterau with 1:00 left for a sixth attacker and the Mustangs didn't increase their margin as time would expire.
Breck opened the season with a 1-0 record and will face the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:15 PM at The Rec Center in St. Louis Park. The Cougars opened the season 0-1 and will also be in action on the 13th as they host Champlin Park/Coon Rapids at 7 PM at the Centennial Sports Arena in Circle Pines.
The game marked the head coaching debut of David K.B. Cole leading the Cougars and Keith Radloff behind the Mustangs bench.
Breck struck first in the opening period Allyson Qualley fed Emily Zumwinkle at the left point and she send it into the net. Centennial evened the score when Allison Pitlick rebounded Maija Almich's shot. The Mustangs would regain the lead as Qualley sent the puck toward the center slot and Ashley Halverson went top shelf to put Breck ahead 2-1.
Neither team would tally in the second period but the Cougars almost tied the game on a shorthanded opportunity by Pitlick. But Mustang goalie Ally Frantzick made the save.
There would be good news for Pitlick as she would score a shorthanded goal :49 into the third period to tie the game at two. Breck would once again vault into the lead as freshman Shae Messner would score from the right slot. The Cougars, despite losing Annika Linser and Gabby Hughes to graduation did not give up. Megan Goodreau lined a shot from the slot and the game was tied at three. Would there be overtime as snow was starting to fall outside the Anderson Ice Arena? Not on this chilly Saturday as Stella Retrum, one of four Mustang eighth graders, made a pass to Brophy along the boards parallel to the right of the Centennial bench and she would put it past Centennial goalie Mackenna Stoterau to put Breck ahead.
The lead would hold up when Cole pulled Stoterau with 1:00 left for a sixth attacker and the Mustangs didn't increase their margin as time would expire.
Breck opened the season with a 1-0 record and will face the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:15 PM at The Rec Center in St. Louis Park. The Cougars opened the season 0-1 and will also be in action on the 13th as they host Champlin Park/Coon Rapids at 7 PM at the Centennial Sports Arena in Circle Pines.
Monday, October 29, 2018
2018-19 Winter Sports Season Begins With Girls Hockey Practice
As the weather gets chillier, boys and girls soccer teams via for a state title, football heads into Section Final Friday and the winter sports season begins throughout Minnesota with the first day of girls hockey practice.
The defending Class A champion Breck Mustangs will have a new leader behind the bench as head coach Ronda Englehardt stepped down. Keith Radloff, who was a co-coach with Steve Persian last season at Orono will serve as the interim head coach. The Mustangs open the regular season hosting the Centennial Cougars on Saturday, November 10 at 3 PM at the Anderson Ice Arena. The Cougars will also have a new coach in David Cole, who replaced Kristi King who is now an assistant coach for the University of St. Thomas women's hockey team.
As for the defending Class AA champion Edina Hornets, their first two games will be on the road, starting on Thursday, December 8 at Andover at 7:30 PM. They will head to Hopkins on Tuesday, November 13 for the first of two meetings with the perennial power Blake Bears. The two teams will battle again at Braemar Arena in Edina Friday, January 18. Both game times are 7 PM. They could be a preview of the Section 6AA final on February 15.
You might want to bundle up for Hopkins/Park's season opener since they will be playing on the outdoor rink at the Rec Center in St. Louis Park on Saturday, November 10 against the Orono Spartans at 4 PM. Hopkins/Park will also have a new coach in Ryan St. Martin, who replaced Chris Erickson.
Looking at the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights, they will play a tough nonconference schedule that starts with Breck on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:15 at the Rec Center. Other early season opponents include Minnetonka, Edina, Eden Prairie and Blake.
Come November, the excitement begins in Minnesota girls high school en route to section play and the state tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul in February.
The defending Class A champion Breck Mustangs will have a new leader behind the bench as head coach Ronda Englehardt stepped down. Keith Radloff, who was a co-coach with Steve Persian last season at Orono will serve as the interim head coach. The Mustangs open the regular season hosting the Centennial Cougars on Saturday, November 10 at 3 PM at the Anderson Ice Arena. The Cougars will also have a new coach in David Cole, who replaced Kristi King who is now an assistant coach for the University of St. Thomas women's hockey team.
As for the defending Class AA champion Edina Hornets, their first two games will be on the road, starting on Thursday, December 8 at Andover at 7:30 PM. They will head to Hopkins on Tuesday, November 13 for the first of two meetings with the perennial power Blake Bears. The two teams will battle again at Braemar Arena in Edina Friday, January 18. Both game times are 7 PM. They could be a preview of the Section 6AA final on February 15.
You might want to bundle up for Hopkins/Park's season opener since they will be playing on the outdoor rink at the Rec Center in St. Louis Park on Saturday, November 10 against the Orono Spartans at 4 PM. Hopkins/Park will also have a new coach in Ryan St. Martin, who replaced Chris Erickson.
Looking at the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights, they will play a tough nonconference schedule that starts with Breck on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:15 at the Rec Center. Other early season opponents include Minnetonka, Edina, Eden Prairie and Blake.
Come November, the excitement begins in Minnesota girls high school en route to section play and the state tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul in February.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
No Hope in New Hope
There will be a new champion in Section 5AAAAA Football this season as Nascier Borden scored three touchdowns to lead the Cooper Hawks to a 35-7 win over the defending section champion St. Louis Park Orioles Saturday in New Hope.
The Hawks flew into the end zone twice in the first quarter. Trashawn McMillan set up the first score as he threw an 18 yard pass to Adrian Adams and Borden ran left for a 14 yard touchdown. The McMillan to Adams combination would also be a factor in Cooper's second touchdown. McMillan sent a deep 57 yard pass that was caught by Adams and the senior quarterback scored on a one yard keeper to give the Hawks a 14-0 lead.
McMillan would throw a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter. First, Borden's 40 yard run would set the stage for McMillan as he threw a 33 yard right side pass to Adams for his second touchdown of the game. The Cooper defense put quite a bit of pressure on St. Louis Park quarterback Aaron Ellingson as Justin Madison came close to a sack but Ellingson was called for intentional grounding. The Hawks would get the ball back and Borden would haul in a 26 yard pass from McMillan and Cooper led at halftime 28-0.
Cooper would get possession to start the second half and it was Borden who made his destination the end zone for the third time on the first play from scrimmage, scoring on a 58 yard run. Tobias Davenport would give the Orioles outstanding field position as he returned the kickoff to the Hawks 21 yard line but when Ellingson aimed for the end zone, his pass was intercepted by Rashsawn Ketin. He got the ball into St. Louis Park territory but it was called back due to a penalty. The Oriole defense would be a bright sport in the third quarter as Armando Morelli sacked McMillan and Adam Bauer came up with an interception. But Cooper would get the ball back on a pick from Pedro Amoussou. Things were starting to get testy on the Hawks sideline as a fight broke out but it looked like nobody was ejected.
There would be some good news for St. Louis Park in the fourth quarter but it would come late in the game as Sajid Nathim scampered down the left side and scored on a 37 yard run with :03 left to avoid the shutout.
The Hawks improved their record to 8-1 and will host the Spring Lake Park Panthers in the section final on Friday, November 2 at 7 PM. The Panthers clinched their championship berth with a 26-17 win over the Irondale Knights. The Orioles concluded their season with a 5-5 record.
The Hawks flew into the end zone twice in the first quarter. Trashawn McMillan set up the first score as he threw an 18 yard pass to Adrian Adams and Borden ran left for a 14 yard touchdown. The McMillan to Adams combination would also be a factor in Cooper's second touchdown. McMillan sent a deep 57 yard pass that was caught by Adams and the senior quarterback scored on a one yard keeper to give the Hawks a 14-0 lead.
McMillan would throw a pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter. First, Borden's 40 yard run would set the stage for McMillan as he threw a 33 yard right side pass to Adams for his second touchdown of the game. The Cooper defense put quite a bit of pressure on St. Louis Park quarterback Aaron Ellingson as Justin Madison came close to a sack but Ellingson was called for intentional grounding. The Hawks would get the ball back and Borden would haul in a 26 yard pass from McMillan and Cooper led at halftime 28-0.
Cooper would get possession to start the second half and it was Borden who made his destination the end zone for the third time on the first play from scrimmage, scoring on a 58 yard run. Tobias Davenport would give the Orioles outstanding field position as he returned the kickoff to the Hawks 21 yard line but when Ellingson aimed for the end zone, his pass was intercepted by Rashsawn Ketin. He got the ball into St. Louis Park territory but it was called back due to a penalty. The Oriole defense would be a bright sport in the third quarter as Armando Morelli sacked McMillan and Adam Bauer came up with an interception. But Cooper would get the ball back on a pick from Pedro Amoussou. Things were starting to get testy on the Hawks sideline as a fight broke out but it looked like nobody was ejected.
There would be some good news for St. Louis Park in the fourth quarter but it would come late in the game as Sajid Nathim scampered down the left side and scored on a 37 yard run with :03 left to avoid the shutout.
The Hawks improved their record to 8-1 and will host the Spring Lake Park Panthers in the section final on Friday, November 2 at 7 PM. The Panthers clinched their championship berth with a 26-17 win over the Irondale Knights. The Orioles concluded their season with a 5-5 record.
2018 Section 5AAAAA Football Semifinal Preview
It's Semifinal Saturday in Minnesota high school football and the St. Louis Park Orioles head up to New Hope as they battle the top seeded Cooper Hawks in the Section 5AAAAA semifinals. Also in action today is the third seeded Irondale Knights and the second seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers.
The Orioles broke open a back and forth quarterfinal game as they scored 35 unanswered points to beat the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers 49-21. It was a big night for junior quarterback Aaron Ellingson as he ran for two touchdowns and passed for three more that also include 52 and 59 yard passes to Cole Ewald. The St. Louis Park defense also had an outstanding game as they held Southwest's leading rusher TK Marshall to 27 yards.
As for the Hawks, they had a first round bye so they had time to regroup after losing their final regular season game to the Knights on October 17 41-13. Cooper and St. Louis Park battled on September 7 in St. Louis Park as Nascier Borden ran for 217 yards and three touchdowns to rout the Orioles 42-17. It will be the third meeting between the two schools in almost a year. Last season, they played in the section final when St. Louis Park upset Cooper to earn their first state tournament berth. Game time is 5 PM.
In the second semifinal game, the third seeded Irondale Knights will go to Spring Lake Park for a 2 PM game with the second seeded Panthers. Irondale advanced to the semifinals with a 42-22 win over the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates. Irondale is led by running back Parker Freiberg, who ran for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Knights quarterfinal win. It will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Panthers since the season opener August 31 where Spring Lake Park beat Irondale 35-13. The Panthers had an outstanding rushing attack against the Knights as they ran for 383 yards. Derric Bergman ran for 135 and three touchdowns. He would have two other games where he turned the touchdown hat trick. They were October 5 against the North St. Paul Polars and October 17 against the Forest Lake Rangers. The Knights will have to play solid defense to stop the Panthers ground game.
Get ready for a couple of outstanding section semifinal games.
The Orioles broke open a back and forth quarterfinal game as they scored 35 unanswered points to beat the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers 49-21. It was a big night for junior quarterback Aaron Ellingson as he ran for two touchdowns and passed for three more that also include 52 and 59 yard passes to Cole Ewald. The St. Louis Park defense also had an outstanding game as they held Southwest's leading rusher TK Marshall to 27 yards.
As for the Hawks, they had a first round bye so they had time to regroup after losing their final regular season game to the Knights on October 17 41-13. Cooper and St. Louis Park battled on September 7 in St. Louis Park as Nascier Borden ran for 217 yards and three touchdowns to rout the Orioles 42-17. It will be the third meeting between the two schools in almost a year. Last season, they played in the section final when St. Louis Park upset Cooper to earn their first state tournament berth. Game time is 5 PM.
In the second semifinal game, the third seeded Irondale Knights will go to Spring Lake Park for a 2 PM game with the second seeded Panthers. Irondale advanced to the semifinals with a 42-22 win over the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates. Irondale is led by running back Parker Freiberg, who ran for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Knights quarterfinal win. It will be the first meeting between the Knights and the Panthers since the season opener August 31 where Spring Lake Park beat Irondale 35-13. The Panthers had an outstanding rushing attack against the Knights as they ran for 383 yards. Derric Bergman ran for 135 and three touchdowns. He would have two other games where he turned the touchdown hat trick. They were October 5 against the North St. Paul Polars and October 17 against the Forest Lake Rangers. The Knights will have to play solid defense to stop the Panthers ground game.
Get ready for a couple of outstanding section semifinal games.
Monday, October 22, 2018
2018 Section 5AAAAA Football Tournament Preview
Many teams throughout Minnesota begin the Road to the Prep Bowl Tuesday as section play gets underway in high school football. The fourth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles open up Section 5AAAAA quarterfinal play as they host the fifth seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers in a 7 PM game. Here is a preview of Section 5AAAAA.
St. Louis Park opens up section play on a two game winning streak after dropping a pair of road games to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and the Orono Spartans. Last Wednesday, the Orioles drubbed the DeLaSalle Islanders 51-13. Akili Farris took two kickoff returns into the end zone. They will need to continue their momentum against the Lakers and play strong defense.
Looking at the Lakers, they enter section play with a 3-5 record. They were routed by the combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake, the SMB Wolfpack 42-14. SMB is the top seeded in Section 5AAAA that also includes defending state champion Holy Angels and Providence Academy. As for Mpls. Southwest, they have been playing .500 football since they started the season 1-3. The Lakers are a predominately running team led by TK Marshall, who rushed for a season high 249 yards against Minneapolis Washburn on October 12. Marshall is 10 yards away from the 1000 yard mark and he is very likely to surpass it against the Orioles.
The winner will head up to New Hope on Saturday, October 27 to take on the top seeded Cooper Hawks. The Hawks lost their first regular season game since 2016 last Wednesday to the Irondale Knights but they still got the number one seed. Cooper is led by quarterback Trashawn Marshall and running back Nascier Borden. Jerrell Smith-Shannon, Aki Mulbah and Charles Washington anchor the Hawk defense. Should St. Louis Park win on Tuesday, it will be a rematch of the September 7 game where the Hawks routed the Orioles 42-14. Borden ran for 217 yards and scored three touchdowns. Will there be hope in New Hope as Cooper looks to win the section title trophy?
Over to the lower bracket as the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates head down I-694 to face the third seeded Irondale Knights. The Pirates have gone through rough waters as they take a four game losing streak into section play. In their last four games, they have been outscored 170-17. It won't get easier against the Knights, who pulled off the upset last Wednesday with a 41-13 win over the Cooper Hawks. The big story of the game was running back Parker Freiberg, who rushed for 278 yards. In the game against Park Center on September 28, Freiberg reached the end zone twice and ran for 147 yards in a 65-0 rout.
Waiting in the wings for Saturday's semifinals is the second seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers. If the Knights and Panthers battle on the 27th, it will be a rematch of the season opener where Spring Lake Park beat Irondale 35-13. Derric Bergman scored three touchdowns and ran for 135 yards. The Panthers are a team with outstanding backfield depth and they could wear down the Knights defense. Zach Dubar and Brian Orellana-Lopez have also contributed to Spring Lake Park's success. Dubar has run for seven touchdowns and Orellana-Lopez has crossed the goal line six times. Two years ago, the Panthers played in the Class AAAAA title game and lost to the Elk River Elks. Don't count out Spring Lake Park, They could head into a potential section final with Cooper on Friday, November 2. It could be a big one.
St. Louis Park opens up section play on a two game winning streak after dropping a pair of road games to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and the Orono Spartans. Last Wednesday, the Orioles drubbed the DeLaSalle Islanders 51-13. Akili Farris took two kickoff returns into the end zone. They will need to continue their momentum against the Lakers and play strong defense.
Looking at the Lakers, they enter section play with a 3-5 record. They were routed by the combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake, the SMB Wolfpack 42-14. SMB is the top seeded in Section 5AAAA that also includes defending state champion Holy Angels and Providence Academy. As for Mpls. Southwest, they have been playing .500 football since they started the season 1-3. The Lakers are a predominately running team led by TK Marshall, who rushed for a season high 249 yards against Minneapolis Washburn on October 12. Marshall is 10 yards away from the 1000 yard mark and he is very likely to surpass it against the Orioles.
The winner will head up to New Hope on Saturday, October 27 to take on the top seeded Cooper Hawks. The Hawks lost their first regular season game since 2016 last Wednesday to the Irondale Knights but they still got the number one seed. Cooper is led by quarterback Trashawn Marshall and running back Nascier Borden. Jerrell Smith-Shannon, Aki Mulbah and Charles Washington anchor the Hawk defense. Should St. Louis Park win on Tuesday, it will be a rematch of the September 7 game where the Hawks routed the Orioles 42-14. Borden ran for 217 yards and scored three touchdowns. Will there be hope in New Hope as Cooper looks to win the section title trophy?
Over to the lower bracket as the sixth seeded Park Center Pirates head down I-694 to face the third seeded Irondale Knights. The Pirates have gone through rough waters as they take a four game losing streak into section play. In their last four games, they have been outscored 170-17. It won't get easier against the Knights, who pulled off the upset last Wednesday with a 41-13 win over the Cooper Hawks. The big story of the game was running back Parker Freiberg, who rushed for 278 yards. In the game against Park Center on September 28, Freiberg reached the end zone twice and ran for 147 yards in a 65-0 rout.
Waiting in the wings for Saturday's semifinals is the second seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers. If the Knights and Panthers battle on the 27th, it will be a rematch of the season opener where Spring Lake Park beat Irondale 35-13. Derric Bergman scored three touchdowns and ran for 135 yards. The Panthers are a team with outstanding backfield depth and they could wear down the Knights defense. Zach Dubar and Brian Orellana-Lopez have also contributed to Spring Lake Park's success. Dubar has run for seven touchdowns and Orellana-Lopez has crossed the goal line six times. Two years ago, the Panthers played in the Class AAAAA title game and lost to the Elk River Elks. Don't count out Spring Lake Park, They could head into a potential section final with Cooper on Friday, November 2. It could be a big one.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
DeLaSalle Demolition
Wednesday night was Senior Night for the St. Louis Park Orioles football team and one of the 13 seniors honored in a pregame ceremony, Akili Farris had a big night as he scored three touchdowns to lead the Orioles to a 51-13 rout of the DeLaSalle Islanders.
Farris would be a factor in the first St. Louis Park touchdown as he scored on a 11 yard run up the middle. The Orioles would get the ball back following a McCabe Dvorak interception and Sajid Nathim would cash in on a 22 yard run that would spot the ball at the Islander one yard line and a one yard run that put their lead at 14.
It looked like Nathim would score his second touchdown as the Orioles lined up in a split T formation but it was called back because of an illegal shift penalty. Milkaso Dedefo, who made some outstanding tackles on defense, also excelled on offense as he caught a nine yard pass from quarterback Aaron Ellingson to extend the lead to 21. The news would be better for Nathim as he bulldozed his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and St. Louis Park led at halftime 28-0.
Heading into the third quarter, St. Louis Park also would score on defense as Tobias Davenport intercepted a James Pfarr pass and scampered 42 yards for a touchdown. The Islanders were close to their own goal line and they backed in on a holding penalty that would award the Orioles a safety. St. Louis Park would get another shot on offense and Farris would take the kickoff and trample down the field 60 yards to increase the lead to 44-0.
There would be good news for DeLaSalle fans who made the trip from Minneapolis. Julian Wright, who scored a pair of touchdowns last Friday on big runs, caught a six yard touchdown pass from Pfarr and that would end the Oriole shut out. Defense would prevail once again for St. Louis Park as Dedefo would block the extra point. Though the game was now in running time due the large margin in the fourth quarter, it would be "Dueling Kickoff Returns" on this chilly Wednesday night. The Orioles would score on Farris' 79 yard return and the Islanders on the next play would get an 83 yard return from Wright to conclude the scoring.
St. Louis Park ended the regular season at 4-4 and DeLaSalle concluded their campaign with a 3-5 record. Both teams head into section play on Tuesday, October 23.
Farris would be a factor in the first St. Louis Park touchdown as he scored on a 11 yard run up the middle. The Orioles would get the ball back following a McCabe Dvorak interception and Sajid Nathim would cash in on a 22 yard run that would spot the ball at the Islander one yard line and a one yard run that put their lead at 14.
It looked like Nathim would score his second touchdown as the Orioles lined up in a split T formation but it was called back because of an illegal shift penalty. Milkaso Dedefo, who made some outstanding tackles on defense, also excelled on offense as he caught a nine yard pass from quarterback Aaron Ellingson to extend the lead to 21. The news would be better for Nathim as he bulldozed his way into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game and St. Louis Park led at halftime 28-0.
Heading into the third quarter, St. Louis Park also would score on defense as Tobias Davenport intercepted a James Pfarr pass and scampered 42 yards for a touchdown. The Islanders were close to their own goal line and they backed in on a holding penalty that would award the Orioles a safety. St. Louis Park would get another shot on offense and Farris would take the kickoff and trample down the field 60 yards to increase the lead to 44-0.
There would be good news for DeLaSalle fans who made the trip from Minneapolis. Julian Wright, who scored a pair of touchdowns last Friday on big runs, caught a six yard touchdown pass from Pfarr and that would end the Oriole shut out. Defense would prevail once again for St. Louis Park as Dedefo would block the extra point. Though the game was now in running time due the large margin in the fourth quarter, it would be "Dueling Kickoff Returns" on this chilly Wednesday night. The Orioles would score on Farris' 79 yard return and the Islanders on the next play would get an 83 yard return from Wright to conclude the scoring.
St. Louis Park ended the regular season at 4-4 and DeLaSalle concluded their campaign with a 3-5 record. Both teams head into section play on Tuesday, October 23.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
SLP Orioles Close Out Regular Season Aganist DeLaSalle Islanders
The 2018 Minnesota high school football regular season concludes Wednesday night as the St. Louis Park Orioles host the DeLaSalle Islanders.
If you missed last Friday night's St. Louis Park-Irondale football game, you missed a classic finish. The score was tied 28-28 going into overtime and the Orioles got the ball first. On the first play from scrimmage at the 10 yard line, Sajid Nathim ran the ball into the end zone. The Knights had a chance to tie or even win the game but Parker Freiberg was stopped short of the goal line and it resulted in a St. Louis Park victory 35-28. Nathim ran for three touchdowns and 90 yards. Quarterback Aaron Ellingson had 243 total yards. He had 146 passing yards and 97 rushing. He will need to have a solid game to beat the Islanders.
As for the Islanders, they enter the regular season finale with an identical record of 3-4. Last Friday night, DeLaSalle was beaten by the Orono Spartans 48-30. The bright spot for the Islanders was Julian Wright, who scored a 90 yard touchdown run in the first quarter and wrapped up the scoring in the fourth with a 79 yard score. He also reached the end zone on a touchdown pass from quarterback James Pfarr. The Islanders has some athletic players on their roster and the Oriole defense will have to slow them down in order to get a good seed going into next Tuesday's section tournament.
Who will finish the season with at least a .500 record? Find out Wednesday night. The weather picture calls for chilly weather in the 40s so once again please bundle up. Game time is 7 PM.
Wayzata Trojans Win Section 6AA Championship
Call them giant killers. Three days after a double overtime win against the top seeded Minneapolis Washburn Millers, the fifth seeded Wayzata Trojans beat another top seeded team, the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles after the host Orioles own goal with 1:36 left in overtime that led them to a 1-0 win in the Section 6AA Boys Soccer Championship Game Tuesday night.
The two teams opened the regular season on August 25 with Wayzata and St. Louis Park playing to a 1-1 tie. But this time it would be for a trip to next week's state tournament.
Neither team would erase the zeros from the scoreboard in 80 minutes of regulation time. Both teams goalkeepers, Perrin King of the Trojans and Leo Finley of the Orioles made some outstanding saves. The game would then proceed to overtime. It looked like there would be a second 10 minute overtime period but when Finley played way out of the net, Cole Beaton tried to save the ball from entering and it deflected off him after a shot by Ogle with 1:36 left in overtime at the celebration began for Wayzata.
The Trojans improved their record to 9-4-5 and advanced to the state boys Class AA soccer tournament next week. Time, site and opponent to be determined. The Orioles ended their season with a record of 14-2-1.
The two teams opened the regular season on August 25 with Wayzata and St. Louis Park playing to a 1-1 tie. But this time it would be for a trip to next week's state tournament.
Neither team would erase the zeros from the scoreboard in 80 minutes of regulation time. Both teams goalkeepers, Perrin King of the Trojans and Leo Finley of the Orioles made some outstanding saves. The game would then proceed to overtime. It looked like there would be a second 10 minute overtime period but when Finley played way out of the net, Cole Beaton tried to save the ball from entering and it deflected off him after a shot by Ogle with 1:36 left in overtime at the celebration began for Wayzata.
The Trojans improved their record to 9-4-5 and advanced to the state boys Class AA soccer tournament next week. Time, site and opponent to be determined. The Orioles ended their season with a record of 14-2-1.
Saturday, October 13, 2018
SLP Orioles Advance to Section 6AA Final
Though Zinedine Kroeten was not in the starting lineup, he came off the bench in the first half and made a strong presence in the second as he scored the game winning goal with 3:42 left in regulation time to lead the host St. Louis Park Orioles to a 2-1 win over the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles in the Section 6AA Boys Soccer semifinals Saturday afternoon.
The two teams met at St. Louis Park September 17 with the Orioles coming away with a 4-1 victory.
The Eagles, coming off a quarterfinal upset over the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers would look like the Kardiac Kids in the first as they would take the lead on Erik Cardoso's rebound goal that would give Kennedy a 1-0 halftime lead.
But there would be good news for the orange and black clad fans who were bundled up on this frigid Saturday. Randy Mayele would even the score on a header. Just when you thought there would be another overtime game, Kroeten would clinch St. Louis Park's section final berth as he got a pass from Sam Diamond near the center slot and he lined it to the net with 3:42 left to go.
The Orioles improved their record to 14-1-1 and will play the Wayzata Trojans on Tuesday, October 16 at 5 PM. The Trojans defeated the top seeded Mpls. Washburn Millers 2-1 in double overtime. The Eagles ended their five game winning streak to conclude their season at 10-7-1.
The two teams met at St. Louis Park September 17 with the Orioles coming away with a 4-1 victory.
The Eagles, coming off a quarterfinal upset over the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers would look like the Kardiac Kids in the first as they would take the lead on Erik Cardoso's rebound goal that would give Kennedy a 1-0 halftime lead.
But there would be good news for the orange and black clad fans who were bundled up on this frigid Saturday. Randy Mayele would even the score on a header. Just when you thought there would be another overtime game, Kroeten would clinch St. Louis Park's section final berth as he got a pass from Sam Diamond near the center slot and he lined it to the net with 3:42 left to go.
The Orioles improved their record to 14-1-1 and will play the Wayzata Trojans on Tuesday, October 16 at 5 PM. The Trojans defeated the top seeded Mpls. Washburn Millers 2-1 in double overtime. The Eagles ended their five game winning streak to conclude their season at 10-7-1.
Friday, October 12, 2018
First Play in Overtime Pays Off for SLP Orioles
One week after losing to the Orono Spartans in overtime, the St. Louis Park Orioles football team had another overtime affair as Sajid Nathim's 10 yard run on St. Louis Park's first possession led them to a 35-28 win over the Irondale Knights in their first home game since September 28.
Nahim would open the scoring for the Orioles in the first quarter with a pair of touchdowns. His first would come on a five yard run. The Orioles would get a break after quarterback Aaron Ellingson's pass was intercepted by Jack Olson and it looked like it would be a touchdown but it was called back due to a roughing the passer penalty on the Knights. The Orioles got the ball back and Nathim would cash in from 20 yards to put St. Louis Park ahead 14-0.
In the second quarter, the Knights would strike back to tie the game at 14 as Aden price hauled in a couple of touchdown passes. The first was on a four yard slant pass and the second was on a five yard completion toward the right pylon. St. Louis Park had a chance to regain the lead but Trevor Bauer's field goal attempt was block as time expired.
Both teams would tally in the third quarter. Parker Freiberg would reach the end zone on a nine yard run for Irondale and St. Louis Park would get the equalizer on Ellingson's 59 yard pass to Tobias Davenport. The junior would break several Knight tackles and the touchdown would stand after an Irondale face mask penalty. The score was even at 21.
The Orioles would regain the lead on Ellingson's one yard run. But wait. The Knights would shine once again as Freiberg, who broke the 1000 yard mark on this chilly Friday night, scored his second touchdown of the game on a 47 yard run down the left sideline. Irondale had a chance to win the game in regulation time but St. Louis Park's McCabe Dvorak intercepted Leighton Glodek's pass with :21.3 left and for the second straight game, there would be overtime.
All it took for the Orioles was one play and it would be Nathim who would score his third touchdown of the game. The Knights had their shot from the 10 yard line and they came up short as Freiberg was stopped near the goal line.
Freiberg ran 30 times for 192 yards, giving him a total of 1007 this season.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday, October 17 at 7 PM. The Orioles improved their record to 3-4 and host the DeLaSalle Islanders and the Knights fell to 5-2 and host a crucial game with the Cooper Hawks. It could have implications on seeding for the Section 3AAAAA playoffs, which begin Tuesday, October 23.
Nahim would open the scoring for the Orioles in the first quarter with a pair of touchdowns. His first would come on a five yard run. The Orioles would get a break after quarterback Aaron Ellingson's pass was intercepted by Jack Olson and it looked like it would be a touchdown but it was called back due to a roughing the passer penalty on the Knights. The Orioles got the ball back and Nathim would cash in from 20 yards to put St. Louis Park ahead 14-0.
In the second quarter, the Knights would strike back to tie the game at 14 as Aden price hauled in a couple of touchdown passes. The first was on a four yard slant pass and the second was on a five yard completion toward the right pylon. St. Louis Park had a chance to regain the lead but Trevor Bauer's field goal attempt was block as time expired.
Both teams would tally in the third quarter. Parker Freiberg would reach the end zone on a nine yard run for Irondale and St. Louis Park would get the equalizer on Ellingson's 59 yard pass to Tobias Davenport. The junior would break several Knight tackles and the touchdown would stand after an Irondale face mask penalty. The score was even at 21.
The Orioles would regain the lead on Ellingson's one yard run. But wait. The Knights would shine once again as Freiberg, who broke the 1000 yard mark on this chilly Friday night, scored his second touchdown of the game on a 47 yard run down the left sideline. Irondale had a chance to win the game in regulation time but St. Louis Park's McCabe Dvorak intercepted Leighton Glodek's pass with :21.3 left and for the second straight game, there would be overtime.
All it took for the Orioles was one play and it would be Nathim who would score his third touchdown of the game. The Knights had their shot from the 10 yard line and they came up short as Freiberg was stopped near the goal line.
Freiberg ran 30 times for 192 yards, giving him a total of 1007 this season.
Both teams return to action on Wednesday, October 17 at 7 PM. The Orioles improved their record to 3-4 and host the DeLaSalle Islanders and the Knights fell to 5-2 and host a crucial game with the Cooper Hawks. It could have implications on seeding for the Section 3AAAAA playoffs, which begin Tuesday, October 23.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Riley's Overtime Goal Sends SLP Orioles into Semifinals
On a frigid Thursday night in St. Louis Park, the Section 6AA boys soccer quarterfinals took place between the seventh seeded Minneapolis South Tigers and the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles that would be be scoreless until Nick Riley's goal with 3:28 in overtime that led the Orioles to a 1-0 win over the Tigers.
Neither team would tally in the first half. The start of the second half would be delayed due to a tripped circuit breaker that darkened the visitor's side of the stadium. The second half would go on but without any power in the center light standard between the team's benches. Defense would prevail as Mpls. South played tight defense on the Orioles. St. Louis Park had a chance to win the game in regulation time but Alex Ruiz-Shimada's shout bounced off the crossbar. On to overtime.
The good news would be that the fans wouldn't have to sit in the freezing cold bleachers for a long overtime period. The Orioles controlled the ball for much of the period and it resulted in Riley lining a shot that ricocheted off the left goal post and into the net. And the celebration began.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 13-1-1 and will host the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles in the semifinals Saturday, October 13 at 1 PM. The sixth seeded Eagles advanced with a 1-0 upset victory over the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. The second semifinal game will pit the Wayzata Trojans at the Minneapolis Washburn Millers, also a 1 PM start. The Trojans beat the Armstrong Falcons 4-1 and the Millers had no problem with the Richfield Spartans as they dominated the game with an 8-0 win.
Minneapolis South ended their season with a record of 4-8-1.
Neither team would tally in the first half. The start of the second half would be delayed due to a tripped circuit breaker that darkened the visitor's side of the stadium. The second half would go on but without any power in the center light standard between the team's benches. Defense would prevail as Mpls. South played tight defense on the Orioles. St. Louis Park had a chance to win the game in regulation time but Alex Ruiz-Shimada's shout bounced off the crossbar. On to overtime.
The good news would be that the fans wouldn't have to sit in the freezing cold bleachers for a long overtime period. The Orioles controlled the ball for much of the period and it resulted in Riley lining a shot that ricocheted off the left goal post and into the net. And the celebration began.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 13-1-1 and will host the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles in the semifinals Saturday, October 13 at 1 PM. The sixth seeded Eagles advanced with a 1-0 upset victory over the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. The second semifinal game will pit the Wayzata Trojans at the Minneapolis Washburn Millers, also a 1 PM start. The Trojans beat the Armstrong Falcons 4-1 and the Millers had no problem with the Richfield Spartans as they dominated the game with an 8-0 win.
Minneapolis South ended their season with a record of 4-8-1.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Irondale Knights-SLP Orioles Football Preview
To quote a hit song by John Denver, "It's good to be back home again" would be fitting for the St. Louis Park Orioles football team who return to the stadium Friday night after losing two road games to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and the Orono Spartans. They will battle one of the top teams in their section the Ironedale Knights.
Last Friday, there was good news and bad news for the Orioles. The good news was that quarterback Aaron Ellingson threw two touchdown passes and running back Sajid Nathim ran for 159 yards and caught one of Ellingson's touchdown passes. The bad news is that they couldn't stop the Orono Spartans top receiver Jimmy Buck, who scored the tying touchdown with 1:17 left in regulation time and caught an eight yard pass from Nick Prentice in overtime that led Orono to a 20-14 win that dropped St. Louis Park to a 2-4 record. The Orioles will need to have an outstanding game from Ellingson and Nathim and the defense has to shut down the Knights offense.
As for the Knights, the maroon and gold armor has been shining bright in New Brighton as Irondale enters the game with a 5-1 record. Last week, the Knights traveled to Mendota Heights and held off the Henry Sibley Warriors 41-27. Irondale was led by running back Parker Freiberg who also ran for 159 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. The senior running back has broken the 100 yard mark in all but the opening game of the season against the Spring Lake Park Panthers. He has 815 rushing yards and needs 185 to reach 1000 for the season. But the Knights offense is not all Freiberg, There's also quarterback Leighton Glodek who has thrown six touchdown passes in 2018 and wide receiver Aden Price who has reached the end zone five times. Taj Best and Joshua Apperson anchor the Knights defense.
A caveat for those who plan on attending the game. The weather picture calls for a temperature of 44 degrees Friday night. Bundle up. Game time is 7 PM.
Last Friday, there was good news and bad news for the Orioles. The good news was that quarterback Aaron Ellingson threw two touchdown passes and running back Sajid Nathim ran for 159 yards and caught one of Ellingson's touchdown passes. The bad news is that they couldn't stop the Orono Spartans top receiver Jimmy Buck, who scored the tying touchdown with 1:17 left in regulation time and caught an eight yard pass from Nick Prentice in overtime that led Orono to a 20-14 win that dropped St. Louis Park to a 2-4 record. The Orioles will need to have an outstanding game from Ellingson and Nathim and the defense has to shut down the Knights offense.
As for the Knights, the maroon and gold armor has been shining bright in New Brighton as Irondale enters the game with a 5-1 record. Last week, the Knights traveled to Mendota Heights and held off the Henry Sibley Warriors 41-27. Irondale was led by running back Parker Freiberg who also ran for 159 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns. The senior running back has broken the 100 yard mark in all but the opening game of the season against the Spring Lake Park Panthers. He has 815 rushing yards and needs 185 to reach 1000 for the season. But the Knights offense is not all Freiberg, There's also quarterback Leighton Glodek who has thrown six touchdown passes in 2018 and wide receiver Aden Price who has reached the end zone five times. Taj Best and Joshua Apperson anchor the Knights defense.
A caveat for those who plan on attending the game. The weather picture calls for a temperature of 44 degrees Friday night. Bundle up. Game time is 7 PM.
Monday, October 8, 2018
2018 Section 6AA Boys Soccer Tournament Preview
A rematch of last Saturday's Minneapolis Washburn-St. Louis Park could take place since both school are the top two seeds in the Section 6AA boys Soccer Tournament. Here's a preview of the quarterfinal field.
Before the Millers play their quarterfinal game on Thursday, October 11, there will be a play-in game between the ninth seeded Richfield Spartans and the eighth seeded Hopkins Royals. The Royals have tied five times this season and head into the tournament following a scoreless tie in their regular season finale against the Waconia Wildcats. As for the Spartans, they have lost three of their last four games. The winner will go against the Millers, who have been the number one team in Class AA soccer most of the season before they were defeated by the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers on October 4. Washburn has a couple of key nonconference win over the Edina Hornets and the Stillwater Ponies. They play outstanding defense and are one of the favorites to win the section title.
It will "The Battle of Plymouth" as the fifth seeded Wayzata Trojans head up Highway 169 to face the Armstrong Falcons. The Trojans also have five ties this season, two of them to Hopkins and one to St. Louis Park. They will go up against a red hot Armstrong team that concluded their season on a six game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 14-3. This should be an interesting match up.
Now to the lower bracket as the sixth seed Bloomington Kennedy Eagles take on the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. It's a game that can go either way since both teams enter section play on winning streaks. The Eagles have won four straight games and the Lakers are on a five game winning streak, including the win over Washburn. Southwest is a high scoring that has scored more than 10 goals in three games this season. Defense will be a factor for both teams. The Lakers only loss against a section opponent was on September 6 when they were defeated 5-1 by Washburn. Can the Lakers stay hot or will the Eagles pull the upset?
Concluding the quarterfinals is the seventh seeded Minneapolis South Tigers and the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles. The Tigers have lost five of their last six games with the lone win a 7-0 shut out of Mpls. Henry/North. As for the Orioles, they went into the final day of the regular season on a 13 game unbeaten streak before losing to Washburn 2-1 in overtime. The key to the Orioles success has been a team oriented style of play where there are no stars. It's a team they relies on outstanding passing and stellar defense. Don't count out St. Louis Park as a favorite to bring home the championship trophy.
Those are the pairings for the boys and girls 6AA sections. Plenty of exciting soccer action coming up.
Before the Millers play their quarterfinal game on Thursday, October 11, there will be a play-in game between the ninth seeded Richfield Spartans and the eighth seeded Hopkins Royals. The Royals have tied five times this season and head into the tournament following a scoreless tie in their regular season finale against the Waconia Wildcats. As for the Spartans, they have lost three of their last four games. The winner will go against the Millers, who have been the number one team in Class AA soccer most of the season before they were defeated by the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers on October 4. Washburn has a couple of key nonconference win over the Edina Hornets and the Stillwater Ponies. They play outstanding defense and are one of the favorites to win the section title.
It will "The Battle of Plymouth" as the fifth seeded Wayzata Trojans head up Highway 169 to face the Armstrong Falcons. The Trojans also have five ties this season, two of them to Hopkins and one to St. Louis Park. They will go up against a red hot Armstrong team that concluded their season on a six game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 14-3. This should be an interesting match up.
Now to the lower bracket as the sixth seed Bloomington Kennedy Eagles take on the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. It's a game that can go either way since both teams enter section play on winning streaks. The Eagles have won four straight games and the Lakers are on a five game winning streak, including the win over Washburn. Southwest is a high scoring that has scored more than 10 goals in three games this season. Defense will be a factor for both teams. The Lakers only loss against a section opponent was on September 6 when they were defeated 5-1 by Washburn. Can the Lakers stay hot or will the Eagles pull the upset?
Concluding the quarterfinals is the seventh seeded Minneapolis South Tigers and the second seeded St. Louis Park Orioles. The Tigers have lost five of their last six games with the lone win a 7-0 shut out of Mpls. Henry/North. As for the Orioles, they went into the final day of the regular season on a 13 game unbeaten streak before losing to Washburn 2-1 in overtime. The key to the Orioles success has been a team oriented style of play where there are no stars. It's a team they relies on outstanding passing and stellar defense. Don't count out St. Louis Park as a favorite to bring home the championship trophy.
Those are the pairings for the boys and girls 6AA sections. Plenty of exciting soccer action coming up.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
2018 Section 6AA Girls Soccer Tournament Preview
The 2018 high school soccer regular season concluded last Saturday and the road to the state tournament begins Thursday, October 11 with the quarterfinals of the Section 6AA Girls Soccer Tournament. Here's a preview of the four quarterfinal games.
In the first game, the Minneapolis South Tigers will need to find a way to create scoring opportunities as they face one of the state's top teams, the top seeded Wayzata Trojans. Mpls. South's last four games have been decided by a 3-0 margin and they have lost three with the lone win coming against Mpls. Henry. As for the Trojans, they took third in last year's state Class AA tournament and head coach Tony Pesznecker has another outstanding team that won their first four games by a combined score of 14-0. Though Wayzata lost their final regular season game to the Blake Bears on October 4 1-0, they are the favorites to return to the state tournament.
The second upper bracket game will feature a rematch between a pair of Mpls. City Conference teams, the fifth seeded Mpls. Southwest Lakers and the fourth seeded Mpls. Washburn Millers. It will be the third meeting between the two schools. Washburn won the first game on September 4 1-0 and in the second meeting October 4, no balls went into the net as both teams played to a scoreless tie. It's a game that go either way or their could be a shootout to find out who will play Wayzata in the semifinals.
Now to the lower bracket where the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals ended a five game losing streak last Saturday with a 3-0 win over the Mpls. South Tigers. They will face the third seeded Armstrong Falcons who have won three of their last four games via shutout and lost their regular season finale to the Maple Grove Crimson. The Falcons are 1-2 against Section 6AA opponents with their only win against Southwest and the losses to Wayzata and Cretin-Derham Hall. Can they hit the .500 mark if they beat Hopkins?
Wrapping up the quarterfinal bracket is the seventh seeded St. Louis Park Orioles and the second seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The two teams played each other on August 29 with Cretin-Derham Hall defeating St. Louis Park 3-1. The Orioles got off to a slow start, losing their first three games before they shut out the Mpls. South Tigers 3-0 September 4. They would have a strong finish this season, including a stretch where they won three consecutive games by an identical 2-0 score. CDH has been on a roll, winning eiight of their last nine games. Can the Orioles pull off the upset or will the Raiders continue their hot run toward a possible showdown with Wayzata?
Next up, the 2018 Section 6AA Boys Soccer Tournament Preview
In the first game, the Minneapolis South Tigers will need to find a way to create scoring opportunities as they face one of the state's top teams, the top seeded Wayzata Trojans. Mpls. South's last four games have been decided by a 3-0 margin and they have lost three with the lone win coming against Mpls. Henry. As for the Trojans, they took third in last year's state Class AA tournament and head coach Tony Pesznecker has another outstanding team that won their first four games by a combined score of 14-0. Though Wayzata lost their final regular season game to the Blake Bears on October 4 1-0, they are the favorites to return to the state tournament.
The second upper bracket game will feature a rematch between a pair of Mpls. City Conference teams, the fifth seeded Mpls. Southwest Lakers and the fourth seeded Mpls. Washburn Millers. It will be the third meeting between the two schools. Washburn won the first game on September 4 1-0 and in the second meeting October 4, no balls went into the net as both teams played to a scoreless tie. It's a game that go either way or their could be a shootout to find out who will play Wayzata in the semifinals.
Now to the lower bracket where the sixth seeded Hopkins Royals ended a five game losing streak last Saturday with a 3-0 win over the Mpls. South Tigers. They will face the third seeded Armstrong Falcons who have won three of their last four games via shutout and lost their regular season finale to the Maple Grove Crimson. The Falcons are 1-2 against Section 6AA opponents with their only win against Southwest and the losses to Wayzata and Cretin-Derham Hall. Can they hit the .500 mark if they beat Hopkins?
Wrapping up the quarterfinal bracket is the seventh seeded St. Louis Park Orioles and the second seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. The two teams played each other on August 29 with Cretin-Derham Hall defeating St. Louis Park 3-1. The Orioles got off to a slow start, losing their first three games before they shut out the Mpls. South Tigers 3-0 September 4. They would have a strong finish this season, including a stretch where they won three consecutive games by an identical 2-0 score. CDH has been on a roll, winning eiight of their last nine games. Can the Orioles pull off the upset or will the Raiders continue their hot run toward a possible showdown with Wayzata?
Next up, the 2018 Section 6AA Boys Soccer Tournament Preview
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Minneapolis Washburn Millers Sweep SLP Orioles
It wasn't a wash out for the St. Louis Park Oriole soccer teams Saturday afternoon as both the girls and the boys teams lost to the Minneapolis Washburn Millers 2-1.
First up was the girls game where all the scoring was on the basis of free or penalty kicks as the Mpls. Washburn Millers beat the St. Louis Park Orioles 2-1
The Millers would strike first as Emily Kuhfuss lined a free kick past Oriole goalkeeper Sophia Romero that landed in the net, giving Washburn a 1-0 halftime lead.
The lead would increase to two when Cadence Kocanda would be awarded a free kick following a St. Louis Park foul. Going up against a five player Oriole wall, she would send the ball high, deep and into the goal. St. Louis Park would get on the scoreboard when Ellie Kent received a penalty kick and she would score with 6:10 to go in regulation time. That would wrap up the scoring as St. Louis Park didn't send the game into overtime.
Mpls. Washburn concluded their regular season with a record of 6-5-3 and St. Louis Park ended their regular season campaign with a 6-6-3 record.
The boys game would be the feature game on this chilly Saturday as the top ranked Millers got the game winning goal from Darley Florvil with 2:38 left in the second overtime to beat the fifth ranked Orioles 2-1.
Washburn would tally first as Sam Fritsch sent the ball up field and Nick Katzman would score to give the Millers a 1-0 halftime lead.
As the second half progressed, it looked like the Millers would hold on to a one goal lead even though they lost starting goalkeeper Ben Schliemann due to an injury and he would be replaced by Isaac Barnhill. Wrong. It would be Nick Riley who would send a liner past Barnhill that landed into the goal with 3:13 left to play in regulation time. The score would be 1-1 and on to overtime. In the second overtime, Florvil fired a shot from the center slot and he would score the game winner with 2:38 left to possibly clinch the top seed in next weeks Section 6AA tournament.
Mpls. Washburn ended their regular season with a record of 9-1-2. St. Louis Park snapped a 13 game unbeaten streak and fell to 12-1-1.
The Section 6AA boys and girls soccer tournaments get underway next week. Pairings will be determined following Sunday's seedings.
First up was the girls game where all the scoring was on the basis of free or penalty kicks as the Mpls. Washburn Millers beat the St. Louis Park Orioles 2-1
The Millers would strike first as Emily Kuhfuss lined a free kick past Oriole goalkeeper Sophia Romero that landed in the net, giving Washburn a 1-0 halftime lead.
The lead would increase to two when Cadence Kocanda would be awarded a free kick following a St. Louis Park foul. Going up against a five player Oriole wall, she would send the ball high, deep and into the goal. St. Louis Park would get on the scoreboard when Ellie Kent received a penalty kick and she would score with 6:10 to go in regulation time. That would wrap up the scoring as St. Louis Park didn't send the game into overtime.
Mpls. Washburn concluded their regular season with a record of 6-5-3 and St. Louis Park ended their regular season campaign with a 6-6-3 record.
The boys game would be the feature game on this chilly Saturday as the top ranked Millers got the game winning goal from Darley Florvil with 2:38 left in the second overtime to beat the fifth ranked Orioles 2-1.
Washburn would tally first as Sam Fritsch sent the ball up field and Nick Katzman would score to give the Millers a 1-0 halftime lead.
As the second half progressed, it looked like the Millers would hold on to a one goal lead even though they lost starting goalkeeper Ben Schliemann due to an injury and he would be replaced by Isaac Barnhill. Wrong. It would be Nick Riley who would send a liner past Barnhill that landed into the goal with 3:13 left to play in regulation time. The score would be 1-1 and on to overtime. In the second overtime, Florvil fired a shot from the center slot and he would score the game winner with 2:38 left to possibly clinch the top seed in next weeks Section 6AA tournament.
Mpls. Washburn ended their regular season with a record of 9-1-2. St. Louis Park snapped a 13 game unbeaten streak and fell to 12-1-1.
The Section 6AA boys and girls soccer tournaments get underway next week. Pairings will be determined following Sunday's seedings.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
SLP Orioles-Orono Spartans Football Preview
This week's St. Louis Park Oriole football preview is brought to you by the number two.
The St. Louis Park Orioles conclude a two game road trip as they try to end a two game losing streak against the Orono Spartans Friday night at 7 PM at Pesonen Stadium on the Orono High School campus. Both the Orioles and Spartans come into the game with identical 2-3 records.
Last Friday night, St. Louis Park battled their private school counterparts the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. There would be good news for Oriole fans in the first half as McCabe Dvorak hauled in a 15 yard touchdown pass from Aaron Ellingson and Sajid Nathim scored on an 11 yard run to put St. Louis Park ahead at halftime 13-7.
Unfortunately, there would be bad news for the orange and black as BSM would score 28 unanswered points in the second half to celebrate a Happy Homecoming with a 35-13 win. Red Knight quarterback Nick Peterson threw two touchdown passes and scored on a three yard run. BSM had two 100 yard rushers who also reached the end zone. Isaiah Smith ran for 130 yards and Will Petty accounted for 113.
The Orioles will need to have a better game from Ellingson, who completed 10 of 32 passes for 91 yards and play a strong defense against a potent Spartan offense.
As for the Spartans, they were shut out the fifth ranked team in Class AAAAA the Waconia Wildcats 26-0. Orono is led by quarterback Nick Prentice who had his worst game of the season last week completing four of 15 passes for 66 yards. It's the first time this season that he has thrown for under 200 yards. He also has sent 11 balls into the end zone. Also headlining the backfield is running back Fisher Eiss, who has 555 rushing yards including three games over 100 yards. Last week, the Wildcats put a "Gone Fishing" sign on Eiss as they held him to 16 yards rushing. He did catch a pass for 20 yards. Danny Striggow, Gus Hendeickson and Sam Wagner-Lund anchor a strong Spartan defense and they will need to shut down the Oriole offense.
If you plan on heading down I-394 toward Orono, be sure and bundle up. The weather picture for Friday night is cloudy and the temperature should be about 51 degrees. Who will hit the .500 mark after Friday night's game with two weeks left in the regular season?
The St. Louis Park Orioles conclude a two game road trip as they try to end a two game losing streak against the Orono Spartans Friday night at 7 PM at Pesonen Stadium on the Orono High School campus. Both the Orioles and Spartans come into the game with identical 2-3 records.
Last Friday night, St. Louis Park battled their private school counterparts the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. There would be good news for Oriole fans in the first half as McCabe Dvorak hauled in a 15 yard touchdown pass from Aaron Ellingson and Sajid Nathim scored on an 11 yard run to put St. Louis Park ahead at halftime 13-7.
Unfortunately, there would be bad news for the orange and black as BSM would score 28 unanswered points in the second half to celebrate a Happy Homecoming with a 35-13 win. Red Knight quarterback Nick Peterson threw two touchdown passes and scored on a three yard run. BSM had two 100 yard rushers who also reached the end zone. Isaiah Smith ran for 130 yards and Will Petty accounted for 113.
The Orioles will need to have a better game from Ellingson, who completed 10 of 32 passes for 91 yards and play a strong defense against a potent Spartan offense.
As for the Spartans, they were shut out the fifth ranked team in Class AAAAA the Waconia Wildcats 26-0. Orono is led by quarterback Nick Prentice who had his worst game of the season last week completing four of 15 passes for 66 yards. It's the first time this season that he has thrown for under 200 yards. He also has sent 11 balls into the end zone. Also headlining the backfield is running back Fisher Eiss, who has 555 rushing yards including three games over 100 yards. Last week, the Wildcats put a "Gone Fishing" sign on Eiss as they held him to 16 yards rushing. He did catch a pass for 20 yards. Danny Striggow, Gus Hendeickson and Sam Wagner-Lund anchor a strong Spartan defense and they will need to shut down the Oriole offense.
If you plan on heading down I-394 toward Orono, be sure and bundle up. The weather picture for Friday night is cloudy and the temperature should be about 51 degrees. Who will hit the .500 mark after Friday night's game with two weeks left in the regular season?
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Senior Night Success for SLP Oriole Girls Soccer
Tuesday night was Senior Night for the St. Louis Park girls soccer team and one of the honored seniors in a halftime ceremony Ellie Kent provided leadership with two goals to lead the Orioles to a 3-1 win over the Forest Lake Rangers.
Both teams would tally in the first half. The Orioles would strike first as Alma Beaton made a centering pass to Kent and she would put St. Louis Park ahead. The Rangers would tie the game on a line drive goal from Abby Jones and it would be 1-1 at the half.
It would be Beaton who would beat Forest Lake goalkeeper Teegan Johnson when a lined kick would deflect off the senior netminder and into the goal. Kent would wrap up the scoring for the Orioles after she received a pass from Samantha McGurgan and her shot centered below the crossbar and landed in the net.
In addition to Kent, seven other Oriole seniors were honored. They were Anna Jennesen, Olivia Mosby, Anika Hanson, Rachel Young, junior varsity player Anika Christianson and student manager Grace Farley.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 6-5-2 and heads to Chanhassen on Thursday, October 4 for a 7 PM game against the Storm. Forest Lake fell to 3-11 and lost their third game in their last four. They will also be in action on the fourth as they will take on the Woodbury Royals in Woodbury at 5 PM.
Both teams would tally in the first half. The Orioles would strike first as Alma Beaton made a centering pass to Kent and she would put St. Louis Park ahead. The Rangers would tie the game on a line drive goal from Abby Jones and it would be 1-1 at the half.
It would be Beaton who would beat Forest Lake goalkeeper Teegan Johnson when a lined kick would deflect off the senior netminder and into the goal. Kent would wrap up the scoring for the Orioles after she received a pass from Samantha McGurgan and her shot centered below the crossbar and landed in the net.
In addition to Kent, seven other Oriole seniors were honored. They were Anna Jennesen, Olivia Mosby, Anika Hanson, Rachel Young, junior varsity player Anika Christianson and student manager Grace Farley.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 6-5-2 and heads to Chanhassen on Thursday, October 4 for a 7 PM game against the Storm. Forest Lake fell to 3-11 and lost their third game in their last four. They will also be in action on the fourth as they will take on the Woodbury Royals in Woodbury at 5 PM.
Saturday, September 29, 2018
SLP Orioles Pound Eden Prairie Eagles
It was a chill Saturday afternoon in St. Louis Park but the Oriole boys soccer team heated up the net with four different players scoring to shut out the Eden Prairie Eagles 4-0.
The Orioles scored their lone goal of the first half on s right side shot from Sam Diamond that entered the net. St. Louis Park led 1-0 at the half.
In the second half, the Orioles sent the Eagles back down Highway 169 with three unanswered goals. Sam Gage would score off a corner kick to put St. Louis Park ahead by two. The margin would increase to three 1:13 later on Thomas Salamzadeh's liner that went past Eden Prairie goalkeeper Ben Urban. The Orioles showed that they had no stars when a fourth player would send the ball to the net and it would be David Benjamin's center slot goal with 12:38 remaining in the game.
Eagles head coach Rob St. Clair told HSGN on how long time head coach Vince Thomas, who retired after 36 years leading Eden Prairie was influential to him.
"What he was like as a teacher as a man as a person. He treats everyone with respect."
St. Louis Park improved their record to 11-0-1 and travels to Chanhassen on Thursday, October 4 to take on the Storm at 5 PM. Eden Prairie fell to 1-6-2 and lost their third straight game and fourth in their last five. They will be back in action on Monday, October 1 against the Edina Hornets at Kuhlman Stadium at 5 PM. The game was rescheduled from September 20 due to the torrential rains that soaked the Twin Cities area.
The Orioles scored their lone goal of the first half on s right side shot from Sam Diamond that entered the net. St. Louis Park led 1-0 at the half.
In the second half, the Orioles sent the Eagles back down Highway 169 with three unanswered goals. Sam Gage would score off a corner kick to put St. Louis Park ahead by two. The margin would increase to three 1:13 later on Thomas Salamzadeh's liner that went past Eden Prairie goalkeeper Ben Urban. The Orioles showed that they had no stars when a fourth player would send the ball to the net and it would be David Benjamin's center slot goal with 12:38 remaining in the game.
Eagles head coach Rob St. Clair told HSGN on how long time head coach Vince Thomas, who retired after 36 years leading Eden Prairie was influential to him.
"What he was like as a teacher as a man as a person. He treats everyone with respect."
St. Louis Park improved their record to 11-0-1 and travels to Chanhassen on Thursday, October 4 to take on the Storm at 5 PM. Eden Prairie fell to 1-6-2 and lost their third straight game and fourth in their last five. They will be back in action on Monday, October 1 against the Edina Hornets at Kuhlman Stadium at 5 PM. The game was rescheduled from September 20 due to the torrential rains that soaked the Twin Cities area.
Friday, September 28, 2018
Farmington Tigers Win Historic First High School Game at TCO Stadium
History was made Friday night in Eagan as Zac Janz scored three touchdowns to lead the Farmington Tigers to a 41-28 win over the Eagan Wildcats in the first high school football game at TCO Stadium.
The 6,255 fans who populated the new training camp home of the Minnesota Vikings got to see both teams reach the end zone in the first quarter. The Tigers capitalized on an interception by Luke Weierke that began their drive at the Wildcat 20 yard line and Janz would score on a five yard touchdown run. Eagan would even the score at seven on Max Meekin's 56 yard run down the right side.
Farmington would forge ahead in the second quarter with four touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Alex Berreth completed a 42 yard pass to Alijah Moe and then Berreth scored on a one yard run. Janz would score his second touchdown on a one yard run that followed a 24 yard completion to Eli Green. The combination of Berreth to Moe would factor into the third touchdown as Berreth went deep to Moe for 66 yards. Moe would also haul in an 18 yard score and the Tigers led at halftime 33-7.
Going into the second half, the Wildcats began the opening drive at their own 22 yard line and got a solid ground game from Carter Lyons that would culminate in a one yard touchdown run from Cole Gibson. But Eagan was not done yet. They would reach the end zone a second time as Max Meekin would scamper down the green turf 63 yards to cut the Farmington lead to 33-21.
Could the Wildcats complete a monumental comeback in the fourth quarter? They would cut the deficit to five as Cole Sackmaster mastered the art of the interception with a 33 yard touchdown. But the comeback would be aborted as a fumbled pitch by quarterback Ethan Gugino was recovered by the Tigers Kyle Newham and the ball would be spotted at the Eagan 13 yard line. Following a Wildcat penalty, Janz would reach the end zone on a two yard run, his third touchdown of the night.
Both teams return to action on Friday, October 5 at 7 PM. Farmington improved their record to 1-4 and heads up I-35 to Burnsville to take on the Blaze. Eagan fell to 0-5 and hosts the Prior Lake Lakers.
Dave Giles, a familiar voice to state tournament fans was the public address announcer for the inaugural TCO Stadium high school game. "It's an honor. An absolute honor," said the voice for many Eagan athletic events throughout the school year.
HSGN interviewed a couple of fans at halftime to get their views on the historic game. First up was Eric Sunden of Farmington. "A lot of fun. Great stadium. Hats off to the Vikings for doing this for the kids."
Also interviewed was Brent DeNoma of Eagan. "It's an outstanding venue. A very special night for the kids."
The 6,255 fans who populated the new training camp home of the Minnesota Vikings got to see both teams reach the end zone in the first quarter. The Tigers capitalized on an interception by Luke Weierke that began their drive at the Wildcat 20 yard line and Janz would score on a five yard touchdown run. Eagan would even the score at seven on Max Meekin's 56 yard run down the right side.
Farmington would forge ahead in the second quarter with four touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Alex Berreth completed a 42 yard pass to Alijah Moe and then Berreth scored on a one yard run. Janz would score his second touchdown on a one yard run that followed a 24 yard completion to Eli Green. The combination of Berreth to Moe would factor into the third touchdown as Berreth went deep to Moe for 66 yards. Moe would also haul in an 18 yard score and the Tigers led at halftime 33-7.
Going into the second half, the Wildcats began the opening drive at their own 22 yard line and got a solid ground game from Carter Lyons that would culminate in a one yard touchdown run from Cole Gibson. But Eagan was not done yet. They would reach the end zone a second time as Max Meekin would scamper down the green turf 63 yards to cut the Farmington lead to 33-21.
Could the Wildcats complete a monumental comeback in the fourth quarter? They would cut the deficit to five as Cole Sackmaster mastered the art of the interception with a 33 yard touchdown. But the comeback would be aborted as a fumbled pitch by quarterback Ethan Gugino was recovered by the Tigers Kyle Newham and the ball would be spotted at the Eagan 13 yard line. Following a Wildcat penalty, Janz would reach the end zone on a two yard run, his third touchdown of the night.
Both teams return to action on Friday, October 5 at 7 PM. Farmington improved their record to 1-4 and heads up I-35 to Burnsville to take on the Blaze. Eagan fell to 0-5 and hosts the Prior Lake Lakers.
Dave Giles, a familiar voice to state tournament fans was the public address announcer for the inaugural TCO Stadium high school game. "It's an honor. An absolute honor," said the voice for many Eagan athletic events throughout the school year.
HSGN interviewed a couple of fans at halftime to get their views on the historic game. First up was Eric Sunden of Farmington. "A lot of fun. Great stadium. Hats off to the Vikings for doing this for the kids."
Also interviewed was Brent DeNoma of Eagan. "It's an outstanding venue. A very special night for the kids."
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Football Battle of St. Louis Park Preview
The "Battle of St. Louis Park" heads to the gridiron Friday night as the St. Louis Park Orioles travel to Benilde-St. Margaret's for a 7 PM Homecoming game against the Red Knights.
Both teams head into the game with identical 2-2 records. The Orioles played their annual Homecoming game last Friday and routed the Richfield Spartans 41-14. Quarterback Aaron Ellingson was a factor in St. Louis Park's victory, throwing two touchdown passes and scoring on a 77 yard keeper run. One of the recipients of Ellingson's touchdown passes was tight end Ben Thyne. He's part of an outstanding group of receivers that includes Akili Farris, Cole Ewald and McCabe Dvorak. In the backfield is Sajid Nathim, who has 320 rushing yards, three behind Ellingson. St. Louis Park's defense, anchored by Jariel Lopez-Barrera and Adam Bauer has a tough task ahead in order to beat BMS. They will need to slow down BSM's top running back Isaiah Smith.
Looking at the Red Knights, Smith had an outstanding game last Friday against the Chanhassen Storm as BSM came up short 36-33. Jacob Miller's touchdown pass with :13 left to Cade Plath clinched the win for the Storm. The Red Knights took the lead with Will Petty's 14 yard run with 1:29 to go. But the big story for BSM was Smith who ran for 178 yards and reached the end zone twice on runs of 53 and 70 yards. it was his second consecutive game of more than 100 rushing yards. On September 14, he ran for 160 yards and a touchdown as the Red Knights demolished the DeLaSalle Islanders 47-7. John Whitmore was the bright spot on defense for the Red Knights with 18 total tackles. The key for BSM is a strong running game from Smith and the defense has to force turnovers.
If you plan on coming to the game, please arrive early. The main parking lot could be full well before game time but there is plenty of parking across the street at Beth El Synagogue. It should be an interesting game amid the vehicles cruising down the Highway 100 frontage road that's close to BSM.
Both teams head into the game with identical 2-2 records. The Orioles played their annual Homecoming game last Friday and routed the Richfield Spartans 41-14. Quarterback Aaron Ellingson was a factor in St. Louis Park's victory, throwing two touchdown passes and scoring on a 77 yard keeper run. One of the recipients of Ellingson's touchdown passes was tight end Ben Thyne. He's part of an outstanding group of receivers that includes Akili Farris, Cole Ewald and McCabe Dvorak. In the backfield is Sajid Nathim, who has 320 rushing yards, three behind Ellingson. St. Louis Park's defense, anchored by Jariel Lopez-Barrera and Adam Bauer has a tough task ahead in order to beat BMS. They will need to slow down BSM's top running back Isaiah Smith.
Looking at the Red Knights, Smith had an outstanding game last Friday against the Chanhassen Storm as BSM came up short 36-33. Jacob Miller's touchdown pass with :13 left to Cade Plath clinched the win for the Storm. The Red Knights took the lead with Will Petty's 14 yard run with 1:29 to go. But the big story for BSM was Smith who ran for 178 yards and reached the end zone twice on runs of 53 and 70 yards. it was his second consecutive game of more than 100 rushing yards. On September 14, he ran for 160 yards and a touchdown as the Red Knights demolished the DeLaSalle Islanders 47-7. John Whitmore was the bright spot on defense for the Red Knights with 18 total tackles. The key for BSM is a strong running game from Smith and the defense has to force turnovers.
If you plan on coming to the game, please arrive early. The main parking lot could be full well before game time but there is plenty of parking across the street at Beth El Synagogue. It should be an interesting game amid the vehicles cruising down the Highway 100 frontage road that's close to BSM.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
SLP Oriole Soccer Teams Split With BSM Red Knights
The weather was getting chilly Tuesday night but there was plenty of hot soccer action as the St. Louis Park Oriole soccer teams hosted the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights with the boys routing the Red Knights 6-1 and the BSM girls shutting out the Orioles on a late goal 1-0.
First up was the boys game where Randy Mayele and Nick Riley scored two goals apiece to bolster a five goal second half that led the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 6-1 win over the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights.
Both teams would tally in the first half. The Orioles would strike first when Zinedine Kroeten was fouled on a hand ball and awarded a penalty kick. He put the ball into the net. It would be a tie game on Harrison Shibley's shot that rolled down the right side of the net and entered the goal. Shibley was the only Red Knight senior in uniform due to injuries to Will Driessen and Thomas Forby. His goal evened the score at one at halftime.
St. Louis Park, which has given up only two goals since August 29, would break the game open with five second half goals. The first three came in a span of :58. Mayele rebounded Isaak Kimmel's shot for the first goal. Riley would score from the right side :21 later and Ben Klepfer, who was moved to goalkeeper in the first half due to a nosebleed suffered by regular goalkeeper Leo Finley, returned to the Oriole offensive attack, passed to Mayele and he scored his second goal. Though BSM played strong defense on St. Louis Park, they were victimized by an own goal that would be awarded to Riley and Klepfer would wrap up the scoring with a goal from the center slot.
The Orioles improved their record to 9-0-1 and travel to Richfield on Thursday, September 27 for a 7 PM game with the Spartans. The Red Knights fell to 4-7-1 and will also be in action on the 27th as they host the Cooper Hawks at 7 PM.
On to the girls game and there would only be one goal. It would come from Stella Fortier with 6:34 left in regulation time to lead the BSM Red Knights to a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Park Orioles.
Neither team would send the ball to the net in the first half and it looked like it would be a scoreless tie heading into the two five minute overtime periods. No so on this chilly Tuesday night as Stella Fortier's shot would head for the net with 6:34 left to play. As the orange lit seconds ticked down on the scoreboard, the Orioles had a chance to send the game into overtime but Dare Kroeten's shot bounced off the crossbar and that's how the game ended.
BSM Improved their record to 7-4-1 and hosts the Cooper Hawks on the 27th at 5 PM. St. Louis Park ended a six game unbeaten streak and fell to 4-4-2. They will also be in action on the 27th, heading to Richfield to rake on the Spartans at 5 PM.
First up was the boys game where Randy Mayele and Nick Riley scored two goals apiece to bolster a five goal second half that led the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 6-1 win over the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights.
Both teams would tally in the first half. The Orioles would strike first when Zinedine Kroeten was fouled on a hand ball and awarded a penalty kick. He put the ball into the net. It would be a tie game on Harrison Shibley's shot that rolled down the right side of the net and entered the goal. Shibley was the only Red Knight senior in uniform due to injuries to Will Driessen and Thomas Forby. His goal evened the score at one at halftime.
St. Louis Park, which has given up only two goals since August 29, would break the game open with five second half goals. The first three came in a span of :58. Mayele rebounded Isaak Kimmel's shot for the first goal. Riley would score from the right side :21 later and Ben Klepfer, who was moved to goalkeeper in the first half due to a nosebleed suffered by regular goalkeeper Leo Finley, returned to the Oriole offensive attack, passed to Mayele and he scored his second goal. Though BSM played strong defense on St. Louis Park, they were victimized by an own goal that would be awarded to Riley and Klepfer would wrap up the scoring with a goal from the center slot.
The Orioles improved their record to 9-0-1 and travel to Richfield on Thursday, September 27 for a 7 PM game with the Spartans. The Red Knights fell to 4-7-1 and will also be in action on the 27th as they host the Cooper Hawks at 7 PM.
On to the girls game and there would only be one goal. It would come from Stella Fortier with 6:34 left in regulation time to lead the BSM Red Knights to a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Park Orioles.
Neither team would send the ball to the net in the first half and it looked like it would be a scoreless tie heading into the two five minute overtime periods. No so on this chilly Tuesday night as Stella Fortier's shot would head for the net with 6:34 left to play. As the orange lit seconds ticked down on the scoreboard, the Orioles had a chance to send the game into overtime but Dare Kroeten's shot bounced off the crossbar and that's how the game ended.
BSM Improved their record to 7-4-1 and hosts the Cooper Hawks on the 27th at 5 PM. St. Louis Park ended a six game unbeaten streak and fell to 4-4-2. They will also be in action on the 27th, heading to Richfield to rake on the Spartans at 5 PM.
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Big Week Ahead for SLP Oriole Soccer Teams
The St. Louis Park Oriole soccer teams have been on a roll and the boys and girls teams head into the next to last week of the regular season.
The boys have been very solid so far, with a record of 8-0-1 and have only given up one goal since August 29. In their last six games, the Orioles have outscored their opponents 22-1. The key has been outstanding passing, ball control and team oriented play. They open up the week on Tuesday, September 25 against their city rival the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. The Red Knights, under the veteran leadership of Dave Platt, hasn't had a lot of shining armor this season. BSM has been shutout five times in their last seven games and picked up a win in their last game against the Richfield Spartans on September 17 3-1.
And speaking of the Spartans, that's St. Louis Park's next opponent on Thursday, September 27. Richfield's season has been rather dismal, going into the week's games with a 2-8-1 record. The boys will wrap up the week on Saturday, September 29 with a noon game at home against the Eden Prairie Eagles. The Eagles have a new head coach in Rob St. Clair, who replaced Vince Thomas who retired after 36 years leading Eden Prairie and head into the week with a 1-4-2 record. Looking for something to do during the Gopher football team's bye week? Head over to St. Louis Park for a good boys soccer match up.
Since they started the season 0-3, the Oriole girls has an unbeaten streak in six games, including the last three won by identical 2-0 scores. They go up against BSM which returns to the Twin Cities after a trip up I-35 last Saturday to Esko and beat the Eskomos 2-1. The Red Knights have another outstanding team under Scott Helling-Christy and they beat a pair of top teams in Section 5A early this season Blake and DeLaSalle. St. Louis Park will also be in action on the 27th against the Richfield Spartans who are on a five game losing streak since they beat the North Branch Vikings 3-2.
It should be an interesting week of soccer for both St. Louis Park teams.
The boys have been very solid so far, with a record of 8-0-1 and have only given up one goal since August 29. In their last six games, the Orioles have outscored their opponents 22-1. The key has been outstanding passing, ball control and team oriented play. They open up the week on Tuesday, September 25 against their city rival the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights. The Red Knights, under the veteran leadership of Dave Platt, hasn't had a lot of shining armor this season. BSM has been shutout five times in their last seven games and picked up a win in their last game against the Richfield Spartans on September 17 3-1.
And speaking of the Spartans, that's St. Louis Park's next opponent on Thursday, September 27. Richfield's season has been rather dismal, going into the week's games with a 2-8-1 record. The boys will wrap up the week on Saturday, September 29 with a noon game at home against the Eden Prairie Eagles. The Eagles have a new head coach in Rob St. Clair, who replaced Vince Thomas who retired after 36 years leading Eden Prairie and head into the week with a 1-4-2 record. Looking for something to do during the Gopher football team's bye week? Head over to St. Louis Park for a good boys soccer match up.
Since they started the season 0-3, the Oriole girls has an unbeaten streak in six games, including the last three won by identical 2-0 scores. They go up against BSM which returns to the Twin Cities after a trip up I-35 last Saturday to Esko and beat the Eskomos 2-1. The Red Knights have another outstanding team under Scott Helling-Christy and they beat a pair of top teams in Section 5A early this season Blake and DeLaSalle. St. Louis Park will also be in action on the 27th against the Richfield Spartans who are on a five game losing streak since they beat the North Branch Vikings 3-2.
It should be an interesting week of soccer for both St. Louis Park teams.
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