HSGN Turns Seven August 1

 Tuesday marks the beginning of August and HSGN's seventh year on the blogosphere.  

Even though HSGN has been inactive since the end of the high school sports season, there has been a number of developments on the high school sports scene as well as the game show world.  

First of all, Tara Seifert stepped down as the head girls basketball coach at Chaska and was not unemployed for long.  She headed east to become the head coach at Cretin-Derham Hall.  Also in basketball, Daniel Freitag, the former Jefferson Jaguar who left for California and signed to play for the Wisconsin Badgers has returned to the Twin Cities.  But he won't be returning to Bloomington.  He will play his senior year for Breck.  

On the college scene, Keegan Cook begins his first season in late August as the new head volleyball coach at Minnesota.  Could this be the year the Gophers get back into the Final Four?  

Big news on the game show front.  After 51 years at Television City in Hollywood, The Price is Right is moving to a new studio in Glendale.  The reason is the facility, home of the studio that bears the name of long time host Bob Barker is undergoing a renovation.  So there will be a new facility for fans to "Come on Down!'  The ongoing writers strike will also impact Jeopardy, which is slated to begin its 40th season in September.  However, there are plans to recycle previous used material.  It will also be the final year for Pat Sajak hosting Wheel of Fortune.  The following season, Ryan Seacrest will take over the hosting reigns.  

So what's coming up for HSGN in the coming year?  

The answer.  Plans to cover Holy Family's first game in its new facility as they open the new season under veteran head coach Dan O'Brien.  Volleyball coverage is also in the works as well as another Providence Academy girls basketball game.  The Prep Bowl will also be back in the usual post-Thanksgiving slot instead of a week later due to a nationally televised Vikings game.  

A lot is in the works for year seven.  

Pat Sajak to Retire From Wheel of Fortune in 2024

 When Wheel of Fortune begins its 41st season in syndication in September, it will be the beginning of the end of an era for the very popular game show since Pat Sajak announced that he will be retiring as host at the end of the season.  

Sajak, 76, has been the host of Wheel of Fortune since 1981.  He replaced original daytime version host Chuck Woolery, who left the show in a contract dispute.  He hosted both the daytime and nighttime shows until 1989 when he left the daytime show to host a late night talk show on CBS.  

The big question is who will replace Sajak?  it's against HSGN policy to speculate as mentioned in a previous post on the passing of Jeopardy host Alex Trebek but Sajak's daughter Maggie as well as his long-time co-host Vanna White could be in the mix.  White actually hosted while Sajak was recovering from surgery.  One website mentioned about the possibility of Ryan Seacrest being considered as a potential replacement.  

Merv Griffin, who created and produced Wheel of Fortune discovered Sajak when he was a weatherman on the NBC owned station in Los Angeles.  Before that, Sajak hosted an unsold pilot for  Mark Goodson titled Puzzlers.  NBC initially didn't want Sajak to replace Woolery because officials felt he was too local.  Griffin threatened to stop taping unless Sajak would host but Fred Silverman, who headed NBC back then gave in and as the saying goes, the rest is history.  

Viewers can not only play along with the classic game but tune in after the bonus round to hear the banter between Sajak and White before the closing credits. 

SLP Orioles Eliminate Mpls. South Tigers

 Tuesday night was a big night for Josh Middleton as he drove in three runs and struck out eight batters to lead the St. Louis Park Orioles to an 8-3 win over the Minneapolis South Tigers in a Section 6AAAA elimination round game at Derrick Keller Field at Dakota Park.  

Middleton would drive in the Oriole first run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single that scored Graham Sullivan, who led off the game with a walk.  

In the top of the second, the Tigers would take the lead with three runs, aided by two St. Louis Park errors.  Two of the runs would come on an RBI single from Elias Solberg that scored Alex Menth and Tariku Westrum Ostrom.  The Orioles would tie the game in their half of the inning as Aaron Bilden led off with a triple, then crossed the plate on a fielder's choice by Ryan Moran.  Moran would head home on Middleton's RBI single, his second of the game.  

St. Louis Park would take the lead for good in the bottom of the third on an error by South shortstop Gavy Schacher that enabled Andruw Vela to head home and Griffin Krone to take second base.  Krone would account for the Orioles fifth run on a sacrifice fly from Moran.  

The long ball would prevail for St. Louis Park in the bottom of the fourth when Zach Helfmann hit a two run homer over the right center field fence, his seventh of the season.  

Middleton would settle into a groove on the mound over the last three innings as he recorded five of his eight strikeouts and only allowed three Tiger hitters to reach base.  Alex Menth hit a two out double in the top of the fifth but he retired Westrum Ostrum on a called third strike.  He would leave two runner stranded in the top of the sixth thanks to Vela's outstanding fielding at shortstop.  In addition, he brought home St. Louis Park's final run in the bottom of the sixth on a ground out to Schacher at shortstop that enabled Sullivan to cross the plate following a triple.  

The Orioles improved their record to 10-12 and will face the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers in another elimination round game on Friday, June 3 at 4 PM at Parade Stadium in Minneapolis.  Minneapolis South concluded their season with a record of 12-9.  

Stormy Night for SLP Orioles

 The Chanhassen Storm, ranked fourth in Minnesota girls high school lacrosse, should their speed and tenacity as Ali McPartland scored six goals to lead them to an 18-1 drubbing of the host St. Louis Park Orioles in the regular season finale Thursday night.  

McPartland would strike early for the Storm, scoring 1:00 into the game.  She would score her second goal as Chanhassen increased their lead to five with four goals in a stretch of !:12.  Also tallying were Gabb Bjugen, Sophie Cook and Hannah Grimm (no relation to St. Louis Park's Kate Grimm).  It would be Hannah Grim who would begin the Storm's next five goal run as she caught an inside pass from Allie Welder.  McPartland would get her first hat trick off a pass from Tatumn Nyen and Welder would account for two of Chanhassen's final first half goals, sandwiched by Hannah Grimm's second goal.  The Storm led 10-0 at the half.  

Heading into the second half, as running time would be the status quo with the game at a high margin.  McPrtland would continue to put the ball past Oriole goal Carina Otos three straight times to score a double hat trick.  The Storm would extend their unanswered goal streak to 17 as Bjugan would score two goals and Ava Stewart and Welder would also get a hat trick.  Welder would also pick up four assists, giving her seven points for the game.  But there would be some good news for Oriole fans when Lily Fandel Thompson went around the right side of the goal and put it past Storm goalie Katie Colleran.  It would be the only St. Louis Park goal of the game as Stewart would wrap up the scoring with 2:13 left to play.  

The Storm concluded their regular season with a record of 10-3.  The Orioles ended their regular season with their fifth straight loss and fell to 4-9.  Section play begins next week.  

Chaska Hawks Hang Ten on SLP Orioles

 Tuesday night was Senior Night for the St. Louis Park Orioles but it was home runs by Karson Attebury and Maddox Foss that helped the Chaska Hawks beat the Orioles 10-7 at Derrick Keller Field.  

The top of the first inning was double trouble for Oriole starting pitcher Danny Montanez as he gave up a leadoff double to Attebury and he would score on Tate Miller's RBI double.  A two bagger from Raymond Johnson would score Miller.  It would be the only inning Montanez would pitch due to a sore elbow that caused him to leave the game in the second but before he departed, he drove home Griffin Krone with an RBI single in the bottom of the first.  

Three would be a magic number for both teams as they scored three runs in the third inning.  Chaska would get their runs starting with Attebury's homerun over the left field fence and Johnson's two RBI single brought home Matthew Magnuson and Jacob Welter.  St. Louis Park produced via the longball.  Following a single from Graham Sullivan, there would be back to back homers from Krone and Zach Helfmann.  

The Hawks would go up by four in the top of the fourth inning on Foss' two run homer.  They would also add two runs to their ledger in the top of the seventh.  The first came on an RBI single from Isaac Whicker and pinch hitter Mason McGowan's sacrifice fly that brought across Mason Tangen.  

The Orioles would put three runs across in the bottom of the seventh.  The first would be Geiber Silva's RBI single that scored Sullivan and a two run single by Andruw Vela.  But that was all St. Louis Park could due in the game that ran two hours and 26 minutes.  

Chaska improved their record to 8-6 and will return to St. Louis Park on Thursday, May 18 to face the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights at 7 PM.  St. Louis Park fell to 7-9 and will travel to Long Lake to battle the Orono Spartans on Wednesday, May 17 at 4:30 PM.  

Trojan Trouncing

 Henry Novak pitched a three hitter and got early run support with a three run first inning to lead the New Prague Trojans to a 6-0 shutout of the St. Louis Park Orioles Wednesday night at Derrick Keller Field at Dakota Park.  

The Trojans would capitalize on three Oriole errors in the top of the first inning.  But first came back to back double from Nolan Eischens and Jake Lundquist that accounted for New Prague's first two runs.  Novak would score the third run on an error.  

In the top of the second, the Trojans would load the bases as Will Seymour, the only player not to bat in the top of the first led off with a single, Eric Berg reached base on an error by Oriole second baseman Eli Puchner and Eischens would reach on a single.  Lundquist would pick up his second RBI on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Graham Sullivan to bring Seymour home.  

Novak would allow only one hit through four innings until he gave up a pair of base hits to Danny Montanez and Griffin Krone.  Nothing would transpire and both runners were left stranded.  

St. Louis Park starting pitcher Andruw Vela settled down since the first inning, retiring nine straight batters before he gave up a double to Kyle Carlberg in the top of the seventh and he would cross the plate on Nolan Eischens' triple.  Eischens would account for New Prague's sixth and final run on a sacrifice fly to Sullivan in center field.  

The Trojans improved their record to 11-3 and will head down Highway 169 on Saturday, May 13 to face the Mankato West Scarlets at noon at Minnesota State University-Mankato.  The Orioles fell to 7-7 and will also be in action on the 13th as they head to Plymouth for a noon game with the Wayzata Trojans.  

SLP Orioles Trounce New Prague Trojans

 Recovering from a disappointing overtime loss to Apple Valley/Burnsville last Thursday, the host St. Louis Park Orioles got four goals from Ailish Fitzpatrick and Lily and Gretchen Fandel Thompson scored hat tricks to lead them to a 13-3 win over the New Prague Trojans Tuesday night.  

The Orioles took the early lead on a free shot goal from Meg Ridgway, followed by Fitzpatrick to build a two goal lead.  The Trojans bounced back to tie the game with a pair of goals from Payton Pumper but it was all the offense New Prague had in the half as St. Louis Park tacked on two more goals to regain the lead.  Lily Fandel Thompson would break through a couple of New Prague defenders and fire the ball into the net and Fitzpatrick would wrap up the first half scoring 4:00 later to give the Orioles a 4-2 halftime lead.  

St. Louis Park was not done widening their lead in the second half.  Fitzpatrick would score the hat trick on a pass from Gretchen Fandel Thompson and Ridgway would score her second goal on an inside pass from Kate Grimm :13 later.  The Fandel Thompson sisters would factor into the Orioles next three goals.  Lily would score her second goal and Gretchen would tally for the next two, the second coming off a pass from Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick would put her fourth ball into the net and Gretchen Fandel Thompson would get the hat trick.  Lily Fandel Thompson also recorded the hat trick on an assist from Madeline Anklam to extend their unanswered goal streak to ten.  The streak would come to an end as the Trojans Joslyn Brotemarkel would find the net with 3:06 to play.  St. Louis Park would wrap up the scoring on Margaux Pollock's goal with :28 to go.  

St. Louis Park improved their record to 3-3 and will travel to Inver Grove Heights on Thursday, May 11 to face the Simley Spartans at 7 PM.  New Prague fell to 3-4 and will host a combined Mankato team on Saturday, May 13 at 12:30 PM.