Sunday, November 30, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS WASHBURN DYLAN HALE COMMITS TO TEXAS STATE

Howard Pulley Basketball and Minneapolis Washburn’s Dylan Hale has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for Texas State University and he will enroll there in 2009.

Dylan will play for Texas State’s head coach Doug Davalos who is starting his third-year at the helm of the Bobcats program and his seventh-year as a head coach. Texas State plays in the Southland Conference.

Dylan, a transfer from St. Paul Central, is a senior at Washburn and plays for head coach Reggie Perkins. He also spent 2-years with Howard Pulley program and made a very nice rise through their organization, spending his last season playing for the 17U HP-Black Team. He also was an outstanding member of the Pulley 2008 European Tour team.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST BLOWS OUT ST PAUL COMO PARK IN THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON

Minneapolis Southwest women blow out St Paul Como Park to open to the 2008 girl's basketball season. Minneapolis Southwest started out the game on a 21-0 run. A lot of players played well for the Minneapolis Southwest Lakers. Mariah Adanene finished the game with 15 points, 6 steals and 4 rebounds. She only played 18 minutes in the game.

Laura Maltby also had a big night for the Lakers. She added 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Britta Syverson also stepped up for the Lakers. She added 9 points, 9 rebounds, and also had 4 steals.

We will see how the Laker women fair this year. They are expected to do big things in the Minneapolis City Conference.

MANKATO WEST IS YOUR 2008 CLASS AAAA FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS

In the final game of the Minnesota State High School League, Northfield takes on Mankato West. Northfield got the ball to start the game off. They were not able to go any thing with the ball and they turn it over on downs. Mankato West has the ball and they are looking deep but the pass falls incomplete Aaron Richter comes up with a nice play in this game, which turns out to be a big play. Paul Berndt just scored a touchdown to follow. The extra point was good. So with 7:07 left, the score is Mankato West 7 and Northfield 0.

At the end of the first quarter, the score is Northfield 0 Mankato West 7.

Mankato West just found the end zone on a 45 yard long bomb. Mike Richter caught the touchdown pass. That touchdown has Mankato West fans back into this game. Both teams are playing hard in this game. With that touchdown, the score is now Mankato West 13 and Northfield 0

Northfield has the ground game going. They are looking to score in the second quarter.

Northfield has just run a reverse, getting down to the two yard line. Northfield is still looking to score a touchdown and get into this game. They are knocking on the door step. As they attempt to score on this play, everyone is on their feet. We will see if Mankato can stop them. There is a big pile up and it looks like they got the stop on the 1 yard line.

Mankato West put together a big drive and they look like they will score again, late in the second quarter. Mankato West got a touchdown from a Paul Barndt four yard run. The extra point was good. With that touchdown and extra point good, the score is Mankato West 20 and Northfield 0.

With time running out in the second quarter, Northfield attempts a field goal but it comes up way short.

At half time, the score is Northfield 0 and Mankato West 20.

A quick look inside some of the numbers of this game tonight at the half so far: Northfield has a total 163 yards on 32 offensive plays and Mankato West has 24 plays for a total of 259 yards. Mankato West's leading rusher is Paul Berndt with 44 yards. Cody Schmidt has a total of 51 rushing yards so far.

Mankato West has the ball to start the second half. They will look to get things going in the second half. They are on a drive here. Mike Richter has had a nice game thus far. He has made some nice plays on the field. With 10:18 left to go in the third quarter, the score is still 20-0. Sam Maus has just got an interception and Northfield comes away with the football.

Northfield sets up to punt the ball away to Mankato West. Northfield has changed their mind and now, they are going for it on fourth down. They got the first down. Mankato West defense has come up and are able to stop Northfield's drive on the next series of plays.

Mankato West has come up with another touchdown. Paul Barndt scored a touchdown with 3:30 left to go in the third quarter. With that touchdown, the score is now 27-0 Mankato West.

Northfield is looking to score, in the later part of the third quarter. Cody Schmidt has played well in this game tonight. He has made some good plays on the field.


At the end of the third quarter, the score is Mankato West 27 and Northfield 0.

Northfield has a chance to score here. They are knocking on the door of the end zone and they find it. Christian Shepley has just come up with a fantastic catch, as he hauls in a six yard pass for a Northfield touchdown. The extra point was good. So with 10:24 left to go in the fourth quarter, the score is Northfield 7 and Mankato West 27.

Northfield has the football back and are looking to score again. Northfield has found the end zone. Christian Shepley made a diving catch in the end zone for that touchdown. The extra point was good.

With that touchdown and the extra point, the score is now Mankato West 27 and Northfield 14.
Mankato West has the ball back after the touchdown. Mankato West looks to score another touchdown in the fourth quarter. Paul Berndt has come up with a nice gain. He has found the end zone again and has another touchdown. That was his 4th touchdown of the game. With that touchdown, he ties the prep bowl record with 4 rushing touchdowns.

Mankato West has the ball here and will complete this season with a hard fought victory tonight. Both teams have played well, and you have to give credit to both of these programs for leaving it all on the field.

The final of the game was Mankato West 33 and Northfield 14.

The attendance at today's game was 9,115. And the two day prep bowl final total in attendance was 31,347.


This concludes the high school football season. I now turn my time to the basketball season. Hope you will continue to support Steven's Sports Report. Look forward to the 2009 football season.

MINNEAPOLIS DE LA SALLE IS TAKING ON GLENCOE –SILVER LAKE FOR THE CLASS AAA STATE TITLE ON THE FINAL DAY OF PREPBOWL XXVII
















As this game gets rocking here, the crowd is filling in on the final day of the Minnesota State High School League Boys Football State Tournament. In the final day of the two day tournament, the first game on deck is Glencoe Silver Lake going up against Minneapolis De La Salle.

As we get going Glencoe Silver Lake kicks off to De La Salle. De La Salle gets the ball to begin this game. Glencoe Silver recovers their own kick off so they will start with the ball.

Kyler Anderson was able to keep the ball on the first drive and make a short gain. Kyler Anderson has made another nice run early in the game. Mitch Nowak has the ball again and this time he finds the end zone for a Glencoe-Silver Lake touchdown. The extra point kick was good. With 9:41 left to go in the first quarter, the score is De La Salle 0 and Glencoe Silver Lake 7.

De La Salle got the ball back after the GSL touchdown. De La Salle is going to try to get something back in this game. They will have to punt the ball away, on fourth and a mile for De La Salle.


The Panthers have the ball, and they are going to try to score a touchdown on another big play. That is what happened. Kyler Anderson just broke away on a 37 yard touchdown run. The extra point was good. With 5:40 left to go in the first quarter, the score is DLS 0 Glencoe Silver Lake 14.

De LaSalle has the ball back again will try to do something with it. De La Salle's Evan Williams has gotten things going here in the first quarter, as he has come up with a big 15 yard run for a De La Salle first down. AJ Barker just came up with a big catch. We will see if the Islanders can get something going on this drive. Micheal Van Leer has kept the ball and ran for a good gain. On the next play, he got sacked for a six yard loss. De La Salle has to score to keep them in this game. This is a big series for De La Salle. Evan Williams just scored a touchdown late in this first quarter. The extra point kick is good. With 1:18 left to go in the first quarter, the score is De La Salle 7 and Glencoe-Silver Lake 14.

At the end of the first quarter, the score is De La Salle 7 and Glencoe-Silver Lake 14.

Glencoe Silver Lake scored a 1 yard touchdown by Michell Nowell. With that touchdown and extra point, the score is now De La Salle 7 and Glencoe-Silver Lake 21.

Evan Williams had a 52 yard carry for the Minneapolis De La Salle Islanders' score. The extra point was good. So with 10:50 left to go in the second quarter the score is Glencoe Silver Lake 21 and Minneapolis De La Salle 14.

De La Salle looks to do some thing now. They are really playing hard in this game. Evan Williams has had a good day so far. He is playing very hard. Michael Van Leer has kept the ball and is trying to get through an opening. The De La Salle Islanders are knocking on the door and they look to score on this drive. Evan Williams has looked strong in this game. He gets stopped on the goal line by a host of GSL Panthers. De La Salle has found the end zone as Michael Van Leer just scored on a two yard run. The extra point was good. With that touchdown, the score is now De La Salle 21 and Glencoe Silver Lake 21.

At half time, the score is Minneapolis De La Salle 21 and Glencoe Silver Lake 21.

At half time, De La Salle's Evan Williams is the leading rusher. He has 13 carries and a total of 116 rushing yards. For Glencoe Silver Lake, their leading rusher is Kyler Anderson, who has a total of 59 rushing yards.

We are about to get the third satrted, as both of these teams are hungry for a victory. Tyler Lang (#44) has just converted a rushing touchdown for Glencoe Silver Lake. The extra point was good. So with that touch down, the score is Glencoe Silver Lake 28 and De La Salle 21.

Glencoe Silver Lake has found the endzone, as Kyle Andeson scores another touchdown. The extra point was up and its good. That touchdown makes the score, now, Glencoe Silver Lake 35 and De La Salle 21.

De La Salle just tried to go long on an 80 yard pass but Cole Ranzua picked it off. Both of these teams are playing very hard tonight. It is anybody's game. De La Salle can score in bunches. De La Salle is looking to score here and get back into it, keeping this gamie in reach.
At the end of the third quarter, the score is De La Salle 21 Glencoe Silver Lake 35.


The Islanders are in striking distance. The De La Salle Islanders have the ball on the 26 yard line on 4th and 26. De La Salle looks like they are going for it. They don't make it and the quarterback gets sacked for an 18 yard loss. So, the Panthers take over on downs.

Aaron Lueders had a nice run. Tyler Lang just scored a touchdown and the extra point is good. With that touchdown, the score is now Glencoe Silver Lake 42 and De La Salle 21.

Donzell Bell has just had a great kick off run for De La Salle. He is trying to get De La Salle back on track, mid way through the fourth quarter. De La Salle is looking to score and they don't have that oportunnity, as they turn it over on downs.

Glencoe Silver Lake is starting to cruise here, as they are smelling victory. Both of these teams have played a good game today. Hats off to Dick Weinburger and his Minneapolis De La Salle Islanders on a great season.

For De La Salle, Evan Williams was the leading rusher with a total of 116 yards. For Glencoe Silver Lake, Kyler Anderson was the leading rusher with 59 yards. The final of the game was Glenco Silver Lake 42 and Minneapolis De La Salle 21.

Congratulations Glencoe Silver Lake on the Class AAA State Football Championship.

IN THE FINAL GAME ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE 2008 PREP BOWL IT IS BLAINE AGAINST WAYZATA

The big boys are set to take the field here in the class AAAAA State Championships. As this game gets underway, the Metro Dome seats are starting to fill. There is a much bigger crowd here than the rest of the day. That would be expected as it is the Class 5A and they draw the biggest crowds.

As this game gets going, Wayzata got the ball to start this game off. They are going to try all of the plays early to get Blaine off kilter. Wayzata is on the board, as Fritz Rock has just caught an 17 yard touchdown pass, with 7:17 left to go in the first quarter. The extra point attempt was good. With that touchdown and extra point successful, the score is now Wayzata 7 and Blaine 0.
Blaine got the ball on the kick off after the Wayzata touchdown and they clearly want a score. They are playing really aggressive to start this game off.


Blaine's got the ball and they are charging down the field. Blaine's Nick Rusin has just came up with a big catch in the red zone. James Peterson got a 3 yard touchdown and the extra point was good. With 2:56 left to go in the first quarter, the score is tied at 7.


Blaine is kicking off after that touchdown. Wayzata now has the ball back and they are looking to do something with it. Wayzata has been able to get the ball in different player's hands. There have been 6 different rushers for Wayzata.

At the end of the first quarter, the score is tied at 7.

Wayzata has the ball to start the second quarter. Wayzata is looking to score. They have been looking strong here but they fumble and Blaine recovers the football.

Blaine is driving the ball and they have fumbled the ball and Wayzata picks it up. Wayzata now has the ball. Wayzata just got another touchdown on a Jamenson Macgregor touchdown. The extra point was blocked.

Blaine got the ball back after that Wayzata touchdown. They are looking to score, on what might be the last play of the quarter. In a game that can go either way, we have reached half time. At half time, the score is Blaine 7 and Wayzata 13.

In the first half of this game, Blaine had 30 offensive plays for 131 yards and Wayzata had 31 plays for 185 yards. The top rusher for Wayzata is Garrett Engelhardt. He had 5 carries for a total of 53 yards.

As the third quarter gets under way, Wayzata has the ball and looks to score again. They have played well here in this game. They have to keep pursuit on Blaine if they want to come away with the victory tonight.

Fritz Rock for Wayzata has really played well here. He has stepped up big time here. He is just so tough and a strong player in this game. He has been able to elude his defenders all night long. He has just been amazing to watch. Wayzata has just had to punt the ball away. With 7:35 left to go, the score is Wayzata 13 and Blaine 7.

Blaine has the ball back. Deven King just found a big hole and just had a 17 yard run to give them some light. After that play, he got hit hard and has to be helped off the field. After he was helped off, they continued playing but had to punt the ball to Wayzata. Cecil Doe has just caught a nice long bomb that has given Wayzata another first down. Wayzata is looking to keep this drive alive. They have been pretty impressive in this game tonight but don't count Blaine out of this game yet. They are still in this game. Fritz rock just got another touchdown here and the extra point was good.

At the end of the end of the third quarter, the score is Blaine 7 and Wayzata 20.

Wayzata is knocking on the door again and they find it, as Chris Kroeten just found the end zone on a three yard run in the fourth quarter. The extra point is good and now that makes the score Blaine 7 and Wayzata 27. There is now 9:42 left to go in the game.

Blaine has the ball back after the Wayzata Trojan touchdown. Blaine has not been able to do anything with the ball on this drive. Wayzata takes over on downs, with 5:13 left to go in the game.

The final of the game was Wayzata 27 and Blaine 7. Wayzata ended up having 21 first downs and Blaine ended up with 12 first downs. Blaine had a total of 243 total offensive yards and Wayzata had a total of 344 total offensive yards.

Both teams have played a good tough hard fought game tonight, but in the end Wayzata has come away with the victory are now the 2008 Minnesota State High School League Class AAAAA state champions.

CLASS AA STATE HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PUTS CALEDONIA TAKING ON LUVERNE

As this game gets underway, at the Metrodome there is a nice size crowd to cheer these teams on today. Both of these teams are fired up and ready to go to start this game. Caledonia got the kick-off and they will start off with the football. They are going to try to run short passing dump plays to start this game off. Caledonia looks to drive up the field on the first series of this game. Caledonia was not able to convert on fourth down and they turn it over on downs.

With 9:25 left to go in the first quarter, this game is scoreless. Both teams are still fighting hard, as we have barely gotten this game underway. Luverne has gotten the football midway through this first quarter and are looking to score. Phillip Paquette has come up with some nice plays so far in this game.

Caledonia has just gone deep and got a first down, as they are on the look out to get on the board. Caledonia has found the end zone, as Cassey Bauer had a 32 yard run up the middle of the field. The extra point was good. So that makes the score, Caledonia 7 and Luverne 0, with 5:10 left to go in the first quarter.

Luverne was not able to do anything on that drive and they had to punt the ball. Caledonia has just scored another touchdown. Andy Bauer caught a pass from Cassey Bauer for a touchdown. The extra point was good, so that makes the score Caledonia 14 and Lurverne 0. Lurverne has fumbled the return and Caledonia recovers the ball and is looking to score again.

At the end of the first quarter, the score is Caledonia 14 and Lurverne 0.

As the second quarter is about to get under way here, Caledonia is threatening to score. They ended up getting a field goal, so the score is Caledonia 17 and Lurverne 0.

Zack Clark has put on the burners here and has scored a touchdown for Lurverne. That touchdown now makes the score Caledonia 17 and Lurverne 7.

Both teams are playing hard in this game. Andy Bauer has just made another great play. He is having a good game. He is making some nice runs here in this game. Caledonia has just scored another touchdown on an 8 yard run by Alex Schleich. With that touchdown, the score is now Caledonia 24 and Lurverne 7.

Caledonia is in striking distance, as this half wind down. They are driving down the field, which will be the last drive of the half. Caledonia has just scored a field goal, as time expired.

We have reached half time here in this game, and the score is Caledonia 27 and Lurverne 7. At half time some statistics that stick out to me in this game are first downs. Caledonia has 10 first downs and Lurverne had 2 first downs. Total offensive plays: Caledonia 37 plays for a total of 265 yards and Luverne has 18 plays for 107 yards. For Caledonia, Alex Schleich has 14 carries for a total of 56 yards. Andy Bauer has 3 carries for a total of 44 yards.

For Luverne Phillip Paquette has 7 carries for a total of 28 yards. He is the leading rusher for Luverne.

As we get the second half underway, both of these teams look hungry to make a run at it. Caledonia has the ball here and are trying to move the ball down the field. Caledonia has had success in this game getting the ball up the field. They are not able to convert on fourth down and they had to punt the ball away again.

Both teams are still going strong at each other in this game. Lurverne has the ball in the third quarter and they had to punt the ball away again because they couldn't convert again.

Caledonia has scored a touchdown at the end of the third quarter, when Isaac Fruechte has got a 29 yard touchdown catch.

At the end of the scoreless third quarter, the score Caledonia 34 and Luverne 7.

The Bauer cousins have hooked up again, as Casey has found Andy for a 17 yard touchdown catch. The extra point was good. With that touchdown and extra point, the score now becomes Caledonia 41 and Lurverne 7.

These teams are still grinding it out here late in the game. Caledonia has played very well tonight and it has really showed.

On the final play of the game, Caledonia has found the end zone once again for a touchdown. Alex Diersen just went on a 18 yard scamper. The extra point attempt failed, so there is under a minute to go. Caledonia has come away with a victory, in this Class AA Minnesota State Football Championship. Caledonia is your 2008 class AA state champion with a 47 to 7 win over Lurverne. Alex Schleich had a total of 88 yards and one touchdown for Caledonia.

Caledonia is your Class AA Minnesota State High School League Football State Champion.

ROYALTON IS TAKING ON KERKHOVEN-MURDOCK-SUNBURG (KMS)

As we get this game under way, both teams are coming out ready to play. Royalton has gotten the ball here to start this game out. Royalton is looking to get the ball up the field as quick as possible. Royalton has gotten a first down behind Dan Gatach. He had a nice little drive here. Royalton is on the board on a Zach Lanners 12 yard touchdown reception. The two point conversion did not convert, so the score with 7:40 left to go in the first quarter, is Royalton 6 and KMS 0.

KMS has the ball on the kick-off, after the Royalton touchdown. Jole Bauman has just had a nice run for KMS. He is one of the leaders on this team. Royalton has got the ball back and they are going to score. There is a fumble on the next play and KMS has it.

Joel Bauman is playing well to start this game. He just got a KMS first down. Joel Bauman is a good rusher for this KMS team. They are knocking on the door here, late in the first quarter. Joel Bauman has just score a touchdown and the extra point is good.

With 0.19 seconds left to go in the first quarter, the score is Royalton 6 and Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 7. That is also the score at the end of the first quarter.

Royalton has the ball to start off this second quarter. Royalton is threatening to score. Royalton's quarterback is sacked, and it is now third down and 17 to go. Royalton's defense comes up and there was a loss in the passing play. It is now fourth and 26 and Royalton doesn't come up with it, and they turn it over on downs.

KMS has the ball back and they are looking to do something with it. Both teams are playing very well and hard in this game. Both teams are evenly matched so far. KMS Joel Bauman has just gotten another first down here. He has played a good game. He has just taken this team and put them on his back. He is able to find holes in the defense and he is able to punch through those holes and escape his defenders. He has just gotten another first down. KMS is threatening to score, late in the second quarter. Mitch Hagen has just scored a touchdown on a three yard run. The extra point attempt is good. With that touchdown, the score is now Royalton 6 and KMS 14 with 2:16 left to go in the second quarter.

Royalton has the ball back. Zach Lanners just busted open the line for a 23 yard scamper down the field for a touchdown. Shawn Lanners has just scored the two point conversion.

As time has expired here in the first half both, teams are playing very well. We are tied at 14. The top rushers for Royalton are Zach Lanners with 66 yards and Ryan Wiener with 32 yards. For KMS, the leading rusher is Joel Bauman with 139 yards.

Aaron Zimmer has just caught a 39 yard pass in the end zone from Kevin Steinhus. The extra point was good so that now makes the score KMS 21 and Royalton 14.

Joel Bauman has really put on a show here today. He has just got another 67 yard touchdown scamper down the middle of the field. He broke several tackles as he flew down the field. That was Joel's second touchdown today. He is really performing today.

Royalton has shown it can pull off big plays. Royalton is marching down the field and they are looking like they want to score a touchdown. Zack Lanners gets close to the end zone. Royalton is on the one yard line and hungry for a score. They have found the end zone as Shawn Lanners gets a touchdown. Royalton is looking to go for the two point conversion and they get it. Zach Lanners has found Shawn lanners for the two point conversion. That concludes the third quarter. The score after three quarters of play is Royalton 22 and KMS 27.


Both teams are ready to get the fourth quarter underway. KMS has just found the end zone in Mich Hagen. The two point conversion was not good. With that touchdown, the score is now KMS 33 and Royalton 22, with 9:00 left to go in regulation.

The Lanners brothers come up with another big play here with 8:00 left to go. Zach Lanners has had a nice game here today. He has come up with some big plays at critical times for his team. He has just been stopped and the Royals are going for it here on fourth down. They were not able to get it and were stopped.

KMS will have the ball and they are trying to finish-off their season on this drive. Both teams have played a very good hard fought game.

In the end, KMS has come away with a 33-22 victory. Joel Bauman has set a new Prep Bowl record with 44 carries. Joel had 44 carries for a total of 289 yards and two touchdowns. And he is only a junior this year.

IN THE FIRST GAME TWO UNDEFEATED TEAMS HOUSTON AND CLINTON-GRACEVILLE BEARDSLEY SQUARE OFF IN THE 9 MAN BATTLE

Both teams are undefeated coming in to this morning's Minnesota State High school League class 9 man state championship. As the crowd begins to fill in here on the Friday after Thanksgiving, it's almost time to play championship football. Coming into this game, CGB is averaging 32.5 points per game.

Houston is also undefeated coming into this championship game. Houston is averaging 48.2 points per game. I suspect that this will be a high scoring game.

We are set to get this game started. Houston is kicking off. The official kick-off time in the 2008 Prep Bowl is 10:12 AM.

CGB has gotten the ball and they have it to start off the first quarter. CGB started by going to short quick runs. Nate Vogt has made a couple of nice short running plays on this drive. On their first drive, GCB has to punt the ball, as they were not able to convert.

Houston has gotten the ball and they are now on offense. Trent Kerrigan just got a first down for Houston on a nice 15 yard run. Zack Stackhouse has an 8 yard run here.

At the end of the first quarter, in a very tight game so far, the score is tied at 0.

Houston has the ball to start the second quarter. They are looking score to start the second quarter. Chris Stackhouse has the ball and is within inches of the goal line. Houston was stopped again just short of the goal line. The defense has stepped up and protected its goal line.

With 5:55 left to go in the second quarter, the score is still tied at 0.

Houston has fumbled the ball, GCB has recovered the fumble, and they take over. There is a timeout on the field. GCB is looking for an opportunity to drive the ball down the field and score a touchdown.

Pete Kling has just completed a nice little run up the middle of the field for Houston, and they are marching down the field looking to score. Andy Sires got sacked for a six yard loss. Houston has found the end zone, late in the second quarter. Trent Kerrigan has gotten a 24 yard pass to score the touchdown. The extra point was good and now the score is 7-0.

At half time, the score is Houston 7 and CGB 0. The Houston Hurricanes leading rushers are Trent Kerrian with 33 yards, Zach Stackhouse 26, and Andy Sires with 4 yards. For GCB, the leading rushers are Levi Nelson with 47 yards, Zach McNally with 21 yards, Nate Vogt with 3 yards, and Isaiah Athey with 2 yards. Houston has a total of 203 total offensive yards and CGB has a total of 70 total offensive yards.

As we get ready to start the second half here, both teams have come out ready to get this second half underway. Houston gets the ball, to start off the second half. Houston has gotten things started on short drives. That is what they have been doing most of the game thus far. Houston didn't get the first down, so they are going to have to punt it away.

With 9:33 left to go in the third quarter, the score is Houston 7 and CGB 0.

Isaiah Athey has gotten a chance to show his stuff has made a couple of nice runs so far. He is just so quick and he has been able to juke defenders.

Houston is driving and they are looking to score. It will be interesting to see if they score. They have found the end zone again Kevin Lindh has just scored a touchdown for Houston on a four yard run. The extra point was also good. With 3:56 left to go in the third quarter, the score is Houston 14 and CGB 0.

CGB is fighting hard in this game and they are not going to give up. They have played hard and they still have life here in this game. They are driving late in the third quarter. Levi Lupkes has been looking well. He has made some nice drives.

The fourth quarter is underway and GCB got on the board. Nate Vogt has gotten a touchdown and the two point extra point conversion was good. So with 11:00 left to go in the third quarter, the score is Houston 14 and CGB 8.

The crowd has really gotten into this game today. Both of these teams are playing well and have played hard. Isaiah Athey from Clinton-Graceville-Bearsley has just scored a touchdown and the two point conversion is good. And they now take the lead. The score with 5:45 left to go in regulation, it is CGB 16 and Houston 14.
Houston is driving and are making a run at it, as this game will come down to the wire. Houston is on the goal line and they are threatening to score again. Andy Sires has scored a touchdown late in this game and their two point conversion was good and Houston now leads in the class 9 man game by the score of 22-16, with 2:25 left to go.

Houston ended up winning the Class 9 Man game by the final of 22-16. Congratulations to Huston on winning the Class 9 Man State Tournament.

Friday, November 28, 2008

STEVEN'S SPORTS REPORT TO COVER PREP BOWL

I will be covering this year's Prep Bowl at the Metrodome this Friday and Saturday. This is the lineup of games for Friday and Saturday:

Friday November 28th

9 Man Houston vs Clinton-Graceville Baerdsley 10 AM
Class A Royalton vs Kerkhoven-Murdock Sunburg 1 PM
Class AA Caledonia vs Luverne 4 PM
Class AAAAA Blaine vs Wayzata 7 PM

On Saturday there will be two more state champions crowned.

Class AAA De La Salle vs Glencoe-Silver Lake 12:00 PM
Class AAAA Northfield Vs Mankato West. 3:00 PM

2008 MR FOOTBALL CANDIDATES ARE ANNOUNCED

The 10 finalists for the Minnesota Mr. Football Award were announced. Two players whose teams will compete for state championships this weekend at the Metrodome are Blaine quarterback, James Peterson (Class 5A) and Northfield linebacker, Cole Jirik (4A).

The other 8 finalists are Edina quarterback, Anders Lee; Pelican Rapids quarterback, Tydan Storrusten; Becker running, back Jake Gibbons; Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City running back, Kurtis Huisman; Brainerd running back, Colby Ring; Owatonna offensive tackle, Casey Dehn; Orono linebacker, Brett Skoog, and Apple Valley defensive back, Varmah Sonie.

On December 13, this year's winner will be announced at the Mr. Football banquet at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park.


MINNEAPOLIS NATIVE TROY BELL IS DOING WELL IN ITALY

Troy Bell, who is from Minneapolis Minnesota, is playing in Italy. Troy is one of the leaders on the Vanoli Soresina team. Troy has played in all of his teams games. He is their leading scorer and he is averaging 20.0 points per game.

Troy has always been one of the shooters and prolific scorers on any of the teams that he has played on. He is the 6th leading scorer in his league. His team is currently fifth in his league with a 5-3 record.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS ARE TAKING ON EASTERN WASHINGTON

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers return home tonight to face the Eagles of Eastern Washington. Minnesota was on the road last Saturday, and they defeated Colorado State with a score of 72-71. Coming into this game, Minnesota is 4-0 and Eastern Washington is 3-1.

Williams Arena is starting to fill up here, as we are about to get this game underway. The crowd is on its feet. The Gophers are playing really aggressive to start this game out. Eastern Washington is looking to get the ball up the court early in this game.

Eastern Washington is patient on the offensive end. At the first media timeout, the score is Minnesota 7 and Eastern Washington 6.


Paul Carter has just entered the game for the Gophers. Colton Iverson just made a nice jump shot. Colton Iverson just came up with a put back dunk to get the crowd into the game. Ralph Sampson just got fouled on his shot and has just made his free throw attempt. Ralph Sampson is playing very aggressive. He has gotten a couple of good shots on put backs because he is just so tall. He is contesting shot with his hand out on the shooters.

With 11:51 left to go in the first half, the score is Minnesota 16 Eastern Washington 11.

Devoe Joseph just hit a nice three point shot. He looks like he is having fun. The Gophers are playing really hard early on. The Gophers are doing a good job of getting back on defense.

The Gophers have gone on these mini runs in the first half, and they are trying not to have Eastern Washington in this game at all. With 6:04 left to go in the first half, the score is Minnesota 29 and Eastern Washington 20.

Colton Iverson has looked impressive so far. He has made some very nice moves and looks strong and aggressive. Devron Bostic just came down the court with a nice dunk.

With 3:02 left to go in the first half, the score is Minnesota 38 and Eastern Washington 22.

Al Nolen has played some good defense in this game. He has really had to make his man work. Al Nolen has mostly guarded Benny Valentine in this game and he has done a good job.

At half time, the score is Minnesota 47 and Eastern Washington 29.

Colton Iverson has really put on an impressive performance for the Gophers tonight. He is the Gophers leading scorer in the first half. He has 14 points.

The second half is about to get underway. The Gophers are coming out playing aggressively here at the start of this second half. The Gophers can't get soft here and think that they have this game in the bag. They have to keep playing hard throughout the whole game and keep executing their stuff. Colton Iverson just got another dunk here tonight.

Benny Valentine has played well in this game. He is their vocal leader on the court. With 15:40 left to go in the game, the score is Minnesota 55 and Eastern Washington 41.

The Gophers are playing well here today. They are still playing with a lot of confidence. With 11:33 left to go in the second half, the score is Minnesota 64 and Eastern Washington 47.

They are talking a lot on their passes. They have also made sound cuts. Even though the Gophers have made Benny Valentine look like a super star, they are still playing well.

Paul Carter just hit the deck hard. He looks like he is in pain. He is helped off the court by several of his players and the Gophers medical staff. They are taking him down stairs to get it looked at.

With 7:35 left to go in regulation, the score is Minnesota 69 and Eastern Washington 55.

Colton Iverson is just putting on a show in this game. Damian Johnson has 11 points so far but he has been playing well. He has really helped this team to victory tonight. The final of the game tonight was Minnesota Gophers 88 and Eastern Washington 67.

With this win tonight Tubby Smiths record is now 25-14 with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He is now 212-159 for his college Coaching career. This was the second time that these two teams have met and the Gophers have won both meetings. This has been the best start the Gophers have had in a while. The Gophers are now 5-0. During the 1999-2000 season the Gophers started that season 6-0. The Gophers found a way to score tonight. They were able to put in a bunch of points in the first half. In fact, the Gophers scored a season high 47 points in the first half tonight. Their previous high total for points in a half was 41 against Concordia St Paul. The Gophers had another high in points in a game with 88 points. The Gophers also found their shot tonight. The Gophers shot a season high 58.6% from the field tonight. In the first half alone, they shot 63.3%. This is the first time this year that the Gophers have shot over 50% from the field. The Gophers were also able to get all over the rebounds tonight, in a valiant effort. The Gophers had a total of 31 total rebounds and Eastern Washington had a total of 26 rebounds. The leading rebounder for the Gophers tonight was Ralph Sampson with 7 total rebounds. Tubby Smith is still looking to see what line-ups work the best for this team by trying out different player combinations. Tonight was no exception. Al Nolen and Colton Iverson are the only two players to start all five games this year so far.

Tonight the Gophers were able to distribute the basketball around well. They were able to get everyone involved in the game. Minnesota had 5 players score in double figures. Devron Bostick had a season high 11 points in this game. I also thought that he played well. He was able to get to the free throw line, and he made all of his free throws tonight.

Lawrence Westbrook missed the game tonight because he has a deep shin bruise on his right leg. Westbrook had started 38 games up to this point. He started all of the games last season. Co captain Jamal Abu-Shamala played in his 100th career game tonight for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. That includes starting in 52 games. Al Nolen Jr had a quiet night tonight. He played hard and well but he didn't shoot the ball that much. He ended up with two points and three personal fouls.

Paul Carter was taken to the Emergency Room to get his ankle looked at. He rolled an ankle. The Gophers are getting a little bit nicked up and Tubby Smith is kind of concerned because he doesn't want his team to be too banged up. He does use some of his managers to help out in drills even when everyone is healthy.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

HAMLINE TAKING ON THE SAINTS OF ST. SCHOLASTICA

In a non-conference game, its St. Scholastica taking on Hamline University at Joe Hutton Arena in St Paul Minnesota. Hamline comes into this game with a 1-1 record. St. Scholastica is also 1-1.

As the game gets under way both Hamline and St Scholastica have started off playing in a tough man to man coverage.

There has been a good flow to the game early and both teams have looked well balanced. Both teams will have to go deep into their bench rotation if the pace of this game keeps up the way it has started.

With 12:37 left to go in the first half the score is Hamline 14 and St. Scholastica 6.

Hamline has come out of a time-out playing a little bit of a zone defense. It looks like they are going to mix it up with a bit of a 2-3 and a man. I am sure that the Pipers head coach Nelson Whitmore has told his kids to use every type of defense they can against these guys.

Hamline has taken some pretty quick shots in a 5-minute stretch. Hamline is getting the ball out of the basket and attacking the rack on the other end while St Scholastica is trying to play catch up.

Mike Mac Donald has entered the game for the Saints to do battle down in the low post with the Pipers big men. Mike is not afraid to get in there and bang. He is playing aggressively on the low block and he also can get out and run in the open court.

Both teams are diving on the floor for loose balls and really going after each other.

With 8:12 left to go in the first half St. Scholastica has taken a time out with the score Hamline 23 and St. Scholastica 15.

St Scholastica is trying to trap the ball in the corners on defense. Chris Hammers is playing well while the Saints penetrate to the basket when they are on offense. Hamline is not letting that happen to easily.

Both teams are flying around the court and doing a good job of catching and sweeping the ball. There has been good ball movement by each team. Troy Miller has a nice pump fake and has been able to fool his defenders on a couple occasions.

At half time the score is Hamline 33 and St. Scholastica 35. Hamline is shooting 52.2% from the field and St. Scholastica 44.8%.

As this second half gets underway both teams look fired up and ready to play. As both teams go hard at each other, Hamline is playing with a lot of poise.

Hamline has slowed the game down and is walking the ball up the court.

Mike MacDonald has reentered the game. He is playing aggressively, has really made some nice cuts to the basket and has just made a nice shot. He has shown why he will be one of the conferences big men to watch. He has made a number of silky-smooth moves.

Another guy that has been playing well is Danny Anderson who has made a couple of pretty shots. The game has gone back and forth and will probably come down to the wire. It is quite hot in gym tonight but we are bearing through it.

With 3:35 left to go in the game is Hamlin 62 and St. Scholastica 60.

Tony Thrasher has just come down and just hit a three pointer and that has put Hamline on a bit of run near the end of regulation.

In a very hard fought game, Hamline was able to come up with a 73-64 win tonight against a very good St. Scholastica team.

Leading scorer Chris Hammers had 17 points for St Scholastica and Mike Mac Donald ended with 5. Tony Thrasher and Eric Clute each had 10 points to lead Hamline in their victory.

THE MINNESOTA BOYS BASKETBALL SEASON GETS UNDERWAY

Monday was the first day of the 2008 boy's basketball season. As everyone prepares to compete and make it to the state tournament in March, I look forward to covering the basketball season. Feel free to contact me by email at stevenmgr@hotmail.com if you have any tips or ideas on what some of the major news stories are or if there is anything you think I should possibly cover please let me know. Thanks a lot.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

CONCORDIA ST PAUL IS HOSTING AUGSBURG COLLEGE

Concordia St Paul is looking for its first win of the season today, as they go up against Augsburg College at the Ganghoff Center in St Paul. Coming into this game, Concordia has a 0-2 record and Augsburg is 2-0.

As we are ready to get this game underway, Augsburg starts out this game playing tight man-to-man defense. Both teams are now playing man-to-man. Concordia is pressing to start out this game. Cory Polta just made a nice turnaround jump shot in traffic. Concordia is looking inside and then they look for Chris Pfeifer (6'-6"), who takes a nice jump-hook shot.

Augsburg is looking to swing the ball around the three point ark. They are having success rotating the ball. Nate Alm has made some nice moves here in this game.

Concordia St Paul is putting together a little run. Both teams are playing hard. Concordia St Paul is looking to push the ball. Both teams are now looking to push the ball. This is a ball game and Concordia has fought their way back into it.

With 9:37 left to go in the first half, the score is Augsburg 18 and Concordia St Paul 17.

Craig Heiman just hit a shot for Concordia St Paul He has a nice release on his jump shot. Drew Votis is playing hard and aggressive. He has really gone to battle in the low post with Andy Grzesiak-Grimm. They are both going hard here in this game.

With 6:18 left, the score is tied at 25.

Augsburg is still playing hard man-to-man defense. Both teams are still pushing the ball in this game. Both teams are trading baskets.


We have reached half time. At half time, the score is Concordia St Paul 38 and Augsburg 32. This game will come down to the wire. At half time, Augsburg is shooting 34.5% from the field. Concordia St Paul is shooting 48.3% from the field. Augsburg is shooting 60% from the free throw line and Concordia St Paul 88.9%.

We are ready to get the second half under way. Both teams are looking to push it here to start the second half. Craig Heiman has just scored on a nice hook shot from the top of the key.

With 17:10 left to go in the second half, Augsburg takes a time out. The score is Concordia St Paul 44 and Augsburg 34. Both teams are trading baskets in this game. There are a lot of bodies on the floor. Each team is going hard after the ball and diving on the ground for loose balls.

Nate Alm is also playing well here for Augsburg. He is playing aggressive and taking nice shots. He has taken some smart shots in this game and has played strong in this second half. This game has gotten sloppy, as both teams are going too fast down the court. Both teams are fumbling the basketball. Aaron Gross the Augsburg coach doesn't like what he is seeing and he has called a time out. He is really chewing out his players during this time out.

Both teams are really running the court. Concordia St Paul is trying to run their offense and it is mostly a motion patterned offense.

Concordia St Paul has kind of taken off in the second half. Concordia St Paul will continue to fight, as they don't want to let up.


With 9:24 left to go in regulation, the score is Concordia St Paul 66 and Augsburg 49.

There have been a lot of turnovers committed by both teams. The key in this game is whoever can have the fewest turnovers will come away with the victory today.

Concordia St Paul's Sammy Ricks has had a nice day today with some nice plays. He runs the show for the Golden Bears team. All of the action runs through Sammy Ricks. He is getting his players get involved in this game. Concordia St Paul continues to play tough, hard man-to-man defense.

With 5:49 left to go in this game, the score is Concordia St Paul 75 and Augsburg 61.

Concordia St Paul is still playing aggressive and have not let up in this one. They don't want to let up here even though they have a big lead. Sammy Ricks has just completed a nice play. He had a nice dribble drive to the cup, made a nice jump stop and pump-fake, and then made the shot.

This game has come to an end with Concordia St Paul coming away with the victory here tonight. The final of the game is Concordia St Paul 91 and Augsburg 75.The leading scores for Augsburg were Nate Alm with 17 points, Cory Polta 15 and Jon Cassens with 10 points. The leading scores for Concordia St Paul were Sammy Ricks with 20 points Matt Cadwell 18 points and Craig Heiman with 15 points.

A Loyal Fan's Thoughts

Greetings Tony,

It's an honor to be invited to make some comments on Howard Pulley summer league and our Minnesota Golden Gophers. This old timer got started on basketball back on a small farm in western Wisconsin, almost 66 years ago. Dad tacked up an old iron hoop at one end of the hay mow.and we would work hard at throwing down the hay from under the basket so we would have a clear floor to play on. The floor got bigger as the winter went on and the cows used up the hay. The only problem was that then quite a few of the longer shots had to be made over the Roof braces. Got pretty good at trick shots at a very early age. Also remember how excited this six year older got when dad took us to the Montevideo High school gym for "open gym" on Saturdays. Could hardly tie the shoe strings on the $1.98 tennis shoes. By the way those old tennis shoes never lasted very long. They either got holes in the toes right away or you outgrew them.

Watching the Gophers over the past 10 years has been a tremendous enjoyment for this old duffer. Never realized how deeply my love for basketball is and how much I love the young people who have brought the game to a level no one my age could ever have envisioned. I somehow experienced the ups and downs the Gopher players went through over the past four years with the abrupt coaching changes and the miraculous procuring of Tubby Smith. This was indeed prayers answered for all of Minnesota fans and particularly the players themselves.

The Howard Pulley summer league that I began attending this summer was the perfect followup for a fan that was really down to see the season end both for the women and the men. I got introduced to a whole new environment of basketball. Yes, from the huge diamond ear rings to the handshakes to the Mercedes in the parking lot to the eager young high school players to the little two year olds that can dribble the ball better than I did in high school to the intense level of play to the tremendous control those dedicated referees were burdened with, I could go on and on with the cultural encounter I experienced this summer at the Salvation Army Gym on west seventh in Hockey Town St. Paul.

The players themselves have a magnetism that is hard to explain. My gratitude to our creator for what has happened for the black athlete in sports and all areas of our society goes very deep. I do not mean to single out only the black athletes, but isn't it ironic that it took sports for many of us in this country to realize the magnificently talented people we whites chose to enslave over the centuries. I weep at the tragedy of slavery and the effects it still has on many of our people's lives. A recent mission trip to Africa confirmed in my heart the level to which Black People raise every aspect of life. We've got a lot of Tiger Woods in this world. But I digress.

Watching the play this summer I was impressed with the talent we have had and the talent that's coming for the Gophers. Rather than make this first e-mail too long, I will list as many names as I can recall and later with your approval Tony, I will give you my amateur diagnosis of how I see each of these young fellows. There was Khalid El-Amin, Dan Coleman, Vince Grier, Quincy Lewis, Colton Iverson, Ralph Samson III, Al Nolan Jr. and Sr., Damian Johnson, Devron Bostick, Travis Bush,Blake Hoffarber Kevin Payton, Jon Williams. Also had some out state players and then those high school kids on the select team. There's a lot to talk about and look forward to.

Sincerely Dave Glasspoole

Friday, November 21, 2008

DULUTH EAST BASKETBALL COACH CHUCK TOLO TALKS ABOUT THE SEASON AHEAD AND GUARD DYAMI STARKS

I asked Duluth East’s head boys basketball coach Chuck Tolo to fill me in on the upcoming basketball season and his thoughts on Dyami Starks:

Our overall expectations are to immediately improve our defense and to be in the section 7AAAA mix with teams like Blaine, Forest Lake and Cambridge.

We are very young and the core of our team is underclassmen. But the majority of our players went through their growing pains last year. A major strength of our team is that many of our key players put in a lot of time this summer and have made great improvement.

We are an independent so we do not play in a conference but like I said earlier, we aspire to play with the top teams in our section.

Dyami Starks works tirelessly at trying to improve his overall game. When we did individual evaluations after last season, we talked about many parts of his game that he needs to improve upon. He really worked hard at improving his weaknesses and making the strong parts of his game even stronger.

Dyami sacrificed a lot of exposure this summer to predominantly stay in Duluth and work out with his teammates. He wants to have a successful season at Duluth East this year.

Dyami is a gifted shooter, one of the best if not the best that I have ever coached. What I continue to stress to Dyami is that he needs to become a complete player. He is definitely working hard on all aspects of his game. Dyami is becoming a strong leader and is the captain of our squad this season.

I believe that we will go as far as Dyami is able to lead us. The more he gets his teammates involved, the tougher we are going to be. I know that Dyami is getting a ton of D1 interest. Whoever gets him is going to be lucky in the long run.

You have to keep remembering that Dyami is still only a junior and he has a long ways to go. But his potential and upside are huge.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

New Audio

Hello everyone - I have just finished editing 12 new interviews Steven has done at the State Football Semifinals and the Gophers 3 game event this past weekend.

Click here to get to the interviews starting with episode number 21.

INTERVIEW WITH DYAMI ROMELL STARKS

I was able to do an email interview with Duluth East Dyami Starks. This is what he had to say about playing for Duluth East and the up coming season.

My middle name is Romell.

I started playing ball when I was in 6th grade but I didn't take it seriously until seventh or eighth grade.

I stay at home with both parents; my mom Becky Starks my dad Will Starks.

I started playing like I said in 6th grade but in the seventh grade I started playing travel team basketball and we did a little traveling around the state. I put a lot of work in that summer and that's when I started to become a skilled player. I thank my dad for that.

I played with Wisconsin hoops in sixth grade then another local team the next two years. At the end of eighth grade I started to play with 43 hoops but switched to Howard Pulley. Last year I barely played so I could improve my game and play with my high school team.

Duluth obviously doesn't have as many African Americans as Minneapolis and the metropolitan area but we do have quite a few in the hillside area and out west. I go to school at East, and there are close to 25 African Americans who go to East. Racism is definitely an issue anywhere but East for the most part is not that bad. Our basketball team has at least 8 African Americans and that helps mix cultures and understanding the other side a little bit better. However Duluth can be kind of diverse in some areas of town. The areas I mentioned before like Central Hillside or out West have a lot of minorities.

A typical day for me in the off season is my workout schedule and I try to work around it. Usually I workout early in the morning or late at night and sometimes both. When I'm not in the gym, I'll go the beach at Park Point or Canal Park. If I'm home I might play NBA 2k9 on the Xbox; that's usually when I do nothing to spectacular.

But I'm not a big swimmer. If I go to the beach it’s just to hang out a little bit, but I have swam in Lake Superior and it's too cold for me. It does warm up later in the summer though.
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Early on in my high school career when I was a freshman I was just anxious to show what I could do. When I got the starting spot in the 4th game in the season I was real happy. I text my dad and said "I got it". That was a very fun and successful year but we lost a lot of people.

Sophomore year was somewhat of a rebuilding year. We had a down year but I look at the glass as half full and found out what it meant to be a captain/leader and a winner. I'm really excited about this upcoming season because I've put a lot of time and effort into working on the stuff I needed to work on.

When people wonder why I didn't play for Pulley or why I played on their 16's again it was all my choice. I chose to stay up here and play summer leagues with my team because reaching state and having a successful winning year is more important to me. I'm ready and am very excited to show people what we can do.

Being a player at East is OK. People know and respect me for the player that I am, but East is a hockey school so that can get a little frustrating sometimes. When we win people want to see us, when we lose it’s not that big of a deal. We'll try to change that this year. But Coach Tolo is a great coach. He understands leadership and coaching talent. He knows what a player has to do to get to the next level. I love being a player in his system and we both are excited about the upcoming season.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

DULUTH’S DYAMI STARKS IS GETTING NATIONAL ATTENTION

I have gotten word that Duluth East’s Dyami Starks is getting a lot of attention from numerous colleges. The current schools contacting him are Clemson, Drake, Creighton, USC, Columbia University, University of Northern Iowa, Wisconsin and Iowa State.

Dyami is a nice player with an excellent jump shot. It will be interesting to see what happens and where he ends up going to college.

Monday, November 17, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS IS TAKING ON GEORGIA STATE

As this game gets underway here at the University of Minnesota both teams are coming out firing on all cylinders. The Gophers are starting out in half court man to man defense. There is a bigger crowd then at the beginning of the first game earlier tonight.

Colton Iverson has just scored on a nice jumper. He has seems to be in the flow early.

Blake Hohbarber has just come down the court and hit a couple of nice jump shots to rally the Gophers. The Gophers are playing aggressive first half basketball. They look hungry and they seem to have a will to win. Georgia State is also playing well at the start.

The Gophers are playing an aggressive 2-3 defensive zone.

Al Nolen Jr. has reentered the game. He is playing sound basketball on both ends of the court. Nolan just found Colton Iverson on a fast break, and he takes the ball to the basket and throws down a monster dunk.

With 7:46 left to go in the first half the score is Minnesota 20 and Georgia State 14.

The Gophers have been able to run their offensive early on. Lawrence Westbrook has looked good and he has been able to get to the basket and make some nice shots. Al Nolen just scored his first two points of the game with 4:40 left to go. As a good point guard, he has let his teammates do more of the scoring while he directing his players and positioning them where they are supposed to be on the court.

The Gophers are playing well together and seem to be having a good time.

At half time the score is Minnesota 35 and Georgia State 23. The Gophers are shooting 50% from the field (14-28). Westbrook is the Gophers leading scorer with 9 points. Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson have 6 points each and Al Nolen Jr. has 2 points and he is 1-2 from the field. The leading scorer for Georgia State is Leonard Mendez with 5 points.

As the second half gets under way both teams have come out playing up-tempo basketball. The Gophers are playing really strong on the defensive end.

Georgia State has been on a little run to start this second half. With 15:12 left to go in the game the score is Minnesota 35 and Georgia State 29. The Gophers haven’t made a field goal in the second half.

Al Nolen has started to control the Gopher offense and the Gophers have made a run of their own and with 11:59 left in the game the score is Minnesota 40 and Georgia State 33. So far Al Nolen is 1-3 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line with a total of 4 points.

The Gophers are still playing aggressive but the Georgia State is making a comeback. With 6:23 to go in the game the score is Minnesota 46 and Georgia State 38.

Georgia State is making the game interesting. They have played well throughout the game and they have made the Gophers earn every the basket they have made tonight. Blake Hoffarber has just made a three point shot that brought the crowd on its feet.

As this game comes down to the end the Gophers are still in a tight game. But in the end the Gophers hang on to win 60-52.

Leading the way for the Gophers tonight was Lawrence Westbrook with 15 points and Ralph Sampson and Blake Hoffarber each had 8. The leading scorers for Georgia State were Joe Dukes with 16 points and Leonard Mendez with 11. The Gopher’s Al Nolen and Lawrence Westbrook were named to the All Tournament Team.

BOWLING GREEN UNIVERSITY TAKES OUT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY-ST PAUL

Bowling Green University is taking on Concordia St Paul at the University of Williams arena in the third day of the NBCA tournament. At the start of this game the seats are nearly empty.

Bowling Green is playing man to man defense early and with 15:16 left to go in the first half the score is Bowling Green 8 and Concordia St Paul 6.

The Falcon are doing a good job of getting through Concordia’s touch screens and point guard Darryl Clements has shown good leadership. He has gotten his teammates into the game.

With 12:00 left to go in the first half the score is Bowling Green 14 and Concordia St Paul 6.

Darryl Clements has hit a couple of quick three point shots midway through the first half for Bowling Green. He is about a foot or so beyond the new three point arc and he is still making his shots. Bowling Green is playing a tough man to man coverage and they are looking attacking in transition.

Concordia is having trouble midway through the first half. Bowling Green is making a run and Concordia hasn’t been able to stop them.

Brian Moten is also playing well for Bowling Green. He has made some strong cuts to the basket and he has been able to find his shot here in the first half.

Bowling Green has been able to make hit their shots and control tempo on both ends of the court.

With 3:16 left in the first half the score is Bowling Green 32 and Concordia St Paul 17.

At half time the score is Bowling Green Falcons 38 and the Concordia St Paul Golden Bears 19.

Throughout the first half Concordia has had shooting problems and are only shooting 21.2% from the field. Mean while the Falcons are shooting 51.6% from the field. The leading scorers for Bowling Green are Darryl Clements with 13 points, and Brian Moten with 10 points.

Bowling Green is looking strong early in the second-half. They have been pushing the ball up the court and also getting good help on the defensive end.

Concordia’s Sammy Ricks has been playing well. He has made some very nice passes.

With 15:35 left to go in regulation the score is Bowling Green 45 and Concordia St Paul 29.

The Falcons Darryl Clements has played well and has looked strong all night; he has made some nice passes and has hit a couple of pretty shots.

With 11:59 left to go in the game the score is Bowling Green 53 and Concordia 36.

Brian Moten has caught my eye in the second half. He has looked fluid in all his moves and he has also been able to hit his shots.

This game is starting to slip away from the Concordia Golden Bears. They have been out matched and have be unable to hang-on on against this Falcons group. Brian Moten seems to be their on-court vocal leader.

With 6:54 left to go in regulation the score is Bowling Green 66 and Concordia St Paul 48.

Concordia has not given up but are fighting an uphill battle. With 3:55 left to go, the score is Bowling Green 73 and Concordia St Paul 54.

Both teams are still playing aggressive basketball. As this game winds down you have to wonder what these programs are going to take away from this weekend. Playing three games in three days is a test on any team in the early part of the season.

The final of the game was Bowling Green 82 and Concordia St Paul 61.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS ARE TAKING ON CONCORDIA ST PAUL

The University of Minnesota is taking on Concordia University of St Paul in the NABC Classic at home. There are three days of basketball that are being played at the University of Minnesota. As we get this game underway here tonight, there is a nice size crowd of folks here to watch this game.

We are ready to get this game started. The student section is starting to fill at the Barn. The Gophers are look to push the ball up the court. Both teams have traded baskets. From the first couple of series, it looks like it is going to be a close game. With 15:51 left to go in the first half, the score is Minnesota 8 and Concordia St Paul 7.

The Gophers have looked good ,so far in the first half. The Gophers have made some quick buckets in transition. At the 12:00 minute mark, the score is Minnesota 13 and Concordia 11.

Al Nolan looks good to start out the game. He has made some shots that have put the Gophers up. They are playing a strong man to man defense. They are trying to get the ball out and run. They want the ball in Al Nolen's hands. He has a nice soft jump shot that he consistently makes.

The Gophers want to try to build on their lead now. Deveron Bostick has also looked good here in the early going in this game. Lawrence Westbrook looks sharp so far tonight. With 6:57 left to go in the first half, Lawrence Westbrook has scored 6 points.

Minnesota has started to pull away a little bit. They have a 30-19 lead with 5:00 left to go in the first half. I'm not saying by any means this Concordia team is out of it though. They have a toughness in them that they will keep on fighting until the end. I just think that the Gophers are going to have to buckle down because Concordia can be dangerous and go on a run at any given point.

At the under 4:00 media time out, the score is Minnesota 33 and Concordia St Paul 22.

Travis Busch has come through and made some nice shots on a nice run to end the second half. The Gophers are attempting to trap the ball on the defensive end. As the first half has come to an end, here the Barn, the University of Minnesota has taken a 39-25 lead.

The Gophers look fresh and refreshed after the half time break. They are tyring to get things going early in the second half. The Gophers continue to play tough man-to-man defense to start out this half of play.

The Gophers are getting the ball in transition and have made sure the ball is in Al Nolen's hands a lot. He has been able to do good things with the ball so far tonight. With 15:24 left to go in the game, the score is Minnesota 48 and Concordia 28.

Ralph Sampson has looked good in the front court. Even though he has had trouble shooting, he has been productive.

With 11:49 left, the score is Minnesota 55 and Concordia 38.

The announced attendance for the game tonight is 11,818.

The Gophers are still playing strong and have not lightened their play at all. On defense, they are still out in the passing lanes, playing exceptional help defense, and hustling to the ball in a good, low defensive stance. Paul Carter is also doing some impressive things around the basket.

With 7:19 left to go in the game, the score is Minnesota 58 and Concordia 47.

The Gophers have taken a lead here, and they look to hold on to it. They have to hold their composure. Al Nolen has just committed a flagrant foul on Mike Cunningham. Some words were exchanged between Al Nolen and Mike Cunningham. The players and referees had to separate the two. And now, there is a media time out.

This game has been all Minnesota from the start. Minnesota came away with the victory tonight. Al Nolen had a good game tonight, finishing the game with 17 points to lead the Gophers. Colton Iverson had 9 points.


Lawrence Westbrook was another guy that came through and added 13 points to the Gopher win. All around it was a team effort and every one contributed. The Gophers ended up winning the game by a final of 76-51.

NEW LONDON SPICER TRYS TO SPICE IT UP AGAINTS THE ISLANDERS OF DE LA SALLE

De la Salle is going up against New London Spicer. Both of these teams are coming out strong in the first quarter. Both teams look aggressive here, as this game is getting underway. De La Salle is undefeated coming into this game. New London-Spicer comes in with two losses.

AJ Barker has had a couple of nice runs for the De La Salle. New London Spicer hasn't really tried any trickery, as of yet. They have just been running right at De La Salle. AJ Barker has just got the Islanders on the board he just scored a touchdown.

New London-Spicer got the ball back and they were not able to do anything with it, so they have to punt the ball back to DE La Salle. Evan Williams has put some nice moves on the New London-Spicer defenders.

Sam Schmid has just picked off the De La Salle Islanders' pass. New London Spicer looks to do something with the ball. Both teams are playing hard today.

New London Spicer looks strong on the defensive side. They are making plays out right and giving De La Salle some difficulty on both sides of the ball, in the first half. Aaron Jenny has just sacked the De La Salle quarter back. Luke Petterson, of New London Spicer, just picked off the De La Salle quarterback for the third time today.

At half time, the score is De La Salle 6 and New London Spicer 14.

Evan Williams for De La Salle has carried the ball 13 times and has a total of 58 yards. He accounts for most of the De La Salle offense. Because De La Salle has ran 25 plays for 60 total yards and New London Spicer has ran 29 plays for a total of 75 yards.

Both teams came out playing aggressive, to start the second half. Spencer Harris just sacked the New London quarterback.

New London Spicer has the ball back mid way through the third quarter. But De La Salle got back on the board on with an Evan Williams' touchdown, but the extra point was not good. So, after the touchdown the score is now De La Salle 12 and New London Spicer 14.

Both teams are playing very aggressive. Michael VanLeer has just scored a 51 yard rushing touchdown. With that touchdown, the score is now De La Salle 18 and New London Spicer 14. This is De La Salle's first lead of the game. New London Spicer is not going to go down easily here. We are definitely in a ball game. It is anyone's game.

Both teams are playing well, in this hard fought game. As the third quarter winds down, it is going to come down to the wire.

At the end of the third quarter, the score is De La Salle 18 and New London Spicer 14.

New London Spicer got the ball back, to start the fourth quarter. They couldn't do anything with it, so De La Salle gets it back and are trying to score in the fourth quarter. Evan Williams just scored another touchdown for the De La Salle Islanders. The extra point was good, so the score is now De La Salle 25 and New London Spicer 14.

We will see what New London Spicer can do with it here on this drive. They have looked strong all game long and they are putting up a good battle against this De La Salle team. But they will have to score another touchdown and more to get back into this game.

De La Salle has to keep calm and not get ahead of them selves, as this game winds down. Evan Williams has been just fabulous during this game. He has really had a good game. He just has made some nice moves. Another kid who has surprised me has been AJ Barker.

Evan Williams has just scored another touchdown for De La Salle. He had a 23 yard run. The extra point for De La Salle was not good.

The final of this game was De La Salle 31 and New London Spicer 14.

Friday, November 14, 2008

NORTHFIELD OUT MUSCLES ORONO IN STATE SEMIFINAL GAME

In the third game of the day here at the Metrodome, it is Northfield going up against Orono. Both of these teams are coming out on fire. They are doing a good job on containing themselves.

Northfield's Wes Kramer has kicked two field goals here to get things underway, in this game. With 3:00 left to go in the first quarter, the score is Northfield 6 and Orono 0. Both of these teams look strong coming into this game. There is a lot of intensity and agressive play being displayed here by both teams.

At the end of the first quarter, the score is Northfield 6 and Orono 0.

As the second quarter gets underway, Orono's Tyler Hartlein has started a nice drive. He has taken Orono inside the twenty yard line. They are looking to score here. On the next play, the ball was fumbled and Ralph Clark of Northfield recovered it. Northfield starts their drive on the 10 yard line. Cole Jirik gets a 62 yard reception. This gives the raiders some confidence. Cody Schmidt found Christian Shepley in the end zone for a touchdown. After that touchdown, the score is Northfield 12 and Orono 0.

Orono is driving here after Northfield scored their last touchdown. They are still in this game. Orono needs a touchdown on this particular drive. They are driving down the field and look determined to score a touchdown. Orono is in the red zone and its first and goal on the five yard line.


Northfield punts for the first time. Orono receives the ball from the Northfield punt. Both teams are going after each other hard. Orono got the ball down to the twenty yard line. Orono scored a touchdown here with less then 2:00 left to go from Chase Gottschalk. With that touchdown, the score is now Northfield 12 and Orono 6.
Christian Shepley finds the end zone for a Northfield touchdown. Northfield tried a two point conversion and they failed to convert. Nothfield then tried to get the ball back into the end zone but were unsuccessful. They, then, attempted a field goal, as time expired to end the first half.


In a game that has been up and down the field, at half time the score is Northfield 21 and Orono 6. So far in this game Northfield has 10 first downs and Orono has 13 first downs. Northfield rushed the ball 20 times for 114 yards. Orono rushed the ball 14 times for 45 yards. Northfield ran 28 offensive plays for a total of 288 yards to Orono's 33 offensive plays with a total of 217 yards.

Orono came out of the half time smoking. They look to chew up the clock and yards. Orono got intercepted in the end zone, so Northfield gets the ball back on the twenty yard line.

Now, Northfield has come out and they are driving down the field. Northfield is looking to score again. Northfield is going to try to attempt a field goal. They run a trick play and it ends up getting picked off.

Northfield has the ball back and Sam Maus and Alex Harris connected for a touchdown. The extra point has gone right through the uprights making the score now Northfield 28 and Orono 6.

The Orono team has been picked off here in this game a few times. Northfield has been clicking though. At the end of the third quarter, the score is Northfield 28 and Orono 6.

As the fourth quarter gets underway here, Northfield can't lose focus. They have to keep playing sound football. Northfield has looked good, thus far. Wes Kramer just kicked a 32-yard field goal. After Wes Kramer's field goal, the score is now Northfield 31 and Orono 6 with 9:30 left to go in the game.

Orono found some life in the fourth quarter. They have tried to make it interesting by marching up the field. Orono has had trouble keeping the ball. They have too many turnovers in this game. Orono is threatening late and they find end zone.

This game has been a hard fought game on both ends of the field. But in the end, Northfield got the best of Orono. They end up beating Orono by the final score of 31-12.

IN CLASS A SEMI FINAL, ITS LAKE PARK-AUDUBON GOING UP AGAINST ROYALTON

In the second game of the day, it is Lake Park-Audubon going up against Royalton. Both teams are starting out strong. Royalton got on the score board first with a touchdown from Cole Jendro. The two point conversion was good.

Royalton14 and Lake Park Audubon 6.

Both teams have been playing very well here in this game. Royalton just scored another touch down in the second quarter. They were not able to convert on the two point conversion. So, the score is now Royalton 20 and Lake Park Audubon 6.

The score at half time is Royalton 20 and Lake Park Audubon 6. Royalton has a total of 13 first downs and Lake Park has 5 first downs in the first half. Royalton has carried the ball 27 times for a total of 177 yards, while Lake Park has carried it 13 times for a total of 50 yards. Royalton's leading rusher is Zack Lanners. He has nine carries for a total of 105 yards. He also has one touchdown. Royalton's Zack Lanners has two kick returns for a total of 45 yards. His longest return was 24 yards.

As the second half gets underway here at the Metrodome, both teams came out ready to play. Lake Park Audubon has the ball to open up the second half. Lake Park Audubon is trying to convert on short runs to start out.

Royalton got the ball back here on a Lake Park Audubon fumble. They are going to come down and try to do something in the middle of the third quarter. Both teams are playing very aggressive. Royalton found holes early and they have been able to capitalize on the Lake Park Audubon mistakes.

Zack Lanners found the end zone for Royalton as he scores a touchdown. He caught a 60 yard pass for the touchdown. Royalton was not able to make the 2-point conversion. After that touchdown, the score is Royalton 26 and Lake Park Audubon 6.

Royalton is looking to score again. Zack Landers has carried this team so far. He has kind of been a spark for Royalton. Ryan Winer scored a touchdown and the two point conversion was good. So, with 3:10 left to go in the third quarter, the score is Royalton 34 and Lake Park Audubon 6.

Royalton is coming strong. Both teams are looking good but Royalton has gotten it done so far in this game.
At the end of the third quarter, the score is Royalton 34 and Lake Park Audubon 6.

We will have to see if Lake Park Audubon will be able to come back. And sure enough, Jesse Wixo just caught a touchdown for Lake Park Audubon and the two point conversion failed. After that touchdown, the score is now Royalton 34 and Lake Park Audubon 12.

Jesse Wixo has just scored another touchdown. The two point conversion was good. After that touchdown, the score is now Royalton 34 and Lake Park Audubon 20.

Both teams are still going hard at each other here in the fourth quarter of this game. Royalton is looking to score again. They are on a drive, as the fourth quarter winds down. Leave no one for dead, both teams are going hard after this victory. Royalton just scored another touchdown from Brian Schlichting. After that last touchdown, the score is now Royalton 42 and Lake Park Audubon 20.

Royalton had a total of 284 rushing yards and Lake Park Audubon had a total of 80 total rushing yards. Royalton had a total of 420 yards and Lake Park Audubon had a total of 215 total yards.

THE HOUSTON HURRICANES BEAT THE ADA-BORUP COURGARS IN THE FIRST SEMIFINALS AT THE MINNNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

The first game is underway here at the Metrodome. It is Ada-Borup going up against Huston. On the first drive of the game, Houston scores a touchdown. Ada-Borup was not able to do anything with it and they turn it over. Zach Stackhouse has found the end zone for another Houston Touchdown.

Ada-Borup is still playing hard here and they are giving it everything they got in this game so far. Ada-Borup is looking for the short pass plays early in this contest. They are running a lot of small dump plays and short runs. Brian Miller had a nice 3 yard run for Ada-Borup.

Ada-Borup has just gotten on the board on a Paul Johnson touchdown. Ada-Borup kicked the extra point and it was good.

On the kick-off, Kevin Lindh had an 82 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The extra point was good. Houston has gotten off to a good start here in the first quarter. The score after the first quarter is Huston 21 and Ada-Borup 8.

Chris Stackhouse just scored a touchdown for Houston. Houston has scored the extra point. With that touch down, the score is Houston 28 and Ada-Bourp 8.

Both teams are fighting it out hard. Both teams are still going at each other. Both teams are getting on the ground to go after loose fumbles. Houston has looked strong here in this game. They have come up with some big plays. They have looked good in this game.

Both teams are look aggressive here mid-way through the first half. They are still trying to get the ball up the field. Ada-Bourp just threw an interception, so Houston has just got the ball back. They are looking to score again and that is what happened as Kevin Lindh scores his third touchdown of the game. He scored on a 26 yard run. The extra point went straight through the uprights. So with 3:00 left to go in the game the score is Houston 35 and Ada-Bourp 8.

So far this game has been back and forth for both teams going up against each other. Houston has been able to find big holes in the Ada-Bourp defense, and they have been able to capitalize on it.

Brett Benson just caught a 25 yard pass for another Houston touchdown. The extra point is good. So, with 1:00 left to go in the first half, the score is Houston 42 and Ada-Bourp 8.

As the first half comes to an end in a quick paced game, the score is Huston 42 and Ada-Bourp 8.

In the first half, the leading rusher for Houston is Kevin Lindh with 5 carries for a total of 127 yards. For Ada-Bourp, Yuri Johnson is their leading rusher with 7 carries and a total of 82 yards. Houston has 21 offensive plays for a total of 284 yards. Ada-Bourp ran 46 plays with a total of 196 total yards. Houston had the ball for 7:36, while Ada Borup had the ball for a total of 16:24.

As the second half gets underway, here at the Metrodome Ada-Bourp will kick off to Houston. Houston is sticking with their short game here. They had many short gains in the first half. They are looking to score.

Houston has found the end zone again, as Kevin Lind scored a touchdown. They try for the extra point and make it. With that touchdown and extra point, the score is Houston 49 and Ada-Bourp 8, with 8:32 left to go in the third quarter.

Houston is looking well here. They are making some nice plays with confidence. Chris Stackhouse just got a 5 yard touchdown run for Houston. The extra point attempt was good. After that touchdown, the score is now Houston 56 and Ada-Bourp 8.

At the end of the third quarter, the score is Houston 56 and Ada-Bourop 8.

As a new rule in the Minnesota High School League, the fourth quarter will be running time because of the large lead. Houston was just too big and fast for this Ada-Bourop team. Houston got up big early in the first quarter and Ada-Bourop was not able to catch up. Ada-Boarup just scored a touchdown by a Payton Kujava touchdown pass. With that touchdown, the score is now Houston 56 and Ada-Bourop 14.

The final of the game was 56-14.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

GOPHERS SIGN PLAYERS FOR NEXT YEAR

As the signing day got underway, Tubby Smith has landed some of the top players from the state and around the country to sign with the University of Minnesota. Players that have signed to play for Tubby Smith are: Trevor Mbakwe, Justin Cobbs, Royce White, and Rodney Williams.

This is one of Tubby Smith's best recruiting classes. He has recruited some of the top local players to stay in state. It will be interesting to see how these guys do for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

STEVEN'S SPORTS REPORT TO COVER THE MINNESOTA STATE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

I will be covering the 2008 Minnesota State High School League State Boys Football Tournament at the Metrodome. I plan on being at the Metrodome all day on Friday for the Semi Finals. I am also covering the 2008 Prep Bowl, the weekend of November 27-28.

I look forward to covering these games for my site and I hope you come and visit to check out the action from the Metrodome and this years state tournament.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

ROYCE ALEXANDER WHITE SIGNED LETTER OF INTENT

One of the top recruits, Royce Alexander White signed his letter of intent to play at the University of Minnesota. Royce has had some trouble in high school. This Season he has gotten a fresh start. Royce White transferred from Minneapolis De La Salle to Hopkins high school. Here is an article from Myron Medcalf.

I think that Royce is a good person that has learned from his mistakes. He has now surrounded himself with good people. He is a good basketball player that will continue to get better as time moves on. I think he will be a great asset to the University of Minnesota basketball program. He brings a strong knowledge of the game and a toughness that most kids don't have.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

NATIONAL SIGNING DATE FOR BASKETBALL IS NOVEMBER 12-NOVEMBER 19

The national early signing date for Men's Basketball is November 12th-November 19th 2008. If you know of a basketball player who is signing their national letter of intent during this period please send me an email at stevenmgr@hotmail.com.

MINNESOTA GOPHER FOOTBALL TEAM GETS COMMITMENTS FROM BIG NAME PLAYERS

According to Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Minnesota Gopher Football team has landed some big names to their roster for next season. Ra'Shede Hagman from Minneapolis Washburn and Matt Garin from Eastview have made their verbal commitments to play at the University of Minnesota.

The other player that the Gophers got a verbal commitment from was Joey Searcy of South Grand Prairie High School in Texas. The national signing day for football is February 4th 2009 till April 1st 2009.

Friday, November 7, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TAKES ON NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY

Our Audio from the post game is up. Clips number 18 & 19.

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are taking on Division-2 Northern State University from Aberdeen South Dakota. This is the last exhibition game before the Gophers open the regular season on November 14th against Concordia St Paul.


As the game starts the Gophers are pushing the ball up the court and Northern State is playing a strong man to man defense. Both teams are trading baskets in this fast paced game. Blake Hoffarber just hit a nice three point shot and the Gophers are trying to feed off his energy. Early in the game the Gophers are shooting 66.7 % from the field.


The Gophers are playing well and have come out with a lot of urgency and purpose. Ralph Sampson has made some nice moves around the basket. With 11:10 left to go in the first half the score is Northern State 15 and Minnesota 15.


The Gophers are pressing midway through the first half. They have been able to hit their shots and Hoffarber has hit both of his 3 pointers.


The Gophers are playing a good aggressive defense. They are talking on their screens and getting through the picks. Colton Iverson has just committed his second foul here with 5:40 left to go in the first half.


Al Nolen Jr. is playing well and is making some good screens and looking to get his players into the game. He has been leading this team by example. He just made a fantastic play, passing the ball around his back on the break and then he made a nice pass to Paul Carter who got the ball in the lane and he went in for a nice layup.
Both teams continue to play well. With 3:30 left to go in the first half the score is the Gophers 34 and Northern State 27.


Devoe Joseph has also played well. He has really made some nice moves to the basket while the Gophers continue their aggressive play.


At half time the score is Minnesota 40 and the Huskies 27. Northern State shot 40 % from the field and the Gophers 58.3%.


As this second half gets under way both teams are have come out strong. The Gophers have shot the ball much better than the Huskies. With 15:37 left to go in the game Northern State is shooting 48.3% and the Gophers 61.3% from the field.


Colton Iverson has come up with a big blocked shot. The Gophers are getting a little sloppy and you can see that Tubby Smith does not like what he is seeing. Al Nolen has just come up with a big steal, to get the Gopher fans on their feet. With 11:42 left to go in the game the Gophers lead 61-42.


Every Gopher is now playing good team basketball and helping each other out. Northern State is pressing the Gopher guard’s full court giving them some problems. Ralph Sampson has picked up his play and looking good from a true freshman. He has had some easy dunks and has made some nice passes and is really starting to fit in to this Gopher’s scheme. It is going to be fun watching him mature as a player this season.


Northern State is not giving up and is still playing aggressive. Lawrence Westbrook has come up with some real nice plays and has shined here in the second half. Al Nolen has been the glue tonight and is showing good leadership on the floor.


With 7:55 left to go in the game, Minnesota leads 70-52.


The Gophers are looking to put this game away and have been able to run their offense and defensive effectively tonight.


The nice thing about these exhibition games is the team has a chance to build some confidence and momentum for regular season, when the competition becomes much stronger.


With 3:41 left to go in the game the score is the Gophers up on the Huskies 82-56.


Al Nolen and Lawrence Westbrook have shown Coach Smith that they are going to be dependable players. Both have played well on both ends of the court and no doubt well be depended on when the Gophers face their Big-10 opponents.


The Gophers end up winning this exhibition game by the score of 92-62. The leading scorers for the Gophers were Lawrence Westbrook with 19 points, Paul Carter 17, and Al Nolen 9. The Gophers ended up shooting the ball much better then Northern State with their 55.9% shooting from the field, while the Huskies were limited to 39.2.