Tuesday, December 29, 2009

TOTINO GRACE TOOK ON HILL MURRAY IN BOYS’ BASKETBALL ACTION

Totino Grace took on Hill Murray in boys’ basketball. Both of these teams started out on a very good pace. Both teams were able to score at will.

Both teams played good defense in the first half. Both teams were also able to shoot the ball and neither team gave up.

The game remained close throughout the first half. For Totino Grace, John Crocket played very well in the first half.

At half time the score was Hill Murray 43 and Totino Grace 39.

As the second half started Totino Grace went on a run to begin the half. Both of these teams really continued to pound the ball at each other early in the second half.

Totino Grace came out on a tear in the second half. They really wanted to go out and play hard to start the second half.

Both teams went back and forth in the whole game. But in the end Totino Grace was able to come away with the 82-75 victory.

I was joined by the Czar of Twin Cities Boys’ Hoops. Check out his ramblings of the day.


ST. AGNES TOOK ON CRETIN-DERHAM HALL IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL TILT

St. Agnes took on Cretin-Derham Hall in a boys’ basketball tilt. Cretin–Hall came out hot as they were able to knock down several shots to open the game.

St. Agnes started out slow. They were not able to find the basket in the early goings. With 11:10 left in the first half Cretin-Derham Hall had a 20-1 lead.

Cretin-Derham Hall continued to play hard throughout the first half.

Seantrel Henderson played well for Cretin-Derham Hall. He really went after the ball. He was mostly posted up in the low block.

Cretin was able to do just about anything they wanted to do on the offensive end.

At the end of the first half the score was Cretin-Derham Hall 44 and St. Agnes 16.

As the second half got underway St Agnes seemed fired up and they really came out fired up. Even being down they didn’t give up. They continued to work hard.

Cretin was able to come away with the 80-30 victory. For Cretin Sentreal Henderson scored 17 points.

HOLY ANGELS TOOK ON MINNETONKA IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL MATCH UP

Holy Angels took on Minnetonka in boys’ basketball. Coming into the game Holy Angels had a record of 1-5 and Minnetonka had a record of 3-3.

Both of these teams looked to push the ball up the court from the beginning of the game. Minnetonka was able to knock down shots from the beginning of the game. Holy Angels did not start off shooting the ball well. With 14:30 Sam Gullickson knocked down the first shot for Holy Angels.

Holy Angels found their rhythm early in the first half. Even though they started off the game not making shots they just had to warm up. Minnetonka came out strong where they were able to slow Holy Angels down at the beginning of the game.

Holy Angels did look to get the ball out and push the ball in transition. They wanted to cut into the Minnetonka lead midway through the first half.

Minnetonka kept on hitting shots that they were putting up in the first half. Holy Angels had a hard time defending the Minnetonka shooters.

At half time the score was Minnetonka 40 and Holy Angels 26.

As the second half got going both teams were able to come out and play very good defense.

Holy Angles wanted to keep chipping away at the Minnetonka lead. They kept playing hard.

Minnetonka went into a stall on the offensive end. They forced Holy Angels to guard them. Minnetonka wanted to burn as much time off the clock as they could.

With 8:24 left in regulation the score was Minnetonka 56 and Holy Angels 46.

Minnetonka took it to Holy Angels late in the second half. Holy Angels was not able to make shots throughout the game.

With 2:01 left in regulation the score was Minnetonka 74 and Holy Angels 58.

Minnetonka was able to come away with the victory in this game. They had the lead for the whole game. They didn’t back down to Holy Angels. Holy Angels did play hard the whole game but they were just not able to make shots at the beginning of the game.

Minnetonka was able to come away with the 78-63 victory over Holy Angels.

ST. BERNARD TOOK ON THE ROSEVILLE RAIDERS IN BOYS’ BASKETBALL

In the first game of the Catholic Spirit boys’ basketball holiday tournament Roseville took on St Bernard high school.

Each of these teams started out hot as they were able to hit shots that they were putting up. Both teams looked to push the ball up the court early in the game.

St Bernard looked to get the ball to Rickey Suggs. Suggs wanted the ball in his hands. He was able to make plays and knock down some shots in the first half.

The score went back and forth in the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run. Both teams played tough defense. Neither team gave up.

At half time the score was Roseville 35 and St. Bernard 26.

As the second half got underway both teams stepped up the intensity. They were really getting after it.

Roseville looked to push the ball up the court as they tried to score in transition. They were able to go on a run in the beginning of the second half.

St Bernard didn’t let up. They kept on playing hard. It was just that they went flat for a period in the second half.

For Roseville, Emeche Wells played really hard. He went after loose balls and he was able to knock down shots throughout the game. David Stanley did a good job of running the Roseville offense. He knew the plays that he wanted to run. He kept his team in the game.

Roseville went on another run in the second half and St Bernard was not able to stop them.

Roseville was able to come away with the 80-54 victory over St Bernard.

ST ANTHONY TOOK ON CHAMPLIN PARK IN THE BOYS’ BASKETBALL OLIVE GARDEN HOLIDAY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

In the first game in the Bethel Holiday tournament, St. Anthony took on Champlin Park. Champlin Park was able to get off to a big lead to begin the game. Being down 12-0, St. Anthony called their first time out to settle down the team.

With 13:06 left in the first half, St. Anthony scored their first basket of the game. They started of flat. They were not making shots that they were putting up.

Champlin Park was able to keep the ball moving around the three point arch in the first half. They were getting shots from all around the perimeter.

Champlin Park started out strong and really played hard. They had a commanding 45-10 lead at half time.

In the first half St Anthony shot 2-24, 8.3% from the field where Champlin Park shot 59.4% from the field.

In the second half Champlin Park came out on fire. They were able to keep knocking down shots. St Anthony was never in this game. They had a very difficult time making shots throughout the game.

Jasper Duberry played well for Champlin Park I thought. He really went after the ball on both ends of the court. He played tough defense.

In a game that was very one sided from the get go Champlin Park was able to come away with the 82-34 victory over St Anthony.


Monday, December 28, 2009

IOWA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL THEAIRRA TAYLOR SUFFERD A TORN ACL AND IS OUT FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON

According to Tony Geer of Community Hoops, University of Iowa basketball player freshman Theairra Taylor has suffered a torn ACL in her right knee and will miss the remainder of the season.

She is from St Paul and graduated in 2009 from St Paul Central.

Friday, December 25, 2009

SEANTREL HENDERSON NAMED NATIONAL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

According to the USA Today Minnesota’s Seantrel Henderson has been named the USA Today National Player of the Year.

Henderson helped Cretin-Derham Hall win the Minnesota State High School League Class 5A state championship in November 2009.

Henderson said that he will wait until February 3rd to announce where he will be attending college. That is the first day high school players can sign their letters of intent.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GOPHERS HAVE OFFERED JOE COLEMAN A BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP

The University of Minnesota men’s basketball program has offered Hopkins’ basketball player Joe Coleman a scholarship to play basketball.

Joe Coleman is the younger brother of Dan Coleman who played at the University of Minnesota and who is currently playing basketball overseas.

Joe Coleman also has received an offer from Santa Clara. He is in the class of 2011.

Check out this interview that Nadine Babu from Gopherhole.com was able to do with Joe Coleman about his recruitment.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

THE MINNESOTA MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM TOOK ON THE SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY JACKRABBITS IN THEIR LAST NONCONFERENCE GAME

The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team concluded their nonconference portion of the schedule by taking on South Dakota State University. Minnesota came into the game with an 8-3 record overall. South Dakota State came in with a 5-7 record overall and 1-1 in their conference.

The Gophers won the tip to start off the game. SDSU started the game in a man-to-man defense. The Gophers looked to press from the beginning of the game. They wanted to disrupt SDSU on their defensive end.

It took awhile for each of these teams to feel each other out. Both teams wanted to take their time in the offense and they wanted to look for shots that they could make.

SDSU got out to an early 8-5 lead with 15:59 in the first half.

Rodney Williams entered the game with 15:09 left in the first half for Minnesota. Rodney didn’t play in the Gophers last game against Northern Illinois because of a sore foot.

Both teams came out strong against each other. Both teams were making shots in the first half. Through the first ten minutes of the game neither team was able to go on a run.

For SDSU, Nate Wolters who is from St Cloud Minnesota was able to come in and knock down some nice shots. He was not afraid to put a little pressure on the Gophers. His defense kind of bothered the Gophers.

Devoe Joseph was able to come in and knock down a few three-point shots for the Gophers. The Gophers feed off the energy that he brings to the court. Whether he is knocking down shots or playing stellar defense his teammates feed off of his play.

The Gophers put on a full court press with 9:30 left in the first half. They wanted to look for the steal in the backcourt. SDSU was able to handle the Gophers pressure. They didn’t get flustered.

The Gophers got on a roll with about 6:00 left to go in the first half. Blake Hoffarber was able to knock down a couple of three-point shots. That stared the Gophers run and SDSU had a hard time finding the basket.

With 3:39 left in regulation the score was Minnesota 44 and SDSU 29.

The Gophers continued to look inside for baskets. Paul Carter or Ralph Sampson would be on the low block and they would look for their shots from there.

At half time the score was Minnesota 51 and South Dakota State University 31.

At halftime the scoring was really balanced for the Gophers. Devoe Joseph had 9 points, Al Nolen had 8 points and Lawrence Westbrook had 7 points. For South Dakota State University they were led in scoring at the half by Garret Callahan with 13 points. Minnesota shot 62.9% from the field in the first half. South Dakota State University shot 39.3 % from the field.

As the second half got underway the Gophers really came out fired up. They wanted to come out and really put it to SDSU.

The Gophers were able to get a 20 point lead with 14:00 left in the second half.

Devoe Joseph played with a lot of energy. He was able to knock down some big shots for Minnesota in the second half.

With 11:28 left in the second half, Minnesota’s Paul Carter went down and twisted his ankle. He was helped off the floor by the team’s trainer.

On the next dead ball with 9:43 in left in the second half Paul Carter reentered the game. His ankle seemed to be fine.

The Gophers lead by 20, 78-58, with 6:56 left in the game.

Devron Bostic came into the game with 5:00 minutes left and he was able to knock down a big shot for the Gophers.

I really thought that the Gophers played well in the game. They were playing hard and really getting after it on both ends of the court.

The Gophers were able to come away with the 92-62 victory over South Dakota State University.

The leading scorers for Minnesota were Blake Hoffarber with 16 points, Lawrence Westbrook with 12 points and Devoe Joseph with 11 points. The leading scorers for SDSU were Garrett Callahan with 25 points and Nate Wolters with 14 points.

After the game Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith addressed the media. Gophers’ players Blake Hoffarber and Lawrence Westbrook also addressed the media to talk about the game.


BLAKE HOFFARBER NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK

According to the Big Ten Conference University of Minnesota forward Blake Hoffarber has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the week of December 21st 2009.

Hoffarber earned the award after his career high of 26 points and scoring eight three-point shots. The last player from Minnesota to win the Big Ten Player of the Week was Dan Coleman back on December 24th 2007.

WOODBURY GIRLS’ HEAD BASKETBALL COACH DAVE PRELLER WINS HIS 500TH GAME

Woodbury girls’ head basketball coach Dave Preller earned his 500th victory when his team beat Minneapolis Southwest 58-50.

Preller is the 11th girls coach to reach the 500 win mark. Mike Dreier the head coach at New London Spicer has the most wins with more than 700 victories.

KEVIN NOREEN REACHES 3,000-POINT MARK IN VICTORY

Senior Kevin Noreen who plays basketball for Minnesota Transitions scored 24 points in a 71-51 victory over Park Center. With those 24 points he scored his 3,000th career point.

Noreen will be attending Boston College. He is the fifth player in Minnesota history to reach the 3,000-point mark. Cody Schilling of Ellsworth is the boys’ all time leading scorer in Minnesota with 3,428.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

NORTHFIELD TOOK ON EAGAN IN A BOYS’ NONCONFERENCE BASKETBALL GAME

The Northfield Raiders took on the Eagan Wildcats in a nonconference basketball game. Eagan came out on fire as they opened on a 6-0 run to begin the game.

Northfield was slow to score to open the game. They were not able make the shots that they were putting up.

Eagan’s Jameson Parsons came out on fire. He really got his shot going and he was able to make a couple of shots early in the game. He was not afraid to drive to the basket.

Eagan started playing in a zone defense. Northfield tried to swing the ball around the three point line as they were looking for every chance they could to score.

Otto Pfefferle had some nice moves with the ball for Northfield. He wasn’t afraid to look to score even if he was closely guarded. He did a good job of beating his player off the dribble and scoring.

Both teams took their time on the offensive end. For Northfield they wanted to look inside and get the ball to Otto Pfefferle who was on the low post. Then he would kick it out to one of the guards who would look to penetrate to the basket or look to knock down amid range jumper.

At half time the score was Eagan 41 and Northfield 30.

As the second half got underway Northfield was really able to come out and knock down shots. Northfield really looked to penetrate to the basket. They wanted to get easy baskets down low. Eagan tried to stop them from doing that.

Northfield continued to pass the ball around the three point line and look for shots. They were also looking to get shots in transition. They wanted push the ball up the court.

Tyler Pederstuen looked very good in the game. He was able to come up and hit some shots throughout the game. He looked to get his teammates into the game. He wasn’t afraid to pass up a shot if he saw one of his other teammates open for a shot.

I really thought that both teams played very hard in the game. Eagan was able to come away with the victory.

For Northfield, Otto Pfefferle played well I thought. He went after loose balls and he was not afraid to shoot the ball.

For Eagan, Jameson Parsons played hard. He was able to come up big and knock down some jump shots in critical times in the game.

Eagan was able to come away with the 74-65 victory over Northfield.

The leading scorer for Eagan was Jameson Parsons with 30 points. For Eagan, they were led in scoring by Adam Hadro with 24 points.

I was with the
Czar from Twin Cities Boys Hoops. Here is what he had to say about the Eagan vs Northfield game.

Monday, December 21, 2009

THE NORTHFIELD RAIDERS TOOK ON THE EAGAN WILDCATS IN A GIRLS’ BASKETBALL CLASH

The Northfield Raiders took the trip Eagan high school for a basketball game. The Eagan Wildcats came out on fire as they were able to open the game on a six point scoring run to begin the game.

Northfield came charging back as they were able to go on a run in the first half. Northfield started out playing in a full court man-to-man defense. They wanted to put as much pressure on Eagan as they could. Northfield switched between zone and man-to-man defense.

Northfield looked to swing the ball around the three point arch as they looked to get the right shot that they wanted to take. The zone defense created a lot of problems for Northfield because they were not able to get out and drive to the basket. Eagan would clog the lane and trap the ball.

The score remained close as Eagan had a 15-14 lead with 4:20 left in the first half. Both teams were diving on the ground for loose balls and they were both really playing aggressively.

Northfield went cold on the offensive end. They could not find the basket. They were putting up the shots but they weren’t falling. Eagan on the other hand was able to make the shots they put up. Eagan went on a 12-4 run to end the first half.

At the end of the first half the score was Eagan 27 and Northfield 18.

As the second half got underway both teams came out fired up. Northfield continued to look to push the ball up the court.

Northfield wanted to try to slow down Eagan at the beginning of the second half. The defense for both of these teams was just amazing. Neither team was able to get many shots and the defense created many deflections and steals.

With 9:54 left in regulation the score was Eagan 31 and Northfield 23.

Eagan was able to make shots in the second half. Northfield did put up a fight but they were not able to find the basket throughout the game.

Northfield tried to fight their way back into the game but was unsuccessful.

It was a defensive battle for most of the game. Eagan was able to come away with the 52-45 victory over Northfield.

The public address announcer at the game was Dave Giles who works the boys and girls state basketball
tournaments.


THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IS LOOKING AT ROBBINSDALE COOPER’S CALVIN GODFREY

Calvin Godfrey who plays at Robbinsdale Cooper has gotten the attention of the University of Minnesota men’s basketball staff.

Godfrey is a 6-8 240 pound power forward for the Hawks. He would provide size and strength on the inside.

UNIVERISTY OF IOWA SUSPENDS MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER ANTHONY TUCKER FOR DRINKING VIOLATIONS

University of Iowa athletic director Gary Barta suspended men’s basketball player Anthony Tucker for public intoxication.

Tucker has been in and out of trouble with the law due to drinking. This is not his first time being caught drinking.
Tucker graduated from Minnetonka high school in 2008.

CORY JOSEPH TRIMS LIST

High school basketball player Cory Joseph, a senior at Findlay College Prep in Nevada and brother of University of Minnesota basketball player Devoe Joseph, has narrowed his list of possible colleges to attend. He is looking at the U, as well as Texas, Connecticut, Villanova and UNLV.

He hopes to make a decision before the spring signing period. The spring signing period for basketball is from April 14 to May 19, 2010.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH JAY PIVEC NAMED TO THE NJCAA COACHES HALL OF FAME

According to the National Junior College Athletic Association web site Minneapolis Community and Technical College head basketball coach Jay Pivec has been named to this year’s NJCAA men’s basketball coaching Hall of Fame.

I have been a part of the MCTC’s men’s basketball program since the 1999-2000 season. As the manager for Coach Pivec I can tell you that Pivec knows how to get his players to work hard and give everything they’ve got. I have seen this man in action and I think he is very deserving of this award. Coach Pivec surrounds his program with great assistant coaches Ron Gates, Chris Juergens.

Congratulations to Jay Pivec on being named to the 2009 class of the NJCAA men’s basketball Hall of Fame.

Friday, December 18, 2009

BENILDE-ST.MARGARET’S TOOK ON HOLY ANGELS IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL GAME

The Benilde-St.Margaret’s (BSM) Red Knights took on the Holy Angels Stars in a nonconference basketball game.

BSM wanted to set the pace early in the game. They wanted to get the ball into Peter Crawford’s hands.

Neither team was able to make shots in the early going. BSM looked to score baskets in transition. As soon as they got a rebound on the Holy Angels basket the ball was put into the guard’s hands and he was up the floor. Peter Crawford led the break for most of the first half.

Holy Angels had a period where they turned the ball over for a period of time in the first half. BSM did a good job of converting points out of Holy Angels turnovers.

Holy Angels did make a run back at BSM with 10:00 left to go. They were able to slow down BSM for a bit. They wanted to do this because they didn’t want them to get too big of a lead.

After coming out cold to start the game Holy Angels did find their shots.

BSM’s Sanjay Lumpkin came in and was able to knock down some shots and he also made some nice passes to his open teammates.

Both teams dove after loose balls. They were playing aggressively throughout the first half.

BSM’s Seth Marx continued to knock down open three-point shots. He also was not afraid to pass up a jump shot if his teammate was open under the basket for an easier shot.

Holy Angels Cole Frechette was able to knock down some nice shots. At halftime the score was Benilde-St. Margaret’s 43 and Holy Angels 29.

As the second half got underway Holy Angels was on the comeback trail. They were able to knock down some quick shots to begin the second half.

Both teams played aggressively. There were hard fouls committed by each team. No one lost their cool when they got fouled. The intensity of the game showed in the players as they went all out.

Myles Barnes for BSM used a nice little drop step and powered the ball up strong to the basket. He was determined to get the ball in the basket.

With 11:08 left in regulation Seth Marx got a technical foul for slapping the back board. Holy Angels made the free throw shots and that made the score Benilde-St.Margaret’s 59 and Holy Angels 42.

I really thought the student sections from each of these schools had fun. They were engaged in chants encouraging their own schools. They had fun and provided good school spirit throughout the game.

With 25 seconds left to go in the game the scoreboard went blank. The BSM athletic staff was able to fix the scoreboard and the game got finished.

Benilde-St.Margaret’s was able to come away with the 81-60 victory over Holy Angels. BSM was just too aggressive. They were able to knock down shots. Holy Angels started out cold and they were not able to get their offense clicking until later in the game.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MENS’ BASKETBALL PLAYER ROYCE ALEXANDER WHITE SAYS HE IS LEAVING COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Royce White graduated last year from Hopkins high school. He was considered one of the best basketball players in the state of Minnesota last season. He won the 2009 Mr. Basketball award for Minnesota last season.

White, who was the University of Minnesota’s top basketball recruits, has gotten into some legal trouble when he got to the University of Minnesota.

White was suspended by the University of Minnesota due to his actions that took place at the Mall Of America.

He had made a few posts on the popular web site You Tube saying that he wanted to still play for the Gophers. He started his own record label with a couple friends of his.

He made announcements through Facebook, Twitter and You Tube. He wanted to get his side of the story out there.

His latest announcement came via You Tube and it basically said that he was quitting college basketball because of his legal issues.

He does not want to be a burden to Tubby Smith the Gophers head coach or to the program itself. He said that he wants to get into the music business.

We will have to just wait and see what is next for Royce Alexander White. Good luck to him in his future.


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOOK ON NORTHERN ILLINOIS IN A NONCONFERENCE MATCH UP AT THE BARN

The University of Minnesota men’s basketball took on Northern Illinois in a nonconference match up. Minnesota came into the game with a 7-3 record. They are lead in scoring by Lawrence Westbrook who averages 12.8 points per game.

Northern Illinois comes into the game with a record of 1-5. They are led in scoring by Xavier Silas who averages 18.0 points per game.

The Gophers won the tip to begin the game. They wanted to control the tempo from the start of the game. They didn’t want Northern Illinois to get into flow.

Northern Illinois started the game out playing in a zone defense. They wanted to do whatever they could to try to disrupt the Gophers.

The Gophers were able to knock down some shots early in the contest. Blake Hoffarber was dead on from behind the three-point line to start the game. He was able to knock down his three-point shot

Tubby Smith pulled his starters out with just over 14 minutes left to go in the first half. The Gophers had a 16-8 lead when he pulled the starters.

Northern Illinois wanted to slow things down on their offensive end. They swung the ball around the three-point arch and looked to get the ball inside. Sean Kowal was camped in the low block and waited for the ball where he waited to get the ball and tried to post up.

The starter’s re-entered the game at the 11:15 mark with the score Minnesota 18 and Northern Illinois 10.

The Gophers wanted to put as much pressure on Northern Illinois as they could. They were able to take Northern Illinois out of it mentally for a bit in the first half. Northern Illinois went on a cold spell midway through the first half.

I thought that Damian Johnson made some nice passes to his teammates. He was able to pass the ball when he was getting trapped and he got some nice assists because his teammates were able to find the basket after his pass.

The Gophers looked to trap the ball on the defensive end. Throughout the first half they were able to create turnovers and that created baskets for the Gophers.

At halftime the score was Minnesota 44 and Northern Illinois 23.

As the second half got underway the Gophers continued to look good. With 18:45 left in regulation Blake Hoffarber left the game because of a rolled ankle. That is huge for the Gophers because Blake Hoffarber started off the game red-hot. He had a hot hand throughout the first half. Through the first half he led the Gophers in scoring with 17 points and was 5-6 in three-point shooting.

Blake Hoffarber returned to the bench a short time after going down to the locker room with his rolled ankle. He had his ankle re-taped after he turned it. With 13:50 left in regulation Blake Hoffarber re-entered the game.

The Gophers went flat with about 12 minutes left to go in the second half. They were getting ahead of themselves with the ball. They were turning the ball over and making mistakes that were leading to Northern Illinois baskets.

With 7:01 left in the game the score was Minnesota 74 and Northern Illinois 37.

I really thought the Gophers played well tonight. Blake Hoffarber led the way for the Gophers. He played really well. He led off the game with three pointers and was dead on. He was the leading scorer for the Gophers.

Blake Hoffarber‘s eight 3-point shots set the University of Minnesota record. He finished with 26 points. Lawrence Westbrook finished the game with 15 points and Ralf Sampson III finished with 16 points.

Minnesota freshman Rodney Williams did not play in the game because he injured his foot. He is waiting to have an MRI done on his foot. Tubby Smith did not know how long he would be out.

Minnesota's Tubby Smith addressed the media after the game to talk about the 89-48 victory over Northern Illinois. Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber talked about the game against Northern Illinois and how they have to get ready for the upcoming Big Ten season.



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Monday, December 14, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST TOOK ON ST LOUIS PARK IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL NONCONFERENCE GAME

The Minneapolis Southwest Lakers took on St Louis Park in a nonconference basketball contest.

The game started out with each team scoring a flurry of baskets. Both teams looked to push the ball up the court.

St Louis Park looked to attack the basket in the early going. Marcus Edwards wanted to control the St Louis Park offense.

Minneapolis Southwest was able to keep up with St Louis Park in the early goings. Southwest was looking to get the ball up the court and score in transition.

St Louis Park put on the full court press in the first half. They were able to create turnovers and convert them into points.

Southwest was also able to create steals early in the first half. It was key for Southwest to score off the turnovers. Matt St. Anthony played well in the first half. He went after every loose ball in the first half.

St Louis Park looked to get everyone involved in the offense. They really did a good job of communicating what plays they wanted run. This in turn kept all the players on the same page. Their offence clicked for a while in the first half.

Southwest kept pace with St Louis Park. Each team was able to run. This was interesting because they were playing cat and mouse with each other in the first half.

A few times in the first half Southwest would leave a St Louis Park player wide over because they got lost on the defensive end. St Louis Park would take advantage of that and knock down an uncontested shot.

Southwest made some costly errors late in the first half. They were able to recover. Southwest made sure that they were able to get back on defense when they should.

St Louis Park also made some nice plays in the first half. TJ Gist was able to make some nice drives to the basket and if he wasn’t open for the shot he would be able to kick it over to one of his teammates and he would be able to knock down a shot.

Grist also got a couple of nice assists from Alex Koch. If Koch received the ball too low in the block he would kick it back to Grist and he would knock down a jump shot.

At half time the score was St Louis Park 41 and Minneapolis Southwest 33.

St Louis Park came out on fire to start off the second half. St Louis Park opened the second half on a run. There was nothing Southwest could do on either end.

Southwest had to burn a time out with 16:23 left in regulation with the score being St Louis Park 46 and Minneapolis Southwest 33.

Southwest wanted to get the ball moving on the offense end. Tom Weko thought that they were too stagnate on the offense end. He wanted to see more movement without the ball.

St Louis Park was able to move the ball around on the offense end. They did a good job of keeping the ball out of the Southwest players’ hands in the second half.

St Louis Park was able to play well throughout the game. They were able to knock down shots throughout the game. They were able to hit shots when they needed. Jack Bordewick played well for St Louis Park. He was able to come down with some big rebounds and control the boards. Alex Koch also played hard in the game I thought. He didn’t give up. He played under control. They were able to control the tempo and force Minneapolis Southwest to turn the ball over.

Southwest didn’t get frustrated. They just had a difficult time finishing shots when they needed.

St Louis Park was able to come away with the 86-54 victory over Minneapolis Southwest.


Sunday, December 13, 2009

MINNETONKA TOOK ON CHASKA IN THE FINAL GAME OF THE 2009 BREAKDOWN TIP OFF CLASSIC

Minnetonka took on Chaska in the final game of the 2009 Minnesota Breakdown Tip Off Classic.

Both teams came out shooting the ball really well. Chaska came out and shot the ball really well in the first half.
Minnetonka was able to knock down shots late in the first half. Both teams were able to play strong defense.

Both teams were able to keep the score tight throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run in the first half. I really thought that the intensity that each team played with tonight was very good. Neither team gave up.

Chaska was able to step up and make some shots in the first half. Both teams played with a lot of intensity in the first half.

Minnetonka played very tight man-to-man defense in the first half. They were able to guard Chaska very well.


This game was very close throughout the first half. Both teams played very hard. At the end of the first half the score was Minnetonka 42 and Chaska 39.

As the second half got underway both teams really got after each other. Chaska rent on a run midway through the second half.

Both teams fought really hard the whole game. Minnetonka was able to drain a few three-point shots and stay the game midway through the second half.

Minnetonka was able to take the lead 70-67 with 6:00 left to go in regulation. Both teams started nailing three-point shots.

The game came down to the end. Both teams were able to clamp down and play some tough defense.

With 8.9 seconds left in regulation Jacob Meyer drained a three to tie the game at 83. The game went in to overtime.

Anthony Webber came up and made a nice two-handed slam dunk in the overtime. Both of these teams continued.

Both teams traded baskets in the overtime period. For Chaska Max Watts came in and nailed a three-point shot to give Chaska a boost late in the overtime period.

Chaska was able to come away with the 99-92 victory over Minnetonka.

HOPKINS LOOKS SHARP AGAINST TARTAN IN THE MINNESOTA BREAKDOWN TIP OFF CLASSIC

Tartan took on Hopkins in the 2009 Minnesota Breakdown Tip Off Classic. Hopkins came in the defending Minnesota State high school champions.

Tartan was able to make some shots from the beginning of the game. Both teams looked to push the ball up the court. Hopkins is known to be a run and gun type of team.

Both of these teams really played strong in the first half. Tartan was playing aggressively throughout the first half.

Both of these teams really went after each other in the first half.

Hopkins was able to pull away a little bit at the beginning of the second half. Tartan did all they could to try to slow Hopkins down but they were not able to do that.

Hopkins was able to go on a run and they were able to pull away and come away with the victory. Tartan didn’t give up and they did play hard but in the end Hopkins was able to pull away from Tartan with the 81-66 victory.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

OSSEO AND DE LA SALLE TOOK TO THE HARDWOOD AND IT CAME DOWN TO THE END

Minneapolis De La Salle took on Osseo the Minnesota Breakdown Tip Off Classic. De La Salle looked to push the ball up the court in transition.

The score went back and forth in the first half. This was an evenly matched contest throughout the first half.

Osseo was able to make a run at De La Salle late in the first half. Aaron Anderson from Osseo played well. He was Osseo’s top guard and he was making good plays throughout the first half. The score was close throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run in the first half.

At half time the score was Osseo 34 and De La Salle 31.

Jalen Jaspers played well for De La Salle in the first half. He was able to find the basket with ease and played hard on both ends of the court.

This game went back and forth throughout the game. Both teams really played each other tight. De La Salle was able to keep pushing the ball up the court. They wanted to get it in a motion and try to look for the open shots.

De La Salle was able to make a run at Osseo midway through the second half. Osseo’s defense picked up in the second half as they were able to slow De LaSalle down.

The lead went back and forth with several lead changes in the second half. Both teams wanted to keep control of the ball and they wanted to wait as long as possible to shoot the ball.

Bretson McNeal was able to come up with a big shot late in the game to keep De La Salle in it. Both teams played very hard and in the end Osseo was able to come away with the 60-57 victory.


MINNEAPOLIS NORTH TOOK ON PLAINVIEW-ELGIN MILLVILLE IN THE MINNESOTA BREAKDOWN TIP OFF CLASSIC

In the second game of the day it was Minneapolis North against Plainview-Elgin Millville. PEM started the game off in a zone defense.

Minneapolis North’s Ricky Collins came in and made some shots at the beginning of the game.

PEM used a zone defense in the beginning of the game. North was able to push the ball and they were able to go on a run midway through the first half. North was able to hold the lead throughout the first half.

At the half the score was Minneapolis North 43 and PEM 40.

PEM came out fired up in the second half. Both teams played strong in the game. The defensive pressure got to Minneapolis North.

PEM was able to make shots in the second half. They really battled Minneapolis North. The North players really did play aggressively throughout the game.

North was able to fight back in the second half. PEM was tough throughout the contest. They were able to slow down Minneapolis North.

PEM was able to go on a run in the second half and Minneapolis North was not able to catch up with them.

North played well the whole game. They were able to go on a run late in the second half and make a late charge at PEM.

PEM was able to come away with the 81-74 victory over Minneapolis North.

2009 MINNESOTA BREAKDOWN TIP OFF CLASSIC BOYS’ BASKETBALL

The 2009 Minnesota Breakdown Tip Off Classic was held at Minnetonka high school. The Minnesota Breakdown is a statewide magazine that promotes youth sports in Minnesota.

In the first game it was New London Spicer against Sebeka. Both of these teams came in shooting the ball very well.


Both of these teams were able to shoot the ball well in the beginning of the game. New London looked to push the ball in transition. They wanted to make shots off of the dribble.

The first half was close. Each team played very good defense. Neither team was really able to go on a run in the first half.

At the halftime break the score was New London Spicer 33 and Sebeka 41.

I really thought that both of these teams played well for being the first game of the day. It seemed that each team came prepared to play.

NLS was looking to get the ball inside. Aaron Johnson who is a post player camped out down on the low block and he just waited for the ball. And he got a lot of looks in the low post. He was able to do a nice little drop step and make his shot from the low block. He was also able to defend well from the low block.

This game was a close contest throughout the game. The defense was very good by each team. They both tried very hard to work for the open shots.

New London Spicer was able to claw their way back in the game. They were able to take the 50-48 lead with 12:00 left to go in the second half.

Sebeka tied the game again with 7:32 left in the second half. NLS played zone defense in second half. They tried to slow down Sebeka.

The scoring went back and forth late in the second half. Both teams were able to step up their defenses and buckle down and that made the shot selections more difficult.

The game came down to the wire. New London Spicer’s Erik Tangwall was able to nail a shot at the buzzer for the 72-70 victory over Sebeka
.

RICHFIELD TOOK ON MINNEAPOLIS SOUTH IN BOYS’ BASKETBALL IN A NONCONFERENCE MATCH

The Richfield Spartans took on the Minneapolis South in a nonconference boys’ basketball match up. Both of the teams came out firing on all cylinders.

Richfield started playing man-to-man defense to begin the game. They wanted to come out and full court press from the jump.

Richfield came out strong. They were able to knock down shots from the beginning of the game.

South did wake up with about 11:00 left to go in the game. They were able to string together some shots. They were all contested by Richfield but they were able to knock down shots.

The pace of the game was fast. South did look to push the ball and they wanted to try to get into their offense and run some plays and create out of transition.

Both teams were playing aggressively in the first half. South did try to push the ball. They were making the cross-court passes that didn’t seem to work that well that led to turnovers for South. Richfield was able to make shots off of South’s turnovers.

South was able to tie the game at 19 with 5:45 left in the first half.

Both teams really played good hard defense. Richfield is known to be a good defensive team. Jim Dimick is a defensive coach. He really preaches defense. Richfield was able to switch up defenses with no problem. This confused the South players. South was able to beat the Richfield defense a few times in the first half as South was able to knock down some quick shots.

South wanted to get the ball into Alonzo Traylor’s hands. He was the tallest guy for South as he was listed at 6’6. He was able to post up in the low block and have a couple of nice layup shots that were close to the basket.

The first half was very close and hard fought. Both teams were able to string together runs in the first half. Neither team gave up on either sides of the ball. I thought that both teams took awhile to a get adjusted to the other team and they were just trying to outsmart each other.

At the end of the first half the score was Minneapolis South 30 and Richfield 28.

Both of the teams came out fired up to begin the second half. South continued to push the ball in the second half.

Jay Sewer came up with some big time defense. He didn’t want anyone to get by him and he guarded well. He looked like he knew what he was doing when he was on the court.

South was able to go on a run in the beginning of the second half.

I really thought Jay Sewer played well throughout the game. He was all over the court making plays. John Johnson from Richfield also came up big and made some nice key shots throughout the game.

South’s offense clicked in the second half. They were able to run what they wanted to run to run.

Minneapolis South is a scrappy team. They will look to push the ball up in transition. They were able to capitalize on Richfield’s mistakes.

Minneapolis South was able to come away with the 71-58 victory over Richfield.


IT WAS THE JUNIOR VARSITY TEAMS TO TAKE TO THE COURT BEFORE THE VARSITY GAME

It was the junior varsity before the varsity game between the Richfield Spartans against the Minneapolis South High Tigers.

Richfield started playing in a half court man-to-man defense. They wanted to try to frustrate South from the beginning.

Richfield looked to push the ball up the court in transition. They were all crashing after the rebounds and going after the loose balls.

Richfield was able to score the first six points. Thomas Ford got fouled at the 13:20 mark of the first half and he sank two free throws for South’s first two points of the game.

It took awhile for each of these teams to feel each other out. Richfield’s Wibi MacDonald played good defense when he was in the game. He mostly guarded Hashi Said. Both of them played good defense against each other.

With 8:35 in the first half the score was Richfield 13 and Minneapolis South 4.

South really had a tough time finding their shots. They were shooting the ball but the shots were not going in.

At the half the score was Richfield 29 and Minneapolis South 10.

As the second half got underway Richfield played aggressively and kept attacking the basket. They wanted to score every time that they had the chance.

South put on a run midway through the second half. Richfield was not able to make shots for a period of time and South did all they could to try to stop Richfield in their run.

Richfield had a lead of 34-31 with 8:29 left in regulation.

Richfield continued to push the ball down the court. They still wanted to control the tempo of the game.

South was able to tie the game with 5:00 left in regulation. With 4:41 on a Hashi Said driving layup South was able to get their first lead of the night at 40-38.

South had taken the lead and with 3:57 left in regulation. Richfield had to burn a time out and try to come up with a plan to slow South down.

Richfield was trying all they could to make shots and keep the ball. The flow of the game changed at the four minute mark when South took the lead. Richfield was not able to control their shots. South was able to capitalize of Richfield’s mistakes.

South was able to go on that run with 4 minutes left in the second half. Richfield then made a run towards the end of the game. Both teams battled to the end but Minneapolis South was able to come away with the 55-51 victory over Richfield.

Friday, December 11, 2009

THE MINNEAPOLIS WASHBURN MILLERS TOOK ON HOLY ANGELS IN BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Washburn took on Holy Angels in boys’ basketball. Holy Angels look to start the game in a running fashion, as they wanted to get the ball out and run in transition.

Holy Angels was able to knock down a couple of three point shots to begin the game. On the defensive end Holy Angles started playing in a zone defense. They wanted to try to spread Washburn out.

Holy Angels was playing touch aggressive defense and that was able to frustrate the Washburn players. They were also able to knock down some deep three-point shots midway through the first half. Washburn was not able to make shots for a period in the first half.

Holy Angels was able to slow down Washburn in the first half. Washburn was not able to shoot the ball for a long period of time.

Both teams were diving on the floor going after loose balls. Neither team was giving up on the play.

Washburn tried to go on a run late in the first half. They were able to do that as they outscored Holy Angels in the last 2 minutes of the first half.

Holy Angels had a 41 to 30 lead at half time.

Minneapolis Washburn went on a run to begin the second half as they were able to drop a couple of shots. The intensity that both teams showed was very good. They both kept composure when the other team was going on the run. Neither team panicked.

Washburn was able to attack the zone that Holy Angels was running. Washburn’s Cedric Chappell found the ball and he made some nice moves with it. He was always looking to score.

With 10:52 left to go in regulation the score was Holy Angels 54 and Washburn 41.

For Washburn, Clarence Thomas did a good job of guarding his opponent. He was able to slow him down and he really guarded well I thought.

Both teams really came out and played with a lot of energy and emotion. Washburn is a younger team this year. They are also a smaller team that they were last year. They lost a lot of size in the middle. They will do just fine this season. They will guard you hard and play tough man-to-man defense. They are also good in a zone front.

Holy Angels was well disciplined again. With Larry McKenzie’s system they will also come out and guard you in the full court. They will also look to press the ball from time to time. They looked to get the ball into the low block.

Washburn clawed their way back into the game when they cut the deficit to 52-60 with 2:53 left in regulation.

Washburn went on a run in the last 2 minutes with 1:21 left in regulation. Holy Angels had a 64-61 lead.

Cedric Chappell went to the line for Washburn and he made the first free throw and missed the second one.

Washburn had trouble fishing plays late in the game. I think that that hurt their chances down the stretch.

Washburn closed the deficit to two at 64-66 with 30 seconds left to go. Tyler Emanuel was able to knock down two free throws to make the score 68-64 in favor of Holy Angels.

Both teams played very well throughout the game. Holy Angels was just able to make shots and Washburn could not control Holy Angels’ runs. Holy Angels was able to come away the 69-65 victory.

I was joined by the Czar from Twin Cities Boys Hoops tonight. Check out his thoughts of the Holy Angels vs. Washburn game.


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

FRIDLEY TOOK ON MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST IN BOYS’ HOOPS

Fridley took on Minneapolis Southwest in boys’ basketball. Southwest looked to push the ball up the count and looked to get open shots in transition.

On the offensive end, Southwest wanted to swing the ball around the three-point arch. They seemed to start their offense from the three-point arch. They were able to make some nice drives to the basket.

Fridley was able to pick off passes that Southwest was throwing. Fridley was able to bother Southwest early in the game.

Devin Memmerich made some nice plays for Fridley midway through the first half. He was able to get his teammates involved in the game.

At half time the score was Fridley 34 and Southwest 21.

As the second half got going Fridley was able to knock down some shots early. They kept attacking the basket.

Fridley was able to hit shots when they could and they did a good job of moving the ball around the three point circle.

Fridley was just able to attack Minneapolis Southwest on the offensive end. They played well together. I really thought that from the beginning of the game Fridley did a better job of handling the ball and handling the pressure of Southwest.

Fridley was able to come away with the 76-51 win over Minneapolis Southwest.


FRIDLEY TO TAKE ON MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST IN A BOYS BASKETBALL MATCH UP

When Fridley comes and plays Minneapolis Southwest in boys’ basketball, the game will mean so much more to me than just a regular basketball game. When I first was glancing over the schedules of all of the contests that were taking place I didn’t notice this game at first. I had to go back and re-read it again.

This game has a personal meaning to me because my uncle Jim MacDonald is the head varsity basketball coach at Fridley. I also work for the Minneapolis Public Schools and I work at Minneapolis Southwest high school.

Even though I know the coaches on both sides of the ball I also know a hand-full of players on each team.

I know that this game will be interesting for me to do. I just hope that it is a good game.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

ST PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL TOOK ON HENRY SIBLEY IN THE OPENING NIGHT FOR ME OF BOYS BASKETBALL

It was the first night for me of Minnesota boys’ basketball for the 2009-2010 season. The first contest that I was at was the St Paul Academy and Summit School against Henry Sibley.

St Paul Academy started out playing in a half court set. Sibley didn’t press to begin the game. The flow of the game was slow at the beginning.

SPA’s Santano Rosario is a small guard. He really got the ball moving for SPA on the offensive end. He knows how to really handle the ball. He made great plays throughout the game.

Sibley was able to get an early 12-4 lead with 13:41 to go in the first half. Sibley was able to swing the ball around the three-point arch as they tried to keep the ball away from SPA.

Sibley was able to get the ball into Mike Rostampour who was camped out in the low block. He was able to make good plays down in the low block all night long.

All throughout the first half Sibley was able to make their shots they were putting in. SPA had a hard time making shots. They were going in and making a good effort at their shots but they couldn’t get them to fall in the first half.

Sibley went on a 24-2 run and blew the game open in the first half. They were able to score at will.

SPA was able to put some scoring together later in the half but they were not able to catch up to Sibley in the first half. They were able to get rebounds on both ends of the field.

Santano Rosario was SPA’s bright spot in the first half. He played very well I thought. He set up the SPA’s offense even though they were not able to get anything going until midway through the first half. He did a good job of setting his players up to get shots.

At half time the score was Henry Sibley 38 and SPA 16.

Both teams came out a little flat I thought in the second half as neither team was able to score at will to begin the second half. Both defenses stepped up as both teams put on the pressure.

Jake Kreuser came up with some big blocks throughout the game. He was just a beast to be reckoned with in the low block. SPA didn’t know how to handle him inside.

When Adam Heussner who is a freshman came up and nailed a big three pointer for Sibley all of the student section started to chant “he’s a freshman”. He really came in and played well for Sibley. He was able to guard well and he knew when to shoot the ball.

Sibley was able to basically control the whole game. They were just a way bigger and stronger team then SPA. SPA didn’t give up they played hard the whole game.

I liked how Santano Rosario played for SPA. He was a scrappy guard but was not able to mix it up with the Sibley guards. SPA’s other guard Spencer Egly also played well I thought. Everyone played well but SPA was just out manned and they were not able to control Sibley.

Henry Sibley was able to come away with the 66-48 victory over SPA. The leading scorer for SPA was David McVettey with 14 points and the leading scoring for Henry Sibley was Mike Rostampour with 18.

I was with the Czar from Twin Cities Boys Hoops. You can also read his story about the game between Henry Sibley and SPA here.

Monday, December 7, 2009

SPORTS ARE AN EXTENSION OF MY LIFE

I am a sports fan. For me basketball has always been one of my favorite sports to watch. When I was growing up I played basketball for the Minneapolis parks rec league all through junior high. When I was in junior high I played on the basketball team that played only like five games because of the size of the school.

I have always been around the game. One of my uncles is a high school coach in the metro area so I go out to his games during the season.

I also do my fair share of college basketball games throughout the season. I think college basketball is something high school players shoot for as they get better. They will take their games to a higher level.

I think sports in general teach you a lot more than just the x’s and o’s of the game. I think basketball and sports in general is a good way to become a better citizen in life.

I also think that sports build relationships between people. I know from my experiences that sports create and foster healthy relationships.

I know a lot of different people in the sports scene. The reason I started this web site is because I wanted to give people a chance to see what I see when I go to sporting events. I decided to start this web site because I wanted to express my thoughts on all of the games that I go to throughout the year.

During the season I like to know who is playing well and where people are going. I can’t make it to every game but I do keep my eyes and ears open to see who is doing well. I also love to hear from you the sports fans on who you see are the top players at any level.

If you are a fan, a player, a parent or a coach and you want to contact me about a certain team and get your name out there, feel free to send me an email at
stevenmgr@hotmail.com. I check my email very often and look forward from hearing from you.

Here are the ways of contacting me.

Email
stevenmgr@hotmail.com

Twitter http://twitter.com/STEVENS_SPORTS

Thanks for your time and hope to hear from you.

Steven MacDonald Froemming

MINNEAPOLIS NATIVE TROY DELVON SCORES 15 POINTS FOR VANOLI CREMONA IN A MEN’S BASKETBALL CONTEST

Minneapolis native Troy Delvon Bell scored 15 points for Vanoli Cremona against Scavolini Pesaro in Italy.

Scavolini Spar Pesaro was able to come away with the 101-94 victory.

Bell averages 14.9 points per game through nine games this season.

Monday, November 30, 2009

TROY BELL HIGHLIGHTS VS MONTEGRANARO

Troy Bell who plays for Vanoli Cremona in Italy sent me some highlight video clips of his game as his team cruised past Montegranaro on Sunday November 29th. Here is the video clip of #10 Troy Delvon Bell.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

DO YOU USE TWITTER

Hey do you use Twitter? Do you want to know what I am up to when I am on the road or my random thoughts on sports? Then follow me on Twitter. My name on Twitter is Steven’s _Sports.

MINNEAPOLIS NATIVE TROY DELVON BELL DROPS 23 POINTS IN VICTORY

Minneapolis native Troy Delvon Bell, who is playing professional basketball in Italy for Vanoli Cermona, scored 23 points in a 90-63 victory over Montegranaro.

Troy is averaging 14.9 points per game this season.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

IN THE CLASS AAAA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IT WAS TOTINO GRACE

Sartell-St. Stephen took on Totino Grace in the Class AAAA Minnesota State High School League championship game.

STS got the ball to begin the game. They were not able to do anything on the first drive. TG got the ball back and then they fumbled the ball back to STS. It was a soppy start.

With 3:42 Jeremy Kline got a fumble recovery and a long touchdown run for Totino Grace. The extra point was good. With that touchdown the score was Totino Grace 7 and STS 0.

Totino Grace’s Ashford made a huge running play to set up John Crocket on a four-yard touchdown run. The extra point was no good.

Totino Grace was able to find the end zone again with under a minute to go in the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter the score was Totino Grace 21 and STS 0.

Totino Grace’s Ashford Kromath scored on a touchdown pass with 6:47 left to go. The extra point was good.
With five seconds left to go in the second quarter Mickey Kocon made a field goal to end the second quarter.
At the half the score was Totino Grace 31 and STS 0.

John Crockett really played well in the game. He has come up with some nice plays on the offensive end throughout the game. He really knows how to make a big play out of nothing. He made a two-yard touchdown run with 9:35 left to go in the third quarter. The extra point was good so that made the score Totino Grace 38 and STS 0.

Jake Schauer was able to pick off a STS pass and give the ball back to Totino Grace. Totino Grace looked to get the ball into the end zone. They were not able to get the ball into the end zone and they turned the ball over back to STS.

With 0:19 seconds left to go in the third quarter Totino Grace’s John Crockett made a long touchdown reception. The extra point attempt was good.

At the end of the third quarter the score was Totino Grace 45 and STS 0.

STS threatened to score midway through the fourth quarter. Josh Kermer scored on a short yard run. The extra point was good.

With 5:36 left in the fourth quarter the score was Totino Grace 45 and STS 7.

In the Minnesota State High School rules, if a team is leading by more than 35 points in the fourth quarter the time will run. If the score dips below 30 points, the time will go back to stop time.

John Crockett came up again on special teams on the kickoff. He made a nice return.

John Crockett played an outstanding game. He was all over the field. He tied a prep bowl record with 4 rushing touchdowns.

Totino-Grace was able to come away with the 45-7 victory and claim the 2009 Minnesota State High School Class AAA boys’ football state championship.

After the game I was able to talk to the head coach of Totino Grace Jeff Ferguson and Johnny Crockett about the championship game.


NEW LONDON SPICER TOOK ON GLENCOE SILVER LAKE FOR THE CLASS AAA BOYS FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

New London Spicer (NLS) took on Glencoe Silver Lake in the Class AAA boy’s football state final at the Metrodome. Both teams came into the game undefeated.

With 7:06 New London Spicer got a touchdown on a Jake Essler one-yard run. The extra point attempt was not good.

GSL got the ball back after the NLS touchdown.

At the end of the first quarter the score was NLS 6 and GSL 0.

GSL got the ball to begin the second quarter. It was a fourth down play. They were not able convert and they turned the ball over to NLS.

With 7:53 left to go in the in the second quarter Aaron Lueders scored a touchdown on a nice reception. The extra point attempt was good. With that touchdown the score was GSL 7 and NLS 6.

Both of the defenses did a very good job defending in the first half. Neither team was able to give up a big play.
At half time the score was Glencoe Silver Lake 7 and New London Spicer 6.

NLS got the ball to begin the third quarter. They took to the air early in the third quarter. They were deep in their own territory. They had to punt the ball away to GSL on that drive. GSL got the ball back on the 34-yard line.

GSL wanted to look to score late in the third quarter. They did that at 3:23 with an Aaron Leuders 3-yard run. The extra point was good.

With that touchdown the score was GSL 14 and NLS 6. That was the score after the third quarter.

With 11:53 left to go in the fourth quarter NLS got a touchdown on a Luke Peterson 29 yard touchdown pass from Jayme Moten. The two-point conversion was no good. With that touchdown the score was GSL 14 and NLS 12.

Aaron Luders of GSL got another touchdown on a 65-yard catch and run to get into the end zone with 11:43 left to go in the fourth quarter. The extra point was good. With that touchdown the score was GSL 21 and NLS 12.
NLS’ Jayme Moten completed a pass to Erik Tengwall for 54 yards and a NLS touchdown. The extra point was good.

With that touchdown the score was GSL 21 and NLS 20.

NLS threatened to score late in the fourth quarter. And they did at 3:06 left to go in the fourth quarter with an Aaron Jennings touchdown reception. The two-point conversion was good.

New London Spicer was able to come away with the 28-21 victory. I was able to talk to New London Spicer head coach Dan Essler and Jayme Moten about the championship game.


CRETIN DERHAM HALL TOOK ON EDEN PRAIRIE FOR THE CLASS AAAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Eden Prairie took on Cretin Derham Hall for the Class AAAAA boy’s football championship game. Eden Prarie kicked off to Cretin Derham Hall.

With 3:26 left to in the first quarter Brooks Hitchcock scored a touchdown on a 75-yard pass from Mark Alt.
At the end of the first quarter the score was Cretin Derham Hall 7 and Eden Prairie 0.

Both teams’ defenses came up to play. Both of them have been able to come up with some good stops in critical parts of the game.

In a game that was a defensive battle Cretin Derham Hall had a 7-0 advantage over Eden Prairie at the halftime break.

Eden Prairie got the ball to begin the third quarter. They were not able to do anything with it on their first drive.
With 6:25 left to go in the third quarter Mark Alt completed a pass to Clay Horne for a touchdown for Cretin Derham Hall. With that touchdown the score was Cretin Derham Hall 13 and Eden Prairie 0.

Eden Prairie got a safety with 49 seconds left in third quarter to make the score Cretin Derham Hall 13 and Eden Prairie 2.

Eden Prairie looked to score midway through the fourth quarter. They were able to score on a 25-yard field goal by David Planter.

With that field goal the score was Cretin Derham Hall 13 and Eden Prairie 5.

With 2:26 left to go in regulation Mark Alt made a field goal.

This game was definitely a defensive battle. Both teams really stepped up on the defensive end. In the end Cretin Derham Hall was able to come away with the 16-5 victory. With that victory they are the 2009 MSHSL Class AAAAA state football champions.

MOOSE LAKE/WILLOW RIVER TOOK ON WATERVILLE-ELYSIAN MORRISTOWN IN THE CLASS AA 2009 BOYS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Moose Lake Willow River (MLWR) took on Waterville-Elysian Morristown (WEM) in the Class AA Minnesota State High School Championship.

WEM controlled the ball for most of the first quarter. They were able to get the ball, keep it and march down the field. They found the end zone late in the first quarter. Zech Geyer scored a touchdown for WEM with 1:04 left to go in the first quarter. The extra point was good.

With that touchdown and extra point the score was WEM 7 and MLWR 0. That was also the score after the first quarter.

With 10:34 left to go in the second quarter Jordan Gregor scored on a scamper for the touchdown. The extra point was good. With that touchdown the score was WEM 14 and MLWR 0.

MLWR looked to air the ball out and take to the sky as they wanted to throw the ball midway through the second quarter. They also mixed in the run in there a little bit.

WEM looked to score late in the second quarter. They were able to go around the MLWR defenders. Reid Roemhildt ran the ball and got the ball into the red zone. That set up a scoring drive to set up Brady Ayes on a short touchdown run. The extra point was good. With 3:16 left in the second quarter the score was WEM 21 and MLWR 0.

At the end of the second quarter the score was WEM 21 and MLWR 0.

WEM came out and scored a touchdown as Reid Roemhildt scooped up a pass and ran it in for the touchdown.

With 11:11 left in the third quarter the score was WEM 27 and MLWR 0.

MLWR came out in the third quarter and they looked to air the ball out. They started throwing the ball a lot more in the third quarter as they have done previously. MLWR’s Chris Gassert came up with a nice running play. On the next play Reid Roemhildt came up with the interception. Jordan Gregor came through with a touchdown with 3:53 left to go in the third quarter. The extra point attempt was no good. With that touchdown the score was WEM 33 and MLWR 0.

At the end of the third quarter the score was WEM 33 and MLWR 0.

With 6:44 left to go in the fourth quarter Austin Jacobson made a touchdown for Moose Lake Willow River. The extra point was good.

With 2:42 left to go in the game MLWR scored a touchdown on a 72 yard run. The extra point was good. With 2:42 the score was WEM 33 and MLWR 14.

With :13 seconds left in regulation MLWR’s Holden Olson scored a touchdown on a 55 yard run. The two point conversion was good.
The final of the game was Warterville-Elysian Morristown 33 and Moose Lake Willow River 22.

After the game I was able to talk to WEM’s head coach Jon Bakken, and players Reid Roemhildt and Conrad Masberg.

MINNEOTA TOOK ON ADRIAN IN THE CLASS A BOYS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Adrian took on Minneota in the Class A boys state final game. Minnneota was able to get on the board early in the game. They were able to get a touchdown on a Brandon Anderson 19 yard run. Victor Santos’ extra point attempt was good.

Minneota was able to get another touchdown with 5:42 left to go in the first quarter. Will Kruka caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Sam Derynck. The extra point was good.

Adrian got the ball back when Minnetoa got the touchdown. They went to the air early in the in the game as they looked to strike in the first quarter. They were able to get a touchdown with 1:02 left to go in the first quarter. The extra point was good. With that touchdown at 1:02 in the first quarter the score was Minneota 14 and Adrian 7.

At the end of the first quarter the score was Minneota 14 and Adrian 7.

With 10:39 left to go in the second quarter Jesus Macias scored a touchdown on a reception for Minneota. The point after was no good.

Adrian threatened to score late in the second quarter. Brett Nowotny scored a touchdown on 3-yard run with 4:56 left in the second quarter. The extra point attempt was good.

Minneota scored with 54 seconds left in the quarter. Adam Dieckman’s kick was good.

At halftime the score was Minneota 28 and Adrian 14.

Adrian got the ball to begin the third quarter. They wanted to try to get a quick start early in the third quarter.

Adam Dikemann scored a touchdown on a 20-yard touchdown catch with 7:02 left to go in the third quarter.

Dikemann also scored the extra point. With that touchdown the score was Minneota 28 and Adrian 21.

Minneota was able to get a touchdown late in the third quarter. The touchdown came on a Brandon Anderson short yard run. The extra point was good. With 1:23 left to go in the third quarter the score was Minneota 35 and Adrian 21.

At the end of the third quarter the score was Minneota 35 and Adrian 21.

Minneota wanted to control the clock throughout the second half and they did just that. With 6:25 left to go in the fourth quarter Tony Noyes scored a touchdown for Minneota. The extra point was good.

With 6:25 left to go in regulation the score was Minneota 42 and Adrian 21.

Both teams played a good game. They both came out to battle. But in the end Minneota was able to come away with the 42-21 victory.

I was able to talk to Mineota players Sam Derynck, Tony Noyes and head coach Chad Johnston about the victory.

2009 MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE CLASS 9 MAN CHAMPIONA WERE THE STEPHEN-ARGYLE CENTRAL STORM

Stephen Argyle and Nicollet squared off in the Prep Bowl . Stephen Argyle Central (SAC) kicked off to Nicollet.

Nicollet was not able to convert on the first play and they had to punt the ball away to SAC.

SAC was able to march down the field after they got the ball back from Nicollet. Hayden Sczenpanski for SAC made a nice run play to set up a one-yard touchdown by Evan Schnindele. The two point conversion was not good.

With 6:35 left in the first quarter the score was SAG 6 and Nicollet 0.

SAC got the ball back from Nicollet and they continued to pound the ball down the throats of Nicollet.

With 1:47 left to go in the first quarter Evan Schindele got another touchdown on a five yard run. The two point conversion failed. With that touchdown the score was SAG 12 and Nicollet 0.

John Safranski for SAC picked off Nicollet late in the first quarter to give SAG the ball back to end the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter the score was SAC 12 and Nicollet 0.

With 10:52 left to go Jamison St. Germain made a touchdown for SAG. The extra point attempt was no good. With that touchdown the score was SAC 18 and Nicollet 0.

Nicollet’s Nick Mans came up with a big play to get Nicollet into the red zone. They wanted to get the ball into the end zone. With 10:01 left in the second quarter Jordan Rudnick made a short run touchdown. The extra point was blocked.

With that touchdown the score was SAC 18 and Nicollet 6.

SAG got the ball back after the Nicollet touchdown. SAG tried to keep the ball on the ground for most of the first half. They wanted to get the ball into the hands of their running backs. SAG fumbled the football and Nicollet came up with the football.

Nicollet came up with the interception to give them the ball back.

At the end of the first half the score was Stephen-Argyle Central 18 and Nicollet 6.

Nicollet kicked off to SAC to begin the third quarter. SAC was not able to convert in the beginning of the third quarter and then Nicollet got picked off and SAC got the ball back.

Nicollet was not able to convert on third down and they had to punt the ball back to SAC.

At the end of the third quarter the score was SAC 18 and Nicollet 6.

SAC Evan Schindele made another touchdown with 9:25 left in the fourth quarter.

With 8:53 left to go in regulation Nicollet’s Jamie Fischer made a touchdown. Jordan Rudenick made the two point conversion. With that touchdown the score was SAC 24 and Nicollet 14.

With 5:02 left in regulation Jamison St. Germain scored another touchdown. The extra point attempt was no good. That touchdown made the score SAC 30 and Nicollet 14.

Nicollet was not able to do anything with the ball and SAC’s John Safranski was able to score a touchdown. The extra point was good.

With 17 seconds left in regulation Nicollet’s Jordan Rudenick made a one yard touchdown run. The two point conversion was good.

Stephen-Argyle Central was able to come away with the 37-22 victory. They are the 2009 Minnesota State High School League football class Nine Man champions.

I was able to talk to Stephen Argyle’s Evan Schindele and Head Coach Mark Kroulik.


2009 MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL PREP BOWL GOT UNDERWAY

The 2009 Minnesota State High School League boy’s football championships are taking place at the Metrodome in Downtown Minneapolis. I will be there blogging the championship games. Check back to the web site often for recaps of all of the final action.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

CONCORDIA ST PAUL HOSTED VALLEY CITY UNIVERSITY IN A MEN’S BASKETBALL CONTEST

Concordia St Paul took on Valley City University in a nonconference men’s basketball game. Concordia was able to start off hot as they opened up strong. They were making most of the shots that they put up in the early goings.

Valley City was able to hit some shots midway through the first half. That didn’t detour Concordia because they continued to play hard in the first half.

Valley City looked to push the ball up the court in transition. They wanted to get the ball out of the rim and they got the ball up the court quickly.

For Valley City State University Mark Klingberg played well. In the first half he propelled the Valley City comeback. He played on the low block and he was a force in the middle. Valley City looked to get the ball inside to him before they looked to the outside to get a shot.

Valley City started out cold but they were able to make a run at Concordia St Paul. Concordia was able to withstand the run in the first half.

Sammy Ricks for Concordia St Paul stepped up and was able to knock down some big shots late in the first half. Matt Hackl was able to drain a nice two point shot as time expired in the first half.

Matt Hackl was able to nail a two point shot at the buzzer for Concordia. At half time the score was Concordia St Paul 40 and Valley City State University 27.

Concordia stated out playing in a tough man-to-man defense early in the second half. They were able to shut down Valley City in the early goings in the second half.

Valley City State was in a zone defense for most of the second half. They were not able to slow down Concordia. Concordia kept playing strong throughout the second half.

Valley City State was not able to sink shots that they were putting up in the second half. Concordia St Paul was able to come away with the 79-60 victory. The leading scorers for Valley City State were Mark Klingberg with 13 points and Calvin Kraft with 12 points. The leading scorers for Concordia University were Mike Cunninghan and Craig Heiman with 16 points.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

EDEN PRAIRIE COMES OUT QUICK AND BEATS MOUNDS VIEW IN THE CLASS AAAAA BOYS FOOTBALL SEMI FINAL

In one of the most anticipated semifinal games Mounds View took on Eden Prairie. There was a lot of talk leading up to this game.

At 10:24 Gage Shaeffer for Eden Prairie made a nice reception for a catch for the first touchdown of the game. The extra point was good.

With 5:50 left to go in the Gage Shaeffer found the end zone again as he scored his second touchdown of the game. The extra point was good.

After the end of the first quarter the score was Eden Prairie 14 and Mounds View 0.

Neither team was able to score in the second quarter. At the half the score was Eden Prairie 14 and Mounds View 0.

Both teams knew that it would be a close game throughout and that is what it was. Mounds View stepped up on the defensive end they were able to come up big and stop Eden Prairie.

At the end of the third quarter the score was Eden Prairie 14 Mounds View 0.

With 11:11left in the game David Planter made a field goal for Eden Prairie. With that field goal the score was Eden Prairie 17 and Mounds View 0.

Eden Prairie would come away with the 17-0 victory. I was able to talk to Eden Prairie’s head coach Mike Grant and Gage Shaeffer about the game.

That win that puts Eden Prairie into the Minnesota State High School League class AAAAA championship game against Cretin-Derham Hall.


WATERVILLE-ELYSIAN-MORRISTOWN TOOK ON EDEN VALLEY WALKINS IN BOYS FOOTBALL STATE CLASS AA SEMI FINAL GAME

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown took on Eden Valley Walkins in the class AA semi final game. EVW came out pumped up as they were looking to score early in game. EVW tried to find the end zone but they instead turned it over on downs.

After the first quarter the score was tied at 0.

WEM threatened to score early in the second quarter. With 11:41 left to go in the second quarter Conrad Musburg scored a two-yard rushing touchdown and Tyler Ranslow made the extra point. With that touchdown the score was WEM 7 and EVW 0.

EVW was able to make a drive after the WEM touchdown. Ryan Tri made a one-yard rush for EVW. The extra point was good.

At the end of the second quarter the score was tied at 7.

Both teams came out and wanted to put points on the board early. EVW took the air early in the third quarter. They were going to 10-yard plays. They were looking to also go to air early in the third quarter. EVW looked to score on short yardage. They had to settle for a field goal. Then they decided to try a trick play. Kevin Kramer scored the touchdown. The extra point attempt was no good.

After that touchdown the score was EVW 13 and WEM 7.

At the end of the third quarter the score remained EVW 13 and WEM 7.

WEM drove down the field and threatened to score and they did they did just that with a Conrad Masburg touchdown. The extra point was no good. The score was again tied, this time at 13.

With 1:39 left, Kevin Kramer went to the ground and got roughed up. He has come up with big plays throughout the game. He has really done a good job on the defensive end.

The game went into over time. Grant Pope was able to come up with the winning touchdown. WEM came away with the 21-20 victory. I was able to talk to the head coach Jon Bakken and Conrad Masberg from WEM.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

NICOLLET COMES AWAY WITH THE LAST SECOND VICTORY OVER ADA BORUP IN THE 9 MAN SEMI FINAL

Nicollet took on Ada Borup in the Class 9 Man semi final game. Ada Borup was able to score a touchdown in the early goings.

Ada Borup controlled the first quarter and they had an 8-0 lead after the end of the first quarter. Nicollet was not able to get anything going on the offensive end in the first quarter.

Nicollet was able to get their offence going in the second quarter. They wanted to try to get the ball into the end zone.

Nicollet was able to get a touchdown with 8:43 left to go in the second quarter Matt Runne scored a touchdown on a reception. The two-point conversion was good.

Aaron Olson found the end zone for Ada Bourp with 1:12 left to go in the second quarter. The two-point conversion was good. With that touchdown and two-point conversion the score was Ada Bourp 19 and Nicollet 9.

At half time the score was Ada Bourop 19 and Nicollet 8.

Both teams came out fired up in the second half.

Nick Mans for Nicollet had 12-yard touchdown run with 10:45 left in the third quarter. The extra point was good. With that touchdown and extra point the score was Ada Bourp 19 and Nicollet 15.

Ada Bourp’s Aaron Olson was able to find the end zone with 6:26 left to go in the third quarter. The two-point conversion was good.

With that touchdown the score was Ada Bourop 27 and Nicollet 15.

Nicolet was able to get a touchdown on a Sean Murfery run.

Ada Bourop’s Yuri Johnson was able to come up with a touchdown with 1:03 left to go in the third quarter. He then made the two-point conversion. With that touchdown the score was Ada Bourup 35 and Nicollet 23.

Nicollet’s Matt Renne scored a touchdown with 9:46 left to go in the fourth quarter for Nicollet. The extra point was no good. With that touchdown the score was Ada Bourop 35 and Nicollet 29.

With 1:49 left to go in the game Nicollet was able to score on a Nick Mans four-yard pass from Jordan Rudnick.
The final of the game was Nicollet 36 and Ada-Borup 35.