Minnesota High School Athletics (Non-Hockey)

Now you’re just rubbing it in.

Seriously, the whole town is still in disbelief today. My buddy from STMA was announcing the game for a local cable channel and just about lost his mind the last minute, but he had to stay professional.

My kids were all excited about heading down to US Bank on Thursday to play Eden Prairie in the 6A state semifinals, but that dream is dead. :anger:

Here are the “highlights”

https://www.gomn.com/sports/state-tourney-stunner-maple-grove-wins-with-3-tds-in-final-59-seconds

I'm really shocked as well. After reading the article in the Star Trib, clearly SMA controlled the whole game until the final 59 seconds. Maple Grove had all the luck any team can ever have in that final 59 seconds.

The second onside kick the Maple Grove player touches it before 10 yards and it wasn’t called, but that’s no excuse for the complete meltdown STMA had in the final minute on special teams and defense.

Almost as crazy as the ending in "Harvard beats Yale 29-29", when Harvard scored 16 points in less than the last minute.

2017 Prep Bowl Semifinals

6A:

Eden Prairie vs. Maple Grove

Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Minnetonka

5A:

Apple Valley vs. Elk River

Brainerd vs. Owatonna

4A:

Holy Angels vs. Winona

Cloquet vs. South St. Paul

3A:

Jordan vs. Pierz

Pequot Lakes vs. St. Croix Lutheran

2A:

Caledonia vs. Paynesville Area

Moose Lake/Willow River vs. Pipestone Area

1A:

Ada-Borup/Norman County West vs. Wabasso

Mayer Lutheran vs. Minneota

9-Man:

Spring Grove vs. Stephen-Argyle

Nevis vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton

As a neutral I like that 5A field quite a bit.

I know EP was upset as recently as (last year?) but they just smoked a pretty good LN team 35-0 (after staying within 18 of EP in their first meeting). Not sure that CDH (haven't played EP yet but their season wasn't that impressive) has enough to withstand them should they get by Tonka, and EP beat the others by 18 (MHS) and 21 (MG) already during the season. The 4A and 5A brackets both have lot of intrigue with a decent amount of geographic spread.

I’m going to try and go to the afternoon games on Friday. See Apple Valley vs Elk River and then my old high school, SSP and their vaunted triple option offense, take on Cloquet. Hopefully the games are only two hours so I can make it back to campus for the 7:10 puck drop.

Apple Valley/Elk River @ 2pm and South St. Paul/Cloquet @ 4:30... Could be pushing it. All depends on how the earlier games go.

If Cowtown gets to the finals I'll be there.

Their O.C. and I go way back. A classic quote from a couple of years ago, " Too many teams want to play flag football. Our kids want to do the Oklahoma drill."

2017 Prep Bowl State Championship Games - Black Friday:

9-Man @ 10am:

Spring Grove vs. Nevis

2A @ 1pm:

Caledonia vs. Pipestone Area

4A @ 4pm:

Holy Angels vs. Cloquet

6A @ 7pm:

Eden Prairie vs. Minnetonka

2017 Prep Bowl State Championship Games - Saturday:

1A @ 10am:

Wabasso vs. Minneota

3A @ 1pm:

Pierz vs. St. Croix Lutheran

5A @ 4pm:

Elk River vs. Owatonna

Meant to post this on Friday evening...

In the Elk River/Apple Valley Semifinal game Elk River had 700 total offensive yards. Went 0 for 0 passing and 60 rushes for 700 yards.

Will the games be available for streaming?

Yes, but as with the hockey tourney the last few years, you’ll have to pay for it. prep45.com I believe will have it.

Are the Gophers recruiting their quarterback? :biggrin2:

Minnetonka QB with a ridiculous throw back across his body for a hailmary 40 yards into the endzone and the Minnetonka WR hauls it in for a TD before halftime to cut the lead to 7.

Score!?

Is this online or TV!?

31-17 EP. Start of 4.

Who’s the bigger smug db... Mike Grant (EP) or Dave Nelson (Tonka)?

Channel 45

Mike apprarently. He's getting crucified on Twitter for working the officials.

38-17 now...

The stripes have been scared of Grant for years. Rather ‘tuck and squeeze’ and be his friend. Rather than officiating the game.

Who cares? EP with 3200 students and recruiting other Blue chippers from out of State to boot...is as big of s

JOKE as Hermantown plAying Class A hockey. That’s why it was so sweet when TG beat them last year.

Lol. All 6A schools are the same.

They apparently didn't get the memo today. They missed a couple pretty late hits on the QB today that had Grant fired up.

Apparently. And Grant pointing that out has the pitchforks out.

I wouldn’t say all 6A. Though the 2 biggest culprits (Tonka and EP) are playing right now.

Grant cries every game all game long. The guy sheds a few pounds a night in tears alone. Though he quickly forgets all the ‘late’ hits or ‘questionable’ hits by his own players.

#1 for EP a complete cock banger.

High school kids. High school.

#70 of Tonka has more facial hair than all of the males of GPL combined.

And you know this how? For hockey Tonka has fewer transfers than just about every big school out there and I'd love to see your source regarding this claim in football.

9-Man:

Spring Grove, 32-0.

2A:

Caledonia, 57-6

4A:

Holy Angels, 14-0

6A:

Eden Prairie, 38-17

So, completely unrelated to football, but I have had to go to the bar for the last 3 years to watch the MN State Hockey Tourney because I have either had Dish or 2 years ago I cut the cable completely. Well, tonight I hooked up a HD antenna to my TV in my shop because WiFi is so-so out here and low and behold, I find this game on Channel 45!

Beyond fricken excited right now! I feel like I just got someone’s login info for every movie channel there is!

Does anybody have a link to Mike Grants halftime interview?

Tre Jones, Jalen Suggs face each other in nationally televised game

7pm - ESPNU

Minnehaha 82, Apple Valley 79 (F)

Not a bouncy ball expert, or even a fan, and only caught the last 5 minutes. For those who watched the whole game and know way more about the sport than me, I wonder what your opinion would be on a question I posed months ago, when the votes were decidedly mixed:

Who would win in a one game playoff, Apple Valley boys or the Minnesota Lynx?

My money is still on the Lynx.

It wouldn't be your money for very long.

I forgot you’re a notradamus of basketball.

I don't know anything about basketball. I do know that a very good high school team would take apart the Lynx.

So basically you don’t know $hit and are just posting to be posting.

Like you, and as stated above, I don't know much (hardly anything!) about basketball. But I think I do have an ability to recognize pure athletic ability, and both of these high school teams had it, in spades. The way their best guys could drive to the basket, and slam it home on the dunk, was very impressive. I just don't know if the Lynx would have an answer for that kind of height and athleticism.

Didn't realize that I was talking to an expert when it comes to Minnesota high school mens basketball versus WNBA teams debate. I will try to refrain from pointing out the obvious in the future.

Apple Valley. Too strong and physical.

First of all it’s Boy’s Basketball, not men. Second of all I’m no expert. Just stating what I see. It’s all a matter of opinion.