|
by Ryan James
bassgemrj@hotmail.com
(posted 8/21/2007)
Across the great state of Minnesota, two-a-days are the norm. From the gigantic complexes at Eden Prairie and Minnetonka, to the parks where the
Metro teams practice, and from the early morning air in Stephen-Argyle to
the back town field of Lester Prairie, teams are gearing up for that first
game in nine or ten days. But can you sense it?
What’s to smell, what can you feel and what can you sense? The smell of the
athletes walking down the hallway to the practice field, the feel of a chill
in the air bringing us fall, and the sense that just nine or ten days from
now your football team will be taking the field for their first spirited
battle. The battle that will bring the town together at least nine magical
nights this fall.
And ask no questions about it, this fall will be Magical in Minnesota.
Starting with the number one name that everyone wants to see. Michael Floyd
is a senior and that number one player in Minnesota is back to make
highlight plays night after night. And when you go see Floyd and his
Raiders don’t forget to check out the most overshadowed player out there in
Shady Salamon as this Shady is a shining star.
Then there is Bloomington Jefferson and when I talk about feeling things,
that is the weight of the world on Jefferson’s star QB Moses Alipate who
already has division one offers as a junior and he was just named a top 100
player nationally for 2009 by Rivals.com. If there is anybody that can
handle exposure it’s Alipate but can he handle the defending state champion
Eden Prairie Eagles after last year’s winless campaign?
Mike Grant’s team is back looking to defend its title and with players like
Carter Bykowski, Ryan Grant, Willie Mobley and Matt Swanson they have a leg
up on the competition. But CDH is the preseason number one? So, when do we
start thinking about that dream match-up between EP and CDH? It was sensed
last year but Lakeville South stepped in the way. Will these teams fulfill
their destiny this year?
Defending titles, who is ready? Stephen-Argyle is, they have defended their
title three years in a row now and are ready to defend their fourth
straight. How about Rushford-Peterson, they have won three titles in their
last five years. And Friday nights will be even bigger down in the
southeast corner this fall as the town comes to together to forget about
those floodwaters. Fridays nights will be their escape and bigger to the
community then ever, a chance for them to feel something different.
Speaking of feelings, Triton must have felt pretty good after that
70-21-title game and Caleb Rissman is ready to lead the Cobras again this
year. But Luverne was on such a magical high last year that I think the 06
title game loss was just a bump in the road as these players captured the
spirit of first a community, and then a state. And now Jeremy Hoff returns
to do it again.
Then there is Glencoe-Silver Lake and Totino-Grace who are looking defend
their titles and they have the players and coaching staffs to do it.
Between Dave Dose and Jeff Ferguson are their better program leaders? And
on the field are there more fun players to watch then Dusty Jurek and Micah
Koehn?
Well that answer is yes, there are several as exciting but that is to take
nothing away from Jurek and Koehn. It’s just that Minnesota has some
unbelievably versatile kids in Floyd and Salamon, Cromwell’s Cody
Hendrickson, Waseca’s Jimmy Loonan, DeLaSalle’s Jeremy Randle, International
Falls’s Josh Stougard, Albany’s Kurt Schlangen and St. Thomas Academy’s
Fritz Waldvogel.
They do everything on the field and if you have a chance to see a Koehn, a
Loonan, a Stougard, a Schlangen or a Waldvogel, you need to get off your
couch or get out of work early or reroute your hunting trip or just simply
stop in for a quarter and look beyond the fence to watch a marvelous young
athlete.
And how could I forget about the most versatile of all? The guy who hits
players with a bone crushing force! The guy who runs over defenders for
touchdowns! The guy who picks off passes, adds up sacks, wraps up RB’s for
a loss, kicks off, kicks PATS, kicks field goals, punts and most
importantly, he wins (well, when he and his team is not sick with the flu
all at the same time they win). The man mentioned is Sam Maresh of Champlin
Park and this future Minnesota Gopher will challenge for that Mr. Football
award this fall.
If you can’t tell, smell, sense or feel it, I’m excited for football. I’m
excited for Friday nights. I’m excited to see the stars under the lights
and I know you are to. It doesn’t matter if you are at St. Thomas
University to see the Raiders, at the beautiful complex in Minnetonka, next
to the cornfield in Kingsland, behind the fence in Northfield, next to
Canada in International Falls or with all your town mates in Lester Prairie,
it’s football and I hope you are as pumped as I am.
There is only one problem. It’s still nine days away. But don’t let that
stop you from gearing up for the best time of the athletic calendar year.
That time when the lights are on, your town is together and your team comes
sprinting out of the tunnel. Feel proud and be loud because it’s Friday night, is there anything better? |
Boys Basketball
Girls Basketball
Boys Hockey
Football
Volleyball
