Author: David Shama

Occasionally there’s a high school football game that stirs the interest of the masses.  Look no further than Friday night’s Class 5A state championship game between unbeatens Eden Prairie and Cretin-Derham Hall to find an example.

It’s the Minneapolis area versus St. Paul.  It’s a game with big names, from now almost legendary coach Mike Grant of Eden Prairie to USA Today All-American Michael Floyd of Cretin-Derham Hall.  Two rivals, with past games worth remembering, featuring several players that will play major college football, competing for a state title and offering contrasts in style.

Eden Prairie’s offense is a more methodical style while the Raiders often find the end zone before you can take the next bite of your hot dog.  KARE TV sportscaster Randy Shaver told Sports Headliners earlier this week that the Eagles are likely to focus on their methodical ways Friday, deliberately trying to keep the Raider offense on the sidelines for long periods.

Floyd, the pass catching wonder headed to Notre Dame next year, and quarterback John Nance and running back Shady Salamon (both future Gophers) are big play guys who have earned their “flashy” reputations.  Shaver said the Eagles haven’t seen the kind of speed that the Raiders possess and can’t duplicate it in practice as they prepare for Friday night’s game.  The game’s outcome, he believes, may turn not only on Eden Prairie’s effectiveness in keeping the Raiders playmakers on the sidelines, but also in forcing Nance out of the pocket, making him feel pressure.

Shaver, who has studied both teams including game tapes for two-plus hours, said Nance routinely has “all sorts of time” to throw, sometimes heaving it to Floyd who simply seems to run as far as he can before his quarterback throws a long pass.  Eden Prairie defensive players like star linemen Max Pryor and Willie Mobley will be chasing Nance and trying to contain the high scoring Raiders offense that produced 56 points in a semi-final win over Brainerd.

Shaver thinks the end result will be an Eden Prairie win, a close game perhaps with a final score of 27-24.  He believes the Eagles have a more balanced overall team, including a sophisticated offense, led by quarterback Ryan Grant that will have success controlling the ball.

Shaver chose seven players from Eden Prairie on his all metro offensive and defensive teams, the most ever from one school in 24 years of picking post-season all-stars.  Three Eagles made the defensive team and while the Raiders had three players on the offensive team, they had none on defense.

Ken Lien, another prep football expert who provided color commentary on Crystal Clear Sports Webcasts this fall, thinks Eden Prairie will win, too.  Even before the playoffs began he was describing Class5A as the “shampoo tournament,” referring to how the Raiders and Eagles are “head and shoulders” better than anyone else.

Without intending to cause a Thanksgiving Day outbreak of upset tummies, dare we mention that the Green Bay Packers are on national TV tomorrow against the Detroit Lions?  The 9-1 Packers, the surprise team of the NFL season, are tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the best record in the NFC.  Even those who bleed Viking purple may want to have a look at this game where the 6-4 Lions, in second place in the NFC North, try to tighten up a division race for themselves, the Chicago Bears and Minnesota (both 4-6).

The task for the Lions obviously won’t be easy going against a Packers team that is off to its best start since 1962, seven years before 38-year-old fountain of youth quarterback Brett Favre was born.  Vikings’ kicker Ryan Longwell played in Green Bay for nine years before coming here for the 2006 season.  He thinks the Packers are the best team in the NFC, better than the Cowboys. The two teams can settle some things on the field soon when the Packers play in Dallas a week from tomorrow night.

“You know, I think that the Packers defense is highly under rated,” Longwell told Sports Headliners last Thursday.  “Not many people know about them but I think they got two shutdown corners (Al Harris and Charles Woodson) that would match up really well against the Dallas offense. … Kampman (Aaron) is one of the most under-rated guys at d-line in this league. …I think that each offense (Dallas and Green Bay) is pretty even. …”

Longwell said that except for Terrell Owens of the Cowboys he thinks the Packers could “shut down” the other receivers.  “I don’t know that Dallas could shut down all of the Packers receivers, they’ve got a good group,” Longwell said.  “So I mean after seeing them both, I really feel like they’re the team (the Packers) to beat, especially if they could somehow get home field advantage, playing in the cold. Brett’s really good throwing the ball in the cold which is tough to do.”

Longwell was asked about a Packer match-up with the defending Super Bowl champs, the Indianapolis Colts, or undefeated New England Patriots, 10-0.  “I don’t even know,” he said.  “I think they (the Packer players) really bought into coach (Mike) McCarthy’s program and they have fun.  You can see they’re playing with more and more confidence every week. And you’ve seen Indy hiccup the last couple weeks and you don’t know how New England is going to go down the stretch.  They look pretty powerful.

“You know, Brett just seems to have this magic about him that I would never say never. I wouldn’t say they couldn’t beat either one of those teams for sure.”

Another player to watch in the Eden Prairie versus Cretin-Derham Hall game is the Raiders’ sophomore right offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson who is already 6-7, 300. KARE TV sportscaster Randy Shaver is an admirer and said by the time Henderson is a senior he could be even more highly recruited than Floyd, a player sought by the who’s who of college football.

The Vikings play the New York Giants, 7-3, on Sunday at Giants Stadium.  Vikings coach Brad Childress expects the opponent and venue to challenge second year quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, another test for the inconsistent 24-year-old.  “It’s significant to the standpoint it’s hostile, it’s noisy, and it’s a very good pass rush (from the Giants),” Childress said.  “It’s a team that’s playing with a lot of confidence. So it will be good to evaluate him. …And just watch him manage it (the game) and play and do the right things with the football. … It’s the only test he’s got to pass this week.”

Childress talking on Monday about running back Adrian Peterson who missed last Sunday’s game because of a knee injury and whether he will play against New York:  “I would say it’s a long shot right now to get back there (against the Giants) but we’ll see.  He’s surprised me before.”

The Vikings have the No. 1 rushing offense and defense in the NFL, while the Giants rank No. 7 in both categories.

Gopher football coach Tim Brewster said because the Big Ten Conference season ends earlier than other major conferences, the teams in his league have more time to devote to recruiting.

Mike Wilkinson, author of the book on former Gopher coach Murray Warmath, called to report that recruiting expert Tom Lemming is praising Brewster on CSTV and predicting better days for the Minnesota program.

The Gophers’ 2008 home schedule isn’t a marketer’s dream.  Northern Illinois, Montana State, Florida Atlantic, Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan and Iowa play here in Minnesota’s last season in the Metrodome before moving into the new TCF Bank Stadium in 2009.

Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman often has reluctantly used under sized power forward Al Jefferson, 6-10, 265, at center.  When 34-year-old often injured center Theo Ratliff is hurt, or resting on the bench, it usually means minutes for Jefferson at center. “I don’t want him to be a five (center),” Wittman said. “I don’t want him to bang with a five all night long.”  Wittman said Jefferson needs to be more physical defensively when he plays center and sometimes to front the man he’s guarding.

Paul Carter, a junior college star who will play for Tubby Smith and the Gophers next season, will be in town with his Missouri State University-West Plains teammates on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game at Minneapolis Community College. Carter, a 6-8 forward, could be one of the best junior college players in the country this season.

Former Minnesota Wild goalie Manny Fernandez, now with Boston, hasn’t been playing since last month because of a knee injury. In four games he’s given up 16 goals.

Jen Schoullis of the Gophers is the WCHA Rookie of the Week for her performance against Minnesota Duluth last weekend. The freshman forward scored the Gophers’ third goal in a 3-0 victory over Minnesota Duluth on Sunday.  She has scored two goals in the last three games, has eight points in 12 games and is tied for fourth in team scoring.  The rookie of the week award is determined by WCHA administrators.

The Minnesota Twins winter caravan presented by Dodge will start January 14 and likely end on January 31, according to Patrick Klinger, vice president of marketing.  The caravan is expected to stop in 60 communities and include current and former Twins players.

Bethel head coach Steve Johnson was chosen as the 2007 MIAC Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season.  He coached the Royals to the conference championship with an 8-0 record.  Selected as MIAC MVP was Bethel quarterback Ben Wetzell.  He finished the year third in conference rushing (91.9 yards per game) and fifth in total offense (258.4 yards per game).  Conference coaches made the selections.