Preps – Page 107 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Jones Works on Gaining U Admission

Posted on June 18, 2014June 18, 2014 by David Shama

Jeff Jones is focusing on earning admission to the University of Minnesota by attending Minneapolis Public Schools summer classes, and recently took the ACT test for a fourth time hoping to improve his score.

A source told Sports Headliners Jones is working to raise his overall high school GPA and hopes that improvement along with a higher ACT score will allow him to gain admission to Minnesota and join the Gophers in time for August workouts and preparation for the 2014 season. Jones took the ACT test last Saturday and the results are expected later this month.

A combination of ACT result and GPA determines admission at Minnesota and other colleges. Jones signed a letter of intent last February to become a scholarship player for the Gophers but has known for awhile he faced academic challenges.

Jones is the only Rivals.com four-star recruit in the Gophers’ 2014 recruiting class. He drew national attention in the prestigious Under Armour All-America Game in Florida last January, gaining 72 yards and being named Team Nitro MVP.

Other members of the freshman class have started summer school classes at Minnesota and are becoming acclimated to the football program through conditioning and on the field drills. This is Gophers coach Jerry Kill’s fourth freshman group at Minnesota and potentially the best. The coaches have been impressed with the physical size of the players and wait with optimism to see what the freshmen can do during the coming months.

Preseason college football publications rank Jones as Minnesota’s top recruit. Lindy’s Sports rates Jones the No. 10 incoming freshman in the Big Ten Conference but many other Gophers newcomers are intriguing too. Kill and his staff have developed a reputation for identifying talent that is better than advertised.

That intriguing group could include tight end Gaelin Elmore, wide receiver Melvin Holland Jr., center Connor Mayes, quarterback Dimonic Roden–McKinzy and defensive lineman Andrew Stelter. Lindy’s identifies wide receiver Isaiah Gentry as its “sleeper” among the Minnesota freshmen. “Isaiah Gentry out of Cincinnati Moeller was one of the most overlooked players in the Buckeye State, and Minnesota is getting a steal in the speedy 6-4, 185-pound pass catcher,” the magazine wrote.

Worth Noting

The Gophers players and coaches received their Texas Bowl rings on Monday. Minnesota lost to Syracuse in the Houston-based game last December.

Prior Lake linebacker Blake Weber, who was the South Suburban Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, has decided to play football at Rochester Community and Technical College.

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” program on Sunday that earlier this month the great grandson of the legendary Bronko Nagurski attended Kill’s camp. Nagurski is one of five former Gophers to have his jersey number (72) retired.

Dr. John Baumgartner, who passed away last week, was an outstanding Gophers football player who lettered four times, from 1951-54.

That was Minneapolis entrepreneur, best-selling business author, motivational speaker and former Gophers golfer Harvey Mackay sitting with wife Carol Ann near courtside at Sunday’s Game Five in San Antonio when the Spurs defeated the Heat to win the NBA championship. Carol Ann gave her husband the trip as a Father’s Day present.

“I go almost every year to a finals game,” Mackay said. “This was the loudest arena I’ve ever been in.”

Mackay said he didn’t meet one San Antonio native who wasn’t aware of Sunday’s game. “What was normally a 15 minute drive from our hotel to the arena took two hours. We got out and walked the last five blocks.”

It will be interesting to see how Flip Saunders fills in his Timberwolves coaching staff after already naming Sidney Lowe and Sam Mitchell assistants. Saunders’ son Ryan, with a reputation for statistical analysis expertise, has NBA coaching experience with the Wizards and seems likely sooner or later to join the Timberwolves organization. Don Zierden, a Minnesota native, was an assistant to Flip Saunders with the Timberwolves, Pistons and Wizards in the past, and is still with the Wizards. Former NBA head coach and assistant Eric Musselman is close to Saunders and resigned earlier this season from Arizona State.

Xavier Thames, a 6-3 senior guard from San Diego State, is a player to follow in next week’s NBA Draft. Thames isn’t a “brand name” but he impressed with his shooting at the NBA Combine last month. It would be ironic if the Spurs drafted Thames since their NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard is from San Diego State and was also underrated coming out of college.

The June 18 issue of Sports Illustrated refers to Nick Gordon, who the Twins selected No. 5 overall in baseball’s amateur draft this month, as the “best high school shortstop in America.” The Gordon article includes praise from former Reds shortstop great Barry Larkin. “The kid fields with the best angles of any young shortstop I’ve ever seen,” Larkin said of Gordon who was the first infielder taken in the draft.

The same issue includes a story about the infamous O.J. Simpson whose wife Nicole was murdered 20 years ago this month. Simpson later dated Nicole look-a-like Christie Prody, a Minnesota native who the magazine reported is serving time in a Minnesota prison “after a conviction for stealing prescription painkillers from an elderly couple.” Simpson is incarcerated in Nevada from a 2008 conviction on charges that included kidnapping.

Twins first baseman Joe Mauer went 18 games without an RBI before driving in the team’s lone run in a 2-1 loss last night to the Red Sox. The face of the franchise, Mauer is hitting .258 with 16 RBI and two home runs this season. Not surprisingly, he isn’t among the top five fan vote recipients for starting American League first baseman in the 2014 All-Star Game in Minneapolis.

StubHub.com is listing tickets starting at $13.77, $170.30 and $331.45 for the All-Star Futures Game, Home Run Derby and All-Star Game in Minneapolis. Top price listed for the July15 All-Star Game is $11,002.00.

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Vikings Robison Works to Convert Sacks

Posted on June 12, 2014June 12, 2014 by David Shama

During Vikings practices at Winter Park this month players like defensive end Brian Robison are not only trying to learn team assignments but also improve their individual skills. The idea is to use repetition of correct fundamentals so often that when the season starts in September someone like Robison is in “muscle memory” mode.

Robison, 31, has been a starter for the past three seasons. His contributions this year could include filling the loss of defensive end and pass rushing specialist Jared Allen who has signed with the Bears. Allen’s sack totals the last three seasons were 11.5, 12 and 22. Robison’s have been 9, 8.5 and 8.

“One of the things that really stuck out to me last year was I felt like I missed way too many sacks,” Robison told Sports Headliners. “I got to the quarterback a lot but I feel like a lot of those hurries and stuff like that could have been converted into sacks had my footwork been a little bit better, had my angle been a little bit better.

“So this year that’s one of the keys that I’ve been working on is making sure that when I get to that corner that I am really turning and I’ve got a better angle to the quarterback. To me it’s one of those deals where it doesn’t matter how long you’re in this league, as soon as you think you’ve arrived, you’re kind of on your way out. There’s always something that you can get better at.”

How many sacks can Robison total in 2014? “I’d like to have as many as I can. Bottom line is as a D-line we just gotta disrupt quarterbacks and win ball games. That’s the only thing that’s important to me is winning a bunch of ball games.”

Robison has the experience and determination to expect his best season. “I am gonna do the best I can to be the best defensive end in the league. Whether that happens or not, that’s on me so we’ll find out and see what happens.”

What Robison knows for certain is without the work and repetition of the right fundamentals, success won’t follow.

Worth Noting

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer credits a nutrition plan, along with efforts by strength coaches and trainers, in helping his players to collectively add 70 pounds of muscle and lose 170 pounds of fat during the offseason. “I actually have also lost some weight too, but I think that’s from stress. No, I’m eating fish every day for lunch so that’s a change for me too,” Zimmer said.

The new Vikings stadium, opening in 2016, won’t host the Big Ten Football Championship Game until at least 2022. Minneapolis stadium promoters are interested in bringing the annual game here but the Big Ten Conference has extended its commitment to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis through 2021. By then Lucas Oil Stadium will have hosted all 11 of the league’s championship football games since its inception.

The University of Houston football program has Minnesota connections beyond head coach Tony Levine, the former Gopher from St. Paul. Levine’s assistants include ex-Gophers defensive coordinator David Gibbs and former offensive line coach Gordy Shaw.

Mike Wilkinson, who authored the biography of former Gophers football coach Murray Warmath, has a story on Weeklynews.com recalling today (June 12) is the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones’ performance at the old Excelsior Amusement Park. The British rock group was then in its formative years.

Ryan James, writing in Monday’s Gopherillustrated.com, reported DeLaSalle point guard Jarvis Johnson, who will be a senior next season, was outstanding dribbling and shooting last week in the Clash of the Classes game at Concordia, St. Paul. The all-star type game Johnson participated in matched players who will be seniors next school year against those who will be juniors. Johnson, an ESPN.com top 100 recruit for the class of 2016, has several dunks on Youtube.com.

The Minute Men are promoting a raffle offering the winner two MLB All-Star events packages including admission to the All-Star game at Target Field on July 15 and events in preceding days such as the Home Run Derby. Raffle tickets cost $20 each with more details available at Minnesotaminutemen.com. The Minute Men are a volunteer organization supporting Minnesota sports for more than 50 years.

Rangers’ defenseman Ryan McDonagh (St. Paul) and forward Derek Stepan (Hastings) are among 12 U.S. collegiate alums in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals. McDonagh and Stepan, along with Kings defenseman Matt Greene (Grand Ledge, Michigan), are three former WCHA alums in the finals. McDonagh and Stepan played collegiately at Wisconsin while Greene is a North Dakota alum.

Gophers women’s associate head coach Joel Johnson has been named the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team for the 2014-15 season.

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June 14 Wedding Set for Vikings Center

Posted on June 2, 2014June 2, 2014 by David Shama

It is no ordinary June for Vikings starting center John Sullivan who this week is at Winter Park practicing with teammates. He will be married on June 14 in Long Island, New York. He dclined to give his fiancée’s name but did say the couple will enjoy an Alaskan honeymoon cruise in late June.

Sullivan was drafted by the Vikings out of Notre Dame in 2008. Since 2009, when Sullivan became the starting center, he has missed only three of 77 games. A calf injury, knee surgery and concussion have been challenges. After the Vikings went through one of their recent Organized Team Activities he was asked about his health.

“I don’t know if you’re ever 100 percent as a professional football player but I am as close as I’ve been in a long time,” he told Sports Headliners.

Any lingering injuries? “Nothing. We always call it total body soreness. That just means you got a lot of games under your belt.”

Sullivan, who turns 29 on August 8, was named All-Pro by Pro Football Weekly in 2012. With his age and experience, he could be positioned to have his best season in 2014.

“That’s always the goal,” Sullivan said. “Every year your goal is to play the best you can as an individual, because that’s how you help the team win, and that’s what it comes down to.”

The Vikings’ record was 5-10-1 last season. A prediction late last month by the Las Vegas Hilton wagering authorities said the team will win only six games this season, but that doesn’t mean anything to Sullivan.

“I hadn’t heard that,” Sullivan said. “Frankly, we don’t care what Vegas says. We don’t care what anybody says. The people that have control over that situation are the ones that are here now, on this practice field and this building going to work everyday. We’re going to put the work into it to win as many games as we possibly can.”

The number of wins, of course, will have much to do with quarterback production. In practices Sullivan is impressed with veterans Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder, and rookie Teddy Bridgewater.

“Teddy looks great so far,” Sullivan said. “He’s a confident young guy. He’s made some incredible throws, and obviously we know who Matt and Christian are. They’re both guys that have led teams to playoffs in the past. We feel like we have three guys who can go out and get the job done.”

Sullivan is pleased new head coach Mike Zimmer retained offensive line coach Jeff Davidson who was with the Vikings for three prior seasons. Davidson’s reputation as an instructor and technician is well established at Winter Park.

Sullivan is impressed, too, with his new head coach after watching Zimmer lead the team in spring activities. “There’s no nonsense out here. No BS. Coach Zimmer is concerned with holding everybody accountable and winning football games. That’s all it comes down to.”

Sullivan is a leader who over the years has been involved with community activities including the drive to build the new stadium opening in 2016. Then in 2018 the stadium will host the Super Bowl. Wouldn’t it be special if the Vikings were playing in that Minneapolis game?

“It would be amazing just to be in a Super Bowl,” Sullivan said. “We don’t care where it is. You could play in a parking lot in Missouri. We don’t care.

“Yeah, would it be nice to play in a Super Bowl, here? Of course.”

Worth Noting

The Vikings continue their Organized Team Activity sessions this week at Winter Park. Players and coaches, as part of the franchise’s community work, will help build a playground on Wednesday at Lucy Craft Laney School in Minneapolis.

Pedro Florimon, who hit .108 in 65 at bats with the Twins this spring, is batting .237 in 59 plate appearances since being demoted to Triple-A Rochester. Former Twins starter Scott Diamond, also with Rochester, is 2-6 with a 7.51 ERA. Teammate and hot starting pitching prospect Alex Meyer is 3-1 with a 3.31 ERA and impressive 62 strikeouts in 51.2 innings.

Joe Schmit’s book, Sudden Impact, is now in its second printing. The KSTP TV sportscaster said the first press run was 5,000 and now another 5,000 have been printed.

Schmit’s hometown is Seymour, Wisconsin. That’s also the hometown of prep shooting guard Sandy Cohen who reportedly was recruited by the Gophers but will attend Marquette.

The Minute Men, the volunteer organization supporting Minnesota sports for more than 50 years, will honor outstanding high school lacrosse players at a noon banquet June 15 at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul-Riverfront Hotel. The finalists for Mr. Lacrosse are Max Elsenheimer (Eagan), Michael Lamb (Benilde-St. Margaret), J.R. Riley (St. Thomas Academy), Sam Turner (Academy of Holy Angels), Charlie Venable (Eden Prairie), Carter Yepson (Rosemount) and Conner Yepson (Rosemount). Finalists for Ms. Lacrosse are Sophie Buelow (Chanhassen), Sheila Hirsch, (Edina), Anna Johnson (Eden Prairie), Katie Larson (Apple Valley), Ali Ridge (Minnetonka), Anne Slusser (Blake) and Lydia Sutton (Blake).

Finalists for Mr. Goalie are Max Fehey (Eden Prairie) and Aaron Wiederhoeft (Prior Lake), while finalists for Ms. Goalie are Oralee Hespenheide (Bloomington Jefferson), and Maddie Kohlbeck (Farmington).

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