Preps – Page 127 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Ex-Coach: Vikes Put Ego on ‘Shelf’

Posted on October 8, 2012October 8, 2012 by David Shama

Dean Dalton told Sports Headliners the Vikings, who have already won more games than all of last season, are a “team playing for each other.”

Minnesota, 4-1 and tied for first with the Bears in the NFC North, defeated the Titans 30-7 at Mall of America Field yesterday. During consecutive wins over the 49ers, Lions and Titans the Vikings avoided critical errors and giving up big plays, often playing effectively on offense, defense and special teams.

The Vikings are making use of their talent with consistent and steady play. Dalton, the former Vikings assistant coach, credited head coach Leslie Frazier with creating a “culture of success” with his leadership after confronting difficult past challenges including last season’s 3-13 record.

Dalton, who hosts a weekly NFL show on Sirius Satellite Radio, said the Vikings have come together as a team by leaving “the ego on the shelf.” He also said the Vikings could be a playoff club by season’s end.

Vikings center John Sullivan said after the game that Dalton’s evaluation about “team first” is true. Sullivan added that because Frazier is a former NFL player, the coach relates effectively to the Vikings.

“With a playing background, he really knows what he’s talking about in terms of addressing us from a player’s perspective,” Sullivan said. “I think he’s done an outstanding job. We’re 100 percent behind him.”

Worth Noting

Sullivan, talking about second-year quarterback Christian Ponder, who has thrown only two interceptions this season but six touchdown passes: “We have the utmost confidence in him. He’s our leader. He’s our quarterback. I think we’re going to do big things with him at the helm.”

Vikings receiver-runner Percy Harvin had a remarkable first quarter touchdown run of four yards where he combined speed, cutting ability and power. “I am blessed with a lot of ability. That’s my thing. I just try to get in open space, ever since I was younger. If I can get in open space, I feel like I can make things happen. It was a missed tackle by them.”

Harvin was asked what tacklers say who are almost faked out of their shoes: “A couple of them tell me to slow down, that they can’t catch up. I just look at them and laugh and say that’s my job.”

The Vikings’ only loss was in game No. 2 against the Colts. Vikings defensive end Jared Allen believes the defense is different now. “…Something clicked after that loss to the Colts. We were out of body and out of character for what we do but we’ve gotten back to that. A lot of credit goes to coach (Alan) Williams (defensive coordinator) because he was able to recognize that and listen to some of the vets, take ideas in, and hone in what we do.”

Danielle Kalil, sister of Vikings offensive rookie tackle Matt Kalil, sang the National Anthem before yesterday’s game.

Attendance at yesterday’s game was 57,652. Attendance for the Vikings’ first three regular season home games has yet to reach 60,000 at Mall of America Field (capacity about 64,000).

Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf said it’s likely the team will be playing the 2014 and 2015 seasons at TCF Bank Stadium while the new stadium is being built on the Mall of America Field site.

Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner, attended yesterday’s game and said the Vikings have expressed interest in hosting the Super Bowl in 2018, 2019 or 2020 but no decision has been made about the site for those years.

Tickets for tonight’s Manny’s Celebrity Waiters Night with Chad Greenway and Friends are sold out. The event benefits the Vikings linebacker’s Lead the Way Foundation, helping “critically and chronically ill” children in the metro area. www.chadgreenway.org

Gophers coach Jerry Kill, speaking on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle yesterday, was noncommittal on quarterback MarQueis Gray’s availability for next Saturday’s game with Northwestern. “Not saying he can’t be,” Kill said about Gray who has not played since September 15 because of an injured left ankle and knee. But Kill cautioned about Gray being ready for Northwestern based on what he saw from his former starting quarterback last week.

Here are Sports Headliners’ second Big Ten power rankings of the season: Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Northwestern, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana.

Don Lucia’s Gophers opened their season with a 7-0 exhibition win over Lethbridge Saturday night at Mariucci Arena. The college hockey season begins in the early days of fall and at Minnesota expectations are for the Gophers to be playing in the spring for another national championship.

Lucia, whose Gophers play Michigan State at home on Friday and Saturday night, has won two national titles at Minnesota. He said expectations have always been high at Minnesota during his era but social media has added to the environment.

The Gophers lost in a semi-finals Frozen Four game to Boston College last spring and anything less than an encore appearance in the finals will be a disappointment to many. The Gophers, returning six of their top seven scorers and all six starting defensemen from last season, are joined by Boston College at the top of the early season national rankings.

Lucia, 54, is starting his 14^th season as Gophers head coach. He had health problems a couple years back but told Sports Headliners he’s fine now. How much longer does he want to coach?

Lucia said a “few more” seasons and quipped he doesn’t plan to be another “Red Berenson,” the 72-year-old Michigan coach now beginning his 29^th season in Ann Arbor.

Wally Shaver starts his 20^th season of broadcasting Gophers hockey on the radio next Friday night, calling the game on 1500 ESPN. His father, legendary former North Stars broadcaster Al Shaver, is retired, living on Vancouver Island in his native Canada and turns 85 on October 25.

Various reports have Apple Valley High School junior point guard Tyus Jones visiting Duke’s Midnight Madness practice on Friday. Meanwhile the Gopher men’s and women’s teams will have their own version of Midnight Madness on Friday at Williams Arena with fans able to watch skills competitions like a dunk contest and team scrimmages. Admission is free and the arena opens at 7 p.m. A trip for two is being given away to watch the Gopher men in their late November basketball tournament in the Bahamas.

Fergus Falls High School football coach Richard Risbrudt now has 201 career wins. In 35 seasons as a head coach Risbrudt’s record is 201-144.

The new release “Trouble with the Curve,” starring Clint Eastwood, is one of the better baseball movies ever made, although not on the level of “Moneyball,” the story of Oakland baseball boss Billy Beane operating on a cheapskate budget running the A’s.

The new movie, “42,” about baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson, debuts next April but is already being promoted in theatres and a film trailer is on YouTube.

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Dalton: AP Still Special Player

Posted on October 1, 2012October 1, 2012 by David Shama

Adrian Peterson ran for 102 yards yesterday in the Vikings’ 20-13 win over the Lions, his best total in four games during his comeback ACL surgery. His longest run from scrimmage this season is only 20 yards but former Vikings running back coach Dean Dalton told Sports Headliners that Peterson “can be as good as ever, maybe even better.”

Peterson, 27, has rushed for over 1,200 yards in four different seasons. His reputation as one of the NFL’s elite runners is part of the reason why Dalton said last week Peterson’s numbers are mediocre so far in 2012. “Everybody (opposing defenses) is keying to stop him,” said Dalton who has an NFL show on Sirius Satellite Radio.

The other problem, at least before yesterday, is what Dalton terms “rust.” During his recovery program from the ACL surgery Peterson didn’t play in preseason games. His first football contact came in week one this season. As Dalton described it, many months had passed since Peterson “had to run over a guy.” Running through drills isn’t the same as a collision.

During the comeback Peterson has shown the ability to power into tacklers and cut by them. Does Peterson think the “rust” is gone and does he have the feel for playing the game the way he once did? “…I felt like (after game three) the rust is knocked off now and that’s what I needed, and I’ll be ready to roll even better,” Peterson said last week.

Peterson was pressed for confirmation on whether he feels like his old self. “Pretty much,” he said. “Pretty much.”

Dalton doesn’t see any physical limitations in Peterson after his long rehab. “I think he’s fine. He will keep getting better.”

Peterson reportedly earns a base salary of $8 million this season and is among the better paid players in the NFL. Dalton said Peterson is worth the money, describing the All-Pro running back as a threat defensive coordinators have to scheme against, and that attention should help make for a more productive Vikings’ passing game.

“Very, very valuable,”Dalton said. “He remains the face of the franchise. He puts fear in opponents. He’s nearly impossible to stop in the red zone. I see him getting back to form sooner rather than later.”

Worth Noting

The Vikings’ Marcus Sherels gave himself a 25^th birthday present yesterday, returning a 77-yard punt for a touchdown against the Lions.

Vikings’ tight end Kyle Rudolph has caught three of quarterback Christian Ponder’s four touchdown passes this season. Both are second-year NFL players who have bonded. The two spent a month in Florida this year working out together and socializing. “I think that really helped us,” Rudolph said.

Don Becker, who works for the Wilf family on real estate projects out east, will have major responsibilities for the Vikings’ stadium project.

The Gophers (4-1) struggled on Saturday to stop Iowa running back Mark Weisman in the first half when the Hawkeyes built a 24-0 lead before winning 31-13. Minnesota didn’t face a power running team in its first four games of the season, playing schools that emphasized throwing the ball.

Coach Jerry Kill said on WCCO Radio’s “Sports Huddle” yesterday that he wouldn’t predict whether quarterback MarQueis Gray’s high ankle sprain will allow him to play on October 13 against Northwestern. The Gophers have a bye on their schedule this Saturday.

Terry Ryan, the Twins’ general manager, also was on the “Sports Huddle” and indicated there could be a change(s) coming soon with manager Ron Gardenhire’s coaching staff.

Miguel Sano, 19, led the Midwest League in home runs with 28 and RBI, 100. He’s probably the most anticipated hitting prospect in the Twins’ organization. Twins’ minor league executive Jim Rantz told Sports Headliners that Sano could be in spring training with the Twins next February. Will Sano make the final roster and start the season in the major leagues?

“I think that would be a little too much at this time for him,” Rantz said. “I don’t see that happening, but never say never.”

Sano, a third baseman, hit about .300 early in the season at Beloit but finished with a .258 average. Rantz said pitchers threw Sano a lot of breaking balls and “off-speed stuff.” But Rantz believes Sano can become a .270 or better hitter in the majors. “I think that’s a possibility. Sure do.”

Gophers’ baseball coach John Anderson is an advocate for northern schools—like those in the Big Ten—switching to a summer schedule that would start in June and close with playoffs in August. Moving away from the unpredictable northern weather in the spring and playing in the summer would turn Gophers baseball into a revenue producing sport, Anderson said. A larger budget would even allow teams like the Gophers to use wooden bats.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien, who chairs the Mr. Basketball program, told Sports Headliners that Apple Valley is his preseason choice for No. 1 team in the state.

Lien said Apple Valley, led by point guard Tyus Jones, will play Robbinsdale Cooper, led by shooting guard Rashad Vaughn, in the Timberwolves Shootout in January at Target Center. Jones, Vaughn and DeLaSalle’s Reid Travis are part of a nationally recruited threesome that could be the best in Minnesota prep history. “Vaughn might be the only one who ends up with the Gophers,” Lien said.

Lien also said that Edina senior point guard Graham Woodward was scheduled to visit Penn State last weekend. Senior forward Kyle Washington, who played for Benilde-St. Margaret’s in 2010-11 but now goes to school in New Hampshire, has verbally committed to North Carolina State after Wisconsin showed a lot of interest. Grand Rapids sophomore center Alex Illikainen is being recruited by Kansas, according to Lien.

The Gophers’ first two games in the late November Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament will be intriguing. Minnesota plays Duke and legendary coach Mike Krzyzeski in the opening game. Then the Gophers will either play Virginia Commonwealth or Memphis. New Gophers’ athletic director Norwood Teague is from VCU and Shaka Smart, who Teague hired as coach at VCU, might one day be a candidate for the Minnesota job. Jimmy Williams, who has been involved for years in a lawsuit against the University of Minnesota, is an assistant coach at Memphis.

Don’t be surprised if the Gophers upset favored Duke in Minnesota’s opening game.

Former Gophers’ coach Jim Dutcher said Ray Williams, who played for him at Minnesota and had an NBA career, has recovered from colon cancer and is living in Florida.

The Wild’s Dany Heatley is profiled as part of the “Becoming Wild: Chapter Two” series starting at 7 p.m. Thursday on FOX Sports North. A similar feature on Mikko Koivu airs starting at 6:30 p.m. on October 11. The series began with other Wild players last month and features details of their daily lives. Episodes can be viewed at www.wild.com.

Comments Welcome

U QB Future May Change Now

Posted on September 17, 2012September 17, 2012 by David Shama

MarQueis Gray’s high ankle sprain has potentially changed quarterback plans for the Gophers. With Gray out indefinitely, sophomore Max Shortell will be the starter and freshman Philip Nelson, who was highly probable for a redshirt season, is the No. 2 quarterback.

If Shortell becomes injured or sick, then Nelson is the next man up on the limited quarterback roster. Nelson has been the No. 3 quarterback behind Gray and ahead of fellow freshman Mitch Leidner who has been seeing scout team duties in practice. Redshirt freshman Dexter Foreman is another reserve quarterback.

Nelson is a high potential player but one obviously without college experience. Prep recruiting authority Tom Lemming rated Nelson the No. 2 pro-style high school quarterback prospect in the country last year. Nelson’s potential in throwing and running the ball is a good fit in Minnesota’s balanced offense.

But the hope by the Gophers coaches is Nelson won’t have to see game action because once he’s on the field his redshirt eligibility disappears. A redshirt season for Nelson in 2012 means he’s still a freshman in football eligibility next season, while Shortell is a junior. That sets up a possible scenario where Shortell could be the starter for two seasons as a junior and senior while Nelson will have two remaining years of eligibility after Shortell completes his career at Minnesota.

The 6-6, 237-pound Shortell has a lumbering running style that makes him a big target for tacklers and potential injury. He would be well advised to slide at the end of runs whenever possible, avoiding the kind of near head-on collision he escaped from last Saturday against Western Michigan.

Gray’s skill set begins with his running, while Shortell’s starts with passing. For that reason the Gophers coaches will make changes to the offense with Shortell as the starter and he won’t be asked to run with the ball nearly as many plays as offered to Gray. That will help limit Shortell’s exposure to injury.

Notes:

Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit praised Shortell who replaced the injured Gray in the first half with the Gophers leading 10-7 on Saturday. He said Shortell, who threw three touchdown passes including two in the first half, was “probably the difference” in the game’s outcome.

“Your whole game plan changes,” Cubit said of the switch in quarterbacks. “Now all of a sudden—no offense to Gray—you have a guy that can throw it around a little bit more. He came in at a time Minnesota was struggling, and he was able to give them a much needed boost.”

Junior Gophers’ defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman didn’t have a sack in the 28-23 win over Western Michigan, leaving his total for the season at three after being double and triple teamed by the Broncos. Was he frustrated by all the extra attention from blockers?

“It’s just part of football,” Hageman said. “I get mad. I just use that for fuel. …”

Sophomore Gophers’ running back Donnell Kirkwood ran for a single game career high of 120 yards. He credited his resolve to be more of a physical runner for the success after having 71 yards in the previous game against New Hampshire. “I think I kind of got away from that last week, trying to make the big play,” Kirkwood said.

Junior Minnesota wide receiver A.J. Barker, who caught three touchdown passes yesterday, isn’t on scholarship but look for that to change, according to what Gophers coach Jerry Kill said on WCCO Radio yesterday.

The 3-0 Gophers play 1-2 Syracuse in a 7 p.m. game Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. The game is being billed as “Fill Our House” by the Minnesota Athletic Department and $10 tickets are available to the public. Those tickets can be purchased now via www.mygophersports.com or by calling 612-624-8080.

Jason LaFrenz, Gophers’ associate athletics director, said the season tickets total for students is 4,000. Last year it was 5,600.

There’s no accusing suspended wide receiver Jerome Simpson of not being optimistic about the Vikings. Asked last Thursday what he thinks his team is capable of this season, he said: “Super Bowl. I really do because we have so many championship people at positions. … We got a great quarterback, Christian (Ponder). We’ve got so much talent on this team. Anything short of a Super Bowl is lost in my book.”

The Vikings looked more like a team headed for a repeat of last year’s 3-13 record yesterday in a 23-20 loss to the mediocre Colts in Indianapolis. Mistakes, including three personal foul penalties in the third quarter, hurt the Vikings on both offense and defense. Despite playing against a Colts offensive line that has been shuffled with personnel changes, and a rookie Indianapolis quarterback in Andrew Luck, the Vikings couldn’t make enough big plays to win.

The Vikings continue to rotate defensive linemen in and out, much more than in past seasons. KFAN radio analyst Pete Bercich reported during the first half that starting tackle Kevin Williams was so upset he threw his helmet on the sidelines.

The Vikings will pull off one of the NFL’s biggest upsets of the season next Sunday at Mall of America Field if they can defeat the 2-0 49ers, a Super Bowl favorite and perhaps the league’s best club. The two teams met in the preseason and even then the 49ers looked superior, easily winning 17-6.

Mike Tice had to handle tempermental Randy Moss when Tice was head coach of the Vikings. Now Tice is offensive coordinator of the Bears and has an emotional quarterback in Jay Cutler who wasn’t happy with the play of some teammates in last Thursday’s 23-10 loss to the Packers. The Bears played poorly at times in that game, showing a leaky offensive line and receivers who under performed.

St. Paul native and NBA referee Ken Mauer is supportive of the NFL officials who aren’t working so far this season because of a lockout. Mauer said those officials are being told to take fewer benefits, and he “would fight for any worker in this country that was going through something like that.”

“I am for them,” Mauer told Sports Headliners. “I am proud of what they are doing. I applaud them. “

It’s popular to criticize the replacement officials but they have a difficult assignment. Those officials are working NFL games for the first time and their performances are in the national spotlight.

Mike Markuson, the former Hamline University and Farmington High assistant, who was fired as Wisconsin’s offensive line coach after two games last week, was replaced on the Badgers staff by 27-year-old Bart Miller. Miller was promoted to interim offensive line coach from his position as a graduate assistant. The Badgers rushed for only 173 yards in a 16-14 win over Utah State last Saturday.

The guess here is Rashad Vaughn, the Cooper junior guard and one of the nation’s best prep basketball prospects in the class of 2014, will keep the Gophers near the top of his list college lists.

Prep basketball authority Ken Lien emailed that representatives from Louisville, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin will be in town recruiting Vaughn this week.

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