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Mr. Football Announcement Comes Sunday

Posted on December 8, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

Committee chair Rick Sutton said it was a challenge determining the winner of the 2011 Mr. Football award. The committee recently chose a winner from three finalists and the name will be announced on Sunday at the Mr. Football Banquet at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park.

A couple of weeks ago 10 candidates for the award were announced. “This was the most difficult year in coming up with 10 finalists. Then we struggled with the final three to pick the winner,” said Sutton who has been on the committee all eight years of the Mr. Football program.

The 10 finalists announced on November 20 were: Beau Bofferding, Marshall; Jonathan Harden, Cretin-Derham Hall, Trey Heid, Lakeville North; Andrew Larson, Eden Prairie; Andre McDonald, Hopkins; Nate Meyer, Rocori; Phillip Nelson, Mankato West; Jonah Pirsig, Blue Earth Area; Sam Sura, South St. Paul; Tyler Vaughan, Braham. All players had to be high school seniors.

Gophers fans have a particular interest in Nelson and Pirsig, the two candidates among the 10 listed above who verbally committed to play for Minnesota in 2012. The guess here is at least one of the two was among the final three candidates.

Nelson could be the Mr. Football winner. He’s considered by some prep observers to be the best Minnesota high school quarterback since Joe Mauer played for Cretin-Derham Hall 11 years ago. Nelson was also recently named the Minnesota Associated Press Football Player of the Year. At Mankato West he threw 94 career touchdown passes and rushed for 41.

Pirsig, 6-9, 300 pounds, played defensive end and offensive tackle for Blue Earth. He’s projected as a “road grader” type offensive tackle in college. Although he didn’t play against the strongest of high school competition, Pirsig drew interest from Minnesota and other major colleges.

The Mr. Football program is sponsored by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Vikings. Sutton is an association leader and Eagan High School football coach.

The printed banquet program includes quotes from the coaches of the 10 finalists. Here are some program quotes edited for brevity:

Mankato West coach Mark Esch on Nelson: “His combination of arm strength, quick release, size and speed make him the best quarterback I’ve ever coached. He is a leader and has a bright future at the next level playing for the Gophers.”

Blue Earth coach Randy Kuechenmeister on Pirsig: “Jonah is a physical player who moves exceptionally well for his size. He moves people and makes things happen up front.”

Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant on running back Andrew Larson: “We have never had a better player at Eden Prairie and this includes multiple Division I players and a few who played in the NFL.”

Hopkins coach John DenHartog on wide receiver Andre McDonald who has committed to Vanderbilt: “Andre’s skill set is something that doesn’t come along very often in high school football. He has a unique ability to be big, fast and very quick. Andre is a great competitor who refuses to be tackled and believes he is going to score every time he touches the ball.”

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Prep Star Jones Still Looking at Gophers

Posted on December 5, 2011December 29, 2011 by David Shama

There’s no truth to speculation Apple Valley point guard Tyus Jones is not “seriously” considering the Gophers as his college choice, according to his mother.

Debbie Jones told Sports Headliners she didn’t “know where people are getting their information” when discussing her son, a high school sophomore who national observers consider the best at his position in the country. “Oh, yeah, he is definitely considering Minnesota,” she said.

Programs that Jones is seriously looking at include Ohio State, Michigan State, Duke and Arizona, as well as Minnesota. Except for Duke all have offered scholarships.

About a month ago family members including Tyus and his mother were at Ohio State for a first out of town unofficial visit. Debbie said they met Buckeyes coach Thad Matta and attended an exhibition game.

She also said multiple factors will weigh on her son’s ultimate college choice and that staying home to attend school has appeal. While the Gophers haven’t been winning for years like Ohio State and others on his list, that won’t necessarily tip a decision to choose a school other than Minnesota, according to Debbie.

Her sister and brother-in-law, Darcy and Greg Cascaes, made the trip to Columbus. Debbie said family will influence the consideration of a college choice but ultimately the decision will be “what Tyus wants to do, no doubt.”

Apple Valley opens its season tomorrow night against Eden Prairie at home. Apple Valley hopes to be among the state’s best teams this season and in a prep jamboree last month beat defending Class 4A champion Hopkins. “Our kids played fabulous,” Debbie said.

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Notes Plus

Posted on November 15, 2011December 28, 2011 by David Shama

The average NBA player reportedly earned $5.15 million last season, but players and team owners can’t reach agreement on a new labor deal. When hall of famer Elgin Baylor played for the Minneapolis Lakers in the late 1950’s he was one of the top players in the league but earned $7,500, according to Minnesota native Ed Cohen who represented Baylor.

Michigan senior guard Courtney Boylan, who played for Chaska High School, is the women’s Big Ten player of the week after scoring a career high 21 points in a road win at Florida. The 5-7 Boylan tied a career single game high of seven rebounds.

Jay Pivec, the former head coach at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, takes his 2-0 Dakota Community and Technical College team to Rochester on Friday night. This is the initial season for DCTC basketball and the Blue Knights will play Rochester Community and Technical College, a team ranked No.2 in the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Division III poll.

The Twins are renting Target Field to country music stars Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw for a concert on Sunday, July 8. It will be the first concert in the two-year-old stadium’s history but certainly not the last. A source told Sports Headliners that smaller concerts using a portion of the stadium are possible next year and beyond. Look for full stadium concerts like the Chesney and McGraw show in possibly 2013 or further out.

The Minnesota State High School League pays a total of $50,000 for rental of the Metrodome for semifinals and finals games in soccer and football this month, according to Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission. The league also pays 10 percent admissions tax and event costs such as ushering.

Wild forwards Dany Heatley and Mikko Koivu and defenseman Marek Zidlicky have been named to the 2012 NHL All-Star ballot. Players appearing on the ballot were selected by the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department.

Author Jim Hoey has written a new book that will challenge anyone who likes Minnesota boys’ hockey tournament trivia. The book is titled Puck Heaven, and Hoey also authored Minnesota Twins Trivia.

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