Preps – Page 92 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Coughlin Gives Spielman Gopher Hints

Posted on October 2, 2015October 2, 2015 by David Shama

Carter Coughlin hasn’t given up on Eden Prairie High School football teammate J.D. Spielman changing his mind about playing for Nebraska. Coughlin has verbally committed to the Gophers and hasn’t been bashful about encouraging other high school prospects to follow him to Minnesota.

Coughlin committed to his home state school last winter, while Spielman announced for Nebraska this summer. The two Eden Prairie teenagers are captains and buddies. Coughlin told Sports Headliners he was disappointed to learn Spielman chose Nebraska over Minnesota but he understands and respects the decision.

Still, that doesn’t mean Coughlin has lost interest in seeing Spielman sign a National Letter of Intent with the Gophers next winter when high school players can make official commitments. “I make hints every now and then but for the most part I am not drilling him too hard,” Coughlin said.

Spielman likes how the slot receiver is used in the Nebraska offense, so that’s provided an opportunity for Coughlin to promote Minnesota and its slot specialist, KJ Maye. “Whenever I am at the Gopher games and KJ Maye makes a play I always take a video of what he did, or whatever, and say this is you out there, or something like that,” Coughlin said. “He chuckles, but that’s pretty much the most I do.”

Eden Prairie is 6-0 and considered the best prep football team in the state. Spielman has been an extraordinary game changer and headline-maker with long runs and touchdowns. He is a headache for defenses with his ability to run and elude tacklers on rushes, pass receptions, punts and kickoffs. Opposing offenses see plenty of Spielman too when he plays in the Eden Prairie secondary where he is a continual threat to intercept passes and run them back for touchdowns.

“J.D. has been making a ton of plays,” Coughlin said. “He’s got like the most incredible vision of any high school player I’ve ever seen. The way he can minupulate his body (is special). Before you even know what you’re going to do, he knows what you’re going to do. It’s pretty incredible.”

Coughlin and Spielman are two of the top college prospects in the Upper Midwest. Coughlin turned down Ohio State for Minnesota. He played defensive end for Eden Prairie last season but has been moved to linebacker, the position he will play at Minnesota. He is 6-foot-4 and his weight is up to about 220 with the goal of adding 10 more pounds before he becomes a Gopher. He has run close to 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. “I’ve kept my speed and I’ve just gotten bigger,” he said.

The Eagles have won 36 straight games and are targeting another 6A title. Coughlin believes this year’s team is better than last season’s champs. “We’ve been running over teams that we’ve been playing,” he said. “Maple Grove gave us a really good game, but to be honest with you we didn’t play very well. So the fact that we beat one of the top teams in the state when we had an off game just goes to show that if we’re playing at our full potential we can beat anybody in the state.”

Eden Prairie defeated Maple Grove by eight points early last month. It was the kind of close game the Eagles always seem to find a way to win under coach Mike Grant and his staff.

“It’s kind of our identity at Eden Prairie,” Coughlin said. “The coaches have created a culture that is unquestionably a winning culture. You look at coach Grant’s statistics (winning record) and he instills that in you right from freshman year. You go in your freshman year, and you’re expecting to beat everybody.”

Grant has a saying that you don’t have to be a great player, just make great plays. “He believes you don’t have to have a bunch of great players that are all going Division I, you just have to have a bunch of players that are going to play great,” Coughlin said.

With Coughlin and Spielman, Grant has players who are great talents who play that way.

Worth Noting

Gophers interim athletic director Beth Goetz told Sports Headliners the University of Minnesota Board of Regents will be presented the final design and plan details next week for the proposed $190 million athletic facilities project. “We feel good about where we are with that presentation and are hopeful we will get approval,” Goetz said.

Approval could come next Thursday as the regents gather for two days to review University matters. The project will include an Athletes Village to benefit the more than 700 Gopher athletes, and new practice facilities for the football and basketball teams. Goetz said groundbreaking details could be announced next week.

Although fundraising revenues aren’t in place to cover the entire project cost, the University is expected to finance remaining expenses. Look for a Sports Headliners feature next week profiling Goetz, who assumed her new responsibilities last summer replacing AD Norwood Teague.

Justin Jackson, Northwestern’s sophomore running back who the Gophers will see tomorrow in Evanston, is second among Big Ten Conference runners with 516 yards and is averaging 129 yards per game in four games. He has rushed for at least 100 yards in nine of his last 11 games. The Gophers recruited the Carol Stream, Illinois native. “If you don’t get him wrapped up, he’s going to bounce off of you, and you don’t want to give him any creases,” Gophers coach Jerry Kill said.

Craig James, who was steady and impressive returning punts for the Gophers last year as a freshman, has struggled with judgment and ball security in 2015. Receivers KJ Maye and Drew Wolitarsky have experience as Gophers punt returners and might be options if James is replaced tomorrow. Wolitarsky suffered a concussion last Saturday against Ohio but Kill said earlier this week the junior will be available in Evanston.

Despite marketing itself as “Chicago’s Big Ten team,” the Wildcats have difficulty attracting fans to home games at Ryan Field. The stadium’s capacity is 47,330, the smallest in the 14-member Big Ten Conference. The 4-0 and nationally ranked Wildcats have played three games at home this season, reporting attendance of 36,024 (Stanford), 29,131 (Eastern Illinois) and 30,107 (Ball State).

Tomorrow’s game against the 3-1 Gophers won’t come close to selling out. Minnesota, though, has sold out its first three home games for the first time since the 2009 season. That was the opening year at TCF Bank Stadium.

Northwestern is ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll and No. 17 in the Amway Coaches Poll. Gophers quarterback Mitch Leidner said his team can compete with anyone and deserves to be ranked. “We feel like we should be,” he said. “Being 3-1 and the schedule we played in the nonconference, we feel we should have that opportunity as well.”

The NCAA annually recognizes academic progress rates for teams that are in the top 10 percent of all teams in each sport. In May the NCAA recognized 79 percent of Northwestern’s teams in various sports, the best ranking of any FBS school. The Gophers ranked fifth nationally with 58 percent of their teams.

Adrian Peterson (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Despite gaining only 31 yards in the opening game, Adrian Peterson leads the NFL in rushing yards after three games with 291 yards. The Vikings play the Broncos on Sunday and Denver’s defense is No. 1 in the NFL. The Broncos rank No. 6 in the league against the rush, No. 1 versus the pass.

Minneapolis-born Ryan Harris has been a starter at offensive tackle for the Broncos in their first three games. Denver assistant coaches Fred Pagac (outside linebackers) and Joe Woods (defensive backs) are former Vikings assistants.

The Vikings have tickets available for their remaining six regular season home games including with the Packers on November 22. A team spokesman said the club has sold 86 percent of its seat license inventory and 90 percent of its suites in the new U.S. Bank Stadium.

The most attention given to MIAC football on Saturday will likely be the game between Bethel and Concordia, two teams with 3-1 overall records. The Royals are 2-0 in league games, while the Cobbers, who host the game, are 1-1. Concordia is giving up only 13.8 points per game, while Bethel is allowing 17.

Playmakers on offense include Bethel running back Marshall Klitzke and Cobber receiver Brandon Zylstra. Klitzke is second in the MIAC with 509 rushing yards and has five scores. Zylstra has 16 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Both teams have new quarterbacks this season. Bethel’s Trey Anderson has completed 71 percent of his passes, while throwing seven touchdown passes and no interceptions. Michael Herzog threw for 211 yards and a score last week in leading the Cobbers to 37 points in a win over St. Olaf.

If the Twins could sweep the Royals with wins tonight, Saturday and Sunday they would finish the season series with 10 victories and nine losses against the Central Division champs. Saturday’s game time was switched from an evening start to 12:05 p.m. at the request of Fox Sports.

With three games remaining in the season, the 83-76 Twins are a cinch to finish above .500 for the first time since 2010 when they were 94-68. The Twins were 5-2 on the last road trip that ended in Cleveland with a win last night. Minnesota finished 15-13 in September, the most wins in one month since April when the club was 20-7.

Former Twins Rod Carew and Jeff Reardon had 70^th and 60^th birthdays yesterday.

Prominent sports agent Ron Shapiro, who represents Twins first baseman Joe Mauer, spoke about negotiations recently to a group of Minnesota business and nonprofit leaders at the Metropolitan Club at Target Field. The event organizer was the National Mentoring Partnership, based in Boston and led by Shapiro’s son David.

The Lynx won both of their games during the regular season against the Indiana Fever. The teams open the WNBA Finals on Sunday at Target Center in the best three of five series. Sunday’s game will be televised by ABC, with the remaining games, including next Tuesday, on ESPN.

The Wild purchased 500 tickets for Sunday’s game to be made available complimentary to the first 250 fans requesting tickets on the Lynx website. The Wolves Tyus Jones and the Twins were involved with purchases for Western Conference semifinals games.

Joe Schmit, the KSTP TV sports anchor, said sales for his book have reached 13,000. Sudden Impact: Stories of Influence through Purpose, Persistence & Passion is now in its third printing.

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Vikings Coach Not Hyping Denver Altitude

Posted on September 28, 2015September 28, 2015 by David Shama

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer talked about Denver’s altitude, team identity, injuries and more at his news conference this afternoon at Winter Park.

The Vikings play the Broncos in Denver next Sunday. The Mile High City has an altitude of over 5,000 feet but Zimmer isn’t offering negative thoughts about oxygen to his players who will make a quick trip in and out of Denver. He said it’s scientifically proven that in a 24 hour period the altitude there isn’t problematic.

The Vikings’ challenge next Sunday will be to clarify their identity. After losing 20-3 to the 49ers in their opening game earlier this month, the Vikings have come home to play impressively in wins over the Lions and Chargers. Zimmer said the team he watched play poorly in California isn’t the club he saw in training camp and during the last two weeks. The Vikings he wants to continue seeing are a good football team, a physical and attacking group that yesterday punished the Chargers defensively and offensively.

“I do like the physical nature of our team the last couple of weeks,” Zimmer said. “Football has been around so long and it always comes down to a physical game at the end. I want us to continue that way. I hope that that is our identity going forward, but we’ll see. We’ve still got a long way to go.”

The Vikings need to prove they can play at a high performance level away from Minneapolis. Part of the test, too, is the Broncos appear to be the best team Minnesota has faced so far. The Broncos are 3-0, winning by six points at home against the Ravens and earning seven and 12 point victories on the road at Kansas City and Detroit. The Broncos defense has been outstanding versus both the run and pass. Legendary quarterback Peyton Manning and the offense have struggled. Still, most NFL authorities would put the Broncos on a short list of Super Bowl favorites.

The Vikings defense pounded Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers yesterday in a surprisingly easy Minnesota win, 31-14. The intense pressure and physical play of the front four literally had Rivers trying to catch his breath. That could be a bad omen for the 39-year-old Manning and his aging arm.

Zimmer praised his front four and has observed they like to please. “They’ve got a lot of pride amongst themselves,” Zimmer said.

Regarding injuries, Xavier Rhodes suffered a concussion yesterday but Zimmer said his starting cornerback is “feeling great today” and indicated he could play at Denver. Wide receiver Charles Johnson has injured ribs and Zimmer didn’t predict his availability.

Adrian Peterson gained 126 rushing yards yesterday, his second consecutive 100-plus yards game this season. Zimmer said Peterson put in extra work last week and expects additional efforts to follow.

“He looks good to me and I like what he brings to this football team, the mindset, the intensity, the viciousness that we have,” Zimmer said. “I think it carries over throughout the team.”

Worth Noting

It will be interesting to see ESPN.com’s NFL power rankings when they come out tomorrow. Last week the Chargers were ranked No. 13, three spots ahead of the Vikings. The Broncos were No. 5.

The Broncos sell their media guide to the public for $28. The publication is 696 pages and has so much information it’s more than one inch thick.

Mike Wallace (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Mike Wallace is in his seventh season in the NFL and was asked what factors cause a team to play poorly. “Chemistry, confidence and injuries,” the Vikings wide receiver said.

How does Wallace define chemistry? Whether players get along and are concerned about each other, he said.

Terence Newman, the Vikings 37-year-old cornerback, hasn’t decided how many more NFL seasons he will play. He emphasizes rest while at home and said that helps a lot with the physical demands of football.

Although there was speculation coach Jerry Kill would use true freshman quarterback Demry Croft for the first time against Ohio last Saturday, it didn’t happen. Redshirt junior Mitch Leidner played the entire game in Minnesota’s 24-21 win. Leidner has played all but a few snaps in Minnesota’s first four games as Croft, redshirt sophomore Chris Streveler and redshirt freshman Jacques Perra have watched from the sidelines.

All the quarterbacks on the roster have remaining eligibility and the Gophers have a verbal commitment from Lansing (Mich.) Catholic High School star Tony Poljan. Kill is believed to be high on Poljan’s potential but can’t talk about high school players because of NCAA recruiting policy.

Recruiting authority Ryan Burns praised Croft a year ago and likes the athletic 6-7, 230-pound Poljan just as much. He told Sports Headliners Michigan and Michigan State have quarterback commitments for their 2016 recruiting classes, and that helped create an opportunity for the Gophers who offered the dual-threat Poljan a scholarship awhile ago. Poljan also received Division I basketball offers.

Burns believes Poljan will be physically ready to play as a freshman, but the learning curve is a challenge for a first-year quarterback. “I really like what this kid could be,” said Burns who is publisher of Scout’s GopherDigest.com.

Frank Solich, the Ohio head coach, almost got the Minnesota job after the 1996 season, according to Mike Max. The WCCO TV sports anchor told his audience on Friday night Solich, then an assistant coach at Nebraska, was going to be hired at Minnesota until Kansas coach Glen Mason became available.

Congratulations to Rochester Lourdes head coach Mike Kesler on his 100th career win achieved Friday night in a 52-42 victory over La Crescent. His career record over 11 seasons (all at Lourdes) is 100-25.

The Timberwolves, who open training camp tomorrow at their new downtown practice facility, will have a free scrimmage open to the public on Monday, October 5 beginning at 7 p.m. Fans must reserve tickets in advance at Timberwolves.com.

NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, who has type 2 diabetes, speaks about his experiences at the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes EXPO on Saturday, October 10 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. His father and grandfather also had diabetes. Admission to the EXPO is free.

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A.P. Likely to Show Little Rust Tonight

Posted on September 14, 2015September 14, 2015 by David Shama

How sharp will Adrian Peterson be tonight when a national TV audience watches him make his return to the NFL?

Peterson will be a major storyline and is part of the reason ESPN chose the Vikings-49ers game in California as part of a Monday night TV doubleheader. The Vikings famous running back played in only one regular season game last year because of the incident involving his four-year-old son. He also didn’t participate in any of the team’s five preseason games this summer.

Darrell Thompson, the Rochester native and Gophers all-time leading career rusher, played five seasons in the NFL for the Packers. Thompson expects there will be some “rust” in Peterson’s play tonight but it will likely be subtle—things observers won’t even notice.

“Maybe miss a cut (running) that…he might see that we probably wouldn’t really notice,” Thompson said. “He’s always in great shape, so he will attack the line of scrimmage. He’s going to attack the tacklers. I think he’ll do fine.”

Thompson’s last season in the NFL was 1994 and he retired at age 28. He couldn’t pass a physical examination and his problems included arthritis. He had been through four demanding years with the Gophers and six more in Green Bay. “Ten years of pretty hard wear and tear on your body doesn’t leave you in very good shape,” he said.

Peterson is 30 and that number can be labeled old age for NFL running backs. But Peterson has shown remarkable conditioning and resiliency including his comeback season in 2012 when he rushed for 2,097 yards after offseason knee surgery.

Thompson said NFL players, including running backs, are taken care of better than when he played—another factor in Peterson’s favor as he enters his 30s. Those factors include less contact and running in practices, better rehabilitation resources, and improved nutrition.

“I would say he’s got a good three to maybe four, or even five years (left),” Thompson said about Peterson. “But probably a minimum of three.”

Peterson’s career-best season for rushing was in 2012 and six times he has gained over 1,200 yards since coming into the NFL with the Vikings in 2007. Thompson isn’t ruling out a 2,000 yard season but at a “minimum” expects 1,200 to 1,500 yards for Peterson.

“I like the way he plays. He plays hard,” Thompson said. “If you’re going to be successful, you’ve got to play hungry, with a little bit of a chip (on your shoulder). You would think someone told him he’s not a good running back. Every time he touches the ball he pretty much expects to score. …”

Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had to play his rookie season in 2014 without Peterson. He let it be known last week how excited he is to have Peterson back on the team. “Man, you can just feel his presence from the moment he walks into this (training) facility that he’s ready to play. He’s had an entire year off and we’re excited for him. We can’t wait to watch him running wild on Monday.”

Worth Noting

Thompson was among the celebrities participating in the annual Bruce Smith Golf Classic at Faribault Golf Club earlier this year. About 100 golfers helped generate a profit of $8,500 to benefit Faribault schools. Since 1990 almost $201,000 has been raised for the schools. The classic is named after Smith, the only Gophers football player ever to win the Heisman Trophy.

Levi’s Stadium, the site of tonight’s Vikings-49ers game, is in Santa Clara, a city about 45 miles from San Francisco. When the 49ers moved out of Candlestick Park in San Francisco after the 2013 season the club kept the name San Francisco 49ers even though there has probably never been an American professional sports franchise that has its permanent home so far away from the city it represents.

Vikings punter Jeff Locke is also the holder for placekicker Blair Walsh who struggled with accuracy during the preseason. Locke said during practice last week Walsh was perfect on a string of eight field goals. “Absolutely killing the ball right now,” Locke said on Thursday. “I think going forward we’re going to see the Blair we know and love.”

Locke said it’s vital to place the ball on the ground at just the right distance for a placekicker’s approach on a field goal attempt. “If I miss a spot by half an inch (placing the ball), I am pissed,” Locke said.

Everson Griffen remains friends with former Vikings defensive line teammate Jared Allen, now with the Bears. Griffen visited Allen during the offseason in Arizona and the two worked out in Scottsdale.

Allen is involved with the Lodge Sasquatch Kitchen in Fort Collins, Colorado. A part owner, he was on camera last Friday night during a “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” Food Channel segment promoting the popular restaurant.

Four Minnesotans are listed in the Rivals.com top 150 prep basketball players for the class of 2017—possibly a record number for the state. The rankings posted last Wednesday include No. 14 Gary Trent, Apple Valley; No. 110 Goanar Mar, DeLaSalle; No. 113 Theo John, Champlin Park; and No. 147 McKinley Wright, Champlin Park.

Dick Jonckowski begins his 30th season of Gophers basketball public address announcing this fall. In the history of Williams Arena only Jonckowski and the late Jules Perlt have been full-time public address announcers for Gophers games there. It wouldn’t be surprising if Jonckowski is honored by the Minnesota athletic department during a game next season.

Jonckowski, who will start his 28th season of public address work for the Gophers baseball team next year, has for many years emceed banquets while entertaining with his storytelling. Last month he was the public address announcer at the American Legion World Series in Shelby, North Carolina and he also worked the series banquet.

The Twins begin an 11-game homestand tonight against the Tigers, then play the Angels and Indians. The Twins are 42-26 at home and 32-42 on the road. After this homestand, the club has only one series at home before the schedule ends so the most immediate games ahead will determine a lot about Minnesota’s wild card chances.

Twins first baseman Joe Mauer has reached base in 33 consecutive games.

Saints owner Mike Veeck said during the regular season his franchise drew 405,000 fans and played to 113 percent capacity in CHS Field, the new downtown St. Paul ballpark. The Saints were eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday, losing 3-1 in a best of five games series with Sioux City. Veeck said this year’s team had the best chemistry of any Saints club he’s owned. “We’ve won with some clubs I didn’t like,” he told Sports Headliners.

Veeck described actor and comedian Bill Murray, another Saints owner, as “one of my best friends.” Veeck resides in Charleston, South Carolina and convinced Murray to live there too.

Canterbury Park’s racing season, the longest since 1992, ended on Saturday with an 11.3 percent gain in all-sources handle, the money wagered on Canterbury races both on track and out of state. The all-sources total, $41.13 million, was a record for the Shakopee facility. More than $14.1 million in purses was paid in 2015, an increase of 7.9 percent over 2014. The per-day purse average was a record $202,172. Average daily attendance increased 5.3 percent to 6,695.

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