The future of Gopher football was on the sidelines as well as the field Friday night when Minnesota finished spring practice with its annual intra-squad game.  Some players who are part of the 2008 recruiting class were at the Metrodome to watch the team they will join this summer.  Among them was home town linebacker Sam Maresh, rated a four star prospect by rivals.com.

On a night when the offense managed two touchdowns and the defense wasn’t too impressive either, it was evident why the Gophers were a 1-11 team last season.  And clear, too, was the need for help from a recruiting class that some evaluators think is among the 20 best in the country.

Maresh, the all-stater from Champlin Park High School, said he was told by Gopher coaches he has an opportunity to play as a freshman.  The look in his eye indicated to a stranger Friday night that he’s targeting a starting position.

Maresh told Sports Headliners he’s excited to be part of a “bunch of top recruits” who hopefully will help turn around a Gopher program that was winless in the Big Ten Conference last season.  Although there were rumors last fall that Maresh wouldn’t keep his verbal commitment with Minnesota, he said that wasn’t true.

His decision was influenced by the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.  He likes the idea of people approaching him, shaking his hand and saying they’re happy he stayed home to play with the Gophers.  “It’s a good feeling to have people come up to you and give you that recognition,” he said.

Another player on the sidelines before the game was defensive back Simoni Lawrence from Valley Forge Military Academy, a college prep school in Pennsylvania.  He will have three years of eligibility with the Gophers after playing two seasons at Valley Forge where he was twice the Seaboard Football Conference Player of the Year.

Lawrence said his three final college choices were Brigham Young, Pittsburgh and the Gophers.  Coach Tim Brewster helped sell him on Minnesota because of the opportunity for playing time.  Coming out of high school Lawrence said Penn State recruited him but not after he finished at Valley Forge.  The reason?  The storied Penn State program doesn’t like to recruit junior college players.

Counting junior college players and freshmen, the Gophers are expected to have several newcomers starting on defense next August.  These are players who weren’t enrolled in school Friday night but will be in the summer and ready to chase their dreams of making Minnesota a better football program.

Oakland made Darren McFadden of Arkansas the first running back chosen in Saturday’s NFL draft.  Before the draft last week former Vikings assistant coach Dean Dalton, who now analyzes the NFL in the media, said McFadden isn’t in the “same class” as the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson who was the first back selected in the 2007 draft.

Mike Max, host of WCCO TV’s “Life to the Max,” said the May 17 show will feature Sid Hartman, the 88-year-old Star Tribune columnist.  The story will include interviews with Bob Knight, Lou Holtz, Pete Carroll and Governor Tim Pawlenty.  “Life to the Max” can be seen on Ch. 4 Saturdays from 11 to 11:30 p.m.  Max has interviewed many celebrities on the show but wants to some day include Tiger Woods.  He said the show’s ratings vary from 3 to 4.5.

Sunday nights Max hosts the “The Sports Show” on WUCW TV, Ch. 23. The show’s regulars also include Patrick Reusse, Dark Star and Hartman.  Max said he’s working on changing the show’s time slot from the current 10:35 to 11:05 p.m.  Starting later this year he wants the show to air from to 9 to 9:30 p.m.

Courtney Boylan of Chaska and Jordan Taylor of Benilde-St. Margaret’s won the Miss and Mr. Basketball awards last night at a banquet that brought together the five girls and boys finalists.  Last year’s Mr. Basketball winner, Gopher Blake Hoffarber, spoke to the audience about the transition from high school to college basketball.  The Amazing Hondo, the well-known local magician who played basketball at Winona State, entertained the crowd.

Tim Larson, who was named Jostens president and CEO at age 34 earlier this year, is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and once worked in the Gopher sports information department.

The Minnesota Thunder, who will open the home schedule on Sunday night at James Griffin Stadium in St. Paul, expect to have an improved team with a mostly new roster.  It’s been a busy off-season for coach Amos Magee and general manager Djorn Bucholz.  Even last week the Thunder added two players, Brazilian forward Frederico Moojen and Colombian/Canadian defender Andres Arango.  Magee said Moojen “will score a lot of goals for our team this season.”  He expects Arango to be “one of the last pieces to a playoff puzzle.”

The Thunder haven’t been in the playoffs since 2004.  The team is 1-1 on the season, having lost the road opener to Portland, 2-1, but defeated Vancouver, 1-0.  Sunday’s game is against Rochester and begins at 5:05 p.m.

The Big Ten announced last week that Edina’s Whitney Taney, a freshman at Michigan, is one of its 11 players on the women’s all-conference tennis team as voted by the coaches.  The Gophers’ Lindsay Risebrough, daughter of Wild general manager Doug Risebrough, is one of 11 sportsmanship award winners representing each Big Ten school.

Interest in the Vikings increased with Wednesday’s announcement that Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen, the NFL’s sack leader last season, was joining the team.  The team had sold over 100 new season tickets as of yesterday afternoon, according to Vikings’ spokesmen.

The Vikings sent their first round and two third round choices to Kansas City for Allen, creating speculation yesterday whether Minnesota will try to add draft picks for this weekend’s NFL college draft.  The Vikings hold six picks currently, starting with the No. 47 choice in the second round.  They also have single picks in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds, with two choices in the sixth.

While it may not happen, the Vikings management team will certainly consider adding draft choices, perhaps trading a player or giving up a pick from next year.  “We’re gonna be flexible,” said Scott Studwell, director of college scouting.  “We would like to get some picks back if we could.”

Rick Spielman, vice president of player personnel, said he doesn’t “box out” possibilities that could improve the draft inventory.  Then he laughed after thinking about all the money owner Zygi Wilf has spent on free agents and also making Allen the richest defensive lineman in the league, explaining he would need “clearance” from ownership to pay a first round draft choice if the Vikings acquire one in the next 24 hours or so.

Head coach Brad Childress said there are “too many variables” for the Vikings to be targeting specific players with their existing six picks.  The Vikings, of course, hope to be pleasantly surprised when they draft, including at No. 47, hoping to find a player available who they rate worthy of being taken among the first 20 or 30 players.

Studwell said offensive tackles, cornerbacks, running backs and receivers are the deepest positions for talent in the 2008 draft.  The Vikings are potentially interested in players at any of those positions, but have the least need at running back.

A Vikings spokesman said yesterday there are still tickets remaining for the team’s Miller Lite Vikings Draft Party on Saturday.  By calling Ticketmaster before 9 p.m. tonight, tickets can be purchased for $15 each.  On Saturday tickets are on sale for $20 at the Winter Park Fieldhouse.