Recent content from David La Vaque
Boys Hockey: Eden Prairie rockets into top 10 in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
An undefeated St. Thomas Academy team remains the No. 1-ranked team in Minnesota per David La Vaque. No other teams fell or improved by more than a few spots in this week's rankings.
Girls Hockey: Centennial/Spring Lake Park remains No. 1 in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
Maple Grove jumps from No. 14 last week into the top-10 via a respectable one-goal loss to top-ranked Centennial/Spring Lake Park.
Boys Hockey: New coach has St. Thomas Academy at No. 1 in Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25
Also, Rosemount enters the Top 25 rankings at No. 10 with a fast start this season at 7-0.
Girls Hockey: Centennial/Spring Lake Park takes over No. 1 spot in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
Dodge County, a Class 1A team loaded with returning talent, moves into the top five.
All-Minnesota Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year: Roseville's Robert Mechura
The two-time state champion hasn't lost a Minnesota high school race in more than two years as he heads to North Carolina for college.
Forest Lake's Hushagen doubles up: She's again the Star Tribune's Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year
Others suggested she would slow down, but she never did, repeating as the Class 3A individual champion
Watch Moorhead and Maple Grove girls hockey teams in a Twin Cities vs. greater Minnesota matchup
A stream of the game, pitting a pair of state tournament contenders, will be available at startribune.com at 7 p.m. Friday.
Meet the Dream Team: The best boys hockey players in Minnesota
The Minnesota Star Tribune's David La Vaque produced his annual list, reaching beyond the Twin Cities for the players this time and including their college plans.
Boys hockey: Champ Edina lands at the top of the first Minnesota Top 25
Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque ranks the best teams in Minnesota, finding representatives from all over the state.
Meet our Dream Team: The state's best girls hockey players
Talent runs deep in Minnesota girls hockey. The Star Tribune's David La Vaque picks the dozen best players and puts them all on the same roster for a day.
Girls hockey: Defending 2A champ Edina starts season No. 1 in Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25
The list of the best high school teams in the state will be updated weekly by Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque.
Now Minnesota's winningest boys hockey coach, Randolph focuses on getting Northern Lakes to the 'X'
Building with tools from his past, he looks to take a co-op program involving several schools to new heights.
Meet the Star Tribune's All-Prep Bowl Team
A list of the standout players across all classifications competing in the high school football championship games at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Stewartville repeats as Class 3A state champs with win over Dassel-Cokato
The win also gave Stewartville a second consecutive perfect season, and the program's 28th consecutive victory.
Jackson County Central beats Staples-Motley, 42-26, for Class 2A state championship
Powered by quarterback Grant Freking, Jackson Country Central earned its first Prep Bowl title since 2001, when the program won the 3A championship.
Prep Bowl predictions: Our picks for the winner of each football championship at U.S. Bank Stadium
Star Tribune prep writers David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen offer their predictions for the high school football championship games this weekend.
Coach trades football spotlight at Maple Grove to join ensemble cast at Minnetonka
Matt Lombardi will lead the Skippers' defense in the Class 6A Prep Bowl against the Crimson he used to coach.
Dassel-Cokato 300-pounder lives a lineman's dream: He's a fullback now
Coaches rescued Lars Salmen from a lifetime on the offensive line. "He even caught a touchdown pass this season," his dad said. "He loves it."
Springfield, Minneota will meet again in Class 1A Prep Bowl
A 7-yard rushing touchdown by Springfield running back Gavin Vanderwerf with 1:49 left in the game sealed a win over Mahnomen/Waubun. Minneota rolled over Parkers Prairie 45-0.
Kimball Area savors a trip to state three decades in the making
"Wouldn't it be cool to get to this spot?" coach Clay Anderson had asked from the U.S. Bank Stadium stands in 2023. The 2024 answer from senior Owen Mortenson: "It was just huge for us."
Football prognosticators ponder five final semifinals
Saturday's games will set all the pairings for next week's Prep Bowl.
Elk River drops defending champ Chanhassen in Class 5A semifinal
The Elks completed a set: They ended the Storm's season with a loss and began it that way.
Minnetonka rolls past Anoka and into the Class 6A football Prep Bowl
Quarterback Caleb Francois rushed for 283 yards and scored five touchdowns, overcoming the three-touchdown passing of Anoka's Peyton Podany.
Five more semifinals present a handful of challenge for football prognosticators
The indoor portion of the prep postseason continues at U.S. Bank Stadium with games spread over four classes, closing with the Class 6A clash of Shakopee and Maple Grove.
Best vs. Best: Most intriguing individual matchups at the high school football state semis
Many of Minnesota's best high school football players will go head-to-head this week in the state semifinals.
Prognosticators make their guesses as playoffs settle into U.S. Bank Stadium
Four games from three classes open the indoor portion of the high school football postseason, closing with the Class 6A clash of Minnetonka and Anoka.
Football predictions: Three quarterfinal matchups in Class 6A and two in Class 5A challenge our pickers
See who reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen pick as winners in these clashes: Edina-Maple Grove, Alexandria-Armstrong, Minnetonka-Blaine, Mounds View-Shakopee and Chanhassen-St. Thomas Academy.
Two Class 3A cross-country champions repeat their success
Forest Lake's Norah Hushagen and Roseville's Robert Mechura won again, and St. Paul Highland Park's girls team had the top two finishers in winning the Class 2A team title.
Providence Academy defeats Southwest Christian for Class 1A girls soccer state title
Each team had a known force, Maddyn Greenway for Providence Academy and Saraphina Bettin for Southwest Christian, but freshman Blake Hudson provided the only goal.
Girls soccer: Mahtomedi blanks Holy Angels to take Class 2A championship
Seniors Cecilia Emery and Aynslea Ulschmid scored for the Zephyrs, a team motivated by bitter memories.
Girls Soccer: Wayzata tops Edina to win 3A state title
Wayzata senior Tenley Senden scores two goals while defense kicks away flurries of Edina chances in second half to keep Hornets to one goal.
Football predictions: Who will win highly-anticipated Alexandria-Moorhead rematch for 5A section championship?
High school sports writers David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen also pick winners for Eden Prairie at Maple Grove, Edina at Eagan and Andover at Elk River playoff football games.
Boys Soccer: Sondag's overtime goal sends Eagan to 3A title game against Maple Grove
Eagan became the first team to beat undefeated and top-seeded Minneapolis Washburn this year, defeating the Millers 1-0 in the semifinals. Maple Grove beat Andover, 3-1, to complete the matchup for Friday's state championship.
Girls soccer: Wayzata, Edina among teams advancing to state championship game
The Trojans defeated Eagan 5-0 and Edina beat East Ridge 3-1 in the Class 3A semifinals Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium to move on to Friday's title game. Holy Angels and Mahtomedi will meet in the 2A final; Southwest Christian and Providence Academy square off in the 1A championship game.
![“Their coach [Joe Bartos] started the conversation of going to running time for the second half,” Becker coach Dwight Lundeen said. “I was in fu](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/6D7D4PDHSJGFVEJFV3W2FTRBNY.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Becker routs Little Falls in 56-14 playoff 'mismatch'
Saturday's Class 4A, Section 8 football semifinal was essentially over at halftime, with Becker up by seven touchdowns.
Football: Preston Thielke leads Champlin Park over East Ridge in 6A playoff opener
Thielke finishes with three touchdowns, including a 77-yard touchdown run on the game's opening play.
Football predictions: Lakeville South ready to avenge previous loss to Wayzata in playoff rematch
Champlin Park-East Ridge, Rocori-Princeton and Rosemount-Blaine high school football matchups rise to the top of weekend playoff predictions.
Chaska overcomes Waconia in overtime in first round of football playoffs
Quinn Meyer kicked two field goals in the third quarter and an all-important point after in overtime for Chaska. Awaiting is defending Class 5A champ Chanhassen.
Football playoffs: Chaska-Waconia rematch, St. Paul schools showdown intrigue football predictors
Star Tribune reporters Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque pick the biggest matchups of the opening round of high school football playoffs beginning Tuesday.
Armstrong edges Andover 57-56 in two overtimes in clash of prep football powers
Armstrong's Kevon Johnson scored five touchdowns, including the one that tied the score in double overtime.
Could Maple Grove, Armstrong and Alexandria lose this week? Here are predictions for Week 8's top games
Coming off a loss to Moorhead in a matchup of the top ranked teams in Class 5A, Alexandria must face Elk River, another titan in 5A.
Edina rallies past Stillwater on Mason West's three TD passes to Jabari Strader
Kicker Landon Huber kept the Ponies in it with three field goals, but the Hornets' passing game clicked over and over and over.
Predictions feature clash of top QBs and a perfect greater Minnesota matchup
Edina's Mason West and Stillwater's Nick Kinsey, the top two quarterback prospects in Minnesota, will meet Thursday, a day before the top two teams in Class 5A match up.
'I'm not afraid': Twin Cities teen leaves fear on the sideline when it's time to play
South St. Paul four-sport athlete Alida Ahern uses sports as an outlet when anxiety emerges.
Rislove, Altavilla power Two Rivers football past Washburn
After Washburn took a 6-0 lead, Two Rivers running back Ramzi Rislove ran for a pair of short touchdowns, plays that sandwiched a defensive score.
Despite losing record, Eden Prairie still a danger to Minnetonka, predictors say
Becker at Rocori and Rogers at Elk River are two of the weekend's top high school football matchups.
Lakeville North remains unbeaten with win over Eagan
The Wildcats used an inspired performance and seemed poised to earn their first victory at North since 2006, but the Panthers regrouped Friday night in a 36-33 victory.
High school football predictions for Week 5 zero in on undefeated teams
St. Thomas Academy at Armstrong matchup splits predictions for Star Tribune reporters Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque.
Midseason Report: The most surprising high school football teams and players
Star Tribune sportswriters share which teams and players have had the most unexpected and surprising season so far.
Meet six puck chasers in Minnesota pondering college commitments
For Minnesota talent, playing for a college program right after high school isn't always the path taken. Most players stay in a juniors program until they age out at 20, or sooner, and then attend college.
Roseville's Mechura wins 38th annual Roy Griak Invitational
His winning time of 15 minutes and 35 seconds put him ahead of Minnetonka's Sean Fries by 17.4 seconds in the boys championship division race.
Holy Family, strong from the start, overwhelms St. Agnes in high school football
Holy Family scored three touchdowns in the first quarter, two by Griffin Murray, and ran its 2024 record to 4-0.
A Thursday game, a Duluth matchup and a Twin Cities clash entice football prognosticators
The Star Tribune's David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen have both missed only twice in a dozen tries at predicting high school football winners this season.
Predictions hit a high-level Thursday, a rivalry game, a greater Minnesota clash
The Minnesota Star Tribune reporters who try to pick winners are analyzing a Class 6A game Thursday and another Friday, and they're headed northwest for a third.
Edina knocks off Eden Prairie in Class 6A high school football showdown
Quarterback Mason West and receiver Meyer Swinney connected on four touchdown passes, and the Hornets repeated the success they had in the 2023 state tournament against the Eagles.
Eden Prairie-Edina football clash pits the prognosticators against each other
David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen have missed on a single prediction this season, but only one can be right about this week's big Class 6A game.
Mankato West, scoring in bursts, powers past Northfield
The Scarlets got touchdowns of 20, 40 and 60 yards from junior Trevor Sheldrup.
On prep football season's second day, conflict emerges
Reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen predicted three Friday results, and they came to one where they couldn't agree.
Lakeville North keeps Stillwater under control, wins football opener
The game was touted as a matchup of quarterbacks Riley Grossman of Lakeville North and Nick Kinsey of Stillwater, but the Ponies languished on offense.
Football reporters revive annual competition: Who can predict the most winners?
Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque aren't just guessing, and they'll share their expertise on gamedays as the season goes on.
Maple Grove running back returns to finish what he began
Charles Langama — his friends call him Chuck and only Chuck — went out with an ankle injury at crunch time last season. He's recovered and back for another run with a highly regarded team.
St. Anthony rolls to Zero Week football victory over Breck
Huskies quarterback Dylan Held ran for the initial touchdown of 2024 and then produced two more TDs, just in the first half.
Half dressed, fully committed: U-bound star talks loyalty as practice starts
Defensive lineman Howie Johnson said he expects more recruiting attention but will stand by his commitment to the Gophers.
On birthday, Hillman wins weather-shortened Women's State Open
Paige Hillman, of Hudson, Wis., edged two-time champion Betsy Kelly by one stroke Friday at Edinburgh USA in Brooklyn Park.
Fans of Twin Cities sprinter await his next Olympic moment with Liberia
Joseph Fahnbulleh lined up support in Minnesota when he was a high school state champion running for Hopkins.
Minnesota hockey influence heavy in Team USA's Hlinka Gretzky Cup plans
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament's games will be televised starting Monday.
USA Hockey mines Minnesota to stock roster for under-17 tournament
Six boys from the state made the team for the Five Nations competition, as did three from out of state who play at Shattuck-St. Mary's.
Perfection will do when it comes to picking a Girls Team of the Year
Undefeated Edina girls soccer team made certain it won the state championship that eluded it the last time the stars aligned that way.
Winning the mind game made boys track Metro Athlete of the Year a champ
Dwyne Smith Jr. of Apple Valley felt worn out as a sophomore, until a change in mindset made him a big senior success and a Gophers recruit.
Her fast friends form an enduring memory for Athlete of the Year
Claire Kohler of Minnetonka swept the girls hurdles races at state the past two years and anchored Minnetonka's record-breaking 4x400 relay, but she holds other moments at least as dear.
Benilde-St. Margaret's downs defending champ for boys lacrosse title
Benilde-St. Margaret's boys lacrosse won its third state championship game in four years behind seniors Gus Bell and Sky Rold.
What to watch for in the boys and girls state lacrosse championship games
Strengths that sent them to the finals are sure to get tested in Saturday matchups.
Twin brothers rocket Lakeville North into boys lacrosse state final
Carson and Blake Piscitiello made quick work of Stillwater in the boys state semifinal.
Apple Valley, Minnetonka track stars earn Minnesota coaches' awards
Dwyne Smith and Claire Kohler are boys and girls athletes of the year.
Owatonna's Jirele ekes out Class 3A girls golf championship
Amelia Morton, who finished second behind Carmen Jirele, won her second consecutive team title with Maple Grove.
