Recent content from David La Vaque
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.
Finding his groove pushes Edina golfer to 3A boys title
Feeling low after his Hornets missed the team tournament, Torger Ohe raises his play for individual title.
Meet the boys lacrosse All-Metro teams, the Twin Cities' best
The players come from all over the metro and will head all over the country for college.
Meet the girls lacrosse All-Metro teams, standouts by the dozen
The first-teamers are aimed at colleges that will take some east to the Atlantic, others west to the Rockies.
About the boys lacrosse Metro Player of the Year: He's back
Quinn Power of Lakeville North took the honor for the second year in a row, making improvements tangible and intangible in 2024.
The girls lacrosse Metro Player of the Year: Star among stars
Tori Tschida grew into an overpowering success and now is the leader of undefeated, loaded Lakeville South.
Seeding produces fresh challenge as lacrosse teams head to state
A pattern involving the top-seeded Benilde-St. Margaret's boys team ended. Lakeville South holds the top seed in the girls bracket.
Irondale athlete stands out in both track and field at state meet
On Day 3 of the championships, Juriad Hughes Jr. won two sprints against elite fields and took the long jump, too. Earlier, St. Peter's Corbin Herron drew cheers when he won a hurdles race, blew out a hamstring in a relay, then taped up and ran one more for pride.
Girls 3,200 record falls hard at track and field state championships
Hutchinson's Isabelle Schmitz finished just ahead of Monticello's Isabel Mahoney, and both broke the Class 2A mark.
Track and field athletes aim to summit the peak: state championships
Champions (see Tobias Williams of Minnetonka and Ashley Fisher of Holy Angels) await challengers (such as Dwyne Smith Jr. of Apple Valley and Brooke Hohenecker of Providence Academy).
DJ helps Aurora dance to 7-0 home opener win vs. RKC Third Coast
DJ D.I.M.E., a familiar presence for Minnesota sports fans, helped the crowd celebrate every goal in style.
Girls lacrosse team's growth shows in new top-10 ranking
Park of Cottage Grove replaced a big portion of its lineup but has gone 12-1 and landed the No. 9 spot.
Top spot in boys lacrosse changes hands, presenting a challenge
Benilde-St. Margaret's coach Giuseppe Palermo aims to keep his players from getting "caught up in our record and our ranking."
South metro program sweeps a tight set of adapted softball finals
Dakota United won by a run in each championship game, with a bottom-of-the-last score punctuating the day's success.
Suddenly, it's adapted softball tournament time. Meet the top teams.
The state championships arrived earlier than in previous years, a change recommended by the Minnesota Adapted Athletics Association.
PWHL Minnesota hopes to finish stunning turnaround in Game 5
After falling behind in the series 2-0 — without scoring a single goal in either game — Minnesota owned a seven-game losing streak and hadn't won in more than a month. The deciding game is tonight.
School prominent in girls lacrosse history is making its way back
A run of success has landed Eden Prairie the No. 4 ranking and provided coach Brooke Jones with "confirmation we're on the right track."
Undefeated boys lacrosse team ranked fifth clamors for respect
Farmington is 11-0 and has two prove-it moments ahead against defending champ Lakeville North and No. 1 Prior Lake.
Rooney, PWHL Minnesota outlast Toronto in two OTs in Game 4
Maddie Rooney, 'a calm, confident kid,' made 19 saves to win a goaltending duel and help send Minnesota to a 1-0 double-overtime victory over Toronto that forces a fifth and deciding playoff game.
Offense played with care leads to top ranking in boys lacrosse
"High-percentage shots are the North Star of our offense," coach Sam Kepner said of his undefeated Prior Lake team.
New No. 1 in girls lacrosse didn't take an easy route to the top
Lakeville South added two more well-regarded opponents to its schedule this season, but the Cougars are 6-0 and ranked first anyway.
PWHL Minnesota falls 4-0 at Toronto in franchise's first playoff game
Minnesota outshot Toronto 26-19 in Game 1 of the opening-round series, but Toronto prevailed 4-0 as its goaltender, Kristen Campbell, stopped all the shots she faced.
Randolph calls reasons for losing STA hockey job 'lame excuses'
Mike Randolph was let go by St. Thomas Academy after finishing last season tied for most wins by a Minnesota high school hockey coach. He vows to be coaching somewhere else next season.
Hamline Elite Meet, already in rare air, presents co-ed look for track
A mixed-gender relay, unavailable elsewhere in Minnesota, is back for the third time, and participation will be nearly tripled from where it started.
Lacrosse lists: 21 top players and the school that's No. 1 for boys and girls
Five players on our list play for the same high school, so it's no surprise that school has the top ranked teams for boys and girls.
Track and field 2024: Six athletes likely to jump farthest, finish fastest
Meet three girls and three boys, most with state titles in place and five committed to prominent colleges.
Talking Preps: New Maple Grove football coach fulfills a long-time dream
On the latest edition of the Talking Preps podcast, Adam Spurrell joins David La Vaque to discuss being named the third head coach in Maple Grove's nearly 30-year history.
USA Hockey leans on Minnesota to fortify under-17 roster
Eight from the state make up more than a third of the development program's squad. Two played for their high schools last season.
High school sports and NIL: Bigger things are ahead for younger stars
Name, image and likeness deals are already expanding beyond college sports. Some top metro boys basketball players are aligned with a barbershop. The top girls hockey player touts a fitness center. Another high school standout represents a chain of chicken restaurants.
Holy Family hires boys hockey coach from program on the rise
Zack Friedli, who was associate head coach as Chanhassen reached the Class 2A final, will take over the Fire.
Totino-Grace's 3A dominance leads to the opt-up question
Totino-Grace played a schedule almost entirely from 4A. Also Saturday, Cherry completed a rise from 0-22 to a state title, and Breck's Miles Newton channeled his dad.
Totino-Grace makes it three, winning another Class 3A state title
The Eagles surged away from Mankato East on the strength of senior Isaiah Johnson-Arigu's dunks and his 25 points.
Boys basketball championship games set in all four classes
Breck and Badgers-bound Daniel Freitag flew past Minnehaha Academy in Friday's first Class 2A semifinal. and will face Lake City Fertile-Beltrami and Cherry, led by Gophers-bound Isaac Asuma, advanced to Saturday's Class 1A championship.
Small-class semifinals at Williams Arena makes for a big day at The Barn
Breck entered the tournament missing one key intangible, but it hasn't held back the Mustangs — yet. Nevis coach Scott Kramer made a bold prediction for Cherry, which is treating its third state tournament appearance as a business trip.
It's all right here! Wednesday's boys basketball tournament news, notes.
Eagan pulled off the biggest surprise of the quarterfinals, dropping Class 4A second seed Park Center. Tap here for game results and more from the first day of play.
We call this fun: State boys basketball opens with a 12-game day
A Wayzata sophomore spiced an early 4A quarterfinal with his passing. The 3A teams also got going before lunch, and 2A schools will take over the night.
Rivals to battle it out for Class 4A title in girls basketball; 3A championship also set
The finals are solidified in the top two classes while the top four seeds in Class 1A advanced to the semifinals. Tap here for coverage on all of Thursday's games.
Iron Range family starred for one basketball team; next generation stars for another
Moments of March: The Lamppa family was the foundation of a small school that no longer exists. This year, the Lamppas were key to another school's state tournament run.
Big day for a first-time tournament team -- despite the final score
Moments of March: Roosevelt fans showed up in numbers for the Teddies' first state tournament game. Plus this from a coach with a unique angle: 'Caitlin [Clark] is good, but I still think Paige [Bueckers] is better.'
Girls basketball state quarterfinals: Wednesday's news and notes
The day began with top seeds Hopkins and Benilde-St. Margaret's rolling, and it wound down with Providence Academy's Maddyn Greenway scoring 49 points. Tap here for stories, tournament details and more from Minneapolis.
Chanhassen's 'season none of them will forget' will just have to do
The Storm achieved their dream of reaching the state tournament for the first time, and the run continued into the championship game before Edina stopped it.
Five reasons Edina became the boys hockey state champion
The program's 14th state championship featured, of course, a hot goalie, but it also came with a list of intangible reasons for success.
Chanhassen's Chase: A state tourney journey. Read the complete series
Our special report followed the Chanhassen Storm from their hopes at the beginning of the boys hockey season to fulfilling their dream of a berth in the Class 2A tournament with an upset in an unforgettable section final game.
The top seniors in boys hockey add to their stacks of honors
Minnetonka forward Hagen Burrows was declared Mr. Hockey, and Chanhassen goaltender Kam Hendrickson won the Frank Brimsek Award.
State Tourney Insiders: Sights and sounds from Championship Day
Edina became the Class 2A champion, St. Cloud Cathedral won in 1A, the attendance record fell, we took one more look at Lou Nanne and we heard dramatic talk from the winners and the others.
Gone green: Edina surges to its 14th boys hockey championship
Edina scored two third-period goals, ending Chanhassen's dream of winning a title in its first tournament trip.
Chanhassen awakens, sort of, to prep for the state championship game
Coaches admitted to sleepiness at morning skate but mixed it with determination, and supporters who showed up had a wearisome travel tale.
State Tourney Insiders: Sights and sounds from the hockey semifinals
Edina and Grand Rapids revived a rivalry late in the day, giving credence to the notion that Friday is always the hottest spot in state tournament week.
After close games set 1A final, drama is low for the 2A qualifiers
Chanhassen and Edina comfortably landed spots in the Class 2A final, and Hermantown and St. Cloud Cathedral both needed extra time to escape the 1A semifinals.
Getting ready for the semis, Storm wakes up with a skate
A small group — this small: two people with love for assistant coach Sam Sather — greeted Chanhassen at the Eagan Civic Center for a wake-up skate.
Grand Rapids' hero on goal with 1.6 seconds left: 'I just tucked it in'
Sophomore Nathan Garski sunk White Bear Lake and inserted himself into the history of the boys hockey state tournament with a short moment tall on importance.
Chanhassen devours lunch after feasting on Rochester Century/John Marshall
The Storm encountered more drama eating Chipotle in their St. Paul hotel than they did in their first state tournament game.
Last-second stunner by Grand Rapids caps 2A hockey quarterfinals
Edina and Chanhassen won easily while Cretin-Derham Hall won in double overtime and Grand Rapids on a goal with 1.6 seconds left.
