Recent content from Jim Paulsen
All-Minnesota: Meet our picks for the state's best prep football players
From the Twin Cities to greater Minnesota, the Minnesota Star Tribune picks our top 25 football players in the state this year.
Talented running back is the Star Tribune's All-Minnesota Player of the Year
Kevon Johnson carried the ball 245 times for 2,143 yards this season, and his 35 rushing touchdowns tied for the most in the state.
Alexandria pours it on against Owatonna, advances to Class 5A Prep Bowl
Chase Thompson passed for five touchdowns and ran for another for the Cardinals, who will play a rematch against Elk River.
Dassel-Cokato makes last-minute push into Prep Bowl, where Stewartville awaits
A touchdown with 51 seconds left settled the first Class 3A semifinal. Stewartville receiver Parker Wangen, whose team won its 27th game in a row, settled the second.
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."
Maple Grove withstands Shakopee's challenge in Class 6A football semifinal
Chuck Langama scored a touchdown in every quarter, driving the undefeated Crimson into a Prep Bowl final vs. Minnetonka.
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.
Football: Totino-Grace defeats Orono, advances to meet Becker in 4A Prep Bowl
Kicker Jimmy McNeil makes a pair of 36-yard field goals, the last coming with 2:24 left in the game, to secure the win for Totino-Grace.
Mountain Iron-Buhl coach takes on accusations that he showed too little mercy
Dan Zubich about his team's regular-season blowouts: "How do you get 91 points? Well, when you never get tackled, you can get 91 points."
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.
![U.S. Bank Stadium - Exterior and construction images. ] US Bank Stadium - Vikings brian.peterson@startribune.com Minneapolis, MN - 06/30/2016](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/VD64MQFZSLRSXX7V62MLGPDJWM.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Hills-Beaver Creek, Fertile-Beltrami set up a perfect Nine-Player Prep Bowl
Hills-Beaver Creek, the less-noticed undefeated team in the first semifinal, knocked off powerful Mountain Iron-Buhl. Isaiah Wright scored seven touchdowns for Fertile-Beltrami against LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli.
Football: Becker beats Marshall 28-7 in Class 4A semifinals
Sawyer Brown both threw a touchdown pass and ran for a TD for Becker, which remains undefeated at 12-0.
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.
Here are the 10 finalists for Minnesota's Mr. Football award
On the eve of the state high school football semifinals, the Minnesota Football Coaches Association released the names of its 10 finalists for its postseason Mr. Football award, meant to recognize the coaches choice for the top senior football player in Minnesota.
Field goal moves Alexandria past Armstrong in Class 5A quarterfinals
Daniel Jackson, committed to the Gophers, nailed a 32-yard field goal with 3:01 left in the game, giving the Cardinals their first lead.
Alexandria, Marshall advance to play for Class 3A volleyball championship ... plus other semifinals results
Alexandria sank undefeated Delano in the semifinals. Mayer Lutheran won its 1A semifinal to head to its fourth consecutive state title game. In Class 2A, Hawley and Southwest Christian pulled off upsets.
Shakopee turns back Mounds View in Class 6A football quarterfinal
The Sabers let a chunky lead get away, then regained their footing with the support of a big defensive play and the running of T.J. Clark.
Maple Grove remains undefeated with an exclamation point, routing Edina 35-0 in Class 6A football quarterfinals
The Crimson, ranked first in Class 6A, got two passing touchdowns and one running from quarterback Kaden Harney.
Here are this weekend's best matchups in the Minnesota high school football quarterfinals
Head-to-head quarterback battles and sturdy defensive fronts against savvy rushing attacks highlight the playoff action happening Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Volleyball: Lakeville South, Champlin Park to meet in Class 4A final at Xcel Energy Center
Lakeville South and Champlin Park advanced in the state semifinals Thursday. The Cougars will make their first championship match appearance. The Rebels last reached the state tournament in 2018, which resulted in a state title.
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.
Maple Grove rolls against Eden Prairie in Class 6A playoffs
The Crimson regained the services of running back Charles Langama, who celebrated his return after four games away with two touchdowns.
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.
Football: 6A battle of Eden Prairie-Maple Grove isn't your run of the mill second round matchup
The Crimson, which earned the top seed in the 6A brackets, have a challenge in front of them when they host Eden Prairie, the No. 4 seed, Friday night.
Football: Lakeville South advances in 6A playoffs with win over Wayzata
Lakeville South got its Power-T offense cranked up and used a series of big plays to take control of the game. The Cougars scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, all on runs of 50 yards or longer.
Girls Tennis: Rochester Mayo's Loftus completes high school career with second state 2A title
Senior finishes season with a perfect 28-0 record. Also,Mounds View sisters Rory and Reese Wahlstrand win 2A doubles championship.
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.
The Minnesota Top 20, postseason edition: Now comes the real test for state's best football teams
As playoffs get underway, a look at the teams that can go far, and which have the toughest road ahead.
Girls tennis: Rochester Mayo wins second consecutive Class 2A team title
The Spartans finished the season a perfect 24-0 and are now 50-0 over the past two seasons.
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.
Rochester Mayo the clear favorite to win Class 2A girls tennis state tournament
Rochester Mayo's success is tied directly to its deep and talented roster, which includes senior Claire Loftus, the state's No. 1-ranked singles player and 2023 singles state champion, and her younger sister, sophomore Aoife, the state's No. 2-ranked singles player.
Minnesota high school football polls: Final regular-season rankings have Maple Grove, Moorhead atop 6A and 5A
Maple Grove, Moorhead, Becker, Stewartville finish season ranked No. 1 in respective classes in final high school football poll.
Maple Grove, Moorhead among No. 1 seeds in high school football playoffs
Tour the brackets revealed Friday and prepare for Classes 5A through Nine-Player to begin the postseason Tuesday and for Class 6A to start Friday.
No. 1 Maple Grove pushes past No. 3 Minnetonka, completes a perfect regular season
Three touchdown passes from Kaden Harney to Dylan Vokal helped the Crimson dig out of a 14-point first-half hole.
Elk River perseveres through second-half push, defeats Alexandria in high school football
Elk River scored 38 points in the first half, but Alexandria turned stern after that and made it a game.
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.
Minnesota high school football polls: Moorhead No. 1 in Class 5A following big win over Alexandria
Moorhead's 36-34 victory over Alexandria on Friday was a matchup between the top two teams in Class 5A. Moorhead's win catapulted the team into the top spot according to media voters.
Lossow returns to football sidelines at Minneapolis Roosevelt despite ongoing battle with Crohn's disease
Two years ago, Rodney Lossow lost 50 pounds because of the disease and had to step away from coaching at Minneapolis South. After an operation and continuing treatment, he's back where he belongs.
The Minnesota Top 20: Maple Grove remains No. 1 in high school football. Here's why.
Others have come and challenged for the top spot, but the Crimson — among Class 6A teams — have answered the bell each week and come out unscathed.
Forest Lake makes early TD hold up in high school football victory over Eagan
Forest Lake scored on its first possession and added three quarters of stern defense to defeat Eagan 7-0.
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.
State high school football polls: Eden Prairie moves back into the Class 6A top 10
With several teams still undefeated, though, there's little movement in the class-by-class rankings.
Minnesota Top 20: Clash of 5A titans in final Friday of regular season
No. 2 state-ranked Moorhead and its juggernaut offense averaging more than 50 points per game makes the 100 or so mile trip down Interstate 94 to play at No. 1 Alexandria and its wealth of athletic talent.
Totino-Grace stays unbeaten with 34-14 win over Minneapolis North
Minneapolis North turned the ball over five times, leading to 20 consecutive points by Totino-Grace.
Why there's extra sparkle on the Minnetonka football sidelines
Inclusion and "great opportunity" are at the heart of the Minnetonka Sparklers, a high school cheerleading program for girls with special needs.
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.
Who's No. 1? Lakeville North, Maple Grove, Minnetonka crowd top of 6A poll
Football polls: Alexandria and Moorhead lead 5A. North Branch enters 4A top 10 after defeating previously undefeated Duluth Denfeld.
Minnesota Top 20: 6A football is now a quagmire, while 5A teams inch closer to the crown
Jim Paulsen has been saying all season: Class 5A is the deepest in the state. That shows in new rankings, with six very good 5A teams holding down six spots starting at No. 6.
Minnetonka survives late scare to top Shakopee in battle of unbeatens
Minnetonka improved to 5-0 with a 21-13 victory Friday in a battle of unbeaten Class 6A powers before a homecoming crowd of 8,145.
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.
State high school football polls: Upset shuffles rankings in Class 5A
Minnesota writers voted to move undefeated Alexandria into the No. 1 spot in Class 5A in this week's class-by-class rankings, the most notable change heading into Week 5 of the regular season.
Minnesota Top 20: At Week 5, football rankings confirm there's plenty good teams, but few exceptional ones
Teams at the top of Classes 6A and 5A — classes that deservedly make up the majority of the Minnesota Top 20 — are not asserting themselves in the manner at which we've become accustomed.
Providence Academy spoils Mound Westonka's homecoming with 14-3 win
While the bigger, stronger Lions controlled the line of of scrimmage, their penchant for mistakes kept Mound Westonka's overflow homecoming crowd hopeful all game.
Meet six exceptional high school athletes who happen to be football players
One is a Division I-level point guard. One is a small-class sprint champion. All are easy to spot when their athletic ability shows on the football field.
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.
Class 6A high school football still up for grabs
In Minnesota's largest school classification, which includes undefeated Maple Grove, Lakeville North, Minnetonka and Shakopee, no team has stamped itself the favorite.
Two unanimous No. 1 teams emerge in the football state rankings
Stewartville in Class 3A and Minneota in Class 1A received all 12 first-place votes. Elk River, first in Class 5A, fell a vote short of perfect, and Nevis remained atop Nine-Player. New in the top spot this week: Lakeville North in 6A, Becker in 4A and Barnesville in 2A.
Contenders are plenty, clear choices few for top spots in Minnesota Top 20
Maple Grove, Lakeville North, Shakopee and Minnetonka remain undefeated among Class 6A teams and hold the first four positions this week.
Maple Grove overcomes defending Class 6A champion Centennial
Chuck Langama, who rushed for 104 yards, scored the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
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.
First class-by-class football rankings of the season are revealed
Edina leads 6A, and it's Elk River in 5A, Hutchinson in 4A, Stewartville in 3A, Caledonia in 2A, Minneota in 1A. Nevis and Mountain Iron-Buhl are tied for first in Nine-Player.
Edina notwithstanding, Maple Grove stands strong atop the Minnesota Top 20
The strength the Hornets showed in a big victory over Eden Prairie made them a tempting option for No. 1, but too much about the Crimson is too strong.
Minnetonka, powered by its shifty quarterback, rolls against Wayzata
QB Caleb Francois rushed for three touchdowns for the second game in a row, propelling the Skippers toward a victory over the Trojans.
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.
The Minnesota Top 20 football rankings come with an explanation
The assignment is to produce a state football ranking that crosses classes. Complicating that — or making it more intriguing? — is that it is very difficult for smaller schools to keep up in the numbers game.
Camden, formerly Patrick Henry High, shines in first game with new name
Patriots senior quarterback Jadis Hartman was responsible for three touchdowns in a victory over Richfield.
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.
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.
Introducing the Minnesota Top 20, statewide, all classes and brand new
The list of the best high school football teams in the state will be updated weekly by Star Tribune reporter Jim Paulsen.
Meet the Dream Team, the state's best prep football players
The Minnesota Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen produced his annual list, complete with college plans and this time including players from outside the Twin Cities.
Biles, Lee lead deep group of gymnasts at U.S. Olympic trials
The five-member U.S. Olympic team in women's gymnastics will be announced Sunday night in Minneapolis. One leading contender for the team suffered an injury Wednesday in training.
The Boys Team of the Year features heavy hitting and no hype
Centennial won the Class 6A state championship, opening up the offense just a little but mostly sticking to the blue-collar behavior that suits coach Mike Diggins.
From August into March, Male Athlete of the Year is unstoppable
Maxwell Woods led Chanhassen to a football state championship as a running back and defensive back and wasn't far from averaging a triple-double in basketball.
