Prep Athletes of the Week: Brent Solomon adds thrill of victory to an emotional day for Champlin Park's boys hockey team

Brent Solomon

Champlin Park • hockey

Champlin Park hadn't beaten Andover in boys hockey since 2015 — until senior forward Brent Solomon netted an overtime winner to beat the No. 16 Huskies 3-2 on Thursday.

A Rebels captain and Wisconsin commit, Solomon has scored five goals and added four assists for the Rebels (4-0) this season.

"As a three-year varsity guy, [he's] the kind of the guy that we rely on that drives the bus," Champlin Park coach Tommy Potter said. "He's got a really good shot. He puts himself in a lot of good situations to be successful, both offensively and defensively."

The win was especially meaningful for the Rebels, who were honoring teammate Max Akerson with an "Orange Out" theme. Akerson, a 16-year-old Champlin Park goalie, died recently after a battle with liver cancer. "Play for Max" has been the theme of the Rebels' season.

Both teams' fans wore orange, and players laced up their skates with orange shoestrings. Akerson was announced as the Champlin Park's starting goalie, and a silent auction and raffle raised thousands of dollars toward cancer research and athletic scholarships.

"Our team had kind of gone through hell the last two weeks," Potter said. "To come out on top and play a big conference rival on a big night where both communities were able to kind of come together and support an individual player who lost his life — that meant a lot for a lot of our guys."

Nolan Groves

Orono • basketball

Groves, a senior guard, also helped his team win on an emotional night.

Groves, committed to Yale, scored 46 points to lead the Spartans to a 107-103 overtime victory over No. 2 Wayzata, erasing a 19-point halftime deficit. He also had 30 points in a 77-62 victory over the No. 1 team in North Dakota, Fargo Davies, on Saturday.

"Nolan is an outstanding athlete," coach Barry Wohler said. "He is a late bloomer who has grown from a 6-foot sophomore to a 6-5, 205 explosive athlete ... an outstanding leader, and a great competitor."

Morgan Mathiowetz

Sleepy Eye St. Mary's • basketball

The 5-6 sophomore guard has averaged 37.8 points in the Knights' first four wins, including 41 points against crosstown opponent Sleepy Eye last Tuesday.

She became a full-time starter for the Knights as an eighth-grader and is chasing a school record for career points (3,762) set by her older sister, Madison, who plays for South Dakota State.

"She can get to the rim and sees the floor really well and can hit the outside shot," coach Bruce Woitas said. "Morgan has a great love for the game of basketball and has put the time into it to make herself a top player and also makes our team a top team."

Desmond Ware

Armstrong • basketball

A senior, Ware scored 41 points in Armstrong's 67-65 loss to North St. Paul on Tuesday, then had 31 points and 10 assists in Thursday's 100-85 loss to St. Louis Park. The 5-11 guard is committed to Newberry College in South Carolina.

"Desmond has grown as a leader over the past few years, and it's showing as he is leading the team in a positive direction," coach Robert Ware said.

Alida Ahern

South St. Paul • hockey

The right winger netted a school-record six goals in the Packers' 6-3 win over White Bear Lake on Thursday. A senior captain, she already has 13 goals and 11 assists this season for South St. Paul (6-3). Ahern kicked for the Packers football team and also plays soccer and golf.

Jaxon Bartkowicz

Holdingford • wrestling

The junior wrestler, ranked third in Class 1A at 215 pounds, took his 125th career victory at the Deer River Quad on Thursday. He helped Holdingford, ranked third in 1A, win matchups against Deer River and Pequot Lakes-Pine River.

"Jaxon is an extremely competitive athlete," coach Logan Oellien said. "As a three-sport varsity athlete, he shows his athleticism in many different ways. He's the anchor of our team."

Ashna Ramlall

Rosemount • basketball

A ninth-grade guard, Ramlall is the leading scorer for the Irish (2-2), averaging 18.2 points per game. She dropped 22 in Rosemount's 74-16 win over Rochester Century last week.

Sisters Arshia and Amisha are sophomore twins, the latter committed to the Gophers. But to Ashna, who started every game as an eighth-grader, "age is just a number," coach Chris Orr said.

"Even though just a ninth-grader, she is someone we look to for leadership on and off the court," Orr said. "She's a three-level scorer with a very high ceiling and is never satisfied with where she's at."

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