K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 09/21/23
MINOT, ND – The Class A Football poll is the same as last week, while there are changes in 9-Man. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota AP Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association.
Class A Football Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Last Week
1. Velva-Drake/Anamose-Garrison (14) 5-0 82 1
2. Kindred (4) 4-0 71 2
3. Dickinson Trinity 5-0 50 3
4. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich 5-0 40 4
5. Shiloh Christian 5-0 22 5
1. Velva-Drake/Anamose-Garrison (14) 5-0 82 1
2. Kindred (4) 4-0 71 2
3. Dickinson Trinity 5-0 50 3
4. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich 5-0 40 4
5. Shiloh Christian 5-0 22 5
Others receiving votes: Central Cass (4-1)
9-Man Football Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Last Week
1. New Salem-Almont (13) 5-0 81 1
2. Sargent County (4) 5-0 71 2
3. South Border (1) 5-0 45 4
4. New Rockford-Sheyenne-Maddock 4-0 40 3
5. Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn 5-0 22 5
1. New Salem-Almont (13) 5-0 81 1
2. Sargent County (4) 5-0 71 2
3. South Border (1) 5-0 45 4
4. New Rockford-Sheyenne-Maddock 4-0 40 3
5. Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn 5-0 22 5
Others receiving votes: North Prairie (4-1), Alexander (5-0)
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TWINS-REDS
CINCINNATI (AP) — Jorge Polanco capped a three-run ninth inning with a go-ahead single, helping the Minnesota Twins overcome Hunter Greene’s 14 strikeouts to beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 Wednesday. The Twins (81-72) had their magic number to clinch the AL Central trimmed to one game when Cleveland lost to Kansas City later in the day. Greene allowed one run — Castro’s second home run in two days in the seventh — and three hits with one walk over seven innings. Greene improved to 3-0 over his last five starts. Greene’s 14 strikeouts are the most by a Reds pitcher since Ron Villone piled up 16 on Sept. 29, 2000, at St. Louis. Jhoan Duran (3-6) allowed a walk with two strikeouts to get the win. Minnesota starter Bailey Ober allowed three hits and two runs with three walks and three strikeouts over five innings.
UP NEXT
RHP Pablo López (10-8, 3.58 ERA, 221 strikeouts) is the scheduled starter against an Angels’ pitcher to be announced in the opener of a six-game homestand Friday night.
RHP Pablo López (10-8, 3.58 ERA, 221 strikeouts) is the scheduled starter against an Angels’ pitcher to be announced in the opener of a six-game homestand Friday night.
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LYNX-SUN
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Alyssa Thomas tied a career-high with 28 points, DeWanna Bonner had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and the Connecticut Sun beat the Minnesota Lynx 90-75 on Wednesday night to advance to their fifth straight WNBA playoff semifinals. Connecticut will play the New York Liberty on Sunday in a best-of-five series. The Sun lost all four regular-season games with the Liberty this season. It was the second consecutive season that the Sun went on the road to win Game 3 of their first round playoff series. Tyasha Harris added 18 points off the bench for Connecticut. She made four of the Sun’s nine 3-pointers. Thomas also had 12 assists and six rebounds. Napheesa Collier led Minnesota with 31 points. Kayla McBride, who scored 28 points in Game 2 on Sunday, was held to 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Connecticut made eight of its first nine shots and scored 14 straight points to take a 20-6 lead. Minnesota was within 32-29 before Connecticut scored the next 11 points for a 14-point lead. The Sun made 11 of their last 13 shots of the first half, including Bonner’s baseline jumper just before the buzzer for a 49-34 lead. Bonner and Thomas scored or assisted on 40 of the Sun’s 49 first-half points. Bonner was 5 of 6 from the field in the first half for 14 points and Thomas also scored 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Bonner made two 3-pointers in the opening 3:05 of the third quarter for a 57-38 lead. Bonner became the third player in WNBA playoff history with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, joining Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker.
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VIKINGS-AKERS SIGNING
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The run-deficient Minnesota Vikings acquired running back Cam Akers in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday after the fourth-year player fell out of favor with the coaching staff and behind Kyren Williams on the depth chart. The Vikings sent a 2026 conditional sixth-round draft pick to the Rams for Akers and a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick in the deal, which was pending Akers passing a physical. Akers, who was the 52nd overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Florida State, tore his Achilles tendon during the 2021 preseason but recovered quickly enough to contribute in the playoffs during the Rams’ run to a Super Bowl title. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and quarterbacks coach Chris O’Hara were Rams assistants during Akers’ first two years there. Last season, Akers started slowly and clashed with the coaches. He was sent away from the team at midseason while the Rams tried to trade him. He returned after the deadline passed without a deal and ramped up his production, recording three straight 100-yard games to close out a dismal season for the then-reigning champions.
The Vikings released four-time Pro Bowl pick Dalvin Cook during the summer and turned their backfield over to Alexander Mattison, with second-year player Ty Chandler and recent pickup Myles Gaskin backing him up. Akers will have an opportunity to factor into that mix. O’Connell has stressed the need to have a more efficient rushing attack, even if the Vikings are built around Kirk Cousins passing to Justin Jefferson and company. The coaches spent the extra time after the loss last Thursday at Philadelphia revisiting their strategy around the running game.