MINOT, ND – Only a slight change to this weeks Class 11B and Class 9B football polls. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

 

 

Team (First Place Votes)                Record    Points    Last Week
1. Kindred (17)                                    6-0          85          1
2. Dickinson Trinity                             6-0          59          2
3. Velva-Garrison-Drake/Anamoose   6-0         46          3
4. Bottineau                                         6-0         28          4
5. Thompson                                       6-0         16         RV

 

Others receiving votes: Oakes (5-1), Hillboro-Central Valley (5-1), Shiloh Christian (5-1)

 

 

Team (First Place Votes)              Record    Points    Last Week
1. LaMoure-Litchville-Marion (17)    6-0           85         1
2. New Salem-Almont                     6-0           50          2
3. Cavalier                                       6-0           41          3
4. MayPort-C-G                               5-1           34          4
5. North Prairie                                6-0           28          5

 

Others receiving votes: South Border (5-1), Divide County (6-0)

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MINOT, ND – Today is the first day of the West Region boys’ tennis tournament here in Minot. It’s the team dual tournament and four teams will advance to next week’s state team dual event. Minot High is the top seed and defending region tournament champion. The individual tournament will be Friday and Saturday. The top eight placewinners in singles and doubles will qualify for state.

High School Boys Tennis

 

First Round – 10 am
#1 Minot High, bye
#2 Bismarck Legacy vs #7 Jamestown
#3 Bismarck Century vs #6 Bismarck High
#4 Mandan vs #5 Williston

 

Loser Out and Semifinal – 1 pm
State Qualifiers and Championship – 4 pm

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TWINS-WHITE SOX

 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Matt Wallner’s late-season call-up to his home state team has been a September for the 24-year-old to remember, even if the Minnesota Twins have fallen out of contention. Wallner drove in a career-high three runs, and Gio Urshela and Jake Cave each had three hits as the Twins beat Chicago 7-4 on Wednesday night, sending the White Sox to their eighth straight loss. Jose Miranda added an RBI double for the Twins, who tied the White Sox for second place in the AL Central at 76-79 after spending the last 19 days in third. Cleveland blew by both of them over the last three weeks to clinch the division with 10 days left on the schedule. After an RBI single by Cave put the Twins on the board in the second, Wallner followed with a two-run double down the right-field line that gave them the lead for good.

 

Wallner — a native of Forest Lake, Minnesota, who was the 39th overall pick in the 2019 draft out Southern Mississippi — hit a two-run homer off Lance Lynn on Tuesday. He homered in his first career game off Shane Bieber. Wallner tacked on an RBI infield single in the fifth, when his roller up the line was scooped by José Abreu and the first baseman hesitated after considering a throw home to try to get Urshela. It was too late to try to tag Wallner.

 

Minnesota’s Luis Arraez went 2 for 5 with an RBI to creep closer in the batting race with a .3133 average. League leader Aaron Judge went 1 for 4 and is at .3134. He hit his 61st home run for the New York Yankees to tie the AL single-season record. Arraez and Boston’s Xander Bogaerts (.3087) are the only ones with a legitimate chance to prevent Judge from winning the Triple Crown.

 

UP NEXT

RHP Lucas Giolito (10-9, 5.05 ERA) takes the mound this afternoon for the White Sox. He’s winless in his last five turns. RHP Louie Varland (0-2, 5.06 ERA) pitches in the series finale for the Twins, his fourth career start.

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VIKINGS-MATTISON

 

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Through four NFL seasons, running back Alexander Mattison has started six games, serving as the understudy to Dalvin Cook’s starring role with the Minnesota Vikings. Mattison, a third-round pick in 2019 out of Boise State, has demonstrated his importance when he’s received his opportunities. In four of his starts, he’s run for at least 90 yards. He’s added five touchdowns when Cook is out of the lineup. Having Mattison available has been a luxury for Minnesota.

 

“He’s that next guy-up mentality, and if you want a guy that you want to look for to be the next guy up, I think that’s the guy in every way, shape and form,” Cook said this week. “Mentality-wise, he’s always prepared. He studies well; pro all the way around. I’m just proud of his growth every year. I see him come in. He looks bigger every year I see him. I’m just looking forward to us putting up some numbers this year and going to win a big one.”

 

“The O-line will turn around and they’ll ask, ‘Wait, were you in or was Dalvin in?’,” Mattison said. “So, that’s really good for us to be able to not miss a beat and continue just operate as a whole the way that we continued to prepare to do.” Mattison is in the final year of his rookie contract and is as valuable to Minnesota as any backup running back in the league. When Cook was hurt late in the third quarter on Sunday, Mattison again responded. Mattison had three carries for 12 yards, including a tough-earned, 6-yard touchdown. He added a 16-yard reception.

 

“I’ve talked to you guys a lot about truly feeling pretty fortunate to have a running back room set up the way we do; with multiple skill sets, with the depth of guys that can go in,” Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I mean, Alex’s touchdown run there in the second half is just an example of his ability to just not be denied. I think he broke about three, four tackles on the play and finished on his feet in the end zone.”

 

Cook missed practice Wednesday and is considered day to day leading up to Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints in London. The Vikings don’t believe there’s much of a drop-off when Mattison is lined up in the backfield. Coaches are able to keep similar play calls, which has even led to offensive linemen being unsure of which back is in the game. Cook missed one game last season and one in 2019 with shoulder injuries, part of a string of injuries for the Vikings’ workhorse back. In all, Cook has missed 24 games because of injuries since his debut in 2018. “I wouldn’t want to go to war with nobody other than that guy being right behind me,” Cook said. “Our relationship is real close. And on the field, you see the production he give us every time that I’m down, every time that I come off the field and he goes in.”

 

Cook is a three-time Pro Bowl selection who has rushed for at least 1,135 yards in each of the past three seasons, meaning Mattison has been left to spot duty or injury fill-in. He’s ready when he gets his chance. “For me, I kind of have to already be in that mode when it’s my time to get in the game,” Mattison said of coming in cold. “So, just feeding off of Dalvin’s energy, feeding off the O-line as an offense and just kind of preparing myself that way even before the time is there, just mentally, it kind of helps me out.”