K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 10/12/23
MINOT, ND – The Class A Football poll is the same as last week, while there is no longer a tie atop the 9-Man poll. 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 (13) 8-0 78 1
2. Kindred (4) 7-0 68 2
3. Dickinson Trinity 8-0 51 3
4. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich 8-0 41 4
5. Central Cass 6-1 14 5
1. Velva-Drake/Anamose-Garrison (13) 8-0 78 1
2. Kindred (4) 7-0 68 2
3. Dickinson Trinity 8-0 51 3
4. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich 8-0 41 4
5. Central Cass 6-1 14 5
Others receiving votes: Shiloh Christian (7-1)
9-Man Football Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Last Week
1. Sargent County (8) 8-0 69 T1
2. South Border (6) 8-0 64 T1
3. New Rockford-Sheyenne-Maddock (1) 7-0 47 3
4. Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn (1) 8-0 41 4
5. North Prairie 7-1 22 5
1. Sargent County (8) 8-0 69 T1
2. South Border (6) 8-0 64 T1
3. New Rockford-Sheyenne-Maddock (1) 7-0 47 3
4. Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn (1) 8-0 41 4
5. North Prairie 7-1 22 5
Others receiving votes: none
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MINOT, ND – The Boys State Soccer Tournament begins today in Bismarck. West Fargo defeated Fargo Davies in 2 overtimes on a golden goal in last year’s championship. Minot High won their only state title in 2006. The tournamenmt continues through Saturday.
High School Boys Soccer
State Tournament – Bismarck Community Bowl
State Tournament – Bismarck Community Bowl
First Round
(W1) Bismarck Legacy vs. (E4) Grand Forks Red River, 12 pm
(E2) Fargo Davies vs. (W3) Minot High, 2:15 pm
(E1) Fargo Shanley vs. (W4) Bismarck High, 4:30 pm
(W2) Jamestown vs. (E3) West Fargo, 6:45 pm
(W1) Bismarck Legacy vs. (E4) Grand Forks Red River, 12 pm
(E2) Fargo Davies vs. (W3) Minot High, 2:15 pm
(E1) Fargo Shanley vs. (W4) Bismarck High, 4:30 pm
(W2) Jamestown vs. (E3) West Fargo, 6:45 pm
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MINOT, ND – The Boys State Tennis Tournament begins today with the team dual competition. The individual portion of the tourney is Friday and Saturday. Grand Forks Red River won the team dual title last year. The last time a team from the West won the state championship was Bismarck St. Mary’s in 1993. Minot High’s last state title in boys tennis is 1988.
High School Boys Tennis
State Team Dual Tournament – Grand Forks
State Team Dual Tournament – Grand Forks
First Round – 10 am
(W1) Minot High vs (E4) Fargo Davies
(E2) Grand Forks Central vs (W3) Bismarck Legacy
(E1) Grand Forks Red River vs (W4) Bismarck Century
(W2) Mandan vs (E3) West Fargo Sheyenne
(W1) Minot High vs (E4) Fargo Davies
(E2) Grand Forks Central vs (W3) Bismarck Legacy
(E1) Grand Forks Red River vs (W4) Bismarck Century
(W2) Mandan vs (E3) West Fargo Sheyenne
Loser Out and Semifinals, 1 pm
5th Place and 3rd Place, 4:30 pm
Championship, 6 pm
5th Place and 3rd Place, 4:30 pm
Championship, 6 pm
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MSU MEN’S HOCKEY-POLL
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Coming off their third national title in March, the Minot State men’s hockey team was an easy pick as the ACHA’s preseason No. 1 team, but six straight wins to start the season earned the Beavers added respect as they remained No. 1 in the first ACHA poll released today. Minot State (6-0-0 overall) earned 25 of the 27 first-place votes in the 2023-24 season’s initial poll and 575 points. Adrian (Mich.), who the Beavers beat in the national championship game, was No. 2 with 551 points and 1 first-place vote, and Ohio was third with the other first-place vote and 521 points. Liberty, who the Beavers have beaten four times already this season, was No. 4 in the first poll with 500 points. In-state rival Jamestown was No. 7 in the first poll with 429 points. Fellow in-state rival the University of Mary, making its ACHA Division I debut this season, is ranked No. 21 with 138 points.
Minot State hosts #23 Missouri State tonight at 7 p.m. at the Maysa Arena, then hosts Waldorf (Iowa) on Friday and Saturday with puck-drop at 7:30 p.m. both nights. Friday’s game is “Food Drive Friday” and fans who donate 3 nonperishable food items at the door get in free. The food will be donated to Lord’s Cupboard Food Pantry.
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TWINS-PLAYOFFS
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlos Correa waited on deck with two outs in the ninth inning and the Minnesota Twins trailing by one run, eager for another at-bat against his former team. Tied for the third-most RBIs in postseason history, Correa has occasionally pointed to his wrist after clutch hits to signify the biggest situations are his time to shine. This moment never came. Houston closer Ryan Pressly completed a perfect ninth by striking out the side, hitting the outside corner with a full-count fastball that froze Max Kepler and ended a 3-2 victory for the Astros that eliminated the Twins in Game 4 of their AL Division Series on Wednesday night. The Astros advanced to their seventh straight ALCS. Correa played for them in the first five before coming to Minnesota. The Twins, who set a major league record with 1,654 strikeouts this year, whiffed 14 times in Game 4 after doing the same in Game 3. They totaled just six hits over their two home games in the series, though home runs by Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien on Wednesday gave them a fighting chance. Lewis and Julien, the rookies, gave the Twins a glimpse of a more productive lineup in the future. Lewis hit four homers in six postseason games. Julien batted .294 with two doubles, a homer and five walks.
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WILD-FLEURY
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — When Marc-Andre Fleury arrived at Minnesota Wild training camp for a 20th season of NHL net-minding, he wasn’t ready to publicly declare — or even make a decision privately — that this will be his last. Fleury could hardly be faulted for feeling a little more sentimental this fall. The three-time Stanley Cup winner will turn 39 on Nov. 28, and he’s playing on an expiring contract. Fellow Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson just signed a three-year, $11.25 million deal, and top prospect Jesper Wallstedt is waiting for a promotion after spending last season in the AHL. Then there’s his wife and three children — ages 4, 8 and 10 — he’d love to have more time with. As Fleury contemplated his future during the summer, he promised himself he’d finish the season first before making a decision so he can be fully present to the team and his role. The ups and downs are a given, so there’s no point in putting too much emphasis on one performance.“See how it goes, see how I feel physically, mentally, if I still can stop the puck, and just make a decision at the end,” Fleury said. “I don’t want to think about it, think too much every game, like, ‘Oh, it’s going good, I’ll play again. It’s going bad, I don’t want to play anymore.’”
Fleury had a 2.85 goals against average last season, the fifth-worst of his career. The unquestioned regular a year ago, Fleury found his playing time reduced by the emergence of Gustavsson after his arrival in a trade with Ottawa. After using a true tandem down the stretch, the Wild started Gustavsson in five of the six games in their first-round loss to Dallas in the playoffs. “I love playing with Gus. He’s a great guy, great partner, very deserving,” Fleury said. “We’ll see what the coach wants. I guess we’ll see, but I like to play. It’s always fun, more fun than sitting, but Gus likes to play, too. So whatever the coach says, I’ll do my best to help the team if it’s on the bench or in the net.” Coach Dean Evason, speaking to reporters after practice on Wednesday, declined to reveal the starter for the first game. The Wild open the season at home against Florida on Thursday.
Make no mistake about Fleury’s desire to be in the net more. There’s no ill will toward Gustavsson. “My partners, I never see them as competition. To me, the competition is with the other shooters, the puck. That’s where I need to win the battle,” Fleury said. The first overall pick in the 2003 draft, who was acquired in a trade with Chicago at the 2022 deadline and re-signed with Minnesota that summer for two years and $7 million, can find motivation in the NHL record book, too. With eight more wins, Fleury will pass Patrick Roy (551) for second place on the all-time list. Martin Brodeur (691) is the leader. Fleury grew up in Quebec as a fan of both French Canadians. “I don’t want to jinx it. That would be cool, though. He’s such an icon to me and to many kids,” Fleury said. “He’s such a great goalie, it would be an honor just to be mentioned in the same sentence with him.”