MINOT, ND – For the fourth consecutive year and eighth time in the last nine years Our Redeemer’s won the District 12 Volleyball Tournament. Rugby won the District 11 Tournament for the ninth consecutive year.

 

 

 

Region Qualifier
#4 Surrey def. #3 Des Lacs-Burlington (3-1) 25-10, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20
#5 South Prairie-Max def. #7 Berthold (3-1) 25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-8
Championship
#1 Our Redeemer’s def. #2 Bishop Ryan (3-1) 26-28, 25-19, 25-21, 25-19

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Region Qualifier
#4 Newburg-Westhope def. #7 TGU (3-0) 25-15, 25-19, 25-10
#3 Drake-Anamoose def. #5 Velva (3-0) 25-14, 25-12, 25-18
Championship
#2 Rugby def. #1 Bottineau (3-1) 25-14, 25-14, 16-25, 25-23

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Region Qualifier
#5 Stanley def. #6 Tioga (3-1) 25-15, 25-15, 21-25, 25-10
#4 Ray def. #2 Divide County (3-1) 25-18, 25-18, 15-25, 25-17
Championship
#1 Kenmare-Bowbells def. #3 Powers Lake-Burke Central (3-0) 25-5, 25-12, 25-9

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High School Girls Volleyball
Class B
Central McLean def. Washburn (3-0) 25-13, 25-22, 25-21

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MSU WOMEN’S SOCCER-PLAYOFFS

 

MINOT, ND– Minot State got a pair of goals from Hadlee Paxman in a 3-0 shutout win over Northern State on Monday at home at Herb Parker Stadium. It was the quarterfinal of the Northern Sun Conference women’s soccer tournament. The Beavers broke the 0-0 tie when Brooklyn Casey recorded her third goal of the season in the 64th minute, assisted by Maddy St. Yves. Minot State added another score on a goal from Paxman—her second goal of the season—in the 73rd minute. The Beavers went up 3-0 on Paxman’s 87th-minute goal, her third of the season. Emma Monsen assisted the goal. Maddie Kindred recorded six saves for the Beavers. Minot State will travel to Mankato, Minnesota to take on the Mavericks in the NSIC Semi-finals Friday afternoon.

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VIKINGS

 

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Patrick Peterson and Jordan Hicks, two defensive starters for the Minnesota Vikings, didn’t hold back with teammates or reporters regarding the unceremonious endings to their tenures with the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings beat the Cardinals 34-26 on Sunday. Peterson and Hicks appreciate being with the Vikings. But it’s not just scorned former teammates seeing a difference in Minnesota this season. Players continue to praise the changes created by first-year coach Kevin O’Connell and new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. “The feeling of going to work, being in this locker room, being around these guys, everything about this group feels like family,” running back Dalvin Cook said after Sunday’s win. “Kevin knew what that was on Day 1 when he walked into the building. He knew how we wanted to play, what type of team we wanted to be outside of this stadium, and just having fun. Building that culture around here has been fun.”

 

A change was needed. Players were vocal about the atmosphere under coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman, who were both fired after last season’s 8-9 record. O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah have the Vikings off to a 6-1 record with five straight victories. Only the Philadelphia Eagles (7-0) have a better record in the NFC. Minnesota has three more wins than the next closest competitor in its division and has beaten each division opponent already this season. “I feel like it’s the chemistry,” linebacker Za’Darius Smith said. “Just off the field, when we get a chance to be with each other off the field, it can be the little things; playing a game with each other. If we continue to do that and learn each other’s weaknesses and what we’re good at, and have the coach see it, and give us opportunities to go beat our one-on-ones, we can be a great football team. You can see, 6-1, it’s a great football team.”

 

Perhaps a sign of the change can be seen in the Vikings ability to close out tight games. Last year, Minnesota lost eight games by eight

points or fewer. All five of the games in the current winning streak have been by eight points or fewer. The Vikings have trailed in the second half in four of the five wins, including Sunday. “We do not fold, as corny as it sounds, it is about the culture and our locker room,” said second-year safety Camryn Bynum, who had an interception in the comeback. “Everyone plays hard and everyone is playing for each other. Knowing that the guy next to me has my back, and I got his, is really how we play football.”

 

O’Connell recalled his first meeting with the team in the spring and how he focused on the culture he wanted to build before ever discussing football philosophy. He reminded his team Saturday night before the victory over Arizona of the core principles he preached early on. “I feel like they’ve not only taken the ownership of that, but they’ve also taken it to a place that I didn’t know was really possible as far as eight weeks into the season,” O’Connell said. “We’ve been able to do that and the results have only helped that. But our process to get there is what matters the most to me.”

 

WHAT’S WORKING

Minnesota scored touchdowns on all five trips within the 20-yard line on Sunday and is now fifth in the league in red zone percentage, scoring touchdowns on 66.67% of their opportunities this season. According to Sportradar, which tracks the stat back to the 2000 season, it’s the second-best rate the Vikings have had in the red zone, behind only a 71.2% conversion rate in 2020.

 

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Kicker Greg Joseph is just 9 of 14 on field-goal attempts and 16 of 19 on extra-point attempts this season. He missed a 56-yard field-goal try on Sunday, as well as an extra-point attempt. He’s missed his past five field-goal attempts at home, including having one blocked.

STOCK UP

Cook had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season on Sunday with 111 yards on 20 carries. He added a season-high five catches and 30 yards receiving. Cook scored a third-quarter touchdown as Minnesota ran for three scores in the game. The Vikings ran for a season-high 173 yards, averaging 6.0 yards per carry.

 

STOCK DOWN

The Vikings offensive line has been much improved this season, but rookie right guard Ed Ingram had a tough time Sunday. Ingram was routinely pushed back and allowed several pressures, many from Arizona defensive end J.J. Watt.

INJURED

Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson left Sunday’s game with a right calf injury and tight end Irv Smith Jr. has an ankle injury. O’Connell didn’t have an update on either injury, but said both are considered “week to week.” Smith, who had three sacks Sunday and is now tied for the league lead with 8 1/2 this season entering Monday, is playing through a left knee contusion. He limped off the field twice Sunday but later returned. Receiver Adam Thielen is also dealing with a knee contusion.

 

KEY NUMBER

6 — That’s a plus-6. The Vikings are tied for second in the NFL entering Monday with a plus-6 turnover ratio.

 

NEXT STEPS

Reunions abound as Minnesota heads to Washington. It will be a return to where quarterback Kirk Cousins first played for O’Connell, who was the quarterbacks coach for Cousins’ final two seasons in Washington. Also, the Commanders are starting quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who was with the Vikings from 2015-17.

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NFL-MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

 

CLEVELAND (AP) — Nick Chubb rushed for two touchdowns and Myles Garrett and Cleveland’s defense frustrated Joe Burrow as the Browns thrashed Cincinnati 32-13, keeping the Bengals star quarterback winless against them. Garrett, who came to FirstEnergy Stadium wearing a Halloween costume, led a scary defense that sacked Burrow five times and held the Bengals to 229 total yards — 100 in the first half. Burrow has already been to the Super Bowl in just three NFL seasons. However, the Ohio native has yet to beat Cleveland, dropping to 0-4 in four career starts against Cincinnati’s AFC North rival. The Browns ended a four-game losing streak, and in the process saved their season from slipping away. Jacoby Brissett had a TD run and pass for Cleveland.

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MLB-WORLD SERIES

 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Game 3 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros has been postponed because of rain with the matchup tied 1-1, pushing the entire Fall Classic schedule back one day. The rainout moved Game 3 to Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, when the weather was supposed to be all clear. Game 4 will now be played Wednesday and Game 5 is set for the scheduled travel day on Thursday night. Game 5 will compete with the NFL game that has, of all teams, the Philadelphia Eagles in Houston against the Texans. There will now be a travel day Friday, with Game 6 has been rescheduled for Saturday and Game 7 would be Sunday. All games will start at 8:03 p.m. ET.