Sota HS Sports

Yesterday I was able to watch the TC Senior Expo held at Concordia St. Paul. The Expo was composed of 4 teams with a lot of unsigned talent across the metro area. Here are some guys who stood out to me on each team: Red: Hakeem Ford of Mpls Southwest - Hakeem Ford is an athletic star that is capable of some amazing things. I see him as a natural leader on the court. This season alone he guided his SW team to some notable wins including one of the best in 2A Minneapolis North. Muja Burton of Columbia Heights - Burton played a solid game yesterday along with a solid season. In my opinion, he was one of the best shooters in the metro area this past season. He also fit in very well with his talented CH team and could this trend continue. Benard Omooria of Osseo - If you're looking for a little of both of the last two guys I listed, Omooria is your guy. A great shooter that can give you a spark of momentum. He also was a big leader on his Osseo team this year that were ranked top 10 ...

What do you look for in a good basketball tournament? A buzzer-beater? A handful of highlight plays? Maybe an upset or two? Well, this year had it all. The entire week was special, but championship Saturday was exceptional.  1A kicked off with an unbelievable game from Hayfield and BBE. I don't think either of these crews got enough praise from the state this week. The fact is that these guys could compete with schools of different classes and it really is something everyone should acknowledge. Totally loved the effort on both sides but as we saw Hayfield would bring home the 1A championship trophy. Congratulations! If you would've told me Annandale would end on top of 2A prior to this week I would've called you crazy. I had zero doubt in my mind North or Caledonia would bring it home. Luckily, I am man enough to admit when I'm wrong. I thought the Cardinals put together one of the most impressive tournament runs I have witnessed. This was only possible from the experie...

Well, the hot streak for predictions came to an end tonight with the Caledonia vs. Annandale game. When mine ends, however, the Annandale Cardinals' continues. A surge in the second half put them up by double digits on Eli King's Warriors. This would lead them past the 2 seed in 2A. They'll play North mid-day tomorrow in the championship. That wasn't the only game that surprised me today. Morris vs. North brought its scares as well.  Jackson Loge, a 6' 8" Morris senior, nearly had himself a triple-double with 37 pts, 14 rebs, and 8 blks. Even that wasn't enough to take down the powerhouse that is Minneapolis North.  Finally, there were the 1A games. I thought all 4 teams looked great today and could've seen any of those 4 making it to the championship. In the end, it was the 1 and 2 seeds Hayfield and BBE that will be facing off at 11 on Saturday.  I'm planning to be at all the games tomorrow and will be posting updates on Twitter @sotahssports for ...

What a day of basketball in the North Star State. Yesterday brought you comeback wins, fantastic plays, and excellent coaching. I attended the TG vs. ME game as well as the DLS vs. Princeton game. I found both to be very interesting.  Grace is locked in and I don't think anyone can get them off their tracks. DLS played an unbelieve game against a solid Princeton squad. The only thing DLS has going for them in their next game against Grace is their coaching in my opinion. I think coach Travis will remind the Islanders how beatable DLS made TG in their first matchup. Now we can't forget about the 4A semis that took place yesterday. The Park Center Pirates looked virtually unbeatable in my eyes in their win over Eastview. On the other side of the bracket, CDH may have given Wayzata fans a scare last night. The Raiders played their hearts out but just couldn't stop the depth of the Trojans. Really curious to see if Wayzata can pull off a back-to-back championship run this year....

The only thing better than the 1st round of a tournament is the 2nd round. The argument for the championship could be made as well. In all seriousness, this tourney has already met my standards of success.  Semi-finals start today and I couldn't be more excited. So here are my predictions on who will take home a trophy in their respective classes. 4A Semis: #1 Park Center vs. #4 Eastview - As talented as this Eastview team plays I just can't bet against the athleticism of the backcourt of the Pirates. Really the only thing that helps Eastview out here is their slight size advantage, but I don't think this will be a problem. #3 Wayzata vs. CDH - Can't wait to watch this one. In the past two matchups between these teams, Wayzata has taken the W. Neither has been easy, however. I see this game coming down to the last few Possessions. Assuming this is the case I just don't see how the Trojans lose. They've proven time and time again they can keep their composure in ...

Day 2 of the tournament is just about wrapped up. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to the games today. I was following along, however. Some highlights I saw started with a win from Andover against a solid EP team. Some impressive numbers came from Ethan Pack and Tameron Ferguson. Pack, a Junior guard, dropped 25 pts in a win for #1 Hayfield. Ferguson, a Sophomore, had 26 and looks to help get Tech to a Consolation Championship. Last, but definitely not least, we have #5 Cherry's win over #4 Nevis. The upset was only possible because of 2024 stud Isaac Asuma. A 37 point performance lifted them to the semis where they'll play the red hot Vikings. Overall great day, and can't wait to get back in The Barn tomorrow.

As the best week of Basketball in Minnesota continues here are some hoopers and squads you should keep your eye on: Players: Mitchel Jaskowiak (S) of GSL: Despite a first-round loss, the Idaho football commit dropped an impressive 37 pts against a tough Minneapolis North squad. Jayden Livingston (J) of Totino-Grace: The junior guard came off the bench and brought a spark for the Eagles in their first game of state. He finished with 10 pts. Goanar Tap (S) of St. Cloud Tech: The 6' 9" big man really stepped up for the Tigers against DLS. He finished with 10 pts and 6 Blks. Teams: Park Center: Arguably the best team in the state this year PC is on a mission. Leo Torbor (S) San Jose St commit dropped a game-high 20 pts in a win over Andover. He, along with D1 guards Braeden Carrington (UMN commit), Cody Pennebaker (uncommitted), and Cashimer Chavis (uncommitted, soph) look to lead this 1 loss team to a Chip. Mankato East: A well-coached team is hard to beat. Especially one as tale...

Today I attended the start of the Boys High school basketball tournament here in MN. For most fans, it seemed to be an extremely enjoyable experience. So I'd like to share my experience and thoughts on the games.  My day started with #1 Totino-Grace vs. Hermantown. Not much to say here, but the Eagles came to play. Not to take away from the Hawks, but there aren't too many teams in the midwest that match up well against TG when they're playing some of their best game. Which is what I saw today. They win 83-50. Next up was #4 Mankato East vs. #5 Mound Westonka. This game was beyond entertaining. MW seemed to control the pace from the get-go. They played smart and controlled the paint throughout the first half. This was not the case for the second half, however. East picked up the intensity as soon as the break was over. With BJ Omot at the head of their full-court press, no pass was safe. All of a sudden the Cougars jumped to a small lead that would continue to grow as the g...

This week marks one of my favorite of the year. To some, it may just be a slow dreadful week after returning from spring break. For others, it's the most important week of their lives. Tomorrow is the beginning of the Boy's high school basketball tournament in the Land of 10,000 lakes. Personally, I think if you're not excited for the showdowns happening in the Twin cities you must be Anti-Fun. With that being said I am willing to admit to being a bit harsh and shouldn't assume that you're as pumped as I am. Maybe you're a hockey family (totally understand) or are already focused on your upcoming baseball/softball season. While that's great I'm here to help you get the most out of your high school sports experience. So I'd like to add a couple 1st round matchups that I think will be as entertaining as the last presidential debate. 4A:  CDH vs. Owatonna 3/22/22, 2:00 PM @ Target center     - The raiders will be taking on the 2 loss Huskies that have s...