| ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: JANUARY 16 – JANUARY 21 | |||
| MONDAY | JANUARY 16 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 11:00am / 1:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Armstrong | Charles M. Schulz Highland Ice Arena | |
| TUESDAY | JANUARY 17 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:45pm / 7:30pm | Girls Hockey vs. Rochester Century | Rochester Rec Center | |
| WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 18 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 3:45pm | 2:10pm / 5:15pm | Nordic Ski Race | Hyland Hills Ski Area |
| 4:00pm / 5:30pm 7:00pm | JV/C: 3:15pm V: 5:45pm/8:45pm | Boys Basketball vs. Humboldt | Humboldt High School |
| 4:15pm / 6:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. Humboldt | HOME | |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Holy Angels | Charles M. Schulz Highland Ice Arena | |
| THURSDAY | JANUARY 19 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:00pm | 3:30pm / 6:30pm | Wrestling vs. Humboldt | Humboldt High School |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Southwest Christian | Charles M. Schulz Highland Ice Arena | |
| FRIDAY | JANUARY 20 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:15pm / 6:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. Harding | HOME | |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Simley | WSP Ice Arena | |
| 5:30pm / 5:30pm 7:00pm | JV/C: 4:30pm V: 5:45pm/8:45pm | Boys Basketball vs. Harding | Harding High School |
| 7:00pm | Boys Swimming and Diving vs. Johnson | Humboldt High School | |
| SATURDAY | JANUARY 21 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| TBD | Dance Invitational | St. Michael Albertville High School | |
| 10:00am | Gymnastics Invitational | Park High School | |
| 5:15pm / 7:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Princeton | Princeton Ice Arena | |
Category Archives: Sports
The story of the Kyalami Driver’s Strike of 1982
By: Jocelyn Knorr
The year is 1982. Apartheid is still reigning with an ugly, iron fist across South Africa; ironically, a song by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder called “Ebony and Ivory” is #4 on Billboard’s Top 100 list. And Formula One has come to Kyalami, carrying the sort of spectacle usually reserved for Roman coliseums.
But, let’s back up a bit. Austrian driver Niki Lauda, recently returned to the sport after a crash and injury took off half his face, was going over his Super License contract preseason when he found a clause or two that troubled him. For one, it forbade criticizing FISA (the forerunner to our current FIA—coincidentally run by the exact same money-hungry pack of Neanderthals) and disallowing drivers from entering negotiations with teams themselves. This was the thing that got Lauda hot under the collar; it would have crippled the drivers’ autonomy and, in his mind, would end in them being shunted from team to team, racing for the highest bidder. He fought it incessantly, but to no avail.
As the day of the South African Grand Prix drew closer, all solutions to the issue failed. The drivers sent their attorneys to meet with FISA’s president, Jean-Marie Balestre; Balestre refused to play ball, saying “Sign it or you’re out.”
So, Lauda hatched a plan with his friend and teammate Didier Pironi. The Thursday that practice was meant to start, Pironi and Lauda arranged for a bus to meet them at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Lauda herded the drivers on—most of them, outraged by the new, restricting terms, went willingly—and Pironi stayed behind to negotiate. The other two who stayed behind were Brian Henton (who didn’t have a guaranteed spot for next year and had decided to see if something would come up) and Jochen Mass (who had opted to sleep in and turned up late, most likely extremely confused).
The striking drivers spent a sun-soaked but nervous day by the pool, drinking and chatting; someone even started up a game of volleyball. Lauda was practically tied to the telephone—Pironi kept him updated periodically. However, the messages did not bring good tidings, and they were incredibly inconsistent. One moment, there would be no consequences for participating in the strike, another moment Brabham team boss, Bernie Ecclestone, had fired his drivers. One moment, Kyalami was going to impound the cars if racing didn’t start within the hour, but another the race was being pushed back a week. The striking drivers were even threatened with a lifetime ban from the sport. Despite FISA’s threats, they held firm. Lauda assured everyone that “[it was] all hot air—where [were] they going to get 30 or so drivers capable of handling supercharged F1 cars?”
When night came, Lauda—figuring that everyone sharing a room would preserve the sense of camaraderie and prevent anyone from bolting, something that almost worked—commandeered a conference room and several mattresses. They barricaded themselves in with a grand piano and bunked down for the night. Elio de Angelis and Giles Villeneuve made good use of the piano, Niki Lauda did some stand-up comedy, and Bruno Giacomelli gave a “rather amusing” lecture, complete with cartoons, about domestic terrorism in Italy—after all, who knew how this would end?
Throughout all of it, Pironi ferried messages back and forth from FISA and the bosses to the drivers, Villeneuve punctuating every dispatch from the front with the opening chords of Beethoven’s Fifth. This time, things were looking up; Balestre—difficult at the best of times—was still resistant to amending the terms of the Super License. However, he had suggested that if the drivers came back, they would agree to a temporary truce.
As the drivers slept, Admin conferred. Armed with information from Teo Fabi—unwilling to risk his F1 debut, he’d scarpered out the bathroom window—they called up the drivers. They capitulated; if the drivers came back they could guarantee that there would be no punishment conferred upon them—for now.
Everyone who struck was permitted by FISA to drive, (except for Patrick Tambay, who’d quit on the spot, disgusted by FISA’s actions—Henton’s “just hanging around” tactic worked out for him after all) but Bernie Ecclestone had other ideas. He disallowed reigning champion Nelson Piquet from driving in Friday practice, claiming he was “tired.” Piquet was later cleared by a medical examiner, and Ecclestone had to allow him to qualify and race in the actual Grand Prix.
However, it wasn’t over yet. The very moment the checkered flag fell in Kyalami, the FISA declared that the amnesty had expired; all the drivers were suspended from racing indefinitely. There was a protracted court battle, delaying several Grands Prix, but ultimately the drivers won. Lauda’s scheming had paid off; though they eventually had to sign unaltered Super Licenses, there was never any punishments for drivers bad-mouthing FISA or negotiating with teams personally.
While contemporary newspapers portrayed it as nothing more than a political spat, many of the drivers actually enjoyed the experience. Villeneuve in particular described it as “the best night of his life.” The photographs taken of the strike show not 30 elite athletes, but 30 men, enjoying a boy’s night out, however odd the circumstances were at the time. The Kyalami Driver’s Strike brought the drivers of the grid of 1982 closer than any grid had ever been before, or will be since.
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An incredible finish to the tournament, which had a deserved ending for two top players
By: Aeden Evenson-McDermott
Following the semifinal clash between Argentina and Croatia on December 13, Croatia would set their eyes on a piece of silverware to end the tournament with. This would be the 3rd place bronze medal.
On December 14, Morocco faced France and lost which matched them up to play Croatia for the third place game. It would ultimately be a rematch from the first group stage game as they tied 0-0 towards the beginning of the World Cup.
A big hats off to Morocco on being the first African team to make it this far in a World Cup. Most counted Croatia out before the tournament started but they once again persevered and showed they could medal in back to back World Cups.
On Saturday, December 17, the stage was set for a showdown at the Khalifa International Stadium which would compose itself of 44,000+ supporters in attendance.
It would kick off with the 10 first minutes being an absolute drama to see. A free kick early for the Croats had Modrić fake the kick with Majer following up to swing the ball over the top to Perišić who cocked his neck which headed it furthermore to the outstretched rising star and young talent center back, Joško Gvardiol, who would perfectly connect the force of the ball into the back of the net.
1-0 to Croatia! The lead wouldn’t last for long as Morocco would respond when the deflected ball went through the defenders and fell into Archaf Dari’s path and he headed it through the hands of Croatian goalkeeper Livaković. 1-1 and it was a game!
Later on though, in the first half, just before halftime, Croatia’s Mislav Orsić had an incredible first touch kick that was chipped over the keeper and dinked off the inner near post of the goal and it to the net. 2-1 to the Croatians!
The rest of the second half would be less entertaining with both sides each exchanging posessional turns but none resulting in a score. It was dramatic at times with both sides holding their breaths as each took chances on the counter attacks along the wings.
At the end of the 90 minutes of regulation, Croatia’s World Cup dreams would be fulfilled. They didn’t ultimately get first or second place like their World Cup in 2018, but they have much to be proud of. Modrić, who’s 37, is likely going to retire from international duty within the next year, so it was a nice send off for him as he has done so much for the team and country.
After Argentina beat Croatia and France beat Morocco their sights would be set on the ultimate prize. The World Cup trophy! The trophy touched by greats but revered for all could be Messi’s or it could be Mbappé’s. Who would achieve greater success?
The first half kicked off with Argentina being the more dominant side and exposing the French team near the goal. In the 23rd minute, Argentina’s Lionel Messi would convert the early penalty to give the Argentines the early lead. 1-0!
A little bit later, a second goal would be added as Angel Dí Maria would slot his goal and make it 2-0 Argentina. The excitefulness quieted down a bit but Argentina still remained in the driver’s seat.
France would show more quality as they picked up chances along the stretch. It would all turn in their favor when in the 80th minute, Mbappé would discreetly put the ball just through Martinez’s hands and into the net. 2-1.
The craziest turn of events would only be beginning and a minute later, Mbappé found himself on the end of another immaculate ball whipped in, and which he would convert through a sideways bicycle kick and into the back of the net! 2-2 and all was tied up.
This would prompt an additional 30 minutes of extra time at the end of the regulation 90 minutes. An early shout for a penalty, into extra time, on the edge of the box had many raising their eyebrows as to why that wasn’t a penalty for France?
Furthermore, Argentina would scramble down the field and Messi would score another decisive goal in the 108th minute to give Argentina the 3-2 advantage. If you didn’t think that put the nail in the coffin, you were in for a treat!
France wouldn’t go down without a fight and Mbappé would bag a hat trick of goals, when he bagged the third one, which again was another penalty in the 118th minute of extra time!
Now, since it was 3-3, and it would be the end of the 120 minutes total, it would be going to penalties!
Messi and Mbappé would each convert their first penalties of the shootout. Dybala of Argentina would convert his while Coman of France would miss his. This followed by Paredes scoring his and Tchouameni missing his. Muani of France would make his to keep his team alive but seconds later Montiel of Argentina would rise to the occasion and ultimately seal the fate of France, thus Argentina winning the World Cup!
A deep breath and sigh of relief after such an intense final match!
Messi is the GOAT and certainly deserves this after the incredible career he’s had. His brilliance never disappoints and alway shows how he has so much to prove and still has gas left in the tank for his aging legs.
Back to back medals for Croatia and France and a third World Cup trophy in the books for Argentina!
In terms of the play at The Qatar World Cup, it certainly didn’t disappoint. I would make the case that this was the best World Cup final ever, although I wouldn’t say it was the best World Cup.
Congrats to all the teams on making it a memorable World Cup to watch, and here’s to a good World Cup in North America in 2026, and it remains to be seen after that (the 2030 World Cup has yet to be announced).
With the World Cup coverage now ended, more articles will be coming out on transfers and the resuming of club football!
2023 NFL Wild Card weekend predictions
The 2023 NFL playoffs are upon us, starting with the highly anticipated Wild Card weekend. After adding a 7th team to the NFL playoffs, 12 teams will compete in Wild Card weekend, and 2 teams will watch with a first-round bye.
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs entered the postseason with the best record in their respective conferences. These 2 teams have a first-round bye and wait patiently to see their matchups in the divisional round.
The other 12 teams that made the playoffs will go head-to-head this weekend. This is just the fifth time that every Wild Card game will feature a regular-season rematch. Here are my predictions for this weekend and my analysis of the team’s seasons thus far.
AFC:
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (Sunday 1/15 – 12:00 CT)
The Buffalo Bills have some of the highest expectations from fans coming into the playoffs. They finished the regular season 13-3 and won the AFC East by a wide margin. They played in one of the best games in NFL history in last season’s divisional-round game, just barely losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills are red hot and are looking to take their momentum into this divisional matchup.
The Dolphins took a different route into the playoffs. They finished the regular season 9-8, finished 2nd in the AFC east, and didn’t clinch a playoff spot until the last day of the regular season.
With a brand new head coaching staff, it’s understandable that a team would struggle as the Dolphins did, but injuries and concussions are what plagued the team all season. Starting QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered 3 different concussions throughout the season and has missed at least 4 games because of it. Tua is still suffering from his 3rd concussion, and will not play in this game. Miami’s backup QB Teddy Bridgewater is also likely to not play as he is dealing with a fractured pinky.
It is likely that rookie Skylar Thompson will suit up to try and upset the Bills.
Because both of these teams are in the AFC East, they have played each other twice this season. Both games were close and came down to the last minute, with Miami coming out on top 21-19 in week 3, and Buffalo taking the win 32-29 in week 14.
The Dolphins have been struggling as of late, losing 5 of their last 6 games. The Bills, on the other hand, have won their last 7 straight (excluding the canceled matchup in week 17 versus Cincinnati). The Bills offense led by Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs is hard to stop, and I don’t think Miami’s average-level defense and rookie QB are up to the task.
My prediction: Bills 27-Dolphins 16
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (Sunday 1/15 – 7:15 CT)
Much like the Bills-Dolphins matchup, this game is between the 1st and 2nd place teams in the AFC North. The Ravens took a 19-17 win over Cincinnati in week 5, and the Bengals took a 27-16 victory over Baltimore in week 18.
Both teams should be well prepared for this matchup, as the Bengals and Ravens faced each other in week 18, exactly 7 days before this game. Back-to-back matchups between these teams should provide an interesting watch.
The Ravens starting QB Lamar Jackson has missed the last 5 games with a sprained PCL, and it is likely that he won’t be able to return in time for the first playoff game. In this scenario, third-string Anthony Brown could suit up, given backup Tyler Huntley misses another game with injuries.
The Bengals have won their last 8 in a row (excluding the canceled matchup in week 17 versus Buffalo), and are looking for a Super Bowl do-over, after losing to the Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
Cincinnati is on fire, and Joe Burrow is looking better than ever at quarterback. Offensive weapons like Ja’Maar Chase and Joe Mixon are hard to stop and the Bengals have one of the better defenses of teams in the playoffs. Baltimore is struggling with offensive injuries and has lost 3 of their last 4 games. Because of this, Baltimore will struggle to keep up, and Cincinnati will take the victory.
My prediction: Bengals 23-Ravens 14
Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars (Saturday 1/14 – 7:15 CT)
Young quarterbacks play a huge role in the future of the NFL, and this matchup is between 2 of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert are both making their playoff debuts this weekend.
It’s not exactly clear how the Jaguars ended up turning their season around enough to make the playoffs. Jacksonville won the AFC South with a 9-8 record. In the first half of the season, the Jaguars lost to some of the worst teams in the league, including the Colts, Texans, and Broncos. They turned it around quickly, however, beating teams like the Cowboys, Chiefs, and Ravens in the second half of the season.
The Chargers finished just 1 game higher than the Jaguars, at 10-7, and 2nd in the AFC West. Both teams have had one of the easiest schedules in the NFL this season, with both teams playing only 6 opponents above .500.
While I don’t believe either team will make it beyond the second round, I think the Jaguars will pull off a first-round upset. Jacksonville has won 6 of their last 7, with Trevor Lawrence having multiple games with 300+ passing yards. The Jaguars defense has been on fire, holding their last 3 opponents to an average of 7.3 points. In my opinion, this should be enough to hold Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and Mike Williams to a minimal number of points, despite their success this season.
My prediction: Jaguars 17-Chargers 14
NFC:
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (Saturday 1/14 – 3:30 CT)
It’s not often that a brand-new rookie quarterback is so highly favored over a veteran quarterback, but 49ers QB Brock Purdy has led the team to a remarkable end of the season and deserves all the praise he’s getting. The 49ers won the NFC West and the second seed with a record of 13-4.
Brock Purdy didn’t start for the 49ers until week 14 against the Buccaneers, but hasn’t lost a game yet. The rookie “Mr. Irrelevant” stepped up as third-string after multiple QB injuries, and is making the 49ers offense look better than ever. Another thing helping the 49ers offense excel was the trade for Christian McCaffery after week 6. McCaffery has 736 rushing yards since he joined San Francisco.
On top of the rising offense, the 49ers are widely viewed to have the best defense in the NFL. Defensive end Nick Bosa is leading the defense to one of their best seasons and leading the NFL in sacks with 18.5 this season.
On the other side of this game, the Seahawks sit at 9-8, second in the NFC West. After trading Russell Wilson in the offseason, many projected the Seahawks to win very few games and be one of, if not the worst team in the league.
Veteran backup QB Geno Smith stepped up this season, however, and led the Seahawks to the 7th seed. This season, Smith threw for 4,282 yards, which is more than ⅓ of his total passing yards in his 9-year NFL career.
Geno Smith’s career season won’t be enough to take the Seahawks any farther this season. The 49ers combination of stellar offense and defense makes them the NFC team to beat in the playoffs, and the Seahawks will fall in yet another division matchup.
My prediction: 49ers 33-Seahawks 14
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings (Sunday 1/15 – 3:30 CT)
At 13-4, nobody is quite sure what to think of the Minnesota Vikings this season. The offense has some of the biggest stars in the league, including star wide receiver Justin Jefferson and top-ranked tight end TJ Hockensen, and yet the Vikings have just 2 wins by more than one score.
The Vikings season has been full of painfully close, heart attack inducing games for Minnesota fans, and yet the Vikings are 11-0 in one-score games.
With games like week 14 against the Colts, where the Vikings completed the largest comeback in NFL history, and week 9 against the Bills with one of the most shocking endings to a game ever, it’s hard not to think of Minnesota as a true contender. Minnesota’s losses, however, put doubt in many NFL fans. With only 4 losses, the Vikings will finish the season with a point differential of -4.
The Giants are the third team from the NFC East to make the playoffs, sitting with a record of 9-7-1. First-year head coach Brian Daboll has led this New York team to a season beyond expectations, and Giants fans are more than satisfied with the season they’ve had thus far.
Minnesota and New York competed on Christmas eve at US Bank Stadium, and Minnesota pulled off a 27-24 win with a game-winning 61-yard field goal.
I believe the Vikings will come out of this game with a victory, as Minnesota has more playoff experience, veteran experience, and a record that shows they know how to win, no matter how close the games may be.
My prediction: Vikings 24-Giants 22
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Monday 1/16 – 7:15 CT)
The Dallas Cowboys have the 4th best record in the NFC, and yet they find themselves in a wildcard position as the 5th seed, while the Buccaneers have the 9th-best record in the NFC, and have home-field advantage as the 4th seed.
Tom Brady in the playoffs is not an unfamiliar sight, but Tom Brady leading a team to an 8-9 record definitely is. Brady has a stellar 22-year NFL career with 7 Super Bowl victories and 3 MVP awards. This, combined with the Cowboys performance in week 18, is a slight glimpse of hope for Bucs fans when it comes to advancing past this round.
Tampa Bay’s 8-9 record does not bode well for them in the playoffs, however, the Cowboys have shown signs of weakness as the season comes to an end. Losing to the commanders 26-6 in week 18 what not a positive sign for Dallas fans entering the postseason, and Dak Prescot has struggled. In week 18, Prescot completed 14/37 for a 37% completion rate.
I have struggled to pick a winner of this game more than any other, despite the vast difference in records this season. Because of the Cowboys’ performances against the Commanders in week 18, I do not have faith that Dallas will be able to turn things around, and Tampa Bay will win in a major upset.
My prediction: Buccaneers 31-Cowboys 26
Sports schedule for: Jan 9-14
| ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: JANUARY 9 – JANUARY 14 | |||
| MONDAY | JANUARY 9 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:00pm / 5:30pm 7:00pm | JV/C: 3:15pm V: 5:45pm/8:45pm | Boys Basketball vs. South St. Paul | South St. Paul High School |
| TUESDAY | JANUARY 10 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 3:45pm | 2:20pm / 5:15pm | Nordic Ski Race | Theodore Wirth Park |
| 4:15pm / 6:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. Como Park | HOME | |
| 5:00pm / 7:15pm | JV Girls Hockey vs. South St. Paul Varsity Girls Hockey vs. Red Wing | JV: WSP Ice Arena V: Red Wing High School | |
| 5:30pm / 5:30pm 7:00pm | JV/C: 3:15pm V: 5:45pm/8:45pm | Boys Basketball vs. Como Park | Como Park High School |
| WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 11 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Minneapolis | Charles M. Schulz Highland Ice Arena | |
| 5:00pm | Wrestling vs. Trinity and Johnson | HOME | |
| 6:00pm | Gymnastics vs. Johnson | Johnson High School | |
| THURSDAY | JANUARY 12 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:15pm / 4:15pm 6:00pm | Boys Basketball vs. Johnson | HOME | |
| 5:30pm / 7:00pm | 4:30pm / 8:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. Johnson | Johnson High School |
| FRIDAY | JANUARY 13 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:30pm | Boys Swimming and Diving vs. Humboldt/Washington | Humboldt High School | |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Dodge County | WSP Ice Arena | |
| SATURDAY | JANUARY 14 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| TBD | Dance Invitational | Anoka High School | |
| TBD | 6:45am / 4:00pm | Varsity Wrestling Invitational | St. Croix Lutheran Academy |
| TBD | 7:00am / 2:00pm | JV Wrestling Invitational | North St. Paul High School |
| TBD | 7:30am / 1:30pm | Middle School Wrestling Invitational | Washington Technology |
| 1:00pm / 3:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Baldwin | Charles M. Schulz Highland Ice Arena | |
| 1:00pm | Boys Swimming and Diving True Team Meet | Southview Middle School | |
| 5:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Rochester Mayo | North Dale Rec Center | |
Brock Purdy makes historic first NFL career start in week 14
By: Abby Altman
For the past 4 seasons, Brock Purdy had been the face of the Iowa State Cyclones football program. The quarterback had been a consistent leader on and off the field, and his impressive performances caught the attention of many NFL scouts.
As a freshman in 2018, Purdy burst onto the scene by leading the Cyclones to an upset win over the then-No. 6 Oklahoma. He finished the season with 2,250 passing yards and 16 touchdowns, earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.
Over the next 3 seasons, Purdy continued to improve and establish himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the conference. He set a school record for passing yards in a season with 3,982 in 2019 and led the Cyclones to 3 straight bowl appearances.
In his senior season, Purdy threw for 3,188 yards and 19 touchdowns, leading Iowa State to a 7-3 record and a victory over Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl. He was named a team captain and earned All-Big 12 honorable mention honors for the second time in his collegiate career.
As the very last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Brock Purdy inherited the title of Mr. Irrelevent. However, this season has been nothing but relevant for Purdy. After being drafted 262nd in the draft out of Iowa State, Purdy joined the San Francisco 49ers as a 3rd string quarterback behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garrapolo.
Trey Lance suffered a season-ending injury in week 2, making Jimmy Garrapolo the starter and Purdy the number 1 backup. Then in week 13, Garrapolo suffered a severe ankle injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the regular season.
Purdy stepped up late in the 1st quarter versus the Dolphins in week 13, completing 29/37 with 210 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Purdy led to 49ers to a 33-17 victory over Miami.
After his impressive showing, Purdy was set to have his first career NFL start in week 14, against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Purdy’s family bought tickets to this game weeks prior, hoping to see Tom Brady play, not knowing this would be their son’s first career start. And what a start it was.
Purdy and the 49ers spoiled Tom Brady’s homecoming, beating Tampa Bay 35-7. Purdy threw 16/21, with 185 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 28-yard back-shoulder touchdown pass to RB Christian McCaffrey, and a 32-yard touchdown pass to WR Brandon Aiyuk. Brock Purdy led the 49ers offense to 4 touchdown drives in the 1st half alone.
Purdy made sure to find NFL legend Tom Brady on the field post-game. “You played great,” Brady said as the two shook hands. “Good job. Good going.”
Late into the blowout, Purdy was taken out of the game and replaced by former 4th-string QB Josh Johnson.
Just a day after Purdy’s historic start, news broke regarding his health and current situation. The rookie QB managed to handily defeat Brady and the Bucs, all while playing through an oblique and rib injury. Purdy underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the situation. The QB was listed as day-to-day following testing, suggesting that Purdy avoided serious injury.
Purdy stated in a press conference that he could have finished the game, despite being taken out, and appears optimistic about his week 15 status.
“Yeah, I mean, we’ll see how it goes this week,” Purdy said. “I just felt a little tight at the end, just from taking some hits. But honestly, if I needed to play throughout the rest of the game, I definitely would have. So, I’m going to get some treatment on it and will be ready to roll.”
After a quick turnaround, the 49ers played the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football, taking a 21-13 victory. Purdy was cleared to play through his injury, and went 17/26, with 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. With this victory, the 49ers officially clinched the NFC West and secured their spot in the playoffs.
Now that the NFC West and a spot in the playoffs have been clinched, less pressure currently sits on the 49ers shoulders for the last few games of the season. For Purdy, however, the starting spot is not automatically his going into the playoffs.
While it is unlikely for veteran QB Jimmy Garrapolo to return in time for the 49ers playoff run, Purdy will need to continue winning in order to secure the starting position in the chance that Garrapolo does return.
Purdy beat the Commanders 37-20 in week 16, completing 15/22, with 234 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.
While it seemed as if there wasn’t much change likely in the 49ers playoff scenario, Brock Purdy led San Francisco to yet another victory, this time in overtime against the Raiders in week 17. Combined with a Minnesota Vikings loss to Gren Bay, the 49ers have moved up into the 2nd seed in the NFC. A victory in week 18 will secure the number 2 seed.
Purdy has played 4 games in the National Football League and is just the 4th rookie quarterback in history to win his first 4 NFL starts.
San Francisco will finish off the season in week 18 against the Cardinals.
Sports schedule for: Jan 2-7
| ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: JANUARY 2 – JANUARY 7 | |||
| MONDAY | JANUARY 2 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 2:00pm | JV Girls Hockey vs Bloomington Jefferson | Phalen Ice Arena | |
| TUESDAY | JANUARY 3 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 4 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 3:45pm | 2:20pm / 5:15pm | Nordic Ski Race | Battle Creek Regional Park |
| 4:15pm / 4:15pm 6:00pm | 3:15pm / 8:45pm | Boys Basketball vs. Mound Westonka | Mound Westonka High School |
| 5:00pm | Wrestling vs. Como Park | HOME | |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Boys Hockey vs. Bloomington Kennedy | Charles M. Schulz – Highland Arena | |
| 6:00pm | Gymnastics Conference Meet | HOME | |
| THURSDAY | JANUARY 5 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 5:00pm | JV Girls Hockey vs. Armstrong | New Hope Arena | |
| FRIDAY | JANUARY 6 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:15pm / 6:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. Columbia Heights | HOME | |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Hastings | WSP Ice Arena | |
| 7:00pm | 5:30pm / 8:15pm | Boys Swimming and Diving vs. Como Park | Humboldt High School |
| SATURDAY | JANUARY 7 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| TBD | Dance Invitational | Two Rivers High School | |
| 9:30am | 6:15am / 4:15pm | Wrestling Invitational | Brooklyn Center High School |
| 10:45am | 9:00am / 1:45pm | Boys Swimming and Diving Invitational | Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center |
| 11:00am | Gymnastics Invitational | Park High School | |
Croatia makes a good run but falls short in the semifinals
By: Aeden Evenson-McDermott
After narrowly escaping the Groups stages with the 0-0 tie with Belgium, Croatia would feature in the Round of 16 against Japan on December 5th. In the first half, Japan would be adventurous and have a more free flow approach. Just before halftime, Daizen Maeda scored a goal that was deflected and bounced through the Croatian defense for the 1-0 lead.
Just after halftime, and in the 55th minute, Croatia’s Dejan Lovren crossed an on point ball which found its way to forward Ivan Perišić who excitingly got the breakthrough with a thrasher header, which was beautifully perfected and put into the bottom right corner of the goal. Both teams would go back and forth between possessions. Croatia would reclaim and take the midfield and be more physically dominant.
After the Croatia goal, Japan would rise to the occasion and wouldn’t go down too easily. Wataru Endo would test goalkeeper Dominik Livaković with a shot fired from way outside the box which for sure stung the hands of Livaković.
As the game drew to a close of the 90 minutes regulation, it would be sent to an additional 30 minutes of extra time. With no score in the additional 30 minutes it would be the first penalty shootout of the 2022 Qatar World Cup to decide the winner.
Following 2018’s World Cup, Croatia was pretty dominant when it came to a penalty shootout. The first two penalties for Japan were saved and Croatia came through and converted theirs. A clutch performance by Croatia’s keeper Livaković would send them on to the next round of the quarterfinals.
On December 9, Croatia would turn their attention to the epic finale of facing Brazil. With the odds stacked against them, and many counting the Croats out, it would have to be a spectacular performance to hold Brazil at bay.
Croatia came out ready to play with a refined passing game and the upper hand in the possession. Croatia wasn’t intimidated by the pace of Brazil and stood firm. The first half was pretty back and fourth but the second half would contain more drama.
When the ball came in and there were claims of a handball on right back Josip Juranović, VAR (video assistant referee) got involved but quickly shut the down the possibility of a penalty.
In the rest of the second half, Livaković would be busy as he would have to eliminate the ball getting to the back of the net. Croatia held their breath as the moments ticking down to the 90 minutes of regulation occurred.
It would be an additional 30 minutes of extra time. Both sides would exchange opportunities and go on the attack. Just before the end of the first period of extra time, Brazil’s Neymar dribbled his way and eloquently slotted the ball into Livaković’s net. 1-0 to Brazil.
Croatia would need to channel their inner belief to get the equalizer and take it to penalties. Croatia came out strong for the second period of extra time and would make Brazil play into Croatia’s hands and style of play.
With the inability of giving up hope and surrendering, Bruno Petković would have a powerful shot which took a deflection off a Brazilian defender, and went past goalkeeper Alisson in the 117 minute. 1-1!
It would send it to penalties once again and Croatia would need to stand tall.
Rodrygo would be denied on the first penalty kick by Livaković. Nikola Vlašić, Casemiro, Lovro Majer, Pedro, and Croatia captain Luka Modrić would all convert theirs with Croatia having the 3-2 lead.
Marquinhos of Brazil would need to step up in order to keep the Brazil dream alive. A poor run up would lead to Marquinhos hitting the front side of the post and the ball going out. Such a big missed opportunity which would cost them the game as Croatia’s Mislav Oršić got the deciseful winner!
Brazil would be kicking themselves and left asking themselves questions. Why didn’t Neymar step up to take the penalty? Following the game, Brazil’s manager Tite would resign and leave the team.
On December 13, Croatia played Argentina for the semi final clash. Modrić vs Messi. Two incredible players with much history. Croatia would again be the underdogs. After a successful run of the World Cup so far, Croatia would come out flat footed and discombobulated in many ways against Argentina. Croatia had much of the possession in the first half but Modrić was limited in his abilities by the play of Argentina.
An early penalty in the 34th minute would start the unraveling for them. The referee was quite poor with many calls but this, in my opinion, was not a penalty. Julián Alvarez of Argentina was going for the ball and actually initiated the contact by running into Livaković. The ref gave Livaković a yellow which was totally a joke, in many ways, because if you give a penalty you can’t do a card as well. Anyways, Messi of course would smash the ball into the upper part of the goal and give Argentina the lead.
A few minutes later, in the 39th minute Alvarez would dribble himself down the field and weave his way through the Croatian defense and score to make it 2-0 going into halftime.
The second half was a bit more composed for Croatia but Argentina was still quite dominant. In the 69th minute Messi would dribble Croatian sensation center back Joško Gvardiol down the field and dump the ball off to Alvarez with another great feed to ultimately make it 3-0. It was a costly defeat and unfortunate for such a great Croatian team through the World Cup.
Another great player, the captain, the heart and soul, the savior, of the team, Luka Modrić would have his last go at the World Cup but would fall short.
Congrats to Argentina and more importantly Messi! Argentina faces France for the World Cup final on Sunday the 18th, at 9 am on FOX, while Croatia will make a run for the bronze medal as they take on Morocco on Saturday the 17th, at 9 am on FOX as well. Should be an exciting weekend and hopefully a good roundup of the 2022 Qatar World Cup!
Be on the lookout for the recap of the final, and 3rd place game, of the World Cup as well!
Sports schedule for: Dec 12-17
| ATHLETIC EVENTS SCHEDULE: DECEMBER 12 – DECEMBER 17 | |||
| MONDAY | DECEMBER 12 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| TUESDAY | DECEMBER 13 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:00pm / 4:00pm 6:00pm | Boys Basketball vs. Two Rivers | HOME | |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Hill-Murray | WSP Ice Arena | |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | JV: 3:30pm V: 4:45pm / 8:45pm | Boys Hockey vs. Simley | Veterans Memorial Community Center |
| 5:30pm / 7:00pm | 4:30pm / 8:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. Twin Cities Academy | Twin Cities Academy |
| WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 14 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 3:45pm | 3:10pm / 5:15pm | Nordic Ski Race | Bloomington Hyland |
| 5:00pm | Wrestling vs. St. Agnes / Tartan | HOME | |
| THURSDAY | DECEMBER 15 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| FRIDAY | DECEMBER 16 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| 4:00pm / 4:00pm 6:00pm | Boys Basketball vs. MPLS Roosevelt | HOME | |
| 5:00pm / 7:00pm | Girls Hockey vs. Simley | Veterans Memorial Community Center | |
| 5:30pm / 7:00pm | 4:15pm / 8:00pm | Girls Basketball vs. Two Rivers | Two Rivers High School |
| 7:00pm | 3:30pm / 8:45pm | Boys Hockey vs. Mora | Mora Civic Arena |
| 7:00pm | 5:40pm / 8:20pm | Boys Swimming and Diving vs. Harding | Humboldt High School |
| SATURDAY | DECEMBER 17 | ||
| TIME | BUS TIMES | EVENT | LOCATION |
| TBD | Dance Team Invitational | Becker High School | |
| 9:00am | 6:30am / 4:00pm | JV Wrestling Invitational | Trinity School at River Ridge |
The problems permeating Qatar’s World Cup
By: Jocelyn Knorr
**For sake of consistency and international standardization, the word “football” here refers to the sport that the United States calls “soccer.”**
The FIFA World Cup is a quadrennial football competition, in which countries fight tooth and nail to even qualify. It’s an incredible honor to win, and even more of an honor to host—not to mention it’s incredibly profitable. So, it came as a shocking surprise when Qatar, a Middle Eastern country smaller than the state of Connecticut, was awarded the 2022 competition.
Before 1971, Qatar was a nation largely built off of pearl diving and trade. Then, oil and natural gas was found in the little peninsula, rocketing it to international wealth, a coup in 1972 cementing the monarchy. It’s 2008 bid for hosting was described by the country as an attempt to humanize it—get away from oil, sharia law, and its relationship with neighboring Iran. Because of this, Qatar has been accused of sportswashing.
The bid was off to a rocky start—in 2009, a delegate from FIFA, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, visited the country to inspect its infrastructure. His report was a resounding no—Qatar was too small, and was a sweltering 120ºF during the traditional World Cup window of June-July (an issue that has been “solved” by pushing it to the middle of the traditional football season, a massive upset to the schedule that has caused injury, disruption, and lost wages for those whose salaries depend upon the game). Not only did it lack a football stadium, but hotels, highways, and an airport too. Qatar countered with plans for stadiums and hotels, and a proposition to push the tournament back six months. The council was convinced, and in 2010 Qatar was confirmed as host for the 2022 World Cup. Al-Jazeera, a Qatari media company owned by the king, had started broadcasting news of the victory six hours earlier.
All was not well within FIFA, however; before the year was out, every single official who voted on the Qatar decision would be investigated for, or convicted of, corruption. 2 members had already been banned from voting because of an attempt to sell their votes; the US Justice department accused 3 South American officials of accepting 7-figure bribes from the Qatari government. Sepp Blattman, president of FIFA at the time, has been banned from ever holding an administration position within football for the rest of his life.
Nevertheless, the decision held, and Qatar embarked on a massive nation-building project, the likes of which the country had never before seen. To achieve all this, Qatar began recruiting foreign workers; workers from places like Uruguay and Pakistan poured in by the thousands. Qatar has a population of over 2 million, but only 15% of those people are citizens. Instead, the country depends upon foreign labor to keep the economy moving.
Conditions are awful; workers sleep in cramped conditions, passports are held by employers, and they are forbidden to leave or change jobs without the consent of their employers. Many of these migrant workers are in construction, working for over 18 hours a day to build Qatar’s stadiums and hotels; they are making barely 13 USD an hour.
More than 6,500 of these workers have died in the sweltering heat, among them a man named Mosharraf Hossen. He moved from Bangladesh to Qatar in 2014, getting a job working on a stadium to support his family. He died in 2018, collapsing when temperatures reached upwards of 115º; the Qatari government has denied this, and has put ‘cardiac arrest’ on his death certificate. The family has now been left without a way to earn money.
Qatari officials have stated that, more often than not, compensation is received in labor disputes, and the country will not take “destructive criticism” from outside observers. “The World Cup is a stage that will end in [December], but our laws are ongoing and being developed and we don’t implement them [only] for the World Cup.” said Qatar’s Assistant Undersecretary of Labor, Mohamed al-Obaidly.
There are other human rights issues to take into account, as well; namely the treatment of women and gay men. Female citizens of Qatar need to get permission from a male guardian for just about everything, even after a divorce. Pregnant attendees have been advised to be prepared to show a marriage certificate if medical care is necessary, and there have been repeated cases of sexual assaults on women going not only unpunished, but the women being penalized for “fornication outside of marriage.”
As for homosexuality, it’s punishable by jail time—and even the death penalty for Muslims. The Qatari officials have made attempts at sweeping these laws under the rug; despite this, Khalid Salmen, a Qatari football player turned FIFA ambassador, has been quoted as saying that “homosexuality is damage in the mind.” He has been defended fiercely, with Qatar stating that these laws are part of the country’s “conservative values.”
In light of these policies, female fans are being advised by human rights groups to proceed with extreme caution, and LGBTQ fans have been advised to cancel their tickets altogether.
The Qatari government has also been rumored to be using fake fans as a surveillance tactic; allegedly, these are paid plants meant to create atmosphere and hype up the crowd artificially. If this is true, they also serve the secondary function of sniffing out and reporting anti-Qatar sentiment on social media. Qatar has responded to these rumors with a statement from the Qatar World Cup 2022 Supreme Committee; “Fans from all over the world — many of whom have made Qatar their home — have contributed to the local atmosphere recently, organizing fan walks and parades throughout the country, and welcoming the various national teams at their hotels. Numerous journalists and commentators on social media have questioned whether these are ‘real’ fans. We thoroughly reject these assertions, which are both disappointing and unsurprising.”
Taken altogether, these issues with the World Cup have left many fans upset and disquieted. Miles Robinson, a freshman at Highland, and Mary Steffy, a teacher here, have been kind enough to speak to me about their feelings on the matter.
Miles Robinson is a freshman here—the MVP and captain of the Highland freshman football team, this sport is a large part of his life. He’s supporting the Dutch team this year, with USA and France as a close second (allez les Bleus!) Outside of World Cup season, he follows almost every league imaginable—including USA’s MLS, the English Premier League, and Germany’s Bundesliga.
“It shouldn’t be there. Honestly, FIFA was 100% bribed for it to be there. If you look at the infrastructure that was there before 2010, it was minimal at best; they had one major stadium, and had to build nine more. Close to 7,000 workers died building those stadiums. They had so few people in the country, they had to get thousands of migrant workers to build (them). They spent over 200 billion US dollars on infrastructure— they had to build cities, build railroads. They spent way, way too much money and time preparing.
“Not to mention the fact that this World Cup had to be moved to November as opposed to the summer. If a World Cup has to be moved, should it be held in that country? The FIFA World Cup is a staple of the summers. Most professional leagues’ seasons go from August to May—holding this in the summer means that most of the teams’ best players are either going to be tired or injured. France are one of the favorites to win this year, and they have five starting players out with major injuries, because this is the middle of their season. This gives less talented teams an advantage.”
The news coming out of Qatar of human rights and climate problems has even driven some people to a boycott—people like Madame Mary Steffy, another person kind enough to speak to me about their views. She’s a French and AVID teacher here at Highland Park Senior High; not a football fan, as a rule, the one exception being the World Cup. This year, she would be supporting the French national team, famously nicknamed “les Bleus”—she’s Luxembourgish, but the country is too small to support a national team, or indeed a league at all. She found out about the human rights abuses largely via Francophone news sources.
“Monsieur Curry and I follow a lot of online sites, and there was a lot shared—most of Paris and a lot of larger cities in France, for example, are not, on public television, showing any of the games. So we started reading all about it; I had heard some things, even, in the last couple of years about the construction going on in Qatar, and how so many young men had been dying and getting their bodies sent home with [death certificates] saying they had died of natural causes when that was not, in fact, true. The conditions were appalling—it was hot, there was no food or water, [employers] would take their passports, there were injuries; there were just a lot of human rights issues that I became aware of.
“I also became aware, in the past few months, of all the climate issues. When you host a large event like this—even the Olympics—it’s terrible for the planet in general, but Qatar had promised that this was going to be the ‘greenest’ World Cup ever. They really greenwashed it, and that has not happened.”
This is largely a France-based movement, but for Mme Steffy, it’s not a large group effort; it’s just about showing Qatar that they don’t want a World Cup that has been built by the blood of the workers.
“I don’t want to give any of my time, money, energy or attention to a country that has such appalling abuses of people coming in—actually about 90% of their society—and their stance on the LGBTQ community, whom any association with is punishable by death, even for visitors there. I personally, refuse to give them my time, money, or attention; which is what they get when I watch.”
For more information, please visit:
- https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/sports/soccer/world-cup-qatar-2022.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-world-cup&variant=show®ion=BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT&block=storyline_flex_guide_recirc&scrlybrkr=b2353866
- https://www.npr.org/2022/11/22/1138555830/qatar-a-tiny-country-in-the-middle-east-is-a-controversial-host-for-the-world-cu
- https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2022/nov/08/david-squires-on-qatar-2022-and-a-world-cup-whistleblower-story?scrlybrkr=b2353866
- https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2022/nov/10/david-squires-on-qatar-2022-the-invisible-man-world-cup-story-migrant-worker
- https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/middleeast/qatar-dutch-woman-rape-report-jail
- https://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/story/4782322/world-cup-worker-died-qatar-suffering-to-survive-e60
- https://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/story/4804135/qatar-bite-back-at-fake-world-cup-fans-claims
- https://www.npr.org/2022/11/18/1137204271/qatar-world-cup-controversies?scrlybrkr=b2353866
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