Park High School coaches want conference change, but what about community? Public meeting planned
January 9, 2012
By: Scott Wente, South Washington County Bulletin
Park High School athletic staff see leaving the Suburban East Conference as a way to bolster the school’s sports programs, but first want to hear from the community.
The school’s activities department is inviting students, parents, teachers and local residents to a “community input night” on Park athletics and activities Wednesday, Jan. 11. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the Park lecture hall.
The meeting, to be led by Park Activities Director Phil Kuemmel, comes as coaches and staff are looking at ways to improve the school’s competition and bolster participation. Kuemmel said there is general consensus among coaches that the best solution is to leave the big-school-dominated Suburban East Conference, where Park has struggled to compete in many sports.
Kuemmel acknowledged that any decision about a conference change would require District 833 School Board approval and that so far discussion mostly has involved school coaches and staff.
“We’re trying to improve the climate in the whole entire building” he said of Park.
Superintendent Mark Porter said any proposed change would need the support of the broader Park community, not just the consensus of a small group of coaches. He and School Board members encouraged Kuemmel to solicit more ideas and feedback.
“It does need a broader input before you would move this thing ahead,” Porter said of a conference change. “We’re willing to explore it.”
All three District 833 high schools are in the Suburban East, but Park teams generally have fared worse among conference opponents.
Kuemmel said Park has “unique challenges” that East Ridge and Woodbury high schools may not face and said school staff and coaches believe the district should consider “expanded opportunities” to help Park students.
Park has a higher percentage of students from low-income families, and Kuemmel said Park’s “socioeconomic demographics” are a factor in student-athlete participation. For instance, he said, there are fewer youth traveling athletic teams in Park’s boundary than in Woodbury’s or East Ridge’s, and those teams serve as feeder systems to the high school programs.
Also, Kuemmel said, more Park students may have to decide between getting an after-school job and playing sports.
“I would say that definitely comes into play,” he said.
A smaller pool of participants can make it harder to compete against larger schools, he said.
Kuemmel said some Park teams are competitive in the Suburban East, but a conference change may be better for “the overall culture of Park athletics.”
The Classic Suburban Conference could be an attractive alternative for Park because the schools are similar in size and athletic offerings, Kuemmel said.
“We’re not just going to go anywhere,” he said.
For instance, Park is not eyeing the St. Paul City Conference as an alternative, as some have speculated.
“That’s not going to happen,” he said.
If Park were to leave the Suburban East and was not picked up by the Classic Suburban, it may explore creating a new conference, Kuemmel said. That was unsuccessfully floated in previous discussions about Park’s conference alignment.
Even if Park left the Suburban East, the school still would want to compete against intra-district rivals Woodbury and East Ridge in non-conference competition, Kuemmel said.
Short of a conference change, there are other ways District 833 could help Park, Kuemmel said. For instance, it could restore team bus service to away games at Woodbury and East Ridge. That was eliminated in budget reductions, and student-athletes now must carpool or rely on bus service paid for by booster clubs. Those clubs increasingly are being used as a funding source.
Kuemmel said that school officials want to get public input on “a number of issues affecting Park High school.” He said the school’s focus is to offer “high quality, competitive athletic programs at Park.”
Park girls soccer: Family Matters
October 27, 2011
[By: Patrick Johnson, Sports Editor, South Washington County Bulletin]
There may never be anything quite like it again.
This fall, the Park girls soccer program fielded five sets of sisters – 11 girls in all – enough to form a full soccer team on their own.
Longtime Park head coach Greg Juba said the camaraderie between the girls created a special aura on the Wolfpack this season.
Despite starting a number of underclassmen, Park improved upon last year’s 6-7-3 record, going 12-4-1 in 2011. The Wolfpack finished second in the Suburban East Conference and was ranked 10th in the final Class AA regular-season poll.
“For a lot of reasons, our motto last year was ‘We are family,’” Juba said. “We brought out the song and played it all the time. It seemed to carry over to this year, where we had all the sisters with us and we seemed to work very well together. It helped having those sisters. We feel there was special stuff happening because of it.”
All three of Park’s captains – seniors Megan Diamond, Mo Castro and Rachel Kothe – have sisters in the Park High School girls soccer program.
Castro, a central midfielder, and her ninth- grade sister Maddy, an attacker, both played for the varsity team. Rachel Kothe, an attacker, played alongside her sister Lindsay, a midfielder and defender, on the varsity team. Diamond, who was injured this fall, wore the green and white along with her sophomore sister Erin and freshman sister Annie. Erin played on the JV team and Annie played on the B-squad for the Wolfpack. Also, twin sisters Annie and Carlie Williams each started on the varsity team as freshmen. Annie played a pivotal role as sweeper and Carlie played central midfield. Sisters Marta and Jenna Swenson also played for Park this year. Marta, a senior, was injured in 2011. Jenna, a sophomore, started for the varsity team as a defender.
“You have all these girls that are sisters and it’s kind of cool,” Juba said. “They may play on different squads, but they all helped each other out on the practice field. We try to do a lot of things as a program, too.”
There were many occasions this fall when Mo and Maddie Castro, Rachel and Lindsay Kothe and Annie and Carlie Williams were all on the field at the same time.
“It’s nice having my sister on the team, because she knows me so well and knows how to talk to me, especially when I get frustrated,” Mo Castro said. “It’s nice to know she has my back.”
Mo said she and her sister get along very well and they both relished the opportunity to play together.
“I know it means the world to her,” Mo said. “It’s my senior year and our last chance to play together. We were both super excited when she made the team. We’re best friends.”
Megan Diamond said she has played with her sisters before for the Cottage Grove Athletic Association. She said they have a special connection on the field.
“It’s really nice playing with them, because we almost don’t have to talk, we just know where we are on the field,” Megan Diamond said. “It’s really fun to experience that.”
Though Rachel Kothe began playing soccer since she was 4 years-old and Lindsay Kothe started playing soccer when she was 5, the two girls had never played on the same team before this fall.
“I thought she had a chance to make the team,” Rachel Kothe said. “When she was named to be on varsity, I was super psyched about it.”
The year started with Rachel showing Lindsay the ropes as part of Link Crew – a program that pairs seniors and freshmen at Park – along with soccer practices at the end of summer.
“On the first day of school I was really nervous,” Lindsay Kothe said. “She helped with that. With soccer, I was really stressed out and scared to play varsity, but she’s a good soccer player and she’s taught me to be a better one.”
In addition to soccer, Rachel and Lindsay – the only two sisters in the family – also both play basketball and track, so there will be a lot more time to bond this year.
“It makes my senior year so much more fun,” Rachel Kothe said. “I get to spend way more time with my sister before I leave for college next year. We’re going to be playing three sports together this season. It’ll be fun. We really have to like each other. ”
Park football: Wolfpack’s season ends with 44-7 loss to rival Woodbury
October 27, 2011
[By: Patrick Johnson, Sports Editor, South Washington County Bulletin]
There weren’t many surprises in the Section 4AAAAA quarterfinal as the second-seeded Woodbury Royals steamrolled rival Park, the seventh seed in the seven-team section, 44-7 on Tuesday, Oct. 25, under the lights of Woodbury’s Royals Stadium.
Up 21-7 at the half, Woodbury scored 20 points in the third quarter to put the game on ice and advance to the semifinal. The Royals (6-3) will now play host to third-seeded Eagan, which beat six seed Minneapolis South 50-0 in the playoff opener, on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. The Wildcats were 5-4 on the year.
In the win over Park, Woodbury took advantage of the big play.
With a 21-7 lead starting the second half, Woodbury junior quarterback Sawyer Moon hit senior receiver Ryan Fritze with a 68 yard catch-and-run down to the Wolfpack’s 6-yard line. Three plays later, Woodbury junior running back Quaran Al-Hameed punched in his third of four touchdowns in the game from the 2-yard line to put Woodbury up 28-7 with 9:09 left in the third quarter, dashing any hopes Park had of an upset.
In the first half, the Royals blocked two punts and turned them into touchdowns to go ahead 14-0. Then, after recovering a Park fumble, Woodbury went up 21-0 with 10:36 remaining in the first half.
Park (0-9) showed life in the middle of the second quarter, however.
On the heels of a Woodbury fumble, recovered by Park’s Jordan Reeves on the Wolfpack’s own 39 yard line, Park junior running back Dylan Smallidge broke off a 44-yard touchdown run, turning the corner and sprinting down the left sideline.
After the Wolfpack forced a Woodbury three-and-out, the Wolfpack drove down to the Royals’ 34-yard line. However, Woodbury defensive back Andrew Norlander picked off a Kyle Fritz pass to end the threat and the two teams went into the locker rooms with a 21-7 game.
In the second half, though, it was all Woodbury, which put in its reserves midway through the fourth quarter after building a 44-7 lead, capped by a 48-yard field goal by Royals’ kicker Trevor Lo.
Al-Hameed had 12 carries for 124 yards and four touchdowns and Moon completed 11 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 42 yards to lead the Royals in the game. Also, senior tight end Jordan Voit caught five passes, including two touchdowns.
Despite the loss, Park junior running back Dylan Smallidge was a beast for the Wolfpack, running 21 times for 137 yards and a touchdown in the game.
Park’s season ends with a 20-game losing streak. The Wolfpack’s last win was Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, 27-25 over East Ridge. The Wolfpack is now 3-34 since the start of 2008 season.
Park must now say good-bye to 18 seniors, including Fritz, who was second in the Suburban East Conference in passing yards, D’Monte Farley, who was third in the SEC in receiving yards and a key player in the Wolfpack’s defensive backfield, and team captain and defensive tackle LaVonte Hardie.
PHS Hall of Fame Inductees
September 26, 2011
Park High School is honored to announce the seventh class for induction in the Park High School Hall of Fame. These alumni are being recognized for this prestigious award because of their athletic excellence while representing Park High School. The coaches and community members are being honored for their commitment to the youth in our community and their dedication and support of Park athletics. The following are the individuals selected into the 2011 Hall of Fame:
Jerome Detviler (Coach/Class of ‘68): “JD” participated in football and track and field while at Park High School, but is probably best known for his efforts as a long-time coach in soccer, Nordic skiing, and track and field. While his teams were very successful, his ability to bring a love for the sport to his athletes made him a great coach.
William Hare (Class of ‘61): Bill earned ten varsity letters at Park in football, basketball, and baseball. He was a standout baseball player at Hamline University and is inducted in their hall of Fame. Hare was a successful baseball coach (winning four state championships) and athletic director at Greenway Coleraine High School.
Norm Larsen (Coach/Athletic Director): Mr. Larsen was the head football coach at Park for ten years and led the 1959 team to an undefeated 9-0 season. After his coaching career, Norm continued to serve as Park’s athletic director until his retirement in 1977. Larsen was instrumental in establishing the “Citizens for Lights” committee which raised money for lights at the Oltman field and is still giving away scholarship money to District 833 students today.
Leslie (Bloedel) Mollner (Class of ‘89): Leslie was a three-year state meet participant in diving while at Park, and finished in 11th in the state her senior year. She also excelled at gymnastics, where she led her teams to two state meet appearances and was an individual state champion in the vault. Leslie twice earned All-American honors as a gymnast at Gustavus Adolphus, leading her team to four straight Division III national championships.
Tim Scanlan (Class of ‘79): Tim was a three sport stand-out all three years that he attended Park, participating in football, basketball, and track. He continued his athletic career at the U of M, as a high jumper freshman year and a member of the JV basketball team his sophomore year. Scanlan is currently the vice president of event production at ESPN, and in 2003 won an Emmy Award for Technical Achievement.
The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 5:00p.m. at Mississippi Dunes on Grey Cloud Island. For ticket information, call Activities Director Phil Kuemmel at 651/768-5720. Once again, congratulations to this year’s inductees. We look forward to honoring them in November.
NBA Update: Timberwolves come Alive
January 12, 2009
Am I in a dream? Or have the TimberWolves won five straight games? It’s not a dream, its reality. The Wolves have won five straight, and seven out of their last ten. This is after not having a two game win streak since 2007. So I have to ask: How exactly are the Wolves playing so well?
The Wolves are playing so well for a couple reasons; the first reason is that they have big Al Jefferson. Jefferson is dominant under the boards, averaging 22.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He is solidifying himself as a star in this league, and he just turned 24 years old, so he will be a big part of TimberWolves in the years to come. Reason number two: Randy Foye is starting to look like he is becoming the play maker he was drafted to be. After a solid rookie campaign, and a not so solid sophomore campaign because of injuries, he is starting to look like he has a bright future. After changing from being a point guard to a shooting guard, Foye is looking more comfortable shooting the ball, and running the offense when he has to. You can tell that because he has been averaging 20 points per game during this five game win streak.
The Kevin Love for O.J. Mayo trade isn’t looking so bad anymore either. Sure, O.J. Mayo is the front runner for the rookie of the year award, but Kevin Love is looking like he will be a dominant rebounder in NBA. All Love needs to do is get comfortable shooting the ball, and he will be a good player. Most fans forget, but Love was a fantastic shooter last year for UCLA, and right now is shooting 42 percent from the floor, which is pretty good for a 20 year old kid who is in his first year in the NBA. Once he gets comfortable, who knows how many points he will score? He is definitely capable of the big numbers.
After being released of his GM duties and sent to coach the team that he made, Kevin McHale is looking like a pretty good coach, but everything looks good when you win five straight games. He did the same thing when he fired Flip Saunders a couple years ago; he made the team look better and win more games, but this year… this year may be different. McHale is looking like he can get the most out of his players, and they seem to be playing with a lot more energy and finesse. The team has been playing fantastic defense as of late. Maybe, firing Randy Whitman was a good move after all.
The fact of the matter is that the TimberWolves are still 11-25, and have a long way until they are a good team. Even though they are playing well, their record makes them look like an awful team, and they still need to make a few moves to become a great team. They have four first round draft picks next year, and they should either trade them for a star player or trade up in the draft and draft one of the best players, because now that the TimberWolves are winning, their draft pick is getting higher, and we need one of the top draft picks. They also need to draft wisely, something they have done for their existence as an NBA franchise.
Celtics Win 15th straight game
December 18, 2008
On Monday night the Boston Celtics extended their win streak to 15 games. his now puts the Celtics record at 23-2 the best start in 25 games in the teams’ history.
The win came against the 15-11 Utah Jazz by a score of 100-91. The play of point guard Rajon Rondo is what pushed the Celtics past the Jazz with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. The reigning defensive of player of the year Kevin Garnett added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Another key part of the Celtics All-star forward Paul Pierce had 15 points and 5 rebounds but left the game with a hyper extended knee and did not return to the game.
The Jazz put up a good fight as their forward Paul Milsap scored a career high in points with 32 to lead his team in scoring. Even with his injury point guard Deron Williams had a solid game with 15 points and 7 assists. The Jazz played well but in the end the Champion Boston Celtics were too much to handle.
Celtics:
- Rajon Rondo 25 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists
- Ray Allen 12 points, 3 rebounds
- Paul Pierce 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
- Kevin Garnett 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists
- Kendrick Perkins 15 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists
Jazz:
- Deron Williams 15 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds
- Ronnie Brewer 8 points, 3 assists, 1 rebounds
- C.J. Miles 5 points
- Paul Milsap 32 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
- Mehmet Okur 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Letters To Lucy: Dropping the Ball
December 15, 2008
Dear Lucy,
My dad wants me to do sports but I’m not really into it anymore. He’s gonna be steamed. What can I tell him?
Dropping the Ball
Dear Dropping the Ball,
Here’s the deal: this is your life, not your father’s. If you choose not to participate in sports anymore, that affects YOU, not your dad. In my opinion, you should sit him down and explain why you don’t want to do sports. Thank him for his support while you were in sports, so that he understands that this isn’t about you simply rebelling. Unless of course this is about you rebelling, then I don’t know what to tell you ;D
Best of Luck,
Lucy
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