Prep athletes of the week: Alonzo Dodd leads hoops turnaround at undefeated South St. Paul

ALONZO DODD

South St. Paul, basketball

The do-it-all junior guard shined for the undefeated Packers last week. He had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in an 88-53 victory over Hill-Murray, and posted a triple-double — 19 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists — in a 101-69 rout of Mahtomedi.

Dodd has been a key in the Packers' remarkable turnaround, from 16 seasons without double-digit victories to state tournament contender. He not only leads the team in scoring, but also in assists, rebounds and smart basketball plays.

Of all of South St. Paul's contributors to its 9-0 record, Dodd makes them all fit.

Says coach Matthew McCollister, "He's something special, man."

Unfailingly humble, Dodd brushes off kudos, saying his talented teammates "make it easy for me. That's the best feeling to play with, to have teammates like the guys I do."

He's thrilled to help South St. Paul shake its past image, but has one small regret: Distance learning has forced the Packers to play in front of limited fans rather than a packed gym.

"Everybody texts me, my teammates, coaches, everybody wants a ticket," Dodd said. "If we had fans, it would be way crazier, too crazy to comprehend."

EMMA CONNER

Edina, hockey

The senior forward became the leading goal-scorer in the state with a six-goal week. She had five goals in a 7-1 victory over Wayzata and had a power-play goal as the Hornets blanked Eden Prairie 3-0. She now has 19 goals in nine games.

CARLY GREENE

Benilde-St. Margaret's, hockey

The senior goalie has played more than 120 minutes without giving up a goal. After shutting down Blake in the third period on Feb. 6, she charted back-to-back shutouts, defeating Chaska/Chanhassen 5-0 and blanking potent Minnetonka 1-0.

TREY JOHNSTON

Spring Lake Park, basketball

The senior shooting guard shot his way to a monster game in a 78-59 victory over Rogers. He made 12 of 16 shots from the field, including six of eight three-pointers. He also was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line en route to a career-high 36 points.

KYLE KUKKONEN

Maple Grove, hockey

The Crimson's senior leader is far and away the leading scorer in the state after a remarkable 11-point week. He had two goals and an assist in a 10-0 victory over Osseo, and four goals and four assists in a 19-2 shellacking of Spring Lake Park. He has 39 points so far this season.

HANNA WEDEKING

New Prague, basketball

In her first varsity season, the junior guard has quickly caught on. While the inexperienced Trojans are struggling, Wedeking posted consecutive 29-point games and added a combined 20 rebounds in losses to Mound Westonka and Orono.

SAM ZILMER

Rockford, basketball

The play of the 6-5 junior guard has been a primary reason for the Rockets' 8-1 start. He averaged a double-double — 19 points, 11.5 rebounds — and added seven assists and five blocked shots in victories over Dassel-Cokato and New London-Spicer.

JIM PAULSEN

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