If the first few weeks of the winter sports season are any indication, Minnehaha Academy fans are in for a lot of fun over the next few months.
The girls' basketball team, which suffered significant losses to graduation but still boasts one of the metro's top players in senior guard Sarah Kaminski, opened the season with back-to-back road victories over Zumbrota-Mazeppa and Dover-Eyota. The latter team is the defending Class 2A state champion and No. 1-ranked in preseason polls. The Redhawks will play three more road games before their first home contest on Dec. 21 against Holy Angels.
The boys' hockey team, looking to improve on a 16-9-1 campaign in 2014-15, opened the season with a 14-1 rout of Legacy Christian. It was the program's highest goal output in more than a decade. Josh Radtke and Alex Evenson scored four goals each.
Not to be outdone, the boys' basketball team, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, downed Class 4A Henry Sibley 66-61 in the season opener behind 17 points from eighth-grade guard Jalen Suggs.
Worth noting
• Benilde-St. Margaret's senior left wing Sydney Simone scored six goals in two games as the Red Knights won twice in the Holy Angels Thanksgiving Tournament.
• Two west metro football players have been selected to compete in national high school all-star football games. Eden Prairie linebacker Carter Coughlin, who has committed to Minnesota, will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 9 in the Alamodome in San Antonio. Minnetonka junior offensive lineman Aaron Moore will play for USA U-18 team, which takes on Team Canada in the International Bowl on Feb. 3 in Dallas.
Jim Paulsen • 612-673-7737
