North-east metro prep sports first-half highlights

Picking on football teams their own size, from a competitive standpoint, suited the Totino-Grace Eagles just fine. They won the Class 6A game in the Prep Bowl by defeating mighty Eden Prairie 28-20. It's true Totino-Grace, a private school in Fridley, opts up two classes to compete against schools with larger enrollments. But underdogs, the Eagles are not. And now, they are undisputed top dogs.

Oct. 26, the day for which Mahtomedi girls' tennis coach Kathy Alex had prepared her team, started with a victory over 19-time defending state champion Edina and ended with the first state championship in team history. The Zephyrs ended Edina's run with a stunning 4-3 victory in the Class 2A team semifinals, then regrouped and cruised past Eagan 5-2 in the final to complete a memorable season.

The Stillwater boys' soccer team left no doubt, capping an undefeated season with a 2-0 victory against Wayzata in the Class 2A championship game. Along the way, the Ponies (22-0) ascended to No. 1 in the state, No. 4 in the nation and took every team's best punch. In the end, Stillwater won its first state title since the 1995 and 1996 teams went back-to-back.

Undefeated heading into the Class 2A girls' soccer state tournament, yet handed a No. 5 seed, Centennial earned respect with the program's first state championship. Tessa Trettel and Olivia Lovick, playing together for the first time, connected with veteran savvy. Trettel scored two goals, each on assists from Lovick, in a 2-1 victory against Rosemount.

Blaine freshman Isabelle Stadden won the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 2 minutes, 2.81 seconds at the Class 2A swimming state meet. She also placed second in the 100 backstroke (54.82). The monotony of organized practice once tested Stadden's swimming resolve. These days she's forcing the competition to work harder to keep pace.