Park Center's two consecutive softball state tournament titles coincided with its drop to Class 2A, the second-largest of the sport's three classes.

The Pirates will return to the Class 3A ranks next spring, and while it's anyone guess how they will fare in the postseason, it appears they will not be overmatched.

Reasons for optimism start with the roster. Just four seniors saw action in the championship victory against Hermantown. Among the returning players are pitcher Nicola Tade, who threw a perfect game (five innings) in the quarterfinals, and Kati Fern, a leadoff hitter who ignites the lineup. In addition, infielder Megan VanHulzen made the all-tournament team.

Regular season success against the Class 3A teams in the Northwest Suburban Conference is another strong indicator of the Pirates' potency. They went 14-2 in the conference this season and are 27-7 in the past two seasons. Five NWSC schools will join Park Center in Class 3A, Section 5 for the next two seasons.

Coaching changes• Three new coaches -- Greg Amundson (girls' basketball), Ritch Menne (boys' hockey) and Brandon Mortenson (boys' basketball) -- will direct Centennial teams beginning next winter. Amundson and Menne are replacing the retiring Jill Becken and Erik Aus, respectively. Mortenson was the interim head coach last season.

• Blaine High School announced the hiring of Mike Engelhaupt (girls' basketball) and Scott Zachmann (girls' soccer). Engelhaupt previously worked at Blaine as an assistant boys' basketball coach. Before Blaine, he was girls basketball coach at Columbia Heights. He replaces Steve Reiter, who retired after 29 years. Zachmann has more than 15 years of coaching experience, including a stint at Concordia-St. Paul.

• Carl Pierson has resigned as the girls' basketball coach at Champlin Park to take a teaching position at Waconia.

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574