Dueling orthodontic advertisements stripe the bottom of Hill Murray’s football scoreboard.

On Saturday, the Pioneers delivered a proverbial kick in the teeth to Johnson in a Class 4A, Section 3 semifinal, rolling to a 59-18 victory.

Grady Buettner rushed 10 times for 160 yards and three touchdowns and Brayden Hartmann completed 8 of 14 passes for 114 yards and three scores as the Pioneers led 38-12 at the half.

Hill-Murray’s Tristan Will breaks away for a big gain during his team’s 59-18 defeat of visiting Johnson in the Class 4A, Section 3 semifinal on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Tris Wykes / Special to the Pioneer Press)

Hill-Murray (8-1) scored on each its first-half possessions against a foe that tackled poorly and played without injured, lynchpin center Noah Yang for a third consecutive game.

Johnson had minus-31 rushing yards on 15 attempts. Ali Farfan completed 9 of 19 pass attempts for 216 yards and a touchdown.

The senior, who ran for an 11-yard touchdown, was repeatedly sacked before being replaced by freshman Sayvon Darrough, who competed 4 of 11 throws for 49 yards and an intreception.

“We’ve got a good, young group on defense, but we got out butt kicked against Byron,” said Hill-Murray coach Robert Reeves, whose 8-1 team lost to the Bears and their 26-man senior class by 36 points in September. “That’s a good way to learn about your team, and we made adjustments.”

Reeves said the Pioneers’ defense added a lineman for a five-man front and went with man-to-man coverage on the back end.

“We’ve got some good athletes up there who can come off the edge and in the secondary,” the coach said. “We’re not the biggest team but we’re quick and explosive. We figured we’d lock (receivers) up and get after the quarterback.”

Johnson High quarterback Sayvon Darrough prepares to throw against the Hill-Murray pass rush on at Hill-Murray on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. The host Pioneers won Class 4A, Section 3 semifinal, 59-18.(Tris Wykes / Special to the Pioneer Press)

Johnson’s 18 points are the most the Pioneers have surrendered outside of that Byron contest this season. The Governors (6-3) also scored on a 72-yard Farfan pass to Anthony Stevenson and a 91-yard kickoff return by Rickie Thomas.

Johnson senior Justice Moody caught four passes for 98 yards and again impressed Reeves after facing him for a third consecutive year.

“He told me after the game he’s not being recruited for college, and I think that’s a shame,” said the former Gophers assistant. “He can play at any level in the state of Minnesota, because he’s explosive and dynamic. I’m going to use my connections to get his name out there, because he’s good.”

Johnson coach Richard Magembe, a former St. Cloud State player at the NCAA Division II level, said he believes the smaller-statured Moody has been overlooked less because of his size and more because of the erroneous belief that the St. Paul City Conference isn’t fertile recruiting ground.

“People write the city off and assume there’s no talent here, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Magembe said. “It’s here, but you have to be wiling to look. Justice shows up in games against any opponent and his grades are fine. He needs a fair evaluation, because I played with guys his size who had success in college.”

Hill-Murray, top-seeded in the section, hosts second-seeded South St. Paul (8-1) on Friday in the section final. The Packers beat Chisago Lakes 30-10 in their section semifinal. Hill-Murray beat South St. Paul 35-14 in the regular season meeting last month.

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The Gophers men’s basketball team cruised to an 82-62 win over North Dakota in its second and final exhibition game on Saturday at Williams Arena

Minnesota — which won its first tune-up,80-56 over North Dakota State on Oct. 16 — will open the season against Gardner-Webb at The Barn on Nov. 3.

Similar to the win over the Bison, wing Cade Tyson led all scorers with 26 points against the Fighting Hawks. Tyson shot on 9 of 13 from the field, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range.

That fell just short of what Tyson, a transfer from North Carolina, did versus NDSU: 28 points on 4 of 6 from deep.

Head coach Niko Medved will like the 20 assists on 29 field goals, but his new team did have 20 turnovers, which drew frustrations from him on the sideline Saturday.

Langston Reynolds, a transfer from Northern Colorado, added 17 points and Jaylen Crocker Johnson scored 10.

Starting point guard Chansey Willis Jr., had 12 points, six rebounds and eight assists, including a few no-look passes.

Minnesota’s starting lineup in both games featured Willis and Isaac Asuma and guard with Crocker-Johnson and Tyson and center Robert Vaihola in the front court.

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There were multiple occasions Thursday night at SoFi Stadium when it looked like quarterback Max Brosmer was going into the game for the Vikings.

He started taking snaps from center Blake Brandel on the sideline at one point after quarterback Carson Wentz walked off the field in an immense amount of pain.

Ultimately, head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t call Brosmer’s number until very late in the 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The rookie went on to complete 3 of 4 passes for 13 yards in garbage time.

Why didn’t O’Connell turn to Brosmer sooner with Wentz clearly feeling the effects of his injured left shoulder?

“I did think about it,” O’Connell said. “The confidence we have in Max is real. You also don’t want to send him out there and force a level of figure-it-out-ness that’s probably beyond a guy playing for the first time. That was kind of where the decision was to continue to go with Carson.”

That might be as close as Brosmer gets to seeing the field for the foreseeable future.

It sounds like quarterback J.J. McCarthy will soon be the starter once again, which, would change the pecking order at the position. It’s likely that Wentz would bump down to being the backup, and Brosmer would shift back to being available only in emergency situations.

What did Max Brosmer prove as the backup for the Vikings over the past month while McCarthy recovered from a high ankle sprain? Though he was never called into action over the past month, the rookie was clearly somebody the Vikings felt comfortable turning to in a pinch.

“You never know how this is going to unfold and he’s been ready to go,” Wentz said. “I think everybody is confident in what he brings to the table.”

That confidence in Brosmer has been building since he signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent after starring with the Gophers last fall. He made a name for himself in training camp by consistently showing he can operate within the rhythm and timing of the offense.

“He made our team for a reason,” O’Connell said. “He has an ability to throw the ball that fits with many of the things we asked quarterbacks to do.”

It also helps that Brosmer’s superpower has long been his mental capacity to process a lot of information and apply it in real time. He mentally absorbs a game plan like a veteran who has played in the NFL for more than a decade.

“There’s nobody who’s going to question Max’s preparation,” offensive coordinator Wes Philips said. “We all feel great about intangibly everything Max brings to the table.”

Those intangibles from Brosmer actually helped Wentz quite a bit during his run as a starter.

“He’s sharp,” Wentz said. “He’s been an awesome resource for me understanding the X’s and O’s of this playbook.”

The way everybody talks about Brosmer, it feels like only a matter of time before he gets a chance to show what he can do.

“I’ll keep preparing for when my time comes,” Brosmer said last month. “Whenever that is, I’ll be ready for it.”

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Next month, Mahtomedi’s school district is asking its voters to approve proposals to fund efforts to keep class sizes low, maintain staff and academic programs as well as increase security, among other things.

Meanwhile, the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district is seeking to renew and increase a technology capital projects levy to fund and support student learning devices, digital tools and cybersecurity programs. The Lakeville district also is seeking to renew an expiring capital projects levy to pay for technology such as projectors and TVs, cybersecurity systems and equipment, and software for K-12 STEM education.

These are just a few of the school levies on the ballot for voters in districts in Ramsey, Washington and Dakota counties on Nov. 4. For more information on the local elections and to find links about how to vote, go to twincities.com/2025/10/16/election-guide-dakota-ramsey-washington-races-ballot-questions.

In St. Paul, voters will decide on a levy that would raise $37 million annually for 10 years for St. Paul Public Schools, adjusted each year for inflation. The Pioneer Press will have a separate story on St. Paul’s referendum in the coming days.

Here’s a rundown of the rest of the district proposals on the ballot this year in the three counties:

Mahtomedi

Voters in the Mahtomedi school district are being asked to approve two ballot questions.

Question 1 asks taxpayers to increase the school district’s existing operating levy of $1,570 per student to a larger levy of $2,145 per student. The additional $575 per pupil, which would start in the 2026-27 school year, will help maintain class sizes, sustain academic programming and strengthen financial stability, said Superintendent Barbara Duffrin.

Without the operating levy, class sizes will rise, academic programs will be cut and staff reductions will be necessary, Duffrin said.

The second question asks for $28 million to fund improvements that Duffrin said will benefit safety and security, academics, performing arts and athletics. Among the improvements: a new front entrance at Mahtomedi Middle School and other safety and security improvements.

Mahtomedi High School would get a “hallway circulation” remodel, choir and band classroom improvements, new mechanicals, a weight room addition and safety and security improvements. Athletic Field 1 would get new turf and lights.

At the top of the list of athletic improvements is making Athletic Field 1 a turf field. It is the district’s most-used field – for soccer, lacrosse and middle school physical education classes – but it is difficult to maintain because of overuse and irrigation challenges, Duffrin said.

Twelve of the district’s fields are irrigated by a well system that pulls from the White Bear Lake aquifer, and district officials are not allowed to increase the district’s set water limit due to the White Bear Lake water levels, she said.

If approved, the new field turf and lights would impact multiple sports, including soccer, lacrosse, football and softball, and both high school and community association groups, according to Duffin.

The funding also would pay for safety and security improvements to Wildwood and O.H. Anderson elementary schools and disability access and seating improvements at the Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, among other projects.

Passage of the second ballot question is contingent upon passage of the first, Duffrin said.

The tax impact will be $200 a year, or $16.66 per month, for Question 1 (operating revenue) and $182 a year, or $15.16 per month, for Question 2 (facility improvements), based on a house valued at $500,000, the average price of a home in the district, according to district estimates.

If both measures are approved, property taxes on a $500,000 house would rise about $382 a year.

The Mahtomedi School Board last went out for a referendum in 2018; that measure, which raised the per-pupil levy, was approved by 55 percent of voters.

For more information, go to mahtomedi.k12.mn.us/o/msd/page/elections.

Mounds View

Voters in Mounds View will be asked to vote on a capital project levy that would generate about $10 million per year for 10 years.

If approved, the levy would provide funds for the purchase and installation of building security equipment, software and technology equipment, technology support and maintenance costs, training staff in the use of technology, and the purchase of classroom equipment and instructional technology.

Mounds View Public Schools does not currently have a capital project levy, but voters in 2019 approved combining two operating levies into one 10-year levy. That levy maintains current class sizes and programming in schools, according to the district.

Owners of a $364,400 median-value home in the area would see their property taxes increase about $18 per month if the levy passes.

Should the levy not pass, the district projects competing funding coming from the general operating budget will lead to outdated security systems, older devices and limited technology support.

For more information and a tax calculator for homeowners, go to mvpschools.org/about/news/saferschools.

Roseville

Roseville Area Schools is asking voters to approve a capital projects levy for technology. The funding would pay for updating school security as well as cybersecurity while providing students with access to technology tools for learning and teaching, according to the district.

The owner of a median-priced home in the district — $350,000 — would see an increased tax of about $18 per month. Should voters approve the levy, they will notice the tax impact in 2026, with funds available to the school district for the 2026-27 year, according to the district.

Should the levy not pass, district officials say increasing technology costs will continue to come from the district’s general fund, which they say will take money from teachers, classrooms, transportation, supplies and sources.

For more information and to use a tax calculator to find out how much you would pay in additional taxes, go to www.isd623.org/levy2025.

North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale

Voters in the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale school district will have two ballot questions. One will ask them to vote on revoking the district’s existing operating levy that provides $206.83 per pupil and replace it with a new levy authorization that would provide $1,152.83, or $946 more, per student annually for 10 years.

The levy will pay for items such as teachers and staff, bus transportation, textbooks, technology, and security such as secure entrances, alarms, cameras and electronic notification systems, according to the district.

Owners of a $300,000 home in the area would see their property taxes increase about $22 per month if the proposal passes.

Should the levy not pass, the district projects further reductions in staff and to student programs. The district has made more than $11 million in budget cuts over the past two years due to state and local funding not keeping up with inflation, underfunded and unfunded mandates and changing roles of schools, according to the district.

The second question asks voters to vote on a capital project levy that would generate about $2 million per year for 10 years to maintain and improve security and technology systems, according to the district.

If approved, the levy would support district security and technology, which includes secure entrances, digital curriculum and technology staff, according to the district. Currently, funds for those areas come from the district’s operating budget.

Owners of a $300,000 home in the area would see their property taxes increase about $4 per month if the levy passes.

Should the levy not pass, funding for safety and learning technology will continue to come from the district’s general fund, resulting in further staff and programming cuts, according to the district.

For more information, go to isd622.org/about/levy-2025.

Farmington

Voters in Farmington will be asked to vote on an operating levy that would provide $1,237 per student annually, generating about $8 million per year for 10 years.

If approved, the levy would sustain current class sizes, maintain literacy and math instruction, strengthen elementary enrichment opportunities and expand middle and high school career pathway options, according to the district.

Owners of a median-value $350,000 home in the area would see their property taxes increase about $534 annually, or $45 per month, if the levy passes.

Should the levy not pass, the district projects fewer electives, cuts to athletics, activities and music and class sizes are expected to increase across all grade levels. Other potential changes could include moving to a four-day school week or closing an elementary school, per the district.

For more information, go to farmington.k12.mn.us/referendum/.

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan voters will be asked to renew and increase an expiring technology capital projects levy next month.

First approved in 2015 for 3.015%, the district is asking voters to renew and increase the levy to 5.015%, which would generate an additional $6.4 million annually, resulting in about $15.5 million annually in technology funding for the next 10 years.

The technology levy directly supports classroom instruction by funding student learning devices, digital tools, cybersecurity, communications systems, computer science education and career and technical education, according to the district.

If approved, homeowners with an estimated market-value home of $400,000 would see their annual property taxes increase by about $85, or $7 per month.

If the levy fails, an estimated $9.1 million in funding would be cut.

“Since the internet, technology and cybersecurity threats are not going away, any budget cuts would have to come from other areas — staff and programs,” said Janet Swiecichowski, communications director for the district, in an email. Swiecichowski added that the process to identify budget cuts would engage staff, students and families.

For more information, go to district196.org/about/techlevy2025.

Lakeville

Lakeville Area Schools will ask voters to renew an expiring capital projects levy that was first passed in 2015.

If approved, the levy would continue to generate roughly $4 million annually for 10 years for education technology like projectors and TVs, cybersecurity systems and equipment and software for K-12 STEM education and career-focused courses for high school students, according to the district. There would be no tax increase.

If the levy renewal fails, the district would need to cut $4 million from the annual budget beginning with the 2026-27 school year.

The potential budget cuts could result in reduced physical security and cybersecurity, fewer opportunities and elective courses for students and reductions to department budgets and support staff positions.

For more information, go to isd194.org/district/levy-renewal.

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