Making his first rehab start since going on the Twins’ injured list with a shoulder impingement, David Festa struck out five through 2⅔ innings to set the tone in the Saints’ 5-4 victory over Toledo on Thursday at Fifth Third Stadium.

St. Paul pitches combined for 16 strikeouts, and Peyton Eeles drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. Trent Baker pitched the ninth for his second save, fanning Gage Workman with the tying run on second.

After a leadoff walk, Festa retired the next three in the first inning, two on strikeouts. He retired the side in order in the second, two more on punchouts, and was pulled after a two-out walk in the third inning brought him to his pitch limit.

Festa finished with a 50% whiff rate (11 of 22 swings) while his fastball averaged 93.7 mph and topped out at 94.4 mph. His sinker averaged 93.8 mph.

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A big second half from running back Calvin Coppersmith proved to be just enough to carry Centennial past Rosemount 21-14 in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Irish Stadium in Rosemount.

The senior’s 4-yard touchdown run with 3:28 to play gave the Cougars their first lead of the night and they were able to hang on from there.

It was Rosemount that struck first after taking the opening kickoff and marching 75 yards to score on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by sophomore quarterback Finn Macken. The touchdown came one play after Macken had completed a 30-yard pass to senior Mayon Dixon on fourth-and-6 at the Cougars’ 31-yard line.

But Centennial answered back with a long drive of its own that looked like it would end with a 25-yard field goal. A roughing-the-kicker penalty, though, gave the Cougars a fresh set of downs. Senior quarterback Isaac Belinske-Strauss took full advantage, bouncing outside to score on a 1-yard run that tied the score 7-7 with 10:26 to play before halftime.

The first two drives ran a total of 13:34 off the clock.

The Irish then jumped on top 14-7 when senior Quintin VeDepo picked off a Belinske-Strauss pass and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown with 1:51 remaining in the second quarter.

After Coppersmith began the second half with a long kickoff return that gave Centennial the ball at midfield, the Cougars advanced all the way to the Rosemount 23. But the drive stalled there and a 40-yard, field-goal attempt was no good.

Centennial got another chance after recovering a fumble at its own 39 late in the third, and this time the Cougars converted on a touchdown run from just over 1-yard out by sophomore Edwin Ekah.

That tied the score 14-14 with 11:11 remaining.

After Centennial forced a Rosemount punt, the Coppersmith show continued as he spun away from defenders for a first down on fourth-and-1 at the Irish 24, then scored five plays later to put his team on top by seven.

Macken led his team all the way to the Cougars’ 40 on Rosemount’s final possession, but a high snap resulted in a 13-yard loss, then a 15-yard personal foul call made it fourth-and-29 and the Irish turned the ball over on downs, allowing Centennial to run out the clock.

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The schedule didn’t do Stillwater any favors to open the 2025 campaign.

Two of its first three opponents? Defending Class 6A champion Maple Grove and 2024 state semifinalist Shakopee.

Stillwater receiver Chase Edstrom celebrates after a 10-yard receiving touchdown against Maple Grove at Stillwater Area High School on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Jace Frederick / Pioneer Press)

It doesn’t get much more difficult than that, particularly for a program ushering in a new starting quarterback. Nick Kinsey is in Ohio as the result of a family move, which opened the door for Jack Runk to step in under center.

The junior certainly looked the part in Thursday’s season opener. Runk, an all-state shortstop, went 5 for 5 on the game’s opening drive, which ended in a 10-yard scoring strike to senior running back Chase Edstrom to put the Ponies up 7-0.

Maple Grove running back James Engle celebrates after scoring a 2-yard rushing touchdown against the Ponies at Stillwater Area High School on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Jace Frederick / Pioneer Press)

The Crimson — the preseason favorites to repeat in Class 6A — eventually found their footing with their ground game. Maple Grove’s offensive line created creases, and senior running back James Engle slashed through them. Engle, who ran for nine scores as a backup last fall, scored two in the first half Thursday in a 37-17 victory to kick off the Crimson’s title defense.

A botched snap by Stillwater on a punt late in the first half led to field goal that put the Crimson up 17-7 at the break. Maple Grove then scored on the opening possession of the third frame to extend the lead to 17, and it looked as though the bout was pretty much over.

But Stillwater answered with a drive on the following possession that resulted in a 26-yard field goal off the foot of Colin Johnston. The Ponies’ defense then delivered a stop, and Stillwater hit a trick play — a double reverse flea flicker — for a 31-yard scoring strike from Runk to Carter Zollar to trim the deficit to 24-17 early in the fourth.

But the Crimson responded as you’d think they would — like champions. Facing a third and long near midfield, Kaden Harney connected with Henry Knutson for a 14-yard completion to move the chains. Two plays later, Jeffrey Norvold sprang loose on a run up the middle for a 26-yard touchdown run that effectively sealed the deal with fewer than 6 minutes to play.

Stillwater turned the ball over on downs on its next possession, setting up a short field that led to one final Maple Grove touchdown as Harney bulled his way into the end zone from 11 yards out. The Crimson looked like a team that will indeed factor heavily into the Class 6A equation this season.

But perhaps the Ponies — a sub-.500 team in 2024 — can, as well. They didn’t look wildly overmatched Thursday. And Runk and Co. were impressive in the passing attack that figures to give opposing secondaries fits all fall.

Stillwater’s early-season schedule may result in a couple unwanted losses on the resume, but should the Ponies stay healthy, these high-end competitions could also potentially lead to growth and an understanding of they’ll need to be by year’s end should they indeed aim to make a deep playoff push.

 

The Woodbury Math and Science Academy badminton coach has been arrested and charged with seeking to pay for sex from someone he believed was a minor.

Jamey Scott Ralph Strand, 44, of River Falls, Wis., was taken into custody Sunday after allegedly trying to meet with a 14-year-old girl who turned out to be a detective with the Mankato Police Department. He was charged Tuesday in Blue Earth County District Court with soliciting a child through electronic communication to engage in sexual conduct.

He’s scheduled to make an initial appearance on the charge on Thursday. An attorney is not listed in his court file to address the allegations.

According to the criminal complaint, the undercover detective on Aug. 14 logged into an online chat room and listed his gender as an 18-year-old woman. The minimum age the chat room allows a user to select is 18.

Strand, who went by the username OkobojiM4F, reached out first. The detective told Strand that he was a 14-year-old girl and in the ninth grade. Strand responded with, “Cool, Im (sic) ok with that if you are,” the complaint alleges.

The undercover detective asked Strand if they could change to the social networking app Kik, and he agreed. Strand then sent a photo of himself and asked for photos of her.

Strand, on several occasions, then mentioned wanting to perform sex acts on her, while also asking for a bra size and if she wore thong underwear. Strand asked, “ever taken naughty pics?” and wrote that he could “teach you sexual stuff,” the complaint continues.

Strand then asked the purported girl if she wanted to go to his cabin in Iowa and stay the night with him. He offered to pick her up in Mankato.

A meeting was scheduled for Aug. 19, but Strand did not show up; he said he panicked and that maybe they could try again when he drove through Mankato.

On Sunday, Strand reached out again and asked to meet up. He was arrested after a traffic stop in St. Peter.

In an interview at the county jail, Strand admitted that his messages with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl were “sexual in nature” and that the purpose of meeting up would be to have sex, the complaint says. Strand said his plan was to take the girl back to his camper in Iowa, as his wife was going to be gone for a few days.

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Strand also admitted to communicating with who he thought were two other girls under the age of 16, the complaint says.

According to Math and Science Academy executive director Kate Hinton, Strand was the charter school’s badminton coach last season.

“Math and Science Academy was recently made aware of the arrest of a staff member for alleged criminal conduct unrelated to school activities,” Hinton said. “This individual has been terminated immediately and will have no further affiliation with the school. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and have made counseling staff available to support any students who may need it.

Nick Ferraro contributed to this report.