Not much was going the way of Edina senior John Warpinski and his teammates in the early going of their Class 6A state quarterfinal against Stillwater Thursday night.

But after that, almost everything did.

Warpinski rushed for 254 yards and two touchdowns, sophomore quarterback Mason West threw for four scores and the Hornets got a first-half safety and a touchdown on a blocked punt as they rolled past the Ponies 49-21 at Park Center High School.

“Our offense was just rolling,” said Warpinski, whose team has now won seven games in a row after losing three straight early on this season. “We knew what we had to do to set up the run. Our wide receivers were not going to get beat one-on-one. They’re incredible players and the run-pass combo was really working for us tonight.”

Edina (8-3) advances to face the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal matchup between Lakeville North and Eden Prairie in the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Stillwater finished its season 8-3 overall.

“When I took over four years ago, it was during COVID with all the guidelines and rules,” Hornets coach Jason Potts said. “We didn’t score a touchdown in our first few games. So to go from that season to this one really means a lot. It’s a credit to our seniors. It’s a credit to our coaching staff and the endless amount of work that goes on in the winter and the spring.”

The Ponies struck first, getting the opening kickoff and marching 60 yards to score on a 1-yard quarterback sneak from sophomore Nick Kinsey. It looked as if their momentum would continue when it initially appeared they had recovered the ensuing onside kick.

But the officials ruled an illegal touch, and the Hornets took possession at the Stillwater 45. And from there it was off to the races while the Ponies seemed stuck in reverse.

“We thought we made a good play on the onside kick,” Stillwater coach Beau LaBore said. “But what seemed like a really great situation for us turned unfortunate.”

Edina cut the gap to 7-6 on a 27-yard touchdown pass from West to senior Sonny Villegas. Then, on Stillwater’s first play after the kickoff, a bad snap sailed past Kinsey who fell on it in the end zone for an Edina safety, putting the Hornets on top 8-7.

Edina got the kickoff and expanded its lead to 14-7 on a 30-yard touchdown run up the middle by Warpinski. And the Ponies’ woes continued on their next possession when Hornets senior defensive lineman Kade Chrysler blocked a punt, recovered the ball and took it into the end zone to make the score 21-7.

“There were half-a-dozen things that happened in the first quarter that were ordinary plays we typically make and a few others that were just unfortunate and that hurt,” LaBore said. “But if you really look at it in the big picture, they played well on the line of scrimmage. That’s where they earned the game.”

The Hornets kept on the offensive in the second quarter, scoring on an 18-yard touchdown catch by Villegas. Then, after Stillwater cut the gap to 28-14 on a 47-yard touchdown catch by senior Brett Hilde, Warpinski scored on a 10-yard touchdown run with 20 seconds to play before halftime to expand the Edina lead to 35-14.

“We work hard every single day in practice trying to get better,” West said. “We win games on the weekdays. This is just where it pays off.”

Junior Meyer Swinney had a 17-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, then West connected with senior tight end Charles Greene on a 4-yard touchdown strike in the fourth to close out the scoring for the Hornets.

Stillwater cut the gap to 49-21 on a 12-yard touchdown catch by senior Tanner Schmidt with 7:09 to play. But by then, the game was well out of reach.

“We’ve never played in the Bank before,” Warpinski said. “This is the stuff you dream about as a kid growing up watching the varsity players. This is the spot you hope to be in and now we’re here.”

Related Articles

High school football: Byron edges Hill-Murray in Class 4A state quarterfinal

High school football: Centennial tops Rosemount to reach state semis for first time since 1984

High school football: Friday’s state quarterfinal predictions

High school football: Thursday state quarterfinal predictions

High School Football Roundup: East Ridge continues Cinderella run to state

For the second straight year, an Orioles season that exceeded almost all expectations resulted in the club having finalists for both American League Rookie of the Year and AL Manager of the Year.

On Monday night, Baltimore infielder Gunnar Henderson and manager Brandon Hyde were named finalists for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s yearly honors, which also include the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards. Hyde placed second in voting for last year’s AL Manager of the Year recognition, while catcher Adley Rutschman also finished as the runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year.

After the Orioles’ 101-win campaign, it’s hard to envision neither Hyde nor Henderson taking home their respective awards when winners are announced next week. Texas’ Bruce Bochy and Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash join Hyde as the managers who finished in the top three of voting, which was completed before the postseason, while Boston first baseman Triston Casas and Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee are Henderson’s top competitors.

Henderson, 22, could become the Orioles’ first Rookie of the Year since reliever Gregg Olson in 1989 when the voting results are revealed next Monday Drafted with the first pick of the second round in 2019 after Baltimore took Rutschman with the No. 1 overall pick, Henderson also followed him as the game’s top prospect. He entered this season with that status while also being viewed as the favorite to be AL Rookie of the Year, then had to overcome a slow start to still be seen as such at the end of the year.

Henderson held his own in a brief major league stint in 2022, one the Orioles kept short enough for him to retain rookie eligibility into the offseason. By doing so, they would receive an extra draft pick after the first round if Henderson wins Rookie of the Year, part of an incentive in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement to encourage teams to have top prospects on their opening day rosters.

After batting .201 with five home runs and a .702 OPS over the season’s first two months, Henderson posted a .276 average, 23 home runs and an .856 OPS across the final four. His 28 home runs on the year tied for the team lead, matched Cal Ripken Jr. for the second most by a rookie in Orioles history and led all AL rookies, a group he also paced in RBIs, triples and wins above replacement while ranking second in hits and doubles.

That performance, paired with his strong defensive work at shortstop and third base, made Henderson the Major League Baseball Players Association’s AL Outstanding Rookie and Sporting News’ AL Rookie of the Year. Both of those honors are voted on by fellow players. He’s also a finalist for a Silver Slugger Award.

“Everything that he does at his age and the way he does it, it’s a treat to watch,” executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said after the season. “For me, as somebody who’s been watching baseball my whole life, it’s a treat for me to watch Gunnar Henderson play baseball. I’m so happy that we have him. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Hyde, 50, knows what it’s like to have success after initially struggling. After the first-time manager took over in Baltimore ahead of the 2019 campaign, the Orioles played at a 55-win pace across the next three seasons, finishing with one of the majors’ five worst records each year. Similar struggles were expected in 2022, but Baltimore instead finished as the best AL team to miss the playoffs with an 83-79 record.

Despite that breakout season, most projection systems and sportsbooks forecast regression from Hyde’s club. Instead, the Orioles went the entire regular season without being swept and posted a winning record every full month to win the AL East, generally regarded as baseball’s top division.

Nearly half of the Orioles’ 101 regular-season victories came in games decided by two or fewer runs, and Baltimore’s .662 winning percentage in such games was 100 points better than the next-best AL club. Often in those contents, Hyde excelled in his deployment of the Orioles’ depth through his bullpen and bench moves.

“I’m just trying to get better every day, honestly, and I’m just trying to put our team in a position to win as much as I possibly can,” Hyde said after the season. “Whatever people say, they say, and if it’s nice things, that’s great.”

Hyde, who fellow managers voted Sporting News’ AL Manager of the Year the past two years, would be Baltimore’s first league-official recipient since his predecessor, Buck Showalter, won the award in 2014. Results will be announced Nov. 14.

Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish was not among the top-three finishers in AL Cy Young Award voting, with New York’s Gerrit Cole, Minnesota’s Sonny Gray and Toronto’s Kevin Gausman — a former Oriole — named finalists. Bradish, 27, was a finalist for the MLBPA’s AL Outstanding Pitcher honor but lost to Cole.

In his second major league season, Bradish finished third among the AL’s qualified pitchers with a 2.83 ERA, second with a .215 average against and 14 home runs surrendered, and fourth with a 1.043 WHIP. Bradish’s 17 starts of at least six innings with no more than two runs allowed tied for the league’s second most. He’s expected to receive some down-ballot votes, as is Baltimore closer Félix Bautista.

()

The 2-7 Chicago Bears will play the 1-7 Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field in a Week 10 matchup. Here’s what you need to know before kickoff (7:15 p.m., Prime Video, Fox-32).

Still time to prove he’s the QB of the future?

Perhaps if the Bears were not in the Thursday night national television slot for the second time in five weeks, Justin Fields would have been able to give it a go against the Panthers.

But coach Matt Eberflus announced undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent will make his fourth consecutive start, saying Fields is not medically cleared to return from a dislocated right thumb after another limited practice session Wednesday.

It’s a solid bet Fields will return for the Nov. 19 NFC North game at Ford Field against the Lions. At that point seven games will remain in a season that began with intense focus on whether the former first-round pick is indeed the franchise’s quarterback of the future.

It’s looking increasingly unlikely the Bears will ride with Fields into 2024 and beyond, and it’s unfortunate the thumb injury has cost him a month to provide evidence to the contrary. Read more here.

5 things to watch in the Bears-Panthers game — plus our Week 10 predictions
Rookie QB Tyson Bagent commits 4 of 5 turnovers in Week 9 loss to Saints

Brisker ready to ‘fly around’ on defense

Jaquan Brisker was pushing to return from a concussion, his second in two seasons, Sunday in New Orleans but said the Bears and the doctors involved wanted to err on the side of caution.

Now, after missing two games, the strong safety is set to start tonight. It will provide a glimpse of the defense we haven’t seen much this season.

Brisker and free safety Eddie Jackson have been on the field together for what amounts to about 1 1/2 games this season — the opener against the Green Bay Packers and small portions of the Week 2 loss at Tampa Bay and the Week 6 loss to the Vikings. That’s it.

With the secondary rounding back into shape, the Bears have to hope they can change a problematic trend. Read more here.

QBs can cry if they want to

Quarterback Caleb Williams — a past Heisman Trophy winner and projected 2024 NFL draft first-round pick — passed for 312 yards and three touchdowns for USC in a 52-42 loss to Washington.

He was strip-sacked late in the second quarter and three plays later, the Huskies went up 35-28 before the half. It was the fifth time in the last six games the Trojans defense gave up at least 40 points.

After the game, Williams, 21, was shown sitting on a railing in the stands and embracing his mother with his face covered by a poster. He was visibly overcome by emotion, likely from the frustration of seeing his conference championship hopes dissipate despite his own best efforts. As he cried in his mother’s arms, the national broadcast cameras stayed there for a minute as ABC announcers Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit, in tones suitable for the situation, provided context to what Williams could be feeling. Read more here.

Will the Bears draft a QB in 2024? What to know about top prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.

Catch up on all our coverage before kickoff

A peculiar loss brings more concern — but a little optimism too: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Bears
True or false: DE Montez Sweat’s debut with the Bears was encouraging
Embarrassments versus triumphs: How to conduct an honest performance review of the Bears
Former Bears coach Mike Ditka sells Streeterville condo for $575,000
Column: Montez Sweat trade comes down to 1 goal — GM Ryan Poles and the Bears are seeking to add ‘erasers’
A whirlwind week for Montez Sweat — including a life-changing contract extension — ends with the Bears’ 7th loss
Bears sign nose tackle Andrew Billings to a 2-year extension, keeping the run stuffer through 2025

()

Craig Counsell, baseball’s most coveted free-agent manager since Joe Maddon, was hired by the Chicago Cubs on Monday in a cold-blooded move that harked back to the time former Cubs President Theo Epstein brought Maddon to the North Side nine years ago.

With a five-year deal for Counsell that’s reportedly worth a record $40 million, Cubs President Jed Hoyer signaled the missing piece in Year 3 of the team’s rebuild was a well-respected manager who could get the most out of his players and get them to a championship level.

David Ross, the favorite son of Epstein and a hero of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series champions, was hired by Epstein to replace Maddon in October 2019. But he apparently failed to show Hoyer he was still the right man for the job after a season-ending collapse cost the Cubs a National League wild-card spot.

In a press release Monday, Hoyer said Ross “continually showcased his ability to lead,” adding that his “legacy will be felt in Chicago for generations.” The statement added an “oh, by the way” that Counsell will be the manager “going forward” and will be welcomed at Wrigley Field next week.

There was no explanation of Ross’ dismissal or any mention of Counsell’s career.

Plenty of time for that at the introductory news conference. Maybe Counsell will follow Maddon’s lead and buy a round of drinks for the media.

Counsell, 53, enjoyed great success managing a small-market team in Milwaukee, where he won the NL Central three times in the last six seasons and compiled a .531 winning percentage over nine seasons.

He’s 7-12 in five postseason appearances, including a two-game sweep by the Arizona Diamondbacks this year in an NL wild-card series. His Brewers teams typically overachieved until the postseason rolled around.

Still, this move is sure to be welcomed by Cubs fans who followed Counsell’s career and weren’t enamored with Ross’ four seasons on the North Side, which included a division title — and quick playoff exit — in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Counsell bet on himself last winter when he opted against extension talks with the Brewers, and it paid off handsomely. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio probably took him for granted, knowing Counsell’s love of Wisconsin. Milwaukee wasn’t just the only place Counsell had managed, but he also grew up in Whitefish Bay and still makes his home there.

Counsell interviewed with several teams, including the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians. No one had any inkling of the Cubs’ interest in him or that he was intrigued by the Cubs, an organization he liked to poke fun at — such as the day in 2017 when he criticized a postponement at Wrigley Field by saying “it’s the first time for us that we’ve had players treated for sunburn after a rainout.”

Ross not only had another year remaining on his contract but was a favorite of Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts.

Hoyer went to great lengths to defend Ross from fan criticism this past season, making the move even more stunning than the Cubs’ dismissal of Rick Renteria to hire Maddon after the 2014 season. That hiring involved a recruiting trip to Florida by Epstein and Hoyer and a leak of their interest in Maddon well before making the move.

Monday’s news leak, first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, was like an explosion at Clark and Addison. The reverberations will be felt for months.

Ross and Renteria, meanwhile, will forever be linked in Cubs history for the dismissals by Epstein and Hoyer, who both appeared satisfied with the status quo. When asked at his end-of-season news conference how important 2024 would be for Ross to continue as Cubs manager, Hoyer gave a long-winded answer that indicated Ross would return.

“He’s not a new manager anymore,” Hoyer said. “He’s going into his fifth season. I think he’s really matured in the job and developed. Like all of us, I think he wants to get better every year.

“One of his greatest skills is he’s self-critical. He wants to continue to get better. And I know he’s going to spend the winter thinking about how he could have done things differently. … It is a very important year next year for him and for all of us.”

How Hoyer went from 2024 being a “very important” year for Ross’ future to relieving him of his duties a month later is a question only the Cubs president can answer. The general managers meetings, which begin Tuesday in Scottsdale, Ariz., will afford Hoyer an opportunity to explain.

Among the criticisms of Ross this past season was his decision to play his regulars to the last drop down the stretch despite fatigue setting in. On the final road trip, the Cubs hit .236 with a .306 on-base percentage while going 1-5 in Atlanta and Milwaukee to blow the wild-card spot. Dansby Swanson was 1-for-17 (.059) on the trip and looked mentally exhausted. The Cubs made several uncharacteristic mistakes as they collapsed.

Will Counsell change things? He never got the Brewers to the World Series despite their winning ways. The closest they came was in 2018, when they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games in the NL Championship Series.

But he’ll be expected to get the Cubs to the promised land on the North Side, no matter who is on the team. Now it’s up to Hoyer to improve a roster that could lose its most valuable player, Cody Bellinger.

After the Cubs’ trade-deadline sell-off in July 2021 started the mini-rebuild, I asked Counsell if he thought the Cubs were headed in the right direction.

“Do I look like Jed Hoyer?” Counsell said with a grin. “I don’t know. I’m sure their farm system is greatly improved, and I’m sure there are young players I really don’t know much about or if they’re close to making an impact.

“I don’t think you can ever know. … We all think we know what’s going to happen, but there are teams that surprise every year. I don’t think you can make a statement right now about what can happen next year.”

Now Counsell and Hoyer are linked at the hip with a team that should be expected to contend in 2024 and beyond.

Hoyer made a statement without actually saying it:

Missing out on the postseason is no longer an option.

()