Wisconsin-River Falls football coach Matt Walker was asked this week how he’s “advising” his players about maintaining focus amid the hoopla that comes with playing for a national championship.

“Maybe I should advise them more,” Walker said with a smile. “We’re kind of all enjoying the ride a little bit.”

That’s been the modus operandi for the Falcons throughout a historic season that will culminate with Sunday night’s Stagg Bowl against North Central for the Division-III title. River Falls operates in two spaces, the clouds and the mud. The former represents the accolades, experiences and joy that comes with high-level success. The latter is the work required to achieve it.

Walker pointed to senior linebacker Gage Timm and senior quarterback Kaleb Blaha as the Falcons’ steady leaders who set the tone with their quiet focus. That’s especially beneficial in a week like this one, which is stuffed with interviews, ESPN promotional activities and banquet dinners.

It’s not normal for Division III football programs to fly out three days ahead of a game.

Walker isn’t worried.

“As crazy as it sounds and unknown, different, special and it’s going to be — different for all of us — I don’t worry about this group. … I don’t have to babysit and worry about our mindset. This group right here, they’re hungry,” the coach said. “We’ll do the hoopla and get to do all the cool things … and it’ll be great.”

But when the time comes to work, Walker knows his players will deliver.

“It’s just block out everything as much as possible. In today’s world, there’s so much social media that you could go online and scroll forever to try to find anything you wanted to,” Blaha said. “But at the end of the day, we’re focused on winning that game on Sunday. We really haven’t achieved all of our goals yet. So, we’re just focused on that game, and after that, you can do whatever you wanted.”

It’s why, perhaps, Wisconsin-River Falls is as well positioned to play in the Stagg Bowl as any title game debutant can be. The difference in experience in this spot is stark. North Central, the defending national champion, is making its sixth-straight title game trip.

Brad Spencer is in his fourth year guiding the North Central program. The Cardinals have lost one game in that span, the 2023 national title game. This year, they’ve scored the most points per game in the country (49.4) and allowed the fewest (10.07).

The Cardinals remind Walker of past Division III dynasties such as Wisconsin-Whitewater and Mt. Union in that they’re “boringly a little better at every position” than their opponent.

“Nothing super flashy,” he said. “Just so solid and so fundamental and weapons everywhere. No holes on their football team. Super balanced. Can score it running and throwing. Such an ability to control the clock.”

Yet Walker doesn’t see this as some David vs. Goliath bout, and believes it’d be foolish for anyone to take such a view.

“It doesn’t feel that way to our kids. … I bet you North Central is not even saying that. I think they’ve seen our season,” he said. “There’s no way they’re overlooking us.”

The Falcons are 13-1 while playing in the nation’s best conference. They’ve blown out top programs from Wisconsin-Whitewater, Wisconsin-La Crosse and St. John’s, among others.

“I think the tournament got it right. This is the two best teams in the country playing. I think that’s become kind of fun and obvious,” Walker said. “In terms of matchups on paper, I bet you neither team is talking much about David and Goliath. This is the two best teams in America, and they’re going to duke it out in a clash of two styles. It’s going to be as fun to watch as any game that I can think of if you’re a fan.”

Walker conceded there’s an experience advantage for the Cardinals. They’ve played the night game under the bright lights on national television. But the advantage is somewhat muted this week. This is only the second time the title game has been played this late in the year with the two full weeks off between the semifinals and championship round.

North Central, a school based in Naperville, Ill., played in that edition, as well — and Walker, funnily enough, has been in contact with Spencer about that — but he noted you create your own road map for these trips.

“Because there isn’t a blueprint for this,” he said.

“I have no clue if I’m handling it right,” he added with a laugh. “We’re going to find out.”

Walker noted that in the past, coaches could create their own narratives, because they were the distributors of information. Now, everyone knows everything. There’s no hiding from the truth.

North Central, Walker noted, is “frickin’ good.” The stage is huge. The implications are massive. There will be nerves. It will feel different. There’s only so much you can do to prepare.

This is why teams build foundations throughout the course of the season: to have something to lean on in the most pivotal times.

“I’ll definitely have some nerves. I have nerves going into every game,” Blaha said. “I think the biggest thing for me and our team is staying in the moment and focusing on doing our job. You can’t really think too much about the game or how cool the stadium is. You’ve got to be locked into the moment. I think we’ve done that all year long.

“The past six weeks, each week has been the biggest game up to that point, and every single time we kind of just focused on one play at a time and that game and it’s gone pretty well for us.”

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The Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt is coming up — and, to coincide with the 140th anniversary of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, the top prize for this year’s medallion finder is the largest ever offered.

The 2026 Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt patch. (Pioneer Press staff)

A total package of $15,000 is up for grabs: The finder wins $5,000 for uncovering the hidden treasure and an additional $5,000 if they have a registered Treasure Hunt patch. In partnership with the Winter Carnival, the finder will receive the final $5,000 if they also have a Winter Carnival button in addition to the hunt patch.

(Note a rule change: For this year, finders will not be required to provide print-outs or clippings of each clue to receive the initial $5,000 finders’ prize.)

The first daily clue is released Sunday, Jan. 18, and the hunt lasts 12 days or until the medallion is found. Clues will be published daily on TwinCities.com and in the Pioneer Press; clues also will be released early in person at Shamrocks (995 W. Seventh St.) at approximately 11:30 p.m. or slightly beforehand each night of the hunt.

Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt patches are on sale now for $10 at treasure-hunt-shop.square.site.

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Here are the 2026 Winter Carnival buttons, designed by pointillist illustrator Randall Peterson

History and fantasy blend in ‘Rollicking! A Winter Carnival Musical’

This year’s Winter Carnival buttons are designed by Forest Lake artist Randall Peterson. Done in the style of pointillism, each button design consists of thousands of dots applied individually over dozens of hours. Buttons — $5 for one or $19 for a pack of all four designs — are available online at wintercarnival.com/p/marketplace/buttons or at a variety of retail locations.

The newspaper’s annual treasure hunt began in 1952, and Arthur Jensen unearthed what was then a small wooden toy chest, hidden in Highland Park.

His prize that year was $1,100, (worth about $13,500 today) some of which went toward buying his wife a new straw pillbox hat. That shopping outing was attended by a Pioneer Press reporter, who noted that the saleswoman told Mrs. Jensen that she looked good in a variety of nice hats and therefore had what was known in the industry as a “hat face.”

“Thank you, that’s the first time anyone ever said that to me,” Mrs. Jensen replied.

After a few years of hiding toy chests, Treasure Hunt organizers commissioned a bronze medallion and several backups that were used for hunts from 1958 to 1987. After several decades missing, most of these bronze medallions have resurfaced in recent years. Since the 1980s and still today, the medallion is a plastic object whose design changes each year and remains a closely guarded secret.

The full 2026 Treasure Hunt rules are also available now.

Today is Saturday, Jan. 3, the third day of 2026. There are 362 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 3, 1977, Apple Computer, months after its founding, was incorporated in Cupertino, California, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Mike Markkula (MAHR’-kuh-luh) Jr.

Also on this date:

In 1777, Gen. George Washington’s army routed British troops in the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey, a key turning point in the Revolutionary War.

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In 1861, more than two weeks before Georgia seceded from the Union, the state militia seized Fort Pulaski, in the coastal area east of Savannah, at the order of Gov. Joseph E. Brown.

In 1920, Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold the contract of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, beginning a championship era for the Yankees and decades of heartache for Red Sox fans. (The Red Sox would ultimately break the “curse” in 2004, winning their first World Series in 86 years.)

In 1959, Alaska was officially admitted as the 49th U.S. state.

In 1990, ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, 10 days after taking refuge in the Vatican’s diplomatic mission.

In 2022, a jury in San Jose, California, convicted Elizabeth Holmes of duping investors into believing that her startup company Theranos had developed a revolutionary medical device that could detect diseases and conditions from a few drops of blood.

In 2025, two bombs exploded in the Iranian city of Kerman, killing at least 84 people and wounding hundreds during a commemoration for Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force who was killed in a U.S. drone strike four years earlier; the Islamic State would claim responsibility for the bombings.

Today’s Birthdays:

Musician Stephen Stills is 81.
Musician John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) is 80.
Actor and entrepreneur Victoria Principal is 76.
Actor-director Mel Gibson is 70.
Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller is 62.
Singer and television personality Kimberley Locke is 48.
Former NFL quarterback Eli Manning is 45.
R&B singer Lloyd Polite Jr. is 40.
Actor Florence Pugh is 30.
Environmental activist Greta Thunberg is 23.

By REGINA GARCIA CANO and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said its president, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack.

Multiple explosions rang out and low-flying aircraft swept through Caracas, the capital, as Maduro’s government immediately accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations. The Venezuelan government called it an “imperialist attack” and urged citizens to take to the streets.

It was not immediately clear who was running the country, and Maduro’s whereabouts were not immediately known. Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET. Under Venezuelan law the vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, would take power. There was no confirmation that had happened, though she did issue a statement after the strike.

“We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said. “We demand proof of life.”

Maduro, Trump said, “has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow.” He set a news conference for later Saturday morning.

The legal implications of the strike under U.S. law were not immediately clear. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X that he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who briefed him on the strike. Rubio told Lee that Maduro “has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.”

The White House did not immediately respond to queries on where Maduro and his wife were being flown to. Maduro was indicted in March 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York.

Maduro last appeared on state television Friday while meeting with a delegation of Chinese officials in Caracas.

The explosions in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, early on the third day of 2026 — at least seven blasts — sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to report hearing and seeing the explosions. It was not immediately clear if there were casualties on either side. The attack itself lasted less than 30 minutes and it was unclear if more actions lay ahead, though Trump said in his post that the strikes were carried out “successfully.”

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ban on U.S. commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace because of “ongoing military activity” ahead of the explosions.

The strike came after the Trump administration spent months escalating pressure on Maduro. The CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels — the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began strikes in September.

For months, Trump had threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land following months of attacks on boats accused of carrying drugs. Maduro has decried the U.S. military operations as a thinly veiled effort to oust him from power.

Some streets in Caracas fill up

Armed individuals and uniformed members of a civilian militia took to the streets of a Caracas neighborhood long considered a stronghold of the ruling party. But in other areas of the city, the streets remained empty hours after the attack. Parts of the city remained without power, but vehicles moved freely.

Video obtained from Caracas and an unidentified coastal city showed tracers and smoke clouding the landscape sky as repeated muted explosions illuminated the night sky. Other footage showed an urban landscape with cars passing on a highway as blasts illuminated the hills behind them. Unintelligible conversation could be heard in the background. The videos were verified by The Associated Press.

Smoke could be seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas, while another military installation in the capital was without power.

“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker, her voice trembling. She was walking briskly with two relatives, returning from a birthday party. “We felt like the air was hitting us.”

Venezuela’s government responded to the attack with a call to action. “People to the streets!” it said in a statement. “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”

The statement added that Maduro had “ordered all national defense plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance.” That state of emergency gives him the power to suspend people’s rights and expand the role of the armed forces.

The website of the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, a post that has been closed since 2019, issued a warning to American citizens in the country, saying it was “aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas.”

“U.S. citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place,” the warning said.

Reaction emerges slowly

Inquiries to the Pentagon and U.S. Southern Command since Trump’s social media post went unanswered. The FAA warned all commercial and private U.S. pilots that the airspace over Venezuela and the small island nation of Curacao, just off the coast of the country to the north, was off limits “due to safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity.”

U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted his potential concerns, reflecting a view from the right flank in the Congress. “I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force,” Lee said on X.

It was not clear if the U.S. Congress had been officially notified of the strikes.

The Armed Services committees in both houses of Congress, which have jurisdiction over military matters, have not been notified by the administration of any actions, according to a person familiar with the matter and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Lawmakers from both political parties in Congress have raised deep reservations and flat out objections to the U.S. attacks on boats suspected of drug smuggling on boats near the Venezuelan coast and the Congress has not specifically approved an authorization for the use of military force for such operations in the region.

Regional reaction was not immediately forthcoming in the early hours of Saturday. Cuba, however, a supporter of the Maduro government and a longtime adversary of the United States, called for the international community to respond to what president Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez called “the criminal attack.” “Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted,” he said on X. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the strikes.

President Javier Milei of Argentina praised the claim by his close ally, Trump, that Maduro had been captured with a political slogan he often deploys to celebrate right-wing advances: “Long live freedom, dammit!”

The U.S. military has been attacking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. As of Friday, the number of known boat strikes is 35 and the number of people killed is at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.

They followed a major buildup of American forces in the waters off South America, including the arrival in November of the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier, which added thousands more troops to what was already the largest military presence in the region in generations.

Trump has justified the boat strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S. and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

___

Toropin and AP journalist Lisa Mascaro reported from Washington.

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