Author: Daniel Huss

Former Eden Prairie Football Association standout is Buccaneers starting safety It’s a good bet Antoine Winfield Jr., the son of three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield, recorded his solo first tackle in his family’s living room. Fast forward to his grade-school days and you have Antoine Jr. playing his first organized football as a member of the Eden Prairie Football Association. On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie takes his game to the Super Bowl. “I remember watching him play in the third, fourth and fifth grade,” said Eden Prairie High School football coach Mike Grant. “He was always one…

Lost in the Eden Prairie High School boys basketball team’s 48-45 season-opening loss to No. 1-ranked Hopkins? When the Eagles fell to the Royals on Friday, January 15, it snapped a stretch of nearly 22 months of winning basketball. Since losing to Lakeville North in the quarterfinal round of the 2019-20 state tournament, Eden Prairie rattled off 30 straight wins. Note: The Covid-19 pandemic stopped last year’s campaign mid-postseason (Eden Prairie was preparing to play Shakopee in the Section 2-4A title game when the season ended). “The loss wasn’t that significant,” said Eden Prairie Coach David Flom. “This year is…

SoCal Showdown winner raising funds to compete in world-rankings tournament A friend’s text sent Eden Prairie’s Rachel Withers to her computer. There it was; confirmation. The email welcomed Withers to United States Archery’s Junior National Team. Withers, a high school senior taking online classes through Brigham Young University, competes in the women’s compound division, ages 15-19. While her inclusion on the 5-member team came as somewhat of a surprise, it shouldn’t have. “I won the SoCal Showdown a couple months ago,” said Withers, “and then placed fairly high (12th) at the Indoor Nationals in Cincinnati.” Withers also counts top-10…

Prior Lake High School Activities Director Russ Reetz said there were only a few jobs he would be willing to leave his great job for, and Eden Prairie was one of them. In September, Mike Grant announced that he would be stepping away from the Eden Prairie Activities Director role he has held for 19 years, making available one of those jobs Reetz had coveted. In November, Reetz was named Eden Prairie’s Associate Principal of Student Activities. “It’s a new role that will be developed over time,” said Reetz, of the Associate Principal tag that had been attached to the…

For high school sports, four-week shutdown results in early endings and late starts For some, the four-week shutdown of bars, restaurants, entertainment venues and fitness clubs, including a pause in organized youth sports, came as a surprise. The surprise wasn’t lost on Eden Prairie High School Activities Director Mike Grant. “I’m surprised we made it this far,” said Grant. “I was shocked, when back in August; they (Minnesota State High School League) said sports could start. I was shocked again when they added football and volleyball.” The four-week pause on youth sports started at 11:59 p.m. on Friday. Note: Eden…

The undefeated Eden Prairie High School football team drew a first-round bye to open the abbreviated Class 6A postseason tournament (the 10-week football season ends November 28, meaning there isn’t enough time or games to crown a state champion). In total, four teams open tournament play without a first-round opponent — Stillwater, East Ridge, Eden Prairie and Farmington. “We have a bye due to Covid,” said Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant. “Three teams dropped out.” In a healthy world, Eden Prairie would be playing on Tuesday, the start of the tournament. “It’s a game we’d like to be playing,” said…

University of Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen sat at the press table directly across from the Eden Prairie bench when the Eagles’ basketball team opened state tournament play last March. “I don’t think I was nervous,” said sophomore Nia Holloway. “OK, maybe a little bit. I had never played in the state tournament before.” Whalen was there to watch Holloway and Holloway knew that. “She had been to a lot of our home games,” said Holloway. The Eden Prairie forward had been offered a University of Minnesota scholarship a year ago. Two weeks ago, she tweeted a verbal acceptance. “It’s special,”…

Having hit the Rule of 90 (when the sum of your age and the years of public service totals at least 90) a few years ago, Eden Prairie High School Activities Director Mike Grant had the option to retire early without a reduction in his pension, but he didn’t. He considered it, but would also say no to retirement at the end of the 2019-20 school year. “I certainly thought about it,” said Grant, “but I also thought what a tough time it is. “I really believe that for school administrators right now,” he added, “there’s nothing like it. This…

MSHSL changes course, approves fall football and volleyball The best time to call for a reverse is when the other team least expects it. Eden Prairie High School football coach Mike Grant knows this. That’s why Grant was only hardly surprised when the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) changed directions on Monday, September 21, paving the way for fall football and volleyball seasons. At an August 4 meeting, the league had pushed football and volleyball back until the spring, while allowing for the fall starts of girls tennis, girls swimming and diving, girls and boys cross-country and girls and…