Youngstown State plays Cleveland State after Galette's 21-point performance
Youngstown State Penguins (17-10, 11-5 Horizon League) at Cleveland State Vikings (18-8, 12-3 Horizon League)
Cleveland; Sunday, 2 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Vikings -3.5; over/under is 142.5
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Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
Brian Flores reflects on NFL head coaching courtship, remains 'happy' running Vikings' defense
The Minnesota Vikings held a mandatory minicamp this week, and Brian Flores stood close by as Vikings defensive players participated in drills. Earlier this year, it wasn't clear Flores would be wearing a Vikings cap when the team's offseason program kicked off. The former Miami Dolphins head coach drew interest from multiple NFL teams that had head coaching openings during the latest hiring cycle. The Chicago Bears and the New York Jets were among teams that confirmed they met with Flores for an interview in January. Flores did not land another head coaching opportunity and returned for his third season as the Vikings' defensive coordinator. Flores had success in his first couple of seasons with the Vikings, and his innovative schemes were widely credited for the franchise's defensive turnaround. Although the regular season is still months away, Flores' creativity and aggressive style of play-calling was already on display at minicamp. During full team drills Thursday, an unexpected pre-snap alignment by the defense prompted new center Ryan Kelly to ask Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell about the call he should make for blocking that play. "Your guess is as good as mine," O'Connell told Kelly, he later recounted to reporters. "I've got no idea what they're doing over there." "It must've been pretty close to the end of the offseason program because today he ran some stuff that I didn't even know was in there," O'Connell added. "That's Flo. I challenge him all the time to do those things." Although he won't enter the 2025 NFL season as a head coach, Flores expressed appreciation for the opportunity to go through the interview process. He added he was "happy" to be returning to Minnesota. "Being able to sit in that interview setting and have a conversation for that role is obviously an honor, and those jobs went to guys who were certainly deserved," Flores said. "It was a great experience, and I enjoyed it. I'm also very happy to be right where I am." The Dolphins parted ways with Flores after the 2021 season. He filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the league shortly after losing his head coaching job. The lawsuit is still pending. The Vikings ranked fifth in the league in scoring defense last season after finishing 14th the year before. They were 28th in 2022 before Flores arrived. Spending in free agency helped enhance the depth chart, but Flores has also helped turn unheralded players such as safety Josh Metellus and linebacker Ivan Pace into key contributors. Last season, the Vikings tied for the league lead with 33 takeaways, leading to a steady stream of on-field celebrations. "My joy comes from watching them have excitement," Flores said. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Chicago Tribune
7 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Shaking off an illness, Ben Geary returns to get St. Laurence past Troy Triad. One hit at a time. ‘Pass the torch.'
Aside from the usual excitement of playing in a state semifinal game, senior infielder Ben Geary had another reason to be extra grateful to be taking the field Friday for St. Laurence. The South Suburban College recruit missed Monday's 2-1 supersectional win over Simeon with an illness. Knowing there was a chance his high school career could end with him at home sick, Geary was thankful his teammates came through and gave him another chance to play. 'I was sweating and biting my nails following the game on Monday night,' Geary said. 'I wasn't expecting it to be as close as it was. I didn't want that to be my final high school game and not even be there for my teammates, but I knew it wouldn't be. I had confidence in my teammates. 'It meant the world to be out there. This is my home. I need to be there with my teammates.' Geary returned and delivered an RBI single Friday morning, helping the Vikings roll to an 11-6 win over Troy Triad in a Class 3A semifinal at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet. Wisconsin-Stout recruit Connor Marino went 2-for-5 with four RBIs to lead St. Laurence (36-5). Danny Donovan finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, while Adrian Perez added two hits, two runs and an RBI and Mickey Lotus went 3-for-4 with a run. The Vikings will try to win their first state title in program history at 1 p.m. Saturday against the semifinal winner between Benet (26-12) and Cary-Grove (25-12). It's their second appearance in the state championship game. In 2019, St. Laurence lost 6-3 to Montini in the Class 3A final. Sophomore left-hander Jimmy Benson threw 5 2/3 strong innings Friday against a lefty-heavy lineup for Triad (34-7). He allowed three earned runs on seven hits and struck out six for the win. 'It was fun,' Benson said. 'I was waiting for this moment. I want to pitch in the biggest game possible for us. I like the feeling of pitching in big games with the adrenaline and all that. 'I feel like it helps me do better.' Geary, meanwhile, started feeling ill Sunday and it only got worse as Monday rolled around. 'I couldn't sleep the whole night on Sunday,' Geary said. 'I was just as sick as can be. I just didn't feel like I could play. I could barely stand up. 'I just got a lot of fluids in my body and tried to be ready for state.' Geary said he still wasn't feeling close to 100% Friday, but there was no way he was missing this. He came through with an RBI single during a four-run fourth inning and also drew a walk. 'I wasn't feeling as good as I had hoped, but I just wanted to stay simple,' Geary said. 'Try not to do too much at the plate. Just do my job, play my role and pass the torch on to the next guy.' That is essentially the motto for St. Laurence's entire lineup. The Vikings, who led 8-0 after five innings, put together three long rallies — scoring four times in the second inning, four times in the fourth and three in the seventh. St. Laurence finished with 12 hits, including 10 singles, plus doubles from Lotus and Donovan. 'I feel like we've always been kind of scrappy hitters,' Lotus said. 'We have Cory Les, but other than that, we don't really have anyone that can hit the ball crazy far or anything. 'We made that first pitcher work, and I don't think he's worked like that before. I feel like we really got to him.' And now, the Vikings are one win away from history. 'This is what we work for,' Geary said. 'I think our team deserves it, and I'm glad we get the opportunity. We're going to play our hearts out.'
Los Angeles Times
7 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Marina Vikings celebrate the Class of 2025
The Marina High School choir club sang 'Seasons of Love' during the Vikings' commencement ceremony on Thursday at Boswell Field in Westminster. One season is over for the Class of 2025, and another will be beginning. Marina graduated 498 seniors during the ceremony. Janai Brown was the Vikings' senior speaker, while Joshua Chang White, who graduated summa cum laude, also addressed his classmates and invited guests. Sarah Davis performed the national anthem. Tim Floyd concluded his first year as Marina principal this year, and the Vikings had another year of academic and athletic success. Notably, the boys' tennis team advanced to its first CIF title match in program history. Senior Trevor Nguyen, bound for UC San Diego, was the Vikings' No. 1 singles player and again formed an elite doubles team wth junior David Tran. The squad also had four other senior starters who graduated Thursday, including Darren Le and Justin Nguyen, who will room together at UCLA in the fall. — Daily Pilot Staff
