My name is Jackson DeGrood. At OHS Magnet I am a sports writer, sports editor, and a sports enthusiast. Here is my monthly recap of all of the big four sports and major events in the sporting world. Here we also talk about all Minnesota sports and the local Huskies. We also give you our Dawgs of the Month: people who may not get the spotlight, but played spectacular this month.

October is an action packed sports month. Basketball is starting up, baseball is ending, football is mid-season. It is one of the best months of the year because there are sports on all of the time.

Baseball:

The beginning, but also the end, of the sports seasons. In the MLB, it may be the end of the season, but the World Series is just about to start. The Rangers played the Astros in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). 

The Astros dominant pitching and hitting really let them down this series as the Rangers bats were enough to win the series. In game seven, the Rangers won 11-4 in a game where after the first inning, the Astros really never had a chance. On the other side, the NLCS has been just as entertaining. The Phillies Vs. Diamondbacks are also playing a game seven tonight. This is the battle of two of the most entertaining hitting teams I have seen in a playoff series. The Phillies also won the Wild Card and then beat the one-seeded Braves to make it here. The Diamondbacks came from the Wild Card and then beat the Dodgers to make it here. They have proved that they are real contenders and they are hoping to add to this Cinderella story. The underdog Diamondbacks and their starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt are hoping to limit the amount of home runs hit by this Phillies lineup. That will be the key to winning this game seven. For the Phillies, they just have to get their bats started up again and forget game six. 

This World Series will be the first time in seven years that doesn’t feature the Astros or the Dodgers. It will also be the second time in a row where two Wild Card teams play each other in the World Series. After this series, only 16 Wild Card teams in MLB history have made it to the world series.

Football:

Fans are starting to see who the contenders are and aren’t through all levels. At the local level, the Huskies look like the real deal. Their outstanding offense with an athletic defense is looking to make a run through sections and hopefully to state. They play the winner of Rochester Century and Rochester John Marshall. They will only have four days to prepare for the Huskies until the section semi-final. Four days is simply not enough time for the last seed to play the number one team in the section, especially to play them and win. 

On a collegiate level, all of the top ten teams ranked in the latest AP poll look like real contenders. Though this may be concise, the Heisman race is a little more scuffed. Two of the frontrunners in Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams had one of the worst games in their career this month. For now, there is no clear winner and the rest of their season will be a determining factor to decide a winner. In the state of Minnesota, the Gophers just won in a controversial game against Iowa and are ranked third in the Big 10. The Gophers look to make a run to win the Big 10 and raise their national ranking (52). 

Taking it up one more level, the NFL. The last Sunday night matchup between the Eagles and Dolphins may have just been a preview to the superbowl. These two teams are unstoppable and consistent: a lethal combination. The Chiefs are looking like the real deal as Kelce just dealt out a cool 179 yards and touchdown. The top four contenders in the league in my opinion would be the 49ers, Chiefs, Eagles, and Dolphins. Nobody can keep up with these teams.

Another team I forgot to mention for the Minnesota fans: the Vikings. After their big Monday night win, they are looking deadly. Jordan Addison is looking like a solid temporary replacement for Justin Jefferson as he had 123 yards and two touchdowns. Kirk Cousins also had a great game. However, the poorly rated Vikings defense is hoping to get some recognition for the work they have done this season. Coming into this game they were ranked 29th even though they have been nothing short of great (other than the Eagles game) all season. All of the Vikings’ losses have been to stupid offensive mistakes such as fumbles. The Vikings are looking to make a historic mid-season turnaround and playoff run. We are all here for it.

Hockey:

The Wild have been off to nothing but a mediocre start as they are 2-2, but the Gophers hockey team has been ELECTRIC. They swept St. Thomas then split the series against longtime rivals UND. This puts them at 3-1 and they have looked incredible. 

OHS Alumni Zach Wiese suits up for the Gophers every game. Wiese said, “We are currently ranked 1 and have two big series coming up against Wisconsin and UMD.” This preseason, he got some time in the crease. That would be his first time getting in during a Gophers’ hockey game. Wiese said, “I will take a lot from that moment and learn for the next time I get put in.” He is hoping to take his mistakes and learn to grow for the next time he may be put into a crucial situation.

Basketball:

The NBA is starting soon. There are many questions to be answered this season such as: Does Chris Paul bring the Warriors to a contender level? Will Jordan Poole be consistent? How do Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis affect their respective teams? These and many more are all major question marks that we cannot answer until we see it. October 24th is the opening tip off.

Other:

Finally, the combat sports world has been interesting. There was recently an influencer boxing event that was a huge success but also a huge flop. Yes, lots of people bought in and yes it sold out but the main and co main event was brutal to watch. Logan Paul’s match was nothing short of a joke with a huge brawl at the end. KSI’s match was brutal. There was too much clinching, a questionable point deduction, and a questionable outcome. The UFC has also been in the midst of some drama. The doctors at UFC 294 had two questionable stoppages and outcomes throughout the main card. Ultimately, everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes but this month has had a few too many in the combat sports world.

Deggy’s Dawgs of the Month:

Deggy’s Dawgs of the month go to: Rangers’ Adolis Garcia (Outfielder), Huskies’ Caleb Hullopeter (Wide Receiver), Florida State Seminoles’ Keon Coleman (Wide Receiver), Vikings’ Jordan Addison (Wide Receiver), and Gophers’ Brody Lamb (Right Wing). Shout out to all of these players who are playing outstanding in their sport.

Overall, the 23-24 sports year will be electrifying, but not if you are a Minnesota fan. The gloom of being a Minnesota fan has not gotten any better. Stay tuned for November’s edition of Deggy’s Dog Pound as we go in depth on the big four sports and sporting news.