My name is Jackson DeGrood. At OHS Magnet, I’m a sports writer, sports editor, and sports enthusiast. Here is my monthly recap on the big four sports: also, the 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 spectacularly this month.

The NFL Super Bowl is upon us while the NBA is mid-season. Let’s get right into the happenings of the sports world during January.

Football:

First things first, I would like to say that the Baltimore Ravens’ loss was not on quarterback Lamar Jackson. His receivers played awfully, there were too many unsolicited penalties, and overall the refs did not have an equilibrium in their call-making. It was very one-sided. The Ravens defense played stellar but the offense could not score when it mattered. On the other side, the Detroit Lions choked. An aggressive play style in the regular season is the reason they got to where they are today, however it also ended their season. Dan Cambell, the head coach for the Lions, needs to realize that when you are up 24-7, you do not have to continue biting kneecaps off and kicking a field goal. They also had questionable time management, using one of their timeouts with 1:05 left on the clock on second  and goal. Instead, they could have spiked the ball quickly or had a hurry-up play-action play call. 

In the Super Bowl, I believe it is extremely hard to bet against quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but it is even harder to bet against the San Francisco 49ers personnel. They came out slow to start against the Lions, but do not expect to ever see that again. Against the Kansas City Chiefs defense, I would expect a game where the 49ers score 27-35 points. Against the 49er’s defense, I would expect the Chiefs to hang around a margin of 21-28 points. My final prediction: the Chiefs fall short to the 49ers and lose 27-24.

For the Minnesota Vikings, they have landed the 11th overall pick in the draft. The Vikings are also in a predicament where they may need to get rid of some star players to make room for the others. If the Vikings get rid of linebacker Danielle Hunter, you can expect them to take an edge in the first. I believe we will find a way to keep everyone and draft a first-round QB to sit behind Cousins for one-two years.

Basketball:

In the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves have cooled down. The reason is poor ball movement and scorers not producing in moments where they are expected to produce. Other teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Oklahoma Thunder are contenders for high playoff seeds. NBA All-Star weekend is soon and the rest of the season is unfolding. I would expect to see the Timberwolves land a top-three seed in the Western Conference regardless of play during the second half of the season because of how hot their start of the season was. The only other teams that are threats in the West are the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Thunder. Outside of those three teams, the Wolves are the main threat in the Western Conference. 

Hockey:

For Minnesota Wild fans, they have been disappointing this year. With the mid-season coaching change, I would not expect a turnaround this season and they will most likely miss out on playoffs this year. For the University of Minnesota Gopher fans, they have had a lot of good wins this season, but some bad losses. They are still ranked nine, but I would not count them out. They have looked really good but slightly inconsistent. If they can figure their inconsistencies out, they could potentially make a run to the Frozen Four.

In high school, the Huskies have been off to one of the best seasons in recent memory. Their record is 14-4-1 and second in the Big 9. Freshman Zach Klecker has had a big impact as he is one of the top freshmen in the state. Senior captain Owen Beyer also has been a great leader as he is top ten in the state in total points. This team is hoping to make a run-through sections and lead the way to a state appearance, which would be the first in about 25 years.

Other:

The UFC 300 card just got released and it is wildly underwhelming. I am more excited to see UFC 299. I was hoping to see some more stars and title fights on the 300 card. The reason I had high expectations of UFC 300 is because, historically, UFC 200 and UFC 100 fight cards feature the biggest stars of their respective times. This card is underwhelming compared to the past major cards.

Also around high school, National Signing Day is upon us on Feb. 7. On this day, people sign their National Letter of Intent, basically a commitment to the college or university they intend to play at. At OHS there are approximately nine people expected to sign to continue their path as a student-athlete at the next level. The signing ceremony and reception will be held from 3-3:30 p.m. in the OHS Foundation Room.

Deggy’s Dawgs of the month:

Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton (Safety), 49ers’ Nick Bosa (Defensive edge), Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes (Small Forward), Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (Guard/forward), and OHS Huskies’ Owen Beyer (Center).

Overall, the ‘24 sports year is expected to be entertaining and electrifying. In Minnesota, not so much. Stay tuned for February’s edition of Deggy’s Dog Pound as we go in-depth on the big four sports and sporting news.