Author: Steve Mulholland

I told them how proud I am of them and how much I love them.David Flom, Eden Prairie boys basketball head coach The entrance to the home locker room for the Eden Prairie boys basketball team is located about 30 feet from the visitors’ room in the lower level of the high school, directly below the main gymnasium. The chorus of joyous shouts coming from visiting Prior Lake – unmistakably associated with a hard-fought victory – were in stark contrast to the deafening silence of heartbreak and finality shared inside the home team’s locker room. Moments earlier, the Lakers had…

The air feels warmer, the snow a bit heavier, and anticipation is heightened as March Madness sweeps through Eden Prairie this week. Last Saturday, the Eagles wrestling team brought home five top-three finishes, including a state championship by Zy Williams in the 120-pound class. Meanwhile, the Eden Prairie boys swimming and diving team ended Edina’s run at the state tournament by sweeping three relays and capturing the Class 2A state championship. And this week, the Eden Prairie girls and boys basketball teams are dialed into the sectional playoffs, with a trip to St. Paul in the offing. Eagles girls take…

Eden Prairie wrestler Zytavius Williams stood under the bright lights of the Xcel Energy Center Saturday night with his arms in the air. The sophomore had just defeated Mason Mills of St. Michael-Albertville 4-3 in overtime to win the state championship in the 120-pound class. Moments later, in the corridors under the seats, where scores of wrestlers were entering and exiting the arena floor and preparing for matches, Williams had a moment to reflect on what it all meant. “I guess hard work, dedication and doing things when people aren’t watching you,” he said. “Like running and stuff. That’s what…

No one left the main gymnasium at Eden Prairie High School on Saturday following the Eagles’ scrappy 50-36 victory over Prior Lake in the Section 2AAAA semifinals of the girls basketball playoffs. Many of the Eden Prairie faithful remained in the gym to watch another game on the jumbotron, which was streaming the remaining four minutes of the Minnetonka vs. Chaska semifinal. The Eagles, who were gathered in a nearby classroom to watch the game play out, were eager to learn who their opponent would be in the section finals. The game they had just played had been a struggle…

The Eden Prairie boys basketball team moves on to the section playoffs after closing the book on their regular season Friday night against Minnetonka. The Eagles dropped an 89-65 decision to fourth-ranked Skippers on their home court at Eden Prairie High School. Eagles sophomore wing Max Lorenson led Eden Prairie with 21 points in a back-and-forth Lake Conference battle. Minnetonka (20-6) led by two at the half, but pulled away after the intermission behind 18 points from junior guard Andy Stefonowicz and 16 from junior Jordan Cain. Backing Lorenson for Eden Prairie was freshman guard Nolen Anderson with 11 points,…

Two straight games against Edina with two identical results. But we’re not only talking about the pair of Eden Prairie victories by the girls basketball team. We’re also referring to two Eagles’ players who reached 1,000-point milestones. Wednesday night at Eden Prairie High School, senior guard Ashley Fritz surpassed the 1,000-point mark in her high school career in the Eagles’ 68-37 win over Edina in the Section 2AAAA quarterfinals. “It felt really good,” Fritz said after the game. “It’s a goal that I’ve wanted for a while so it was nice to get it.” Fritz’s accomplishment follows that of senior…

Eden Prairie senior guard Luke Rapp scored 21 points to lead the Eagles boys basketball team in a 71-59 road victory over Minneapolis South on Tuesday. The Eagles are 3-2 in their last five games, with impressive wins over St. Michael-Albertville and third-ranked Wayzata to go with their win over the Gallant Tigers. The victory over Minneapolis South puts Eden Prairie back on a winning track after coming up short in their past two games. The Eagles fell to a pair of ranked opponents last week, No. 6 East Ridge on Feb. 21 and No. 10 Edina on Feb. 24.…

It’s been a good week for Eden Prairie sophomore wrestler Zytavius Williams and the Eagles wrestling team. With his 4-2 decision over third-ranked AJ Smith (33-7) of Shakopee in the 120-pound class at the Section 6AAA wrestling tournament last Saturday, Williams (31-9), ranked ninth in the state, earned a trip to the state wrestling tournament at Xcel Energy Center this weekend. Williams joins eight of his Eden Prairie teammates in the individual competition at the state tournament. And for his accomplishments, Williams was named one of the Star Tribune’s Prep Athletes of the Week. Eagles head coach Marcus LeVesseur told…

Monday, Feb. 27 The week of activities begins at Central Middle School, where the Elementary Music Performance (Rotation 1C) is taking place in CMS Performing Arts Center. The show begins at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28 The Eden Prairie boys basketball team is looking to rebound from their loss on Friday to 10th-ranked Edina. The Eagles travel to Minneapolis South for a matchup with the Gallant Tigers. Opening tip is at 7 p.m. The Eagles boys 10 and JV basketball teams will also play their games at South with start times at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively. The Eden…

A full house watched with great interest on Saturday as the puck dropped for the third period of the Section 2AA semifinals at Braemar Arena in Edina. Fifth-seeded Eden Prairie trailed top-seed Chanhassen 1-0 in what was already a thrilling hockey game. But the third period would deliver a level of excitement which hockey enthusiasts don’t often see. Eden Prairie swarmed in and around the Chanhassen defense to begin the third, launching nine shots in the first four minutes on Storm goaltender Kam Hendrickson, and not stopping until they found a way to tie the game. “That’s the leadership of…