Talking Preps

Braziel chats with Star Tribune preps reporter David La Vaque about the undefeated Columbia Heights Hylanders, beating "The Machine" DeLaSalle and anticipating a showdown with another private-school power, Totino-Grace, in the section playoffs.

Star Tribune high school reporter David La Vaque chats with Kristi King, a girls' hockey coach who started at Centennial, joined the college ranks at the University of St. Thomas and is now in her first year at the Blake School.

Pauly and Star Tribune high school sports reporter David La Vaque discuss his team's current win streak and reflect on 10 years since Jack Jablonski's catastrophic injury.

Star Tribune prep sports reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen get high school sports fans caught up on chaos in the hockey rankings, basketball players and teams to watch and even a little football news.

Star Tribune preps reporters Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque recap the biggest names signing their college football letters of intent. Jim discusses an already lively basketball season. And both guys reminisce on great 2021 moments.

Star Tribune preps reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen recover from post-Prep Bowl depression by discussing all things boys' hockey.

Star Tribune reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen share their picks for the final football games this season taking place Friday and Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium

Star Tribune prep sports reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen also look back on the rollicking volleyball state tournament and ahead to girls' hockey dropping the puck on a season full of intrigue

Star Tribune reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen take a deeper look at exciting state tournament teams and matchups in volleyball and football.

You want cross-country, football, soccer and volleyball insights? Star Tribune preps reporters David LaVaque and Jim Paulsen have you (and the landscape) covered.

Star Tribune preps reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen review the wealth of football playoff upsets and discuss the Class 6A experiment pitting the tradition-rich programs against those trying to rebuild.

To QRF or not to QRF? Star Tribune preps reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen tackle the imperfect and sometimes "bloody" process of seeding football teams.

Katie Aafedt, the Edina girls' coach, and Aaron Fenton with the Lakeville South boys' program, talk all things soccer with Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque.

Star Tribune prep sports reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen debate how to best rank a football team. They also give props to a courageous tennis player, and the architect of Eden Prairie's football program.

Star Tribune's David LaVaque and Jim Paulsen talk running backs used more in the passing game and the stadiums where the Friday Night Lights shine brightest

High school writes David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen take you inside the game as they try to unravel what they know and don't know about the Minnesota high school football season.

St. Thomas Academy and Cretin-Derham Hall clash once again, as Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque discuss in their second Taking Preps episode of fall 2021.

David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen talk about a 2021 season that begins with a feeling of normalcy.

A season that begin haltingly last fall and ground to halt in the winter finished up with spring sports state tournaments featuring clutch performances, cool story lines and a sense of, dare we say, normalcy that bodes well for next year, according to the Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen and David la Vaque.

A sweltering week of boys' tennis offered a preview of what will be a five-sport blizzard of tournaments next week, including a cast of newcomers among the lacrosse final eight boys' and girls' teams. Plus what Chet Holmgren's latest honor says about Minnesota high school basketball, from the Star Tribune's David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen.

Controversial boys' hockey coach Mike Randolph steps down amid an investigation, Trejuan Holloman steps up as a possible Gopher, and the Minnesota State High School League is showing financial improvement. The Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque dissect it all in the latest Talking Preps.

With 50 years of journalism experience between them, the Star Tribune's David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen offer graduation season reflections about covering a sports world full of community, everyday athletes and occasional stars before their time with one common denominator: "Rarely,'' Jim says, "do you get a no-comment.''

The idea was to improve competitive balance starting this fall among the state's largest football programs, where state tournament runs are skewed in favor a minority of teams. But as the Star Tribune's David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen discuss, those efforts have some questioning how much it will help when it comes to always-contentious postseason seeding.

The Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen, under astute questioning from colleague David La Vaque, breaks down how a strongly backed proposal came up a few votes short at a key Minnesota State High School League meeting even as girls' wrestling was approved for a state tournament division.

The Star Tribune's Jim Paulsen and David La Vaque recount superlative efforts across Minnesota high school sports this spring and set up a key meeting to decide whether boys' volleyball and a girls' wrestling state tournament are a go.