Minnesota
Will Reichard ‘has done an unbelievable job’ for the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings waived John Parker Romo on July 29, leaving rookie Will Reichard as the only kicker on their training-camp roster. But the former Hoover High School and Alabama standout said he tried not to let the change in status affect his preparation for the 2024 NFL season.
“I’m not really thinking about that too much, to be honest with you,” Reichard said on Aug. 3. “I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and trying to find the best version of myself every day I come out here and trying to get 1 percent better every single day. Wherever that takes me, it sort of takes me. I’m just trying to find a way to be the best version of myself.”
Vikings special-team coordinator Matt Daniels said Minnesota had not intended to conclude its kicking competition so early in the preseason. But a need in the secondary led the Vikings to sign former Oxford High School standout Bobby McCain, and Minnesota waived Romo to create a roster spot for him.
“That was an unfortunate situation,” Daniels said. “We really, really wanted to continue to see John Parker Romo. I thought he was doing a great job. And, you know, Will did, too, because when he first came in here, he understood to know what he was up against. Like, the job just wasn’t going to just be given to him because he was a draft pick. He truly wanted to earn the right of his teammates, the respect of his teammates, and win the job. And we got to a point, obviously, where there were some roster changes that needed to happen. As a result, we kind of had to make that move.
“But Will has done an unbelievable job since he’s gotten here.”
Greg Joseph handled the Vikings’ kicking duties during the previous three seasons. In 2023, Joseph made 24-of-30 field-goal attempts and 36-of-38 extra-point tries. In March, he signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent.
Romo signed with Minnesota on March 13. The All-XFL kicker for the San Antonio Brahmas in 2023, he’s also been on the rosters of the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears without appearing in an NFL regular-season game.
Reichard joined Minnesota in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on April 27. In five seasons with the Crimson Tide, Reichard made 84-of-100 field-goal attempts and 295-of-297 extra-point tries as he scored an NCAA-record 547 points.
“He’s steady Eddie,” Daniels said of Reichard. “He’s a guy that really maintains a good, neutral mindset, and you truly never know when he’s in a good mood or when he’s in a bad mood. He can go perfect on a day, and he’s still just even keel. And it’s like, you know, ‘That was a good day.’ And he’ll tell you, like, ‘On a scale of 1 to 10, that was a 5.’ And it’s like, ‘Damn, you went perfect, and you hit every ball and went all the way back to 60.’ And he’s like, ‘No, that wasn’t good enough.’ And so he has expectations, and he has high standards for himself, and that’s really what you appreciate.
“And we’ve gone into discussions now that he is our kicker on what his season goals look like and what training-camp goals look like. And I have an idea of what it looks like. And he’s kind of telling me, like, ‘That’s not good enough.’ And, you know, I appreciate that. I really appreciate the edginess that he has and the mindset that he has. And that’s the reason why we drafted him is because of that mindset.”
Reichard said “a lot of kicking is mental.”
“A lot of people have ability, but it’s about what’s up here that really counts,” Reichard said while pointing to his head. “So just making sure that’s sharp.”
Reichard will get his first opportunity to kick in a Minnesota uniform in the Vikings’ preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders at 3 p.m. CDT Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. NFL Network will televise the game.
“I think this is a great spot,” Reichard said. “Obviously landed myself in a great, great group of guys. … Everyone in the building has been awesome, so super glad I ended up here, for sure.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
Minnesota
Boldy, Eriksson Ek help Wild cruise past Stars in Game 1 of Western 1st Round | NHL.com
Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.
“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good.
“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”
Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.
“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes.
“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”
Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).
“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”
Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.
“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”
Minnesota
ICE agent assault charge marks a ‘milestone’ for Minnesota prosecutors
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.
Trump administration ends Minnesota immigration operation
Border Czar Tom Homan announced the end of Minnesota’s immigration operation after fatal shootings heightened tension and community backlash.
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.
On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.
Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.
Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.
“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.
The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.
Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.
Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police.
State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.
The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.
On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
Minnesota
Reds Brandon Williamson beats Twins in first Minnesota homecoming
Reds’ Brandon Williamson talks Minnesota homecoming, beating Twins
Cincinnati Reds lefty Brandon Williamson pitched into the sixth inning to beat his home-state Minnesota Twins 2-1 in his first pro start in Minnesota.
MINNEAPOLIS – Brandon Williamson came to this ballpark as a kid, rooted for Joe Mauer and the Twins, maybe even dreamed a little of playing there one day.
“Oh, yeah. Joe Ma,” Williamson said. “That’s my guy.”
By the time that day came, Mauer had a statue outside the stadium, and Williamson had 29 career starts across three big-league seasons for the Cincinnati Reds.
And then the kid from tiny Trimont, Minnesota, came up big enough to beat the Twins in his first professional start in his home state – a 2-1 victory Friday in front of 200 or more personal friends and family from Trimont. And about 31,000 other people.
“It was awesome,” said Williamson, whose personal contingent at the game represented close to one-third of greater Trimont (pop. 705). “It was everything I thought it would be.”
The left-hander didn’t pitch especially deep into the game, getting two batters into the sixth. But on a night made for native Minnesotans, with a game-time temperature of 43 degrees, Williamson looked right at, well, home, pitching to the conditions and setting down the first six batters he faced – and eight of the first nine.
As one local press box wag quipped during the second inning, “These Minnesota boys know how to pitch in the cold.”
A pair of one-out runs in the fourth inning provided the scoring for a Reds team lineup still trying to break free from its early season woes – albeit with the twin obstacles of the weather and All-Star starter Joe Ryan’s presence on the mound for the Twins for the first six innings.
The only two hits off Ryan were doubles in the fourth by Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez, sandwiched around a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Kreidler. Suárez’s hit drove in two.
The only run against Williamson scored after he inexplicably followed four strong innings with three consecutive walks to open the fifth, including a four-pitch walk to No. 8 hitter Brooks Lee leading off the inning.
Austin Martin followed the three freebies with a sacrifice fly on a dying liner to the gap in right that Will Benson caught with a slide.
Williamson then rallied to get Luke Keaschall on an inning-ending, 5-4-3 double play started by Suárez, who got the rare start at third base.
“I thought he handled himself really good,” manager Terry Francona said. “He looked like he was having fun pitching. I know he didn’t like walking the bases loaded. But he looked like he was enjoying himself out there. I like that when guys are enjoying competing; then we’re OK.”
Williamson also left the bases loaded in the third after a hit batter and two-out single followed by a walk. He struck out Keaschall on a called third strike that was confirmed after Keaschall challenged.
“I could have kissed whoever was running the ABS,” Williamson said.
The Reds improved to 12-8 and remained tied for first place in the National League Central after their third win in four games – the second in that stretch by a 2-1 score.“That was cool,” said closer Emilio Pagán, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save in his first outing since experiencing hamstring tightness Tuesday.
“I don’t have a team in my home state (of South Carolina),” Pagán said, “so I don’t know what that feels like. But to pitch against probably his favorite team growing up in front of that many friends and family had to be a surreal feeling. And he handled it great.”
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