Monday, March 21, 2011
Even though it was nearly midnight, the community welcomed the players back after Saturday's game.
The Lindbergh Center was full of excitement Saturday night after the girls basketball team returned home with another championship title. The near-midnight hour couldn't stop the celebrations as friends and family hugged, the band played and everyone cheered. Have you caught all the state tournament coverage on Hopkins Patch? Read about supporters’ and players’ emotions during the tight game. Feel the drama—and then exhilaration— on the team bus that took the players to the tournament. Listen to the words of congratulation at the Lindbergh Center. And, of course, find out all the details of the game and see photos of the players in action.
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Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday's trip to and from the 2011 girls state basketball championship resonated with confidence and the fulfillment of season-long expectations.
Nobody had furrowed brows. Nobody was snapping at other teammates. Nobody was fidgety. Nobody was feeling like they were going to throw up. For a team about to play for the championship in the top class in Minnesota girls basketball, the Hopkins Royals were a very relaxed group. As the bus loaded up outside the Lindbergh Center at about 5:45 p.m. Saturday for the 15 minute trip to the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, the players, coaches, cheerleaders and a few others, seemed remarkably relaxed. You could hear the players' laughter from where they were grouped in the back. Head coach Brian Cosgriff, nattily attired in the same suit in which he was married, chatted amicably with those nearby. This was his third trip to a state …
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The Hopkins girls basketball title match sees players, parents and fans sweat out the first half, become totally euphoric in the second.
From parents to players to fans to classmates to the team’s bus driver, the emotions at Target Center Saturday night ranged from confidence to nervousness, from concern to—finally—unbridled joy. The Hopkins girls’ basketball team was taking on rival Eden Prairie for the 2011 state AAAA championship. Back at the Lindbergh Center at about 5:20 p.m., guard TT Starks snapped a confident “no” when asked upon entering the building if she was nervous. About 45 minutes later in the corridor her mother, Tara, when asked the same question, had the same answer. “It’s not in our blood,” she chuckled. Before the Hopkins game, Minneapolis DeLaSalle was playing Hill-Murray for the AAA championship. Jim O’Toole, whose two daughters Shannon and Erin play…
The group spoke at a celebration following the Royals' win Saturday night.
A dramatic sports story wouldn't be complete without a stirring speech. The Hopkins girls basketball championship is no different. When the athletes returned to the Lindberg Center after their big win Saturday, they, their coach and the athletic director had some stirring words for Royals supporters.
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Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Royals defeated Eden Prairie 67-45 to win the Class AAAA championship for the first time since 2006
As the final seconds ticked away at Saturday’s Class AAAA championship game, the Hopkins girls basketball team flocked together and embraced in one big celebratory hug. Chanting together after beating Eden Prairie 67-45 for the schools’ first state title since 2006, the display on the Target Center floor illustrated exactly what coach Brian Cosgriff said made this team so successful. The Royals are more than a team. They’re family. “This team was a team from the first man to the 18th man,” Cosgriff said. “They love each other, and that was cool to see.” It was evident on the floor Saturday in Minneapolis, as Hopkins (30-2) seemingly leaned on one another through each stretch of the game. Ten different players scored points in the contest—…
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Royals roll over White Bear Lake 52-34 to gain entry into Class AAAA finals Saturday.
Hopkins did again what the Royals have been doing all season—make good shots and play furious defense Friday. As a results, the Royals will be back playing in the Class AAAA title game—the fourth time Hopkins has advanced to the finals since 2004. Hopkins (29-2) dropped White Bear Lake 52-34 in Friday's semifinal. The Royals will play Eden Prairie (25-4) in the AAAA championship game Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Eden Prairie defeated Lakeville North 49-32 in Thursday's second semifinal. Hopkins senior guard Ebony Livingston scored 15, sophomore guard Nia Coffey 14 and senior guard Brianna Williams 11 to lead the Royals offense. Hopkins made 14 of 29 field goals in the first half to take a commanding 31-15 lead. …
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
Girls basketball team opens state tournament Wednesday morning against Buffalo
Hopkins girls basketball coach Brian Cosgriff used an old song title from the late James Brown when asked how he felt about the current state of his Royals as they get ready to play their first game Wednesday morning against Buffalo in the State Class 4A Championship Tournament. “I feel good.” Cosgriff has reason for guarded optimism. His team has come back and beat the two teams that previously beat them for their only two losses of the season—Eden Prairie and Minnetonka—and is playing as well now as it has all year. If there's one area of concern, it's backup point guard Taylor Anderson—who will miss the tournament with a high ankle sprain. Anderson, just a sophomore, is also lightening fast; she was the runner-up last year in the …
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Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Royals have the components necessary to win it all.
The Hopkins girls basketball team is poised to have a remarkable season. Undefeated and ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, the Royals still face a challenging schedule in the Lake Conference. But until someone steps up and really challenges them, there is no question they are the state’s best team. They have most of the key elements a championship basketball squad needs. Here are 10 reasons the Hopkins girls basketball team will go to the state Tournament in 2011: 10) Commitment From the first day of practice back in November, their goal has been to win the state championship, and that commitment is as strong as ever. 9) Confidence When teams are really good and always winning, it carries over into more wins. Yes, teams can be over-confident. …
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Leah Frazier Dixon
3:33 pm on Friday, April 15, 2011
The Coffeys [Richard & Sheba] are a class act!!! I'm so proud of their daughters... Nia and Sydney have been outstanding competitors all of their lives so far!!! I can't see that ever changing! Congratulations to Hopkins! Coach Leah more ›