Cretin-Derham Hall is a Catholic high school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nationally, it's not very well known, but in the state of Minnesota, it's an undisputed athletic powerhouse. The school has won 24 state championships in all sports, including 11 in baseball.
As a result of all the athletic success Cretin has had over the years, they have produced several notable alumni. The most prominent are 2004 MLB Hall of Fame inductee Paul Molitor and current Minnesota Twins star Joe Mauer.
Molitor, who graduated in 1974, was all-state in both baseball and basketball. Following a three-year stint at the University of Minnesota, Molitor played professionally for the Brewers, Blue Jays and Twins, collecting more than 3,000 hits and winning the 1993 World Series with the Blue Jays.
The Houston Texans are off to their best start in franchise history with a 7-3 record. Monday, Houston was dealt a big blow when it was announced that quarterback Matt Schaub may be out for the season with a foot injury. This is bad news for a team that's already been hit by the injury bug.
Monday night, the Packers host the Vikings at Lambeau Field. The defending champion Packers are flying high with an 8-0 record and are winners of 14 overall, dating back to last season. The Vikings are on the opposite end of the spectrum, coming in with a 2-6 record so far this season.
Sunday in San Francisco, the 7-1 49ers and the 6-2 Giants renew an old rivalry in a big NFC contest. These teams have had some classic battles by the Bay, including the 1990 NFC Championship Game, which the Giants won 15-13 and the 2002 Wild Card game, where the 49ers erased a 24-point second half deficit to beat New York 39-38.
Saturday night, 9-0 Stanford hosts 8-1 Oregon in a huge Pac-12 showdown. Stanford is 9-0 for the first time since 1951. This will not be an easy game for the Cardinal, as Oregon has beaten them four of their last five meetings. This game should determine which Pac-12 team goes to the Rose Bowl.
Highland Park High School is a prominent public institution, located in the wealthy Dallas neighborhood of University Park, five miles north of downtown Dallas. The school is known as an athletic power that has produced several professional athletes. The tennis team alone has won 12 state championships and in 2005, Sports Illustrated named it the best sports program in Texas.
Sunday, when the Patriots host the Giants, it will be the first time these teams have played since Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona.
Sunday, the 6-1 49ers visit the Redskins in Landover, Maryland. San Francisco’s 6-1 start is one of the NFL's biggest surprises this season. Not since 1998 have the Niners posted such a strong record after seven games. If they improve to 7-1 on Sunday, it will be the first time since 1997 that the 49ers have accomplished this feat.
During Saturday night’s big matchup between SEC rivals, No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama, there is an additional rivalry to consider, involving the two men roaming the sidelines.
Saturday night, No.2 Alabama hosts No.1 LSU in a rare regular season game involving the nation’s top two teams. This will only be the eleventh time in NCAA football history that this kind of game has occurred.