Happy Hour with John Gaskins

Back-to-back state titles, 33 consecutive wins, a 23-0 this season, 13 shutouts, 14 mercy-rule wins, an average final score of 12-1, and a combined tally of 18-0 in Sioux Falls Jefferson's three state tournament games.
 
Not bad for a guy who never intended to coach softball until his wife coaxed him into it 15 years ago at the youth level with their daughter, and he just kind of kept on going.
 
Before last softball season, Ed Whiting was best known as the blitz-happy, universally-respected veteran prep football defensive coordinator and the father of 6'6 Michigan State tight end Eddie Whiting. 
 
Now, he has the undisputed best program in South Dakota's highest level, two years running.
 
How? And why did it only get better this season?
 
Whiting sits down with the Happy Hour host at Shenanigans (west), his local neighborhood bar and grill, to unpack the Cavaliers' success and his approach to softball players compared to his football athletes. 
 
The former O'Gorman and Augustana player—who shared plenty of Steve Kueter, Jim Heinitz, and Kim Nelson stories in last June's Happy Hour chat — also describes Jefferson football's first year with Eric Struck as the head coach and gives an update on Eddie's progress in East Lansing, where Eddie enrolled in January to get a head start on his freshman season. 
 
Before all that, the host broke down North Dakota's recent NCAA tampering violation and penalties. What kind of true impact they'll have on the trending-up Fighting Hawks program?
 
Plus, hear what Minnesota Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson had to say about catching passes from newly-acquired free agent Kyler Murray, and what the host makes of them.
 
Finally, how should Minnesota Timberwolves fans process Karl-Anthony Towns' dominating, MVP-worthy NBA Finals performance so far?

Hear what Minnesota Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson had to say about catching passes from newly-acquired free agent Kyler Murray, and what the host makes of them.
 
Finally, how should Minnesota Timberwolves fans process Karl-Anthony Towns' dominating, MVP-worthy NBA Finals performance so far?

The host broke down North Dakota's recent NCAA tampering violation and penalties. What kind of true impact will they have on the trending-up Fighting Hawks program?

Ed Whiting on Jefferson's 2nd straight state softball title (23-0), coaching girls vs. boys, son Eddie's early experience at Michigan State

Two Sioux Falls legends and South Dakota football all-time luminaries who combined for national chamionships at the University of Sioux Falls— one as teammates and three more as coaches together on the offensive headset.
 
One moved on to travel the country and rise up the Div. I ranks to become head coach at Alabama. The other stuck around to win seven more of his 11 professional indoor championships with the Sioux Falls Storm, strengthen his burgeoning youth football developmental academy, and become a respected radio and TV broadcaster.
 
But it all started at tiny NAIA "Sioux Falls College" in 1993 together. 
 
Kalen DeBoer and Kurtiss Riggs joined Happy Hour with John Gaskins to tell old stories about their lifelong friendship, starting with their first encounter. The vivid memories, entertaining storytelling, and loads of laughs lead off this week's "South Dakota Sports Lounge" — a regional TV and audio show for Midwest Sports Plus that provides the hand-picked best conversations of the week on the daily sports talk shows of Forum Communications, plus a weekly MS+ local sports feature story.

Only the first 12 minutes of the DeBoer/Riggs chat is provided in this Sports Lounge episode. To see the whole chat, click here.
 
The other segments this week:
 
Hot Mic w/ Dom Izzo (Fargo): Exclusive interview with Beth Maher. She was fired as head girls basketball coach at the Catholic high school in Fargo (Shanley) unexpectedly after a winning tenure. The boys basketball coach was also fired unexpectedly. It was part of that spate of surprise resignations/firings of prominent high school coaches in both North Dakota and South Dakota. This is the first interview Maher has given on her thoughts and feelings.  
 
The Nate Brown Show: The latest Minnesota Vikings hot topics from Thor Nystrom of Skor North. They start their conversation on new Vikings GM Nolan Teasley. 
 
Zach Borg feature: The final Diamond Vision feature of the season recapping state high school baseball championships in South Dakota. Midwest Sports+ broadcast both the Class A and Class B tournaments in their entirety.