Editor’s Note: “Prep Flashbacks” is the second of a series of seven columns highlighting the teams and players that Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald has covered as a prep photojournalist since 1987. The column will run once a month.
After graduating from Central State University in 1987, I began my career as a prep sports columnist at Insight News. In 1996, I moved on to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.
This week’s column features one event or accomplishment from each year 1997-2001. Highlights include a team’s third-straight state boys basketball championship, two consecutive state girls basketball titles, and two consecutive boys basketball crowns.
1997: Khalid El-Amin, Jabbar Washington, Ozzie Lockhart and Kevin Holley led Minneapolis North to its third consecutive state boys basketball championship defeating Stillwater 63-51. El-Amin is Mr. Basketball and selected to the McDonald’s All-American team.
1998: Tamara Moore, Mauri Horton, and Jill Kalvik led Minneapolis North, coached by former Marshall University High School and University of Wisconsin basketball legend Faith Patterson-Johnson, to its first-ever Class 3A girls basketball championship with a 61-53 victory. Moore is Ms. Basketball and Metro Player of Year.
1999: Head Coach Faith Johnson-Patterson, along with players Mauri Horton, Tiara Medlock and Abby Reed, led Minneapolis North to its second consecutive Class 3A state girls basketball championship, defeating Owatonna 72-44. In addition to being selected as the Metro Player of the Year, Horton also earned the honor of being named Ms. Basketball.
2000: Johnnie Gilbert, Tony Travis, Edwin Huff and Greg Patton led Minneapolis Patrick Henry, coached by Larry McKenzie, to the Class 3A boys basketball championship with a 59-45 win over St. Thomas Academy. It was the first state title for the Patriots since 1945.
2001: Head Coach Larry McKenzie, along with players Forest Bryant, Zerek Knight, Terry Pettis and Lawrence McKenzie, led Minneapolis Patrick Henry to their second consecutive Class 3A state boys basketball title, defeating St. Thomas Academy 74-61.
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