The road to U.S. Bank Stadium continues this week as Minnesota high school football powers collide in the State Semifinals across all classes as teams battle for spots in next weekend’s Prep Bowl 43.
9-Player Semifinals
Fertile-Beltrami 14, Hills-Beaver Creek 30
One of the best matchups in the state semis comes up right away on Thursday morning in a rematch of last year’s 9-man championship. Fertile-Beltrami beat Hills-Beaver Creek 20-8 last November for the Falcons’ first-ever state title. This time around, Hills-Beaver Creek used a dominant second quarter to pull away from Fertile-Beltrami in the 9-Player State Semifinals, earning a 30-14 victory to advance to the Prep Bowl. After trading long scoring plays in the first quarter — including an 85-yard touchdown burst by Fertile-Beltrami’s Creed Tollefson — the Patriots took control before halftime. Eduardo Wegener’s 69-yard touchdown run and short scores from Hunter Leenderts and Micah Bush powered a 22-point second quarter that gave Hills-Beaver Creek a 30-14 halftime lead. Tollefson led the Falcons with 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Gavin Aakhus threw for 80 yards. Wegener rushed for 162 yards to lead a Patriots ground game that piled up 243 rushing yards and controlled the clock for nearly 30 minutes.
Kittson County Central 21, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 27
Hillcrest Lutheran Academy is heading to the Prep Bowl after holding off a furious fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Kittson County Central 27-21 in the 9-Player state semifinals. The Comets jumped out to a 21-7 halftime lead behind quarterback Ethan Swedberg, who threw a pair of touchdown passes to Drew Fischer and ran for two more scores. Fischer was dominant, hauling in 12 catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Hillcrest extended its lead to 27-7 late in the third quarter, but Kittson County Central rallied with two touchdown passes from Eli Peterson—one to Ashton Knutson and another to Kellen Johnson—to pull within six. Despite the late surge, Hillcrest’s defense held firm in the final minutes to preserve the win. Swedberg finished with 175 passing yards and 65 rushing yards, while Peterson threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
9-Man Championship: S1 Hills-Beaver Creek vs S2 Hillcrest Lutheran, Saturday November 22nd at 10:00 am
Class 1A Semifinals – Saturday
Minneota 28, Mahnomen/Waubun 14
Minneota is returning to the Prep Bowl for the fifth-consecutive season seeking their fourth-straight title after using their fast, physical rushing in a 28-14 semifinal win over Mahnomen/Waubun. Four different Vikings found the endzone in the game, starting with Easton Johnston opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, but Mahnomen/Waubun briefly seized momentum in the second when Blake McMullen capped a short drive with a 1-yard score and added the two-point conversion for an 8–7 lead. Minneota responded with authority. Kellen Bradley powered in a 3-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead, and just two minutes later, Tristen Sussner broke loose for a 15-yard score—plus the conversion—to stretch the advantage to 21–8 heading into halftime. The Vikings continued to lean on their ground game in the third quarter, marching 60 yards on eight plays before Sussner punched in his second touchdown of the night, pushing the lead to 28–8. Mahnomen/Waubun found a spark early in the fourth when Brody Lhotka finished off a steady drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, but Minneota’s defense held firm the rest of the way. Bradley led all rushers with 143 yards on 27 carries, while Sussner added 45 yards and two scores as part of a 215-yard team rushing effort. Lhotka and McMullen combined for 149 of Mahnomen/Waubun’s 170 rushing yards.
Breckenridge 28, Murray County Central 21
Breckenridge outlasted Murray County Central 28–21 in a physical, back-and-forth semifinal battle highlighted by powerful ground games on both sides with the go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes left in the game. The Cowboys struck first when quarterback Riley Kappes hit Charlie Kratcha for a 30-yard touchdown just 34 seconds into the game, but Murray County Central answered with a 9-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 37-yard scoring burst from Carson Lewis. The teams kept trading blows in the second quarter: David Erlandson powered in from a yard out for Breckenridge, only to see the Rebels tie it again on a 4-yard plunge from Jordan Sturges. With the half winding down, Breckenridge delivered a huge momentum swing, racing 78 yards in just over a minute and finishing with another 1-yard Erlandson score with seven seconds left in the half for a 21–14 lead at the break. Murray County Central refused to go away, grinding out a 17-play, 81-yard march in the third quarter that ended with Lewis’ second touchdown, a 3-yard run that knotted the game at 21–21. From there, Breckenridge’s defense dug in, and the Cowboys mounted the game-winning drive late in the fourth. Starting at their own 9-yard line, they methodically marched 91 yards on 13 plays, leaning heavily on Erlandson, who finished the night with 123 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. His third 1-yard score with 1:51 remaining put Breckenridge ahead for good. Despite a huge rushing effort from the Rebels—273 yards on the ground, led by Lewis and Sturges—Murray County Central couldn’t find a final answer as Breckenridge secured a hard-earned victory and a spot in the state championship game for the first time since 1995.
Class A Championship: S1 Minneota vs N1 Breckenridge, Friday, November 21st at 10:00 am
Class 2A Semifinals – Friday
Jackson County Central 38, Eden Valley-Watkins 0
Jackson County Central dominated from start to finish, blanking Eden Valley-Watkins 38-0 in the Class 2A state semifinals to return to the Prep Bowl to defend their AA Title. Quarterback Roman Voss put on a show, accounting for all six of the Huskies’ touchdowns—four on the ground and two through the air. Voss opened the scoring with a pair of first-quarter touchdown runs and added two more in the second, including a 40-yard sprint that highlighted a 26-point quarter. He also connected with Gage Johnson on a 44-yard strike and Evan Bartholomaus on an 18-yard touchdown before halftime to make it 38-0. JCC racked up 382 yards of total offense while holding the Eagles to just 73 yards rushing and 56 passing. The Huskies’ defense never allowed Eden Valley-Watkins to cross midfield until the game was well in hand.
Holdingford 7, Goodhue 24
Goodhue controlled the tempo from the opening whistle and never looked back, powering past Holdingford 24–7 behind a dominant ground game and a big day from senior quarterback Luke Roschen. Roschen set the tone early with an electrifying 83-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, then added a 35-yard scoring strike to Owen Roschen in the second to build a 14–0 lead. Holdingford briefly responded before halftime with a hard-earned 10-yard touchdown run from Jaxon Bartkowicz, but that would be the Huskers’ only breakthrough against a stingy Goodhue defense that forced two interceptions and limited Holdingford to just 120 rushing yards. After a scoreless third quarter, Goodhue slammed the door in the fourth. Hayden Holm capped an 18-play, 58-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge to push the lead back to two scores, and Christian Monjaraz-Mendez added a late 25-yard field goal to seal the victory. Goodhue’s balanced attack—213 rushing yards on 46 carries and 93 yards through the air—kept Holdingford on its heels all night, while the Wildcats’ defense consistently bottled up the Huskers’ attempts to answer. With Roschen accounting for 158 all-purpose yards and the defense delivering timely stops, Goodhue earned a convincing postseason win.
Class AA Championship: S1 Jackson County Central vs S2 Goodhue, Friday, November 21st at 4:00 PM
Class 3A Semifinals – Saturday
Waseca 14, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 13
Waseca survived a furious fourth-quarter push from Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton to pull out a dramatic 14–13 win, thanks to a pair of clutch scoring drives and one last defensive stand. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bluejays finally broke through with just one second left in the half, when quarterback Kellen Klinger capped a 95-yard march by hitting Deron Russell for a 25-yard touchdown and a 7–0 lead at the break. DGF answered midway through the third with a 10-play, 62-yard drive, tying the game on Nolan Verdi’s 26-yard touchdown grab from Brady Wadena. Waseca responded early in the fourth, grinding 67 yards in 10 plays; aided by a key pass-interference flag in the end zone, they finished the series with a 4-yard keeper by Klinger to go up 14–7 with 10:20 remaining. DGF punched right back. Sparked by a big Wadena run, a Verdi catch and a facemask penalty, the Rebels needed just four plays to cover 75 yards, with Jace Baumgartner ripping off a 20-yard touchdown run to make it 14–13. But a false start wiped out the first PAT try, and on the backed-up re-kick, Waseca’s Will Mansfield shot through to block the attempt. From there, Waseca’s offense chewed clock and flipped field position, and DGF’s last, methodical 11-play drive died at the Bluejay 28 when Wadena was sacked on fourth-and-4. Klinger then took two kneel-downs to end it. Klinger finished with 163 passing yards and accounted for both Waseca scores, while the Rebel trio of Baumgartner, Jacob Luebke, and Wadena combined for 161 rushing yards in a heartbreaking one-point defeat.
Annandale 36, Minneapolis North 20
Annandale didn’t want a shootout with Minneapolis North, and after an early stretch of trading scores, the Cardinals changed the script. Behind an attacking defense and a ball-control offense that mixed sustained drives with timely big plays, Annandale ripped off three straight touchdowns spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull away for a 36–20 win in the Class AAA state semifinals Saturday, Nov. 15 at U.S. Bank Stadium. The turning point came with Annandale leading 29–14 but North threatening in the red zone; sophomore linebacker Rylan Horsch jumped a route for a clutch interception, returning it eight yards to snuff out the Polars’ comeback bid. Just moments later, senior running back Isaiah Turner broke loose for a 36-yard touchdown run with 7:11 to play, stretching the lead to 36–14 and effectively sealing the outcome. Annandale’s ground game set the tone, piling up 266 rushing yards against a Minneapolis North team that entered with one of the state’s most explosive passing attacks. Senior back Cameron Engen led the Cardinals with 118 yards and a touchdown, while Turner added 97 yards and the back-breaking score. North senior quarterback Logan Lachemeier, who came in with a state-best 42 touchdown passes and had thrown 11 over his previous two games, added two more and finished with 257 passing yards in the loss as the Polars’ bid for their first title since 2016 came up short.
Class AAA Championship: Saturday, S1 Waseca vs N1 Annandale, November 22nd at 1:00 pm
Class 4A Semifinals
Marshall 14, Orono 15 OT
Orono survived a thriller in the Class 4A state semifinals, edging Marshall 15-14 in overtime to punch its ticket the first Prep Bowl in program history. After a defensive battle through the first half, Orono struck first when quarterback Griffin Mauer escaped pressure and bought time with his legs before connecting with Bennett Halverson for a 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Marshall answered late in the third with a six-yard scoring run by Andrew Stelter, tying the game at 7-7. In overtime, Stelter’s four-yard touchdown gave Marshall a 14-7 lead, but Orono responded immediately—Mauer hit Simon Vinton for a 10-yard score. Vinton was flagged for excessive celebration, which moved Orono back for a potential game-tying 35-yard PAT. Instead, Orono went for two and the win. Mauer connected with Lincoln Stinar on the two-point conversion to win it dramatically. Mauer finished 14-for-25 for 140 yards and two touchdowns, while Stelter led Marshall with 166 rushing yards and both of his team’s scores.
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Grand Rapids 14, Kasson-Mantorville 16
Kasson-Mantorville held off a furious late comeback by Grand Rapids to secure a 16–14 win in the Class 4A state semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Komets built a commanding 16–0 lead behind a balanced offensive effort, with Jake Peterson scoring on a 3-yard run in the second quarter and connecting with quarterback Gavin Babcock on a 77-yard touchdown strike early in the third. Mason Bungum added a 19-yard field goal to pad the lead, while Kasson’s defense dominated through three quarters, forcing multiple turnovers on downs and holding the Thunderhawks scoreless. Grand Rapids finally broke through in the fourth quarter when quarterback Landon McNear hit Jack Rabbers for a 72-yard touchdown, then found Matt Johnson for a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 16–8 with two minutes left. The Thunderhawks got the ball after an onside kick and mounted one last drive, capped by McNear’s 3-yard TD pass to Jack Duell with 19 seconds left. However, their two-point try to tie the game failed. Grand Rapids recovered another onside kick and got the ball inside the 30 with two seconds left, but the last desperate heave to the endzone was incomplete and KMS held on to punch its ticket to the Prep Bowl.
Class AAAA Championship: N3 Orono vs S2 Kasson-Mantorville, Friday, November 21st at 1:00 pm
Class 5A Semifinals
St. Thomas Academy 23, Spring Lake Park 39
Spring Lake Park shocked St. Thomas Academy 39–23 in a wild Class 5A semifinal that saw the Panthers roar back from a halftime deficit with 27 unanswered points in the second half. After trading early touchdowns, the Cadets led 17–12 at the break thanks to a short Dominic Baez run and a Toren Piltingsrud field goal. But the game flipped instantly after halftime when Marcus Snyder jumped a route and returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown just 49 seconds into the third quarter. From there, Spring Lake Park’s ground game took over. Quarterback Nolan Roach bulldozed his way to 190 yards rushing and two scores—including a 44-yard dagger in the fourth—while Lamari Brown added 139 yards and two touchdowns of his own. EJ Monluo chipped in a 25-yard scoring burst as the Panthers rolled up 402 rushing yards on 53 carries. St. Thomas Academy’s Todd Rogalski had 109 yards and two touchdowns, but the Cadets couldn’t slow down Spring Lake Park’s relentless ground attack.
Chanhassen 22, Elk River 19
Chanhassen rallied from a 12–0 deficit and used three explosive scoring plays to edge defending champ Elk River 22–19. Elk River controlled much of the first half with its punishing ground attack, breaking the game open on Levi Harris’ 98-yard touchdown sprint with 4:17 left in the second quarter. After Chanhassen’s ensuing drive stalled, the Elks struck again—this time on a 37-yard burst from Braedon Becker—to go up 12–0 with just 25 seconds remaining in the opening half. But the Storm stole back momentum at the buzzer, racing 59 yards in 25 seconds and scoring on a 22-yard strike from Nathan Ramler to Loghan Gustad as time expired, trimming the deficit to 12–7 at halftime. That spark carried into the second half. Chanhassen took its first lead midway through the third when Graham Delger capped a 54-yard march with an 18-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful two-point pass from Ramler to Barrett Nelson for a 15–12 advantage. Elk River responded immediately—again through Becker—who ripped off his second 37-yard touchdown of the night to put the Elks back ahead 19–15. But the Storm delivered the knockout blow early in the fourth. Kade Bush broke free on a 42-yard touchdown run just 63 seconds into the quarter, putting Chanhassen up 22–19. From there, the Storm defense rose to the moment, forcing Elk River’s option-heavy offense into empty possessions over the final 11 minutes. Ramler finished 18-for-23 for 121 yards and a touchdown, while Bush, Delger, and Ramsey combined for 161 rushing yards. Despite 390 team rushing yards from the Elks—including 171 from Becker and 100 from Harris—Chanhassen’s explosive plays and perfectly timed stops secured the comeback win.
Class AAAAA Championship: Saturday, N3 Spring Lake Park vs S2 Chanhassen, November 22nd at 4:00 pm
Class 6A Semifinals
Edina 42, Minnetonka 41
Edina stormed back from a 21-7 first-quarter deficit to stun Minnetonka 42-41 in a 6A state semifinal thriller that featured seven lead changes and an explosive air show. The Skippers came out firing—Caleb Francois ripped off two long touchdown runs and Caden Gutzmer connected with Parker Burckhardt for a 67-yard score to make it 21-7 after one. But from there, the Hornets’ offense—led by Chicago Blackhawks draft pick quarterback Mason West—caught fire. West threw for 360 yards and four touchdowns, including three to Jabari Strader and a 71-yard strike to Sammy Stephenson, who finished with 190 yards receiving. Edina tied it 28-28 early in the third and built a 42-28 lead midway through the fourth before Minnetonka mounted a furious rally. Gutzmer hit Charles Simonsen for a touchdown and Quinton Restrepo scored from six yards out with under two minutes left, but the Skippers’ two-point try failed, sealing Edina’s dramatic one-point win and a trip to the Prep Bowl.
Lakeville South 14, Moorhead 26
Six-seed Moorhead is in the Prep Bowl for the first time since 1987 after a second-half surge lifted them past Lakeville South, turning a 7–7 halftime tie into a 26–14 victory behind a balanced attack and several clutch drives. After trading short scoring runs in the second quarter—Taye Rich punching in a 2-yard touchdown for Moorhead and Griffen Dean answering with a 2-yard score for Lakeville South—the game shifted dramatically after the break. The Cougars briefly grabbed a 14–7 lead early in the third on a 2-yard run from Nicolas Swanson, but Moorhead responded immediately. Zak Walker tied the game with a 6-yard touchdown run, then later broke free for a crucial 25-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Jett Feeney that pushed the Spuds ahead for good. Moorhead’s offense found its rhythm late, stringing together two long scoring drives spanning 92 yards each. The final strike came with 1:33 remaining, when Feeney hit David Mack from five yards out to put the game out of reach. Feeney was outstanding, completing 20 of 29 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns while adding 73 yards on the ground. Walker delivered a monster night with 170 all-purpose yards, including 128 receiving. Despite a strong rushing performance from Lakeville South’s Griffen Dean and Nicolas Swanson, who combined for 193 yards and two scores, the Cougars struggled to match Moorhead’s late-game efficiency. The Spuds’ explosive second-half surge ultimately proved decisive as they advanced with a convincing win.
Class AAAAAA Championship: Edina vs Moorhead, Friday, November 21st at 7:00 pm