Put away your winter coats, mittens and hats. Minnesota high school football is headed inside US Bank Stadium as The Road to the Prep Bowl continues with semifinal action November 15-17. Here's a lineup and preview of each day's games.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15
11:30: Nine Man: It's North vs. South as the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals contend with the defending state champion Spring Grove Lions.
2:00: Class AA: A rematch of last year's Class AA semifinals pits the Paynesville Bulldogs and the Caledonia Warriors. The Warriors are on a quest to win their fourth consecutive state championship. Can Paynesville, in their fourth trip to state inject pain and sorrow into Caledonia fans or will the Warriors, led by quarterback Noah King continue their explosive offense en route to bringing back another trophy to the southeastern Minnesota town?
4:30: Class AAAA: For the first time, the SMB Wolfpack, comprised of students from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake head to US Bank Stadium as they battle the Waseca Bluejays, in their first state tournament trip since 2009. The Wolfpack quarterback's name may also be familiar to basketball fans, Jalen Suggs. The Minnehaha Academy standout also has a chance to lead SMB to their first football state title.
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Day one wraps up as the defending champion Eden Prairie Eagles take on the Blaine Bengals. It took awhile for Blaine to advance because of a power outage in their quarterfinal game against Eastview as they go for their first state title in 30 years.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16
9:00: Nine Man: Coming to the early game? Bring a thermos of Folger's Coffee for this "Mountain Grown Battle" as the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers take on the Mountain Lake Wolverines. The Rangers are in their first state tournament since 2010 and have a tough task ahead against the unbeaten Wolverines.
11:30: Class AA: The Barnesville Trojans look toward returning to the Prep Bowl for the first time since 2010. But they will face the unbeaten Minneapolis North Polars who are playing in their first Class AA tournament since they moved up from Class A. Could former Polar and current Gopher wide receiver Tyler Johnson be present to watch his alma mater look toward a possible showdown with Caledonia?
2:00: Class AAAAA: A rematch of last year's Class AAAAA title game features the Elk River Elks and the defending champion Owatonna Huskies. If you haven't seen the Huskies top running back jason Williamson in action, take time off from work or follow the game online. He's one of the best players in the state in years and he has been piling up rushing yards by the bushel.
4:30: Class AAAA: The St. Paul Johnson Governors are two steps away from becoming the first school from the St. Paul City Conference to play for a state football title (though conference play doesn't count in football). First, they have to take on the Willmar Warriors, in their first trip to state since 1988.
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Expect to see busloads of fans head up I-35 to US Bank Stadium as the Lakeville North Panthers face their city rivals the Lakeville South Cougars. The Cougars are coming off an upset of the Woodbury Royals in the quarterfinals. Can they pull off another one?
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17
The first two games of the day are Class A semifinals, starting at 9 AM with a pair of unbeaten teams as the BOLD Warriors battle the Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms. Can BOLD be bold or will the Awesome Blossoms be awesome? The winner plays the winner of the 11:30 game between the Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds and the Springfield Trojans. The Thunderbirds have six shutouts this season, including a quarterfinal win over Deer River. Could the Trojans be number seven? Springfield advanced on a game winning field goal against Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity and look to continue their momentum against the northwestern Minnesota powerhouse.
Next up will be a couple of Class AAA semifinal games, beginning with two undefeated teams, the Pierz Pioneers and the Rochester Lourdes Eagles at 2 PM. The high powered Pioneer offense routed the Annandale Cardinals in the quarterfinals. The Eagles earned their semifinal berth with a win over the Jordan Hubmen. The second semifinal game is the Perham Yellowjackets and the Fairmont Cardinals. The Yellowjackets are a win away from their first trip to a championship game since 1989, when they lost the Class B title game to the Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Thunderbirds. The last time the Cardinals plyed for a state title was 2011 when they lost 34-32 to the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders.
7:00: Class AAAAA; Semifinal play concludes as the Bemidji Lumberjacks look to head to their first championship game since 2011. The city that will host Hockey Day Minnesota in January could have a football day on Saturday the 25th in Minneapolis if they can get past the unbeaten St. Thomas Academy Cadets who beat the Tartan Titans in the quarterfinals. Last time the Cadets played in the AAAAA final, it was the last Prep Bowl game played at TCF Bank Stadium and they were defeated by the St. Michael-Albertville Knights.
Plenty of high school football action this weekend in downtown Minneapolis. No need to freeze outside.
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