The Caledonia Warriors have done it again! They took home their fourth consecutive Class AA championship as they shut out the Barnesville Trojans 21-0 Friday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
It was the 54th consecutive win for the southeastern Minnesota school and 11th overall state title.
The Warriors, who outscored their first two state tournament opponents 81-6 got off to a slow start in the first quarter, going 0-2 on fourth down conversions. They would score their only first half points on a 22 yard touchdown run from Nick McCabe that put Caledonia ahead 7-0 at the half.
There was no scoring in the third quarter but in the fourth, the Warriors would impress the fans in attendance wearing Vegas Gold and Black with a pair of touchdowns. The first came on a one yard run from Tate Meiners. Defense would play a role in Caledonia's final touchdown as Payton Schott intercepted Barnesville quarterback Preston Snobl and return the ball 43 yards to the end zone.
McCabe led the Warriors with 14 carries for 115 yards. Adam Tonsfeldt led the Trojans with 15 carries for 94 yards.
Caledonia concluded their season 13-0 and Barnesville wrapped up the season with a 11-3 record.
Friday, November 23, 2018
Spring Grove Lions Roar to Second Straight Nine Man Title
Alex Folz closed out his high school career in a glorious way as he scored four touchdowns and ran for 263 yards to lead the Spring Grove Lions to a 40-12 win over the Mountain Lake Area Wolverines in the Nine Man title game Friday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
It was the second consecutive Nine Man football championship for the Lions in their fourth trip to state.
Folz put Spring Grove on the board on a seven yard keeper run. Mountain Lake Area got their first touchdown as quarterback Abraham Stoesz kept the ball, ran down the right side of the field and cut to the center to head toward the end zone. It wasn't all Folz for the Lions as the senior quarterback pitched the ball to Tyler Kersten and he would score on a 58 yard run to put Spring grove Ahead 14-6.
Neither team would tally in the second quarter but the Wolverines looked like they would cut the Lion lead as Sam Paulson hauled in a 46 yard touchdown pass. But after a replay review, the official ruling was he stepped out of bounds and Mountain Lake Area was called for illegal participation. So the score remained 14-6 in favor of Spring Grove at halftime.
Kersten would account for the only third quarter scoring as he scored his second touchdown on a two yard left side pitch from Folz.
In the fourth quarter, Folz would score three times to clinch the championship trophy. His first touchdown looked like he was headed for the light rail station as he scored on an 88 yard run. He reached the end zone a third time on a four yard run up the middle. But Mountain Lake Area wasn't finished yet. Stoesz would throw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Drake Harder and run 51 yards for another score. Folz would wrap up the scoring on a 50 yard keeper with 1:08 left to play.
Stoesz would finish with 20 carries for 244 yards.
Spring Grove ended their season with a 14-0 record and Mountain Lake Area concluded their season with a 12-1 record.
It was the second consecutive Nine Man football championship for the Lions in their fourth trip to state.
Folz put Spring Grove on the board on a seven yard keeper run. Mountain Lake Area got their first touchdown as quarterback Abraham Stoesz kept the ball, ran down the right side of the field and cut to the center to head toward the end zone. It wasn't all Folz for the Lions as the senior quarterback pitched the ball to Tyler Kersten and he would score on a 58 yard run to put Spring grove Ahead 14-6.
Neither team would tally in the second quarter but the Wolverines looked like they would cut the Lion lead as Sam Paulson hauled in a 46 yard touchdown pass. But after a replay review, the official ruling was he stepped out of bounds and Mountain Lake Area was called for illegal participation. So the score remained 14-6 in favor of Spring Grove at halftime.
Kersten would account for the only third quarter scoring as he scored his second touchdown on a two yard left side pitch from Folz.
In the fourth quarter, Folz would score three times to clinch the championship trophy. His first touchdown looked like he was headed for the light rail station as he scored on an 88 yard run. He reached the end zone a third time on a four yard run up the middle. But Mountain Lake Area wasn't finished yet. Stoesz would throw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Drake Harder and run 51 yards for another score. Folz would wrap up the scoring on a 50 yard keeper with 1:08 left to play.
Stoesz would finish with 20 carries for 244 yards.
Spring Grove ended their season with a 14-0 record and Mountain Lake Area concluded their season with a 12-1 record.
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
2018 Prep Bowl Preview Part 2
Three more championship games wrap up the 2018 Prep Bowl on Saturday, November 24. Here's a preview of Saturday's games.
10:00: Class A: BOLD vs. Mahomen/Waubun: It's a battle of the unbeatens that opens the final day of the 2018 Prep Bowl. It's also the final game for Warrior head coach Steve Solem who will be retiring after 33 years leading the school that represents Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian and Danube. He's led the Warriors to state titles in 1990 and 1991 and hopes to close out his career with their first state title in 27 years. Now there's a familiar name back in the state championship game-Mahnomen. Once upon a time, they were known as the Mahnomen Indians, who played in the first Prep Bowl game in 1982 and later won four consecutive state championships. This year, the team goes by the Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds and the Thunderbirds offense has been thunderous as they have outscored their state tournament opponents Deer River and Springfield by a combined score of 80-0. Seven of Mahnomen/Waubun's 12 wins have been shut outs. Can BOLD be number eight?
1:00: Class AAA: Rochester Lourdes vs. Fairmont: It's a "Battle of the Birds" as the Rochester Lourdes Eagles take on the Fairmont Cardinals. The Eagles have been one of the most dominant outstate teams in the 2010s, winning state titles in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Can they win their fourth of the decade? All hasn't been fair for Fairmont. The Cardinals are playing in their 10th state tournament and have played in only one championship game, losing 34-32 to the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders in the 2011 Class AAA final. Who will coming out flying toward the end zone?
4:00: Class AAAAA: Owatonna vs. St. Thomas Academy: The 2018 Prep Bowl concludes with the defending Class AAAAA champion Owatonna Huskies facing the St. Thomas Academy Cadets. It's also a golden opportunity to see another future Gopher in actions, Huskie running back Jason Williamson. He has made 44 trips to the end zone in 2018 and rushed for close to 2,900 yards. But the Cadets have a backfield weapon in Brendan McFadden. He ran for 211 yards and three touchdowns in St. Thomas Academy's semifinal win over the Bemidji Lumberjacks. Set your DVR for the Minnesota-Wisconsin football game and head to US Bank Stadium for the exciting climax to two days of outstanding Minnesota high school football.
10:00: Class A: BOLD vs. Mahomen/Waubun: It's a battle of the unbeatens that opens the final day of the 2018 Prep Bowl. It's also the final game for Warrior head coach Steve Solem who will be retiring after 33 years leading the school that represents Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian and Danube. He's led the Warriors to state titles in 1990 and 1991 and hopes to close out his career with their first state title in 27 years. Now there's a familiar name back in the state championship game-Mahnomen. Once upon a time, they were known as the Mahnomen Indians, who played in the first Prep Bowl game in 1982 and later won four consecutive state championships. This year, the team goes by the Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds and the Thunderbirds offense has been thunderous as they have outscored their state tournament opponents Deer River and Springfield by a combined score of 80-0. Seven of Mahnomen/Waubun's 12 wins have been shut outs. Can BOLD be number eight?
1:00: Class AAA: Rochester Lourdes vs. Fairmont: It's a "Battle of the Birds" as the Rochester Lourdes Eagles take on the Fairmont Cardinals. The Eagles have been one of the most dominant outstate teams in the 2010s, winning state titles in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Can they win their fourth of the decade? All hasn't been fair for Fairmont. The Cardinals are playing in their 10th state tournament and have played in only one championship game, losing 34-32 to the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders in the 2011 Class AAA final. Who will coming out flying toward the end zone?
4:00: Class AAAAA: Owatonna vs. St. Thomas Academy: The 2018 Prep Bowl concludes with the defending Class AAAAA champion Owatonna Huskies facing the St. Thomas Academy Cadets. It's also a golden opportunity to see another future Gopher in actions, Huskie running back Jason Williamson. He has made 44 trips to the end zone in 2018 and rushed for close to 2,900 yards. But the Cadets have a backfield weapon in Brendan McFadden. He ran for 211 yards and three touchdowns in St. Thomas Academy's semifinal win over the Bemidji Lumberjacks. Set your DVR for the Minnesota-Wisconsin football game and head to US Bank Stadium for the exciting climax to two days of outstanding Minnesota high school football.
2018 Prep Bowl Preview Part 1
After many Minnesotans conclude their Thanksgiving feast, Friday, November 23 begins a feast of high school football at US Bank Stadium as the 2018 Prep Bowl gets underway. Here's a preview of Friday's four championship games.
10:00: Nine Man: Spring Grove vs. Mountain Lake Area. If the Spring Grove Lions look to repeat as state champions, they will have to follow the Folz and stray no more. The Folz is senior quarterback Alex Folz who threw four touchdown passes and ran for three more in the Lions 48-12 rout of the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals. The Mountain Lake Area Wolverines put the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers out of range and are going for the school's first state title.
1:00: Class AA: Caledonia vs. Barnesville. Can anybody beat Caledonia? The answer was 53 times no as the Warriors go for their 54th straight win and fourth consecutive Class AA championship. Their mission is to shut the barn door on the Barnesville Trojans who missed an undefeated regular season with one point defeats by the Hawley Nuggets and the Breckenridge Cowboys. The key to the Trojans quest to take the championship trophy to northwestern Minnesota is to shut down the Warrior offense that has scored 81 points in two games.
4:00: Class AAAA: SMB Wolfpack vs. Willmar: The combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake is one win away from their first state title. The Wolfpack clinched their berth in the finals with two fourth quarter touchdowns from Siegel Howard. But look out for the Willmar Cardinals. They have a very high powered offense that routed the Hermantown Hawks in the quarterfinals 44-0 and sent the St. Paul Johnson Governors fans to the Green Line Light Rail with a 62-20 rout. It's the Cardinals first trip to the finals since they lost to the Eveleth Golden Bears 28-18 in 1973. Could it be a big day for the Big Red or will the Wolfpack defense keep Willmar out of the end zone?
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Eden Prairie vs. Lakeville North. When the Eagles met the Panthers on September 7, it turned out to be a rare shut out loss for Eden Prairie as they were beaten by Lakeville North 14-0. Now the stakes are higher for this rematch as the Eagles go for their 12th state title against the top ranked Panthers. It's also an opportunity to see a future Gopher in action as Eden Prairie quarterback Cole Kramer plays his final game for the red and black.
Up next: Saturday's Prep Bowl match ups.
10:00: Nine Man: Spring Grove vs. Mountain Lake Area. If the Spring Grove Lions look to repeat as state champions, they will have to follow the Folz and stray no more. The Folz is senior quarterback Alex Folz who threw four touchdown passes and ran for three more in the Lions 48-12 rout of the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals. The Mountain Lake Area Wolverines put the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers out of range and are going for the school's first state title.
1:00: Class AA: Caledonia vs. Barnesville. Can anybody beat Caledonia? The answer was 53 times no as the Warriors go for their 54th straight win and fourth consecutive Class AA championship. Their mission is to shut the barn door on the Barnesville Trojans who missed an undefeated regular season with one point defeats by the Hawley Nuggets and the Breckenridge Cowboys. The key to the Trojans quest to take the championship trophy to northwestern Minnesota is to shut down the Warrior offense that has scored 81 points in two games.
4:00: Class AAAA: SMB Wolfpack vs. Willmar: The combined team from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake is one win away from their first state title. The Wolfpack clinched their berth in the finals with two fourth quarter touchdowns from Siegel Howard. But look out for the Willmar Cardinals. They have a very high powered offense that routed the Hermantown Hawks in the quarterfinals 44-0 and sent the St. Paul Johnson Governors fans to the Green Line Light Rail with a 62-20 rout. It's the Cardinals first trip to the finals since they lost to the Eveleth Golden Bears 28-18 in 1973. Could it be a big day for the Big Red or will the Wolfpack defense keep Willmar out of the end zone?
7:00: Class AAAAAA: Eden Prairie vs. Lakeville North. When the Eagles met the Panthers on September 7, it turned out to be a rare shut out loss for Eden Prairie as they were beaten by Lakeville North 14-0. Now the stakes are higher for this rematch as the Eagles go for their 12th state title against the top ranked Panthers. It's also an opportunity to see a future Gopher in action as Eden Prairie quarterback Cole Kramer plays his final game for the red and black.
Up next: Saturday's Prep Bowl match ups.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
SMB Wolfpack Advances to Class AAAA Finals
The purple seats at US Bank Stadium were populated with fans from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Blake who saw Siegel Howard score two fourth quarter touchdowns, including the game winner with 8:05 left to play that led the SMB Wolfpack to a 23-15 win over the Waseca Blue Jays in the Class AAAA semifinals Thursday in Minneapolis.
Neither team scored in the first quarter though Howard ran for 23 yards on the final three plays that spotted the ball on the Blue Jays seven yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Jalen Suggs, who also excels on the basketball court for Minnehaha Academy, threw a seven yard right side pass to Craig McDonald to put the Wolfpack ahead. Waseca would tie the game on a 12 yard touchdown pass from Hunter Rodriguez to Kyreese Willingham. After the replay official reviewed the play to see if Kyreese Willingham crossed the left pylon, it was ruled a touchdown. SMB would regain the lead on a 31 yard field goal from Theo Crosby with :30 left in the half and the Wolfpack led at the half 10-7.
The Blue Jays surged into the lead in the third quarter as Kyreese Willingham's brother Malik caught a 25 yard pass from Rodriguez to lead 15-10. Waseca had a chance to extend their lead after Mathhew Olsem recovered a McDonald fumble. But the Wolfpack defense prevailed as Bennett Thiesen made an outstanding tackle that lost two yards and forced Waseca to punt.
SMB would get the ball back in the fourth quarter and Suggs would convert on fourth and one that also added nine yard more yards due to a personal foul penalty on Waseca. It would pay off for the Wolfpack as Howard would score the eventual game winner on a two yard run with 8:05 left in regulation time. There would be good news for the Blue Jays when Andrew Morgan blocked Jack Mahler's punt. Could Waseca seek a win on this wet Thursday? The answer would be no when Rodriguez on the first play of the drive was intercepted by Andrew Mollison. It would be Wolfpack ball and they would clinch a berth in next week's Prep Bowl as Suggs threw a 53 yard completion to Kaden Johnson and Howard go up the middle for a 15 yard touchdown run. The Blue Jays had another chance to possibly send the game into overtime but Howard also displayed his defensive prowess when he stopped Joe Hagen on fourth and one and SMB got the ball back. They would run out the clock to end the game.
SMB was led by Howard, who rushed for 125 yards. Rodriguez led Waseck with 8 of 14 completions for 104 yards and 87 rushing yards.
The Wolfpack improved their record to 12-0 and will face the Willmar-St. Paul Johnson winner for the Class AAAA title on Friday, November 23 at 4 PM at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Blue Jays ended their season with a record of 10-3.
Neither team scored in the first quarter though Howard ran for 23 yards on the final three plays that spotted the ball on the Blue Jays seven yard line. On the first play of the second quarter, Jalen Suggs, who also excels on the basketball court for Minnehaha Academy, threw a seven yard right side pass to Craig McDonald to put the Wolfpack ahead. Waseca would tie the game on a 12 yard touchdown pass from Hunter Rodriguez to Kyreese Willingham. After the replay official reviewed the play to see if Kyreese Willingham crossed the left pylon, it was ruled a touchdown. SMB would regain the lead on a 31 yard field goal from Theo Crosby with :30 left in the half and the Wolfpack led at the half 10-7.
The Blue Jays surged into the lead in the third quarter as Kyreese Willingham's brother Malik caught a 25 yard pass from Rodriguez to lead 15-10. Waseca had a chance to extend their lead after Mathhew Olsem recovered a McDonald fumble. But the Wolfpack defense prevailed as Bennett Thiesen made an outstanding tackle that lost two yards and forced Waseca to punt.
SMB would get the ball back in the fourth quarter and Suggs would convert on fourth and one that also added nine yard more yards due to a personal foul penalty on Waseca. It would pay off for the Wolfpack as Howard would score the eventual game winner on a two yard run with 8:05 left in regulation time. There would be good news for the Blue Jays when Andrew Morgan blocked Jack Mahler's punt. Could Waseca seek a win on this wet Thursday? The answer would be no when Rodriguez on the first play of the drive was intercepted by Andrew Mollison. It would be Wolfpack ball and they would clinch a berth in next week's Prep Bowl as Suggs threw a 53 yard completion to Kaden Johnson and Howard go up the middle for a 15 yard touchdown run. The Blue Jays had another chance to possibly send the game into overtime but Howard also displayed his defensive prowess when he stopped Joe Hagen on fourth and one and SMB got the ball back. They would run out the clock to end the game.
SMB was led by Howard, who rushed for 125 yards. Rodriguez led Waseck with 8 of 14 completions for 104 yards and 87 rushing yards.
The Wolfpack improved their record to 12-0 and will face the Willmar-St. Paul Johnson winner for the Class AAAA title on Friday, November 23 at 4 PM at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Blue Jays ended their season with a record of 10-3.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
2018 Minnesota State Football Semifinals Lineup
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.
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.
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Breck Mustangs Opens Season On High Note
A marquee match up opened the 2018-19 Minnesota girls high school hockey season Saturday afternoon with the defending Class A champion Breck Mustangs getting the game winning goal from Ella Brophy with 8:50 left in regulation time that led them to a 4-3 win over last season's Class AA runner up the Centennial Cougars at the Anderson Ice Arena in Golden Valley.
The game marked the head coaching debut of David K.B. Cole leading the Cougars and Keith Radloff behind the Mustangs bench.
Breck struck first in the opening period Allyson Qualley fed Emily Zumwinkle at the left point and she send it into the net. Centennial evened the score when Allison Pitlick rebounded Maija Almich's shot. The Mustangs would regain the lead as Qualley sent the puck toward the center slot and Ashley Halverson went top shelf to put Breck ahead 2-1.
Neither team would tally in the second period but the Cougars almost tied the game on a shorthanded opportunity by Pitlick. But Mustang goalie Ally Frantzick made the save.
There would be good news for Pitlick as she would score a shorthanded goal :49 into the third period to tie the game at two. Breck would once again vault into the lead as freshman Shae Messner would score from the right slot. The Cougars, despite losing Annika Linser and Gabby Hughes to graduation did not give up. Megan Goodreau lined a shot from the slot and the game was tied at three. Would there be overtime as snow was starting to fall outside the Anderson Ice Arena? Not on this chilly Saturday as Stella Retrum, one of four Mustang eighth graders, made a pass to Brophy along the boards parallel to the right of the Centennial bench and she would put it past Centennial goalie Mackenna Stoterau to put Breck ahead.
The lead would hold up when Cole pulled Stoterau with 1:00 left for a sixth attacker and the Mustangs didn't increase their margin as time would expire.
Breck opened the season with a 1-0 record and will face the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:15 PM at The Rec Center in St. Louis Park. The Cougars opened the season 0-1 and will also be in action on the 13th as they host Champlin Park/Coon Rapids at 7 PM at the Centennial Sports Arena in Circle Pines.
The game marked the head coaching debut of David K.B. Cole leading the Cougars and Keith Radloff behind the Mustangs bench.
Breck struck first in the opening period Allyson Qualley fed Emily Zumwinkle at the left point and she send it into the net. Centennial evened the score when Allison Pitlick rebounded Maija Almich's shot. The Mustangs would regain the lead as Qualley sent the puck toward the center slot and Ashley Halverson went top shelf to put Breck ahead 2-1.
Neither team would tally in the second period but the Cougars almost tied the game on a shorthanded opportunity by Pitlick. But Mustang goalie Ally Frantzick made the save.
There would be good news for Pitlick as she would score a shorthanded goal :49 into the third period to tie the game at two. Breck would once again vault into the lead as freshman Shae Messner would score from the right slot. The Cougars, despite losing Annika Linser and Gabby Hughes to graduation did not give up. Megan Goodreau lined a shot from the slot and the game was tied at three. Would there be overtime as snow was starting to fall outside the Anderson Ice Arena? Not on this chilly Saturday as Stella Retrum, one of four Mustang eighth graders, made a pass to Brophy along the boards parallel to the right of the Centennial bench and she would put it past Centennial goalie Mackenna Stoterau to put Breck ahead.
The lead would hold up when Cole pulled Stoterau with 1:00 left for a sixth attacker and the Mustangs didn't increase their margin as time would expire.
Breck opened the season with a 1-0 record and will face the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:15 PM at The Rec Center in St. Louis Park. The Cougars opened the season 0-1 and will also be in action on the 13th as they host Champlin Park/Coon Rapids at 7 PM at the Centennial Sports Arena in Circle Pines.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)