Southern Minnesota Football Teams Rush to Prep Bowl at US Bank Stadium
Five southeastern Minnesota teams play in the Prep Bowl football championship this weekend at US Bank Stadium. Seven titles will be contested over two days.
Friday at 10AM Grand Meadow (13-0) goes for its fourth straight state title in nine-man play. The Superlarks will meet Cleveland (13-0) in a battle of contrasting styles. Grand Meadow is built on rushing the ball, with more than 4,600 yards on the season, according to statistics from the Minnesota State High School League. Meanwhile, the Clippers throw more than run.
Caledonia looks to repeat as AA champ at 1PM Friday as the unbeaten Warriors play Eden Valley-Watkins (11-1). Caledonia has a nearly even split between rushing and passing yards. The Eagles also feature a diverse offense. Caledonia is a seven-time state champion.
Friday at 4PM Winona (11-1) plays Benilde-St. Margaret's (9-3) in the 4A championship. Neither team has ever won a state football title. Each team has a strong ground game.
A team of Eagles will win the 6A championship Friday night at 7PM. Totino-Grace (12-0) is aiming for its 10th state title, while Eden Prairie (11-1) is hoping to raise the trophy for its 11th time. Eden Prairie's only loss came to Totino-Grace 17-14 in the season opener.
Saturday's slate begins with Rushford-Peterson (13-1) playing Minneapolis North Community School (12-0) at 10AM. The Trojans are led by the dynamic Noah Carlson, who has 2,356 yards rushing and 36 touchdowns.
Rochester Lourdes (12-0) meets St. Croix Lutheran (12-0) at 1PM for the Class A title. Lourdes is a three-time state champ. Both teams have more rushing yards than passing yards.
The Class 5A title tilt between Elk River (12-0) and Spring Lake Park (12-0) figures to be a battle on the ground. The Elks have 5,383 rushing yards and just 319 yards through the air. Elk River threw the ball one time in their win over Owatonna in the semifinals. The Panthers have 4,400 yards rushing and threw the ball only five times in their win over Mankato West last weekend.