Let's Play Football Nov. 11

Let’s Play

Volume 3 • Number 5 • Issue 15

Football

et’s Play Football

And then there were

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November 11, 2021

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State brackets and playoff results on page 7

Also in this issue:

Minnesota Football produces on the gridiron...page 4 Former Johnnie making a difference in Jacksonville...page 5 Burners, stingers and neck pain, oh my...page 6 Class AAAAAA results and bracket...page 7 Class AAAAA results and bracket...page 8

Class AAAA results and bracket...page 9 Class AAA results and bracket...page 10 Class AA results and bracket...page 11 Class A results and bracket...page 12 9-MAN results and bracket...page 13 Vikings Trivia...page 14

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November 11, 2021

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November 11, 2021

F I N D Y O U R N E A R E S T L O C AT I O N C A R B O N E S . C O M

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November 11, 2021

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Minnesota produces on the gridiron

by BRYAN ZOLLMAN

Co-Publisher, Let’s Play Football

As the season has now progressed past the regular season and into the section playoffs and now the state tournament, football fans from all over the state will be able to witness the truly great product that is Minnesota high school football.

As publisher of Let’s Play Hockey, I understand the state’s fascination with high school hockey, those who play it, and coach it. As a former hockey player who was able to play in the state hockey tournament (and win one), I can attest how fascinating of an experience it truly was. Now, at 48 years old, in addition to getting married and having kids, it is a top-5 life moment for me.

I was able to play with and against some great players and great teams, and we also became a great team, or at least became great at just the right time.

And that is what will make these next three weeks the most entertaining yet of the 2021 high school football season.

Each class has eight teams vying

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for a shot to play at U.S. Bank Stadium Thanksgiving weekend.

Each team has upwards of 30-50 players, meaning upwards of 2,000 kids will be hitting the gridiron this weekend in what looks to be a blustery and potentially snow-filled atmosphere.

After this weekend we will be down to 28 teams, and then down to 14, and there will be just one left standing in each class.

There are a lot of great players and good teams whose seasons have ended, who we won’t see on the turf at

U.S. Bank Stadium.

We saw several teams who were ranked high and favorites to win their section get beat out by teams who just happened to be a little bit better on that given night.

We have No. 5 seeds and No. 4 seeds in the state tourney and that is a testament that no matter how bad the season may be going, hard work, determination, and sticking together is important.

These are the teams who never let up...not on a single down. These are the teams that buy into a collective ef-

Managing Editor Bryan Zollman

must be sent to editor@letsplayfootballmn.com.

LPF reserves the right to edit submitted stories and letters to the editor for length, grammar, punctuation and clarity.

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fort as the only way to get things done on the football field.

And it’s these games where the big players shine. Minnesota has produced some great football players in it’s history, and every year there are more being churned out into the college ranks, and ultimately who one day pull on the jersey of an NFL team.

These next three weeks will showcase teams who have shown resiliency and players who have shown true grit and talent.

When the final 14 teams descend on U.S. Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving weekend, you won’t want to miss it.

This is the best of the best. Even if your favorite high school team didn’t make it, even if you are a casual football fan, make a trip to U.S. Bank or tune in on television.

The State High School League puts on a great Prep Bowl. The heart and determination exhibited, the big plays, the big players, the coaches, the student sections, the parents, the thrill of victory, and of course the agony of defeat.

You won’t want to miss what Minnesota produces on the gridiron.

And it all starts now.

The opinions expressed in LPF are not necessarily those of the publishers or PioneerMedia9192, but are those of the individual columnists themselves.

No articles or features or photos may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers of Let’s Play Football.

Copyright 2019 PioneerMedia9192 All rights reserved LPF is online at www.letsplayfootballmn.com Follow us on Twitter @LetsPlayFB_MN and Facebook

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November 11, 2021

Ben Bartch is using his platform to help others

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Former Johnnie is playing OL for Jacksonville Jaguars where he is making a difference in the community

Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted with permission from www.bigcatcountry.com and author Demetrius Harvey.

by DEMETRIUS HARVEY

www.bigcatcountry.com

It takes a village to raise a child, and that mindset of building, helping, mentoring, and nourishing young people to see them prosper later in life is instilled in Jaguars offensive lineman Ben Bartch.

For Bartch, a second-year player out of Saint Johns (Minnesota), a Division III level school, getting out in the community comes naturally. He doesn’t need any extra motivation to do it, and it doesn’t matter that he’s an NFL athlete.

Even when he was younger, through high school, and at a small school in the middle of nowhere, he made the most of his opportunities and free time, going to assist people in any way he could.

“I think it’s a responsibility,” Bartch told Big Cat Country last week. “And it’s a way to give back. It’s something fulfilling and meaningful and well, ultimately, it’s just part of who I am and what I believe in, my values.”

Bartch has bought into that mentality completely and has been one of the most active members of the Jaguars organization out in the community, even while the world deals with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The young offensive lineman’s latest opportunity to give back has come in the form of mentorship. Through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida in Jacksonville, Bartch has already begun mentoring young people, even meeting his “little” at TIAA Bank Field over the offseason.

The ability to impact a young person’s life in a meaningful way is “awesome,” Bartch said. It’s another way to exercise the responsibility he believes people have in making a difference in any way they can.

A young person growing up without a positive role model in their life can impact them negatively down the road.

“I had a lot of good role models as a young kid and I was very fortunate,” said Bartch of his upbringing. “Some people blame people or young adults for things, and they don’t really look at their context or their history or that they don’t have a good role model sometimes.

“If I can give a little bit of my time and be a good mentor to somebody, that’s pretty special.”

That type of mindset resonates through many within the Jaguars community, but especially Bartch. For two straight years, the young offensive lineman participated in a community Virtual Walk to School Day, teaching children about the safety of walking to school and listening to the crossing guards.

Since last season, the Jaguars haven’t been able to get out in the community as much.

No, with the coronavirus pandemic and the attention to detail necessary to protect the safety of its players in full effect, NFL franchises, including Jacksonville, haven’t had the opportunities they’ve had in the past.

Bartch has been one of the exceptions of the group of current players.

While typically a Jaguars PR rep would set up a meeting for their players to go to a particular event, that cannot happen during the coronavirus pandemic.

Bartch, however, would take it upon himself, showing up to Big Brothers unannounced — something that doesn’t ever happen.

Being a bachelor, without a wife or kids or even a dog, Bartch had plenty of

“I had a lot of good role models as a young kid and I was very fortunate...If I can give a little bit of my time and be a good mentor to somebody, that’s pretty special.”

Ben Bartch was an All-American player at St. John’s University as an offensive lineman and was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by Jacksonville.

- Ben Bartch

free time and chose to utilize that free time to give back.

“I think that we all have a responsibility in this life to serve other people,” said Bartch. “And my parents were big teachers of servant leadership and putting others before yourself.”

Even without much ability to have their active players out and about in the community this year or last, the Jaguars have made the most of it, working with several members of the Jaguars’ alumni group to give back instead.

On Sept. 14, the Jaguars Foundation joined Feeding Northeast Florida during Hunger Action Month to distribute food to more than 150 families in the Jacksonville area. On Sept. 28, Jaguars legend Kevin Hardy spoke to players from the Arlington Seminoles team, surprising them with new helmets.

Finally, on Oct. 5, former Jaguars linebacker Paul Posluszny surprised the Moncrief Broncos and 8U team with helmets. Teaming up with the Florida Department of Health, the kids received bike helmets along with their football helmets.

These seemingly small acts of kindness have gone a long way through the years and have given the community something to look forward to. While, sure, the Jaguars and the NFL aren’t the only businesses that have given back to the community, but they have been front and center of many efforts, and it’s been instilled in the team’s bloodline for a while now.

“The First Coast is our home, and the Jaguars recognize the responsibility we have to make a positive impact on the lives of our fans and neighbors,” Adriel Rocha, Director, Jaguars Foundation and Community Impact said in a statement to Big Cat Country recently.

“Our players, coaches and alumni in particular embrace any chance to provide mentorship to local youth, both on and off the field. Whether it’s a helmet donation, tackling advice or just someone to play catch with, they know it could be a spark in the life of a child.”

For Bartch, being with an organization that wants to enact change, or give back, and having this ability to go out and make a difference with the platform he’s earned is a powerful thing, he said.

“We have some resources and tools

Bartch, from Oregon, was not recruited out of high school and played sparingly as a tight end for Saint John’s his first two seasons. Aftrer coaches noticed his blocking skills he was moved to the offensive line where he put on added weight and muscle and excelled for two seasons becoming an All-American for D3football.com. He made his debut for the Jacksonville Jaguars in Sept. of 2020.

PHOTO BY LIBBY AUGER

that some people don’t get to have or don’t have,” said Bartch. “But ultimately, I think everybody has the ability and the choice and the power to serve others and be a servant leader and help. And people happen to pay attention because we play a sport and get paid money.”

Celebrities and athletes are put under the spotlight when giving back.

They’re at the focal point of most initiatives and for good reason.

When people see athletes giving back, or when people in powerful places are shown to be giving back, that can perhaps inspire others or kids when they’re younger to do the same thing later in life.

When offered that perspective, Bartch agreed that perhaps when kids do see famous people giving back, and that it is a norm, they can inspect their behavior. Perhaps, Bartch says, he could be in a way inspiring others to do the same, which is an “awesome” thing, he says.

Bartch’s worth with Big Brothers or other charities and efforts in Minnesota or Jacksonville isn’t the only stop he’s made. The 23-year-old spent four months in a township called New Brighton in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, where he ran a computer lab, teaching mathematics and English.

Bartch was a student at Nelson Mandela University as well at the time,

working with children from kindergarten through sixth grade. Bartch says the experience was very impactful for him.

“I think South Africa is a really complex country, is very misunderstood,” Bartch said. “And you know, there’s a lot of different kinds of poverty there that are different from the United States and all sorts of problems.

“But there’s also a lot of beautiful things, and going into a country and looking at it through its own perspective and lens rather than our own ethnocentric United States view of it. That was a big learning experience and understanding someone’s culture and meeting them there. And their language and stuff is is really cool.”

Gaining the various perspectives in history has always been something Bartch was fond of growing up, able to travel with his parents as a kid, fortunate enough to learn the history of the world at a young age.

Now, he can continue to do that, just on a bigger scale and as a starting NFL offensive lineman, giving him a bigger platform than he ever could imagine growing up.

The urge and need to make a difference lives inside of him, and he’s shown through the years that regardless of the circumstances, he’s going to do everything possible to make the most of it.

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November 11, 2021

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Burners, stingers and neck pain, oh my!

by ERIC KOHN Do you remember the classic line in the movie The Wizard of Oz? The scarecrow voices his fear of the lions, tigers and bears to his friends. In the collision sport of American football, neck injuries can be something to be feared. The newest research reported up to 15% of players sustain neck injuries during their career on the football field.

In this week’s article, I will discuss the most common neck injury in football, the injury to the brachial plexus.

The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that runs along the side of the neck and under your collar bone. This bundle of nerves will branch off to single nerves that will run all the way down to the fingers. These nerves have two functions, they transmit sensations of pain, numbness, tingling and help control muscle movements of the arm.

An injury to this bundle of nerves is called brachial plexopathy, more commonly known as a burner or stinger. This injury usually occurs in football when a player tackling another with their shoulder pad while their neck is flexed in the opposite direction. The neck motion to the side coupled by the depression of the shoulder causes a stretch to the brachial plexus.

The symptoms of the injury are transient or temporary numbness, tingling and burning that runs from the neck, shoulder and sometimes all the way to the fingers. This numbness or burning sensation is a classic sign of a nerve injury. The sensation change can also be accompanied by muscle weakness or a “dead arm” feeling.

Typically, we see the athlete shaking their arm after this injury occurs or if muscle weakness is involved the ath-

lete holds the arm or lets it hang at their side. The symptoms usually last seconds to minutes in length. If the athlete has had multiple nerve injuries the symptoms may take longer to resolve.

The treatment begins immediately by the on the field sports medicine professional. The cervical spine needs to be assessed and concussion protocol if appropriate. If the sports medicine professional determines that it was an isolated burner or stinger, full range of motion of both the shoulder and neck must be demon-

strated by the athlete. In addition, full functional strength and cessation of the nerve symptoms must be noted before returning back on the field.

There are a few ways we can help prevent injuries to the brachial plexus.

First and most importantly, education on the correct tackling technique with eyes up. Second, off season strength and conditioning training can promote increased shoulder and neck strength.

In addition, the correct sizing and fitting of the athlete’s helmet and shoulder pads is important. Finally, there

are some sports medicine professionals that believe a neck roll or Cowboy collar can help to decrease the stress placed on the neck. I would also add the importance of good communication between the athlete and the on field sports medicine professional will help to provide the appropriate care to treat, prevent further injury, and return the athlete back to the field safely.

Good luck to all the high school teams still left in the playoffs, enjoy your postseason!

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Class AAAAAA playoff results

November 11, 2021

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Eden Prairie holds off Lakeville North, 14-10

by SHAFIN KHAN Eden Prairie gutted out a close game against Lakeville North in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs defeating them 14-10. Both teams exchanged rushing touchdowns in the first quarter and went into the half tied 7-7. Lakeville North took the lead in the third with a 27-yard field goal but Eden Prairie shut the door on them in the fourth after a rushing touchdown from Noah Ekness.

Ekness and Tyler Walden led the Eden Prairie rushing attack and finished with 67 rushing yards on 18 carries along with two touchdowns.

Quarterback, Nick Fazi, went 1317 with 135 passing yards. Lakeville North’s offense was led by running backs Tommy Niggeling and Gavyn Schraufnagel who combined for 175 rushing yards on 30 carries. Quarterback, Riley Grossman, finished 6-14 with 72 yards through the air.

Eden Prairie will now go up against Section 2 winner Farmington in the quarterfinals on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at Chanhassen High School.

Playoff Scores Friday 10/29 Results

AAAAAA Edina 21 Rosemount 24

Coon Rapids 6 Eden Prairie 36

Burnsville 14 St. Michael-Albertville 41

Osseo 6 Wayzata 37

Eagan 14 Stillwater Area 56

Eastview 7 Centennial 35

Roseville 7 Maple Grove 49

Brainerd 15 Minnetonka 30

Lakeville North 39 White Bear Lake 0

Forest Lake 20 Farmington 63

Prior Lake 17 East Ridge 31

Champlin Park 0 Woodbury 14

Totino-Grace 13 Blaine 14

Hopkins 6 Lakeville South 48

Park of Cottage Grove 20 Shakopee 50 Friday 11/5 Results

AAAAAA East Ridge 13 Maple Grove 42

Minnetonka 0 Farmington 34

Lakeville North 10 Eden Prairie 14

Anoka 14 Lakeville South 67

Rosemount 3 Woodbury 20

Wayzata 28 Stillwater Area 7

Centennial 35 St. Michael-Albertville 38

Eden Prairie outlasted Lakeville North in a classic 6A match up. Above, the offensive line clears the way with outstanding blocking in the Eagles’ win over Shakopee earlier this season. PHOTO BY GREG NAYMAN

Maple Grove rides high-scoring offense over East Ridge

by SHAFIN KHAN Maple Grove advanced to the quarterfinals in the Class 6A state playoffs after beating East Ridge, 42-13. East Ridge had a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter before Maple Grove exploded for 28 points in the second quarter, giving them a 28-7 lead at the half. Maple Grove punched in two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to extend their lead and close the door on a potential comeback.

Maple Grove quarterback, Jacob Kilzer, went 9-15 with 73 yards threw the air and also rushed for 65 yards.

Running back Derrick Jameson accounted for 125 rushing yards on 16 carries and Tanner Albeck went for 85 rushing yards on 11 carries. Jacob Kilzer also chipped in 65 yards on 11 carries.

East Ridge quarterback, Tanner Zolnosky, went 11-22 with 166 passing yards and two touchdowns. Running back Toby Anene had 23 carries for 53 yards while Demeir Flemino had two receptions for 86 yards. Maple Grove will now face Woodbury on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at Eden Prairie high school.

CLASS 6A State Bracket 6) Eden Prairie (6-5) 11/12/21 7 pm Chanhassen HS 3) Farmington (8-2) 4) Maple Grove (8-2)

Farmington shuts down Minnetonka

by SHAFIN KHAN

The Tigers showed out on both ends of the ball as they defeated 34-0 in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs. After leading at half 14-0, Farmington scored three more touchdowns in the second half that put the finishing touches on their dominating win.

Running back Rod Finley was the main workhorse for the offense as he rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries. Quarterback, Connor Weed, had 55 rushing yards on four carries while Jonah Ask had 59 yards on six carries. Weed also went 3-7 in the air with 78 passing yards.

Minnetonka quarterback, Will Smith, went 20-29 with 223 yards and two interceptions. Running backs Benjamin Aeshliman and Jacob Mccalla combined for 59 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Farmington is now set to play in the Quarterfinals against Section 1 winner Eden Prairie on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at Chanhassen high school.

11/18/2021 7pm U.S. Bank Stadium

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11/11/21 7 pm Eden Prairie HS 1) Woodbury (9-1)

11/26/2021 7pm U.S Bank Stadium

6) Wayzata (10-0)

STATE CHAMPION

11/11/21 7pm Park Center HS 6) St. Michael-Albertville (9-1) 3) Lakeville South (10-0) 11/12/21 7pm Stillwater HS 6) Shakopee (10-0)

11/19/2021 7pm U.S. Bank Stadium

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November 11, 2021

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Class AAAAA playoff results

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Johnson leads Holy Angels past SMB

Rochsester Mayo downs Owatonna

by MALIK MITCHELL The Holy Angels Stars are moving on to the Class 4A state quarterfinals in a dangerous way.

They knocked off SMB Wolfpack winning 42-6 on Nov. 5 at the Holy Angels home field. They entered that game with a point to prove.

“There was a lot of trash talk about SMB being better than us and about them shutting me down,” Holy Angels running back Emmett Johnson said. “But I think 325 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns speaks for itself. ” The Stars were the first to score with Johnson simply out running the Wolfpacks defense scoring a 27-yard rushing touchdown. Johnson would come back again using his 4.48 speed to score a 40yard rushing touchdown.

SMB fought back by getting a big passing play from senior quarterback Charlie Johnson to senior running back Landon Dillon to put them in the red zone. The Wolfpack would finish that drive with a reverse handoff to senior wide receiver Elijah Wade for a 15-yard rushing touchdown.

Holy Angels would come back in the second quarter scoring a four yard touchdown off a sweep to senior Terrance Roberts Jr. Emmett Johnson went on to score

Playoff Scores Tuesday 10/26 Results Class AAAAA Section 1 Rochester John Marshall 28 Rochester Century 40

Austin 14 Northfield 48

Class AAAAA Section 2 Waconia 22 Chanhassen 12

Mankato East 21 New Prague 34

by SHAFIN KHAN

Emmett Johnson two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter and one in the fourth to end the game.

“I knew that we were good enough to beat SMB in a blowout just because of how battle tested we were during the regular season. We have so many weapons on both defense and offense and we have been peaking all year long so I know we had it in us,” Johnson said.

Class AAAAA Section 3 Apple Valley 27 Bloomington Jefferson 13

Two Rivers 19 Bloomington Kennedy 24

Class AAAAA Section 4 Tartan 48 St. Paul Central 28

Cretin-Derham Hall 21 North St. Paul 6

St. Paul Highland Park 14 St. Paul Harding 7

Class AAAAA Section 5 Minneapolis Washburn 0 Minneapolis Southwest 27

CLASS 5A State Bracket 8) Alexandria (6-5) 11/13/21 1pm Osseo HS 5) Robbinsdale Cooper (8-2) 4) Mahtomedi (8-2)

11/19/2021 2pm U.S. Bank Stadium

Rochester Mayo squeaked out a massive 38-33 postseason victory in the Section 1AAAAA Championship over Owatonna to survive and advance. Down 23-7 at one point in the second quarter, Rochester Mayo scraped and clawed their way back in to the game behind the impressive quarterbacking of Bennett Ellsworth. Ellsworth went 13-22 with 228 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air. Carter and Cayden Holcomb were both key contributors as well with six receptions apiece for a combined 175 receiving yards. Noah Smith helped compliment the offense with 89 rushing yards on 15 carries.

Owatonna received a monster game from running back Dylan Maas who accumulated 290 rushing yards on 34 carries with a whopping three touchdowns. Owatonna quarterback, Jacob Ginskey, finished the game with 57 passing yards along with one touchdown and one interception.

Class AAAAA Section 6 Buffalo 15 Spring Lake Park 9

Irondale 23 Monticello 26

Class AAAAA Section 7 Cambridge-Isanti 35 St. Francis 7

Class AAAAA Section 8 Sartell-St. Stephen 0 Alexandria 33

St. Cloud Tech 14 Bemidji 48 Saturday 10/30 Results

Class AAAAA Section 1 Northfield 7 Owatonna 33

Rochester Century 29 Rochester Mayo 49

Class AAAAA Section 2 New Prague 0 Mankato West 51

Waconia 0 Chaska 17

Class AAAAA Section 3 Apple Valley 0 St. Thomas Academy 49

Bloomington Kennedy 20 Hastings 42

Class AAAAA Section 4 Tartan 42 St. Paul Highland Park 18

11/13/21 12pm Woodbury HS 1) Rochester Mayo (9-1)

11/27/2021 4pm U.S Bank Stadium

7) Andover (10-0)

STATE CHAMPION

11/13/21 6pm Osseo HS 6) Rogers (9-1) 3) St. Thomas Academy (10-0) 11/13/21 3pm Prior Lake HS 2) Mankato West (10-0)

11/20/2021 7pm U.S. Bank Stadium

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Cooper beats Armstrong in crosstown rivalry Robbinsdale Cooper held off Robbinsdale Armstrong 14-13 to win the Section 5AAAAA Championship.

The Hawks were able to score 14 first half points but struggled to score in the second half where Robbinsdale Armstrong held them to zero points.

Robbinsdale Armstrong got their offense going in the second half with two touchdowns but ultimately fell short after a missed extra point in the fourth quarter.

Robbinsdale Armstrong’s Ernest Evans finished with 23 carries for 166 yards while quarterback, Jamen Malone, went 11-24 with 110 passing yards. Malone finished with two touchdowns and two interceptions as well. Robbinsdale Cooper collectively had 111 rushing yards on 36 carries and quarterback, Joe Russell, went 9-14 with 131 passing yards. He added one touchdown and one interception.

Robbinsdale Cooper will kickoff against Alexandria Area on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. at Osseo high school.

Cretin-Derham Hall 18 Mahtomedi 42

Class AAAAA Section 5 St. Louis Park 26 Robbinsdale Armstrong 35

Minneapolis Southwest 14 Robbinsdale Cooper 49

Class AAAAA Section 6 Monticello 8 Rogers 14

Buffalo 20 Park Center 28

Class AAAAA Section 7 Duluth East 37 Elk River 54

Cambridge-Isanti 21 Andover 56

Class AAAAA Section 8 Bemidji 22 Sauk Rapids-Rice 14 Alexandria 42 Moorhead 39 Friday 11/5 Results Class AAAAA Section 2 Chaska 0 Mankato West 35

Class AAAAA Section 3 Hastings 0 St. Thomas Academy 28

Class AAAAA Section 4 Tartan 6 Mahtomedi 44

Class AAAAA Section 5 Robbinsdale Armstrong 13 Robbinsdale Cooper 14

Class AAAAA Section 6 Park Center 12 Rogers 55

Class AAAAA Section 7 Elk River 31 Andover 49

Class AAAAA Section 8 Alexandria 43 Bemidji 35 Saturday 11/6 Results

Class AAAAA Section 1 Owatonna 33 Rochester Mayo 38

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Playoff Scores

Tuesday 10/26 Results

Class AAAA Section 1 Red Wing 0 Byron 41

Albert Lea 20 Winona 49

Class AAAA Section 2 Marshall 14 Faribault 43

St. Peter 30 Jordan 7

Class AAAA Section 3 St. Paul Johnson 14 Academy Force 36

Class AAAA Section 4 St. Paul Como Park 30 Brooklyn Center 14

Minneapolis Edison 0 Columbia Heights 36

Chisago Lakes Area 26 St. Anthony Village 19

Class AAAA Section 5 Minneapolis South 6 DeLaSalle 24

Benilde-St. Margaret’s 28 Richfield 0

Class AAAA Section 6 Big Lake 22 Princeton 42

Delano 20 Orono 21

Class AAAA Section 7 Duluth Denfeld 12 Cloquet 34

Class AAAA Section 8 Little Falls 19 St. Cloud Apollo 38 Saturday 10/30 Results

Class AAAA Section 1 Byron 22 Stewartville 21

Winona 14 Kasson-Mantorville 45

Class AAAA Section 2 St. Peter 12 Hutchinson 49

Faribault 35 Willmar 28

Class AAAA Section 3 South St. Paul 12 Hill-Murray 15

Academy Force 12 Simley 61 Class AAAA Section 4 St. Paul Como Park 6 Fridley 37

Chisago Lakes Area 20 Columbia Heights 22

Class AAAA Section 5 Benilde-St. Margaret’s 3 SMB 10

DeLaSalle 0 Holy Angels 42

Class AAAA Section 6 Orono 22 Mound Westonka 21

Princeton 35 Zimmerman 7

Class AAAA Section 7 Grand Rapids 19 Hermantown 7

Cloquet 13 North Branch 34

Class AAAA Section 8 St. Cloud Apollo 7 Becker 51

Detroit Lakes 21 Rocori 20 Friday 11/5 Results

Class AAAA Section 1 Kasson-Mantorville 42 Byron 14

Class AAAA Section 2 Faribault 12 Hutchinson 46

Class AAAA Section 4 Columbia Heights 6 Fridley 35

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Class AAAA playoff results

November 11, 2021

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Simley inches out win over Hill-Murray

by SHAFIN KHAN Simley pulled off a dramatic 29-26 victory in the Section 3AAAA Championship game against Hill-Murray. Both teams traded touchdowns in the final 60 seconds with the Pioneers taking the lead with 52 seconds remaining after a rushing touchdown from Sawyer Seidl.

Simley’s Marioys Makar found Tay’vion McCoy for a 32 yard touchdown with 11 seconds remaining to give his team a one point lead. Gavin Nelson put the nail in the coffin after rushing for a successful two-point conversion.

Simley quarterback, Caden Renslow, finished the game 16-26 with 221 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also added 23 rushing yards on six carries.

Gavin Nelson led the backfield with 105 rushing yards on 14 rushes. McCoy chipped in 29 rushing yards on five carries as well.

Simley is set to square off against Section 2 winner Hutchinson on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. at Hopkins high school.

Class AAAA Section 5 SMB 6 Holy Angels 42

Class AAAA Section 6 Orono 36 Princeton 27

Class AAAA Section 7 North Branch 12 Grand Rapids 14

Class AAAA Section 8 Becker 35 Detroit Lakes 15 Saturday 11/6 Results Class AAAA Section 3 Hill-Murray 26 Simley 29

Simley’s Dez Smith runs down a Hill-Murray runner in Simley’s 29-26 win over the Pioneers in the 4A Section 3 final. PHOTO BY ALLEN ILLGEN

Hucthinson handily defeats Faribault

by SHAFIN KHAN

Hutchinson put together a strong showing against Faribault as they won the Section 2AAAA Championship by a score of 46-12. The Hutchinson offense had 16 points at halftime and got going in the second half where they had 14 points in the third quarter and another 16 in the closing quarter.

Most of Hutchinson’s offensive production came from running back, Levi Teetzel, who had 319 yards on 23 carries and the team

had a total of 386 rushing yards.

Faribault quarterback Hunter Nelson went 15-21 with 123 yards.

Falcons running back, Matthias Lenway, had 73 yards on 17 carries while Elijah Hammonds had 46 yards on nine carries. Isaac Mata had two receptions for 64 yards for the Falcons as well.

Hutchinson will advance to the Class AAAA state playoffs as a favorite where they will play against Section 3 winner Simley on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. at Hopkins high school.

CLASS 4A State Bracket 8) Becker (10-0) 11/11/21 7:00pm Monticello HS 5) Academy of Holy Angels (8-2) 4) Fridley (8-2)

Let’s Play Football 11/18/21 4:30pm U.S. Bank Stadium

11/11/21 7:00pm Lakeville South HS 1) Kasson-Mantorville (7-3)

11/26/2021 4pm U.S. Bank Stadium

7) Grand Rapids (8-2)

STATE CHAMPION

11/11/21 7:00pm Osseo HS 6) Orono (5-6) 3) Simley (7-3) 11/11/21 6:00pm Hopkins HS 2) Hutchinson (9-1)

11/19/21 4:30pm U.S. Bank Stadium

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November 11, 2021

Let’s Play Football

Class AAA playoff results

Close games mark Class AAA section finals

by BRYAN ZOLLMAN Class AAA had four section final games decided by four points or less in one of the more exciting sections in the state.

Cannon Falls was favored in their game against Plainview-Elgin-Millville, but fell 21-18 after failing to convert on a 4th and 2 late in the game.

P-E-M quarterback Connor McGuire, who had turned the ball over on the prior drive inside the Bears’ 10-yard line, got the ball back for a second chance and punched home the game-winning score.

For P-E-M, it is their first trip to state since 2011. They were the No. 3 seed in Section 1 and improved to 9-2 on the season. They will face Breck (64) in the state quarterfinals in Burnsville.

In another close contest, New London-Spicer surprised with a 28-24 win over Pierz in the Section 6AAA final with a similar comeback win. Seeded No. 4, they trailed by 17 points heading into the fourth quarter.

Wildcat senior QB Kyle Doty tossed two fourth quarter touchdown passes to help lead NL-S to the comeback win. Connor Rothwell got them back in the game early in the fourth on a 12-yard TD run. Doty then found Peyton Coahran on a 21-yard score. Doty followed it up with a 28-yard strike to Brycen Christianson.

Doty finished with 162 yards through the air and Christianson had four catches for 45 yards and Coahran had three for 87.

The win improved the Wildcats to 6-5 on the season and they will take on Esko, the top seed in Section 7AAA, who defeated Aitkin 17-14 in yet another close battle decided by one play, this time on a 20-yard field goal by junior Wyatt Stankiewicz late in the fourth quarter.

Esko’s Makoi Perch got them on the board in the first quarter with a 78-

yard run. Stankiewicz nailed the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Esko’s Nolan Witt followed up in the second quarter on a 7-yard touchdown run and another Stankiewicz kick made it 14-0.

But Aitkin returned the favor with two consecutive scores, one in the third quarter on a 8-yard TD strike from QB Zack Ehnstrom to Jaeland Williams. They converted the twopoint play for a 14-8 deficit.

Aitkin’s Carson Kullheim then followed with a 38-yard run in the fourth quarter, but the conversion to take the lead failed and the game was deadlocked at 14-14.

That set the stage for Stankiewicz’s 20-yarder to seal the win. The win improved Esko to 10-1 on the season.

In perhaps the craziest finish in AAA, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton stopped a two-point conversion in overtime to beat Fergus Falls 22-20 in overtime.

Both teams were deadlocked after regulation 14-14. That’s when Logan Johnson scored from five yards out and also scored the two-point conversion, which would end up being the difference.

That’s because after Fergus Falls’ Carter Thielke hit Cole Zierden on a 10-yard TD pass, Thielke’s next throw was broken up swiftly by D-G-F’s Kaden Altobelli to seal the win for the Rebels and punch their ticket to state where they will take on Annandale (82) at Buffalo High School Nov. 13.

Both Breck and Dassel-Cokato won their games handily to both advance to the finals. Eli Gillman scored four touchdowns for Dassel-Cokato in their win over Litchfield, 45-10.

Breck defeated St. Croix Lutheran 45-13.

Fairmont also advanced out of Section 3 with a 27-6 win over Waseca.

If section play was any indication, the Class AAA state tourney should be a great one.

CLASS 3A State Bracket 8) Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (9-1) 11/13/21 2pm Buffalo HS 5) Annandale (8-2) 4) Breck School (6-4)

Playoff Scores

Tuesday 10/26

Class AAA Section 1 Pine Island 0 Rochester Lourdes 28

La Crescent-Hokah 18 Lake City 41

Zumbrota-Mazeppa 0 Plainview-Elgin-Millville 37

Class AAA Section 2 Holy Family Catholic 20 Dassel-Cokato 61

Glencoe-Silver Lake 0 Watertown-Mayer 21

Litchfield 13 Rockford 6

Class AAA Section 3 Belle Plaine 0 Waseca 62

New Ulm 14 Tri-City United 28

Worthington 7 Luverne 23

Class AAA Section 5 Foley 30 Pine City 14

Mora 22 Spectrum 30

St. Cloud Cathedral 35 Milaca 14

Class AAA Section 6 Melrose 6 New London-Spicer 42

Minnewaska Area 18 Pierz 48

Montevideo 0 Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 37

Class AAA Section 7 Pequot Lakes 0 Aitkin 32

Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 6 Rock Ridge 20

Hibbing 14 Two Harbors 46

Class AAA Section 8 Park Rapids Area 0 Perham 28

Roseau 6 Fergus Falls 28

Thief River Falls 30 East Grand Forks 16

11/20/2021 2pm U.S. Bank Stadium

11/13/21 12pm Burnsville HS

www.letsplayfootballmn.com Saturday 10/30

Class AAA Section 1 Rochester Lourdes 21 Cannon Falls 50

Plainview-Elgin-Millville 23 Lake City 7

Class AAA Section 2 Watertown-Mayer 14 Dassel-Cokato 39

Litchfield 17 Providence Academy 14

Class AAA Section 3 Luverne 6 Fairmont 40

Tri-City United 8 Waseca 51

Class AAA Section 4 Minneapolis Roosevelt 0 Breck 60

Minneapolis Henry 20 St. Croix Lutheran 48

Class AAA Section 5 St. Cloud Cathedral 0 Annandale 45

Foley 8 Spectrum 31

Class AAA Section 6 New London-Spicer 14 Albany 12

Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta Pierz 29

Class AAA Section 7 Two Harbors 6 Aitkin 16

Rock Ridge 14 Esko 43

Class AAA Section 8 Thief River Falls 7 Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 28

Perham 14 Fergus Falls 35

Friday 11/5

Class AAA Section 1 Cannon Falls 18 Plainview-Elgin-Millville 21

Class AAA Section 2 Dassel-Cokato 45 Litchfield 10

Class AAA Section 4 St. Croix Lutheran 13 Breck 45

Class AAA Section 5 Annandale 57 Spectrum 25

Class AAA Section 6 Pierz 24 New London-Spicer 28

Class AAA Section 7 Esko 17 Aitkin 14

Class AAA Section 8 Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 22 Fergus Falls 20 (OT) Saturday 11/6

1) Plainview-Elgin-Millville(9-2)

11/27/2021 1pm U.S. Bank Stadium

7) Esko (10-1)

STATE CHAMPION

Class AAA Section 3 Fairmont 27 Waseca 6

11/13/21 1pm Brainerd HS 6) New London-Spicer (6-5) 3) Fairmont (9-1) 11/13/21 11am Prior Lake HS 2) Dassel-Cokato (11-0)

11/20/2021 4:30pm U.S. Bank Stadium

6

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Playoff scores

Tuesday 10/26 Results

Class AA Section 1 Winona Cotter 14 Chatfield 60

Lewiston-Altura 31 Caledonia 14

Dover-Eyota 12 Goodhue 46

St. Charles 28 Triton 30

Class AA Section 2 New Richland-H-E-G 7 St. Clair/Loyola 13

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 7 Blue Earth Area 49

Medford 0 Blooming Prairie 37

LeSueur-Henderson 14 Maple River 46

Class AA Section 3 Windom Area 6 Jackson County Central 58

Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial12 Minnesota Valley Lutheran 36

Sibley East 24 Redwood Valley 46

St. James Area 7 Pipestone Area 40

Class AA Section 4 Maple Lake 27 Rush City 64

Concordia Academy 0 Norwood-Young America 35

Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 0 St. Agnes 47

Class AA Section 5 Holdingford 27 Paynesville Area 48

Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 0 Kimball Area 36

Class AA Section 6 Pillager 12 Sauk Centre 20

Wadena-Deer Creek 23 Staples-Motley 12

Class AA Section 7 Crosby-Ironton 14 International Falls 28

Class AA Section 8 Frazee 0 Hawley 36

Crookston 18 Warroad 42

Saturday 10/30 Results

Class AA Section 1 Triton 0 Chatfield 54

Lewiston-Altura 28 Goodhue 48

Class AA Section 2 Blue Earth Area 7 Maple River 8

St. Clair/Loyola 19 Blooming Prairie 47

Class AA Section 3 Redwood Valley 12 Jackson County Central 38

Minnesota Valley Lutheran12 Pipestone Area 26

Class AA Section 4

Norwood-Young America 0 Minneapolis North 42

Rush City 8 St. Agnes 26

Class AA Section 5 Paynesville Area 22 Royalton 32

Kimball Area 6 Eden Valley-Watkins 16

Class AA Section 6 Sauk Centre 7 West Central Area/Ashby 20

Wadena-Deer Creek 19 Osakis 34

Class AA playoff results

Class AA Section 7

International Falls 26 Moose Lake-Willow River 63

Mesabi East 14 Hinckley-Finlayson 6

Class AA Section 8 Warroad 14 Barnesville 48

Hawley 13 Pelican Rapids 24

November 11, 2021

11

Eden Valley-Watkins soars past Royalton 42-6

Friday 11/5 Results Class AA Section 1 Chatfield 46 Goodhue 15

Class AA Section 2 Blooming Prairie 18 Maple River 40

Class AA Section 3 Pipestone Area 34 Jackson County Central 28

Class AA Section 4 Minneapolis North 42 St. Agnes 6

Class AA Section 5 Royalton 6 Eden Valley-Watkins 42

Class AA Section 6 Osakis 14 West Central Area/Ashby 19

Class AA Section 7 Moose Lake-Willow River 63 Mesabi East 0

Class AA Section 8 Barnesville 36 Pelican Rapids 16

Eden Valley-Watkins heads into the state tournament with a 9-1 record after a convincing 42-6 over Royalton. The win avenged an earlier loss to Royalton during the regular season. Above, Parker Schultz races past Pierz defenders in the Eagles’ 34-14 win Oct. 15. PHOTO BY LIBBY AUGER

Minneapolis North wins in strong fashion

by SHAFIN KHAN

Let’s Play Football

Minneapolis North put together a complete game in their 42-6 victory over St. Agnes in the Section 4AA Championship. The offense put up 21 points in each half and allowed St. Agnes only touchdown in the waning minutes of the second quarter. Minneapolis North used both Deshaun Hill and Rio Sanders in the quarterback position where they combined to go 9-9 for 53 yards.

Jaylon Washington carried the bulk of

CLASS 2A State Bracket 8) Barnesville (8-2) 11/11/21 7:00pm Alexandria HS 5) Eden Valley-Watkins (9-1) 4) Minneapolis North (9-1)

11/18/2021 2pm U.S Bank Stadium

11/11/21 7:00pm Rochester Mayo HS 1) Chatfield (10-1)

11/26/2021 1pm U.S. Bank Stadium

7) Moose Lake-Willow River (9-2)

the ground game as he had 244 yards on 24 carries along with three touchdowns.

Sanders contributed 73 rushing yards on six carries with two touchdowns while Will Smith went for 52 yards and a touchdown. Gani Stevens posted two receptions for 30 yards as well. On the defensive end, Stevens, Jayvon Purifoy and AuVon Sager each recorded a sack.

Minneapolis North will represent Section 4AA in the Class AA state playoffs where they will play Section 1AA representative Chatfield on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at Rochester Mayo High School.

Barnesville advanced out of Section 8AA with a 36-16 win over Pelican Rapids.

They will play 5AA winner Eden Valley-Watkins who trounced Royalton.

Moose Lake-Willow River easily advanced out of Section 7AA with a 63-0 win over Mesabi East. They will take on Section 6AA winner West Central Area/ Ashby, who squeaked by the Silverstreaks of Osakis 19-14.

Pipestone Area enters state out of Section 3AA after defeating Jackson County Central 34-28. They are the only undefeated team in the AA state tourney at 11-0 and will battle Section 2AA winner Maple River who beat Blooming Prairie 40-18.

STATE CHAMPION

11/11/21 7:00pm Brainerd HS 6) West Central Area/Ashby (9-1) 3) Pipestone Area (11-0) 11/12/21 7:00pm Hastings HS 2) Maple River (10-1)

11/19/2021 11:30am U.S. Bank Stadium

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November 11, 2021

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Class A playoff results

www.letsplayfootballmn.com

Playoff scores

Tuesday 10/26 Results

Minneota junior quarterback Isaac Pohlen scored twice to lead the Vikings past BOLD for the Section 5A title. They will play Mahnomen/Waubun in the state quarterfinals with a chance to advance.

Minneota outlasts BOLD in Section 5A

by MALIK MITCHELL The No. 2 Minneota Vikings shutout the No. 7 BOLD for the Section 5A Championship The Vikings (11-0) solid passing and running game led them into a 20-0 victory against BOLD (9-2) at Southwest Minnesota State University on Friday.

The victory sends the Vikings into tournament play facing Mahnomen/ Waubun in the quarterfinals at Monticello High School for the Class 1A. Both teams struggled in the beginning, scoring no points in the first quarter. In the second quarter Minneota marched down the field for junior quarterback Isaac Pohlen to get a three yard touchdown off a QB sneak. Senior running back Conner Sik would punch in a two yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter. Then the Vikings would come back with a huge pass from Pohlen to sophomore

running back Max Rost to put them in the red zone. They would capitalize on that drive with Pohlen scoring a touchdown off another QB sneak.

“We were able to move the ball all game, our offensive line was amazing, creating holes and having great pass protection all night,” junior quarterback Isaac Pohlen said. “Our coaches knew their weaknesses and we attacked those weaknesses all game.”

In the last drive of the game, BOLD tried to get something going on offense but were unsuccessful.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that our defense will play great against good teams like BOLD. It gives our offense confidence knowing that our defense can hold their own,” Pohlen said.

Other section winners advancing to state included Mahnomen/Wauban, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Rushford-Peterson, Deer River, New York Mills, Murray County Central and Mayer Lutheran.

CLASS A State Bracket 8) MAHNOMEN-WAUBUN (9-1)

Class A Section 1 Kingsland 0 Fillmore Central 18

Hayfield 18 Bethlehem Academy 44

Kenyon-Wanamingo 32 Randolph 36

Wabasha-Kellogg 6 Rushford-Peterson 32

Class A Section 2 New Ulm Cathedral 7 United South Central 39

Alden-Conger/G-E 0 Mayer Lutheran 42

Cleveland 7 Lester Prairie 37

Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 12 Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 42

Class A Section 3 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 0 Martin County West 36

Sleepy Eye 12 Springfield 37

Adrian-Ellsworth 19 Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 48

Wabasso 7 Murray County Central 35

Class A Section 4 Benson 0 Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 20

Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 8 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 36

Parkers Prairie 12 Browerville-Eagle Valley 28

Class A Section 5 Canby 6 Lakeview 30

Yellow Medicine East 0 Minneota 52

Lac qui Parle Valley 13 Dawson-Boyd 20

MACCRAY 8 BOLD 52

Class A Section 6 Underwood 0 Breckenridge 7

Lake Park-Audubon 0 Pine River-Backus 30

Menahga 0 New York Mills 36

Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 7 Otter Tail Central 42

11/12/21 7:00pm Monticello HS 5) MINNEOTA (11-0) 4) Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (8-3) 11/12/21 7:00pm Crown College

11/26/21 10am U.S. Bank Stadium

7) Deer River (10-0)

STATE CHAMPION

11/12/21 7:00pm Brainerd HS 6) New York Mills (9-1) 3) Murray County Central (11-0) 11/12/21 7:00pm Jordan HS 2) Mayer Lutheran (10-1)

11/20/2021 11:30am U.S. Bank Stadium

Class A Section 8 Bagley 28 Red Lake County 40

Fosston 14 Polk County West 43 Saturday 10/30 Results

Class A Section 1 Bethlehem Academy 16 Fillmore Central 21

Randolph 14 Rushford-Peterson 21

Class A Section 2 Lester Prairie 14 Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 40

United South Central 0 Mayer Lutheran 35

Class A Section 3 Martin County West 10 Murray County Central 20

Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 29 Springfield 19

Class A Section 4 Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg16 Upsala/Swanville Area 40

Browerville-Eagle Valley 21 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 34

Class A Section 5 Lakeview 12 BOLD 34

Dawson-Boyd 13 Minneota 34

Class A Section 6 Breckenridge 26 Otter Tail Central 8

New York Mills 38 Pine River-Backus 20

Class A Section 7 Chisholm 14 Deer River 44

Barnum 48 North Woods 26

Class A Section 8 Polk County West 3 Mahnomen/Waubun 12

Red Lake County 14 Ada-Borup-West 42 Friday 11/5 Results Class A Section 1 Rushford-Peterson 7 Fillmore Central 0

Class A Section 2 Mayer Lutheran 48 Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 12

Class A Section 3 Murray County Central 23 Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 8

11/20/2021 9am U.S. Bank Stadium

1) Rushford-Peterson (11-0)

Class A Section 7 East Central 0 North Woods 2

Mille Lacs 20 Barnum 42

Braham 12 Chisholm 42

Ely 0 Deer River 2

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Class A Section 4 Upsala/Swanville Area 44 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 52

Class A Section 5 Minneota 20 BOLD 0

Class A Section 6 New York Mills 32 Breckenridge 0

Class A Section 7 Deer River 32 Barnum 8 Class A Section 8 Ada-Borup-West 7 Mahnomen/Waubun 30

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Let’s Play Football

9-MAN playoff results

Falcons outlast Titans

by BRYAN ZOLLMAN Fertile-Beltrami ran for 326 yards and held off Norman East County/UH 26-20 in the Section 6/9-Man finals Nov. 4.

Everett Balstad led the way for the Titans with 196 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns.

NCE/UH’s Connor Nelson got them on board first when he connected on the first of his two touchdown passes to Reed Klemetson for a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Balstad responded with a goal line score in the second for a 6-6 tie heading into halftime.

Balstad then scored at the 9:13 mark of the third quarter. Another failed conversion gave the Falcons a 12-6 lead that was short-lived thanks to Nelson connecting with Klemetson again, this time from 47 yards out.

Nelson converted the two-point try for a 14-12 lead.

But Balstad scored again at the 2:12 mark from 7 yards out for a 18-14 lead.

It stayed that way until the 5-minute mark of the fourth quarter when Fertile-Beltrami’s Rylin Petry scored on a

2-yard run. Isaiah Wright scored the two-point conversion for a 26-14 lead.

The Titans would add a late touchdown when Nelson scored on a 3-yard run, but it was too little too late as the Falcons punched their ticket to state.

In the end it was Fertile-Beltrami’s ground game that ate up the clock and led to 326 of their 333 yards offense.

Nelson led the offense for the Titans with 50 yards rushing on 16 carries and 7-for-12 passing for 171 yards.

Klemetson finished with four catches for 114 yards and the two touchdowns.

The Falcons will be the only unbeaten team in the state tournament with an 11-0 mark. They will take on Mountain Iron-Buhl (9-1) in Grand Rapids Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.

In other games, Renville County West punched their ticket to state with a 47-18 win over Cedar Mountain in Section 2. LeRoy Ostrander beat previously undefeated Lanesboro 30-6 in Section 1, and Hills-Beaver Creek defeated Mountain Lake Area 36-9.

In Section 4, Wheaton-Herman-Norcross held on to defeat Verndale 14-12. In Section 5 Ogilvie shut out South Ridge 42-0.

KCC dominates B-G-MR 50-19

by SHAFIN KHAN Kittson County Central put on an offensive clinic during their 50-19 victory over Badger-Greenbush-Middle River in the Section 8 9-Man Championship. After putting up 30 in the first half, Kittson County Central finished the game with a strong second half, putting up a pair of touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters.

They had emphasized the run game and put up a total of 445 rushing yards on 51 carries. Chisum Schmiedeberg had 316 yards on 30 carries while add-

ing three touchdowns as well.

Ozzie Meyer-Rice and Braden Faken combined for 101 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns. Morgan Muir had one rush for 28 yards and a touchdown as well. Evan Austad caught the team’s only reception of the game that was a 44 yard gain. On the defensive end of things, Schmiedeberg and Meyer-Rice combined for 20 tackles.

Kittson County Central will go up against Ogilvie on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at Moorhead high school.

9-Man State Bracket 8) Kittson County Central (9-2) 11/12/21 7:00pm Moorhead HS 5) Ogilvie (7-3) 4) Wheaton/Herman-Norcross (8-2)

November 11, 2021

Playoff scores

Tuesday 10/26 Results

9-Man Section 1 Lyle-Pacelli 0 Lanesboro 53

Mabel-Canton 6 LeRoy-Ostrander 57

Spring Grove 12 Southland 19

Houston 18 Grand Meadow 42

9-Man Section 2 Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 12 Cedar Mountain 50

Ortonville 22 Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s 48

Nicollet 14 Renville County West 42

9-Man Section 3 Madelia 0 Mountain Lake Area 58

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 8 Red Rock Central 18

Westbrook-Walnut Grove 20 Edgerton 30

GHEC/Truman 0 Hills-Beaver Creek 47

9-Man Section 4 Bertha-Hewitt 24 Brandon/Evansville 38

Rothsay 0 Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 59

Sebeka 30 Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 48

9-Man Section 5 No Games

9-Man Section 6 Blackduck 0 Clearbrook-Gonvick 30

Laporte 0 Fertile-Beltrami 59

Park Christian 0 NCE/U-H 40

Cass Lake-Bena 0 Nevis 55

9-Man Section 7 Bigfork 26 Cook County 28

Silver Bay 0 Hill City/Northland 30

North Central 6 Cherry 46

9-Man Section 8 Lake of the Woods Badger/Greenbush-Middle River

Win-E-Mac 28 Warren-Alvarado-Oslo 22

Northern Freeze Goodridge/Grygla

Stephen-Argyle Kittson County Central

20 42

11/18/21 11:30am U.S.Bank Stadium

11/11/21 7:00pm Macalester College 1) Leroy-Ostrander (9-2)

11/27/21 10am U.S. Bank Stadium

7) Mountain Iron-Buhl (9-1)

STATE CHAMPION

11/11/21 6:00pm Grand Rapids HS 6) Fertile-Beltrami (11-0) 3) Hills-Beaver Creek (9-2) 11/12/21 7:00pm SMSU (Marshall HS) 2) Renville County West (7-3)

11/19/21 9am U.S. Bank Stadium

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13

26 35 14 42

Saturday 10/30 Results

9-Man Section 1 Southland 21 Lanesboro 45

LeRoy-Ostrander 39 Grand Meadow 34

9-Man Section 2 Cedar Mountain 20 Hancock 14

Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s 16 Renville County West 27

9-Man Section 3 Edgerton 8 Hills-Beaver Creek 44

Red Rock Central 6 Mountain Lake Area 15

9-Man Section 4 Brandon/Evansville 8 Verndale 46

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 6 Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 58

9-Man Section 5 McGregor 14 Ogilvie 50

Cromwell-Wright Area 24 South Ridge 26

9-Man Section 6 NCE/U-H 22 Nevis 19

Clearbrook-Gonvick 6 Fertile-Beltrami 14

9-Man Section 7 Cherry 12 Hill City/Northland 6

Cook County 12 Mountain Iron-Buhl 48

9-Man Section 8 Win-E-Mac 22 Kittson County Central 42

Goodridge/Grygla 18 Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 22 Thursday 11/6 Results 9-Man Section 2 Renville County West 47 Cedar Mountain 18

9-Man Section 3 Mountain Lake Area 9 Hills-Beaver Creek 36

9-Man Section 4 Verndale 12 Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 14

9-Man Section 5 Ogilvie 42 South Ridge 0

9-Man Section 6 Fertile-Beltrami 26 NCE/U-H 20 Friday 11/5 Results

9-Man Section 1 Lanesboro 6 LeRoy-Ostrander 30

9-Man Section 8 Badger/Greenbush-Middle River Kittson County Central

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1

November 11, 2021

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Nwangwu named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Eagan, Minn. (Nov. 10, 2021) – Vikings RB Kene Nwangwu has been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9.

Nwangwu, a 2021 Vikings fourthround pick (119th overall), took a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, which marked the first kickoff return touchdown by a Viking since WR Cordarrelle Patterson in 2016 against the Cardinals.

Nwangwu became the first Vikings rookie to return a kickoff for a touchdown since Patterson in 2013.

The Frisco, Texas, native became one of five players since 2000 that has returned a kickoff for a touchdown in their first two NFL kickoff return attempts, joining WR Steve Smith (Car

olina Panthers), WR Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers), RB David Johnson (Arizona Cardinals) and DB Darrick Vaughn (Atlanta Falcons).

In addition to the kick return touchdown, Nwangwu successfully converted a fake punt on a nine-yard run, the team’s first successful fake punt since Adam Thielen’s 41-yard run at Green Bay on Jan. 2, 2016.

This is the first time a Vikings returner has won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week since PR Marcus Sherels took home the award after his Week 8 performance against the Chicago Bears in 2015. Nwangwu is also the first Vikings rookie returner to win the award since Patterson in 2013 after his performance against Green Bay.

VIKINGS NAMED NFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK UNDER ZIMMER

Defensive Special Teams Special Teams Defensive Defensive Special Teams Defensive Defensive Offensive Defensive Defensive Offensive Special Teams Defensive Defensive Defensive Offensive Defensive Special Teams Special Teams Offensive Defensive Special Teams Special Teams Offensive Offensive Offensive Offensive Offensive Special Teams

Anthony Barr, LB Adam Thielen, WR Marcus Sherels, PR Linval Joseph, DT Terence Newman, CB Blair Walsh, K Everson Griffen, DE Eric Kendricks, LB Stefon Diggs, WR Everson Griffen, DE Xavier Rhodes, CB Sam Bradford, QB Kai Forbath, K Harrison Smith, S Harrison Smith, S Danielle Hunter, DE Dalvin Cook, RB Anthony Harris, S Dan Bailey, K Dan Bailey, K Dalvin Cook, RB Danielle Hunter, DE Dan Bailey, K Dan Bailey, K Mike Boone, RB Dalvin Cook, RB Dalvin Cook, RB Kirk Cousins, QB Kirk Cousins, QB Kene Nwangwu, KR

2014, Week 8, at Tampa Bay 2014, Week 13, vs. Carolina 2015, Week 8, at Chicago 2015, Week 9, vs. St. Louis 2015, Week 10, at Oakland 2015, Week 16, vs. NY Giants 2015,Week 17, at Green Bay 2016, Week 1, at Tennessee 2016, Week 2, vs. Green Bay 2016, Week 3, at Carolina 2016, Week 11, vs. Arizona 2017, Week 1, vs. New Orleans 2017, Week 7, vs. Baltimore 2017, Week 16, at Green Bay 2018, Week 1, vs. San Fran 2018, Week 9, vs. Detroit 2018, Week 15, vs. Miami 2019, Week 1, vs. Atlanta 2019, Week 5, at NY Giants 2019, Week 8, vs. Washington 2019, Week 10, at Dallas 2019, Week 14, vs. Detroit 2019, Week 15, at LA Chargers 2020, Week 4, at Houston 2020, Week 8, at Green Bay 2020, Week 9, vs. Detroit 2020, Week 9, vs. Detroit 2020, Week 12, vs. Carolina 2020, Week 17, at Detroit 2021, Week 9, at Baltimore

Vikings RB Kene Nwangwu was named NFC Player of the Week for Special Teams after returning a kick for a TD and converting a 9-yard fake punt.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MINNESOTA VIKINGS

SPECIAL TEAMS

TRIVIA QUESTION #1 Vikings running back Kene Nuwangwu returned a kick for a touchdown against the Ravens. Which Vikings player has the most return yards in a season?

TRIVIA QUESTION #2

This Viking in 2012 returned a punt for a touchdown against the Lions on Sept. 30, 2012.

It was the longest punt return in franchise history for a touchdown.

How long and who was the player?

TRIVIA QUESTION #3

This Vikings punter twice kicked six 50yard punts in a game.

He is also the franchise leader in 50-yard punts in a season with 35.

Answers to Minnesota Vikings Trivia can be found on page 15

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November 11, 2021

15

One team campaign shows unity across all levels of Minnesota

Q: Vikings running back Kene Nuwangwu returned a kick for a touchdown against the Ravens. Which Vikings player has the most return yards in a season?

A: The Viking with the most return yards in a season is still playing and playing quite well for the Chicago Bears with 737 yards from scrimmage in eight games.

That player is Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson had an electric year in 2013 where he recorded 1,393 return yards. In addition he became the first NFL player to record four receiving touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, and two kickoff return touchdowns in a single season that season.

He also set the franchise record for longest kickoff return when he brought one back 109.75 yards from the back of the end zone on Oct. 27.

Q: This Viking in 2012 returned a punt for a touchdown against the Lions on Sept. 30. It was the longest punt return in franchise history for a touchdown.

How long and who was the player?

A: A fan favorite, Marcus Sherels was an all-purpose special teams player for the Vikings for 10 years where he played in 123 games and had 243 punt returns for 2,480 yards and five touchdowns. As a kick returner he returned 57 kicks for 1,359 yards for an average of 25.2 yards per return. His longest punt return in franchise history was from 77 yards out in 2012 against the Lions.

As the 2021 football season prepares to kick off for Minnesota high schools, colleges and the NFL, the difficulties of the 2020 season makes players, coaches, parents and fans appreciative of a normal return to the field. As a way to commemorate how far we have come as a community, the Minnesota State High School League, Minnesota Football Coaches Association and the Minnesota Vikings collaborated to create a helmet sticker that can be worn by football players, at every level, throughout the state.

The logo features an outline of the state of Minnesota, the “One Team” slogan and the laces of a football that connect the two. Decals have been sent to every high school team in the state as well as all college teams, a total of 366 high schools and 32 collegiate teams. The Vikings will wear the helmet decals in the August 14 preseason game vs. Denver at U.S. Bank Stadium. Lapel pins for coaches and staff have also been distributed.

Teams are invited to share photos and other content displaying their involvement in the One Team program throughout the year by using the hashtag #OneTeamMN on all personal and team social media platforms. Posts using this hashtag will be randomly selected throughout the season to receive a contribution to the school’s football program.

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Q: This Vikings punter twice kicked six 50-yard punts in a game. He is also the franchise leader in 50-yard punts in a season with 35.

A: Chris Kluwe had quite the season in 2008 when he had six punts of over 50 yards not once, but twice. His first came against Tennessee and second against Detroit. That season he also had 35 punts of 50-plus yards and averaged 47.6 yards per punt, also a franchise record.

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November 11, 2021

Let’s Play Football

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