MSHSL Saturday Prep Bowl Results

The Minnesota high school football season came to a close Saturday with the crowning of three champions.

In Nine-Man football Mountain Iron-Buhl got by Spring Grove 28-25 after overcoming a 19-0 first quarter deficit.  The Rangers tamed the Lions by scoring twice in the second quarter and twice in the final quarter.

Spring Grove rushed for 143 yards, threw for 186 while Mountain Iron-Buhl had 210 yards on the ground and 168 through the air.

Asher Zubich, 6'2, 185, sr., ran 25 times for 127 yards and was 13 of 24 passing for 168 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He was intercepted twice.

Elijah Solem, 6'1, 190, jr., was also a dual threat with 87 yards on the ground and two scores, 17 of 35 passing for 186 yards and a score.  He was also picked off twice.

The Rangers achieved the winning score with 25 seconds left in the game.

Mountain Iron was the Class B football champion the first year for football playoffs in Minnesota in 1972.

Mountain Iron-Buhl was 9 of 13 on third down while Spring Grove managed to convert 3 of 11 chances.

The Class 3A game had a wild finish when New London-Spicer scored at the very end of the game on a pass and lateral covering 43 yards to win 27-26 over Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton.

The Rebels scored with 24 seconds to go to take the lead.

The Wildcats started on their own 35 yard line with 17 seconds to go.  Quarterback Blake Schultz, 5'10, 140, soph. completed a pass to Brycen Christensen, 6'4, 190, sr., covering 22 yards to the D-G-F 43.

There was a false start bringing the ball back to the 48 yard line.

On the final play Schultz completed a pass to Grant Paffrath, 6'3, 180, jr., for 34 yards and Paffrath lateraled to Christensen to complete the 48 yard score as time expired.

Schultz was 11 of 14 passing for 185 yards and two scores.  Christensen caught 4 passes for 79 yards.

Mason Delzer, 6'2, 180, jr., rushed 27 times for 119 yards and a score for New London-Spicer.

Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton's Jordan Summers, 5'9, 182, sr., tallied 169 yards on 33 runs with two scores.  Quarterback Owen Leach, 6'6, 200, sr. threw for 76 yards on 2 of 8 passing with a TD running and caught a 10 yard pass for a touchdown from Caleb Johnson, 6'1, 205, soph.

The Rebels were undefeated until that moment.  The Wildcats finish their season with a 12-2 mark.

Elk River ran their Triple Power T to a 29-26 win over defending Class 5A Champion Mankato West.

The Scarlets pulled to within the 3 point margin with 8:37 to go in the game but never saw the ball again on offense.

The Elks kept the ball for 8:32 running 16 plays covering 66 yards to secure the victory.

A missed extra point by the Scarlets gave Elk River a 14-13 halftime lead.

Both teams were undefeated coming into the game.

Mankato West actually had the ball more according to the final statistics, running 56 plays to Elk River's 48.

The Elks had 46 rushes for 400 yards with 2 passes thrown, 1 completion for 7 yards.

The Scarlets ran the ball 3 times for 150 yards and quarterback Barton Mcaninch, 6'1, 200, jr., was 17 of 26 for 176 yards and a score.  Mcaninch ran the ball 16 times for 90 yards to lead the Mankato West ground game as well.

Elk River running back Logan Bunker, 6'1, 195, jr., rushed for 120 yards on 7 carries with a 93 yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put the Elks ahead at the time.

Elk River had four different runners with 70 or more yards and 3 touchdowns.  The Elks won the  Class 5A title in 2016 before losing to Owatonna in 2017.

HIgh school football playoffs in Minnesota started in 1972 with 5 classes.

State champions that year were:

• 9-Man-Rothsay
• Class C-Gaylord
• Class B-Mountain Iron
• Class A-Burnsville
• Class AA-Minneapolis Washburn

The Metrodome opened in 1982 with the Minnesota State HIgh School League starting the Prep Bowl there.

The first to win titles in the dome were:

• 9-Man-Westbrook
• Class C-Truman
• Class B-Lecenter
• Class A-Brooklyn Center
• Class AA-Stillwater defeated Owatonna 34-27

MSHSL expanded to 6 classes in 1997.

Title holders that year were:

• 9-Man-Verndale
• Class A-Cook County
• Class AA- Pelican Rapids over Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 34-32
• Class AAA-Albany
• Class AAAA-Northfield
• Class AAAAA-Eden Prairie

Seven classes in 2012. Champions that year:

• 9-Man-Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley over Grand Meadow 40-22
• Class A-Mahnomen defeated Bethlehem Academy 20-14
• Class AA-Caledonia
• Class AAA-Blue Earth over Rochester Lourdes 30-7
• Class AAAA-Hutchinson
• Class AAAAA-Totino-Grace defeated Owatonna 49-21
• Class AAAAAA-Eden Prairie downed Lakeville North 28-7

While US Bank Stadium was being constructed the Prep Bowl was held at the Gophers outdoor facility.

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