Prep Bowl roundup: Hutchinson, Eden Valley-Watkins, Minneota win titles

Class 4A

Hutchinson 14, Rocori 6: After falling in the state title game to Simley one year ago, Hutchinson pulled through Friday, avenging a loss from earlier this season in the process.

Charles Renner ran in two scores for the Tigers (11-2), including the game-winner with 6 minutes, 36 seconds to play in regulation that broke a 6-6 tie.

Rocori (10-3) took its ensuing drive all the way to the Hutchinson 28-yard line before Nathan Thode — who also rushed for 88 yards — secured an interception. Hutchinson then ran for a pair of first downs to milk away the clock.

Caleb Maddox had 80 yards receiving and a score for Rocori.

Rocori beat Hutchinson 11-0 back in September, but the Spartans mustered just 181 yards of total offense against Hutchinson’s top-tier defense. The Tigers ran 73 plays of offense to Rocori’s 31, and possessed the ball for 34 of the game’s 48 minutes.

Hutchinson — which has played in the final in each of the last three years — now has seven Prep Bowl titles.

Class 2A

Eden Valley-Watkins 24, Barnesville 6: Barnesville’s 26-game winning streak came to an end Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium as Eden Valley-Watkins scored the final 18 points of the contest in the second half to claim the Class 2A crown.

Barnesville’s Gannon Bolgrean scored to knot the game at 6-6 in the third quarter, but Nolan Geislinger was responsible for the ensuing three scores — a run and two passes — that sealed Eden Valley-Watkins’ title. Geislinger finished with 82 yards and a score on the ground, while throwing for 111 yards and three touchdowns, each of which went to Wyatt Moehrle.

Bolgrean ran 20 times for 145 yards for Barnesville (13-1), which committed five turnovers to just one for Eden Valley-Watkins. Barnesville struggled to get any type of passing attack going, as Eden Valley-Watkins picked off four passes.

It’s the second title for Eden Valley-Watkins (13-0), which won every single game this season by a double-digit margin.

Class A

Minneota 43, Springfield 22: Ryan Meagher ran for 199 yards and five touchdowns and the Vikings raced out to a 29-0 first-half advantage en route to their second straight state title.

The Vikings (14-0) have now won 20 straight games — two of which were state championship games over Springfield (12-2).

Springfield’s offense did eventually find its footing, with Jakob Nachreiner throwing for 214 yards and three scores, but he was also sacked five times and threw an interception. That was one of Springfield’s five turnovers on the day.

Minneota had just one giveaway — a lost fumble on its opening drive of the contest — and outgained Springfield 290-63 on the ground.

Minneota has now won nine state titles, with five of those coming since 2014.

Related Articles

High School Sports |


Prep Bowl: Saturday’s football state championship game predictions

High School Sports |


Prep Bowl: Friday’s football state championship game predictions

High School Sports |


Prep Bowl: Four decades later, Centennial’s 1984 state finalist football team hopes this year’s Cougars finish the job

High School Sports |


East Metro football player of the year: St. Thomas Academy’s Savion Hart

High School Sports |


High school football state semifinals roundup: Chanhassen tops Andover in overtime of 5A semi

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous post Ex-officer Derek Chauvin, convicted in George Floyd’s killing, stabbed in prison, AP source says
Next post Mike Preston: The Ravens’ offense can still be effective without TE Mark Andrews. Here’s how. | COMMENTARY