Southern Minnesota Football Teams to Fill US Bank Stadium

Southern Minnesota prep football is alive and well heading into the state tournament semifinals November 18-20 at US Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Five of six teams from Section 1 won their quarterfinal games in the cold, and sometimes snow, last week to reach the climate-controlled confines on the home of the Vikings. A couple of regional teams from Section 2 are also one step away from the Prep Bowl Thanksgiving Weekend.

Chatfield (the highest rated team in the AA field after blowing out Minneapolis North Community School in the quarterfinals) faces Barnesville Thursday, November 18 at 2 pm. Kasson-Mantorville (who lost to Owatonna in a week 8 thriller during the regular season) has to deal with top-rated Becker in a Thursday Class 4A semifinal at 4:30 pm.

LeRoy-Ostrander, who scored a couple of upsets in the Section 1 tournament opens the semifinals Thursday morning at 9 am versus Kittson County Central. Section 1 has a set quite a high bar at the state tournament in recent years in nine-man football. A six-year title-winning streak ended in 2019 after Grand Meadow (four times) and Spring Grove (twice) kept the title in southeast Minnesota. Mountain Lake Area won the championships in 2019. There was no tournament in 2020.

Go HERE for tournament information and to get your tickets through the Minnesota State High School League.

On Friday, November 19 Maple River (Section 2AA champ who topped Blooming Prairie) plays West Central Area/Ashby Friday at 11:30 am. Saturday, November 20 at 9 am Rushford-Peterson takes the field against Minneota in a Class A game. At 2 pm Plainview-Elgin-Millville meets Annandale in AAA. Top-rated Mankato West wraps up the semifinal round against Rogers Saturday at 7 pm.

Check it out! Blooming Prairie's Drew Kittelson is up for Mr. Football!

Full schedule for semifinals at US Bank Stadium

Thursday, November 18

• LeRoy-Ostrander vs. Kittson County Central, nine-man, 11:30 am
• Chatfield vs. Barnesville, Class AA, 2 pm
• Kasson-Mantorville vs. Becker, 4A, 4:30 pm
• Eden Prairie vs. Maple Grove, 6A, 7 pm

Friday, November 19

• Fertile-Beltrami vs. Hills-Beaver Creek, nine-man, 9 am
• Maple River vs. West Central Area/Ashby, Class AA 11:30 am
• Robbinsdale Cooper vs. Mahtomedi, 5A, 2 pm
• Orono vs. Hutchinson, 4A, 4:30 pm
• St. Michael-Albertville vs. Lakeville South, 6A, 7 pm

Saturday, November 20

• Rushford-Peterson vs. Minneota, Class A, 9 am
• Mayer Lutheran vs. New York Mills, A, 11:30 am
• Plainview-Elgin-Millville vs. Annandale, 3A, 2 pm
• Esko vs. Dassel-Cokato, 3A, 4:30 pm
• Mankato West vs. Rogers, 5A, 7 pm

Times are estimates, especially after the opening game of each day.

The Prep Bowl finals are set for November 26-27.

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