John’s Journal: Buses Filled With Fans, Free Of Charge

 

The little Minnesota town of Fertile, located 23 miles southeast of Crookston, was founded in 1879 when the first settlers arrived. Brothers Knute and Einar Nelson, plus their uncle Lars A. Bolstad, made their way to Minnesota from Norway. Soon thereafter, brothers Askeld Olsen Morvig and Anders Olsen Morvig were part of a group that set up homesteads near the Nelson-Bolstad place.

At any mention of the word “pigskin,” those pioneers would probably have thought of a nice hat or gloves made from hog parts. But in this autumn nearly a century and a half later, football has been the biggest thing in Fertile – as well as in  Beltrami, 13 miles due west – since about as long as anyone can recall.

A great testament to the support for the Fertile-Beltrami Falcons came walking through the Legacy Gate at U.S. Bank Stadium for Saturday’s Nine-Man football state championship game. Business owners, farmers and other folks made sure everyone in those little towns (Fertile has 808 residents and Beltrami is home to 101 proud citizens) could catch a free ride to the game … 275 miles and more than four hours away from home.

Five chartered buses were filled with Falcon fans, all riding free of charge, thanks to approximately $25,000 worth of donations. In a report by Matt Henson of WDAY TV in Fargo, “We get to see these kids every day, ever since they asked their parents for candy in the candy aisle," said Travid Jensrud, the co-owner of JT's Station, a convenience store in Fertile. (Click here to see the story: https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/7299461-Businesses-and-farmers-raise-money-to-bus-Fertile-community-to-cheer-on-football-team-at-state-title-game?fbclid=IwAR3vGGWWY6URUDnJlpyafqtD52BLWd_2NLMMfR7w4OFkktY7A_2QXDfDNzU )

"Oh, that's just our community. It’s very tight-knit,” said Falcons coach Brian Nelson after a 58-8 loss to LeRoy-Ostrander. “They love their sports teams, along with band and choir, too, and they get behind you, they support you.

“You know, that's just the tip of the iceberg, with some of the things that have been donated, like food and snacks on the bus and things like that. We're very, very grateful for those and we'll get thank yous off as soon as we can get take a little while to digest some of this.”

The Falcons fans filled the stands behind their team’s bench and never stopped pulling for their boys. The players were well aware of their fans, too.

“Our crowd is insane,” said senior Austin Bjerk. “You look back in the stands and it’s all red. We just love that, all the support they give us. It’s like the whole town was here.”

Classmate Rylin Petry added, “I'm very grateful. It’s such a great community. They've been with us since the first game. We had a whole bunch of people come to our home games and away games. And now, looking to see them in the stands, it was great, the amount of support we have, and we're very thankful for that.”

Fertile-Beltrami played in its first Prep Bowl, advancing to the state tournament for the first time since 2006 and sixth time overall. The Falcons finished with a record of 13-1.

LeRoy-Ostrander, at state for the 13^th time and first since 2004, won its first championship; the Cardinals were state runners-up in 1993 and 1995. They finished 12-2, losing to Lanesboro and Grand Meadow during the regular season and defeating both in the Section 1 playoffs.

The Cardinals also were recipients of strong community support that went beyond the large number of fans at U.S. Bank Stadium. They held two practices this week at the Packer Dome in Austin, a bubble that covers Austin High School’s football/soccer field during cold months. Community contributions covered those costs.

“God bless our community,” said LeRoy-Ostrander coach Trevor Carrier, who also talked about his small group of players.

“You look at our sideline and we’ve got 18, 19 guys,” he said. “We don't have a lot of guys but we have a lot of quality. I wouldn't trade my 18 guys for another 60 anywhere.”

--LeRoy-Ostrander senior quarterback Chase Johnson finished with a Prep Bowl-record 412 yards (140 passing, 272 rushing). The previous record was 401 (344 passing, 57 rushing) by Cory Hackett of Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in 1999.

--The Prep Bowl record for longest run from scrimmage is 92 yards by Hutchinson’s Robbie Grimsley in 2013. Another Hutch Tiger, Mitchell Piehl, ran for a 90-yard score in Friday’s 42-14 Class 4A win over Kasson-Mantorville.  

--Brad Rosa, a member of the officiating crew for Saturday’s Nine-Man championship game, worked his second Prep Bowl game. The first was 37 years ago, in 1984, when he was on the field as Granite Falls defeated Breckenridge 13-7 for the Class B title.

--Lakeville South, which won the Class 6A title Friday night with a 13-7 win over Maple Grove, has a first-year offensive coordinator who is no stranger to championship football. Jon Bakken was the head coach at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown for 34 years, winning state championships in 1989, 1999 and 2009.

2021 Prep Bowl

Friday’s Games

1A: Mayer Lutheran 20, Minneota 14

2A: Chatfield 14,West Central Area/Ashby 13

4A: Hutchinson 42, Kasson-Mantorville 14

6A: Lakeville South 13, Maple Grove 7

Saturday’s Games

Nine-Man: LeRoy-Ostrander 58, Fertile-Beltrami 8

3A: Plainview-Elgin-Millville vs. Dassel-Cokato

5A: Mahtomedi vs. Mankato West

--MSHSL media specialist John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at jmillea@mshsl.org 

 

John’s Journal: “That's just 100 percent effort”

 

In a play that will live on in Prep Bowl lore, Minneota senior Jonah Gruenes scored a near-miraculous touchdown Friday late in the first half of the Vikings’ 20-14 loss to Mayer Lutheran in the Class 1A championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

On the first play after the Vikings recovered a Mayer Lutheran fumble, Gruenes caught a 22-yard scoring pass from Isaac Pohlen to give Minneota a 14-13 lead at halftime. In the official statistical account, the play is described thusly: #12 I. Pohlen pass complete to #10 J. Gruenes for 22 yards to the MLn00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 00:31, 1ST DOWN.

That is certainly accurate, but what Gruenes did on the play was something special. He caught the pass inside the 15-yard line and it looked like a short gain. But he never went down, even as multiple defenders jumped on him. He kept his legs moving, carrying tacklers and careening toward the end zone. With a couple teammates pushing the pile, Jonah knocked over a pylon as he reached the end zone. It was a phenomenal display of power and perseverance.

“It was huge,” said Vikings coach Chad Johnston. “That was an effort thing. All of a sudden we're down here and he's just carrying it, he gets a little help from some of his teammates. That's just 100 percent effort. And it was huge. You always talk about going into halftime with momentum, and we didn't have a whole lot at that time. … That was a huge play.”

Jonah said, “It definitely gave us some confidence going into the second half. I think we kind of had our heads down, we were losing. We haven’t really experienced that all year. It was a new situation and it was nice to go into the half leading.”

After every Prep Bowl game each team names a Most Valuable Teammate, who is recognized during the awards ceremony. Mayer Lutheran gave the honor to team manager Isaac Schmutzer and Minneota’s recipient was Gruenes.

At all semifinal and Prep Bowl games at U.S. Bank Stadium, head coaches can bring any players they choose into the postgame media room. Johnston brought Gruenes with him. “We've got a lot of quiet guys. As you can jokingly say, I brought probably the most quiet one with me here,” he said, smiling at Jonah. “We’ve got a lot of quiet guys but they lead by example, they give effort. A big reason for us to give him the MVT was just the effort throughout the year and the unselfish play. He not only carries the ball, he goes out for passes, he's probably our leading wingback blocker, he goes out in motion a lot. We’ve asked him to do a lot of things all season long, He has been our top linebacker and those are things that you expect out of your seniors.”

--Minneota played in its 10^th Prep Bowl, with titles in 1986, 1987, 1988, 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2017. Mayer Lutheran won the state championship in its first Prep Bowl.

--Johnston is also Minneota’s girls basketball coach. The Vikings open the season Tuesday with a home game against Ortonville.

Prep Bowl Dreams Do Come True

Chatfield’s Jeff Johnson knows he is fortunate to have coached two state championship teams. The Gophers won the 2013 Class 2A title and did it again Friday with a 14-13 nail-biter over West Central Area/Ashby. The Gophers also won Class C championships in 1994, 1995 and 1996. Johnson, a Pine Island native, first experienced the Prep Bowl as a child but never reached it as a player.

“In the Metrodome back then, my dad brought me to these games and I was in first, second, third grade,” he said. “I only had one goal, and that was to get there and I fell short my senior year. So in 2013, I told those guys, ‘Thank you, thank you for getting me here,’ because that was my main goal. And for these guys here, it's their own championship.

“Chatfield’s been spoiled. In the 90s we won three, and it really puts a shadow on you, you kind of feel like you have to win it or else your season's not very successful. And in 2013 we felt that pressure and right now, we felt that again. So I'm darn glad that we won it. Not many teams get here. This was just a fantastic, successful season from day one. This is their own team, their own championship.”

--Despite Friday’s loss, West Central Area/Ashby senior Hunter Norby called the experience of playing in the state semifinals and Prep Bowl “The best two weeks I’ve ever had.”

Teammate and fellow senior Mattson Hoff said, “At the beginning of the season, in August, if you would have told me we're going to the state title game I would have thought you were crazy. I just hope that (younger kids) understand this: if you put your mind to it, and you believe it, you put your heart into it, it's possible.”

Hurrah For Dad

One of the officials for Friday’s Class 1A game had some special fans watching on TV. Tiffany Eichten, wife of official Christopher Eichten of Wabasso, posted a photo on Twitter of their son Jeter dressed in referee stripes and standing in front of a television (with his dad pictured on the screen). Tiffany’s post read: “It's not every day you get to watch Dad ref on TV, but when he does you have to make sure you dress just like him!”

2021 Prep Bowl

Friday’s Games

1A: Mayer Lutheran 20, Minneota 14

2A: Chatfield 14,West Central Area/Ashby 13

4A: Kasson-Mantorville vs. Hutchinson

6A: Maple Grove vs. Lakeville South

Saturday’s Games

Nine-Man: LeRoy-Ostrander vs. Fertile-Beltrami, 10 a.m.

3A: Plainview-Elgin-Millville vs. Dassel-Cokato, 1 p.m.

5A: Mahtomedi vs. Mankato West, 4 p.m.

--MSHSL media specialist John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at jmillea@mshsl.org 

John’s Journal: The Rostberg Name Will Live Forever In Hutchinson

 

In several ways, football is very special at Hutchinson High School. Home games for the Tigers at S.R. Knutson Field provide a stellar example of tradition, with big crowds that include townspeople who tape blankets to bleacher seats hours before kickoff in order to have an optimum view of the action.

The tradition also includes lots of success under the first family of Minnesota high school football coaches. Hutchinson will play in its seventh Prep Bowl game this week, taking a 11-1 record into Friday’s 4 o’clock Class 4A state championship against Kasson-Mantorville (9-3) at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Tigers won championships in 1983, 1984, 1998, 2012, 2013 and were state runners-up in 2003. Those first three crowns came with Grady Rostberg as the head coach; his son Andy was the quarterback in 1983 and 1984 and the offensive coordinator in 1998.

Grady became the Tigers coach in 1970 and Andy took over when Grady retired in 1999. If the Tigers defeat Kasson-Mantorville, Andy will match his dad’s three state titles.

The Rostbergs are Minnesota’s No. 1 father-son coaching combination in career wins. Their combined record is 482-137-1; Grady’s record is 277-89-1 and Andy is 205-48. Grady continues to contribute as a volunteer, watching from the press box with assistant coaches on game days.

It’s pretty amazing to think that the last time someone other than a Rostberg coached the Tigers, the Woodstock music festival was taking place and Neil Armstrong was walking on the moon. (The coach prior to Grady was Bill Snyder, who stepped down from coaching when he was named principal.)

Another layer of tradition will be added to Hutchinson football next season when S.R. Knutson Field will be given an additional name to honor the Rostbergs. When a proposal to do so was submitted to the school board, it included these words: “to honor the Rostberg family who has done so much for Hutchinson student-athletes on and off the field for more than the past 50 years … the Rostberg family has and continues to make an impact on many levels.”

The Hutchinson gym was named “Whalen Gymnasium” in 2018 in honor of basketball legend Lindsay Whalen … whose high school basketball coach was Andy Rostberg.

The football facility’s name will be something along the lines of “Rostberg Stadium at S.R. Knutson Field,” with the Rostberg name attached to new facilities that include bleachers, lights and a press box. Efforts are also being made to add a turf field to the facility at some point in the future. S.R. Knutson was the superintendent when the original field was built.

After Hutchinson defeated Orono 36-6 in last week’s state semifinals, Andy Rostberg was asked about the town’s football tradition.

 “That's the dream,” he said, “one town, one team, one dream. And we always say when we win, we all win, everybody wins. When somebody calls and says, ‘How did the Tigers do?,’ we don't say, ‘They won.’ We say ‘We won,’ because you’re part of that, the town is a part of that. It's kind of fun to share it with as many people as you can.”

The current Tigers were little kids when the team won its last state title in 2013. The 2021 Tigers lost only to Becker, the team Kasson-Mantorville rallied to beat 24-20 in the state semifinals.

Talking about his players, especially the seniors, Rostberg said last week, “They've got one more chapter in the book that they would like to write for 2021 and I know we're all excited. We talk about it all the time. Now we get to go hang out for one more week, now we know when the last practice of the season is and that doesn't happen very often. We've got four more practices and one game.”

2021 Prep Bowl

Friday, Nov. 26

1A: Minneota vs. Mayer Lutheran, 10 a.m.

2A: Chatfield vs. West Central Area/Ashby 1 p.m.

4A: Kasson-Mantorville vs. Hutchinson, 4 p.m.

6A: Maple Grove vs. Lakeville South, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 27

Nine-Man: LeRoy-Ostrander vs. Fertile-Beltrami, 10 a.m.

3A: Plainview-Elgin-Millville vs. Dassel-Cokato, 1 p.m.

5A: Mahtomedi vs. Mankato West, 4 p.m.

--MSHSL media specialist John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at jmillea@mshsl.org 

John’s Journal: Giving Thanks For High School Football

 

From border to border, North to South, East to West, this has been one of the most amazing high school football seasons I have witnessed. The weather has been exceptional for the most part, but the biggest marker of the 2021 football season has been the sense of normalcy after a 2020 season that saw limited fans, disrupted schedules and no fall state tournaments due to Covid-19.

There was a clear sense of joy, happiness and gratitude everywhere I went this fall. I think we all have a renewed feeling of appreciation for high school activities after the pandemic changed so much for so long. I saw nonstop smiling faces during my travels to schools, practices and games.

I watched 16 outdoor football games before we headed indoors to U.S. Bank Stadium for last week’s 14 semifinals and this week’s seven Prep Bowl championship games. This week’s contests will be a major celebration of high school football in Minnesota.

In my eyes, football games provide the epitome of community. At schools large and small, folks gather to watch football but also to visit with their neighbors, catch up on the news and support their kids. It’s a magical scene, with the action on the field the focus, but with so many other things happening; the pep band performing, cheerleaders working hard, student fans having so much fun, little kids playing football and chasing each other behind the bleachers. There is nothing else like it.

I have been going back through the football-related stories I wrote this fall here on John’s Journal. I saw it all, from Nine-Man to Class 6A, in little rural villages and giant suburbs. This resulted in the below brief reminders of each story, along with links to read the full stories.

What a season it’s been!

--As the Chisago Lakes football team prepares for a new season, one small moment at Monday’s practice – a very brief, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene – encapsulated everything that Minnesota high school athletes and teams have gone through since Covid-19 began its long, slow bat flip and home run trot around the planet.

The Wildcats wrapped up the day’s drills with 40-yard sprints. Starting at one goal line on their grass practice field, they ran out to the 40-yard line, then back, then out and back again in three groups. Head coach Bill Weiss offered a reminder as one of the groups prepared to run: “Behind the line, not on it! Little things matter, guys!”

They absolutely do. Little things like the simple act of playing a football game. The Wildcats experienced that just once last fall. That’s correct: The Chisago Lakes football team played all of one game, with Covid driving a stake through the rest of their 2020 schedule. (Rush City is the only other team that played just one game in 2020, while Wabasha-Kellogg played no games a year ago.)

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-new-season-begins-little-things-are-big

--The night had not gone well. The boys on the Wabasha-Kellogg football team – all 19 in uniform -- had hoped to win their season opener against Cleveland High School on a lovely Friday night at their home field, nestled on a piece of ground surrounded by southeastern Minnesota bluffs, a short distance from the Mississippi River.

In the final gathering before kickoff, in an equipment shed near the field, Wabasha-Kellogg coach Tim Klingbeil reinforced how special nights like this are: “It's an exciting thing that we get to do as young men. When high school football is over, it's done, it’s over. It ain’t golf. You get to create as many memories as you can on that field right now, tonight, because it just doesn't last very long. It disappears really quickly.”

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-wabasha-kellogg-returns-field

--Brad Wendland wants you to do something, no matter who you are, where you live or where you work or go to school. Wendland, the head football coach at Waseca High School, knows he is lucky to be alive and he wants others to have the second chance he’s getting.

His heart stopped beating during a game early this season. Wendland collapsed on the sideline and athletic trainers from Waseca and St. Peter (the visiting team), joined by a nurse who was in the stands and others, absolutely saved his life. They maintained his airway, they did chest compressions, they used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to shock his heart.  

Wendland was fortunate. When he was struck by sudden cardiac arrest, he was surrounded by people who were trained in life-saving skills, at a school that had implemented plans to handle such a crisis.

“You’d better put in (this story) the importance of CPR training and having AEDs available,” Brad told me. “If one person hears it and does it, or one person in the crowd that night gets a checkup or asks at work, ‘Where’s our AED,’ or gets trained in CPR, it will be worth it.”

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-every-day-good-day-wasecas-wendland

--Alexander Hamilton never gave a thought to football or high school marching bands, since neither was even a thing when the founding father came out on the short end of a duel with Aaron Burr in 1804. But Hamilton gets a share of the credit for what is happening with the Farmington High School football team and marching band this fall. The two groups – 60 varsity football players and 140 musicians – have formed a close relationship with an assist from good ol’ A dot Ham.

Bradley Mariska, one of the school’s band directors, and Jon Pieper, the Tigers’ co-head football coach along with Rick Sutton, have been working together to create a class based on the life of Hamilton and the Broadway musical about him. Mariska will handle the musical aspects of the class and Pieper, a social studies teacher, will focus on history. 

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-alexander-hamilton-football-and-marching-band

--Gary Sloan retired as the football coach at Grand Meadow, a Nine-Man powerhouse, after the Superlarks season ended. I have known Gary for years and always enjoyed spending time in Grand Meadow.

Gary’s teams won four consecutive state championships from 2013 to 2016 and went to state many times in his 29-year career as head coach. Asked about his memories, Sloan didn’t mention state championships or big wins. He talked about the important people in his life: the players.

“The games are fun but I’ve built so many relationships with kids,” he said, “and a lot of those kids now are 35 or 40 years old. A handful of them still call me coach.”

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-grand-meadows-sloan-steps-down

--On back-to-back days on October I went to football games at two new stadiums; Class 6A Forest Lake and Class 1A Lakeview in Cottonwood. Both schools celebrated the arrival of artificial turf as part of stadium renovations that have put both schools on the map. Lakeview is the second-smallest school in Minnesota with its own turf field. The smallest is Mountain Iron-Buhl, with an MSHSL enrollment of 136 … 12 fewer students than Lakeview.

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-after-21-years-minnesota-covered-turf

--Four years ago, I wrote about a unique high school football team. The St. Clair/Mankato Loyola Spartans were in their first season as a combined, cooperative team. There are 12 seniors on the 2021 Spartans roster, and they remember well what it was like when the now-rock-solid bonds began to be forged.

“Some of my closest friends go to Loyola,” said St. Clair senior Hayden Kasprowicz. “Thinking back to four years ago, I would have never, ever thought about that. I knew of people but didn't know them on a personal level. I think we were all kind of nervous but also excited.”

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-four-years-later-they-remain-spartans-life

--I was in the press box at St. Thomas Academy when the Cadets defeated Hastings in the section playoffs. It was the final event of a nearly two-decade radio career for Nick Tuckner, the voice of the Hastings Raiders. After he had signed off for the final time, St. Thomas Academy coach Dan O’Brien, one of the classiest people I know, came into the press box to shake Nick’s hand and congratulate him. It was a wonderful moment.

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-voice-raiders-says-farewell

Kim Royston was an all-state football player at Cretin-Derham Hall and an All-Big Ten selection at the University of Minnesota. This fall was his first season as an MSHSL football official. Royston, a middle school principal, said, “I’m loving it. I’m learning new things every week. It’s really therapeutic after a long hard day at the middle school to go out there in nice weather, working in the game you love.”

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-kim-royston-goes-big-ten-back-judge

--Marshall Behrens is one of the most well-known and respected officials in Minnesota high school sports. He officiates football and volleyball in the fall, girls and boys basketball in the winter, and baseball and softball in the spring. Away from high school sports, he also works Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football games and amateur baseball. Yes, he is a busy guy. He wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Officiating has become such a passion for me,” he said. “I’ve often used the word addiction. It’s so much a part of my life. The people and the relationships, the good friends, just giving back and seeing the kids. I don’t know what I’d do without it.”

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-officially-speaking-behrens-does-it-all

--During a football game between Cretin-Derham Hall and St. Thomas Academy at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, a receiver caught a pass in the left flat and had one tackler to beat in order to gain big yards. As the receiver was brought down quickly by the lone defender, a man watching from the press box said, “You’ve gotta beat that guy.”

Michael Floyd knew what he was talking about, because he made a living by catching passes and beating tacklers. Floyd was a star at Cretin-Derham Hall, where he graduated in 2008, set Notre Dame records in several categories during his four years there, was a first-round NFL draft pick and played with Arizona, New England (earning a Super Bowl ring), Minnesota, New Orleans, Washington and Baltimore from 2012 to 2019.

Floyd, who teamed with 1994 Cretin-Derham Hall grad and former NFL player Matt Birk as honorary captains for the Raiders in Friday’s game, is back in his hometown filling a new football role: coach. Floyd is a first-year assistant wide receivers coach at NCAA Division II Concordia University in St. Paul.

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-michael-floyd-back-home-football-field

--Ron Stolski, the most well-known football coach in Minnesota annals, retired after the 2019 season. He coached for a total of 58 years, the last 45 at Brainerd High School. No high school head football coach in Minnesota worked more seasons than Stolski. 

He announced his retirement in January 2020, and a ceremony to honor Stolski was scheduled for that spring. But the Covid-19 pandemic derailed those plans; the event was rescheduled and postponed again. A celebration was finally held in October in Brainerd, and it was magnificent. Hundreds of people gathered at the Northern Pacific Center, including former players, men who coached alongside Stolski, men who coached against him, friends and family. Later in the day, a reunion of Brainerd football alumni was held in the same location. It was a grand day in Brainerd.

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-honoring-ron-stolski-58-years-coaching-educating

--Since about fourth grade, Phillip Klaphake knew he wanted to be a coach. He comes from a family of coaches, and as the head football coach at Sauk Rapids-Rice put it, “I don’t know if I’m good at anything else. Coaching is in our blood, for sure.”

Phillip was on the football, basketball, baseball and track and field teams in high school before becoming a record-setting quarterback at St. Cloud State. He remained at St. Cloud State for a year as a graduate assistant coach, then worked as an assistant coach at Gustavus Adolphus College for one year before becoming head coach at Sauk Rapids-Rice in 2016.

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-storm-rising

--On an absolutely perfect night for football, I watched Grand Rapids play at North Branch. The North Branch Vikings came out on top 21-20 in an exciting game (the Thunderhawks would even the score by defeating the Vikings 14-12 in the Class 4A Section 7 championship game).

I wrote about two individuals after that game. A week before Grand Rapids’ first game, senior linebacker/quarterback Andrew Thomsen was hurt as he was tackled during a scrimmage. He walked off the field, but later was diagnosed with a serious injury. A broken neck. He was flown to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where spinal-fusion surgery was performed. Andrew missed the season-opening game against Mora but has been with his teammates at every practice and game since. 

A motto for the North Branch football team is “Family.” For the players and coaches, including head coach Justin Voss, that concept extends well beyond the shirts on which the word is printed. “I don’t want that to be a loose term,” Voss said. “Our guys have invested in that. We show love by sacrificing for each other. We want to show it on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. The kids want to be part of that and welcome others in. We talk about attitude, effort and family.”

As the teams warmed up Friday night, Voss sprinted from the field and over the eight-lane track to a fence. He ran to a little girl named Molly and hugged her. Voss is a special education teacher who works with severe profound children. Molly is one of his students.

“I love it when they come to the games,” Voss said. “I tell them to call me over so I can come and say hi.”

https://www.mshsl.org/about/news/johns-journal/johns-journal-halo-family-life-lessons

2021 Prep Bowl

Friday, Nov. 26

1A: Minneota vs. Mayer Lutheran, 10 a.m.

2A: Chatfield vs. West Central Area/Ashby 1 p.m.

4A: Kasson-Mantorville vs. Hutchinson, 4 p.m.

6A: Maple Grove vs. Lakeville South, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 27

Nine-Man: LeRoy-Ostrander vs. Fertile-Beltrami, 10 a.m.

3A: Plainview-Elgin-Millville vs. Dassel-Cokato, 1 p.m.

5A: Mahtomedi vs. Mankato West, 4 p.m.

--MSHSL media specialist John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at jmillea@mshsl.org 

John’s Journal: Opening The Eyes Of The Next Generation

 

Never doubt young people. Oldsters can sometimes ponder teenagers and assume they are all wrapped up in social media, video games and other assorted activities that may not seem all that vital to those of us with gray hair. But ask anyone who spends time with teens and you’ll hear a different story.

High school events are a great source of inspiration and hope for the future. The kids involved in sports and other activities are some of the most impressive people I know, no matter the age.

During this week’s football state semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium, a couple of things stand out when it comes to kids and knowing what matters … and knowing the impact they have on even younger kids.

Malachi Bunke, senior quarterback at Rushford-Peterson, displayed the maturity to understand the bigger picture even after the Trojans lost for the first time this season, a 28-8 decision against Minneota in Saturday’s Class 1A semifinals.

“The best thing about this season is opening the eyes to the younger generation,” Malachi said. “I feel like bringing back that winning culture, which Rushford hadn't experienced in football probably since 2016 (the last time the Trojans went to state, finishing as runner-up). Making it back to the Bank, I just hope that we're able to inspire a lot of those young kids.”

Rushford-Peterson lineman Carson Thompson, one of 11 Trojans seniors, recalled when he and his classmates were the little ones in town and the dreams they carried.

“Ever since we've been little kids we’ve been tight, us 11 seniors,” he said. “So just going from little kid football all the way up to here, we knew this year was coming. And after last year and everything (Covid-related) that happened, going 2-3 made us hungry. So being able to come up this year and get here at 12-0; falling short hurts, but it's definitely what we were hoping for.”

Malachi, sitting with Carson and coach Davin Thompson in front of the media, expanded on the experience of having such a memorable season with his friends.

“It's been a very special season. Back in August when we started practice, I knew it was going to be special because this group of senior boys is very special and I was looking forward to this year. It was a special year, we made it special and we had a lot of fun doing it. I'm going to look back on this the rest of my life and I'm not going to regret anything. Doing it with one of my favorite coaches of all time and my best friends, my brothers ... I'm going to miss them but it's been one heck of a season.”

Similar sentiments were shared by two Hutchinson seniors following the Tigers’ 36-6 win over Orono in Friday’s 4A semifinals.

“We always talk about tradition,” said lineman Maxten Einck, “and it was a big part of growing up as a kid, being inspired by the older kids who played football. It's such a big part of our city. Everybody comes together, it's like a huge family. And I think that's awesome.”

Teammate Sam Rensch mentioned being young the last time Hutchinson won a state title, in 2014. The current seniors were fourth-graders when that team won a championship at the Metrodome.

“We were like, ‘OK, we're going to get there someday,’ ” he said. “And now we're here. It's a dream come true.”

Minneota Vikings are Members of Team Shelly

The Minneota coaches wore t-shirts during Saturday's game that had a blue ribbon and the words “Team Shelly” on the front. Shelly Rybinski, mother of Vikings senior Anthony Rybinski, is dealing with colon cancer and the football team is behind her 100 percent.

“We’re going to support her and of course we support our teammates,” head coach Chad Johnston said. “And so we basically said that this is something that we're going to do with kids. We're completely on board and we've had a couple of situations where kids have been rallying around her, they've done some pregame stuff where she's in the middle of the huddle.

“Obviously she's got her battle to go through, but I think it's really helped her to know that she kind of feels like she gets to be part of this … we all know that when someone's battling cancer there are not always great days. Our kids been very supportive.”

Football State Semifinals

Thursday

Nine-Man: LeRoy-Ostrander 49, Kittson County Central 0

2A: Chatfield 22, Barnesville 18

4A: Kasson-Mantorville 24, Becker 20

6A: Maple Grove 35, Eden Prairie 3

Friday

Nine-Man: Fertile-Beltrami 30, Hills-Beaver Creek 22

2A West Central Area/Ashby 8, Maple River 7

5A: Mahtomedi 34, Robbinsdale Cooper 7

4A: Hutchinson 36, Orono 6

6A: Lakeville South 40, St. Michael-Albertville 14

 Saturday

1A: Minneota 28, Rushford-Peterson 8

1A: Mayer Lutheran 41, New York Mills 6

3A: Annandale vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville

3A: Esko vs. Dassel-Cokato

5A: Rogers vs. Mankato West

Prep Bowl

Friday, Nov. 26

1A: Minneota vs. Mayer Lutheran, 10 a.m.

2A: Chatfield vs. West Central Area/Ashby 1 p.m.

4A: Kasson-Mantorville vs. Hutchinson, 4 p.m.

6A: Maple Grove vs. Lakeville South, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 27

Nine-Man: LeRoy-Ostrander vs. Fertile-Beltrami, 10 a.m.

3A: Annandale or Plainview-Elgin-Millville vs. Esko or Dassel-Cokato, 1 p.m.

5A: Mahtomedi vs. Mankato West or Rogers, 4 p.m.

Tickets, brackets, streaming, online program, etc.: https://www.mshsl.org/sports-and-activities/football

--MSHSL media specialist John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at jmillea@mshsl.org 

John’s Journal: Amid Disappointment, Lessons Are Learned

 

In every game, somebody wins and somebody loses. There is a scoreboard for a reason.

But high school activities, whether it’s football or wrestling or debate or gymnastics or you name it, are about much more than wins and losses. Under the best circumstances, students learn life lessons about hard work, teamwork, facing challenges, accepting disappointment and many others.

Coming out on the short end of the scoreboard can teach some of those lessons. After Hills-Beaver Creek lost to Fertile-Beltrami 30-22 in Friday’s Nine-Man state semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium, Hills-Beaver Creek coach Rex Metzger talked about the importance of his team’s two regular-season losses.

“After we lost those two games in week five and week six, we kind of just found out a lot about ourselves,” he said. “We go back into film and kind of correct some things that we weren't maybe doing quite right. Those losses corrected a lot of things for us and after that we kind of just went back to the basics. … You never want to lose games, but those two losses really taught us a lot about ourselves and got us to this point.”

Metzger said those words in an interview room that is used on Sundays by the Minnesota Vikings. After each high school game at the stadium, the head coach and two or three players from each team talk about the game and answer questions from the media. The winning teams are always happy, while the losing teams – especially the players – are often quite disappointed. That is no surprise; they wanted to win and advance to the Prep Bowl.

In one of the most exciting football games this week, Kasson-Mantorville defeated Becker 24-20 in Thursday’s Class 4A semifinals. Becker has won three state titles, the most recent in 2015, and has been the state runner-up five times. Kasson-Mantorville will play in its first Prep Bowl next week.

The KoMets scored the winning touchdown – and took the lead for the first time -- with 1:21 to play in the fourth quarter.

In the interview room, Becker coach Dwight Lundeen was joined by seniors Carter Callahan and Ethan Anderson. Lundeen, who is the only head football coach Becker has ever had, completed his 52^nd season and there’s no reason to think he won’t be back for season 53 in 2021.

Carter and Ethan certainly wished the outcome had been different for the Bulldogs, who won all 11 games they had played before facing Kasson-Mantorville. But they also realized something important: Their team had done the best it could, and sometimes you don’t win.

“It’s just a game,” Carter said. “There are bigger things in life.”

Ethan added, “It is just a game. But you work so hard for this game and, you know, it does get emotional but you've got to take a step back and realize the situation you're in, how grateful you are to be here. That's a big part of it.”

That sense of gratitude permeates these kinds of events. The coaches, the players, the officials, the fans … everyone is joyful at having these opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments of their communities’ young people.

I have known Lundeen for a long time and I have always found him to be the absolute perfect example of a coach. After Friday’s game, his only lament was that the Bulldogs’ season had ended.

“The only reason they feel really bad is we can't practice on Monday,” the coach said. “Every time you go on the field in athletics, there's that risk of winning and losing, and we're willing to take that risk. And as a coach, I'm willing to take that risk all the time, but I feel really bad because we're not practicing tomorrow.”

During the 2019 football season I spent time in Becker, something I have done on a regular basis over the years. The story I posted a few days later included this passage…

“You can't put all your joy into the outcome of Friday night. That just can't be,” Lundeen said. “And I keep telling the kids that Number 1, we're going to play hard. And if (the opponent) plays well and we play well and we lose, so be it. And we're going to practice Monday the same way, whether we lost or we won.

“You're trying to teach them the skills of a game and you're also trying to teach them all the other things that you've been taught by people who have been in your life. And when they graduate, I hope they reflect what we taught, what we modeled. And that's the part that's really enjoyable; we want them to be great husbands and great fathers who work in the community. Not only should they learn to block and tackle, but to be that citizen that we want them to be.”

Remembering A Friend

The Fertile-Beltrami Falcons, who will meet LeRoy-Ostrander in next Saturday’s Nine-Man Prep Bowl game, are carrying a lost classmate with them this season.

Jude Olson was 16 when he died in an ATV accident in July 2020. He played football and went to state as a heavyweight wrestler in his sophomore season.

“Jude Olson would have been playing with us today,” said Falcons coach Brian Nelson. “I think that's in the back of our kids’ minds. They're playing for Jude and playing for our community and I'm very, very proud.”

Jude’s obituary read in part, “Jude’s hobbies were listening to music, playing on his X-Box, cracking jokes, swimming, spending time with friends and 4-wheeling. It was never a dull moment when Jude was around. He had a quick wit that left you in stitches. He was a deep thinker that even left grownups pondering. He had a heart of gold, and an infectious smile that would light up a room and melt your heart. He was a gentle giant that gave teddy bear hugs.”

Teammates and Opponents

Football players for the West Central Area/Ashby Knights are as close-knit as any group of teammates, but the situation is different in other seasons. That’s because the Knights are a cooperative team with players from two schools: The Ashby Arrows and the West Central Area Knights.

The schools also coop in wrestling (also joined by Brandon-Evansville) but they each have their own basketball and baseball teams. In track and field, Ashby and Brandon-Evansville have a coop team.

“It is very unique to be playing with these guys and you're all really close,” said Knights quarterback Evan Paulson. “And then it gets to the next season and you're still really close, they're all still your friends, but then you're competing against them and you go all out against them no matter who they are. … You play as hard as you can, but everybody out there is kind of always friends and everybody respects each other.”

The Knights defeated Maple River 8-7 Friday in the Class 2A semifinals and will meet Chatfield in the Prep Bowl next Friday at 1 p.m.

 Football State Semifinals

Thursday

Nine-Man: LeRoy-Ostrander 49, Kittson County Central 0

2A: Chatfield 22, Barnesville 18

4A: Kasson-Mantorville 24, Becker 20

6A: Maple Grove 35, Eden Prairie 3

Friday

Nine-Man: Fertile-Beltrami 30, Hills-Beaver Creek 22

2A West Central Area/Ashby 8, Maple River 7

5A: Mahtomedi Robbinsdale Cooper  

4A: Orono vs. Hutchinson, 4:30 pm

6A: St. Michael-Albertville vs. Lakeville South, 7 pm

Saturday

1A: Minneota vs. Rushford-Peterson, 9 am

1A: New York Mills vs. Mayer Lutheran, 11:30 am

3A: Annandale vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville, 2 pm

3A: Esko vs. Dassel-Cokato, 4:30 pm

5A: Rogers vs. Mankato West, 7 pm

Tickets, brackets, streaming, online program, etc.: https://www.mshsl.org/sports-and-activities/football

--MSHSL media specialist John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at jmillea@mshsl.org