PrepRedzoneMN Playoff Weekend Recap: State Quarters 4A-6A

I hope our lovely PrepRedzoneMN subscribers have enjoyed this season and the playoffs as much as I have. As they say: time flies, and I can't believe we're nearing Thanksgiving and that the MN state quarterfinals concluded last weekend. However, I was able to tolerate the time flying thanks to the crazy slate of games and outcomes the three days of action produced. If you missed it, make sure you check out yesterday's feature recapping the 16 small-school contests and some of the nail-biting finishes with state championship repercussions we saw there, but now it's the big boys turn! Class 4A, 5A, and 6A's quarterfinal bracket was filled with undefeated heavyweights, defending champs fighting and clawing to repeat, upstarts getting hot at the right time, and what ended up as some thrilling finishes and competition, particularly in 5A. To get the full recap, PrepRedzoneMN has you covered below, and I'm particularly impressed by some of the individual performances in crunch time this past weekend produced. You can't teach that clutch gene and some of these dudes have it! With state championship season coming up and the conclusion of the season on the horizon, I also want to let you guys know there are some exciting things in the works for PRzMN the next month+. Player of the year award, positional players of the year, uncommitted coverage, rankings updates, and state championship coverage is all on the docket, so stay refreshing our webpage and thanks so much for your support. Can't wait for the semis!   --   Class 4A   Simley = 46 vs. Chisago Lakes = 14   Class AAAA's quarterfinal "surprise" team, if picking one was needed, went to the Chisago Lakes Wildcats, who came into the matchup with the Simley Spartans holding a 5-6 record but streaking at the best time of the season thanks to the strong district they play in and a great S&C program that churns out strong and tough kids year after year. Simley however, is talented and physically intimidating, and their buzzsaw found another victim in Chisago Lakes as they cruised to a 46-14 victory last Thursday at Forest Lake High School. The first seven scores came from the Spartans, with monster two-sport standout [player_tooltip player_id='19029' first='Gavin' last='Nelson'] scoring the first two TDs and adding a third in the 2nd quarter. He was aided by by the electric, two-way [player_tooltip player_id='295970' first='Tayvion' last='McCoy'], who scored the third TD of the game, and QB [player_tooltip player_id='313271' first='Caden' last='Renslow'] added two rushing TDs of him own. Simley's defense even stepped up and returned a fumble 44-yards for six by senior David Gogins. The Wildcats mustered two TDs, the final two of the game, on runs by Maddox Olson and Gavin Lewis. Simley will play Rocori this Thursday at 4 PM at the Bank!   Hutchinson = 60 vs. Stewartville = 22   No one should be surprised that the Hutchinson Tigers are this deep in the 4A state tournament once again, but what was surprising was the little bit of frailty and lost in the regular season to Becker 24-22. Becker is a heckuva football team though, so the loss shouldn't be mistaken for weakness, and Hutchinson proved that they are rolling and ready for battle and put a ton of points up on a good Stewartville squad last Thursday at Lakeville South High School. It was back-and-forth for the first half of the game and Hutch was only up 22-14 at halftime, but Hutch came roaring out of the second half with determination and scored two TDs in the third and four TDs in the fourth, proving too much for Stewie to hang with. The 2022 breakout star AJ Ladwig - a Hutch senior - exploded for 22 carries, 302 yards, and 4 TDs, and junior Carter Verhasselt added two more as Hutch moves onto the semis and takes another step to repeating as 4A champs. For Stewie, QB [player_tooltip player_id='1142977' first='Ayden' last='Helder'] was 14-25 for 177 yards and 2 TDs to an INT. Hutchinson will face Zimmerman on Friday at 4:30 at U.S. Bank Stadium for the right to compete for a state title.   Zimmerman = 51 vs. Holy Angels = 6   Led by the sensational senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='120956' first='Caden' last='Spence'], one of the most productive 'backs in the state and surefire Mr. Football candidate, the Zimmerman Thunder continued their hair-raising 2022 season with a dominant win over Metro-area Holy Angels in 51-6 fashion. The Stars didn't get on the board until the game was well out of reach, and prior to their first and only TD, Zimmerman had put in seven of their own + a FG to hold onto their healthy 45-point lead. Spence scored four TDs, two on the ground and two through the air, and he finished with 21 carries for 205 yards on the ground and 2 catches for 49 yards. Senior Matt Freeberg added 10 carries for 96 yards and 2 TDs as well. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='242407' first='Luke' last='Pool'] added 9 carries for 99 yards and a TD, and QB [player_tooltip player_id='313359' first='Brock' last='Snow'] was 5-5 for 113 yards and 2 TDs. Zimmerman takes on defending champ Hutch this Friday.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/72_CadenSpence_1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-138728" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='120956' first='Caden' last='Spence']</figcaption></figure>   Rocori = 22 vs. North Branch = 12   The tightest of the 4A bouts, perennial contender Rocori overcame the North Branch Vikings at Blaine High School with a finishing score of 22-12. The box score indicates it was a grudge match with balanced statistical outputs and no single contributor taking over offensively. ATH [player_tooltip player_id='242378' first='Will' last='Steil'] got the scoring going with an RB pass to [player_tooltip player_id='383740' first='Adam' last='Langer'] for a 52-yard TD, and the Spartans never relinquished the lead for the rest of the ball game. North Branch did tie things up, however, as Preston Peterson ran for a 10-yard TD carry at the beginning of the third quarter to knot things up at 6, but QB [player_tooltip player_id='295821' first='Jack' last='Spanier'] had an answer and led Rocori downfield, where he found Hunter Nistler caught an 8-yard completion into the endzone, and importantly Rocori then converted the 2pt conversion thanks to [player_tooltip player_id='242378' first='Will' last='Steil']. This 2pt conversion came back into the picture when North Branch once again answered with a TD of their own on a short-yardage rush from [player_tooltip player_id='313166' first='Sam' last='Robillard'] to bring the game to a two-point deficit. However, their 2pt conversion attempt was unsuccessful, and Rocori added to the lead later in the 4th on a huge 55-yard passing completion from Spanier to Sebastian Novak. A hard-fought game until the end! Rocori takes on Simley in an excellent battle of Outstate vs. Metro 4A competition this Thursday. Where? At the Bank, baby!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/11/Jack-Spanier-rotated.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-508950" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='295821' first='Jack' last='Spanier'] </figcaption></figure>   Class 5A   Mahtomedi = 20 vs. St. Thomas Academy = 14   If I had confidence in any of my preseason state championship picks, the St. Thomas Cadets were at the top of the heap and I was frankly shocked when I first saw that Mahtomedi pulled off the upset. It isn't a slight at Maht, as their running attack, recent playoff runs, depth, and talent all combined for an upset-worthy mix, but STA was stacked across the board and undefeated coming into the matchup and I underestimated the Zephyrs. In an overtime thriller, STA and Maht scored on first-quarter TD runs from their explosive RBs - [player_tooltip player_id='105372' first='Savion' last='Hart'] from the Cadets and Corey Bohmert from the Zephyrs - and Maht added a second rushing TD before the half to take control of the lead. The third quarter was a physical and scoreless affair, and the Cadets used a phenomenal, Vikings-esque 1-yard fumble recovery for a TD from Jonny Miller to tie things up with less than two minutes to go in regulation. Sadly, the comeback attempt was not meant to be, and Bohmert rushed for his third, final, and game-clinching TD in OT. I would have killed to have been at Woodbury High School last Saturday for the game and am interested to see how Maht capitalizes on this momentum going into their Friday showdown with Elk River. Stud senior Corey Bohmert finished with 46 rushes for 284 yards and 3 TDs in a monster individual effort from the uncommitted rusher.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/106-Savion-Hart.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-247454" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='105372' first='Savion' last='Hart'] </figcaption></figure>   Rogers = 34 vs. Robbinsdale Armstrong = 23   It was all Robbinsdale Armstrong for 3.5 quarters last Saturday at Osseo High Schools, and heartbreakingly the Rogers Royals fought and clawed back from a 23-15 deficit to take a 27-23 lead with 2:03 left in the ball game on a Calvin Kolleh 34-yard scamper. Rogers then padded the scoreboard eight seconds later when Thomas Dickerson recovered and returned a fumble 19-yards for six, solidifying the victory that for most of the game was out of reach. Preseason All-State RB [player_tooltip player_id='313241' first='Anthony' last='Powell'] was a beast in the contest, finishing with 34 carries for 293 yards and 3 TDs, and for the Falcons QB, [player_tooltip player_id='112064' first='Jamen' last='Malone'] threw for 150+ yards and 2 TDs and rushed for another. Great year for Robbinsdale Armstrong, and with some talented players returning they're going to be hungry and prepared for 2023 action.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/11/Anthony-Powell-rotated.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-500533" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='313241' first='Anthony' last='Powell']</figcaption></figure>   Elk River = 44 vs. Moorhead = 20   Familiar foes Elk River and Moorhead have had some exhilarating, unforgettable playoff matchups the past half-decade and looked to continue the streak last Saturday at Maple Grove High School in the 5A quarterfinal matchup. However, it was all Elk River, and a 14-point first, 14-point second and 16-point third quarter proved too much for the Spuds to overcome and Elk River came away with a 22-point victory to advance to another state semifinal contest. The Spuds opened up the scoring on an explosive 81-yard pitch and catch from senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='268929' first='Gavin' last='Quade'] to sophomore WR [player_tooltip player_id='1204473' first='Owen' last='Thielges'], but Elk River answered with two rushing TDs on the legs of Gavin Schmidt. Despite another Moorhead TD in the second, Elk River managed two more of their own and went into the half up 28-13 The second half was similar to the first, with Moorhead's offense having something to say but not enough, and Elk River's rushing attack just kept pumping forward. [player_tooltip player_id='303687' first='Pj' last='Bono'] had a rushing TD for the Elks, junior Logan Bunker rushed 9 times for 126 yards and 2 TDs, and sophomore Schmidt totaled 14 carries for 170 yards and 3 TDs. Recent St. Thomas LB commit [player_tooltip player_id='295824' first='Caleb' last='Sandstrom'] had 15 tackles in the win and teammate Darioh Balisidya picked off two passes to keep the Elk's offense on the field. For Moorhead, QB Quade had a big day and threw 3 TDs through the air. Elk River will see Mahtomedi on Friday at 2 PM.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/10/PJ-Bono2-rotated.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-488421" /></figure>   Mankato West = 20 vs. Rochester Mayo = 17   Maybe the best game of the whole weekend, Mankato West and Rochester Mayo met for the second time this season and once again produced a barnburner, with the Scarlet's coming away with the victory and a 2-0 mark against the Spartans in 2022. It is not easy sledding beating the same team twice in one season, much less a good one, and the Rochester Mayo squad was loaded with speed, talent, and physicality and came in well-prepared and ready to dethrone the defending 5A champs. Sadly, it was not to be, and Mankato West squeaked out a victory thanks to the talented arm and legs of junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='246028' first='Bart' last='McAninch'], who finished with two passing TDs and a rushing score for good measure. Mayo opened the game with a short-yardage TD from one of my favorite players to watch in the state: [player_tooltip player_id='313231' first='Rudy' last='Lozoya']. With a 7-point lead, Mayo kept the second quarter scoreless and was ready to answer Mankato West's eventual answer, which came on one of McAninch's TD passes early in the third quarter. Monster 2024 receiver [player_tooltip player_id='105365' first='Carter' last='Holcomb'] caught a 10-yard pass from QB Rees Grimsrud to put Mayo back on top, and even opened the 4th with a FG to go up 17-6, but West came roaring back and used McAninch's dual-threat capabilities to score the next two TDs and put in a 2pt conversion as a cherry on top. Mayo couldn't find the endzone again and the score finished in a heartbreaking 3-point defeat for the Spartans. Great game. West plays Rogers in four days for a chance to repeat as 5A champs.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/86-Bart-McAninch.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-247437" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='246028' first='Bart' last='McAninch']</figcaption></figure>   Class 6A   Rosemount = 27 vs. Centennial = 0   Giant-killers Rosemount had a strong showing last Thursday against Centennial and shut down and shut out the Cougars for four quarters to make my recap a little easier and shorter than the rest of the matchups. 6'3 senior OLB Luke Klinkner got the Irish off to a hot start after he returned a blocked kick for 21 yards and a TD, and the Irish didn't look back. Senior Jake Schimmel ran a TD in the second, junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='368541' first='Landon' last='Danner'] found Arizona State track & field commit [player_tooltip player_id='188150' first='Hayden' last='Bills'] for a 25-yard TD reception in the third, and Danner posted the final TD in the fourth on a 43-yard scamper that found the endzone. For Centennial, [player_tooltip player_id='112123' first='Reese' last='Littlefield'] had 11 tackles in the loss. Rosemount has a massive rematch with Eden Prairie set for the 18th at 7:30 PM at the Bank.   Eden Prairie = 28 vs. Shakopee = 12   The Shakopee Sabers got up on Eden Prairie late in the first on a [player_tooltip player_id='228471' first='Dominic' last='Jackson'] run and held the lead until less than 2 minutes left in the second, when Eagles QB [player_tooltip player_id='19021' first='Nick' last='Fazi'] found [player_tooltip player_id='383731' first='Adam' last='Mertens'] on a 9-yard reception inside the redzone to tie things up at 6. Eden Prairie then used a FG with one second left in the half to take the lead, which they only added to as the game went on. Hawken Hedlund ran another TD in during the third, and Air Force commit [player_tooltip player_id='112137' first='Devin' last='Jordan'] added the last two scores of the game to put things out of reach for Shako, who only managed 6 more points for the rest of the ball game. For the losing Shakopee side, stud wrestler/RB [player_tooltip player_id='295817' first='Jadon' last='Hellerud'] finished with 25 carries for 109 yards, and for the winners, junior Liam Berndt totaled 13 rushes for 107 yards. A trio of Shakopee defenders had big statistical days as well, with DB [player_tooltip player_id='295965' first='Termaine' last='Fulton'] Jr. finishing with 12 tackles, senior LB Bogdan Freidis had 16 tackles, with 12 of them being solo, and fellow senior Jacob Ruud had 14 tackles of his own.   Lakeville South = 37 vs. Stillwater = 14   The defending 6A champs Lakeville South continue to play better and better as the season progresses, a trait that helps programs finish championship runs. They took down a very talented 2022 Stillwater squad in impressive fashion last Friday, and looking at the box score it looked like a strategic, patient, and controlling 23-point win for the Cougars. South took an early 10-point lead in the first, added 13 more in the second, and that proved to be enough despite adding two more TDs in the third quarter. Iowa State commit and returning Gatorade POY [player_tooltip player_id='112043' first='Carson' last='Hansen'] scored thrice and QB [player_tooltip player_id='313089' first='Ryder' last='Patterson'] added two more himself. Junior Jack Kimmel added a FG as well. For Stillwater, who had an exciting 2022 campaign, Gophers PWO QB commit [player_tooltip player_id='112056' first='Max' last='Shikenjanski'] ran two scores in himself to try and stifle the bleeding and get Stilly back in the game. However, it was all for naught. Can't wait to see that kid play in Dinkytown the next few years. South will play Maple Grove on Thursday at 7 PM in a rematch of last year's 6A state championship bout. You won't want to miss this one!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/20211105_214107-1-crop-2389x1569-1636173218.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-229195" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='112043' first='Carson' last='Hansen'] </figcaption></figure>   Maple Grove = 24 vs. East Ridge = 17   In the final matchup of the weekend, I was closely tuned in to the 6A heavyweight fight between Maple Grove and East Ridge last Friday at Chanhassen, and it did not disappoint. The East Ridge Raptors came onto the 6A playoff scene like the Kool-Aid man through drywall and built up some intimidating momentum going into their faceoff with Maple Grove. The Crimson needed to dig in and grind for this one-score finish, as they scored the first three TDs of the game but held fast as East Ridge came storming back for two TDs and a FG in the second half of the ball game to get within one score, but time expired on the comeback attempt and Maple Grove came away with the win. It sounds like monster East Ridge RB and Air Force LB commit [player_tooltip player_id='245478' first='Jaylin' last='Reese'] was a handful and then some, finishing with 16 carries for 70 yards and 2 TDs, but Maple Grove was able to handle 2024 QB1 [player_tooltip player_id='105379' first='Tanner' last='Zolnosky'] and used a monster rushing game from [player_tooltip player_id='112054' first='Jacob' last='Kilzer'] (23 carries for 200 yards) and 2 TDs on the ground from Charlie Rausch to hold off the comeback attempt. Maple Grove is set to see Lakeville South again in arguably the game of the semifinals. Let's see if the Crimson can enact revenge season.

I hope our lovely PrepRedzoneMN subscribers have enjoyed this season and the playoffs as much as I have. As they say: time flies, and I can't believe we're nearing Thanksgiving and that the MN state quarterfinals concluded last weekend. However, I was able to tolerate the time flying thanks to the crazy slate of games and outcomes the three days of action produced. If you missed it, make sure you check out yesterday's feature recapping the 16 small-school contests and some of the nail-biting finishes with state championship repercussions we saw there, but now it's the big boys turn! Class 4A, 5A, and 6A's quarterfinal bracket was filled with undefeated heavyweights, defending champs fighting and clawing to repeat, upstarts getting hot at the right time, and what ended up as some thrilling finishes and competition, particularly in 5A. To get the full recap, PrepRedzoneMN has you covered below, and I'm particularly impressed by some of the individual performances in crunch time this past weekend produced. You can't teach that clutch gene and some of these dudes have it! With state championship season coming up and the conclusion of the season on the horizon, I also want to let you guys know there are some exciting things in the works for PRzMN the next month+. Player of the year award, positional players of the year, uncommitted coverage, rankings updates, and state championship coverage is all on the docket, so stay refreshing our webpage and thanks so much for your support. Can't wait for the semis!