Minnetonka vs. Shakopee: Recap & Top Performers

Friday night at Minnetonka High School was one of the most electric atmospheres I've seen covering Minnesota high school football. Over 8,100 attendees, Homecoming buzz in the air, packed-to-the-brim bleachers, never-ending waves of high schoolers, multiple food trucks, and a Top 5 Minnesota 6A Big School showdown between the hosting Skippers and the Shakopee Sabers. In front of coaches from B1G Northwestern and back-to-back FCS champion South Dakota State, the two powerhouse programs went head-to-head for 48 minutes in what was a physical, ground-it-out battle between two squads that wanted to run the rock through your face. Big plays, a tight scoreline, a hair-raising finish, and some impressive individual performances, check out PrepRedzoneMN's recap of Friday night's Shakopee vs. Minnetonka battle.   --   Game Recap   Senior WR [player_tooltip player_id='362301' first='Vinny' last='May'] got the ball game going with a nice kickoff return for his home team Skippers, taking the ball to his 42-yard line and setting up what became an opening-drive TD for the home team and #3 ranked Skippers. Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1162022' first='Chase' last='Conrad'] - a 6'1, 200 lber. - and elusive 2026 QB [player_tooltip player_id='591990' first='Caleb' last='Francois'] had big chunk runs on the drive, including a crazy 3rd and 4 that saw the Skippers fumble the snap, but Francois picked the rock and powered forward. Aided by his big OL, the Skippers pushed Francois over the 1st down line in an impressive dog pile of tenacity and homecoming juice. Conrad ended up scoring the touchdown with 7:13 left in the first, and Minnetonka found themselves up 7-0 early. Shakopee then went three and out, and Tonka got the ball back and put together another impressive drive far downfield. Despite some impressive TFLs by Shakopee 2025 DE and South Dakota commit [player_tooltip player_id='1191516' first='Max' last='Coles'], Minnetonka stormed down the field yet again, where Francois found Conrad wide open on a wheel route downfield for a touchdown. 14-0 Skippers with 10:11 left in the 2nd.   Shakopee made things interesting near the end of the half, using a massive [player_tooltip player_id='1191516' first='Max' last='Coles'] tackle on 4th and 6 to turn Tonka over on downs, where their triple-option finally got some momentum going. 2026 QB/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1181590' first='Judah' last='Forsberg'] picked up 50 yards on an exciting scamper, and Shako was deep in the redzone near the half. However, with Shakopee getting as close to the 2-yard line, the Skippers managed to hold Shakopee out of the endzone somewhere between 8-10 plays inside the 15, turning the ball over on downs with a 4th and goal from the 2-yard line stop that had the crowd on it's feet and the Tonka student section chanting "why so quiet?" at their opposition as the Sabers and Skippers walked off the field for halftime. Minnetonka 14, Shakopee 0   Shakopee's comeback attempt got off to a rough start to open the half, as Forsberg threw an INT to 6'2, 205 lb. St. Thomas DB commit [player_tooltip player_id='1202015' first='Malachi' last='Boadi']-Aboagye, and Tonka put together another long, consistent, physical, and dominant offensive drive that saw multiple Shakopee flags and a lot of "shooting themselves in the foot" by the away team. Francois finished the drive by carrying the rock in for 6 with 7:22 left in the 3rd. Minnetonka 21, Shakopee 0.   Shakopee did mount a bit of a turnaround and comeback attempt from the end of the 3rd through the final whistle. An electric kickoff return by [player_tooltip player_id='1582456' first='Emmanuel' last='Taye'] set the Sabers up at the 50, where the away team scratched and crawled its way into the endzone with a Christian Peris TD run that was hard-earned throughout the drive. The Sabers buckled down on defense, led by Coles, St. Thomas LB commit [player_tooltip player_id='1207411' first='Michael' last='Naber'], and sophomore sensations [player_tooltip player_id='1288283' first='Andrew' last='McGee'] (DL) and [player_tooltip player_id='212480' first='Blake' last='Betton'] (S), and ended up turning Tonka over on downs thanks to some tremendous coverage by SDSU DB commit [player_tooltip player_id='1083208' first='Brody' last='Miller']. Forsberg found Zach Docteur on a 50-yard gain, and Forsberg found Taye for a TD catch a play or two later to get Shakopee right back into the game. The Sabers defense then forced a punt, but their final drive was halted early by Boadi-Aboagye, who picked off an errant Forsberg pass to seal the game. Dominant showing by Tonka, particularly in the physicality department, and the Skippers have yet another Top 5 win under their belt.   Minnetonka 21, Shakopee 13   Top Performers   Game MVP: [player_tooltip player_id='591990' first='Caleb' last='Francois'] (Minnetonka) Junior. QB. 6'1, 190 lbs.   An athletic and physical runner, Francois is the catalyst and focal point of the Minnetonka offense. Consistently able to get positive yardage as a runner, Francois keeps his offense ahead of the chains thanks to his combination of quickness and power. His leg drive post-contact is consistent and impressive, and he is a physical 190 lber. who has no problems running you over if you come at him incorrect. Francois popped off huge gains, as well as gained the tough yardage in clutch situations and was a constant presence throughout the game. Not sure how he projects to the next level, but he's a gifted athlete and a dynamic weapon for his Skippers.   Minnetonka Skippers   [player_tooltip player_id='1162022' first='Chase' last='Conrad'] - Senior. RB. 6'1, 200 lbs.   Power runner with some hands out of the backfield, Conrad was an impressive North-South tailback who showed off good burst and vision and can really run behind his pads. Made an impression and imprinted himself physically on a big, strong, physical Shakopee defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='362280' first='Caleb' last='Taylor'] - Senior. NG. 6', 240 lbs.   I saw Taylor last year when the Skippers took on Maple Grove at the end of the 2023 regular season, and he's put on weight since then and has embraced the role as the Skippers' nose guard smack-dab in the middle of their defensive line. Strong kid, great base, uses his hands well, and can eat and defeat blocking attempts from bigger iOL at the 6A level. He was a big part of Minnetonka absolutely shutting the door on Shakopee's offense between the tackles all night.   [player_tooltip player_id='1202015' first='Malachi' last='Boadi']-Aboagye - Senior. FS. 6'2, 205 lbs.   St. Thomas commit Boadi-Aboagye has moved further from the LOS as a senior, operating as a true free safety, and is still up to his ball-hawking ways. Both of his interceptions were made on great reads and showed off some ball-tracking skills and soft hands, the 205 lber. was overall a constant presence in both run and pass defense throughout the night. Long, rangy, athletic, St. Thomas got a great pickup in the Skippers senior.   AJ Fider - Senior. DB. 5'10, 170 lbs.   Posted a ton of tackles throughout the night and was all around the football through the four quarters of the ball game. Was hopping into the box a ton and holding his own eating blocks and running down the variety of Shakopee RBs offered throughout the night. Good instincts, good physicality, and generally a good football player.   Minnetonka OL of [player_tooltip player_id='1204083' first='Aidan' last='Becker'] (2025, 6'2, 240), [player_tooltip player_id='1187339' first='Fletcher' last='Olness'] (2025, 6'3, 230), Kingston Hamblin (2026, 6'4, 285), [player_tooltip player_id='1602687' first='Aiden' last='Zapzalka'] (2026, 6', 260) [player_tooltip player_id='1204390' first='Cason' last='Copley'] (2025, 6'4, 260), Griffin Moore (2026, 6'4, 280). Also TE Jacob Gendreau (2026, 6'1, 210)   Arguably the best OL in the state, the Skippers are a certified moving company, handling a big-time DL like Shakopee effectively and consistently. Opened big holes for their RBs, have a combination of strength and mobility, are experienced, and go very hard between the whistles. Even with a very disruptive presence like South Dakota commit [player_tooltip player_id='1191516' first='Max' last='Coles'] to corral, these boys were cool, calm, and collected, and handled business. Hamblin, a new name to my radar, seemed to be an OL Shakopee was keying off, and could be a talented new name in the still-developing 2026 OL class.   [player_tooltip player_id='641131' first='Dylan' last='Hudgens'] - Senior LB. 6'2, 215 lbs.   South Dakota LB commit Hudgens looked great in person and in pads on Friday night, and was the undisputed leader and big dog of the Skippers defense. Hudgens made a couple big boy tackles throughout the night, stonewalling RBs in their tracks, set the defense, and ate up contact like they were his morning Cheerios. Looked and played like a D1 linebacker on Friday night.   Shakopee Sabers   [player_tooltip player_id='1181590' first='Judah' last='Forsberg'] - Junior. QB. 6', 170 lbs.   A dynamic ball carrier and athlete leading the Sabers offense, Forsberg has some game-changing wheels and used his speed to open up the Skippers disciplined and physical defense. Had some shake and elusiveness in the open field, but his game is built on pure speed, and he's got a lot of it. Also made some a couple of solid throws throughout the night as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1207411' first='Michael' last='Naber'] - Senior. LB. 6', 205 lbs.   St. Thomas LB commit Naber played the linebacker position with speed, speed, and more speed. Reads fast, reacts fast, and comes into contact like a heat-seeking missile. Naber can pursue sideline-to-sideline, doesn't take his foot off the gas, and showed off great instincts and physicality throughout the night.   [player_tooltip player_id='1288283' first='Andrew' last='McGee'] - Sophomore. DL. 6'3, 215 lbs.   A 2027 I was stoked to see coming into the season, Mcgee has great size and length, and used it to his advantage to get off blocks and make plays at or behind the LOS. Strong, tough, great frame, I'm very bullish on his future as a college football prospect.   [player_tooltip player_id='212480' first='Blake' last='Betton'] - Sophomore. DB. 6'3, 180 lbs.   Another fantastic 2027 who has a bright future ahead of him on the gridiron and recruiting trail, Betton was a very physical presence from his safety position all night long in Minnetonka. Super long, legit 6'3, great COD ability and could track and mirror ball carriers well, and was a fantastic tackler who could bring down hard-running ball carriers in space and in 1v1 settings, negating any further yardage. Not a lot of pass defense to worry about with Tonka's offense, but Betton checked just about every box needed as a young safety in run support.   [player_tooltip player_id='1191516' first='Max' last='Coles'] - Senior. DL. 6'4, 250 lbs.   The prospect I came away most impressed by from the night's action, South Dakota DL commit Coles was fantastic against Minnetonka. Facing one of the best OLs in the state and constant doubles, Coles was a madman chasing after ball carriers all night and played with his hair on fire through four quarters. Massive kid with good flexibility, Coles rushed from multiple different alignments, had brute force to win 1v1s and not get tied up by doubles, kept his hands active and maintained good leverage, and most impressively, ran down loose RBs and QBs 20-30 yards downfield and to the sideline. His motor, play speed, and effort were top-notch as well. Coles played a lot of OL as well, rarely taking a snap off, and was a beast who could almost single-handedly halt offensive drives himself. South Dakota got a stud!   [player_tooltip player_id='1120583' first='Trey' last='Boyd'] - Senior. OL. 6'5, 280 lbs.   With his future Northwestern Wildcats in attendance to watch, Boyd played well against talented Minnetonka DL and was a mountain of an offensive tackle who you couldn't take your eyes off if you tried. Massive, long, and bendy, Boyd was strong enough to handle power rushes from Tonka's best DL and had some solid reps of him pulling and getting out into space. I also liked that he was an obvious leader, maintained good energy on the sideline, and was a team player.   [player_tooltip player_id='1083208' first='Brody' last='Miller'] - Senior. DB. 6', 180 lbs.   With his future safeties coach Pete Menage looking on, Miller balled out as much as a DB could against a run-heavy offense like Minnetonka. Big-time thumper from the defensive backfield and made some excellent, high-pressure tackles in 1v1 scenarios in space as the final defender, and had an excellent rep in coverage on a Minnetonka 4th down that was targeting the endzone. On a skinny post, Miller was in-phase and stride-for-stride with the Tonka WR, using great eye discipline and technique to stretch that back arm across to knock the ball away at the last moment. Looked too easy for the high-end athlete playing CB for Shako. Miller looked fantastic on Friday night.   [player_tooltip player_id='1582456' first='Emmanuel' last='Taye'] - Senior. RB. 5'10, 170 lbs.   One of the best, and fastest, uncommitted RBs in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='1582456' first='Emmanuel' last='Taye'] had a good night on Friday despite facing a ravenous Minnetonka defense locked in on the run. Taye took what the defense gave him and created some splash runs out on the edge of the Tonka defense, carving up their DBs and showing big-play burst and top-end speed. I also liked his hands out of the backfield and the fact that he'd lower his shoulder pads and take contact as opposed to running out of bounds. The kid is tough, took some big hits on the night, and kept going back for more. Big players show up in big moments, and Taye was an example of that last Friday night.

Friday night at Minnetonka High School was one of the most electric atmospheres I've seen covering Minnesota high school football. Over 8,100 attendees, Homecoming buzz in the air, packed-to-the-brim bleachers, never-ending waves of high schoolers, multiple food trucks, and a Top 5 Minnesota 6A Big School showdown between the hosting Skippers and the Shakopee Sabers. In front of coaches from B1G Northwestern and back-to-back FCS champion South Dakota State, the two powerhouse programs went head-to-head for 48 minutes in what was a physical, ground-it-out battle between two squads that wanted to run the rock through your face. Big plays, a tight scoreline, a hair-raising finish, and some impressive individual performances, check out PrepRedzoneMN's recap of Friday night's Shakopee vs. Minnetonka battle.