Quarterfinal Results and Standouts from Class 6A

Wrapping up an exciting weekend for the high school football playoffs in Minnesota, Class 6A has cut down to just 4 teams remaining with two games next week to determine who will earn their right to compete for the 6A state title for 2025. Over this last week, we saw several of the matches in 6A end with stunning upsets, shaking up the standings and leading in some new top contenders who are on pace to take home the title in the top-ranked conference in the state. We recap the 4 quarterfinal matchups across Class 6A MN over this weekend!   Lakeville South vs. Maple Grove: 49-31   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>A stunner as the #1 ranked team in Class 6A MN goes down 2 games short of the state championship game. Maple Grove had dominated their opponents throughout this season, winning every one of their games this season by a margin of at least 14+ points. However, they were no match for Lakeville South, who completely throttled a very strong defensive unit with 522 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns while averaging a stunning 8.7 yards per carry. The Cougars didn't even have to throw the ball in this matchup, and they were able to control the game in it's near entirety, building a 35-19 lead heading into the 4th quarter, the Crimson were simply unable to keep up as the Cougars stormed their way to a massive upset. The Cougars ultimately shut down the Crimson's pursuit for back-to-back state championships for good as they've suddenly thrust themselves as legitimate frontrunners to earn their second state championship title in 5 years. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Top Performer: Griffen Dean (JR) - Handling the bulk of the run game for the Cougars, Dean was unstoppable on Friday night, rushing for 296 yards on just 22 carries (13.5 YPC) and 6 of the team's 7 rushing TDs as he effortlessly sliced through the Crimson' defense. </li> </ul>   Moorhead vs. Centennial: 35-21   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Lakeville South was the championship slayer, but Moorhead faced the biggest odds against them as the 21st ranked team in 6A headed on the road against #4 ranked Centennial. However, the Spuds came into Spring Lake Park high school on Thursday and shocked Centennial by sending them packing earlier than expected. The Spuds carefully pieced apart the Cougars' defense with steady progress on the ground and excellent flow in the passing game, the Spuds built a 20-14 lead at halftime. Entering the second half, the Cougars' hope for getting a critical stop to turn the tides were swamped quickly as Moorhead took the opening kickoff in the second half all the way back for a touchdown. This marked the beginning of the end for Centennial, as they were ultimately unable to catch up and Moorhead pulled away with the upset. Moorhead was simply in their stride, and they will look to maintain it through the remainder of the postseason. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Top Performer: [player_tooltip player_id='1194605' first='[player_tooltip player_id='1194604' first='Jett' last='']' last='Feeney'] (SR) - Since coming back from his shoulder injury, Moorhead has now gone 4-0 with Feeney back in the lineup. Against Centennial, Feeney finished 21 of 29 for 247 yards and 2 passing TDs while rushing for 32 rushing yards on 6 carries and 2 rushing TDs, showcasing how vital he is toward the Spuds' success and will remain vital in guiding the team over potentially the next 2 games. </li> </ul>   St. Michael-Albertville vs. Minnetonka: 34-7   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>In week 2 this season, Minnetonka thrashed the Knights 40-7, and in the rematch this weekend, the Knights didn't have any answers to combat the Skippers this time around, allowing Minnetonka to cruise to another blowout win. Minnetonka was in control the entire game, taking a 27-0 lead at halftime as they did circles around the Knights' defense, outpacing them in total yardage (466-202). Minnetonka has been on point defensively since their two losses at the end of the regular season, having given up a total of 30 points over the last 3 games, and they will look to continue shutting down their opponents through the remainder of this postseason. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Top Performer: [player_tooltip player_id='591990' first='Caleb' last='Francois'] (SR) - Everyone on Minnetonka's offense was playing really well on Friday night, but Francois continues to shine with his playmaking ability every time he touches the ball. Francois ran for 148 yards on 19 carries (7.8 YPC) and 2 rushing TDs while adding 3 receptions for 63 yards. His touchdowns served as the first two scores of the game that set the tone for the Skippers' dominant performance. </li> </ul>   Edina vs. Eden Prairie: 23-21   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>This highly anticipated rematch between these two foes did not disappoint as it was a nail-biting performance that went down to the wire. Eden Prairie blew out the Hornets earlier this season, but they set the tone quickly as they took a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. It was a back and forth affair afterwards, but Eden Prairie was able to claw their way back to take a 21-20 lead heading into the 4th quarter. Relying on an effective run game which piled up 210 yards on the ground on Friday, the Hornets drove into Eagles' territory before settling with a 29 yard field goal with 5 minutes remaining to take the lead. The Hornets held off Eden Prairie from scoring again, running out the clock, and securing a revenge win to push their way into the semifinals. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Top Performer: [player_tooltip player_id='923840' first='Chase' last='Bjorgaard'] (SR) - Edina turned to their ground game to splice up the Eagles' defense, and [player_tooltip player_id='923840' first='Chase' last='Bjorgaard'] did a spectacular job in progressing his team down the field. Bjorgaard finished with 190 rushing yards on 24 carries (7.9 YPC) and 2 rushing TDs while leading the team with 34 receiving yards on 3 receptions. </li> </ul>   Setting the Stage For the Class 6A Semifinals:   Lakeville South vs. Moorhead   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>As evidenced over this weekend, the Cougars' run game has been unstoppable to slow down, averaging just under 300 yards rushing per game, they have the best run-offense in all of Class 6A, and they will look to attack Moorhead's run defense, which has struggled in allowing 222.9 rushing yards per game and 6.3 YPC to their opponents. Moorhead's offense shows a much stronger balance in both passing and rushing efficiency, and with [player_tooltip player_id='1194605' first='[player_tooltip player_id='1194604' first='Jett' last='']' last='Feeney'] in the lineup, they should very much be able to keep up in this battle, though they will need to be careful in avoiding mistakes, as the Cougars' defense has enforced 19 turnovers this season. Any mistake in this matchup could be the difference in who wins. Expect a shootout between these two offensive juggernauts in this semifinal matchup. </li> </ul>   Edina vs. Minnetonka   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>These two teams played last month, in which Edina won in a close battle 27-20, thanks in part to a strong run-game, a steady passing attack, and several critical turnovers caused on Minnetonka. The Skippers have only given up 20+ points 3 times this season, and they went 1-2 in those game. Edina averages 30.9 points per game offensively, and both their pass and run game have both extremely effective. Defensively, they've struggled at times, allowing just over 27 points per game and have given up 30+ points in 4 games, while the Skippers have scored 30+ points in 6 games this season. The difference in this matchup will be how Edina will respond with [player_tooltip player_id='1029336' first='Caden' last='Gutzmer'] under Center for the Skippers rather than going solely against [player_tooltip player_id='591990' first='Caleb' last='Francois']. Gutzmer has shown a far stronger presence in the pocket and has yet to throw a pick. The outcome of this game will largely depend on two factors: how Edina's defense responds toward Gutzmer at QB, and which team makes more mistakes along with how their opponent responds to them. </li> </ul>

Wrapping up an exciting weekend for the high school football playoffs in Minnesota, Class 6A has cut down to just 4 teams remaining with two games next week to determine who will earn their right to compete for the 6A state title for 2025. Over this last week, we saw several of the matches in 6A end with stunning upsets, shaking up the standings and leading in some new top contenders who are on pace to take home the title in the top-ranked conference in the state. We recap the 4 quarterfinal matchups across Class 6A MN over this weekend!