MN Round 1/2 Sectional Recap, Top Performers, Finals Preview

If you ask me, this is the best time of the year for sports. College and NFL football are well underway, hockey and basketball have just begun, playoff baseball is at its peak, there's wrestling on the horizon, UFC and boxing matches galore, and last but very much not least, high school football playoffs have kicked off. With the Vikings and Twins woes, and future disappointment from the TWolves and Wild on the horizon (sorry, I'm a pessimist), I've thrown myself even harder in the MN high school football sectional tournament. Lucky for me, the 2023 season has been a whirlwind of action and excitement, which has easily rolled into the playoffs. Before sections finish up this Thursday/Friday, let's dive into a quick recap of last week's action, the top performers, and a preview of the upcoming finals & top games to look forward to. PrepRedzoneMN has you covered!   --   9Man   *rankings by MNScoreFeed, indicate state ranking, not section seeding   Upsets:   Spring Grove (8-2) over #9 LeRoy-Ostrander (8-2) 27-20 in the section 1 semifinal   Last year's defending champion Spring Grove was underestimated coming into sections and made some serious waves in the 9man ranks after taking down #9 ranked LeRoy-Ostrander, who was the #2 seed in Section 1 at the time. LeRoy-Ostrander's Cam Hungerholt (2025 - ATH) was one of the state's top offensive weapons and producers coming into playoffs and was held in check well by Spring Grove in what finished as a 27-20 ball game. The Lions found all their points from stud senior Jaxon Strinmoen (6'5, 180), who passed for three TDs and rushed for another, and are set to take on Kingsland in the 9man Section 1 championship on Friday. The game is filled with offensive firepower and some of the top prospects in all of MN 9man football. Should be a fun one!   Top Games Recap:   <ul> <li>Stephen-Argyle (7-3) over Kittson County Central (6-4): 32-26 in the section 8 semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Border West (7-2) over Underwood (6-4): 14-6 in the section 4 semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>#2 Fertile-Beltrami (10-0) over Laporte (0-9): 2-0 in section 6 quarterfinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Houston (5-5) over Southland (4-5): 24-20 in section 1 quarterfinal </li> </ul>   Finals Previews/Top Matchups:   #1 Mt. Iron-Buhl (10-0) vs. #6 Cherry (9-1) for the section 7 championship   After a forfeit over Bigfork 2-0 in the quarterfinals, #1 ranked and defending champion MIB bounced back well with a 40-0 win over Cook County in the section semis. Cherry posted an impressive 72 points in a beatdown of Northwoods in the quarters and followed it up with a 52-12 win over Littlefork-Big Falls for some of the best offensive output in the sectional tournament thus far. The two towns, which are located 14 miles apart, both come into the game as arguably the two top rosters in 9man, with scholarship talent galore and the most athletic player in possibly all of MN small-school football in Gopher basketball commit Isaac Asuma. It's got all the makings of a barnburner, and the winner is going to have an excellent chance to go onto and win the 9man title. You'll want to tune into this one if you can.   #3 Nevis (9-0) vs. #8 Ogilvie (9-1) for the section 5 championship   Led by the two-headed rushing attack of Eli Klimek (2025 - 6'1, 210) and Ayo Ogundeji (2025 - 5'10, 175), Nevis comes into the section 5 championship undefeated and fresh off a 53-8 whooping of Verndale. Ogilvie is hot off an impressive offensive output themselves after tallying 95 points in their shutout of Carlton/Wrenshall and followed it up with a 44-14 win over Cromwell-Wright Area. They are a balanced squad led by QB Colby Milbradt (900 passing yards, 404 rushing yards, 33 total TDs) and have two strong backs in Hunter Kenyon (680 rushing yards and 5 TDs) and Kaden Felde (552 rushing yards and 10 TDs), along with stud WR [player_tooltip player_id='1204361' first='Isaiah' last='Voss'] (422 receiving yards and 7 TDs). That's a ton of firepower, and Ogilvie has as good of a chance as anyone of snapping Nevis' win streak as anyone. Can't wait to see who comes out on top here.   Spring Grove (8-2) vs. #5 Kingsland for section 1 championship   As mentioned in the "Upsets" report, both of these squads are loaded and bring some of the best 9man prospects in the state into their Friday night matchup. Spring Grove possesses a ton of size and are led by QB/DB Jaxon Strinmoen (6'5, 180), LB Elijah Solum (6'1, 200), TE/DL Ethan Crouch (6'4, 250), and OL Josh Newgaard (6'5, 250), among others. Kingsland is home to standout RB Beau Wiersma, a Winona State commit, and is backed up by stud sophomore Kaaleem Reiland, who have accounted for 59 TDs between the two of them. Both are versatile and dynamic contributors, and senior Ayden Howard also provides some juice as a 6'2, 170 lb. WR who has posted 719 receiving yards and 8 TDs plus 316 rushing yards and 3 TDs on the ground. Howard, Wiersma, and junior LB [player_tooltip player_id='1251095' first='Samuel' last='Howard'] (6'2, 190) have all provided a ton of defensive production as well.   --   Class A   Upsets:   Lester Prairie over #10 Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 22-0 Section 2A semifinal   Not too surprised by this one. Lester Prairie beat GFW in late September 32-18 and earned their second W in the section 2 semi with a shutout 22-0 victory. Lester Prairie has some size among their top prospects, with Noah Behning (2024 - LB - 6'2, 225), Trever Schauer (2024 - WR - 6'3, 210), and Chris Manders (2024 - LB - 6', 220), and lean on junior LaDamien Gatlin-Coellner for offensive playmaking ability as well. Lester Prairie takes on Mayer Lutheran for the Section 2A championship this Friday with both teams sitting at 7-2.   Kenyon-Wanamingo over #7 Bethlehem Academy 22-18 Section 1A semifinal   Now this one I'm surprised about. Bethlehem Academy returned a ton of experience and production but could not overpower Kenyon-Wanamingo for the second time this season after defeating the Knights a few weeks ago in regular season play. Now, Kenyon-Wanamingo is in the section final for the first time since 2016 and have a chance to avenge its only other loss to Fillmore Central in the Section 1A final this Friday. Fillmore Central (10-0) defeated the Knights in the regular season final 28-16. I don't have a ton of info available on Kenyon-Wanamingo, but I like Will Van Epps, Tanner Hedeen, and Dillon Bartel as players to watch.   Top Games Recap:   <ul> <li>#3 Mahnomen-Waubun over Polk County West 11-8 section 8A semifinal showdown</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Chisholm over East Central 20-18 section 7A quarterfinal matchup </li> </ul>   Finals Preview/Top Matchups:   #1 Minneota (10-0) vs. #4 BOLD (9-1) for Section 5A Championship   Class 1A mainstay Minneota is once again loaded and poised for a run at the state title. However, they have a big-time opponent in their way in another consistent contender in Olivia's own BOLD High School. The Vikings haven't been close to contested in a ballgame all year, and are coming off section wins over Lakeview (70-8) and Canby (39-6), and have a 2023 total point differential of 533 to 87. Senior QB Ryan Dalager has thrown for 1,353 yards and 18 TDs this fall, junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='1145278' first='Ryan' last='Meagher'] has rushed for 1,519 yards and 28 TDs at a 9.6 YPC average, WR Max Rost has caught 666 yards and 9 TDs, and junior LB Parker Bradley is leading the team in tackles and TFLs. For BOLD, stud QB Jack Gross leads the offense impressively, and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1582826' first='Hudson' last='Vosika'] is leading the rushing and receiving categories, according to MNFootballHub. BOLD's only loss came in mid-September to Minneota 42-28, so you can bet that the Warriors are going to come into this fired up.   #3 Mahnomen-Waubun (9-0) vs. #6 Ada-Borup-West (8-1) for Section 8A Championship   Another Top-10 showdown here in Class A, both Mahnomen-Waubun and Ada-Borup-West are led by big-time leaders and individual contributors in Austin McCraven (ABW) and Blake McMullen (MW), who bring the majority of the firepower to both of their respective squads. The Thunderbirds nearly saw defeat in the semifinals in a narrow 11-8 victory over Polk County West, and Ada-Borup-West closed out a tight one in the regular season finale to Red Lake 2-0. Both teams are looking for a dominant performance to build some momentum going into state, but it doesn't matter if they don't get a victory, so I expect this one to be a good battle.   --   Class AA   Upsets:   none   Top Games Recap:   <ul> <li>Holdingford over Kimball Area 34-26 in the section 5AA semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>#8 Cannon Falls over #7 Norwood Young America 52-30 in the section 4AA semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Lewiston-Altura over St. Charles 35-30 in the section 1AA quarterfinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Aitkin over Crosby-Ironton 22-18 in the section 7AA quarterfinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Windom Area over Pipestone Area 18-14 in the section 3AA quarterfinal </li> </ul>   Finals Preview/Top Matchups:   #5 St. Agnes (9-0) vs. #8 Cannon Falls (8-2) for section 4AA championship   St. Agnes has been on an absolute tear this season and it doesn't surprise me one bit that they're set to compete for a section championship this Friday. The Aggies have regular season wins over 4A and AAA schools, so by the time AA playoff competition rolled around the Aggies were battled-tested, balanced, and playing some dang good football. QB Landen Mickelson has been efficient through the air, RBs Elijah Simmons, [player_tooltip player_id='1146305' first='Adam' last='Hernandez'], and Evonson Plamann have all been productive and showing a nose for the endzone, and Dan Plamann is a weapon through the air and on defense. Can't forget about DE Cadman Foley, a sack master and TFL machine who has been disruptive all of 2023. The Aggies sure didn't get an easy section championship opponent in the Cannon Falls Bombers, who smoked a talented and impressive Norwood Young America team 52-30 in the Section 4AA semifinal. The Bombers have tremendous RB and LB rooms, led by 6', 200 lb. gamechanger Dylan Banks.He's joined by 5'11, 210 lb. thumper Sam Shepersky, 6', 210 lber. Nick Barrett, and tremendous 6'4, 275 lb. lineman Corbin Schroeder, one of the best tackles in AA. Preston Schoenfelder and Derrik Bechtholdt can ball as well. I'm really looking forward to this matchup.   #6 Barnum (10-0) vs. #10 Moose Lake-Willow River (9-1) for section 7AA championship   Led by one of the best passing attacks in Class AA, Barnum is rolling into the section final undefeated and hungry. Senior QB Hayden Charboneau is making his last high school season count and has played his butt off so far this fall, and favorite target Caden Sheff (6'2, 180) is a big play waiting to happen. Fellow WR Carlos Beckstrand and junior TE Landen Oetterer can play as well. The Bombers took down Moose Lake-Willow River in Week 1 of the regular season 28-22, so this one has the chance to be a nail-biter. MLWR always seem to be competitive and looking great in the win column, and 2023 has been no exception. Senior RB Jaxsyn Schmidt continues a long line of exciting Rebels RBs, and he's surrounded by tough, gritty, experienced teammates such as Adam Neumann, Luke Dewey, Nolan Nelson, and Kaden Robbins. There's a good mix of youth and experience on this 2023 squad, and some solid size with linemen Austin Johnson (5'11, 200), [player_tooltip player_id='1255148' first='Dayton' last='Stavely'] (6', 270), and [player_tooltip player_id='1688592' first='Collin' last='McKay'] (6'3, 270), to name a few. Schmidt is the playmaker however, and him and his teammates should be fired up and then some for this rematch with Barnum. Definite game to watch this Friday.   --   Class AAA   Upsets:   none   Top Games Recap:   <ul> <li>#10 Pequot Lakes over Two Harbors 21-15 (OT) in section 7AAA semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>La Crescent-Hokah over Plainview-Elgin-Millville 15-14 in the section 1AAA quarterfinal</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Morris Area/Chokio/Alberta over Fergus Falls 15-12 in the section 8AAA quarterfinal </li> </ul>   Finals Preview/Top Matchups:   #4 Litchfield (8-1) vs. #7 Dassel-Cokato (8-1) for the section 2AAA championship   The two geographic rivals, located 11 miles apart, faced off in Week 5 of the regular season, with Litchfield coming out on top 14-13. The Dragons only loss of 2023 came to undefeated Annandale, who is also competing for a section championship over in 5AAA. Led by the tough running of senior RB Lukas Kuehl and 6'4, 205 lb. senior TE Tait Christensen, Litchfield also has a mammoth of a sophomore OT in 6'6, 290 lb. Noah Dietel paving the way for their running attack. Preseason All-State pick Jacob Dietel is also a force and can play a variety of positions for the Dragons. On the flip side, Dassel-Cokato is looking forward to their revenge game against Litchfield, and come in with a tremendous one-two punch of a QB/RB combo. Senior Monte Gillman is athletic, tough, and physical, and is a scholarship 'back who is more than a handful for every defense he comes across. QB Caleb Thinesen is also having a fantastic senior campaign and is a nice switchup from Gillman and the effective rushing attack of the Chargers. They both will need big games for DC to overtook Litchfield in Round 2. Everything's on the line this time, though.   #9 Fairmont (9-1) vs. #8 Waseca (8-2) for section 3AAA championship   Surprised to see Fairmont back in a section final after their accomplished 2022 class graduated? PRzMN isn't! With their only loss coming to 2AAAA section finalist Marshall, the Cardinals have been obliterating opponents in 2023 with a point differential of 350 to 80. Junior tailback Elijah Johnson has been a beast this fall with 145 carries for 1,313 rushing yards and 19 TDs and has one of the best fullbacks in the state leading the way in Hank Artz (2025 - 6', 240), also a force of a LB/DL. Senior Levi Pooley, recently picked to play in the MN All-Star Game, has caught 41 passes for 738 yards and 8 TDs from senior QB Blaze Geiger. It's been a team effort on defense, but senior Gage Borntrager is the tackle, TFL, and sack leader this fall. They meet a familiar foe in Waseca, who they trounced 21-0 in mid-October at home, but the Bluejays have somme starpower and will be ready for the rematch. 2025 RB/DB Damarius Russell is a legit Gopher prospect, and his younger brother Deron is far from a slouch as well. OL Brandyn Jascha is a mauler in the trenches, and Kaeden Johnson is having a strong senior season as well. Should be a good one on Friday night at New Ulm High School.   --   Class 4A   Upsets:   St. Anthony Village (4-6) over Minneapolis Patrick Henry (7-2) 13-6   5th seed St. Anthony Village took down top-seed Minneapolis Patrick Henry in a thriller last Friday and put a stop to what was the best PH Patriots season in a long time. As a product of Minneapolis Public Schools and MPS football, I was a bit bummed, but props to St. Anthony Village, who earned a gritty dub over the Patriots thanks to a punt return for a TD from Lincoln Urdahl and a fumble return for six by Eddie Seiler. The Huskies are coached by one of my former assistant coaches at Southwest in Raymond Kidd, so I'm definitely celebrating his success as well. What a thriller it was!   Delano (6-4) over #6 Mound Westonka (7-2) 31-13   Big-time win for Delano over Top-10 ranked Mound Westonka, who had been playing some good ball all season long in the Metro. QB Bryce Peterson was 12-20 for 242 yards and a TD, with 5 of those catches, 121 yards, and that TD going to WR [player_tooltip player_id='1201982' first='Jake' last='Schultz']. RB Cael Olson added 29 carries for 180 yards and 2 TDs as well, and Mason Henry had a massive day defensively with 19 tackles, a sack, and a FF. Despite the big day from Mound Westonka's 2025 superstar RB [player_tooltip player_id='1202028' first='Ray' last='Beiningen'] (35 for 255 and 2 TDs), the Tigers forced a ton of turnovers and fought until the end. Now, for their efforts, Delano gets to face off with #2 ranked Orono. Best of luck, boys!   Top Games Recap:   <ul> <li>#10 Princeton over Little Falls 28-22 in the section 8AAAA play-in</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>New Ulm over St. Peter 16-15 in the section 2AAAA play-in</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>#7 Rocori over #8 Detroit Lakes 30-28 in the section 8AAAA semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>#4 Byron over Winona 21-17 in the section 1AAAA semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Hermantown (7-3) over Duluth Denfeld (7-2) 10-6 </li> </ul>   Finals Preview/Top Matchups:   #1 Becker (9-0) vs. #7 Rocori (7-2) for section 8AAAA championship   These two squads have combined for some heavyweight 4A matchups the past few seasons and seem to flip flop regarding who has the upperhand year to year. This fall, it's Becker, who won their Week 6 contest 20-0 in early October, but all bets are off when it's playoff time and this game has the makings of a doozy. The Bulldogs are undefeated and have been holding down the 4A #1 spot basically all season, and for good reason too. Senior QB Zach Bengtson has been fantastic so far, with WRs Kyan Blomquist (2024 - 6'2, 200) and Mitchel Soltau (2025 - 6'1, 180) earning a lionshare of the targets and both nearing 500 yards receiving on the year. It's been a RB by committee effort as well, with Owen Angell (2025 - 6', 180) and Isaiah Gardner (2024 - 6', 180) both nearing 500 rushing yards. Landen Kujawa (2025) has been outstanding defensively as well, with 78 tackles, 13 TFLs, and 4 sacks under his belt. Mason Nevala has posted 5 sacks as well. In their way sits the Rocori Spartans, who moved NDSU commit Will Steil to QB during the summer and has been their primary form of offense. Junior Grant Tylutki is having a big season through the air and on defense as well, and is the team's leading tackler with 95 tackles,11 TFLs, and an INT. Junior LB Aaron Baisley and senior DL Grady Minnerath have been tackling machines as well. I have a good feeling about this one.   #5 Kasson-Mantorville (8-1) vs. #4 Byron (8-1) for section 1AAAA championship   Another section final wherein the two opponents have previously met this season, Kasson-Mantorville and Byron had a major 4A showdown in early October with the Komets coming out on top 21-14. I have a feeling this will be another tight one, and both teams are coming in with some heavyweight prospects. Byron's 6'5, 240 lb. lineman Zach Vanderpool - a NDSU commit - is a beast in the trenches and must be accounted for each and every snap. He'll be paving the way and helping out experienced RB Adam Glynn, a Sioux Falls commit, and the Bears also have size, experience, and physicality all over their roster. The Komets are led by the uber-athletic 6'5, 220 lb. Winona State DE commit Easton Suess, and DB/WRs Caisen Thome (2025 - 6'1, 185) and Jeremiah Peterson (2026 - 5'11, 180) are both ballers as well. Byron edged out Winona in the section semifinal 21-17, so maybe their ability to squeeze out tight wins can make the difference if this one goes down to the wire.   --   Class 5A   Upsets:   Elk River (4-6) over #10 Sauk Rapids-Rice (7-2) 38-35 in the section 7AAAAA semifinal   We'll get to Elk River a more detailed fashion below, but just know that is one of the most notable results of the whole sectional tourney so far. SRR had already beaten ER once this season, had been winning tight games (five one-point games), and had/have some outstanding players on their roster. 2025 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1191521' first='Hudson' last='Omoke'] (6'2, 170) has been one of the state's top stock risers during the fall and has become a must-know in the 2025 recruiting scene. He, along with sophomore QB Spencer Ackerman and fellow 2025 WR Mason Sabraski, had strong seasons playing 5A, but senior Shaun Walrath led the squad all year (139 for 901 and 11 TDs + 32 tackles, a TFL, a sack, a FF, and an INT) and scored three TDs against the Elks in the loss. Elk River used TD runs by five different ball carriers (Bunker, Keoraj, Van Drehle x2, Schmidt) and were able to finish the last three minutes of the game out offensively to put the win away. This would have been a fun one to be at.   Top Games Recap:   <ul> <li>Bemidji over St. Cloud Tech 49-47 in the section 8AAAAA quarterfinal</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>#8 Bloomington Jefferson over Apple Valley 17-13 in the section 3AAAAA semifinal</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Monticello (5-4) over Spring Lake Park (4-5) 28-24 in the section 6AAAAA semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Northfield (5-3) over New Prague (6-3) 24-21 in the section 1AAAAA semifinal </li> </ul>   <ul> <li>#6 St. Thomas Academy (7-2) over Two Rivers (8-2) 47-13 in the section 3AAAAA semifinal </li> </ul>   Finals Preview/Top Matchups:   #1 Chanhassen (9-0) vs. #3 Mankato West (8-1) for the section 2AAAAA championship   In a multi-horse race in a loaded Class 5A bracket, the Chanhassen Storm have emerged as the favorite and go into a massive section championship as the #1 ranked team in the class. They earned it too, as their tough schedule included a seven-point win over Mankato West on September 29th, the Scarlets lone loss on the season. This is undoubtedly one of the top section final games of the weekend, regardless of class, and both teams feature an absurd amount of talent that is more fitting for a state final than a section championship. Two Gopher commits (Sam Macy & Jalen Smith), an NDSU RB commit (Max Woods), an Army West Point lineman commit (Greg Meidl), two big, experienced, and physical offensive lines, scholarship talent littered all over the skill positions, and two crops of 2025 talent with exciting upside, and a rematch? What more could you want? If you need a game to watch this Friday, I'd be at Chanhassen High School at 7PM.   #5 Andover (8-1) vs. Elk River (4-6) for the section 7AAAAA championship   Elk River had a tough go of things during the 2023 regular season, but injuries and one of the state's toughest schedules can do that to even the most talented team, and boy is Elk River talented. The last time these two teams met, fireworks ensued, and Andover walked away with a 63-56 win on September 22nd. With everything on the line for Round 2, the rematch could be even better, and both teams have loaded rosters that are ready to show up and show out for a chance to go to state. Elk River holds four RBs who have gone for over 500 yards and 5 TDs so far this season, with junior Gavin Schmidt leading the way with 1,006 yards and 12 TDs. Defensively, the Elks have a fantastic freshman in Carsyn Kleffman leading them in tackling, and Nick Shade and Logan Bunker also have three INTs and a boatload of defensive production as well. For the Huskies, their two QBs have played their tails off this fall, especially senior Chase Pemberton, who came back from an injury with something to prove, and they have a potential big-time, FBS WR in 2025 Cameron Begalle, one of MN's top breakout stars this fall. RB D'Mario Davenport is twitchy and athletic, and the Huskies are absolutely loaded on defense, especially in their LB corps. We got another can't-miss 5A section final on our hands!   #4 Alexandria (9-0) vs. #7 Brainerd (8-1) for the section 8AAAAA championship   An "Up North" section final for the 8AAAAA championship, Alex and Brainerd have both had very successful regular seasons and met on September 29th, where Alexandria came away with a 35-21 victory. Both teams can run the rock and stretch the field, and Brainerd's tandem of QB Eli Hoelz and RB Sean Holbrook have been playing out of their minds in 2023. For Alex, QB Chase Thompson offers a skillset that athletic profile unmatched by any gunslinger in the state, and the Cards have a two-pronged rushing attack in Andrew Flaten and Macklen Heydt. There's size, physicality, and toughness all over both squads, which makes me think this is going to be a knockdown, bang it out type slugfest filled with big hits and tenacious individual & team efforts. Can Brainerd get revenge? We'll see on Friday!   --   Class 6A   Upsets:   East Ridge over #8 Anoka 35-28 in Class 6A first round   Tough break here for Anoka, who was putting together their best season in a while, but East Ridge and stud senior QB Tanner Zolnosky was too much to overcome. Zolnosky was 18-26 for 280 yards and 2 TDs and added 73 rushing yards and an interception on defense to help then 2-6 East Ridge get a much-needed W. XL ATH Charlie Bern added three TDs on the ground as well. Anoka has their own stud QB in 2025 Peyton Podany, who threw for 311 yards and 3 TDs, but it wasn't enough. Raptors move on.   Top Games Recap:   <ul> <li>Prior Lake over Mounds View 17-15 in Class 6A first round</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Rochester Mayo over St. Michael-Albertville 28-21 in Class 6A first round</li> </ul>   Finals Preview/Top Matchups:   #4 Lakeville South (8-1) vs. #10 Shakopee (6-3)   Geographically separated by 19 miles, Shakopee and Lakeville South haven't met yet this fall, so I'm very interested to see what will happen here. The Cougars should be undefeated right now, but a one-point loss to Rosemount took some pressure off their prospects worrying about that unblemished record in early October. As always, they have a nightmare running attack to gameplan against with the always-dangerous PowerT, and juniors Connor Cade and Jonah Shine are leading the way with 928 yards 15 TDs and 729 yards and 9 TDs, respectively. It's been a team effort defensively, with senior LB [player_tooltip player_id='1146308' first='Joe' last='Hager'] recording 6 sacks through the regular season. For Shako, who undoubtedly earned the most exciting win of the 2023 season so far with their thrilling finish against Blaine to end the regular season, it's been an up-and-down season with a one-point loss coming to Minnetonka in Week 5 and a one-score loss to Edina coming a week later. The Sabers have six RBs who can hurt a defense, and have a ton of size and production along their lines on either side of the ball. 2025 stock-rising DL [player_tooltip player_id='1191516' first='Max' last='Coles'] has posted 10 TFLs, two sacks, a FF, and a safety, and [player_tooltip player_id='1149995' first='Ryan' last='Vosper'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1207411' first='Michael' last='Naber'] have been playmakers defensively as well. It'll be a tough task for Shako, but if anyone's up for it, it's the Sabers.   --   Top Performers   Savion Hart (St. Thomas Academy) 2024. RB. 5'10, 190 lbs. - STA's senior playmaker Savion Hart went for 25 attempts for 220 yards and 3 TDs in the Cadets revenge win against Two Rivers in the section 3AAAAA semifinal.   Brady Nelson (Academy Force/St. Croix Prep) 2024. DE. 6'4, 210 lbs. - Posted 8 tackles, 5 receptions, 3 TFLs, and a sack against St. Paul Central in the Class 4AAAAA quarterfinal.   Chase Brixius (Benilde-St. Margaret's) 2025. LB/DE. 6'2, 215 lbs. - In the Red Knight's 5AAAA quarterfinal win over SMB, Brixius posted 19 tackles and 2 sacks as BSM got the W.   Cadman Foley (St. Agnes) 2024. DE. 6'2, 215 lbs. - In the Section 4AA win over Randolph, Foley totaled 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 QB hurries, and a FF.   Daniel Jackson (Alexandria) 2025. K/P. - The state's top specialist, Jackson aided the Cards 39-0 shutout victory over Bemidji despite the weather. He was 6/6 on touchbacks, kicked a 34-yard FG, was 4/4 on PATs, and averaged 40 yards and 4 seconds of hangtime per punt.   Chase Pemberton (Andover) 2024. QB. - In Andover's 84-28 section 7AAAAA semifinal beatdown of Cambridge-Isanti, Pemberton was 19/22 for 313 yards and 4 TDs and added 5 rushes for 37 yards and 2 more touchdowns.   Charles Renner (Hutchinson) 2024. ATH. - Renner played a key role in Hutch getting to the section final as he posted 4 receptions for 152 yards and 3 TDs, 4 carries for 30 yards and a TD, 3 tackles, and a TFL against New Ulm.   Noah Behning (Lester Prairie) 2024. LB. - Stud senior LB Behning was the key cog in Lester Prairie's 22-0 win over GFW in the section 2A semifinal and finished his night with 20 total tackles.   Hayden Charboneau (Barnum) 2024. QB. - Senior Hayden Charboneau has been playing his tail off all fall for Barnum and had a monster night against Aitkin in the 7AA semifinal, tallying 15 completions on 21 attempts (71%) for 236 yards and 5 passing TDs plus 6 carries for 18 rushing yards and a catch for 20 yards.   Calan Pilon (Armstrong) 2026. DB. - In the section 5AAAAA semifinal beatdown of St. Louis Park, Pilon had a pick-six and four tackles in the win.   Jacion Owens (Esko) 2025. ATH. - Esko is off to the races, and in their section semifinal win over Pierz, Owens was 7-13 for 133 yards and 3 TDs, posted 7 rushes for 49 yards and 2 TDs, and also had 2 tackles and a PBU. Esko won 55-8.   Tanner Schmidt (Stillwater) 2024. WR - In the Ponies 56-6 win over Hopkins, Schmidt, in only a half of play, caught 2 passes for 37 yards and a TD and also took a punt back to the house.   Noah Femrite (Mankato West) 2024. K/P. - The 6'3, 200 lber. booted a 45-yard FG successfully and was 2/2 on PATs in the Scarlets 2AAAAA semifinal win over Chaska.   [player_tooltip player_id='1148647' first='Nolan' last='Geislinger'] (Eden Valley-Watkins) 2024. ATH. - The MN All-Star game selection had a big day through the air against Royalton and was 15-22 for 236 yards and 3 TDs + a rushing TD as well. EVW got the win 52-6.   Sean Holbrook (Brainerd) 2024. RB. - 6'1, 190 lber. Holbrook played a key role in Brainerd getting a 8AAAAA semifinal win over Moorhead as he ran at a 6 YPC average and finished with 172 yards and 3 TDs on the ground.   Adam Dennis (Albany) 2024. RB. - Albany got a section 6AAA semifinal win over Montevideo and tallied 13 carries for 120 yards and 3 TDs.   Carter Ellis (Waseca) 2024. LB. - Bluejay senior LB Ellis finished his section 3AAA semifinal win against Jordan with 15 tackles, a strip sack, a FF, a QB hurry, and a PBU.   Luke Guggenberger (Benilde-St. Margaret's) 2025. WR. - In a whooping of Minneapolis South in the section semis, Guggenberger caught 5 passes for 124 yards and 3 TDs in only a half of play.   Sam Haugen (Esko) 2025. ATH. - Another Esko standout, Haugen caught 3 TDs on his four receptions in the 55-8 win.   Dylan Banks (Cannon Falls) 2024. RB/LB. - The Bombers got a huge section 4AA semifinal win over Norwood Young America and Banks totaled 212 rushing yards and 3 TDs in the 52-30 win.   Hunter MacGillivray (Prior Lake) 2024. RB/DB. - In the nail-biting Prior Lake win over Mounds View, Hunter Mac recorded 17 carries for 143 yards and a TD as well as 9 tackles and 3 PBUs.   Michael Barry (Mahtomedi) 2024. WR. - Barry returned to the gridiron in exciting fashion after getting hurt week 1 and posted 3 catches for 124 yards and 3 TDs in Maht's win over Tartan.   Dylan Hawley (Prior Lake) 2026. LB. - The Lakers win over Mounds View featured another impressive defensive showing from sophomore Hawley, as he went for 16 tackles, 2 TFLs, and a sack.   Matthew Heinen (Champlin Park) 2024. LB. - In a tough loss to Shako, Heinen finished with 10 tackles, 3 TFLs, a FF, and a fumble recovery.   PrepRedzoneMN Top Games to Watch   Games to Watch:   1) #1 Chanhassen (9-0) vs. #3 Mankato West (8-1) for the section 2AAAAA championship   2) #1 Mt. Iron-Buhl (10-0) vs. #6 Cherry (9-1) for the section 7 9man championship   3) #5 Andover (8-1) vs. Elk River (4-6) for the section 7AAAAA championship   4) #1 Minneota (10-0) vs. #4 BOLD (9-1) for Section 5A Championship   5) #5 Kasson-Mantorville (8-1) vs. #4 Byron (8-1) for section 1AAAA championship

If you ask me, this is the best time of the year for sports. College and NFL football are well underway, hockey and basketball have just begun, playoff baseball is at its peak, there's wrestling on the horizon, UFC and boxing matches galore, and last but very much not least, high school football playoffs have kicked off. With the Vikings and Twins woes, and future disappointment from the TWolves and Wild on the horizon (sorry, I'm a pessimist), I've thrown myself even harder in the MN high school football sectional tournament. Lucky for me, the 2023 season has been a whirlwind of action and excitement, which has easily rolled into the playoffs. Before sections finish up this Thursday/Friday, let's dive into a quick recap of last week's action, the top performers, and a preview of the upcoming finals & top games to look forward to. PrepRedzoneMN has you covered!