Winona, Caledonia, Rushford-Peterson, Grand Meadow all in the hunt
Four high school football teams from Southeast Minnesota look for state championships Friday and Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Two of those teams are basically dynasties. Caledonia is 126-6 the past decade, having won six state titles in six tries during that span. The Warriors are on the verge of back-to-back undefeated seasons.
The Class 2A top-ranked Warriors (13-0) will be looking for their ninth overall title when they play at 1 p.m. Friday against fourth-ranked Eden Valley-Watkins (11-1) – a team that defeated the 13-0 Warriors back in 2005, 21-7.
Listen to that game on Classic Hits, 94.7 FM or online here.
In nine-man, Grand Meadow is trying for a four-peat, as well as its 50th consecutive win.
The top-ranked Superlarks (12-0) play at 10 a.m. against second-ranked Cleveland/Immanuel Lutheran (13-0).
The two other teams haven’t been to state in awhile. Winona High is back for the first time since 1987, when it lost its only bid for a championship.
Sixth-ranked Winona tries for its first-ever state title up against unranked Benilde-St. Margaret’s (9-3) at 4 p.m. today in the Class 4A matchup.
Lastly, in Class 1A, ninth-ranked Rushford-Peterson (12-1) looks for their eighth overall state title.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, R-P will play last year’s state runners-up, second-ranked Minneapolis North (12-0).
The Trojans hadn’t been to state since 2008 when it was under coach Jim Reinhardt.
During his tenure, they won state titles in 2002, 2004 and 2006 and finished runners-up in 1989, 1997, 1999. Before consolidation with Peterson, Rushford won a state title, as well, back in 1988.
R-P senior running back Noah Carlson moved up to sixth in rushing yards in a season all-time when he busted off 236 – and four touchdowns – in the semifinal win.
Carlson has 2,592 yards this season. And, unless he has the world’s greatest game ever, he’s not taking down the all-time leader, Tyler Evans and his record 3,673 yards set in 2001.
Carlson could, however, move past Evans’ second-place record of 2,762 yards in 2000 with a 171-yard game.
Carlson also has 46 total touchdowns on the season (40 rushing), which is likely a record but the MSHSL’s site isn’t up to date.