2024 Football State Tournament: Semifinal Advance Release

Coveted spots in the Prep Bowl Championship games are at stake when 14 games are played over three days when the Minnesota State High School League’s Football State Tournament continues with its semifinal round at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. 

Four games will begin the 14-game extravaganza on Thursday, Nov. 14. Five more will follow on Friday and Saturday.

The winning teams will advance to the League’s Prep Bowl Championship Series on Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23. 

Here is a look at the semifinals: 

Class Nine-Player

Thursday, Nov. 14

• Hills-Beaver Creek (11-0) vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl (12-0), 1 p.m.
• Fertile-Beltrami (11-0) vs. LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle/Pacelli (12-0), 4 p.m.

Spotlight: 

Hills-Beaver Creek, located four miles from the South Dakota border, opened with a 34-14 victory over Border West in the quarterfinals. The Patriots have given up double digits in points just once, but won that game by 36 points. Mountain Iron-Buhl was the Class Nine-Player champion in 2022. The Rangers earned a berth in the semifinals with a 38-6 win over Stephen-Argyle. Fertile-Beltrami used a 48-7 win over Cromwell-Wright for a return trip to U.S. Bank Stadium. LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle/Pacelli, the Class Nine-Player champion in 2021, might be the most dynamic team in the field behind all-everything senior, Cam Hungerholt.

Class A

Saturday, Nov. 16

• Springfield (11-0) vs. Mahnomen/Waubun (11-0), 9 a.m.
• Parkers Prairie (9-3) vs. Minneota (11-0), 11:30 a.m.

Spotlight: 

Springfield, the Class A runner-up the past two seasons, got past Goodhue for a 20-14 victory in last week’s quarterfinals. Mahnomen/Waubun, the Class A champion in 2018, had an equally challenging quarterfinal with Deer River before recording a 14-6 victory. Parkers Prairie lost three of its final four games to end the regular season, but has turned things around with a four-game winning streak. Minneota is no stranger to the semifinals. The Vikings are the two-time defending Class A champs. They cruised into the semifinals with a 41-0 victory over Lester Prairie in the quarterfinals.

Class AA

Friday Nov. 15

• Jackson County Central (11-0) vs. Kimball Area (11-0), 9 a.m.
• Staples-Motley (11-0) vs. Chatfield (11-0), 4:30 p.m.

Spotlight: 

Jackson County Central has three shutouts this season. The Huskies advanced with a 34-7 victory over Central Public Schools. Kimball Area, which last advanced to a championship game in 2002 when the Cubs were the Class A runner-up, rolled past Moose Lake/Willow River, 38-0, in last week's quarterfinals. Staples-Motley outlasted Barnesville in a high-scoring and dramatic 46-44 win in double overtime in the quarterfinals. The Cardinals are in the state tournament for the first time since 2004. Chatfield, the Class AA champion in 2021 and runner-up in 2022, eked past Triton for a 23-22 win in the quarterfinals.  

Class AAA

Saturday, Nov. 16

• Dassel-Cokato (10-1) vs. Pequot Lakes (11-0), 2 p.m.
• Albany (11-0) vs. Stewartville (12-0), 4:30 p.m.

Spotlight: 

Dassel-Cokato ended the regular season with a loss to Princeton, but has bounced back with three consecutive victories in the postseason, the latest a 29-28 squeaker over Fairmont. Pequot Lakes, the Section 7AAA champion, had a 22-15 victory over Annandale in the quarterfinals. The Patriots had four shutouts during the regular season. Albany was last in a championship game in 2005 when it was the Class AAA runner-up. The Huskies had a one-point victory over Fergus Falls in the quarterfinals. Stewartville is on a two-season winning streak which includes the Class AAA championship a year ago and a 40-14 victory over Holy Family Catholic in the quarterfinals.

Class AAAA

Thursday, Nov. 14

• Marshall (10-1) vs. Becker (11-0), 10:30 a.m.

Friday, Nov. 15

• Orono (9-2) vs. Totino-Grace (11-0), 11:30 a.m.

Spotlight: 

Marshall, making its first state tournament appearance since 2017, opened with a 21-0 quarterfinal victory over Byron. Since a 20-13 setback to Waseca in Week 3, the Tigers are on an eight-game winning streak. Becker spent the season camped out in the No. 1 spot in the Class AAAA rankings. The Bulldogs opened the quarterfinals with a 35-15 victory over Holy Angels. Orono advanced with a 49-21 victory over Hermantown. The Spartans get another chance at Totino-Grace, who recorded an 11-8 victory over Orono in Week 7. Totino-Grace, a seemingly perennial entrant in the football state tournament, had its narrowest margin of victory this season in a 21-20 win over Hutchinson, the defending Class AAAA champion, in Week 3. 

Class AAAAA

Friday, Nov. 15

• Chanhassen (8-3) vs. Elk River (10-1), 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 16

• Alexandria Area (9-2) vs. Owatonna (11-0), 7 p.m.

Spotlight: 

Chanhassen looked sharp in recording a 38-21 victory over St. Thomas Academy in the quarterfinals. The Storm are the defending Class AAAAA champion. Chanhassen opened the season with a 44-22 loss to Elk River. The Elks were the Class AAAAA champs in 2022. They advanced with a 36-29 victory over Monticello. Alexandria Area used a late field goal from Daniel Jackson to top Robbinsdale Armstrong in the quarterfinals. Owatonna needed late-game dramatics in the form of a touchdown run and two-point conversion run in overtime to get past Cretin-Derham Hall. Owatonna was the Class AAAAA champion in 2017 and 2018, respectively.    

Class AAAAAA

Thursday, Nov. 14

• Anoka (8-3) vs. Minnetonka (9-2), 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 15

• Shakopee (10-1) vs. Maple Grove (11-0), 7 p.m.

Spotlight: 

Anoka is back in the state tournament for the first time since 2011. The Tornadoes used a 14-10 victory over Lakeville North to advance to the semifinals. Minnetonka lost two of its final three regular season games, including a 31-21 setback to Maple Grove in Week 8. But since, the Skippers have surrendered just 14 points in three postseason victories. Shakopee ousted Mounds View with a 24-17 victory in the quarterfinals. Shakopee’s only loss this season was to Minnetonka in Week 5. Maple Grove was the Class AAAAAA champion in 2022 and the runner-up the year before. The Crimson advanced to another semifinal with a 42-12 victory over Edina, the big-school runner-up in 2023.