Prep Bowl XLII, Class AAAAA Championship: Elk River 33, Alexandria Area 24

Life on the run grounded life through the air during the Minnesota State High School League’s Class AAAAA Prep Bowl Championship Game on Saturday, Nov. 23 at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. That theme played out to perfection for Elk River’s vaunted running game which never gave Alexandria Area’s aerial attack much of a second-half chance.

The Elks rushed for 388 yards with their Houdini-esque, Power-T running game and possessed the ball for nearly 34 minutes as they recorded a 33-24 victory over Alexandria Area for the Class AAAAA crown. Senior running back Gavin Schmidt led three primary Elk River ballcarriers with 123 yards on 26 carries. Senior running back Brecken Keoraj chipped in 114 yards and a touchdown while sophomore Carysn Kleffman had 112 yards and two touchdowns in sending the Elks (12-1) to their third Class AAAAA championship and first since 2022. 

Chewing up yardage and draining multiple minutes from the clock with sustained drives in the second half kept Alexandria Area senior quarterback Chase Thompson on the sideline as the Cardinals couldn’t force changes of possession. 

The defining moment that paved the way to another Elks’ championship came on the opening drive of the second half. Elk River, which averages 434 rushing yards per game, compiled a 17-play, 80-yard drive that took 9 minutes, 32 seconds off the clock. It was capped on a 1-yard run by junior quarterback Levi Harris. That drive was just four seconds short of a Prep Bowl record for longest scoring drive set by Stillwater in 1984.

Alexandria Area (10-3) had the ball for 1:58 in the third quarter and 2:02 in the fourth quarter. Thompson, playing the final prep football game of his career, finished 18 of 27 for 305 yards and three touchdowns. The majority of that damage was in the first half when the teams played to a 24-all tie. 

Under duress to come back with precious little time on the clock, Thompson threw two interceptions in the second half that stalled drives when the Cardinals had possession. He has committed to play basketball at Clemson University. The Elks preserved their championship when senior defensive back Gavin Kerns intercepted Thompson in the closing seconds. 

Earlier, Elk River tacked on some insurance points with 3:16 left in regulation time on a 28-yard field goal from senior kicker Spencer Burgoon.

Alexandria Area senior kicker Daniel Jackson capped an entertaining display of offense in the first half when he made a Prep Bowl-record 44-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter to pull the Cardinals into a 24-all tie at the break. His successful kick, which had plenty of yardage to spare, broke the second-oldest standing Prep Bowl record. The previous mark of 43 yards was set by Blaine’s Brian Smiddle in 1996. 

That field goal capped a 10-point surge that kept the Cardinals even with the Elks. Nearly four minutes earlier, Thompson connected with senior receiver Mason Gorghuber on a 5-yard touchdown pass. Thompson completed 11 of 14 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns. His longest completion was an 80-yard catch and run with senior back Mason Witt midway through a second quarter when 33 combined points were scored.

Elk River’s Carsyn Kleffman, a sophomore running back, had 90 yards rushing on eight carries. His long run was a 64-yard sprint to open the scoring midway through the first quarter.