Prep Bowl XLII, Class AAAAAA Championship: Maple Grove 28, Minnetonka 21

For the final game in the 2024 Minnesota State High School League’s football season, Maple Grove’s defense didn’t break, but this time, it did bend more than usual. Its big play offense, too, was in primetime form. In the final act of the season, Maple Grove turned in an award-winning performance. But in doing so, the Crimson had to sidestep what could have been a dashing conclusion.

The Crimson, seemingly on track all season to emerge as the big-school state champion, did so with a 28-21 victory over Minnetonka in the Class AAAAAA Prep Bowl Championship Game on Friday, Nov. 22 at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Senior running back Chuck Langama rushed for 143 yards and scored two touchdowns and junior running back Patrick Wright scored on a 10-yard run with 5:10 left in regulation to give the Crimson (13-0) what appeared to be a comfortable three-touchdown advantage.

Instead, Minnetonka had designs on playing the spoiler.

The Skippers (10-3) didn’t wilt, and instead, made a run at Maple Grove with two touchdowns in just more than a minute to turn a runaway into a nail-biter. First, senior running back Chase Conrad scored on a 2-yard run with 4:06 left in the fourth quarter. Stunningly, Minnetonka junior quarterback Caleb Francois then hit senior wide receiver Vincent May with a 37-yard laser of a pass with 2:49 left. 

Working the clock didn’t figure to be a late-game strategy, but it had to be for Maple Grove as it tried to release some steam from Minnetonka’s emotional comeback. 

While Langama churned out key yardage to keep the chains moving and seconds disappearing, the Skippers did get the ball back one last time. But any comeback hopes were quickly thwarted when Francois was intercepted by Maple Grove senior defender Dylan Vokal with two seconds left in regulation time. 

The victory sealed Maple Grove’s second big-school championship since 2022. The Crimson, moving to the Lake Conference next school year, were also the Class AAAAAA runner-up in 2021. It is Maple Grove’s second victory over Minnetonka this season. The other was a 31-21 win in Week 8, the regular season finale. 

Langama rushed for 71 yards in the first half and scored two touchdowns, including an 18-yard diagonal dash to the end zone with 33 seconds remaining in the second quarter to send the Crimson to a 21-7 lead at the break. Nearly five minutes earlier, he snapped a 7-all tie on a 4-yard run.

In the first minute of the second quarter, Francois capped a 13-play, 68-yard drive that took more than six minutes on a 1-yard high-step through the right side. That atoned for a miscue in the opening minutes when he fumbled after a short gain. Maple Grove senior linebacker Jacob Wrbanek scooped up the loose ball and returned it 39 yards down the far sideline for the opening score. 

Senior safety Jack Weigel and senior defensive lineman Kevin Toe anchored the Maple Grove defense with six tackles each in the first half. 

Friday’s result in the championship game was just the second time this season that Maple Grove won a game by single digits. The other was against Centennial, the defending Class AAAAAA champion, on Sept. 13 in Week 3.

Francois finished with 151 yards on seven completions, but was sacked three times.