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Sports
Peter Cox and Anna Haecherl

40-year underdog Staples-Motley High among 9 undefeated teams in Prep Bowl

football team in action
Staples-Motley High School football team in the Class AA semifinals against Chatfield on Nov. 15, 2024.
Staples Motley School District, ISD 2170 via Facebook

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The annual Minnesota State High School League Prep Bowl football championships are this weekend.

Staples-Motley High School has not been to the state championship since 1988 and has never won it. The team is looking to change that stat this year.

Staples-Motley head coach Drew Potter said he’s expecting a lot of community support for the central Minnesota team — something they've had all season long. He said the town may be mostly shut down Friday evening; he expects a lot of people to make the roughly 2 1/2-hour drive to watch the team play.

“I expect it to look like a ghost town here in Staples,” Potter said. “I don’t know how many cars were driving around, if any, last Friday. So this Friday, we don't have school because of it, and I anticipate a large, large Cardinal nation there.”

Potter said two seasons ago, this team — then mostly freshmen and sophomores — lost every game they played.

“Last year we went 8-2 and lost in the section final game, which was incredible and like a story right there that you just don’t see,” he said. “This year, we are now sitting at 12-0, getting ready to play in the state championship football game ... to do something like this. It takes really, really special athletes."

Potter said it’s a testament to the work of the players and their cohesiveness as a group that they were able to turn the program around.

Staples-Motley will take on Jackson County Central at 4 p.m. Friday. Both teams are 12-0 on the season.

Seven championship games are scheduled for the two-day tournament. Four of the matchups this year feature dueling undefeated teams.

Here is a look at the teams competing. The matchup information below is pulled from a Minnesota State High School League press release. All games are televised live by 45TV and streamed online at prep45.com.

Class A, 10 a.m. Friday — Springfield (12-0) vs. Minneota (12-0)  

The Springfield Tigers and Minneota Vikings are meeting for their third consecutive season for the Class A Prep Bowl crown. Minneota has won and not given up a point in two state tournament games.

Class AAAA, 1 p.m. Friday — Becker (12-0) vs. Totino-Grace (12-0)   

The Becker Bulldogs and Totino-Grace Eagles have storied state tournament histories, appearing 18 and 28 times respectively. Junior Becker quarterback Sawyer Brown threw for a touchdown and ran for another in the Bulldog’s victory in the quarterfinals.

In its semifinal victory, Totino-Grace unveiled a weapon not many knew about: Senior kicker Jimmy McNeil, who booted three field goals. 

Class AA, 4 p.m. Friday — Jackson County Central (12-0) vs. Staples-Motley (12-0) 

The Jackson County Central Huskies are playing without standout Roman Voss, a junior quarterback, who is sidelined with a season-ending ankle injury suffered during the quarterfinals. And the Staples-Motley Cardinals are playing in a state championship game for the first time in 36 years. 

Class AAAAAA, 7 p.m. Friday — Minnetonka (10-2) vs. Maple Grove (12-0)

The Maple Grove Crimson are tagged as a favorite here, but the Minnetonka Skippers have played championship-caliber football all season. Maple Grove will join the Lake Conference next school year, a group that features big-school football powers, including Minnetonka.

Class Nine-Player, 10 a.m. Saturday — Hills-Beaver Creek (12-0) vs. Fertile-Beltrami (12-0) 

The Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots are determined to end a long dry spell. They last won a championship in 1990. The Fertile-Beltrami Falcons are seeking their first state crown. Fun fact: Hills is the southernmost city in Minnesota.

It is located four miles from the South Dakota border and two miles from the Iowa border. And Fertile-Beltrami is the northernmost district playing the tournament this weekend.

Class AAA, 1 p.m. Saturday — Stewartville (13-0) vs. Dassel-Cokato (11-1)

Both teams have been playing strong this season. The Stewartville Tigers have shut out seven opponents this season and only given up single digits in 10 of its 12 games. And the Dassel-Cokato Chargers used a stunning 22-point surge to rally past their opponent in the semifinals.

Class AAAAA, 4 p.m. Saturday — Elk River (11-1) vs. Alexandria Area (10-2)

The Elk River Elks have been using a Houdini-esque running game that leaves opponents wondering who has the ball. And the Alexandria Area Cardinals have found their success through the air, courtesy of senior quarterback Chase Thompson. Earlier this season, Elk River defeated Alexandria Area 44-34 in Week 8.