Predicting the Winners of the 2025 Minnesota High School Football Prep Bowl

See who High School On SI thinks will win MSHSL state championships this weekend

Minneota celebrating a 2022 Class 1A Prep Bowl win / Jeff Lawler

The 2025 Minnesota high school football Prep Bowl is this week, and after a season of ranking the top teams, High School On SI is predicting the winners of all seven games.

The games begin on Friday, November 21 at U.S. Bank Stadium, and they conclude on Saturday, November 22. High School On SI will have coverage throughout the MSHSL Prep Bowl.

Predicting the Winners of the 2025 Minnesota High School Football Prep Bowl

 9-PLAYER

Hills-Beaver Creek (12-0) vs. Hillcrest Lutheran Academy (12-0)

Game time: 10 a.m. Nov. 22

Prediction: Hills-Beaver Creek 28, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 22

Who will be king of the hill? I’ve got old blood Hills-Beaver Creek, in its fourth state tournament in the last five years, over Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, which is at state for the first time in nearly a decade. The Patriots are riding high after rolling defending champion Fertile-Beltrami (8-4), 30-14.

A 22-point second quarter made the difference for H-BC in a game that was scoreless in the second half. The Patriots are a tough team to defend with four different players scoring a touchdown in that one, including one on defense. They showed big-play ability with Jamin Metzger hitting Brodie Metzger for a 45-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Later, Eduardo Wegener popped off a 69-yard touchdown run.

HLA won’t go down without a fight, though. The Comets have proven themselves with a pair of nailbiting wins at state. They survived 40-38 vs. Mabel-Canton (11-1) in the quarterfinals and 27-21 vs. Kittson County Central (11-1) in the semifinals.

HLA got out to a 13-0 lead and led by as much as 20 before hanging on against a formidable KCC squad. The Comets’ Ethan Swedberg is a player to watch. He rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two to his favorite target, receiver Drew Fischer.

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CLASS 1A

Game time: 10 a.m. Nov. 21

Prediction: Minneota 27, Breckenridge 19

The Minneota Vikings have all the championship winning luck that the Minnesota Vikings do not. I’ve got them pegged to win their fourth straight state title in their fifth straight Prep Bowl appearance.

They found themselves in unfamiliar territory in the semifinals actually trailing in a game. It was by one point and it lasted for all of 5:29 of game time. Twenty-one straight points between the second and third quarters made the difference in a 28-14 win over Mahnomen/Waubun (11-1), a team making its fifth straight state tournament appearance. Kellen Bradley led with 27 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown.

This was the closest game Minneota’s played all season against Class 1A competition. Previous was a 26-point win in the section championship against Dawson-Boyd (8-3). The semifinals win wasn’t a thing of dominance as the Vikings outgained the Thunderbirds just 242-240. They just have a way of getting the win, like they’ve done 45 times in a row.

Breckenridge won’t just lay down and die. The community is rallying around its Cowboys, which have gone to state just once since 2008. They arrive to the Prep Bowl thanks to a 28-21 win vs. Murray County Central (9-3).

They won a thriller that featured three different ties before a 1-yard touchdown rush for David Erlandson with 1:51 to go proved to be the game-winner. He led Breckenridge with 23 carries for 123 yards and three touchdowns. This was Breckenridge’s only one-score game all season.

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CLASS 2A

Jackson County Central (12-0) vs. Goodhue (12-0)

Game time: 4 p.m. Nov. 21

Prediction: Jackson County Central 34, Goodhue 14

While Jackson County Central should get the most pushback it’s gotten all season, the Huskies look well on their way to a second straight Prep Bowl win. They coasted 38-0 in the semifinals against an Eden Valley-Watkins (9-3) program that’s familiar playing on the U.S. Bank Stadium stage.

The Huskies did all their damage in an electric first half. Standout quarterback Roman Voss finished the day going 14-for-21 passing for 163 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran 15 times for 107 yards and four touchdowns.

EV-W was held to 129 yards of offense. JCC’s beat every opponent by 24 or more. I see Goodhue drawing closer than that, but not by much.

The 20-point predicted score is no slight to Goodhue. The Wildcats obliterated fellow unbeaten team, Holdingford (11-1), 24-7. Quarterback Luke Roschen did it all, rushing 13 times for 141 yards and a touchdown to go with 8-for-13 passing for 93 yards and a touchdown. It was the second straight test Goodhue passed after playing a relatively easy regular season and section schedule.

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CLASS 3A

Annandale (12-0) vs. Waseca (12-0)

Game time: 1 p.m. Nov. 22

Prediction: Annandale 22, Waseca 16

We’ve got three battle of the unbeatens in the Prep Bowl this year. This could be the best of the bunch. It showcases a pair of absolutely stingy defenses with Annandale surrendering 6.4 points per game and Waseca 7.8. Annandale has shown a little more on offense, averaging 42.2 compared to 26.1.

A little more explosiveness is why I’m picking the Cardinals in a tight one. They tamped down a tough Minneapolis North (11-1) offense in a 36-20 semifinals win. The Polars had scored 34 or more in every game leading in. It looked like it was going down to the wire when North tied it at 14 early in the third quarter.

Twenty-two straight points later, and the Cards had it on ice. Cameron Ergen led with 22 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Turner added 13 carries for 97 yards and two scores. Annandale’s first state title in program history is now just a win away.

Waseca is also on the doorstep of reaching the promised land for the first time. It survived 14-13 in the semifinals vs. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (9-3). No one’s yet to score more than 14 on the Bluejays. They were led by quarterback Kellen Klinger, who went 13-for-23 for 163 yards, a touchdown and interception. Kallen Glynn led the defense with 13 tackles, more than double anyone on D-G-F finished with.

Waseca also features wide receiver/defensive back Deron Russell, a Mr. Football finalist who’s gaining college interest on the gridiron and basketball court. He scored the game’s first points on a 25-yard touchdown reception with a second left in the first half.

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CLASS 4A

Kasson-Mantorville (11-1) vs. Orono (9-3)

Game time: 1 p.m. Nov. 21

Prediction: Orono 23, Kasson-Mantorville 22

Does Orono have one more thriller in it? Both of these teams have come out on the right side of some nailbiters this season. I expect this to be one of the most evenly matched Prep Bowls out of the bunch.

Orono is riding high after upsetting the tournament favorite, Marshall (11-1), 15-14 in overtime. It took a gutsy over-the-shoulder throw on a 2-point conversion from the 18-yard line from Griffin Mauer to Lincoln Stinar to pull out the walk-off win.

The Spartans held the Tigers to just 184 yards of offense. Given how Orono passed this mighty test after cruising past a solid Fergus Falls (8-3) team, I like the Spartans to get it done in their first ever Prep Bowl appearance.

Kasson-Mantorville advanced by almost the same score. It held on 16-14 vs. Grand Rapids (10-2) after scoring the first 16 points of the game. The KoMets were outgained 351-248. Aside from a 77-yard touchdown pass from Grady Babcock to Camryn Tottingham to push it to 16-0 in the third quarter, the offense was stymied in the second half.

That doesn’t portend well to this week. Nor does allowing two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including one with 19 seconds left that would’ve forced overtime if not for a failed 2-point conversion pass. The KoMets have great wins this season, including against Byron, a team that rolled Orono. However, I think Orono’s magical postseason run continues.

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CLASS 5A

Spring Lake Park (12-0) vs. Chanhassen (11-1)

Game time: 4 p.m. Nov. 22

Prediction: Spring Lake Park 24, Chanhassen 20

I’m done doubting Spring Lake Park. I was dubious of their credentials after playing a weak regular season schedule (which was no fault of its own). The Panthers have absolutely validated their unbeaten record in the state tournament.

They won a 13-12 overtime thriller against reigning state runner up Alexandria (9-2) in the quarterfinals. Then, they boat raced the tournament favorite, St. Thomas Academy (11-1), 39-23, in the semis. After falling behind 14-6 midway through the second quarter, SLP unfurled a 26-3 run highlighted by a Marcus Snyder 24-yard pick-six.

The Panthers outgained the Cadets 445-300. Quarterback Nolan Roach ran 15 times for 190 yards and two touchdowns to go with a 6-for-9 passing line for 43 yards and no interceptions. Lamari Brown added 30 rushes for 139 yards and two trips to the end zone. An extra day of rest will also come in handy with SLP playing Friday afternoon and Chanhassen playing Saturday night. SLP also just pounded the one team Chanhassen has lost to.

The Storm certainly has the studs to make this game competitive. It’s coming off a 22-19 win over defending champ Elk River (9-3). Everything was going the Elks way in the first half until Nathan Ramler found Loghan Gustad for a 22-yard touchdown as time expired to cut the deficit to 12-7. The two heavyweights traded blows throughout the second half.

The Storm laid the final one with 11:52 remaining when West Virginia tight end commit took a pivotal fourth-and-1 snap 42 yards for a rushing touchdown. He ran four times for 56 yards to go with eight catches for 35 yards.

Ramler finished 18-for-23 for 121 yards, a touchdown and a pick. Elk River rolled up 390 rushing yards but was held to zero passing yards and was picked off on one of two attempts. Coleman Zielinski led Chanhassen with a game-high 12 tackles.

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CLASS 6A

Moorhead (8-4) vs. Edina (8-4)

Game time: 7 p.m. Nov. 21

Prediction: Edina 38, Moorhead 35

You can’t count out the Hornets until the final buzzer sounds. They battled back from a 28-7 first-half deficit on Thursday to stun Minnetonka (9-3), 42-41, and draw one step closer to the first state title in program history.

Mason West completed 16 of 25 passes for 314 yards, four touchdowns and one pick. Edina racked up nearly 500 yards of offense with Chase Bjorgaard running 23 times for 102 yards and a touchdown to go with a 46-yard halfback pass that contributed to a scoring drive. The Hornets have won their last three games by a combined four points and had to fend off a go-ahead 2-point conversion attempt with under two minutes remaining against Minnetonka.

Edina knows how to stay cool in crunch time, that’s for sure. I like the fact the Hornets have an extra day to rest and prepare for a revenge matchup against Moorhead, which played Friday. Moorhead won 51-44 at Edina in the regular season finale.

The Spuds looked impressive in their 26-14 victory against a Lakeville South (9-3) team that was coming off a blowout of defending champion Maple Grove (10-1). They’re a step closer to bringing home the program’s first title since 1987.

Moorhead scored the final 19 points of the game to erase a touchdown deficit in the third quarter. The Spuds aren’t known for their defense, but they held the Cougars’ vaunted rushing attack to a modest 4.3 yards per carry. South was still able to win the time of possession battle, limiting an elite Moorhead offense’s chances with the ball.

It was efficient when it was out there, though. Jett Feeney completed 21 of 29 passes for 228 yards, two touchdowns and no picks to go with nine rushes for 73 yards. Zak Walker was his top target with seven grabs for 128 yards and a score.

Moorhead has had a fantastic debut season in Class 6A. It’s handled the challenge of having to travel three-plus hours to every road game and state tournament game with aplomb. The junior-laden team might be my favorite to win it all in 2026, but give me the experience of the Hornets to win an instant classic.

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