Moving on at state: Caledonia, Winona, Rushford-Peterson headed to U.S. Bank Stadium

Bangor loses bid to defend state title

ST. PETER, Minn. — The dominance continued for the Caledonia High School football team as it opened the Minnesota Class 2A state playoffs Saturday.

The top-ranked Warriors put up 512 yards on offense in making easy work of unranked Lakeview, 58-16.

It’s Caledonia’s 26th consecutive win heading into the state semifinals at 11:30 a.m. Friday – the first-ever state playoff games to be played at the new Minnesota Vikings stadium.

And, the matchup will be a No. 1-vs.-No. 2 showdown with Caledonia (12-0) pitted against undefeated Barnesville (11-0).

Against Lakeview (9-3), Caledonia put up 17 in the first quarter and exploded for 27 in the second quarter.

Ben McCabe rushed 25 times for 212 yards, including touchdown runs of 42, 2 and 31 yards. Junior quarterback Owen King was 19-for-25 for 256 yards with four touchdown passes and one interception.

Andrew Goergen had eight receptions for 114 yards for the Warriors, who have outscored opponents 186-22 the last two seasons at state. 

So far, in the last two state tournaments, Caledonia has outscore its opponents 189-22, including a 40-0 win over Pipestone Area in last year’s state title game.

WINONA 24, SOUTH SAINT PAUL 0

WOODBURY, Minn. — A win against the No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A would have been one thing, but a shutout was even more unexpected.

Back in the state tournament for the first and only time since 1987 – when Winona finished the state runners-up – the Winhawks forced three fumbles and an interception in punching their ticket to the state semifinals.

At 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Minnesota Vikings new stadium, the sixth-ranked Winhawks (10-1) will play unranked Rocori (9-3).

Winona’s defense gave up just 131 yards. 

The Winhawks gave up just 131 yards. The Packers (10-1), who were averaging 27.7 points a game, never got their offense inside Winona’s 30-yard-line.

Winona running back Alex Franzwa, who opened the game with back-to-back 20-plus-yard runs, finished with 150 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

RUSHFORD-PETERSON 44, MURRAY COUNTY CENTRAL 21

NEW PRAGUE, Minn. — Noah Carlson has put R-P on his back all season. Friday, it was more of the same in the state tournament opener but he got a little help from teammate Luke Rasmussen. 

Carlson rushed for 265 yards, five touchdowns on 36 carries – giving him over 2,100 yards on the season, the 31st player in Minnesota to ever do that – in leading the Trojans (11-1), who will play at 9 a.m. Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Class A semifinals against unranked Browerville-Eagle Valley (9-3).

Up against Murray Central (8-4), the fifth-ranked Trojans were down 14-12 at half.

Carlson gave his team an 18-14 lead in the third and R-P pushed that to 24-14 in the fourth.

Murray Central cut it to 24-21 and that’s when Rasmussen took over. The senior returned a kick 74 yards for a touchdown, then forced and recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to all but seal it.

The Trojans haven’t been to state since 2008 when it was under coach Jim Reinhardt. During his tenure, it won state titles in 2002, 2004 and 2006 and finished runners-up in 1989, 1997, 1999. Before consolidation with Peterson, Rushford won a state title, as well, back in 1988.

WISCONSIN
EDGAR 29, BANGOR 6

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Bangor High School’s football team will not get a chance to defend its WIAA Division 7 state title.

The Cardinals win streak ends at 27 games in the semifinal loss. 

Statistically, things were fairly even. 

Bangor outrushed Edgar 242-225 and had more passing yards 47-36. Bangor had 13 first downs, Edgar 14. Turnovers were even at two apiece.

But, Edgar (10-3), which was 4-for-4 on fourth down, drives ended in touchdowns, while Bangor’s didn’t. The Wildcats scored a touchdown a quarter.

The Cardinals (12-1) were down 7-6 early in the second quarter after a Luke Reader touchdown but that, of course, was all they could muster.