High School

Top players to watch in the 2024 Minnesota high school football Prep Bowl

Here are the top players in each game at the MSHSL Prep Bowl

Kip Kovar

Minneota running back Ryan Meagher is one of the best in Minnesota high school football in 2024
Minneota running back Ryan Meagher is one of the best in Minnesota high school football in 2024 / Jeff Lawler

The annual tradition of the Minnesota high school football Prep Bowl is back this weekend with 14 teams looking to cap off incredible seasons with state championships.

In all seven classes, there’s plenty of talent on the field to watch over two days of action at US Bank Stadium.

High School on SI will have scores, schedules and coverage throughout the 2024 MSHSL Prep Bowl.

Top Players to Watch in the 2024 MSHSL Prep Bowl

CLASS 1A - Springfield (12-0) vs. Minneota (12-0)

For the third year in a row, it will be the Minneota Vikings and the Springfield Tigers battling it out for the Class 1A state champions.  Minneota has had the upper hand in the past two meetings winning both matchups. The 2022 matchup was the closer one with the Vikings edging the Tigers 28-21. In 2022, Minneota rolled to a 43-22 win over Springfield for their second-straight state title.

There will be plenty of talent on the field for this matchup as both teams come in with perfect 12-0 records.

One player to keep an eye on in this game is Minneota running back Ryan Meagher. He’s been on a tear all season long for the Vikings and hasn’t slowed down one bit. For the season he’s rushed for more than 1,600 yards to go along with 34 touchdowns. He’s averaging 139.2 yards rushing per game and is averaging over nine yards per carry.

In their Class 1A semifinal against Parker’s Prairie, Meagher rushed 14 times for 133 yards and two scores. He also caught two passes for 24 yards. Expect Meagher to be a big part of the offense for Minneota once again this game.

For Springfield, they are a more balanced team when it comes to offense but there’s still some star power. Quarterback Parker Kuehn will be the guy to watch.

Kuehn had a big day in the Class 1A state semifinals for the Tigers in which they rallied back from a 16-0 deficit thanks to 30 unanswered points in the fourth quarter alone. In that quarter, Kuehn passed for two touchdowns alone leading Springfield back to the state championship game.

For the season Kuehn has thrown for more than 2,000 yards to go along with 30 touchdowns. He’s also completed 65 percent of his passes. He can also be a threat with his legs as he’s rushed for more than 200 yards and five touchdowns this season coming into the game.

It’s not often a Class A team has a great passing game but Springfield does and that could be the key for them to get over the hump in their third shot at a state title.

CLASS 4A - Totino-Grace (12-0) vs. Becker (12-0)

The Class AAAA state championship features another pair of undefeated teams in Totino-Grace and Becker. Both are perennial state title contenders and are looking to add another championship to their program. The Eagles are playing in their 11th state title game while Becker is playing for the ninth time in program history.

A player to watch for Totino-Grace heading into the Prep Bowl is Marquel Keten. He’s the leading rusher for the Eagles with more than 1,700 yards on the ground to go along with 22 touchdowns. He’s averaging over nine yards per carry and is coming off an 189-yard performance in a semifinal win over Orono last week.

For Becker, keep an eye on Sawyer Brown. Not only a great name, he’s got the game to back it up. Brown can do a little bit of everything as he’s coming off a big performance in the semifinals. He rushed for a touchdown against Marshall as well as catching five passes for 105 yards. If that’s not enough, he also completed a pass for a 14-yard touchdown as well.

CLASS 2A – Staples-Motley (12-0) vs. Jackson County Central (12-0)

For the third game of the day, the Class AA state championship will once again feature a pair of undefeated teams. Both Staples-Motley and Jackson County Central come into the matchup with perfect records and looking to finish off their stellar seasons with a state title.

Jackson County Central comes into the matchup without their star player Roman Voss. He was injured in their Class A state quarterfinal matchup against Norwood Young America. With Voss out, Brandon Henkemeyer has stepped up his game and will be a player to watch for the Huskies. Henkenmeyer has stepped into the starting quarterback position and the Huskies haven’t missed a beat.

In their semifinal matchup against Kimball, Henkenmeyer completed 8 of 21 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 16 yards and one score as well and he will once again be a key piece for JCC if they want to come out as state champions.

The Cardinals come into the matchup as a balanced team. Staples-Motley can attack teams through the air and on the ground. If they want to secure a state title, they will lean on Colbe Tappe and the ground game. In their semifinal matchup, Tappe rushed for 170 yards and three scores to send the Cardinals to the state title game. Look for him to help carry the load offensively again in the Prep Bowl.

CLASS 6A – Minnetonka (10-2) vs. Maple Grove (12-0)

To close out the first day of the Prep Bowl, it will be the big boys taking over US Bank Stadium. The matchup between Maple Grove and Minnetonka will be a great matchup to wrap up day one.

Maple Grove comes in as the favorite as they’re back in the state title game for the second time in three years. The Crimson won the state championship in 2022 against Rosemount. Minnetonka is playing for the state title for the first time since 2017.

If the Skippers are to claim their first championship since 2004, Caleb Francois will be a big reason why. The Minnetonka star is coming off a monster game in the semifinals. He rushed for 283 yards and five touchdowns to put the Skippers in the championship game.

For Maple Grove, Charles Langama is the player to watch. He also had a big showing in the semifinals rushing for 198 yards and four scores.

Fans will be able to watch two of the best running backs (Francois and Langama) square off for the Class 6A title.

9 PLAYER – Fertile-Beltrami (12-0) vs. Hills-Beaver Creek (12-0)

In this championship matchup, fans will once again get to see two undefeated teams square off. Although these are some of the smallest schools competing in the Prep Bowl, there’s plenty of talent to watch.

The big name to watch in those will be Fertile-Beltrami’s Isaiah Wright. He turned in a historic performance for the Falcons in their semifinal matchup with Leroy-Ostrander. Wright rushed for 361 yards and scored seven touchdowns in the semifinal win for the Falcons. He was a one-man wrecking crew as he averaged 15 yards per carry. For the season, Wright has rushed for almost 2,500 yards and has 39 touchdowns. While another seven-touchdown performance might not be likely, it will be exciting to see what he can do for an encore in a state title game.

While Hills-Beaver Creek might not have a Wright to lean on, there’s still plenty of talent to watch. Micah Bush is one player to keep an eye on for the Patriots. In the semifinal matchup, Bush hauled in 12 catches for 115 yards. Big plays could be in play in this championship game and Bush could be responsible for them for Hills-Beaver Creek.

CLASS 3A – Dassel-Coakto (11-1) vs. Stewartville (13-0)

The Class AAA state championship game will feature another pair of top teams. The Stewartville Tigers have been the No. 1 ranked team nearly all season long and they’ve backed it up. Stewartville has yet to play a game that’s been decided by less than one score as they come into the matchup with a perfect 13-0 record.

Dassel-Cokato enters the state championship game coming off a thrilling comeback win over Pequot Lakes. Down by 19 in the second half, the Chargers scored 20 unanswered points the rest of the way to pick up a thrilling win.

The Tigers come into the Prep Bowl as possibly one of the most dynamic and balanced offenses. Stewartville can hurt you through the air or on the ground as they are playmakers all over the field. Players to watch for the Tigers include quarterback Vincent Wellik.

He’s thrown for more than 2,000 yards this season to go along with 35 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Stewartville can also grind things out on the ground as they feature a pair of top-tier running backs Dylan Scanlan and Adimalik Abdi.

The two have combined for almost 2,000 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns between them. Also, keep an eye on Parker Wangen in the passing game as he comes into the game with 68 receptions for 1,126 yards and 20 touchdowns.

A player to watch for the Chargers will be running back Kobe Thielen. He’s coming off a two-score game in the semifinal win for D-C and has been one of their top offensive weapons all season long.

CLASS 5A –  Alexandria (10-2) vs. Elk River (11-1)

The matchup between Alexandria and Elk River could be one of the most exciting ones and it will close out this year’s edition of the Prep Bowl. Both teams feature explosive offenses and points could be coming early and often as these two square off for a state title.

Alexandria’s Chase Thompson highlights the talent in this one. A Clemson signee for basketball, Thompson has been getting it done on the field as well for the Cardinals. Coming into this game, he’s thrown for more than 3,000 yards to go along with 35 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

Elk River features a ton of talent as well to keep an eye on. Look for Brecken Keoraj to have a big impact on the game like he has all season long. Coming into the game, Keoraj has rushed for more than 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns. He’s been one of the top offensive weapons all season long for Elk River and will need to be once more heading into the state title game.

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Kip Kovar
KIP KOVAR

Kip Kovar has been covering high school sports in Minnesota for more than a decade. He's won multiple awards for his work and has a passion for telling stories across the state when it comes to high school sports.