High School Football: Patriots look for first-ever Prep Bowl berth – Brainerd Dispatch

MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time since 2017, the Pequot Lakes Patriots are in the state semifinals.

After a 22-15 win over Annandale in the Class 3A State Quarterfinals on Saturday, Pequot will play the Dassel-Cokato Chargers in the Class 3A State Semifinals at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 16 at US Bank Stadium.

The Chargers (10-1) beat Fairmont 29-28 in their state quarterfinal game Saturday. Dassel-Cokato got south no. 2 seeds. Pequot Lakes is the northern no. 2 seeds.

Dassel-Cokato won Section 3-2A with a 33-18 victory over Litchfield in the sectional final. The last time the Chargers reached the state tournament was in 2019. They lost in the Class 3A State Finals to Pierz.

Pequot Lake head coach Bill Magnuson said Dassel-Cokato plays a similar style to what they see in the Patriots district.

“They are very much a power-run team,” Magnuson said. “They run out of the wishbone. It’s not a secret what they’re doing. I compare it to a lot of teams we play in our district. Teams like North Branch and Two Harbors are ground and pound. So our district has probably been in to prepare us a little more for this type of game. Dassel is very well coached and very athletic. Defensively, they are very athletic at the linebacker position.”

The Patriots relied heavily on the running game in the state quarterfinals. John Paul Elsenpeter rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries. He eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season.

Bryar Nordby rushed eight times for 75 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Michael Oseland threw for 68 yards but threw three interceptions. The Patriots turned it over four times in the win against the Cardinals. A trend Magnuson does not want to see at US Bank Stadium.

“Saturday was a good game for us going forward,” Magnuson said. “We haven’t had many games where we’re behind. Our kids showed determination and played a great fourth quarter. We survived the four turnovers and just kept fighting. We’re doing a film session to talk about some of the mistakes. We still want to be able to throw the ball and Michael has done a good job all year ahead of us in that. He will have a better game next week because he will prepare mentally.”

The Patriots’ defense forced Annandale into three turnovers, including a game-sealing fumble on the final drive.

It was Nordby’s first-half interception that set up the Patriots’ only first-half touchdown against Annandale.

Magnuson said defense wins championships and hopes the defense can come up big against the Chargers’ offense.

“If your defense plays well, you can slow down an offense and that allows your other side of the ball to get on the field,” Magnuson said. “Our defense is going to have to play well Saturday. It’s a system that we’re ready to face and that we’ve seen before. I think our defense could have a great game and really keep us in it game to give us a chance to win.”

Pequot Lakes has never reached the Prep Bowl in school history. A win Saturday would put them in position to win its first football state title. It would be the Patriots’ second straight fall title, with volleyball winning the Class 2A state championship last November.

“Every kid’s dream is to play at US Bank Stadium, where the Minnesota Vikings play,” Magnuson said. “It means a lot to us as a program. We’ve been knocking on that door to go to state and haven’t been able to break it down until this year. We’ve been on the cusp almost every year, and to finally make it happen, we hope to build it further as a program. I was part of the 2017 team that made it to the semi-finals and this team is in the same place. Both are excellent teams, but we have a chance to do something and go a step further.”

North No. 4 seed Albany (11-0) upset no. 1 seed Fergus Falls 28-27, while South top seed Stewartville (12-0) beat no. 4 seed Holy Family Catholic 40-14.

In the semifinals, the remaining low-seeded southern team plays against the high-seeded in the north, while the low-seeded in the north plays against the high-seeded in the south.

“I think the games have been just wonderful,” Magnuson said. “They make for great high school football, and when people see close games, that keeps the crowd in it. It’s a very close-knit state playoff, and that should make for a fun semifinal.”

CONRAD ENGSTROM can be reached at 218-855-5861 or [email protected]. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34.

WHO: no. 2 Pequot Lakes (11-0) vs. no. 2 Dassel-Cokato (10-1)
When: at 2 p.m. Saturday 16 Nov
Where: US Bank Stadium