RECAP: Moorhead defeats Lakeville South to advance to Class 6A Prep Bowl
MOORHEAD STUNS AGAIN: SPUDS ADVANCE TO PREP BOWL IN FIRST YEAR IN CLASS 6A
U.S. Bank Stadium was quiet long after the final whistle Friday night—but only because Moorhead had already delivered its roar. In their first season competing in Minnesota’s top class, the Spuds continued their improbable -depending on who you ask – postseason run, knocking off Lakeville South 26–14 in the Class 6A state semifinals to punch their ticket to the Prep Bowl.
The win cements Moorhead as one of the most compelling stories in Minnesota high school football. Seeded sixth entering the playoffs after a 4–4 regular season, the Spuds have since ripped off four straight wins over higher-seeded opponents—#3 Blaine, #2 Woodbury, #1 Centennial, and now #2 Lakeville South. The common denominator: the return of junior quarterback Jett Feeney. With Feeney starting, Moorhead is a perfect 7–0.
Grinding Early, Responding Late
Lakeville South, fresh off a 49-point explosion against defending champion Maple Grove, opened with physicality, but Moorhead’s defense immediately set the tone. A fourth-down stop on the Cougars’ second series signaled that the Spuds’ front was ready for the challenge.
“We knew they were going to be strong up front, and every down was going to be a fight,” said Moorhead junior lineman Riley Paquin who recorded seven tackles. “Our scout guys gave us a great look all week. They deserve all the credit.”
Feeney and the Moorhead offense embraced an aggressive mindset. Facing fourth down from inside their own 29 on the next drive, the Spuds went for it—and Feeney delivered. Moments later, he found Zak Walker deep downfield, setting up a short touchdown plunge from Taye Reich for a 7–0 lead.
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Lakeville South responded late in the half behind their power-T offense, with running back Griffin Dean punching in the tying score. The teams entered the break even at 7–7.
Cougars Surge… Then the Spuds Strike Back
After a Moorhead turnover to open the third quarter, Lakeville South capitalized. A Nic Swanson scoring run gave the Cougars a 14–7 advantage—their first lead of the night.
But Moorhead’s fourth-down magic wasn’t done.
Again facing a short yardage situation deep in their own territory, the Spuds converted. Feeney then ripped off a 45-yard run, and even double-coverage couldn’t slow star receiver David Mack, who hauled in a key sideline grab to move the chains.
When Feeney had to leave for one play after losing his helmet, backup Austin Dryburgh entered—and Moorhead dialed up the trickery. Walker took a reverse around the edge for the game-tying touchdown, a play Austin Dryburgh admitted afterward he had never run once in practice.
“We kept that reverse in the holster,” head coach Kevin Feeney said. “Austin told me after the game he’d never run it before. It worked out just enough.”
Walker, Mack, and Feeney Close the Door
The Spuds’ defense forced another stop, and the offense pounced. Feeney found Walker again—part of a massive night for the junior receiver, who finished with seven catches for 128 yards, along with both a rushing and receiving touchdown.
Feeney later capped the drive with a strike to Walker to put Moorhead ahead 20–14, and in the final minutes, he sealed it with a touchdown pass to Mack, who recorded seven grabs for 60 yards and a score.
Feeney’s final stat line underscored his impact: 20-of-29 passing for 228 yards and two touchdowns, plus 73 rushing yards.
Defense Delivers Its Best
Moorhead’s offense may have produced the highlights, but its defense authored the defining performance. Lakeville South—who had rushed for 518 yards a week earlier—was held to just 14 points and 228 total yards.
“Our defense really stepped up,” Jett Feeney said. “We’ve been scoring a lot this year, helping them out. Tonight, they carried us.”
Coach Feeney agreed: “Championship teams have to win games like this. Our slogan this year is “G.R.I.T” — and that’s exactly what we showed.”
From Reclassification to the Championship
When Moorhead learned this spring they would be bumped up to Class 6A, the state’s largest football class, Kevin Feeney told his team nothing would change: “Our standard is our standard.”
That belief has carried them all the way to the state championship game.
Now, the Spuds will meet Edina in the Prep Bowl—a rematch of Moorhead’s wild 51–44 win in Week 8, the first game Feeney returned from injury and the victory that kick-started the team’s late-season rise.
NEXT UP
Class 6A Prep Bowl
Moorhead vs. Edina
Friday, November 21 — 7 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium
The Spuds are one win away from completing one of the most remarkable runs in Minnesota high school football history.
