Barnesville Aiming for Second Consecutive MSHSL Class AA State Title

BARNESVILLE FACES OFF AGAINST JACKSON COUNTY CENTRAL ON FRIDAY IN THE CLASS AA SEMIFINALS.

BARNESVILLE, Minn. (KVRR) — The Barnesville Trojans are in the Minnesota Class AA State Semifinals. They sit just two wins away from just their second state title in school history.

The Trojans have been the No. 1 ranked team in class AA all season long, and for good reason. At 12-0 on the season, they have averaged over 46-points-per-game and have beaten their opponents by an average of 39-points this season. That dominance on offense and defense has placed them in the state semifinals for the second consecutive season.

“I think the kids know what they are doing,” said Trojans head coach Bryan Strand. “I think they have a general understanding of assignments. They take a lot of pride in being good. I think our team speed is fantastic. I think that helps.”

Junior Running Back/Linebacker Collin Morey believes its the unseen that has the Trojans back contending for a state title.

“People just don’t see the work we put in on our own,” said Morey. “Not just during practice, but getting up every morning: lifting and staying after. Sometimes working on Blitz packages and stuff like that. Just putting in the work that’s not seen.”

Barnesville won their first state title last season and this year, they’re looking for number two.

“It just wouldn’t feel real,” said Morey. “There’s no better feeling than winning that game last year, and we want to have that feeling again. We’re gonna work hard to get it done.”

Senior Running Back/Defensive Back Asher O’Brien shares the same emotion.

“It would be awesome,” said O’Brien. “[It has] never been done. [We have not] been to the championship [often], but if we get back-to-back, that [would mean] a lot for Barnesville.”

Their opponent will be a familiar team to them –The Jackson County Central Huskies. The Trojans defeated them 41-12 en route to last year’s state title. They know that was the past and they cannot overlook anyone at this point in the season.

“That was last year’s team and has nothing to do with us now,” said coach Strand. “They’re better than they were last year. We take one game at a time we never look past at [anyone]. JCC is a great team and we have our hands full.”

Morey says the team does not think about last year’s game. They see what the Huskies did to the N0. 2 ranked team in Class AA, Caledonia, last week in the State Quarterfinals–a 41-0 victory.

“We looked a lot at their last week’s game,” said Morey. “A lot of people said they weren’t supposed to win that game and then they blew Caledonia out of the water. So, we’re not going to underestimate nobody. We know they want revenge and we don’t want to give them that.”

O’Brien shares what he thinks the Trojans need to do to beat JCC and head to their second consecutive State Championship.

“We just got to keep doing our offense,” said O’Brien. “Keep our fakes and drive down the field.”

The Huskies and Trojans will kickoff their semifinal game at U.S. Bank Stadium at 9 a.m. Friday: 11/17/23.