Highlights showcase best of the Bowl

Another Prep Bowl has come and gone, signifying the end of another high school football season. But before we plow ahead into the rush of the winter season, let's take a quick look at some of the best moments, players and teams from the past couple of days.

Best team offense: Glencoe-Silver Lake. One press box scribe leaned over and said to another, "This DeLaSalle defense looks more stout than it did last year." It was true, but it still didn't matter. GSL ran for a Prep Bowl record 415 yards in a 42-21 victory in the Class 3A title game Saturday, a year after beating the Islanders 56-20 in the title game. Five GSL players ran for at least 50 yards.

Best play: With his team leading 13-7 and facing fourth-and-9 from Blaine's 14, Wayzata receiver Fritz Rock caught a lateral toss from QB John Ries, sidestepped a defender and hit Matt Tarpley with a pass for a touchdown that changed the complexion of Friday's 5A title game. Wayzata went on to win 27-7.

Best individual performances: K-M-S running back Joel Bauman, with 289 yards rushing on a Prep Bowl record 44 carries in Friday's 1A victory over Royalton; Michael Weick, 18 solo tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery in a losing effort for Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley in Nine-Man; Wayzata's Grant Olson, 12 solo tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a blocked field goal against Blaine; Caledonia's Casey Bauer, 181 yards passing and three TD passes, a rushing touchdown, a sack and interception on defense.

Best-kept secret: OK, he's no secret in Mankato. And even with our metro leaning, we knew about him. But mercy, how good is Mankato West quarterback Ray Teachout? That is a pretty ball he throws. Good zip. Accurate, too.

Best crowd: We'll go with Houston. The southeast Minnesota town has a population of about 1,000. We're pretty sure they were all here Friday. Houston, by the way, will enter 2009 with the longest winning streak in the state: 14 games.

Best weapon: DeLaSalle's A.J. Barker booted touchbacks on three of his four kickoffs Saturday; one nearly landed out of the end zone.

Best debate question: With three consecutive Class 3A championships and five in nine seasons, GSL is clearly the class of the class. Question: How would the Panthers fare if they opted to play in 4A?

Best debate question, Part II: How would this year's Wayzata team have fared against last year's Eden Prairie team?

Best new program: The Minnesota State High School League and Medtronic unveiled "Anyone Can Save a Life," a school-based program designed to help save young athletes and others who go into sudden cardiac arrest.

Best idea: The second year of the two-day Prep Bowl reinforced what was apparent last season. Two days is a better, and saner, way to run the event. This year's attendance: 31,347, about 1,000 fewer than last year but about 2,000 more than 2006, a one-day event.