Third Prep Bowl rematch

Friday night's Class 5A game will be the third Prep Bowl matchup between Cretin-Derham Hall and Eden Prairie. The Raiders returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown each time, but the Eagles won both games.

2000 Eden Prairie 24, Cretin-Derham Hall 14

Kim Sarin staked the Raiders to an early lead by returning the opening kickoff 95 yards and setting a Prep Bowl record. Cretin-Derham Hall senior quarterback Joe Mauer then engineered a 66-yard scoring drive, with Rashon Powers-Neal scoring on a 4-yard run for a 14-0 lead. Eden Prairie took over after that, shutting down the Raiders' explosive offense and chewing up the clock. Eagles quarterback Mike Erickson completed 18 of 27 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, including a 22-yard toss to John Bradley late in the third quarter that proved to be the game-winner. Mauer completed 14 of 32 passes for 160 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

2007 EDEN PRAIRIE 50, CRETIN-DERHAM HALL 21

The Raiders' Marcus Binns broke Sarin's Prep Bowl record by returning the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback John Nance hit Michael Floyd for an early 47-yard gain, but Floyd would catch only two more passes that night. From there, Eden Prairie's defense kept the clamps on Cretin-Derham Hall and its offense went to work. The Eagles scored on every possession until their final one, when they let the clock run out on the victory. Eden Prairie set Prep Bowl records with 30 first downs (converting on 11 of 13 third-down plays) and amassing 520 yards of total offense. Scott Lindner rushed for 155 yards and a touchdown, Matt Swanson ran for two touchdowns and Ryan Grant passed for two scores and ran for one.

JOHN MILLEA