This is the third part of a 50-day feature looking back at the 50 years since Minnesota's high school football state tournaments began. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here.
A superstar with a strategy to win the game? What could go wrong?
50 years in the making: Jalen Suggs' plan didn't work, and that left Rocori to celebrate a state title.
October 16, 2022 at 1:12PM
Year: 2019
"That's football, man. I couldn't have played it any better." — Jalen Suggs, SMB
Jalen Suggs knew exactly what was coming.
"The quarterback was going to roll right, he was going to put it right there and I was going to jump it, knock it down and go jump up in the crowd," said Suggs, a senior quarterback/safety for St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake.
Instead, all he got on the pass was a fingertip. The result was a two-point conversion completion from Rocori senior quarterback Jack Steil to senior wide receiver Andrew Anderson, giving the Spartans a 22-21 overtime victory and the Class 4A title. Suggs threw a touchdown pass and the Wolfpack kicked the extra point on the opening possession of the extra session.
"I knew I had to go to my best wide receiver, and I trusted that he would make the play," Steil said.
Three other finals presented big moments or featured big performances in 2019:
- Wayzata senior running back Christian Vasser carried a Prep Bowl record 49 times in a 35-20 triumph over Champlin Park in Class 6A. He rushed for 285 yards and tied a Prep Bowl record with five touchdowns.
- Chaska put together a frantic 10-play, 80-yard drive, concluding with a 1-yard touchdown run by senior Stevo Klotz with 42 seconds remaining, to beat St. Thomas Academy 10-7 in Class 5A. "Wow. Exciting game. Good finish," Chaska coach Bryan Dahl said.
- Pierz senior running back Matthias Algarin scored on an 1-yard run with 38 seconds left as Pierz rallied to beat Dassel-Cokato 28-27 in Class 3A. He ran for 165 yards and three touchdowns. "That's what he does," Pierz coach Dan Saehr said. "The kid's a playmaker."
State championship games
Class 6A: Wayzata 35, Champlin Park 20
Class 5A: Chaska 10, St. Thomas Academy 7
Class 4A: Rocori 22, St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake 21 (OT)
Class 3A: Pierz 28, Dassel-Cokato 27
Class 2A: Caledonia 26, Minneapolis North 0
Class 1A: Blooming Prairie 41, BOLD 15
Nine-Man: Mountain Lake Area 22, Hancock 14
![Wayzata players celebrated with their student section after the win over Lakeville South. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/3RGDDAGZ5FZGNQYUCROV5RH6GM.jpg?&w=712)
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
