Minnesota's high school football playoffs have reached the state tournament stage — the final eight teams in each of the seven classes — and quarterfinals will be played Thursday through Saturday.
Four in-state Gophers football recruits advance to state tournament; one gets Ohio State offer
Koi Perich, who received an Ohio State offer Monday, is among four Gophers-committed players now three wins from winning a state championship.
November 7, 2023 at 5:44PM
The Gophers' 2024 recruiting class features seven players from Minnesota who have given verbal commitments, and four of them will see action in the state tournament. Here is a look at those players, plus the three other Gophers-committed Minnesotans who had their seasons end short of the state tournament:
In Class 6A, top-ranked Eden Prairie, with defensive lineman Mo Saine, meets Lakeville North at 7 p.m. Friday at Spring Lake Park High School. Saine, a 6-4, 260-pound three-star recruit, helped the Eagles (10-0) beat Eagan 42-14 in a section final.
In Class 5A, Chanhassen, with defensive end Sam Macy, plays Mahtomedi at 1 p.m. Saturday at Apple Valley High School. The Storm (10-0) edged Mankato West 37-36 in a section final. Macy, a three-star recruit, has 34 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2½ sacks this season.
In Class 4A, Hill-Murray, with cornerback Simon Seidl, plays Byron at 6 p.m. Friday at Eastview High School. Seidl, a three-star recruit, helped the Pioneers (8-2) defeat Chisago Lakes 42-36 in a section final by returning the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.
In Class 3A, Esko, with safety Koi Perich, plays Annandale at 1 p.m. Saturday at Brainerd High School. Perich, a four-star recruit who's the top-ranked player in the Gophers 2023 class, had seven tackles and an interception, along with rushing for 153 yards and three TDs, in a 34-14 section final win over Pequot Lakes. Perich on Monday received an offer from Ohio State.
Three future Gophers saw their seasons end before the state tournament:
Prior Lake, with 6-5, 295-pound defensive lineman Jide Abasiri, lost 26-23 in overtime to Centennial in a Class 6A section final. Abasiri had 41 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks entering the section final. The Lakers finished 5-5.
Detroit Lakes lost 30-28 to Rocori in a Class 4A section final, with linebacker recruit Mason Carrier scoring a touchdown on a 1-yard run. The Lakers finished the season with a 7-2 record, and through seven games Carrier had 66 tackles.
Mankato West wide receiver Jalen Smith saw his season end in the 37-36 loss to Chanhassen. The Scarlets finished 8-2, and Smith surpassed 40 receptions and 550 yards with nine touchdowns.
No. 3 Michigan State scored the final four goals and rallied past top-ranked Minnesota for a 5-3 victory.
