Minneota lands loudly in the Class 1A Prep Bowl, routing Brooten-Belgrade-Elrosa

U.S. Bank Stadium has been known to inspire awe and wonder when high school football players experience it for the first time.

Minneota has been there. Repeatedly. It makes a difference.

The defending Class 1A state champion, Minneota leaned on its familiarity to crush first-time entrant Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 63-6 in the Class 1A semifinals on Saturday.

The Vikings were making their 16th state tournament appearance; they've won eight state championships. Minneota (13-0) will play in the Prep Bowl for the fifth time in the past 10 years.

"It's a crazy thing to walk in and see the facility," senior receiver Maxwell Rost said. "Then you start realizing it's a football game and we've got a job to do."

The difference between the stadium vets and BBE's newbies was evident early, and it was stark.

Vikings junior running back Ryan Meagher, a 5-9, 195-pound boulder with legs, went 65 yards for a touchdown on their first play from scrimmage, igniting a conflagration of points and yards that overwhelmed BBE.

"We obviously started pretty fast," Minneota coach Chad Johnston said. "We definitely wanted to establish the run, and [Meagher is] the guy to get that going right off the bat."

Meagher spent most of Saturday running through the BBE defense. He rushed for 186 yards on 16 carries and scored four touchdowns, all before halftime. Minneota (13-0) built a 49-6 halftime lead.

The lone bright spot for BBE (11-1) was a 57-yard second-quarter touchdown pass from backup quarterback Luke Illies to Hayden Sobiech.

"It's not like our guys were starstruck, but we were coming out here for the first time," BBE coach Chris Moscho said. "It's new territory."