Star Tribune staff picks: Prep Bowl XXXV

Staff writers Jim Paulsen (62-14) and David La Vaque (49-27) square off one final time this fall. They don't see eye-to-eye on every game in the first Prep Bowl held at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Jim says: We've talked about Elk River's awesome Straight-T offense. And its unsung defense, which shut down Owatonna's wide-open attack. And then there's this: the kickoffs of Austin Solors. He hits them high and deep and forces opponents to drive the length of the field. Elk River always wins the field position battle.

Pick: Elk River 28, Spring Lake Park 14

David says: Spring Lake Park tallied 4,403 rushing yards this season and quarterback Zach Ojile produced 38 percent (1,679). But he's not 100 percent. His left ankle got taped during the second quarter last week and Ojile did not run the ball in the second half. If he can't run the Panthers offense can't function well.

Pick: Elk River 21, Spring Lake Park 10

Jim says: There's a dark horse in every tournament, a team overlooked early on but playing its best football at the perfect time. Benilde-St. Margaret's is that team. The speed of running back Ricky Floyd is a game-changer. Winona will try everything to stop him, but every team tries to do that. The Red Knights have figured out how to counter.

Pick: Benilde-St. Margaret's 30, Winona 26

Pick: Winona 28, Benilde-St. Margaret's 20

Jim says: Teams go into the games against St. Croix Lutheran thinking they can physically overwhelm the Crusaders' smallish line. Then those little guys show the value of precision and quickness and the same opponents come away shaking their heads in defeat. St. Croix Lutheran gets overwhelmed by no one.

Pick: St. Croix Lutheran 28, Rochester Lourdes 21

David says: St. Croix Lutheran can block, but how the Crusaders tackle will mean a ton. Just ask Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, which could not stop Lourdes' speed option attack as defenders struggled to win individual battles.

Pick: Rochester Lourdes 38, St. Croix Lutheran 28

Pick: Caledonia 36, Eden Valley-Watkins 28

David says: The semifinals saw the Warriors trail for the first time this season before rolling to victory. Quarterback Owen King, trigger man of the explosive Caledonia passing attack, threw four touchdown passes. This time, Caledonia goes wire-to-wire and wins.

Pick: Caledonia 31, Eden Valley-Watkins 13

Jim says: While Noah Carlson and his 2,600-plus rushing yards are the fulcrum of the Rushford-Peterson attack, the Trojans are not a one-trick pony. North shut down Wabasso's run-centric offense, but R-P is much more diverse. The Trojans have more than 1,600 yards passing and two receivers north of 34 catches each.

Pick: Rushford-Peterson 32, Minneapolis North 20

Pick: Minneapolis North 22, Rushford-Peterson 20

Jim says: Grand Meadow hasn't given up a point in the state tournament, but the Superlarks haven't faced a passing offense as potent at Cleveland's. Grand Meadow hasn't scored fewer than 35 points in any game, either. Cleveland will score, but not enough.

Pick: Grand Meadow 44, Cleveland 36

David says: The Superlarks, who crushed Cleveland in the state quarterfinals 52-14 last fall, will have a tougher time in the rematch. Clippers quarterback Carter Kopet is a winner, though a moral victory is all Cleveland musters in this game.

Pick: Grand Meadow 35, Cleveland 28