Minneota defeats Breckenridge 49-14 for Class 1A Prep Bowl title

The Minnesota Star Tribune

November 21, 2025 at 2:35 PM

When the Minneota Vikings stepped onto the Minnesota Vikings’ field Friday morning, none them knew the sting of losing.

That remains true.

Minneota defeated Breckenridge 49-14 at U.S. Bank Stadium and won the Class 1A Prep Bowl for the fourth time in a row. The Vikings (13-0) won their 46th game in a row, the longest active streak in Minnesota.

Minneota last lost on Oct. 19, 2022, to Dawson-Boyd. The Vikings lost twice that season.

“It feels great, but also kind of weird, because we’ve never really known what losing is,” Minneota senior Joey Lacek said. “We’ve only ever lost three games that we can recall: two of them on varsity and one of them in a JV game. So, to me it just feels kind of normal, which feels wrong.”

Lacek, a running back and kick returner, had a 58-yard run in the third quarter that set the team up in the red zone for its second-to-last touchdown of the game. It was typical Minneota, a quick score driven by a big play.

Breckenridge allowed Minneota just eight seconds of ball possession in the first quarter and led 7-0 after a 12-yard pass from Riley Kappes to Cooper Roberts.

In the second quarter, the Vikings got their chance. Quarterback Tristen Sussner flicked a 23-yard pass to Brock Fier and set up a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Sussner.

That started Minneota’s roll, which continued with a 44-yard touchdown pass by Sussner later in the quarter. After sophomore Randy Sorensen reached a glove toward U.S. Bank Stadium’s glass ceiling and intercepted a pass from Kappes, Sussner connected with Landon Esping on a flea-flicker that ended with Esping strolling into the end zone without any Breckenridge players on his tail.

When Sussner scored his second rushing touchdown of the game, a 10-yarder that gave Minneota a 21-7 lead in the second quarter, the gold-helmeted Vikings had found a rhythm. Sussner made it 28-7 in the third quarter with a 23-yard score.

Easton Johnston returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown, and Kellen Bradley scored on runs of 3 and 25 yards in the third quarter.

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Breckenridge (13-1) produced a fourth-quarter touchdown when running back David Erlandson, who led the game with 167 rushing yards, lofted a 3-yard pass to Kappes for a score.

Breckenridge coach Carson Yaggie said Minneota wins because it is prepared to win.

“They’re really fundamentally sound in everything they do,” he said. “Their kids do a great job not making mistakes. They do a really good job of making sure they have a lot of different answers to each and every play.”