But in Saturday’s state semifinal game at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Parkers Prairie ran into a Minneota program that hasn’t missed a beat since falling in the 2021 MSHSL Class A State Championship game.
Minneota, the winner of the last two Class A state titles, had its sights set on winning its 32nd game in a row and getting back to the state championship game. And that’s exactly what it did, beating Parkers Prairie 45-0 on Nov. 16, 2024.
“Minneota is a great team, and they have been for quite some time,” Parkers Prairie head coach Mike Johnson said. “It was a big challenge that we took head-on. We knew it was going to be a battle, and our goal was to play our best football today and see where the chips fall.”
Minneota (12-0) jumped out a 7-0 as its first drive of the game was capped off with a 2-yard rushing touchdown at the 5:14 mark of the first quarter. A 10-yard rushing touchdown by Ryan Meagher gave a 14-0 lead heading to the second quarter.
A Destin Fier 24-yard touchdown run, a 54-yard touchdown pass from Larson to Fier, and a 12-yard touchdown run by Meagher gave Parkers Prairie a 35-0 lead at halftime.
“Ryan, Destin, and Lucas Rybinski had a spectacular day on offense,” Minneota head coach Chad Johnston said. “When we ran the ball, we were able to mix it up with them. That was key to our success. Our guys blocked well, too.”
Minneota’s special teams scored in the second half as Kellen Bradley returned an interception for a touchdown from 34 yards out.
Parkers Prairie finishes the season with a 9-4 record.
Parkers Prairie’s Chavous Wendt (15) hands the ball off to Zackery Ruckheim (28) during an MSHSL Class A State Tournament semifinal game against Minneota on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
“Once these guys hit the playoffs, things really took off for them,” Johnson said. “They were playing well on the sides of the ball and were coming out with some extra juice and executing the game plan. We have great leaders on our team here, and they’ve led us every step of the way.”
This run to the state semifinals gives Parkers Prairie its best finish in school history.
“We’ve had great families supporting us,” Parkers Prairie senior Joe Johnson said.
“It’s great to see the community out here supporting us,” Parkers Prairie senior Ben Wagner said. “We have a great community.”
This state semifinal finish also caps off a successful 2024 calendar year in which the Parkers Prairie baseball team placed second in the Class A State Tournament, and the wrestling team (a co-op with Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale) made it back to the team state tournament.
“It’s been an unbelievable experience,” Parkers Prairie senior Mason Boesl said.
This loss is the end of a long journey for a lot of Parkers Prairie seniors.
Four seasons ago, the Panthers went 1-8. The Panthers took a step forward in 2022, finishing 3-6.
Parkers Prairie’s Shane Hanson (25) makes a tackle as Evan Lenzen follows during an MSHSL Class A State Tournament semifinal game on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium.
The Panthers made a big leap in 2023, finishing 9-3 and making it to the state tournament for the first time in 20 years and the second time in school history.
In 2024, Parkers Prairie went to new heights, finishing as a state semifinalist.
“They’ll leave their mark on Parkers Prairie history from the top down as far as being good people, good student-athletes, and experiencing the things they have,” Johnson said. “They’ve created a buzz around the town and in the halls. I have four little kids who want to be like these guys. We couldn’t have better role models for our kids and for our underclassmen. They set the tone and set an example of what it takes to be successful, both on the field and off the field, and at the end of the day, that’s what high school sports are about. They’re both becoming better young people and becoming people who will make an impact, not while they’re just in high school but also after they leave. Their legacy and impact on our school and community will carry on for a long time.”
1/3: Parkers Prairie’s Ben Wagner makes a catch during an MSHSL Class A State Semifinal game against Minneota on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
2/3: Parkers Prairie’s Joe Johnson (32) kicks the ball during an MSHSL Class A State Semifinal game against Minneota on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
3/3: Parkers Prairie’s Mason Boesl (white jersey) tries to avoid a trio of Minneota Vikings during an MSHSL Class A State Semifinal game against Minneota on Nov. 16, 2024, at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
Parkers Prairie – 0 0 0 0 – 0
Minneota – 14 21 10 0 – 45
MINNEOTA – Brody Larson 2-yard run, Ian Myhre PAT, 5:14 (Minneota 7-0)
MINNEOTA – Ryan Meagher 10-yard run, Myhre PAT, 1:26 (Minneota 14-0)
The Los Angeles Rams’ Puca Nacua in a Toyota commercial.
Toyota
Despite warnings about its death rattles due to causes ranging from concussion violence to off-field misbehaviors, professional football keeps dragging everyone else down the field as the most reliable branding vehicle in America. Its fan base has grown to 218 million people, or almost 72 percent of the U.S. population.
And more important for big-time advertisers, there is no more potent combination of programming that demands real-time attention by TV viewers and a rich social-media environment that can enhance and contextualize everything a brand throws up on the big screen.
That’s why Toyota has gone deep again this year in its dealings with pro foot ball, serving once again as “the official automotive partner of the NFL,” including a new advertising campaign featuring league icons, game-day giveaways, a Hispanic focus and sponsorship of the booming sport of non-contact flag football for kids.
“It’s one of those properties where you don’t think it can grow or be any more popular and each year it continues to do so,” Dedra DiLilli, Toyota’s vice president of marketing communications, told me. “It’s a property that continues to grow exponentially, and for a brand like Toyota it’s something we’re ecstatic to be a part of.
“We’ve had a presence in the NFL with our NBC Sunday Night Football sponsorship, halftime integrations, and regional deals in place,” DiLilli said. “Football is an effective place for a brand to play and that helps us really entertain the idea of bringing this partnership to a more significant level.”
The new level includes a season-long schedule of content across linear broadcast, digital, paid social and in-game formats. The content features a debut spot, “We Roll Deep Anthem,” which “highlights the unifying moments that energize football fans across the country,” as Toyota’s press release put it. The commercial features NFL stars old (Eli Manning) and new, Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams and Michael Pittman Jr. of the Indianapolis Colts, as well as a mid-career star in the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy.
Toyota nods to “the game’s deep Latino heritage” with a social-media campaign featuring Christian Gonzalez in a series of videos discussing culture, family and football history with old-time quarterback Jim Plunkett and Diana Flores, captain and quarterback of the Mexican women’s National Flag Football team. They’re driving a 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser.
“We need to connect authentically with fans of the NFL in ways that stay true to our brand ethos,” DiLilli said. “That’s how this concept was born, that Toyota already is deeply embedded in the sport of football through fans and communities.”
Leveraging the players’ own social-media presence has become more important for Toyota to make the most of its ever-evolving relationship with the NFL. “The fact that lives sports are so alive and well is essential for us to continue to communicate our message through linear broadcast,” she said. “But partnering with six NFL players and their social-media footprints, and the ability for us to leverage their communications, is a critical part of our campaign.”
