Let’s start with Rodkewich’s numbers this season. According to MNFootballHub.com (Star Tribune), he leads the state in every meaningful QB measurement. Number one in completions (147), passing yards (2,194) and touchdowns (26).

Congratulations to Caden Rodkewich from St. Anthony Village for leading the state statistically in every major passing category! Very impressive individual numbers but more importantly helping his team gain momentum into playoffs. #612Qs???? pic.twitter.com/xf7RjV6mdi

— 612 Quarterbacks (@612Qs) October 23, 2022

Top MN High School QB’s

Of course, Caden isn’t sitting off radar in all circles. He has plenty of DII interest and multiple offers at that level. It’s the DI programs that are yet to see the light. This while other Minnesota high school quarterbacks, with less impressive numbers, are committed or have offers from local and out-of-state division one programs.

Those names include Max Shikenjanski (Stillwater), who just committed to the Minnesota Gophers as a preferred walk-on. And Jacob Kizer (Maple Grove), who has offers from both Ohio University and St. Thomas.

Rodkewich does have a unique throwing motion. But the more you watch him sling it, the more you realize it may be a strength. His quick, almost sidearm, flick gives the football plenty of juice out of his hand and allows Caden to get throws off in traffic, when other throwing motions wouldn’t be fast or dynamic enough to adjust to the situation.

Accolades Abound

On the football field, Rodkewich is a 2-year varsity captain and 3-year varsity starting quarterback His awards, so far, include Tri Metro All Conference Honorable Mention; Basketball All District; “Why We Play” football award winner and he’s logged hundreds of volunteer hours working with youth sports.

For Caden Rodkewich, excelling is a part of life and stretches beyond the football field. This is a kid who has a 3.8 GPA. He takes PSEO courses AP/Honors courses, runs with the National Honor Society and he’s captained the varsity basketball team for two years.

They just don’t make a lot of stand-up high school football players like Caden. His eight combined varsity letters between football and basketball tell you everything you need to know about his athletic ability.

Rodkewich is the full package

But at the quarterback position, success extends far beyond athleticism. Can he lead? Can his teammates count on him when times are tough or moments are tight? Those questions are answered by his multi-year captaincy status in two sports, the off-field accolades he’s received and the time he’s volunteered in his community.

If there is one quarterback in the state of Minnesota who can lead and set the right example, as any good starting quarterback must do, it’s Caden Rodkewich. Some kids just need a shot. Hopefully, there’s a DI football coach out there who will be smart enough to give Rodkewich his.

SkolGeek | Minnesota Sports Fan

Anyone that went to High School in Minnesota knows how fun Friday evenings are, at that age. Sure, more students are worried about their Instagram caption and their postgame trip to Applebee’s, rather than the game, itself. Win or lose, football is built into fall Friday nights around the entire country.

As with anything in life though, winning is preferred… and some schools are better at it than others. A website called stadiumtalk.com went out and named the most decorated football program in every state. Eden Prairie High School was named Minnesota’s top program. You don’t have to look far to see why.

It all starts with their head coach, Mike Grant. Mike is the son of the legendary Minnesota Vikings head coach, Bud Grant.

“The younger Grant won back-to-back titles twice (1996-97 and 2006-07), then reeled off four straight state titles from 2011 to 2014.”

“That stretch was brutal for opposing offenses with a pair of future NFL linebackers, Blake Cashman and Ryan Connelly, on the opposite side.”

StadiumTalk.com

Sustained Success

122-14 since 2009 is pretty good, right? What about winning 11 state Championships in 25 years, including 4 straight from 2011-2014?

Then, look at how many guys the Eagles’ have sent to the NFL… The list includes former Minnesota Vikings T Carter Bykowski, New York Giants LB Ryan Connelly, and former Golden Gopher (current New York Jets) LB Blake Cashman.

The most recent player to splash at the next level, after graduating from Eden Prairie, is current Nebraska Cornhuskers’ WR JD Spielman, son of Vikings GM Rick Spielman. In 2015, J.D Spielman won the Metro Player of the Year.

Eden Prairie’s JD Spielman is the Star Tribune’s Metro Football Player of the Year https://t.co/8SH9A1QdSk pic.twitter.com/8rw0UouEar

— Star Tribune Sports (@StribSports) November 10, 2015

Everyone knows how good Eden Prairie has been on the football field. It seems every year we are watching the Eagles in the Prep Bowl, trying to win yet another state title.

We will have to see if Mike Grant can lead the Eagles back to the promised land in 2020. For anyone grumbling under their breath at the selection of Eden Prairie, just remember… it could be Edina.

Cam Thompson | Minnesota Sports Fan

Owatonna td pass, extra point good, Elks down 63 to 26

— Elk River Football (@ElkRiverElksFB) November 26, 2017

Final Score: Owatonna 63, Elk River 26

NOT EVEN CLOSE! The Packers probably won’t even lose by that much tonight. The Owatonna boys got their revenge from last year’s loss to Elk River. The Elks, who rushed for 701 yards in their previous contest, got beat at their own game. The Huskies Jason Williamson rushed for 213 yards and 5 TDs. The RB also returned a kick for a score. 6 TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS! That ties a prep bowl record.

Williamson is yet to decide upon a college, but has another year. Check out the 6’1″ 191 pound Junior’s highlights from this season:

Owatonna QB Abe Havelka completed 11 of 15 passes in the win. The senior threw for 7 TDs in the champs semifinal battle. His ability to burn the defense through the air was huge throughout their season. Also, a shout-out to the big fellas. Those five did a hell of a job blocking all night long. What a way for the beef up front to go out!

The football title is the second in the school’s history (2013).

Full Prep Bowl Results:

9 Man – Spring Grove 32, Nevis 0
Class A – Minneota 28, Wabasso 13
Class AA – Caledonia 57, Pipestone 6
Class AAA – Pierz 34, St. Croix Lutheran 21
Class AAAA – Academy of Holy Angels 14, Cloquet 0
Class AAAAA – Owatonna 63, Elk River 26
Class AAAAAA – Eden Prairie 38, Minnetonka 17

Highlights:

Johnny Minnesota  @mnsportsnstuff
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

Photo: ANTHONY SOUFFLE – STAR TRIBUNE

Fast start and strong finish fuel Eden Prairie state title https://t.co/RIoy3IRfOb pic.twitter.com/F5Z31z2GPJ

— Eden Prairie Sports (@epnewssports) November 25, 2017

Can you say dynasty? That’s some Alabama shit. The Class AAAAAA game, played at US Bank Stadium, featured a bit of theatrics. On the FINAL PLAY of the second quarter, Minnetonka QB Aaron Syverson tossed up a 40 yard Hail Mary. WR Jackson Owens was able to come down with the catch. An extra point later, the Skippers had cut Eden Prairie’s lead to seven (24-17).

Eden Prairie’s Antonio Montero talked about how they reacted to the Hail Mary at halftime. The Metro Player of the year said that play “lit a fire. A pretty big one.” That young man wasn’t lying. Coach Mike Grant’s team scored on their first two 2nd-half possessions, extending the lead to 38-17. A 2nd-half shutout by the EP defense would seal it. Game. Set. Match.

Congratulations to everyone involved in that program! You guys/gals got this pigskin stuff dialed in.

2017 MN Metro Player of the Year literally does it all on the football field. #MSHSL

?:@MNsportsNstuff

https://t.co/brB8mPhpte

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 23, 2017

Yesterday’s Results:
9 Man – Spring Grove 32, Nevis 0
Class AA – Caledonia 57, Pipestone 6
Class AAAA – Academy of Holy Angels 14, Cloquet 0
Class AAAAAA – Eden Prairie 38, Minnetonka 17

Today’s Schedule:
Class A – Minneota vs. Wabasso (currently 13-7 in 3rd quarter – 10AM start)
Class AAA – St. Croix Lutheren vs. Pierz (1 PM CST)
Class AAAAA – Elk River vs. Owatonna (4 PM CST)

All of the action can be seen on KSTC Channel 45.

The featured game today is the Class AAAAA championship. Elk River looks to defend its state title vs. a pass-happy Owatonna team. To refresh your memory, Elk River is coming off a semi-final victory where they rushed for 701 yards. The Elks threw ZERO passes and ran the rock SIXTY TIMES in that contest. On the other side of the fence, Owatonna has an equally effective, very different approach. Their QB, Abe Havelka, threw 7 TDs in his teams 56-28 semifinal victory. There should be no shortage of points in this one.

.@ElkRiverElksFB ran 60 times and passed 0 in the State Tourney Friday.

That led to…. #MSHSL

?: @MNsportsNstuff https://t.co/6ZH8WC7802

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 18, 2017

Johnny Minnesota  @mnsportsnstuff
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

Photo: SHARI L. GROSS, STAR TRIBUNE

Is there anything Eden Prairie’s Antonio Montero can’t do? Um, no, there isn’t. That’s why he’s the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year. https://t.co/xKDVf9GaER pic.twitter.com/N6n4sxEgWu

— Star Tribune Sports (@StribSports) November 22, 2017

The two-way player comes in at 6′ and 215 LBS. As for the next level, Montero would prefer to play linebacker. The Metro Player of the Year recipient is yet to commit to a University. The Eagle’s Captain has drawn interest from Illinois and the Air Force Academy. 247Sports.com has him ranked as the 156th OLB in the country.

Check him out for yourself:

What are they feeding this young man? Protein bars and No-Doz? Holy hell. He’s averaging 1.75 touchdowns and 9 tackles per game. IN CLASS AAAAAA! Those aren’t nine man numbers (no offense to those gentlemen). Did I mention he’s the kicker? In their semifinal game against Maple Grove, Montero gave Eden Prairie a 6-0 lead on two FGs. He backed that up by scoring the games next two touchdowns. That’s enough physical activity to put the average human into cardiac arrest. Not Antonio. He was only halfway done. Montero tallied eight tackles on the other side of the ball on Eden Prairie’s way to a 26-0 shutout. It will be entertaining to watch him fly all over US Bank field tomorrow night.

Last years winner was Maple Grove’s, Brad Davison. Davison is currently in his first year with the Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Program. *nearly bites tongue in half*

Other notable recipients since 2000 include; J.D. Spielman (2015), Anders Lee (2008), Michael Floyd (2007), Blake Sorenson (2006), Nathan Swift (2003), and Joe Mauer (2000). For a complete list of the winners, click here: Star Tribune Past Metro Players of the Year.

After HS Joe Mauer had to decide if he was going to be a football QB or a baseball catcher. I think he picked correctly. @MSHSLjohn 11/26/99 pic.twitter.com/FcomyUxu2H

— Zinn Beck (@ZBDigitalibrary) August 25, 2017

Johnny Minnesota  @mnsportsnstuff
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

Why should he have? Per mnfootballhub.com, The Elks finished with 701 rushing yards in their 51-40 win over Apple Valley. 701 RUSHING YARDS! 60 runs, 0 passes. They will now play in the 5A Championship for the second straight year. The defending champs will face the winner of today’s Owatonna vs. Brainerd contest.

Hamilton’s team runs a deceptive Wing T Offense. Take a look:

My condolences to the camera men/women who cover the Elks. Like the camera men/women, the defense knows the run is coming. They just have no idea who is ACTUALLY taking the handoff.

As a football fan, I can’t stand to watch them play. In my opinion, the offense is a carnival-style gimmick. WITH THAT SAID, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I extremely respect what Hamilton has been able to do with that football program. They’re one game away from officially completing the repeat. The Elks have come a hell of a long way since the 2010 “broom hazing” fiasco.

Such an impressive turnaround, the coach has some hardware to show for it:

Congrats to Coach Steve Hamilton on being named the Minnesota Coaches Association’s (@MNFBCoachesAsso) Class 5A Coach of the Year

— Elk River Football (@ElkRiverElksFB) January 8, 2017

Shout-out to the Elk River athletes. In particular, Adam Nelson and his 302 rushing yards. You guys are the ones that accomplished this feat. The fact I don’t enjoy watching the offense means nothing. Who the hell am I, right? A win is a win. They don’t ask how, they ask how many. Good luck next weekend.

Apple Valley ate up their own share of yards under the US Bank roof. Tyus Jones’s alma mater finished with 509 yards of offense and 40 points. They should be proud of everything they accomplished this season.

As for the Eagle’s fans, leave the “white-out” to Penn State:

Apple Valley is doing white out because they are about to be whited out from the state tournament #backatthebank

— Abby (@ajanef33) November 17, 2017

Johnny Minnesota @mnsportsnstuff
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

Photo: Jean Pieri / Pioneer Press