On Friday, November 25, the Totino-Grace football team took on Eden Prairie in a nail biting game at U.S. Bank Stadium resulting in a final score of 28-20, with Totino-Grace emerging victorious.

Kyle Halverson led the offense with 5 completions and 20 yards, combined with Ivan Burlak’s dynamic run game rushing for 161 yards.

Eden Prairie dominated the first half of the game; however, the scoreboard did not show it. The game was tied 7-7 going into halftime due to Totino-Grace’s defensive efforts. Senior linebacker Charlie Waters led the defense with 6 tackles, with fellow senior linebacker Jared Florell contributing 5 tackles.

Coming out of halftime the Eagles were a totally different team, scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to overcome Eden Prairie’s 14-7 lead. With the time running down and the score reading 21-14,  Totino-Grace managed to put a dagger in Eden Prairie with one more run resulting in another touchdown to make the score 28-14. Eden Prairie scored after as the time dwindled down. However, their efforts ran short as the final score flashed 28-20.

This is Totino-Grace’s first 6A state championship title, and the third time in a row Totino-Grace has beat powerhouse football team Eden Prairie.

Senior Brady Bertram reminisced about the win and the season overall. “For me this is a dream come true, as it is for everyone; however, I have a little backstory. I went to the Prep Bowl with my dad in 5th grade to watch Wayzata play Rosemount, and during that game I looked at my dad and said, ‘I’m going to win one of these someday.’ I had been going to Woodbury high school games since I was four and winning a prep bowl was a dream of mine for a very long time. It feels great to do it with my brothers since freshman year. We came in and knew we could be something special, and to go out on top and beat Eden Prairie in the Prep Bowl, you can’t get a much better ending than that.”

Brady also showed his gratitude towards Mrs. Woell, one of the managers of the team. He said, “I also want to thank Mrs. Woell for all that she does for our football team. Her work goes unnoticed by many,  but all the boys recognize it and are very thankful. She is like the mom of the team and always takes care of the little stuff that we need to be successful.”

The state championship was a perfect finish to the team’s undefeated season.

All statistics were found at MN Football Hub