Finally — the big game: Blooming Prairie earns its first ever trip to the Prep Bowl with win over Ada-Borup
Published 2:43 pm Saturday, November 16, 2019
- Blooming Prairie’s Matthew Pryor celebrates with teamates after scoring the team’s first touchdown of the game against Ada-Borup in the Minnesota State Class A Football Tournament semifinals Saturday at US Bank Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Read more on the game here: Defense stifles Ada-Borup as BP heads to the Prep Bowl
BLOOMING PRAIRIE – The wait was worth it.
Blooming Prairie head football coach Chad Gimbel has guided the Awesome Blossoms to five state tournaments in the past nine years, and he will finally coach in his first ever Minnesota Class A Prep Bowl after the Blossoms defeated Ada-Borup by a score of 41-0 in the semifinals in U.S. Bank Stadium Saturday.
“I’ve been doing this for 23 years and this is our fourth time in the semifinals,” Gimbel said. “To do it with these guys is awesome. To finally break through is a huge step for us and for our kids. Not everybody gets to do this.”
Blooming Prairie’s Alex Baldwin tries to shake a tackle against Ada-Borup in the Minnesota State Class A Football Tournament semifinals Saturday at US Bank Stadium. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
BP will get a rematch with BOLD in the title game at U.S. Bank Stadium at 10 a.m. on Nov. 29.
BOLD, the defending Class A champs, ended BP’s season with a 37-7 win in last year’s state semifinals and they beat Browerville 56-7 in this year’s state semifinals.
“That loss was our driving force throughout the offseason,” BP senior Matthew Pryor said. “We’ve been trying to go 1-0 every week, but the end goal has always been getting revenge.”
BP senior lineman Jarrett Larson said the team was playing for more than just themselves on Saturday.
“This isn’t just our accomplishment. This is for all of the players before us, who taught us the Blossom way and taught us tradition,” Larson said.
