Stewartville repeats as Class 3A state champs with 43-22 victory over Dassel-Cokato

To some observers, Stewartville has been masquerading as a Class 3A football program all season, culminating with a 43-22 Prep Bowl victory over Dassel-Cokato on Saturday.

Too big to fail? Not at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Tigers (14-0) boasted too much talent in too many places to not repeat as 3A state champions. The defeat was so complete, Stewartville widened its margin of victory enough to warrant the mercy rule for a small portion of the fourth quarter.

Stewartville also earned a second consecutive perfect season, and the program’s 28th consecutive victory. Two years go, the Tigers competed as a Class 4A power. The drop in classification was for administrative purposes only.

“We go compete with the guys we have walking our hallways and we’re just blessed to have this group of athletes,” Stewartville coach Garrett Mueller said. “Could we go compete against bigger schools? Maybe. But to go with 28 in a row is really tough. To do that consistently just speaks volumes.”

Consistency set Stewartville apart Saturday. Dassel-Cokato (11-2), the 3A champion in 2021, could not get its defense off the field. The Tigers went 8-for-11 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down.

“Being really good on first and second down sets us up for success on third downs,” Mueller said.

Senior running back Dylan Scanlan ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns for Stewartville. Junior running back Abdimalik Abdi added 63 yards on the ground and a score. Junior quarterback Vincent Wellik posted an efficient 6-for-7 on passes for 87 yards.

For statistical beasts, however, look at Parker Wangen’s numbers as a runner, kicker and defensive back: He had two catches for 47 yards and one touchdown, two rushing touchdowns, one interception, went 1-for-1 on field goals (25 yards) and had seven kickoffs for 360 yards (51.4 average).

Dassel-Cokato was led by Kobee Thielen (107 rushing yards) and Caleb Smock (92 yards). The duo represented the 23 seniors battling for the Chargers. Stewartville, which entered the game with seven shutouts this season, gave up only 4.5 points per game entering the championship game.

“We came up a little short on a couple plays and you’ve got to be almost perfect against them,” Dassel-Cokato coach Ryan Weinandt said.