Jackson County Central is set to clash with Norwood Young America in the Class AA State Football quarterfinal round on Friday night. 

The two unbeaten teams will battle inside Pesonen Stadium at Orono High School in Long Lake. 

The 10-0 Huskies are the #2 South seed after securing their first Section 3AA three-peat and advancing to the state bracket for the 11th time in school history. JCC has the top-ranked offense and defense in Class AA but NYA is not far behind. Huskies head coach Tom Schuller says this is by far the most talented team they have faced. 

 FULL INTERVIEW: JCC FB coach vs NYA state 11-8-24 

The 11-0 Raiders are the #3 South seed after winning the Section 4AA title. They are in the state playoffs for the seventh time and first since 2016. They have won 19 of their past 20 games with 10 of those victories coming over Class A opponents. Coach says the Huskies have to be ready to go. 

Our coverage begins at 6:40 with kickoff at 7:00 p.m. on KKOJ. 

You must purchase your tickets digitally in advance. More information is available here. 

 

The top South seed Chatfield outlasted the #4 South seed Triton 23-22 on Thursday in Hastings. That means that JCC would play at 9 a.m. next Friday if they advance. Chatfield will play in the other semifinal at 4:30 p.m. 

The #3 North seed Staples-Motley upset #2 North seed Barnesville 46-44  in double overtime at St. Cloud Tech on Thursday night. 

Kimball Area is the top North seed and will play #4 North seed Moose Lake-Willow River on Friday in Brainerd. 

JCC would play Kimball Area if both teams win in the quarterfinals. An upset win by Moose Lake-Willow River would lead to a semifinal matchup with Staples-Motley for JCC.

US Bank Stadium will be the host of the Class AA state semifinal games on Friday, November 15 and the Class AA Prep Bowl on Friday, November 22.