The Prep Bowl is back and features Minnesota’s best high school football teams facing off on the gridiron.

“Just being able to play where the Vikings play,” says LaDamien Gatlin-Coellner, a player for Lester Prairie football. “Just having the whole town come down and watch you in this stadium is amazing.”

The Schmidt family from Becker was in the stands to watch Deegan, a junior on the Bulldogs team. His mom was even wearing his birth bracelet for good luck.

“It’s amazing to see the boys, it’s such a wonderful team,” Jen Schmidt says. “The coaches are so supportive, great leadership and the boys have such a camaraderie.”

Laura Macke’s son Joe is on the high school baseball team but he and other athletes showed up to cheer on those playing.

“So, I’m sure they’re nervous and excited,” Macke says. “There was a sendoff for them today.”

Even the teams that weren’t victorious, like Springfield losing to Minneota, had plenty of support.

“They work really, really hard,” declares Wayne Allen, a Springfield High School football dad. “Every day, summer camp, they work really hard.”

Wayne was excited for his son Mahesh, a freshman on the Springfield team in Brown County. Mahesh’s family is originally from Nepal but now they call Minnesota home.

“He went and lived in Nepal for two years, he speaks the language. He went to school over there, but now he’s back,” Wayne notes. “It’s really a testament to this rural little community that we live in.”

Click here for KSTP’s full guide to watching the 2024 Prep Bowl.