Wildcats advance to first 2A Prep Bowl
Like a magician, Goodhue senior quarterback Luke Roschen did it all for the Wildcats as they reached the Prep Bowl in class 2A with a victory over the previously undefeated Holdingford Huskers 24-7 Friday night at U.S. Bank Stadium.
His first act came midway through the first quarter when he was able to break to the outside and race down the sideline, on a tightrope at times to stay in bounds for an 83-yard rushing score and a 7-0 lead for the Wildcats.
Late in the second quarter he found junior Owen Roschen for a 35-yard touchdown strike and Goodhue had increased their lead to 14-0. Holdingford put themselves back in the game with a quick answer touchdown when Husker senior quarterback Jaxon Bartkowicz kept it himself and rambled for a 10-yard touchdown run bringing the score to 14-7 at halftime.
Luke Roschen tries to break a tackle in Goodhue’s 24-7 win over Holdingford Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. LPF PHOTO BY JEFF ANDERSON/AJ PHOTOGRAPHYIn the second half Goodhue’s defense frustrated Holdingford with a swarming pass rush and stout tackling holding the Huskers to eighty-three total yards of offense. As impressive as the defense was, the offense held the ball for 75 percent of the 2nd half and converted all 4 of 4 fourth down attempts. Senior running back Hayden Holm finished off an eighteen play 58-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge to increase Goodhue’s lead to 21-7.
The back breaker came with a little under six minutes left in the game when on a 4th and 6 for Goodhue, Holdingford brought the house and got to Roschen as he was about to release a pass. Roschen fumbled the ball when hit, bounced it like a basketball off the turf, and calmly gained 19 yards to move the chains and keep the clock moving for the Wildcats. Junior kicker Christian Monjarez-Mendez was true from twenty-five yards out to put the game out of reach for Goodhue 24-7.
Goodhue’s Owen Roschen goes up for a pass as a Holdingford defender tries to intercept. LPF PHOTO BY JEFF ANDERSON/AJ PHOTOGRAPHYFor Roschen’s encore he intercepted a Bartkowicz pass with two minutes left and Goodhue, then put his own offense in victory formation as Goodhue will return to the Prep Bowl for the first time in Class 2A, they previously won the Prep Bowl in Class A in 2007.
Goodhue will play Jackson County Central for the state 2A title on Friday November 21st at U.S. Bank Stadium with kickoff set for 4PM.
Full Game Stats: https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025-fb-aa-goodhue-holdingford_0.pdf
Please support our sponsors:
