Spring Lake Park was busy getting ready for a date with Chanhassen in the Prep Bowl. The teams are playing in the Class 5A title game at US Bank Stadium on Saturday in Minneapolis.
If Spring Lake Park wins, it would be the exclamation mark to a remarkable season – a chance for head coach John’s Stewart’s team to be forever known as the “perfect Panthers.”
“We’re having a blast,” Stewart said. “These guys are a ton of fun to coach.”
Spring Lake Park ran its record to 12-0 after a 39-23 win over St. Thomas Academy in the semifinals last week. Now the Panthers will try to cap off their unblemished season with one more win.
“We’re just playing with a chip on our shoulder knowing this is our last year to do great things and make a name for ourselves,” said Spring Lake Park LB Cade Skelly. “I’m so excited. This is what we’ve been dreaming about since little kids. Making it to the bank and playing in the biggest game of our lives. I’m just so pumped. Can’t wait.”
Spring Lake Park center Jamir Hill-Smith believes the Panthers have what it takes to win the trophy.
“We’ve all been handling our business pretty well this season,” Hill-Smith said. “I feel like we’ve been doing good. On Monday we had a great practice.”
For Hill-Smith and his teammates this is a chance to be part of Prep Bowl history.
“This has always been my dream,” Hill-Smith said. “I feel like this has always been the whole team’s dream to be up here. It’s just fun.”
“Great stage”
Stewart is well aware of what this game means to the school and the entire city of Spring Lake Park.
Said Stewart: “It would ignite a ton of support and enthusiasm in our district for our school and our program.”
When the Panthers finish practicing this week in the spacious Blaine bubble, they will then play again for all the marbles in cavernous US Bank Stadium.
Stewart wants his team to soak up the experience before the game and then settle down and focus on football.
“It’s a great stage,” Stewart said. “It’s a beautiful place to play. But the field, end zone to end zone is 100 yards. It’s 53 1/3 yards wide. We’re a team of 11 high school aged boys. The game is the same even though it’s an amazing big stage.”
The Panthers have been to the prep bowl twice before 2025 and their record is 1-1.
