The Chanhassen Storm will take the field at US Bank Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. for the Class 5A State Championship against undefeated Spring Lake Park. For a talented group of seniors who have grown up together on the football field, this will be their final game wearing Storm blue and gold.
Win or lose, it’s the last dance for Team 17.
A Journey Years in the Making
This senior class has shown flashes of greatness since they first stepped onto the football field as youth players. In 2023, a handful of sophomores played key roles in Chanhassen’s dramatic 34-31 Prep Bowl victory over St. Thomas Academy — a game that came down to the final play, when then-sophomore Kade Bush scored a walk-off touchdown in overtime.
Now, two years later, Bush and his fellow seniors have one more chance to finish their high school careers with another championship.
“I’ve definitely thought about how it’s my last high school game a lot,” Bush said. “I don’t think it’s about keeping those emotions in check as much as it is using them for fuel to play my hardest. If you use them as a tool, those big emotions can be a big help for the game.”
Bush, who will play college football at West Virginia, was recently named to the Star Tribune All-Minnesota team alongside teammates Nathan Ramler and Owen Linder. Ramler, the senior quarterback who has guided the Storm all season, and Linder, an Iowa commit who anchors the offensive line, form the core of a senior class that has delivered when it matters most.
This year’s playoff run has been reminiscent of that 2023 championship season — filled with close games, dramatic comebacks and clutch performances in critical moments. The Storm defeated rival Chaska 14-0 in the section championship, edged Cretin-Derham Hall 23-19 in the quarterfinals and survived a back-and-forth semifinal battle against defending state champion Elk River 22-19.
For Linder, the experience of having been to the Prep Bowl before provides both perspective and calm.
“The experience will help a lot — we’ve been here before and know what it takes for the win, but Spring Lake Park is a strong team and it’ll be a challenge,” he said.
Playing for Each Other
Senior linebacker Jack Carlson emphasized that despite the magnitude of Saturday’s game, the Storm’s approach won’t change.
“Even though it’s the Prep Bowl, we’re gonna prepare the same for any game. It’s one of the reasons we have been so consistent and successful,” Carlson said. “For the seniors, it is our last game. It will for sure be an emotional game at the end, but we can’t focus on that. All we can do is focus on one play at a time to give ourselves the best chance to win.”
Ramler echoed that sentiment. “I agree with Jack, I think we have to do the same preparation and process we’ve been doing all year and trust our work,” he said.
The team’s unity has been on full display both on and off the field. Following a Chanhassen tradition for state tournament teams, most of the roster dyed their hair blonde.
“It’s just been a traditional thing when Chanhassen teams go to State, they bleach their hair, and our whole team decided to do that,” senior receiver Logan DeAlwis said.
Head Coach Cullen Nelson, who has guided this group through their entire high school journey, couldn’t be more proud of what “Team 17” — representing Chanhassen’s 17th season of football — has accomplished.
“I’m excited to get to coach Team 17 for one more week, and I’m proud to coach them,” Nelson said.
Bush reflected on advice from his older brother Daxton, a standout on the 2023 championship team, as he prepares for his final high school game.
“My brother reminds me to take nothing for granted my senior year and play as hard as possible because I would regret it if I didn’t,” Bush said.
The Perfect Panthers
Standing between Chanhassen and another championship is an undefeated Spring Lake Park team riding its own magical season. The Panthers enter Saturday’s Prep Bowl with a perfect 12-0 record, having outscored opponents 366-127 — a remarkable turnaround from last year’s 4-6 campaign.
Eighth-year head coach John Stewart has built a physical, run-first offense led by junior quarterback Nolan Roach and senior running back Lamari Brown. The Panthers’ playoff run has echoed Chanhassen’s — they survived a 13-12 overtime thriller against Alexandria in the quarterfinals on a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch, then rallied from a halftime deficit to outscore St. Thomas Academy 20-0 in the third quarter of their 39-23 semifinal victory.
Roach rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns in that semifinal win, while Brown added 139 yards and two scores of his own. The Panthers’ triple-option attack features depth in the backfield and an efficient passing game that strikes when defenses sell out to stop the run.
Coach Nelson knows his defense will have its hands full.
“They run a triple option offense, we need to be physical, assignment-sound, and tackle well,” Nelson said. “They are a very athletic team on defense and fundamentally sound. We will have to execute at a high level on offense.”
Ramler knows the Panthers’ defense will test the Storm offense. “SLP has a very good defense, they play fast and very hard. It will be a super competitive and physical game, and I know we are ready for it!”
Carlson echoed that assessment: “SLP is a good and talented team. It will be a dogfight to the end.”
The Last Dance
Saturday’s Prep Bowl features two teams that have earned their way to the championship with hard-fought wins. The Panthers would complete a magical undefeated campaign. The Storm would capture its second title in three years.
For the seniors of Team 17, the outcome will define their legacy. But regardless of what happens on the scoreboard, this group has already proven they belong among the elite programs in Minnesota high school football.
As Linder put it: “I try my best to not think about it as much, but it does help that we know it is the last one. Nothing to lose, and we know we have one more game with each other, so just try to take in every moment this week.”
Saturday at 4 p.m., the Storm will take the field one last time together. It’s their last dance, and they intend to make it count.
The Class 5A Prep Bowl kicks off Saturday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. at US Bank Stadium. Tickets can be purchased at www.mshsl.org/tickets. The game will be televised on Channel 45 and livestreamed at www.prep45.com.
