Public school football remains alive and well in the northern and northeast suburbs, thanks in part to the presence of longtime powerhouses and private-school assassins Spring Lake Park and Mahtomedi. Both programs have one championship and one runner-up finish among their numerous state tournament trips (Spring Lake Park has nine appearances; Mahtomedi has 14).
Spring Lake Park has knocked off typically strong private schools Cretin-Derham Hall and Benilde-St. Margaret’s this season, with the Panthers’ only loss coming in a slugfest with Chanhassen on Sept. 17 (the Storm prevailed 14-7). Seniors Nate Litke (291 rushing yards) and Aaron Clausen (259 rushing yards) do much of the heavy lifting on offense for No. 10-5A Spring Lake Park (3-1).
Mahtomedi has wins over private school Hill-Murray and Cretin-Derham Hall on its resume, and the Zephyrs (4-0) are coming off last Friday’s 31-0 drubbing of Tartan. Senior Jordan Hull ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win and is No. 5-5A Mahtomedi’s primary offensive weapon.