It’s a return to tradition this fall for St. Paul Public School football programs, as all five will make up the Skyway TC Red subdistrict, a de facto City Conference that will allow the teams to battle it out for St. Paul bragging rights — just like the old days.
Here’s a look at all five public-school programs heading into the season:
Central
2024 record: 3-6 (lost in Class 5A, Section 4 quarterfinals)
Returning starters: 6 on offense, 5 on defense
Impact returnees: Raheem Ruddick and Willie Harris are mainstays back on the Minutemen offensive and defensive fronts.
Shoutout to a lineman: Central coach Scott Howell said Ruddick and Harris are “both dominant” on both sides of the ball.
Schedule: vs. Kasson-Mantorville, at Cretin-Derham Hall, vs. St. Paul Johnson, at Minneapolis Southwest, at Harding/Humboldt, vs. Como Park, at Highland Park.
The skinny: Central is flush with youth this fall, but Howell hopes to see his team grow and improve with each passing week.
Central has to replace some all-important skill positions from a year ago, but look for Charlie Doerr at quarterback and Issac Leggs at running back to find some success behind their stalwarts on the offensive line.
Como Park
2024 record: 2-6 (lost in Class 5A, Section 4 quarterfinals)
Returning starters: Unknown
Impact returnees: Junior safety Tate Prinsen is a ball-hawking free safety who logged three interceptions in a game last year against Richfield.
Shoutout to a lineman: Everett Lake-Higgins was a sophomore lineman for the Cougars in 2024 who could play a role again this season.
Schedule: at Concordia Academy, at North St. Paul, vs. Minneapolis Camden, at Harding/Humboldt, at Highland Park, at Central, vs. Johnson, vs. Minneapolis North.
The skinny: While rosters can fluctuate, if the Cougars do return the likes of Prinsen, running back Jeremiah Ranson and the sea of underclassmen linemen, they could make a leap in wins from a year ago.
Harding/Humboldt
2024 record: 0-9 (lost in Class 5A, Section 4 quarterfinals)
Returning starters: “Several” on offense and “a handful” on defense, per coach Tim Daniels
Impact returnees: Senior standout Khapriece Venzant is expected to be a playmaker this fall. He won the St. Paul City Conference long jump title in the spring. “He always plays as fast as anyone on the field, or faster,” Daniels said.
Shoutout to a lineman: Daniels describes senior captain and two-way starter Nasir “Naz” Yeah as “a natural born leader” who “has excelled as the heartbeat of the football team. Nas is a player that every coach would dream to have on their team and is a perfect example of what a student-athlete should look like and be like.”
Schedule: vs. Breck, at Tartan, at Highland Park, vs. Como Park, vs. Central, at Johnson, at Minneapolis Roosevelt.
The skinny: Harding/Humboldt is coming off consecutive winless campaigns, but Daniels — the program’s first-year coach — said he and “a dynamic group of coaches from the community are primed to win now, on the field and off the field.”
Daniels noted players have established a bond while displaying talent and versatility.
“We hope to continue to improve as student-athletes as well as young men and look forward to stacking some wins this season with the ultimate goal of hosting a playoff game and more,” Daniels said.
Highland Park
2024 record: 5-5 (lost in Class 5A, Section 4 semifinals)
Returning starters: 6 on offense, 5 on defense
Impact returnees: Eric Reed will be a dual-threat quarterback for the Scots this fall after playing running back and defensive back last season. Junior standout Brandon Jackson will play running back and linebacker after also going both ways as a sophomore.
Shoutout to a lineman: Teddy Dickie is a three-year starter up front, while junior guard and defensive tackle Marcus Tupy is described by coach Dave Zeitchick as “the strongest player on the team.”
Schedule: at Richfield, at Mahtomedi, vs. Harding/Humboldt, at Johnson, at Como Park, vs. Minneapolis Washburn, vs. Central.
The skinny: Highland Park returns experience up front and has college-level talent with the likes of Jackson, middle linebacker Joaquin Lechuga and tight end and corner Will Walter. But Reed may be the most intriguing, having won an open quarterback competition after the presumed starter was lost to injury in the spring.
It’s a roster flush with juniors (nine will start on offense, while seven will be on defense) that have taken ownership of the program and are ready to win now.
Johnson
2024 record: 3-5 (lost in Class 4A, Section 3 quarterfinals)
Returning starters: 9 total
Impact returnees: Quarterback Ali Farfan and receiver Justice Moody serve as one of the more dangerous passing combinations in the metro. Moody had eight touchdowns in seven games last fall.
Shoutout to a lineman: Senior lineman Eli Matthews is described by Johnson coach Richard Magembe as “a physical guard that gets after opposing defensive linemen. Plays with an edge and is a great leader on the team.”
Schedule: at St. Agnes, vs. St. Croix Lutheran, at Central, vs. Highland Park, at Minneapolis North, vs. Harding/Humboldt, at Como Park.
The skinny: Johnson has the athletes to win a lot of games.
Even beyond Farfan and Moody, Magembe notes Dae’majeon Henderson-Moore is “the real deal” at cornerback. “Teams do not throw his way, and when they do he usually makes them pay. He is tall and sticks to receivers like glue,” Magembe said.
Numerous Governors players had opportunities to play elsewhere this fall but chose to stay home. The question for Johnson remains: Can their best players — who play both ways — stay healthy throughout the fall so the Governors can consistently put their best foot forward?
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