Friday will mark the sixth time that the high school football team based in Jackson has played for a state championship.
Jackson won the state Class B title in 1985.
Jackson County Central is playing in the finals for the fifth time. The Huskies played for the Class 3A crown in 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2015. This will be the first time JCC has played for the Class 2A title.
Here’s the result of each of those games and a look at events of the time.
1985
Class B: Jackson 26, Mahnomen 20
Jeff Brown scored two touchdowns for the Blue Jays. Wade Wacker was 10-for-13 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 52 yards on 12 carries.
On that date
No. 1 TV show: The Cosby Show
No. 1 Movie: Rocky IV
No. 1 song: We Built This City, Starship
No. 1 book: The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel
Governor of Minnesota: Rudy Perpich
U.S. President: Ronald Reagan
Significant news story: The first meeting between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev was held in Geneva.
1997
Class 3A: Albany 55, Jackson County Central 7
In its first year as a school district, JCC went through the season without a loss until falling to Albany (coached by former Jackson High School coach Jim Mader) 55-7 in the championship game. It was 13-7 at halftime.
On that date
No. 1 TV show: CBS Sunday No. 1 Movie ‘Borrowed Hearts’
No. 1 Movie: Starship Troopers
No. 1 song: Candle in the Wind 1997, Elton John
No. 1 book: The Ghost by Danielle Steel
Governor of Minnesota: Arne Carlson
U.S. President: Bill Clinton
Significant news story: Bobbi McCaughey gave birth to septuplets in Des Moines. This was the first time all seven babies were born alive and survived infancy.
1998
Class 3A: Foley 21, Jackson County Central 7
The Huskies reached the state championship game for the second straight year and played a Falcons team that had gone 0-8 the previous season. This year’s opponent in the finals, Staples-Motley, is two years removed from an 0-9 campaign.
On that date
Governor of Minnesota: Arne Carlson
U.S. President: Bill Clinton
No. 1 TV show: ER
No. 1 Movie: The Waterboy
No. 1 song: Doo Wop (That Thing), Lauryn Hill
No. 1 book: A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe
Significant news story: The United States House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee begins impeachment hearings against U.S. President Bill Clinton.
2001
Class 3A: Jackson County Central 42, Becker 7
Lucas Rosenbrook rushed for 201 yards on 24 carries as the Huskies rolled to the win. Ryan Place scooped up a fumble and went 69 yards for a touchdown to give JCC a 28-0 halftime lead.
On that date
Governor of Minnesota: Jesse Ventura
U.S. President: George W. Bush
No. 1 TV show: The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
No. 1 Movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
No. 1 song: Family Affair, Mary J. Blige
No. 1 book: Desecration by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
Significant news story: Microsoft enters the gaming console market with the release of the Xbox, a sixth-generation gaming console, in the United States.
2015
Class 3A: Pierz 36, Jackson County Central 8
The Pioneers pulled away from the Huskies after leading 15-8 at halftime at TCF Bank Stadium. Easton Bahr threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Salzwedel and Keegan Moore ran in the conversion to account for the JCC scoring.
On that date
Governor of Minnesota: Mark Dayton
U.S. President: Barack Obama
No. 1 TV show: Sunday Night Football, Cincinnati at Arizona
No. 1 Movie: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
No. 1 song: Hello, Adele
No. 1 book: The Crossing by Michael Connelly
Significant news story: The Paris Climate Accord was produced after two weeks of intense talks between 195 countries at a climate change summit in Paris.
2024
Class 2A: Jackson County Central (12-0) vs. Staples-Motley (12-0), 4 p.m. Friday, U.S. Bank Stadium
On that date
Governor of Minnesota: Tim Walz
U.S. President: Joe Biden
No. 1 TV show: Monday Night Football, Houston at Dallas
No. 1 Movie: Deadpool & Wolverine
No. 1 song: A Bar No. 1 song (Tipsy), Shaboozey
No. 1 book: The Waiting by Michael Connelly
Significant news story: President-elect Donald Trump is announcing his nominees for cabinet positions.
All-state team
Two JCC juniors were named to the first all-state team selected by the Minnesota Star Tribune. There were 25 players named to the team, encompassing each of the state’s seven classes.
Weston Rowe was named as an offensive lineman and Romas Voss was selected as an athlete.
Second Prep Bowl for Cardinals
Staples-Motley has made one appearance in a Prep Bowl.
That came in 1988 when the Cardinals lost to Lakeville (which had one school at the time) 35-28 for the Class A title.
FWIW, Lakeville is now Lakeville North, has an enrollment of 1,694 and plays in Class 6A. Staples-Motley has an enrollment of 287.
JCC’s current enrollment is one more than Staples-Motley with 288.
Another FWIW, in 1997 JCC defeated St. Michael-Albertville 35-15 in the state semifinals. STMA also now plays in Class 6A with an enrollment of 2,092, more than seven times JCC’s.
First meeting
Jackson County Central and Staples-Motley have never met in football.
Both schools are traditional wrestling powers and have met once in a state tournament.
In the quarterfinals of the 1999 Class 2A tournament, the Huskies defeated the Cardinals 27-22. Bryce Vancura gave JCC the win when he won by fall in the heavyweight match.
Jackson County Central went on to win the first of its nine state titles, beating New Prague 35-16 in the semifinals and St. Michael-Albertville 30-18 in the championship match.
Here are the results of the 1999 JCC win over Staples-Motley:
Jackson County Central 27, Staples-Motley 22
103-Kollin Leopold (JCC) dec. Chris Brietenfeldt (S-M) 8-2
112-Brett Hussong (JCC) dec. Tyler Bendson (S-M) 8-3
119-Marc Harwood (JCC) maj. dec. Jason Becker (S-M) 16-8
125-Derek Harwood (JCC) dec. Chad Hoffmann (S-M) 4-3
130-Jamie Carlson (S-M) maj. dec. Steve Majerus (JCC) 12-1
135-Tony Johnson (S-M) dec. Ben Caven-Johnson (JCC) 9-5
140-Jeff Thompson (S-M) dec. Andy Nesseth (JCC) 10-3
145-Mark Carlson (S-M) pin Kayle Pauling (JCC) 5:32
152-Wayne Storry (S-M) dec. Dusty Wilking (JCC) 10-5
160-Nathan Baker (JCC) tech. fall Jason Gustason (S-M) 4:42 23-7
171-Dru Wilking (JCC) dec. Jeff Lorber (S-M) 7-3
189-Matt Rice (S-M) dec. Jeremiah Knabe (JCC) 6-0
275-Bryce Vancura (JCC) pin Ron Desmarais (S-M) 1:20