Jackson won the 1985 state Class B football title with a 26-20 win over Mahnomen as part of Prep Bowl IV at the Metrodome.
The Bluejays set two records in that game, one of which still stands heading into Prep Bowl XL Friday and Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Jackson fumbled the ball six times in the win. That mark has been surpassed twice.
Silver Lake fumbled eight times in a 30-14 win over Verndale in the nine-man game in 1987 and St. Croix Lutheran also had eight fumbles in a 34-21 loss to Pierz in Class 3A in 2017.
The other record still stands as the Bluejays lost five of those fumbles.
In 13 games leading up to Prep Bowl that season, Jackson had lost just nine fumbles.
For some, the fumbles may have taken the luster off the accomplishment of the first state football title in school history.
“You hate to say that, because it makes it sound like we’re not too happy,” said Coach Tyrone Wacker to the Worthington Daily Globe. “But we’re the happiest team in the world right now. We executed our plays. We just dropped the danged ball.”
Jeff Brown scored two touchdowns for JHS and had 63 yards on eight carries. Bruce Johnson ran for 82 yards on 16 tries and a TD.
Wade Wacker was 10-for-13 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown and he also ran the ball 12 times for 52 yards. John Lilleberg caught five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.
It was the second state title for Coach Wacker, who led Gaylord to the Class C title in the first year of the state playoffs in 1972.
JCC’s state title
Jackson County Central has one state title, claiming the Class 3A title with a 42-7 win over Becker during Prep Bowl XX on Nov. 23, 2001.
Lucas Rosenbrook rushed for 201 yards on 24 carries for the Huskies.
Ryan Place scooped up a fumble and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown that gave JCC a 28-0 halftime lead.
Back-to-back
In that 2001 Prep Bowl, Windom played for the Class 2A state title prior to Jackson County Central playing in the Class 3A game.
The Eagles had gone 4-4 during the regular season playing in a loaded Southwest Conference. JCC defeated Windom 20-15 in Week 6.
The Eagles would go on to win five postseason games before falling 27-20 to Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City at Prep Bowl.
That Windom team was led by Kole Zimmerman, who went on to be a four-year starter at linebacker at North Dakota State and was a three-year captain. He also played baseball for the Bison.
Prep Bowl appearances
Jackson
1985 (Class B): Jackson 26, Mahnomen 20
Jackson County Central
1997 (Class 3A): Albany 55, Jackson County Central 7
1998 (Class 3A): Foley 21, Jackson County Central 7
2001 (Class 3A): Jackson County Central 42, Becker 7
2015 (Class 3A): Pierz 36, Jackson County Central 8
Prep Bowl schedule
Friday, Dec. 2
Class 1A
Springfield (11-2) vs. Minneota (11-2), 10 a.m.
A pair of southwest Minnesota teams match up in the opening game of the weekend.
Minneota has won seven state titles, starting with a 52-19 win over Sherburn-Dunnell for the 1986 Class C title. That was the first of three state titles for the Vikings, who also won Class C titles in 1987 and 1988.
Minneota won Class 1A state titles in 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2017. The Vikings were also second in 1993, 2013 and last year, losing 20-14 to Mayer Lutheran.
Springfield is making its second appearance in a state title game. The Tigers won the Class 1A title in 2005, beating Goodhue 21-16.
Class 2A
Barnesville (12-0) vs. Chatfield (12-0), 1 p.m.
Barnesville has never won a state football title, finishing second three times.
The first runner-up finish for the Trojans came on a cold, snowy night in St. Cloud in 1978 when they lost 48-8 to New Richland-Hartland for the Class B title in a matchup of teams that ran wishbone offenses.
Barnesville also lost the Class 1A championship game to New Ulm Cathedral in 2010 and the Class 2A title game to Caledonia in 2018.
Chatfield is the defending Champion 2A champion, edging West Central Area/Ashby 14-13 in the championship game. The Gophers won three state Class C titles from 1994-1996 and also won the Class 2A crown in 2013 when they beat JCC in the quarterfinals.
Class 4A
Simley (11-1) vs. Hutchinson (11-1), 4 p.m.
Hutchinson returns to defend its Class 4A title. The Tigers beat Kasson-Mantorville 42-14 in last year’s championship game. Hutchinson won Class A state titles in 1983 and 1984, and Class 4A crowns in 1998, 2012 and 2013.
The Tigers were also second in 4A in 2003.
Simley is in a championship game for the second time. The Spartans were second in Class 5A in 2014.
Class 6A
Maple Grove (12-0) vs. Rosemount (11-0), 7 p.m.
Maple Grove is in Prep Bowl for the second time, having lost 13-7 to Lakeville South last year.
Rosemount was the Class AA champion in 1981 and was runnerup in Class 5A in 2010 and Class 6A in 2013.
Saturday, Dec. 3
Nine-Man
Mountain Iron-Buhl (12-0) vs. Spring Grove (13-0), 10 a.m.
Mountain Iron-Buhl is seeking its first state football title. Mountain Iron won the Class B title in 1972.
Spring Grove won back-to-back nine-man titles in 2017 and 2018.
Class 3A
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (12-0) vs. New London-Spicer (10-2), 1 p.m.
DGF is playing in its first Prep Bowl in its eighth trip to the state tournament.
NLS won the state Class 3A title in 2009 and finished second in 2013 and 2014.
Class 5A
Elk River (12-0) vs. Mankato West (12-0), 4 p.m.
Elk River won the 2016 Class 5A title and was second in Class AA in 1990 and Class 5A in 2017.
Mankato West won the Class 5A state title last year with a 24-10 win over Mahtomedi.
It’s the school’s fourth state title. The Scarlets were Class 4A champs in 1999, 2002, 2008 and 5A in 2014.