Prior Lake‘s high school football season appeared to be headed nowhere after four consecutive losses to open the 2026 campaign.

Six straight victories later, the Lakers are suddenly one of the most compelling stories in Minnesota’s Class 6A state playoffs.

And they aren’t finished yet.

Fresh off a stunning 19-14 upset of previously unbeaten and top-ranked Moorhead, Prior Lake (6-4) will attempt to continue its remarkable turnaround Thursday, November 12, when it faces Rosemount (7-3) in the Class 6A state quarterfinals at Maple Grove High School.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central.

The matchup offers Prior Lake an opportunity to accomplish two things: advance to the state semifinals and avenge one of the losses that contributed to its disastrous start.

Rosemount defeated the Lakers 15-14 on September 18, handing Prior Lake its fourth consecutive loss to open the season.

The Lakers haven’t lost since.

From 0-4 to One of Minnesota’s Hottest Teams

Few teams remaining in Minnesota’s football playoffs have traveled a more unlikely path than Prior Lake.

After opening the season with four straight defeats, the Lakers faced the prospect of a disappointing campaign. Instead, they regrouped and began putting together a winning streak that has carried them into the final eight teams in Class 6A.

Their sixth consecutive victory was easily their most impressive.

Moorhead entered its playoff matchup against Prior Lake undefeated and widely regarded as one of the leading contenders for the state championship.

The Spuds featured a talented roster that included four players committed to the University of Minnesota, giving them one of the state’s most recognizable collections of college-bound talent.

But Prior Lake delivered the biggest surprise of the Class 6A postseason.

The Lakers held Moorhead to 14 points and emerged with a 19-14 victory, abruptly ending the Spuds’ perfect season and championship aspirations.

For a Prior Lake team that couldn’t win a game during the first month of the season, the victory represented an extraordinary reversal of fortune.

It also sent a message to the rest of the Class 6A playoff field: The Lakers are no longer the team that opened the season 0-4.

Rosemount Gets Another Shot at the Surging Lakers

Thursday’s quarterfinal presents a fascinating rematch between two teams that have already played one of the closest games of Prior Lake’s season.

Rosemount escaped with a 15-14 victory when the teams met September 18.

At the time, the result left Prior Lake winless and searching for answers.

Nearly two months later, the circumstances have changed dramatically.

The Lakers have won six consecutive games, including their stunning victory over Moorhead, and enter the rematch with considerable momentum.

Rosemount, meanwhile, advanced to the quarterfinals with an impressive 35-7 victory over St. Michael-Albertville.

The Irish have demonstrated they can beat Prior Lake, but the Lakers’ recent performances suggest Thursday’s matchup could look much different from their September meeting.

For Prior Lake, the challenge will be maintaining the defensive intensity that helped derail Moorhead’s unbeaten season.

For Rosemount, the objective is to slow a team that has transformed itself from an early-season disappointment into a legitimate postseason threat.

A Trip to U.S. Bank Stadium Awaits

The stakes extend beyond another playoff victory.

Thursday’s winner advances to the Class 6A state semifinals on November 20 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, moving one victory closer to playing for a state championship.

For Rosemount, advancing would represent another important step in its postseason pursuit.

For Prior Lake, it would add another chapter to one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Minnesota high school football this season.

The Lakers have already overcome an 0-4 start, won six consecutive games and eliminated an undefeated championship contender loaded with Division I talent.

Now they have an opportunity to avenge a one-point defeat against the same opponent that handed them their fourth loss.

A victory over Rosemount would make Prior Lake’s transformation even more extraordinary.

And it would leave the Lakers just one win away from playing for a Minnesota Class 6A state championship.