Minnesota's Top Football Players Take It To The Bank

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- They will gather in a new venue and they will split the teams up differently Saturday night, but it's still the same game.

It's the 38th annual Minnesota High School All-Star Football Game, with some new twists. The game, which is hosted by the State High School Football Coaches Association, is no longer the Metro against the Outstate.

This year, it's the North versus the South.

"We get to room with a metro kid. They take an out of metro kid and room him with a metro kid. And I think it's kind of a good idea to get the different personalities of both kids and growing up in different areas. Playing with them is a whole different experience," said Nick Kaus, a senior wide receiver out of Mankato West.

That's the idea for the new teams is to let the city kids and rural kids know that their worlds are more similar than different.

"I like it very much and here's why I like it. I like the thought of having someone from say Duluth playing with someone from Blaine," said Ron Stolski, Brainerd football coach and president of the State High School Football Coaches Association.

And then there is the venue. For years, this game was played at Husky Stadium on the campus of St. Cloud State University. But new University of Minnesota football coach Jerry Kill wanted to change that for 2011.

Kill has made it his mission to keep the lines of communication open between him and local players and coaches, and in doing so he hopes to close the borders on the state's top recruits. What better way to do that than host the All-Star Game at TCF Bank Stadium.

"It's an honor. This is the hometown university. I've been a fan here my whole life. We grew up Gophers fans so it's pretty cool to play here. This is the fast turf, you feel a lot better and under the lights too," said Eric Kline, a senior quarterback out of Blaine.

As for the caliber of play, the annual event always creates some conversation about the state of Minnesota high school football.

"I like it and I think if you talk to Coach Kill he'll tell you in terms of Minnesota football, he's seeing the kind of high school player that he wants to see for his staff," Stolski said. "In terms of us, we're looking at 44, 80-some really good looking football players. These are good kids, it's fun to coach them. I think we're in good shape, I don't think Minnesota high school football has ever been better."