Cook County Vikings face Kittson County Central in state football quarterfinals

The Cook County Vikings will play the Kittson County Central Bearcats in the first round of the state football tournament at 6 p.m. tonight at Grand Rapids High School.

Cook County advanced to the state tournament with a 29-12 victory over Littlefork-Big Falls, keeping its undefeated season alive. Kittson County Central, ranked No. 3 in the state, earned the top seed in the northern bracket and is also undefeated this season.

This is a relatively young team for Cook County, with only two seniors on the roster: team captain Nick Spry and defensive end/wide receiver Parker Backstrom.

The winner of tonight’s game will advance to the state semifinals next Thursday at 1 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium.  Tonight’s game will be broadcast on WTIP.

The team departed Cook County High School shortly after 12:15 p.m. to travel to Grand Rapids. After getting a send-off from classmates inside the school, they were cheered on my family as they left school and were escorted out of town by the Cook County Sheriff’s Department.

Hear season highlights below.

Josh Hinke November 6, 2025