<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0fn787_0w3jpFQY00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0fn787_0w3jpFQY00" width="912" height="513" ><figcaption>Mankato West players in in the 2022 MSHSL playoffs. Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz was the defensive coordinator for the Scarlets on the 1999 state championship team. | Jeff Lawler </figcaption></figure> Democratic Vice Presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is set to attend a <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/stats/minnesota/football" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Minnesota high school football </a> game on Friday night in Mankato. Walz will watch <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/stats/minnesota/football/teams/243329-mankato-east-cougars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Mankato East </a> (5-1) play <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/stats/minnesota/football/teams/260661-mankato-west-scarlets" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Mankato West </a> (3-3) at Blakeslee Stadium. In a video from the Minnesota Star Tribune, Walz addressed Mankato West players before the 7 p.m. kickoff. The rivalry game is called the "Jug Game," and the Kato Jug is awarded to the winner of the game. Mankato West has won the game 18 times in a row. Walz is a <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/national/tim-walz-kamala-harris-choice-for-vice-president-coached-mankato-west-football-in-the-90s-01j4m2vwm144" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> former defensive coordinator </a> and school teacher for Mankato West High School. He coached the Scarlets in 1999 when they won their first state championship in school history. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Video from <a href="https://twitter.com/JpLawrence3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow"> @JpLawrence3 </a> in Mankato with Gov. Tim Walz ahead of the Kato Jug battle between East and West. Read more about Walz's return to Mankato tonight: <a href="https://t.co/95MFFpeNvw" rel="nofollow"> https://t.co/95MFFpeNvw </a><a href="https://t.co/K3si3CsALj" rel="nofollow"> pic.twitter.com/K3si3CsALj </a> — The Minnesota Star Tribune (@StarTribune) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarTribune/status/1844868217790988459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow"> October 11, 2024 </a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Walz joins the teams in Mankato for the coin toss. Video by <a href="https://twitter.com/JpLawrence3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow"> @JpLawrence3 </a><a href="https://t.co/IUR6yLQaxj" rel="nofollow"> pic.twitter.com/IUR6yLQaxj </a> — The Minnesota Star Tribune (@StarTribune) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarTribune/status/1844885589381857656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow"> October 11, 2024 </a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> On Friday morning, the Kamala Harris-Walz campaign posted video of the former coach on his YouTube page, including interviews with former players. Mankato West had a 27-game losing streak before a new coaching staff, with Walz, took over. "The program was really struggling," former Mankato West head coach Rick Sutton said in the video. "We were going through some really, really lean years. One of the things that helped us was [Walz's] ability to build relationships with students." <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2PvCqK_0w3jpFQY00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2PvCqK_0w3jpFQY00" width="912" height="513" ><figcaption>Members of the Mankato West High School football team on stage during the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike De Sisti-USA TODAY | Mike De Sisti-USA TODAY </figcaption></figure> Walz ran a 4-4 scheme while at Mankato West. That means four defensive lineman and four linebackers in. It's a strategy primarliy used to stop run-heavy teams. In 1999, the Scarlets started the season 2-4, but they got hot and won the state title weeks later. Walz has used his time in coaching throughout his political career. In 2021, Walz referenced the 1999 championship in his State of the State address at Mankato West High School with a football helmet in the background. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> "I don’t think we would’ve won that state championship if we hadn’t lost at the beginning of the season," Walz <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?510352-1/minnesota-state-state-address" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> said </a> . "It taught us grit, resilience, and the true meaning of teamwork. Each player stayed in his lane and did his part to bring home that first state title." In 2024, Mankato West is 3-3 with wins over Northfield, Waconia and Chaska, and losses to Andover, Chanhassen and Owatonna. Mankato East is having a good season and is ranked No. 23 in <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> High School on SI's </a><a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/top-25-minnesota-high-school-football-rankings-10-7-2024-01j9kphsvj2j" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Minnesota high school football rankings </a> . <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2gXdYJ_0w3jpFQY00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2gXdYJ_0w3jpFQY00" width="912" height="513" ><figcaption>Democratic VP candidate Tim Walz speaks shortly after arriving at Harrisburg International Airport for a Central PA bus tour. | Matthew Toth / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images </figcaption></figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><hr> More Minnesota high school football coverage from High School on SI <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/vote-who-is-the-top-defensive-lineman-in-minnesota-high-school-football-in-2024-01j9ey5h157j" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Vote: Who is the top defensive lineman in Minnesota high school football in 2024? </a><a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/vote-who-is-the-top-offensive-lineman-in-minnesota-high-school-football-in-2024-01j923rx2z0g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Vote: Who is the top offensive lineman in Minnesota high school football in 2024? </a><a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/top-20-receivers-and-tight-ends-in-minnesota-high-school-football-9-18-2024-01j83hs768j2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Top 20 receivers and tight ends in Minnesota high school football </a><a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/top-20-running-backs-in-minnesota-high-school-football-01j7prjqv241" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Top 20 running backs in Minnesota high school football </a><a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/top-quarterbacks-in-minnesota-high-school-football-in-2024-01j7hdh1yxd4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Top quarterbacks in Minnesota high school football in 2024 </a><a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/minnesota-high-school-football-2024-preseason-all-state-offense-01j4sxyx5m4x" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> MINNESOTA PRESEASON ALL-STATE OFFENSE </a> | <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/minnesota-high-school-football-2024-preseason-all-state-defense-01j4wafh8k68" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> DEFENSE </a><a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/rankings/sblive-si-top-25-national-high-school-football-rankings-8-26-2024-01j67sv2480x" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Minnesota high school football: Predicted order of finish for each section in Class 5A </a><a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/minnesota-high-school-football-predicted-order-of-finish-for-class-6a-in-2024-01j5xnxtza7b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Minnesota high school football: Predicted order of finish for each section in Class 6A </a><hr><h2> Download the SBLive App </h2><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/lr/app/sblive-sports/id1550337702#?platform=iphone" rel="nofollow"> Download iPhone App </a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scorebooklive.sblivesports&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US&amp;pli=1" rel="nofollow"> Download Android App </a> This article was originally published on highschool.si.com as <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/minnesota/vice-presidential-candidate-tim-walz-to-attend-minnesota-high-school-football-game-01j9ynaq8czg?utm_source=RSS" rel="nofollow"> Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz to attend Minnesota high school football game </a> . </div></body>

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Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz to attend Minnesota high school football game

Democratic Vice Presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is set to attend a Minnesota high school football game on Friday night in Mankato. Walz w