GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn — Editor's note: The video above first aired April 24, 2022.
'Tis the season, for high school football and helping in the fight against a relentless opponent.
2022 marks the 11th year of the Minnesota Football Coaches Association (MFCA) Tackle Cancer campaign, which raises money to support the state's cancer community through the Randy Shaver Cancer Research & Community Fund.
Each week of the football season high school and college teams across the state choose a home game (or multiple games) in September and October, promote them as “Tackle Cancer” games in the school and community, and then collect donations at the gate before the game or in the stands during halftime.
The MFCA website says the Tackle Cancer initiative has raised nearly $2.5 million for the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund since 2012. Last year the Tackle Cancer campaign drummed up $326,297 for the fund with 135 high schools, 12 colleges plus the Vikings and Minnesota Gophers taking part.
“The MFCA Tackle Cancer campaign continues to make a lasting impact on Minnesota’s cancer community by raising funds for research and awareness for all," Randy says with sincere gratitude. "I’m super proud to partner with the state’s football coaches in supporting our cancer community.”
The goal for 2022 is $400,000. All monies raised go to support cancer research and patient aid that benefits all Minnesotans. For more on the Tackle Cancer campaign or how to get your school involved, check out the MFCA website.
Here is the list of confirmed Tackle Cancer games so far. The schedule will be regularly updated throughout the season.
Tackle Cancer Games 2022
Saturday August 27:
Heron Lake-Okabena-Fulda (Hills Beaver Creek)
Thursday September 1:
Minnesota Valley Lutheran (Dawson-Boyd)
Apple Valley (Mahtomedi)
Friday September 2:
Orono (Cooper)
Sauk Rapids Rice (Sartell)
Thursday September 8:
Anoka (Forest Lake)
Friday September 9:
St. Cloud Cathedral (Foley)
Chanhassen (Chaska)
Two Rivers (TBA)
Jefferson (St. Louis Park)
St. Cloud Tech (Sauk Rapids-Rice)
Waterville-EM (Cleveland)
Goodhue (Triton)
Minnewaska Area (Pierz)
Rochester Mayo (Northfield)
East Grand Forks (Detroit Lakes)
Hill-Murray (Simley)
Barnum (East Central)
Providence Academy (Spectrum)
Lakeville South (Lakeville North)
Grand Rapids (Hermantown) *Joint Game*
Saturday September 10:
St. John’s (UWRF)
Thursday September 15:
Eagan (Woodbury)
Two Harbors (Aitkin)
Friday September 16:
Zimmerman (St. Cloud Cathedral)
Highland Park (Johnson)
Benilde-St. Margaret’s (Chaska)
St. Thomas Academy (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Forest Lake (Osseo)
Lake City (LaCrescent)
Plainview-EM (Triton)
New Prague (Austin)
Lakeville North (Rosemount)
Fillmore Central (Hayfield)
Brandon-Evansville (Sebeka)
Andover (Rogers)
Bemidji (Moorhead)
St. Cloud Apollo (Rocori)
Academy Force (Providence Academy)
Springfield (Wabasso)
Hawley (Crookston)
Thief River Falls (Detroit Lakes)
Fridley (St. Anthony)
St. Louis Park (Two Rivers)
Totino-Grace (Centennial)
Saturday September 17:
Gophers (Colorado)
Armstrong (Cooper)
Zumbrota-Mazeppa (Cannon Falls)
Faribault (Stewartville)
Thursday September 22:
Rosemount (Eden Prairie)
Friday September 23:
Waseca (Fairmont)
Marshall (Worthington)
Kasson Mantorville (Albert Lea)
Northfield (New Prague)
Dassel-Cokato (Watertown-Mayer)
St. Francis (Andover)
Brainerd (Bemidji)
MACCRAY (RTR)
Benson (Browerville-EV)
Mahnomen/Waubun (Ada)
South St. Paul (Simley)
Princeton (Milaca) *Joint Game*
Blaine (St. Michael-Albertville)
Rocori (Chisago Lakes)
Hastings (St. Thomas Academy)
SMB Wolfpack (Minneapolis North)
Braham (Chisholm)
Maple Grove (Centennial)
Saturday September 24:
Bethlehem Academy (Fillmore Central)
St. Agnes (Providence Academy)
University St. Thomas (Lincoln University)
SW Minnesota State (Minot State)
Bethel (St. John’s)
Thursday September 29:
Waconia (Jefferson)
Friday September 30:
Hutchinson (Rocori)
Mound-Westonka (Fridley)
Spring Lake Park (Mahtomedi)
Hancock (Clinton Graceville Beardsley)
St. Michael-Albertville (Minnetonka)
Holy Family (Dassel-Cokato)
Stillwater (White Bear Lake)
Cretin-Derham Hall (Chaska)
Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop (NRHEG)
Randolph (Fillmore Central)
Maple Lake (BOLD)
Fergus Falls (Perham)
East Ridge (Woodbury)
Pequot Lakes (Detroit Lakes)
Owatonna (Northfield)
New London-Spicer (Litchfield)
Lakeview (Dawson-Boyd)
Watertown-Mayer (Annandale)
Moorhead (Sartell)
Windom (LeSueur-Henderson)
St. Peter (Belle Plaine)
Saturday October 1:
Winona State (Wayne State)
Albert Lea (Winona)
Thursday October 6:
Minnetonka (TBA)
New Ulm (Waseca)
Coon Rapids (Andover)
Fertile-Beltrami (Norman County East)
Friday October 7:
Woodbury (Park) Joint game together
Concordia Academy (Providence Academy)
Edina (Lakeville North)
Buffalo (Bemidji)
Tartan (Simley)
Belgrade-BE (ACGC)
BOLD (Benson)
Shakopee (Eden Prairie)
Rogers (TBA)
Breck (St. Agnes)
Melrose (Pierz)
Nicollet (Lanesboro)
Sartell (Alexandria)
Southland (Grand Meadow)
Mounds View (Roseville)
Mahtomedi (St. Thomas Academy)
Litchfield (Watertown-Mayer)
Crosby-Ironton (Hinckley-Finlayson)
Grand Meadow (Southland)
Dawson-Boyd (R-T-R)
Eastview (Burnsville)
North Branch (Duluth Denfeld)
Verndale (Bertha-Hewitt)
Wayzata (Maple Grove)
Albany St. Cloud Cathedral)
Foley (Princeton)
Chatfield (Caledonia)
Champlin Park (St. Michael-Albertville)
DeLaSalle (Kennedy)
Monticello (Becker)
Yellow Medicine East (Lakeview)
Sauk Centre (Howard Lake-Waverly)
Saturday October 8:
UMD (Mary)
Concordia College (Macalester)
Carleton (St. Olaf)
Augsburg (St. John’s)
Thursday October 13
South (Edison)
NRHEG (Blooming Prairie)
Fairmont (Luverne)
Esko (Aitkin)
Murray County Central (Minnesota Valley Lutheran)
Friday October 14:
Centennial (Minnetonka)
White Bear Lake (Osseo)
Roseville (Forest Lake)
Stewartville (Winona)
Rockford (Royalton)
Fosston (Bagley)
Detroit Lakes (Park Rapids)
Nevis (Park Christian)
Mora (Proctor)
Simley (Mahtomedi)
Albert Lea (Byron)
Burnsville (Eagan)
Cannon Falls (Pine Island)
Columbia Heights (Minneapolis Roosevelt)
Morris Area (Paynesville)
Cambridge-Isanti (Coon Rapids)
Pierz (Eden Valley-Watkins)
Eden Prairie (Edina)
Rochester John Marshall (Rochester Century)
Sibley East (Redwood Valley)
Wheaton-Herman-Norcross (Verndale)
Saturday October 15:
Hamline (Gustavus)
Macalester (Augsburg)
Crown College (Minnesota Morris
Concordia St. Paul (UMD)
Wednesday October 19:
Richfield (Breck)
Mankato East (Mankato West) *Joint Game*
Little Falls (Milaca)
Osseo (Blaine)
Norwood-Young America (LeSeuer-Henderson)
Farmington (Wayzata)
Bertha-Hewitt (Hancock)
Park Rapids (Thief River Falls)
Kimball Area (Upsala/Swanville)
Holy Angels (Waconia)
Pipestone Area (Windom)
Barnesville (Hawley)
Saturday October 22:
UM Morris (Martin Luther)
Tuesday October 25:
Lakeview (TBA)
Saturday October 29:
Northwestern (UMM)
Gustavus (Carleton)
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