Sports

Be listening for our sports updates at 6:10am, 7:20am, 8:20am, 12:20pm & 5:20pm on Hometown Radio KEYL AM1400 & FM 103.1 and 99.7FM Hot Rod Radio 

Area high school sports schedule

(Events are subject to change due to weather conditions or other factors)

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Volleyball - Class 4A State Tournament Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena is St. Paul - 1:00pm #1 Lakeview South vs #8 Alexandria, 1:00pm #4 Apple Valley vs #5 Roseville Area, 3:00pm #2 Eagan vs #7 Blaine, 3:00pm #3 Champlin Park vs #6 Chanhassen

Volleyball - Class 3A State Tournament Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - 5:00pm #1 Benilde-St. Margaret's vs #8 Hill-Murray, 5:00pm #4 Cretin-Derham Hall vs #5  Stewartville, 7:00pm #2 Marshall vs #7 Totino-Grace, 7:00pm Princeton vs #i6 Sauk Rapids-Rice

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Volleyball - Class 2A State Tournament Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena is St. Paul - #1 New Life Academy of Woodbury vs #8 East Grand Forks 1:00pm, #4 New London-Spicer vs #5 Dovery-Eyota 1:00pm, #2 Southwest Christian vs #7 Watertown-Mayer 3:00pm, Minnewaska Area vs #6 Rush City 3:00pm

Volleyball - Class A State Tournament Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #1 Minneota vs #8 Pine River-Backus 5:00pm,  #4 Sacred Heart School vs #5 Chisholm 5:00pm, #2 Fillmore Central vs #7 Sleepy Eye St. Mary's 7:00pm,  #3 Mayer Lutheran vs #6 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 7:00pm

Football - State 2A Quarterfinals North - #3 Osakis vs #2 Redwood Valley at St. Cloud Apollo High School 7:00pm - On 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Football - State 2A Quarterfinals North - #1 Aitkin vs #4 Hawley at Brainerd High School 6:00pm

Football - State 2A Quarterfinals South - #1 Caledonia vs #4 Cannon Falls at Rochester Mayo High School 7:00pm

Football - State 2A Quarterfinals South - #2 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown vs #3 Jackson County Central at Hastings High School 7:00pm

Football - State 9-Player Quarterfinals North - #1 Kittson County Central vs #4 Cook County at Moorhead High School 6:00pm

Football - State 9-Player Quarterfinals North - #2 Cromwell-Wright vs #3 Clearbrook-Gonvick at Grand Rapids High School 7:00pm

Football - State 9-Player Quarterfinals South - #1 Hills-Beaver Creek vs #4 Spring Grove at Southwest State University in Marshall 7:00pm

Football - State 9-player Quarterfinals South - #2 Border West vs #3 Wabasso at Dovery-Eyota High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class 3A Quarterfinals North - #1 Pierz vs #4 Albany at Monticello High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class 4A Quarterfinals South - #2 Willmar vs #3 Hill-Murray at Blaine High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class 4A Quarterfinals South - #1 Byron vs #4 Totino-Grace at Owatonna High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class 4A Quarterfinals North - #1 Orono vs #4 S-M-B Wolfpack at Buffalo High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class 6A Quarterfinals - Champlin vs Forest Lake at Spring Lake Park High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class 6A Quarterfinals - Prior Lake vs Rosemount at Maple Lake High School 6:00pm

Football -State Class 6A Lakeville South vs Minnetonka at Eastview High School 6:00pm

Friday, November 13, 2026

Football - State Class A Quarterfinals North - #1 Upsala/Swanville vs #4 Park Christian at Morris 7:00pm - On 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio

Football - State Class A Quarterfinals North - #2 Breckenridge vs #3 Mountain Iron-Buhl at Becker High School 6:00pm

Football -State Class A Quarterfinals South - #1 Minneota vs #4 Mayer Lutheran at Southwest State University in Marshall 7:00pm

Football - State Class A Quarterfinals South - #2 Springfield vs #3 Southland at Kasson-Mantorville High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class 3A Quarterfinals North - #2 Dilworth-Glyndon- Felton vs #3 Annadale at Alexandria High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class 3A Quarterfinals South - #2 St. Croix Lutheran Academy vs #3 Dassel-Cokato at New Prague High School 7:00pm

Football -State Class 4A Quarterfinals North - #2 Grand Rapids vs #3 Fergus Falls at Brainerd High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class 5A Quarterfinals North - #1 Monticello vs #4 Bloomington Jefferson at Forest Lake High School 7:00pm

Football - Class 6A Quarterfinals - Shakopee vs Centennial at Farmington 6:00pm

Saturday, November 14, 2026

Football - State Class 3A Quarterfinals South - #1 Waseca vs #4 Zumbrota-Mazeppa at Apple Valley High School 12:00pm (noon)

Football - State Class 5A Quarterfinals North - #2 Brainerd vs #3 Spring Lake Park at Rocori High School 1:00pm

Football - State Class 5A Quarterfinals South - #1 Cretin-Derham Hall vs #4 Northfield at Woodbury High School 1:00pm

Football - State Class 5A Quarterfinals South - #2 Mankato West vs #3 Hastings at Park Center High School 1:00pm

KEYL and Hot Rod Radio are proud of our Sports Director - Kevin Houdek 

KEYL/KXDL Sports Director Kevin Houdek honored with WCCO Viewers’ Choice For Best H.S. Football Announcer In Minnesota 

Kevin Houdek has been calling games for the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Thunder for 30 years. His knowledge of the teams and the game sheds a bright light for those who can’t attend.

“People all over the country [listen in],” Houdek said. “A guy from Browerville that’s down in Arizona, I’ll get a text from him every once and a while, you know, saying, ‘Great game.'”

On this night, the Thunder are playing the Staples-Motley Cardinals. Both teams were 0-2 — and hungry for a win.

“It’s not life or death,” he said. “It’s to have a good time and stay professional, and remember you’re broadcasting for two teams, not just your home team.”

Kevin Houdek (credit: CBS)

Sports teams and the media often clash, but Houdek has earned the respect of Activities Director Dan Zetah.

“Our coaches … really like him and respect him,” Zetah said. “He’s very savvy with the numbers, with stats. You ask him a stat about something, he’s got it right there.”

Listening to Houdek — as he delivers names and stats with computer-like precision — might be overwhelming to some, but it’s like poetry to someone who’s into the game.

“I think you can get some broadcasters … that can maybe get a little more opinionated or maybe get negative more, if you want to use that term. He doesn’t get that way at all,” Zetah said.

And it’s clear that Houdek loves his work.

“It’s so much fun,” he said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve appreciated it even more. Even at this level, I go to a game and every night I know somebody’s going to do something amazing.”

So if you’re ever driving through central Minnesota on game night, tune your radio to 1400 AM to hear the small-town guy who, in his own way, has hit the big time.

“A teenager’s going to pull off a big play, or they’re going to play their best game ever, and everybody’s having fun, and I’m having fun, too,” Houdek said.

-- Courtesy WCCO

 

KEVIN HOUDEK NAMED SID HARTMAN MEDIA AWARD WINNER

 

He was recognized at the 11th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on April 29 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

 

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - April 16, 2018 - Longtime radio sports director and broadcaster Kevin Houdek will receive the Sid Hartman Media Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the National Football Foundation. He was recognized at the 11th Annual Minnesota Football Honors on April 29 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Houdek has spent 30 years as the sports director at KEYL/KXDL Radio in Long Prairie, Minnesota. Last fall he won WCCO TV’s Viewers’ Choice Award for Best High School Football Announcer. Houdek has been providing play-by-play for the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Thunder for three decades.

In addition to football, Houdek has broadcast other high school sports including volleyball, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ hockey, wrestling, baseball and softball. He has covered Minnesota State High School League state tournament games for many of those sports for his station and the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network.

Houdek is a Minnesota native who attended Danube High School before getting his associate’s degree in radio and television broadcasting at Brown Institute in Minneapolis. He is also a volunteer coach for youth baseball and wrestling and women’s slo-pitch softball, and is a 15 year veteran of the Long Prairie volunteer fire department.

The Sid Hartman Media Award is named after the Star Tribune’s most famous sports writer who is still covering local teams at age 98.