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)

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Volleyball - State Class AA Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #8 New London-Spicer vs #1 Hawley 1:00pm

Volleyball - State Class AA Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #5 New Life Academy of Woodbury vs #4 Southwest Christian 1:00pm

Volleyball - State Class AA Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #7 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winstead vs #2 Albany 3:00pm

Volleyball - State Class AA Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #6 Esko vs #3 Chatfield 3:00pm

Volleyball - State Class A Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #8 Northwoods vs #1 Mayer Lutheran 5:00pm

Volleyball - State Class A Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #5 Cleveland vs #4 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 5:00pm

Volleyball - State Class A Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #7 Nevis vs #2 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 7:00pm

Volleyball - State Class A Quarterfinals at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul - #6 Ada-Borup-West vs #3 Fillmore Central 7:00pm

Football - State Class 9-player Quarterfinals North - #4 Cook County vs #1 Kittson County Central at Grand Rapids High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class 9-Player Quarterfinals South - #3 Mabel-Canton vs #2 Hillcrest Lutheran Academy at Buffalo High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class 9-Player Quarterfinals North - #3 Cromwell-Wright vs #2 Fertile-Beltrami at Moorhead High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class 9-Player Quarterfinals South - #4 Red Rock Central vs #1 Hills-Beaver Creek at Southwest Minnesota State University 7:00pm

Football - State Class AA Quarterfinals South - #3 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown vs #2 Goodhue at Hastings High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class AA Quarterfinals North - #3 Moose Lake/Willow River vs #2 Eden Valley-Watkins at St. Cloud Apollo High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class AAAA Quarterfinals North - #3 Orono vs #2 Fergus Falls at Alexandria High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class AAAA Quarterfinals South - #4 Totino Grace vs #1 Marshall at Blaine High School 6:00pm

Football - State Class AAAA Quarterfinals North - #4 Benilde-St. Margarets vs #1 Grand Rapids at Brainerd High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class AAAA Quarterfinals South - #3 Hill Murray vs #2 Kasson-Mantorville at Stillwater Area High School 7:00pm

Friday, November 7, 2025

Football - State Class A Quarterfinals South - #4 Lester Prairie vs #1 Minneota at Jordan High School 5:30pm

Football - State Class A  Quarterfinals North - #3 Upsala/Swanville Area vs #2 Mahnomen/Waubun at Becker High School on 99.7 FM Hot Rod Radio 7:00pm

Football - State Class A Quarterfinals North - #4 Barnum vs #1 Breckenridge at Morris 7:00pm

Football - State Class A Quarterfinals South - #3 Murray County Central vs #2 Fillmore Central at Rochester Mayo High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class AA Quarterfinals North - #4 Barnesville vs #1 Holdingford at Brainerd High School 7:00pm

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

Saturday,  November 8, 2025

Football - State Class AA Quarterfinal South - #4 Caledonia vs Jackson County Central at Orono High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class AAA Quarterfinals South - #4 Holy Family Catholic vs #1 Waseca at Apple Valley High School Noon

Football - State Class AAA Quarterfinals South - #3 Minneapolis North vs Pine Island at Totino-Grace High School Noon

Football - State Class AAA Quarterfinals North - #4 Litchfield vs Annadale at Rocori High School 7:00pm

Football - State Class 5A Quarterfinals South - #4Rochester Mayo vs #1 Saint Thomas Academy at Woodbury High School Noon

Football - State Class 5A Quarterfinals South - #3 Cretin-Derham Hall vs #2 Chanhassen at Osseo High School Noon

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

Football - State Class 5A Quarterfinals North - #4 Minneapolis Washburn vs #1 Elk River at Forest Lake 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.