Prepville, MN: Unforgettable Stories of High School Sports

Description

John Millea spent more than 25 years covering high school sports in Minnesota. Starting at the Star Tribune and then continuing in a groundbreaking role as a staff journalist for the Minnesota State High School League, he traveled to all corners of the state to find the most extraordinary stories about young athletes, their teams, and the communities that supported them.

Millea wrote about Joe Mauer when he was an 11th-grade multi-sport superstar and Kris Humphries long before he married Kim Kardashian. However, many of Millea’s most cherished stories featured athletes who would never go on to fame and fortune in the sports world. Whether writing about giant metro-area schools with state-of-the-art facilities or embedding himself with a nine-man football team many miles away, Millea built a reputation as one of Minnesota’s preeminent storytellers—someone who looked beyond the wins and losses to find tales of community, courage, inspiration, and triumph.

Prepville, MN is a collection of 42 of Millea’s favorite stories from his time at the Star Tribune and the Minnesota State High School League. Ranging from 1997 to Millea’s retirement in 2025, these stories capture a snapshot of Minnesota and the compelling young people who continue to inspire.