Defense and old school option football key Komets’ victory
Brian Jerzak
In this article:
It was a cold, wet night in Lakeville when Kasson-Mantorville and Fridley met in the State 4A quarterfinals. With neither team able to get much done offensively early, one offense finally found something that worked. Despite the wet, cold conditions, K-M successfully used an old-school but high-risk attack – option football. After a scoreless first quarter, the KoMets exploded for 21 second-quarter points, paving the way to a dominating final three quarters and a 42-7 victory.
The Tigers were winning the field position battle early but could not turn any of that field position into points. After Fridley converted on a 4th and short near mid-field, the KoMets’ defense made a play. Owen Bradford exploded into the backfield and forced Fridley’s quarterback wide, right into Bradford’s teammate,
Anthony Moe-Tucker
Anthony
Moe-Tucker
5'11" | 215 lbs | ATH
Kasson-Mantorville | 2022
State
MN
.
A tackle by Brock Swanson of K-M forced another Fridley punt. On the return,
Matthew Donovan
Matthew
Donovan
5'10" | 175 lbs | WR
Kasson-Mantorville | 2022
State
MN
picked up twenty yards. A late hit out of bounds added fifteen more yards of field position for Kasson-Mantorville. With good field position for the first time all game, the KoMets’ found some space on the edges of the Tigers’ defense. Quarterback Donovan made great decisions running the option to pick up a pair of first downs, but his judgment on 4th and three from the thirty-yard line would prove to be the most critical. Getting things done on the ground, Donovan faked a handoff and dumped a pass down the middle of the field to a wide-open Gavin Giesler for not only a first down but a touchdown.
With five minutes to go in the half, the KoMets had the lead, but their second-quarter assault was just starting. After his touchdown catch, Giesler made his second straight big play with a tackle for loss. Bradford would follow that with two consecutive tackles – one behind the line of scrimmage to force another Tigers’ punt.
Back to running the option, the K-M offense continued to pick up chunks of yardage. Donovan pulled the ball down and got the offense into the red zone. Moe-Tucker would then take a pitch and cut up the middle for a seven-yard touchdown run.
After a long kickoff return, setting Fridley up near mid-field, a high shotgun snap on the first play of the Tigers’ drive resulted in a fumble recovery by K-M’s Dominic Mann. With less than two minutes to play, K-M would covert a 3rd and 12. Donovan then took to the air and found 14 for 25 yards. Evan Snow beat some one-on-one coverage to put his team in scoring position. It looked like the KoMets would run out of time, but Donovan threw another nice pass down the middle to Easton Suess. He would run – untouched – into the end zone with just eight seconds to play in the half.
Down 21-0 coming out of halftime, Fridley took a chance with an onside kick, but K-M was ready for it and started the second half with excellent field position. Sticking with the option, the first offensive play out of the locker room saw Donovan keeping the ball, cutting off the edge of the defense for a 30-yard gain. Moe-Tucker finished off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run a few plays giving his team a commanding four-touchdown lead.
With Fridley moving the ball for the first time in two quarters, another bad snap turned a third and short into a fourth and long. Bradford put pressure on the quarterback, and the rushed throw fell well short of the intended receiver.
If the game were not locked up after K-M took a 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter, a great play by Giesler would put the game away. The senior ran a crossing pattern, and Donovan put the ball on him, but the Tigers’ defensive back got a hand on it. Giesler gathered in the ball despite the excellent coverage, cut up-field, and got into the end zone. The 29-yard touchdown made the score 35-0.
The teams would exchange late touchdowns, but it was all window dressing on Kasson-Mantorville’s 42-7 state quarterfinal victory. The KoMets’ victory gives them a date with number one ranked Becker next week.
Anthony
Moe-Tucker
5'11" | 215 lbs | ATH
Kasson-Mantorville | 2022
State
MN
.
A tackle by Brock Swanson of K-M forced another Fridley punt. On the return,
Matthew Donovan
Matthew
Donovan
5'10" | 175 lbs | WR
Kasson-Mantorville | 2022
State
MN
picked up twenty yards. A late hit out of bounds added fifteen more yards of field position for Kasson-Mantorville. With good field position for the first time all game, the KoMets’ found some space on the edges of the Tigers’ defense. Quarterback Donovan made great decisions running the option to pick up a pair of first downs, but his judgment on 4th and three from the thirty-yard line would prove to be the most critical. Getting things done on the ground, Donovan faked a handoff and dumped a pass down the middle of the field to a wide-open Gavin Giesler for not only a first down but a touchdown.
With five minutes to go in the half, the KoMets had the lead, but their second-quarter assault was just starting. After his touchdown catch, Giesler made his second straight big play with a tackle for loss. Bradford would follow that with two consecutive tackles – one behind the line of scrimmage to force another Tigers’ punt.
Back to running the option, the K-M offense continued to pick up chunks of yardage. Donovan pulled the ball down and got the offense into the red zone. Moe-Tucker would then take a pitch and cut up the middle for a seven-yard touchdown run.
After a long kickoff return, setting Fridley up near mid-field, a high shotgun snap on the first play of the Tigers’ drive resulted in a fumble recovery by K-M’s Dominic Mann. With less than two minutes to play, K-M would covert a 3rd and 12. Donovan then took to the air and found 14 for 25 yards. Evan Snow beat some one-on-one coverage to put his team in scoring position. It looked like the KoMets would run out of time, but Donovan threw another nice pass down the middle to Easton Suess. He would run – untouched – into the end zone with just eight seconds to play in the half.
Down 21-0 coming out of halftime, Fridley took a chance with an onside kick, but K-M was ready for it and started the second half with excellent field position. Sticking with the option, the first offensive play out of the locker room saw Donovan keeping the ball, cutting off the edge of the defense for a 30-yard gain. Moe-Tucker finished off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run a few plays giving his team a commanding four-touchdown lead.
With Fridley moving the ball for the first time in two quarters, another bad snap turned a third and short into a fourth and long. Bradford put pressure on the quarterback, and the rushed throw fell well short of the intended receiver.
If the game were not locked up after K-M took a 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter, a great play by Giesler would put the game away. The senior ran a crossing pattern, and Donovan put the ball on him, but the Tigers’ defensive back got a hand on it. Giesler gathered in the ball despite the excellent coverage, cut up-field, and got into the end zone. The 29-yard touchdown made the score 35-0.
The teams would exchange late touchdowns, but it was all window dressing on Kasson-Mantorville’s 42-7 state quarterfinal victory. The KoMets’ victory gives them a date with number one ranked Becker next week. 
