Offensive line, big second half fuels Minneota's Prep Bowl win

The Minneota Vikings' football team went into halftime down to the Springfield Tigers 13-10. In the first half, the Vikings' offense tried to have a balanced offense, but they came out of the locker room with a new approach. The Vikings' offensive line took control in the second half – leading to four straight second half touchdown drives and four rushing touchdowns.   After stopping the Tigers' offense to open the game, the Vikings' offense looked great using a balanced attack, even converting on fourth and four. However, the Vikings tried to throw deep, and Springfield's [player_tooltip player_id='368536' first='Sam' last='Pidde'] undercut a route on the goal line, stopping the drive and getting up the sidelines to set his offense up near midfield.   On the first offensive play for Springfield, quarterback Jakob Nachreiner hit a big play on a seam pass to Carter Olson, getting into the red zone. Facing a third and long, Nachreiner found [player_tooltip player_id='1149984' first='Ashton' last='Toll'] over the middle to convert the first down. [player_tooltip player_id='313280' first='Ashtin' last='Johnson'] would pay off the drive with a one yard touchdown run.   As a preview of what would come, Minneota got their running game going – answering the Tigers' touchdown drive. They found some success on the outside – running some jet sweep action probing the edges of the Springfield defense. The edge was where running back [player_tooltip player_id='1145278' first='Ryan' last='Meagher'] went to get into the end zone from nine yards out.   After the two teams traded three and outs, Springfield looked like they had an open man down the sidelines, but Minneota defensive back Peyton Gillund covered a bunch of ground and knocked the ball harmlessly to the ground. A sack by Hudson Scholten on the next play forced a Springfield punt.   Minneota would face a third and long on the next drive, but Minneota quarterback Isaac Pohlen stepped up in the pocket and threw a perfect strike down the sidelines to [player_tooltip player_id='368535' first='Max' last='Rost'] for a first down. The Vikings would not convert on a second third and long, but Gillund put points on the board with a 36 yard field goal.   With 90 seconds to play in the half, Springfield used its quick passing game to pick up a three first downs. That would set up a sixteen yard touchdown pass from Nachreiner to Olson with just 32 seconds to play in the half.   Down three at the half, Scholten, Alex DePestel, Easton Sheik, Browdy Lozinski, and Lane Loyson – the Minneota offensive line – said enough was enough. Three runs to the right side picked up three first downs for the Vikings. The Tigers' defense held strong in the red zone, but on fourth and goal inside the five, running back Zach Fier got wide on the Tigers' defense to score and take a 17-13 lead. It was a lead the Vikings would not give back.   Lost in the brilliance of the second half offense was the Vikings' defense. Through three quarters, they held Springfield's running game to negative yardage. They gave up some big plays in the passing game in the first half but the pass rush and secondary bottled up the high scoring Springfield offense for all but one drive in the second half.   A pass deflection by linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='1582489' first='Eli' last='Gruenes'] and a sack by defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='242470' first='Sawyer' last='DeSmet'] on back-to-back plays for Minneota were typical for the second half. After the punt, Minneota continued to rip off six or seven yards almost every play. However, Springfield stopped two back-to-back plays, setting up a third and long. Pohlen went back to the air with a quick throw into the flat. Rost should have been stopped for a short gain, but he shook a tackler and used his speed down the sidelines to pick up the first down and set up a first and goal inside the five-yard line. Two plays later, [player_tooltip player_id='234929' first='Lucas' last='Rybinski'] made a nice cut in the backfield for a five yard touchdown and a 24-13 Vikings lead.   Great pass coverage allowed 35 to sack the quarterback forcing another Springfield punt. Although the offense didn't look like it would need help, a bad snap on Springfield's punt gave Minneota great field position. Center Loyson, guard DePestel, and tackle Scholten – the right side of the offensive line - continued to blow the defensive line off the ball. Fier capped off the touchdown drive with a short touchdown run.   Springfield – who had not been able to run all game – finally had some success running up the middle. That running game would ultimately set up the deep passing game, and Pidde got behind the defense, grabbed a nice ball from Nachreiner, and completed a 36 yard touchdown pass.   Springfield needed a stop to get back into the game, but Minneota knew how to close out the game. Picking up first downs and running the clock, Fier and the offensive line went to work. With three and a half minutes to play, Minneota's Rybinski found the corner to put the final points on the board. Minneota's defensive back Destin Fier picked off a low throw to get the ball back to the offense. The running game was able to run out the clock and give the Vikings' a 38-21 victory, their eighth state title, and Coach Minneota head coach Chad Johnston his 200th career victory.

The Minneota Vikings' football team went into halftime down to the Springfield Tigers 13-10. In the first half, the Vikings' offense tried to have a balanced offense, but they came out of the locker room with a new approach. The Vikings' offensive line took control in the second half – leading to four straight second half touchdown drives and four rushing touchdowns.