South with a walk off win on rival's home field

Rivalry games are always full of surprises. Strange things always seem to pop up regardless of the sport or the records. When Lakeville South traveled across town to take on Lakeville North, the game took multiple twists and turns in the final few minutes. North seemed to be in control of the game for over three quarters, but it was South that made the plays at the end – including a thirty-yard walk-off field goal by Jack Kimmel for a 24-21 win.   The game started perfectly for the home Panthers. They combined a solid running game with an effective short passing game to put together a nearly nine-minute drive. They had to convert on a fourth and short to keep it going. Then, quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='234766' first='Riley' last='Grossman'] threw a pass to a wide-open Calvin Schmelzle in the flat for a twenty-one-yard touchdown pass.   South couldn't pick up a first down on their first possession, but quarterback/punter Gavin Dean bailed the Cougars out with a field-flipping 51-yard punt. South's special teams would strike again four plays later. South's [player_tooltip player_id='348688' first='Isaac' last='Cin'] ripped through the North offensive line and blocked North's punt in the end zone. Devin Abbey pounced on the loose ball in the end zone for a touchdown and a tie game.   "We both play smash-mouth football," Lakeville South head coach Ben Burke said. "They handled us for most of the game, but it came down to ten or fifteen big plays, and we made a lot of them."   A great catch by South's [player_tooltip player_id='924222' first='Henry' last='Hauge'] put the Cougars in position to take the lead, but a sack by North's AJ Pacyga on third down forced the Cougars into a tough spot. They were too far out for a field goal attempt and too close to the end zone to punt. They decided to go for it on fourth and long but fell well short of the first down yardage.   North used that turnover on downs to spark their offense. They drove the ball, running it and mixing in high-percentage passes. Near the red zone, they took a chance and threw deep. They threw into double coverage, and South's [player_tooltip player_id='1248453' first='Callan' last='Oxendale'] made an acrobatic interception in the end zone to end the scoring drive and ultimately sending both teams into the locker room tied at seven.   Coming out of the locker room, the South offense started showing signs of life. Although a penalty would short-circuit the drive, it was clear the South offense was beginning to gain some traction.   South's defense was nearly off the field, but Grossman flipped a quick pass to a wide-open [player_tooltip player_id='383119' first='Sawyer' last='Wilkie'] to convert on a fourth and four. Then – foreshadowing the strange ending we were about to see - Grossman fumbled the center snap on the six-yard line. I still don't know how it happened, but North's Reese Hunt somehow ended up with the ball and found his way into the end zone for a six-yard fumble recovery touchdown.   Trailing 14-7, South's offense – who showed life in the third quarter – finally ripped off one of their signature long runs. [player_tooltip player_id='234775' first='Connor' last='Cade'] broke off the right side of the offensive line and found a lot of green grass. He was in the end zone sixty-four yards later, and the rivalry game was tied again.   "Our guys are built for four quarters," Burk said. "We believe that games are won and lost in the fourth quarter, so at the end of the game, we are playing our best; we are more physical. We talk about physicality and bringing it all four quarters. Once it got to that point in the game, that is what we ended up doing."   Defenses had been the story for most of the game, but both offenses came to play in the fourth quarter. North put together another drive – mixing the run and short passing game. Wilke would finish the drive with a four-yard touchdown run.   With six minutes to play, the South offense continued to dominate. South's Gabriel Jacobson picked up good yardage and a first down, and [player_tooltip player_id='945336' first='Jonah' last='Shine'] ripped off another long run. North's defense was one play from finishing the game, but on fourth and long, Dean rolled out and threw toward the South sideline. [player_tooltip player_id='429419' first='Bo' last='Bokman'] made the grab between three red Lakeville North jerseys to keep the game alive for South. With less than a minute to play, Bokman got to the edge and tied the game up from 14 yards out.   It looked like we were headed for overtime, but North fumbled their next offensive snap, and South recovered with a golden opportunity to steal a game that North – at times – was dominating.   "We made the plays we needed to make when it really mattered," Burk said.   Kimmel's 31-yard kick was right down the middle with plenty of leg to give the Cougars a walk-off win over their rivals.

Rivalry games are always full of surprises. Strange things always seem to pop up regardless of the sport or the records. When Lakeville South traveled across town to take on Lakeville North, the game took multiple twists and turns in the final few minutes. North seemed to be in control of the game for over three quarters, but it was South that made the plays at the end – including a thirty-yard walk-off field goal by Jack Kimmel for a 24-21 win.