Semifinal Recap: Highlights from Playoff Semifinal Weekend

The last of the few semifinal matchups in Minnesota have wrapped up over the weekend, setting the stage for which teams will be taking on each other in each conference for the state championship matchups which will take place this later this week. The best of the best have battled their way through this season to get to this point, earning their stripes as state contenders that will look to bring their respective titles to their programs to cap off their long journey through the 2025 season. We recap everything that went down this weekend across MN in the playoff semifinal round!   9-Man League:   Fertile-Beltrami vs. Hills-Beaver Creek: 30-14   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Hills-Beaver Creek continues their undefeated journey as they handedly took down the Falcons, with all 44 points being scored in the first half followed by a complete shutout in the second half. The Patriots relied on their potent run-game, which compiled 243 total rushing yards, while their defense came up big with 5 interceptions, impressive noting that the Falcons had just 6 incompletions all game, with nearly all of those incompletions going to the defense. Senior Athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1506853' first='Micah' last='Bush'] was at the forefront for the Patriots on both side of the ball, finishing with 23 rushing yards and a rushing TD to go with 4 receptions for 26 yards as well as 7 tackles and 2 INTs on defense. </li> </ul>   Hillcrest Lutheran Academy vs. Kittson County Central: 27-21   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>A strong battle between two undefeated opponents, the Comets took a 27-7 lead heading into the 4th quarter. The Bearcats fought back though, swiftly scoring two touchdowns to cut the deficit to 6 with just under 10 minutes remaining. Despite forcing a stop to get the ball back, the Bearcats made a critical mistake, throwing an interception with just over 4 minutes remaining. The Comets were able to run off the clock and seal the win to punch their ticket to the state championship. Comets QB Ethan Swedberg was in total control of his offense, finishing 19 of 30 for 175 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for a team-high 65 yards on 15 carries and 2 rushing TDs. </li> </ul>   Class 1A:   Murray County Central vs. Breckenridge: 28-21   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Despite entering with heavy odds against their favor, the Rebels were able to give the undefeated Cowboys everything they could handle. A competitive matchup that went down to the wire, the game was tied 21-21 late when the Cowboys made a game-changing turnover, forcing and recovering a fumble at their 9 yard line that completely swung the momentum. The Cowboys drove all the way down the field to punch it in with just under 2 minutes remaining. The Rebels were unable to respond and Breckenridge held on to keep their perfect season alive. Through the game, Rebels RB [player_tooltip player_id='591735' first='David' last='Erlandson'] proved to almost single-handedly lead his team to victory, rushing for 123 yards and 3 TDs (5.3 YPC) while leading the defense with 11 total tackles. </li> </ul>   Mahnomen/Waubun vs. Minneota: 28-14   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Mahnomen/Waubun took pride in their run game which averaged over 292 rushing yards per game this season, but against the Vikings, while they were able to accumulate 170 yards on the ground, they weren't nearly as effective as they had been earlier this season. Minneota, who shows more balance in offensive efficiency was able to control the game in the trenches, accumulating 218 yards and scoring all 4 TDs on the ground as they were in control from the start. LB/RB Kellen Bradley led the way not just on the ground, but on the opposition toward stopping the run. Bradley finished with 143 yards on 27 carries (5.3 YPC) and a rushing TD while leading the defense with 10 total tackles. </li> </ul>   Class 2A:   Eden Valley-Watkins vs. Jackson County Central: 38-0   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Eden Valley-Watkins had scored at least 28 points over their last 6 games in a row, but they were completely shut out against the 2A-favorite Huskies. The Huskies took little time to essentially put the game away, scoring all 38 points in the first half as the Eagles were completely stumped on offense, accumulating just 137 yards of total offense. Gophers' commit [player_tooltip player_id='212362' first='Roman' last='Voss'] accounted for all of the Huskies' scoring plays, finishing the game 14 of 21 for 163 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for 107 yards on 15 carries (7.1 YPC) and 4 rushing TDs. He also had 1 tackle and an interception on defense as he was a one-man wrecking crew against the Eagles. </li> </ul>   Goodhue vs. Holdingford: 24-7   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>What was considered to be potentially an exciting shootout started out close as Goodhue led 14-7 at halftime. However, as the game went on, the Huskers ran out of steam as they were physically outmatched by the Wildcats, leading to 2 interceptions that helped turn the tides and put the game away for Goodhue. Athlete Luke Roschen set the tone for the Wildcats with an 83 yard rushing TD in the first quarter. He would finish the game 8 of 13 passing for 93 yards and a TD while rushing for 141 yards on 13 carries (10.8 YPC) and the one rushing TD. He also added 4 tackles and an interception on defense. </li> </ul>   Class 3A:   Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton vs. Waseca: 14-13   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Waseca was a heavy favorite to win over the Rebels, but I wouldn't have anticipated it to be a strong of a defensive battle as it was. While the Bluejays led 7-0 through the first half, the Rebels responded with a TD in the 3rd quarter to tie it. Waseca scored early in the fourth, in which the Bluejays immediately responded with a TD of their own, but their extra point attempt was blocked, which proved the difference of the game. The Rebels were able to get the ball back late, ensuing on a final drive that consisted of several huge heroic plays for the Rebels. But in the end, it was a heroic play by the Bluejays that sealed it with a sack on 4th and 4 with 1:10 remaining inside the Bluejays' 30 yard line that sealed the win for Waseca. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1653241' first='Kellen' last='Klinger'] helped keep the Bluejays' offense steady, finishing 13 of 23 for 163 yards, 1 TD, and an INT while adding a rushing TD. </li> </ul>   Minneapolis North vs. Annandale: 36-20   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Minneapolis North had one of the most potent offenses in the entire state this season, and they were able to keep the game close early on, scoring to tie the game at 14-14 with just over 9 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. However, the Cardinals turned the tide, thanks in part to their strong run game which finished with 268 total rushing yards and 3 TDs, combined with 2 game-changing interceptions, Annandale scored 22 unanswered points to build their lead with 7 minutes left, in which the Polars were ultimately unable to respond. Junior Athlete Colton Purcell came through with one of his biggest game this season, finishing with 5 receptions for 125 yards and 2 TDs while adding 4 tackles and an INT on defense. </li> </ul>   Class 4A:   Kasson-Mantorville vs. Grand Rapids: 16-14   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Possibly the biggest upset of the weekend, Kasson-Mantorville came in and stunned the favored Thunderhawks in a battle in which it went the opposite of what I had anticipated. Rather than being a shootout among two of the very best offenses in 4A, it was a defensive battle in which the Komets were in control for most of the game, leading 16-0 late. The Thunderhawks nearly pulled together a stunning comeback, recovering two onside kicks and scoring twice to get themselves back in the game in the last two minutes. Scoring with 19 seconds left, their two-point conversion attempt was intercepted. While the Thunderhawks recovered the onside kick to get one more opportunity, their last ditch efforts came short and the Komets held for an unforgettable upset. RB/Athlete Jermiah Peterson played a big role on both sides of the ball, rushing for 21 yards and a rushing TD while adding 2 receptions for 48 yards and 8 total tackles on defense. </li> </ul>   Orono vs. Marshall: 15-14 (OT)   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>I mentioned that this battle would be a grueling fight for every inch, and in the end, the team that dug their claws further and pushed harder was the one that prevailed. Both teams fought hard for 48 minutes, but the end of regulation resulted in a 7-7 tie. The Tigers struck first with a TD to get ahead by 7. Orono responded with a TD from 10 yards out, but an excessive celebration penalty pushed the ball back to the 18 yard line. Instead of going for the 35 yard extra point, Orono gambled for two, with QB [player_tooltip player_id='2003335' first='Griffin' last='Mauer'] nailing a deep strike to sophomore Athlete [player_tooltip player_id='1991287' first='Lincoln' last='Stinar'], who beat his man for the game-winning two-point conversion in one of the most unforgettable finishes in recent high school football history in Minnesota. Mauer capped off a brilliant performance as he went 14 of 23 for 140 yards, 2 TDs, and the winning 2 point conversion. </li> </ul>   Class 5A:   Spring Lake Park vs. St. Thomas Academy: 39-23   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>St. Thomas Academy got off to a solid start, relying most on their run game, the Cadets were able to build a 17-12 lead at halftime. However, the tides changed completely in the third quarter when [player_tooltip player_id='579559' first='Marcus' last='Snyder'] recorded a game changing pick six early on to set the tone for the Panthers for a stunning turnaround. The Panthers proceeded to score 20 unanswered points in the third quarter, thanks in part to two key interceptions. The Cadets scored in the 4th quarter, but their extra point was no good, keeping the game as a two possession deficit, and with a long TD run the following drive for the Panthers, it put the game on ice. Snyder finished with 6 tackles to go along with his game-altering interception returned for a TD. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1633390' first='Nolan' last='Roach'] was in control under Center as well, finishing 6 of 9 for 43 passing yards while rushing for 190 yards on just 15 carries (12.7 YPC) and 2 rushing TDs. </li> </ul>   Chanhassen vs. Elk River: 22-19   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Both lower ranked teams in Class 5A won this weekend to punch their tickets to the 5A championship. This matchup was close, as Elk River was able to dominate in the ground, rushing for 390 yards and 3 TDs. However, the key to the game was the overall balance in pass-run efficiency for Chanhassen, overcoming some early stumbles to take the lead with 11 minutes remaining. The Elks rallied back and on their final drive, they manage to drive all the way to Chanhassen's 4 yard line facing 3rd and goal. However, they fumbled the snap, pushing the ball to the 11 yard line. Instead of kicking the field goal for the tie, the Elks went for it on 4th and goal, where their last ditch throw ended with an interception to seal the win for Chanhassen. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1255909' first='Nathan' last='Ramler'] overcame an early pick to finish 18 of 23 for 123 yards and a TD, including an impressive drive with 25 seconds left at the end of the first half to hit a 22 yard TD as time expired, with that score proving pivotal in the Hawks' win. </li> </ul>   Class 6A:   Moorhead vs. Lakeville South: 26-14   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Moorhead was able to outduel the Cougars on offense, and with their steadily building momentum, the Cougars were forced to abandon their dominant run game to throw the ball more Leading 14-7 early in the third quarter, the Spuds rallied with 19 unanswered points as they spliced through the Cougars' secondary as they now punch an unlikely ticket to the 6A championship. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1194605' first='[player_tooltip player_id='1194604' first='Jett' last='']' last='Feeney'] was in full control of his offense, finishing the game 20 of 29 for 228 yards and 2 TDs while leading the team with 73 rushing yards on 9 carries. </li> </ul>   Edina vs. Minnetonka: 42-41   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Saving the best for last, the battle between Edina and Minnetonka was a back and forth shootout. Minnetonka exploded with a 21-7 lead after the first quarter, but the Hornets were able to carefully chip away at the lead before tying the game at 28 heading into the fourth quarter. Over the last 12 minutes, fireworks ensued as Edina score tow touchdowns in the first 4 minutes to take a 42-28 lead. The Skippers scored with under 5 minutes to go before getting the ball back and scoring once again with 1:49 to go. The Skippers gambled on a two-point attempt for the lead, but start RB [player_tooltip player_id='591990' first='Caleb' last='Francois'] was stuffed quickly. The Skippers' ensuing onside attempt was recovered by Edina, and they ran out the clock to secure a trip to the 6A championship for the second time in 3 years. QB [player_tooltip player_id='592125' first='Mason' last='West'] had a thrilling performance outdueling the Skippers, dominating as he finished 16 of 25 for 314 yards, 4 TDs, and an INT while rushing for a TD. </li> </ul>

The last of the few semifinal matchups in Minnesota have wrapped up over the weekend, setting the stage for which teams will be taking on each other in each conference for the state championship matchups which will take place this later this week. The best of the best have battled their way through this season to get to this point, earning their stripes as state contenders that will look to bring their respective titles to their programs to cap off their long journey through the 2025 season. We recap everything that went down this weekend across MN in the playoff semifinal round!