Survive and advance - Apple Valley holds off Jefferson

It is win-or-go-home time for Minnesota high school football teams. The playoffs started in full force on Tuesday night. I have been lucky enough to see more fantastic finishes than I deserve this season. Although not as dramatic as some of the games I have attended this year, with the game still in the balance as the kicker squibs an onside kick late in the fourth quarter, you know it was another great game. That was the case again with Apple Valley's 35-33 Section 4AAAAA quarter-final victory.   A good kickoff return by the Eagles got the game off to an excellent start for the home team. After a couple of first downs, Apple Valley faced a fourth and nine at the Jefferson 25. Apple Valley quarterback Jackson Thornburg couldn't find an open receiver, but he found a hole in the middle of the field and picked up a first down with his feet. He would use his arm a few plays later when he found Ian Haueter up the sidelines to set up a first and goal. Running back Jayden Cunningham would finish the drive with a one yard touchdown plunge.   The Jaguars' offense would answer right back. One of the best athletes in the state – [player_tooltip player_id='105367' first='Daniel' last='Freitag'] – spent most of the drive playing quarterback in the shotgun. Freitag was making defenders miss all over the field, and then – instead of running – he took a step back and threw deep down the sidelines. The ball dropped perfectly into the hands of Daniel King for a 39 yard touchdown.   Tied at seven, the Eagles' special teams would again set up the offense with excellent field position. They only needed to go fifty yards. They picked up almost all that yardage in one play – on a catch in the flat to Haueter. Thornburg continued his hot start a few plays later, finding Romelo Speights down the seam for a sixteen yard touchdown pass.   Two straight run stops by Eagles' defensive lineman Will Townsend – who was all over the field for Apple Valley's defense - ultimately led to the first defensive stop for either team.   Jefferson would get the ball back, but after Freitag used his athletic ability to move the chains on the ground, the Eagles' defense would step up. Michael Woods put pressure on the quarterback and forced a fumble. Townsend scooped up the loose ball and sprinted forty yards to the ten.   Jefferson's defense almost got off the field without giving up points, but on fourth and goal from the one, Apple Valley's Orlando Collins took the shotgun snap and found a seam to put the ball back into the end zone.   Jefferson's offense was on the move twice late in the first half, but Haueter showed he was a weapon on the defensive side of the ball too. He picked off two passes inside the five yard line – one with thirty seconds to play in the half to keep the Eagles ahead 20-7 at the half.   "I felt that was one of the best halves of football we played all year," Townsend said.   Jefferson's running game came out of the locker room strong. Mainly behind the running of Freitag, the Jaguars' cut into the lead. The drive cumulated in a zig-zagging 37 yard touchdown run by Freitag.   "We were game planning around him all week," Townsend said about Freitag. "He is talented and hard to get down. We knew we had to get low and attack his legs. He was going to bounce off any tacklers that went in high. The big thing was holding the edge. We knew he liked to bounce stuff outside. He got some big plays, but when we held the edge, we were able to limit those big plays."   The Eagles snatched any momentum the Jaguars might have grabbed right back. On third and long, Thornburg threw deep down the sidelines to Aidan Wiens – giving the Eagles' back their 14 point cushion.   They would need every bit of the cushion before the night was over. Freitag again was the primary weapon for Jefferson, and quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='242490' first='Tyson' last='Schultz'] would cash in from one yard out.   Jefferson would turn to running back Jonathan Weber to key their next scoring drive. With more of a conventional running game and some Freitag sprinkled in, the Jaguars were driving to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter but faced a fourth and goal from the eight yard line. Apple Valley had good coverage, but Schultz found a seam and ran for the touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, however, preserving Apple Valley's two point lead.   Another good kick return gave Apple Valley great field position. Instead of running the ball to kill the clock, Thornburg went back into the flat to Haueter for twenty seven yards. The big play would set up Collins for his second touchdown of the game.   Jefferson would not let its season end quietly. Behind some effective running by Weber – including a short touchdown run – Jefferson made it a one-score game with about a minute to play. Their rally would fall short, however. Apple Valley recovered an onside kick attempt and was able to run out the clock from there. The 35-33 victory earned the Eagles a Saturday date with St. Thomas Academy.

It is win-or-go-home time for Minnesota high school football teams. The playoffs started in full force on Tuesday night. I have been lucky enough to see more fantastic finishes than I deserve this season. Although not as dramatic as some of the games I have attended this year, with the game still in the balance as the kicker squibs an onside kick late in the fourth quarter, you know it was another great game. That was the case again with Apple Valley's 35-33 Section 4AAAAA quarter-final victory.