Brian’s Best: Fantastic Finishes
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This season I was able to cover sixteen live games for prepredzone.com. Thanks to the Minnesota State High School League’s restrictions, I covered another five by watching online. Of those sixteen live games, five came down to the last minute,…
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Continue ReadingThis season I was able to cover sixteen live games for prepredzone.com. Thanks to the Minnesota State High School League’s restrictions, I covered another five by watching online. Of those sixteen live games, five came down to the last minute, and three came down to the final play. As we move into the offseason, I thought it would be fun to go back and revisit some of the fantastic finishes I witnessed – through the eyes of the guys who made the critical play – on the last play.
Joey Krouse Joey Krouse 5'10" | 185 lbs | WR Prior Lake | 2023 State MN Prior Lake DB
One of the first games I covered found me in Prior Lake to watch the then-undefeated Lakers take on the undefeated Shakopee Sabers. Trailing 24-16 late in the fourth quarter, the Sabers’ defense made a fourth down stop – giving the offense a chance to put together one last drive to try to tie the game.
The Sabers almost did it. The problem for the Sabers was Joey Krouse Joey Krouse 5'10" | 185 lbs | WR Prior Lake | 2023 State MN – who nearly ended the game earlier when he recovered a fumble that proceeded Shakopee’s fourth down stop – had one more play in him. Shakopee had one play and twenty five yards to set up a potential game-tying two-point conversion.
Shakopee hit a crossing route inside the five yard line . . .
“It was a very competitive game,” Krouse said. It was super physical and tough. On the last play, I knew that the only thing that mattered was keeping them out of the end zone. We could keep everything in front of us as long as they didn’t score. I made sure the play unfolded in front of me and was able to make a play and keep them from scoring.
Dylan Greninger Dylan Greninger 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB Milaca | 2023 MN Milaca QB
The Battle for the Paddle – the annual game between long-time rivals Milaca and Princeton took on added significance when both undefeated teams took the field on a miserable, rain-soaked night in Milaca. With points hard to come by in driving rain, Princeton – who trailed the entire game – tied the game on a pair of great special teams plays. Because of the weather, I don’t think there was a completed pass that traveled over ten yards all night – until there had to be.
“Going into the game, we knew it was going to be tough knowing that Princeton was a good team,” Greninger said. “We also knew it was going to be raining all night, but we were confident in our run game with Jack Schoenborn Jack Schoenborn 5'9" | 160 lbs | RB Milaca | 2023 MN , so we were feeling pretty good. It was a battle all game, and we went into overtime when they scored on their first play and kicked the extra point. We got the ball and got a nice run. Then we got set back from a fumble to the sixteen yard line. After an incomplete pass on third down, we faced a 4th and 16 with the game on the line. We called a pass play with Owen Vanderplaats Owen Vanderplaats 6'0" | 180 lbs | TE Milaca | 2023 MN running a post, and after catching the snap, I had some quick pressure. I stepped up in the pocket and threw a pass to Owen in the end zone, and he caught it. Then there was a timeout, and we got in the huddle, and Coach asked what we liked. The lineman said let’s run it right up the middle. He looked around, and we all nodded in agreement. We called an iso which was a run play right up the middle, and our line delivered. They opened a huge hole for Jack to run through, and we took the risk for the win. It worked out in our favor. It was exciting to win the Pizza Bowl for the first time – especially in the dramatic fashion we did.”
Jamen Malone Jamen Malone 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Robbinsdale Armstrong | 2023 State MN Robbinsdale Armstrong QB
After trailing most of the way, Chanhassen took their first lead with under two minutes to play. As it turned out, that was enough time for Malone and the Falcons’ offense. Malone completed a huge pass over the middle to set up one more throw from the senior quarterback.
“Me rolling out, I thought, would give us the best chance. Cade Berg ran a great route,” Malone said. “That is one of our best routes in the red zone. I saw him out of the break, and the corner wasn’t with him, so I took a chance and threw it. He made a great catch, and that was that.”
Reese Hunt Lakeville North LB
It was a defensive battle in Lakeville when the Panthers took on the Tigers. After an early touchdown, the Farmington offense would go silent until late in the fourth quarter. The Tigers converted on a fourth and short to keep the drive alive. Then, with under a minute to play, Jonathan Shrum Jonathan Shrum 5'11" | 170 lbs | DB Farmington | 2023 State MN bounced a run to the outside, broke a tackle, and scored on a nineteen yard touchdown run with 45 seconds to play. Farmington lined up to go for two and the win, but a pre-snap penalty changed Farmington’s strategy. They decided to kick the extra point to force overtime. Hunt made sure there was no overtime.
“I was lined up on the inside,” Hunt said. “I am normally not on field goal block, but the defense just stayed out there after the penalty. When they snapped the ball, I just ran and got my hand on the ball.”
Ja’Shaun Bostic Bloomington Kennedy LB
While not at the level of Milaca and Princeton, rain earlier in the day had the field soggy and without much traction for either the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles or the SMB-Wolfpack. In a game where first downs felt like touchdowns, the game between two teams with only three losses between them went into overtime tied at zero. Kennedy put the first points on the board in the first overtime and led 7-0. After the Wolfpack were stopped on their first three plays in overtime, they needed six yards on fourth down to keep the game alive.
“Those games really come down to how tough we were going to be,” Bostic said. “Like our coaches always tell us, we can bend, but don’t break. We made sure we played the game and didn’t let the game play us. That tackle in overtime was a huge play. I wasn’t even supposed to be on that side, but I read that offense and knew the running back was going that way. I didn’t want to lose that game and tried my hardest to fill the hole. It all worked out in the end.”