Friday night was supposed to be our opportunity to play one last game outdoors and earn a return trip to the final four at U.S. Bank Stadium. Unfortunately, Lakeville South stood in our way. It was not a good night for us to struggle, as they were a quality opponent. They moved the chains consistently, and we couldn’t get the key stops we needed on defense.  They played sound defensively and forced us to punt the ball more than any other opponent.

We knew their offense would be a tough matchup, but we felt we had a few solid answers to slow them down. Every time we forced a third-and-long or a fourth-and-short, they found a way to make the big play.  To make matters worse, they broke off several long runs, which was exactly what we set out to prevent. I could live with giving up long and methodical drives but not explosive plays.

Still, I appreciate our defense’s effort. It wasn’t for lack of trying. The boys gave everything they had, and that’s what makes it tough as a coach because I wish we could have found the right answers to help them get the stops they deserved.

Offensively, we struck early and kept pace for a while, but that momentum faded. Lakeville South did a great job limiting our big plays and kept us behind the chains.  We battled back to score right before halftime and cut the deficit to one possession. Honestly, I felt fortunate to be down only eight points at the break, we hadn’t played our best, yet we were right in it.

Coming out of halftime, we marched down the field again and scored but missed the two-point conversion that would have tied it. We were right there, certainly within reach. From that point on, though, we couldn’t make stops on defense and we stalled out on a few drives.  Even so, I thought our offense showed incredible heart, scoring a couple of late touchdowns to make the final score more reflective of the fight we showed.

No one ever wants their season to end with a playoff loss, and watching the hurt in everyone’s eyes afterward was incredibly hard. I wish I could take that pain away, but I can’t. What I can do is remind everyone of the incredible moments that made this season special — the morning lifts, Thursday dome runs, summer sessions, Tonka 7 on 7 tournament, Bemidji team camp, two-a-days, the bags tournament, the grind of the regular season, and everything in between.  These moments are what I am going to remember more than the scoreboard.

This team carried a huge burden as the reigning state champions and faced every opponent’s best effort. They embraced that challenge and excelled through the toughest schedule our program has seen in 30 years. This year’s group will not be forgotten.

I want to thank everyone, the school, community, boosters, and family’s past and present for your unwavering support.  The number of texts and messages this weekend has truly meant a lot.  Again, no matter how much pain you feel at this moment, please take a moment and be grateful for everything that you went through in the process.  The bonds, the lessons and the experiences that high school football can provide are difficult to match in any other chapter of life.  It means everything to our players and coaches. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone involved.

I love being a Crimson.

Fear The Leaf, Leave No Doubt, Find A Way

Coach Spurrell