Last Friday night at Minnetonka we took the field against a great, physical Prior Lake team in state quarterfinal action and what State football is truly about was on display for everyone to see.   It was a bunch of kids on both sides that have sacrificed a great deal for each other going at it with everything they have and leaving every ounce of themselves on the field.  There was great emotion, tons of mistakes, tons of great plays, questionable calls, great calls, and everything needed to create the drama that makes up a great game.   It was a fun night of football and we were very fortunate to walk off with a 10-7 victory that gives us the opportunity to be a part of the final 4 heading into another cold, November week.

Offensively, facing a great defensive opponent, we were riddled with uncharacteristic mistakes.  However, our approach never wavered and we were able to produce a great six minutes drive at the end of the game that put our defense in a great position to seal the game with little time remaining.   Brad Davison continues his great playoff run going 12-19 passing for 167 yards, leading us down the field through the air during a game where our run game sometimes struggled.   Clark Wieneke finished with 72 tough yards on 17 carries and put us on his back during the final drive gaining significant yardage in the final drive that ate up half of the fourth quarter.  Isaac Collins, Adam Brant, Sam Franta and Kyle Anderson made big catches for us that kept drives going throughout the night. 

Defensively, we played forty-eight minutes with great effort, heart, and passion and only allowed seven points giving us a chance to win the game.   Again, we have many areas we can be much better at heading into the next week, but the hustle and desire showed was enough to carry us on this night.   Grant Hemze led the teams this week with 13 total tackles and a forced fumble, while Christian Ujhelyi and Isaac Collins added 11 tackles and 10 tackles respectively.  Also, there were players like Dom Thielen, Kyle Anderson, Kraig Urquhart, and Jack Dahl-Maglone that did a great job doing selfless things up front that nobody would notice that were key to this night.  But the final ‘four and out’ to seal the game will be what people will remember, and seeing Sam Franta knock the ball down to finish the game was an emotional high that was memorable for all involved. 

Jebah Doe did a great job punting all night averaging over 34 yards a punt helping our field position all night, and Tyler Knutson was able to win the game with a 29 yard field-goal that he pounded right through the middle of the uprights into a tough wind.   Clark Wieneke had two big returns for us on kickoff and punt, and we had great coverage all night on our teams helping us maintain the areas on the field needed to succeed.   It took all three phases to win a very tough game, and now we head to step 4. 

As we head into the state semifinals against Eden Prairie this upcoming Friday night at Edina, there are so many elements that make this truly an exciting game for everyone involved.  We face an opponent that has won three consecutive state titles, has a well-earned reputation as the class of our state in this sport, and truly does things the right way.   There is a great deal of animosity shown towards Eden Prairie because they win year in and year out, but they are based within their community, they play football the right way, and they are very well coached, so I view playing them as the number one opponent we would want to play to get to where we want to end up.  It should be a great Friday night, with great atmosphere, cold temperatures that only happen in November, and two great teams going at it.   That is awesome, and is everything anyone should want in a game.  Also, winning the semifinals provides the opportunity for Seniors and the rest of their team to dictate when their final practice as a Crimson will be, and not many teams get the opportunity to do that.  That’s what makes this game so much fun.   We look forward to seeing everybody that is Crimson out there on Friday night supporting our boys in a game that truly should be a joy to watch.   All of the support makes a huge difference to us, and it is a big element that fuels them to keep driving and striving to be great on every snap.  See you at Edina on Friday night for step 4!  Let’s get after it and have a blast!  GO CRIMSON!....Lomb