Mounds View dethroned Maple Grove at the Twin Cities Suburban Conference football championship with a 33-14 home win Wednesday, Oct. 20, at Mounds View.

The Crimson trailed 10-0 at halftime but exploded for touch-down passes of 21 and 2 yards from senior quarterback Mike Klosterman to senior wide receiver Jake Johnson to take a 14-10 lead after three quarters. How-ever, the Mustangs countered with two fourth quarter touch-downs to seal the win and the conference championship.

"It was a championship game, and I told our players that I was really proud that they worked themselves into position to play for that," Maple Grove coach Craig Hansen said. "We came back and went ahead 14-10 going into the fourth quarter. We were proud of the effort our team put forth. In the end, their best kids just made some plays and got a couple of scores. Our defense stepped up and played well. Mounds View is tough on defense. They have the best defense in the conference for a reason. They stacked up to stop the run, and we made adjustments in the third quarter, and Mike and Jake connected for two touch-downs."

In the fourth quarter, Hansen i said it simply was the case of the Mustangs' key players stepping up and making several brilliant plays to win the game.

"We were down there and had guys in positions, but they just executed great plays," Hansen said. "There were no breakdowns. Our guys were there and doing what they were supposed to. I give Mounds View all the credit because they came back."

The Crimson finished 4-4 overall and 4-2 in the conference, good for third place. "I am pleased with our improvement and I am glad we are competitive in games," Hansen said. "We have a chance to be in it and that's what we looked for. Now we look forward to the second season."

The Crimson, seeded fifth, played at fourth-seeded Armstrong Tuesday, Oct. 26. The winner advances to play top-seeded Hopkins at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30.