Teddy Raasch and fellow Maple Grove defensive backs had their hands full against Roseville’s receivers.

So much so that Raasch, a senior defensive back and wide receiver, ended up on the bench after a while.

“I wasn’t doing too well right away [and] got taken out,” Raasch said.

He made up for it though in the final quarter of the Crimson’s Class 6A football playoff game with an interception and a touchdown reception. It sparked a 42-18 victory over the Raiders on Friday, Oct. 28 after the Crimson had trailed 18-14 in the fourth quarter.

“I just came back from adversity,” Raasch said. “I was a little upset and wanted to get after it.”

Senior quarterback Brad Davison put the Crimson back up 21-18 on a TD run to open the fourth quarter, but Roseville began driving deep on the ensuing possession. The Raiders got inside of the Crimson 30-yard line before Raasch thwarted the progress with an interception returned it to the Raiders’ 49-yard line.

Maple Grove (7-2), seeded No. 2, began pounding the ball and ate up five minutes off the clock by the time Davison connected with Raasch for a 20-yard TD. It gave the Crimson a 28-18 lead with 2:58 left.

“We work on it all the time,” Raasch said. “We do a little outside fake and then go in the middle. It’s a nice little post rout.”

Moreover, it forced the Raiders (3-6) to pass deeper and allowed the Crimson pass defense to shine. Crimson junior linebacker Jake Hanson took advantage of the opportunity with a 30-yard interception return just a couple plays into the Raiders drive. Hanson, who also had 10 tackles, made his first career pick six on the play.

It didn’t get any better for Roseville on the following drive as senior defensive back Carter Kitterman picked off a pass for six on a 65-yard return. Kitterman also had his first-ever pick six in addition to picking up six tackles.

“All we wanted to do was come out in the second half and dominate,” Kitterman said. “That’s our bottom line.”

Maple Grove didn’t have its way with Roseville’s potent offense all night though. Raiders quarterback Luke Bouchart threw three TD passes. The visiting No. 7 seed answered every Crimson score through the first half and then put up two unanswered in the second half.

“They were about two plays away from being 6-2 team,” Crimson coach Matt Lombardi said. “They’re in a very, very good section out there.”

For time it looked as if the Raiders could spoil a Crimson postseason run for the second time in four years. The last time occurred at TCF Bank Stadium in 2013 when the Raiders beat the Crimson at state.

“At halftime, I told the story about that game,” Davison said. “The only thing I remember from that game is everyone in tears after the game, how much in meant to them.”

Davison did his part before halftime, connecting with Raasch for a 6-yard TD in the second quarter. The senior quarterback also ran for another score of three yards early in the first quarter.

He threw for 214 yards on 16-27 passing but had two interceptions. Roseville stayed close, trailing 14-12 at the break.

Maple Grove had limited success running the ball with 4.5 yards per rush for 151 yards. Davison led with 74 yards on 14 tries, including his 8-yard TD to open the final quarter. Senior running back Ryan Hanscome rushed for 64 yards on 15 carries.

Offensive execution nonetheless has improved since the Crimson last faced their upcoming opponent, Edina, in the 6A quarterfinals on Friday at 7 p.m. The Crimson went scoreless in the first half of that game and fell in a 21-20 defeat on Sept. 16. Maple Grove fell the following week too but hasn’t lost since.

“It seems like a mile away,” Lombardi said.

Edina (4-4) hasn’t defeated a team with a winning record since. Nonetheless, the Hornets have a stingy defense with 17.1 points allowed per game. They also have a strong duel threat quarterback in Division I North Dakota recruit Brock Boltmann.

“It’s going to be two very good quarterbacks going at it,” Lombardi said.

Most of all, Maple Grove will get its chance at payback with a fourth-consecutive trip to state on the line.