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Power running game, defense puts Crimson back in state semifinals

By admin, 11/05/15, 7:30AM CST

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by Matthew Davis

Brad Davison, the Maple Grove quarterback, had five tests on Friday, Oct. 30. "Spanish, Chemistry, History, Math and Burnsville. I think I did well on all of them,” Davison said.

Davison for now know that results on the fifth test turned out great as he guided the Crimson offense in a dominating running performance to beat the Blaze 32-14 in the Class 6A state football quarterfinals. The Crimson scored four rushing touchdowns, two from Davison, in the win. Davison put the quarterfinal game in Hopkins away on a 27-yard TD run in the third quarter to give his team a 25-0 lead. He also had the second TD run of the game on a QB keeper, which put Crimson up 14-0 in the first four minutes of the game.

“They’re a team that didn’t give up a lot [of points] at all,” Crimson coach Matt Lombardi said of Burnsville. “We thought we had a chance to get them on their heels.”

Isaac Collins got everything going for Maple Grove on the team’s first offensive play on a 38-yard TD run. Tyler Knutson made it 17-0 later on a field goal as the Crimson score on their first three drives of the game.

“This week, we came out with a better mindset,” Lombardi said. “We did some good things, set the tone early. I thought we took advantage of situations when had them.”

Burnsville couldn’t muster a first down until the second quarter and didn’t score until the early seconds of the fourth quarter on a short TD run. Collins had the Crimson answering right back with his second TD of the night in a 31-yard burst past the Blaze defense.

Maple Grove, a No. 1 seed, advances to its second-straight state semifinal and will play another No. 1 seed, East Ridge, on Friday at 7 p.m. in Eden Prairie. The Raptors have been a surprise this season after their coach resigning and losing star quarterback Seth Green before the start of the season.


Lukas Burrington makes a touchdown-saving tackle for Maple Grove. (Photo by Rich Moll – richmollphotography.com)


Isaac Collins rushed for two touchdowns in Maple Grove’s win over Burnsville. (Photo by Rich Moll – richmollphotography.com)


Brad Davison scored two touchdowns as Maple Grove advanced to the Class 6A semifinals for a second-consecutive year on Friday, Oct. 30. (Photo by Rich Moll – richmollphotography.com)