BLAINE, Minn. - Their heralded careers on the line, these Moorhead Spuds responded - just as they've been expected to do since they were small fries. But no one could have predicted how dramatic their victory of validation would be.
Trailing by 14 in the fourth quarter, Moorhead converted one two-point conversion in the waning seconds of regulation and another in overtime to secure a shocking 28-27 victory over No. 1-ranked Blaine Friday in the Minnesota Class 5A state football quarterfinals.
It was uplifting, it was gut-wrenching, it was bitterly cold. It was ..
"The best thing ever," said Spuds senior quarterback Lucas Wolford, simultaneously giggling and choking back tears. "Look how happy everyone is."
And yet players from both teams crouched on the frozen grass and wept.
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"We believed in ourselves," said Moorhead junior running back Cory Johnson, who caught the game-trying two-point conversion with 19 seconds left in regulation and ran in the game-winning two-pointer. "We knew we could play with them, we knew we could beat them after the first drive."
The first Spuds drive netted 68 yards on 19 plays in 7 minutes, 22 seconds and was capped by a Josh Karch touchdown run. It tied the score at 6. Moorhead (9-2) wouldn't score again until Blaine (10-1) was up 20-6.
"I'll be honest with you," said Spuds coach Steve Connelly, whose team will meet Hastings (9-3) at 8:30 p.m. next Saturday in the Metrodome. "When we were down 20-6 I didn't think we would lose the game. I know these kids and their composure is awesome."
Even after tying the game - Wolford hit Justin Zander for a 28-yard touchdown on a fourth down with 19 seconds left, followed by a two-point conversion pass to Johnson - Moorhead appeared to lose in overtime. Down seven, the Spuds drew within 27-26 on a fourth-down touchdown plunge by Karch. They opted to go for two and the win and a pass attempt by Wolford was batted to the ground. However, Blaine was whistled for illegal use of hands.
On try No. 2 for two, the 5-foot-6 Johnson scored on a dive left - after Moorhead favored dive right to the 6-2 Karch throughout the second half - to secure a spot in the semifinals.
"It was a night of big plays," said Bengals coach Shannon Gerrety, whose team had been involved in only one decision of fewer than 13 points before Friday. "When it came down to the last four minutes we didn't make any and they made them all."
In those final four minutes of the fourth quarter, the Spuds threw an interception deep in Blaine territory, but held the Bengals to a three-and-out and drive 71 yards on 14 plays in the final 2:33 to draw even.
"They didn't know what to do," Zander said of Blaine's late-game demeanor.
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Moorhead had its own trepidation to deal with, missing a 25-yard field goal attempt in the closing seconds of the first half after the Bengals fumbled a punt return. The Spuds also botched a fake punt on the first possession of the third quarter, leading to a Blaine touchdown, and fumbled in their next drive, resulting in quarterback Ryan Parsons' third scoring run and the 20-6 deficit. But a 28-yard touchdown scamper by Andrew Gaughan on the ensuing possession pulled Moorhead within eight with 10:58 to left in regulation. Even on frozen ground, hope sprang - and died - and sprang (not quite) eternal.
"I was trying not to think that, but you've got that little voice in your head that says, 'It's over,'" Johnson said.
"We didn't hang our heads," Wolford said. "We had confidence. Our defense gave us a chance."
Even when no one else did.
"It's hard to describe," Connelly said. "To come down here - and I'm not going to say we didn't get respect - and did we deserve it? I don't know."
Moorhead 0 6 0 14 8 - 28
Blaine 6 0 13 0 7 - 27
B-Parsons 30 run (kick failed)
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M-Karch 1 run (kick failed)
B-Parsons 12 run (Nadeau kick)
B-Parsons 55 run (Nadeau kick)
M-Gaughan 28 run (kick blocked)
M-Zander 28 pass from Wolford (C. Johnson pass from Wolford)
B-Moore 1 run (Nadeau kick)
M-Karch 2 run (C. Johnson run)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
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RUSHING: M, C. Johnson 23-68, Karch 20-74, Gaughan 5-40, Wolford 6-12. B, Parsons 13-117, Moore 14-34, Bulena 6-39, Kelly 2-16.
PASSING: M, Wolford 12-27-1 130 yards. B, Parsons 1-5-1 3.
RECEIVING: M, Zander 6-74, C. Johnson 3-17, J. Johnson 2-22, Schneider 2-17. B, Moore 1-3.
