5 hours Ago By Skyler Jackson
MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time in nine years, the Jackson County Central football team is in the Class AA State championship game. Despite numerous injury setbacks, the Huskies (12-0) got it done in the state semifinals Friday morning with a 34-26 win over Kimball Area at U.S.
Bank Stadium. ADVERTISEMENT They were without quarterback/safety Roman Voss and wide receiver/cornerback Ben Gallagher, who both got hurt in JCC’s quarterfinal playoff game against Central Public. They’ve had to rely on depth all season and depth played a key role Friday.
Filling in for Voss at QB was Grant Freking, who has had some recent reps at the position this season. Freking also helped fill Gallagher’s spot on defense. In what was mostly a back-and-forth game, the Huskies did initially take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, both on 2-yard touchdown runs from Gage Johnson.
The first touchdown capped off a 13-play, 65-yard drive and Tavion Diggs added a 2-point conversion. Johnson’s second touchdown capped off another 65-yard drive in 2:20 for the 14-0 lead with just nine seconds left in the quarter. The Cubs responded with two touchdown passes from QB Brandon Henkemeyer, including a 58-yarder to Bryant Knaus, to make the score 14-12 by halftime.
They then took the lead 10 seconds into the third quarter when Knaus returned the opening kick 81 yards for the score. Kimball took its first lead with the score 18-14. The Huskies struck back with a six-minute drive that went 67 yards in 13 plays, capped off by a Clay Malchow 3-yard touchdown run.
The 2-point try failed, but JCC had the lead back 20-18. ADVERTISEMENT Kimball Area grabbed the lead right back by the start of the fourth quarter after recovering a fumble on a Henkemeyer 2-yard run to go ahead 26-20, but it was Huskies for the final nine minutes of the game. It started on their first play from scrimmage during the next drive when Ben Dahlin took the ball 53 yards for the touchdown to tie the game 26-26.
Kade Freking-Lau then recovered a fumble at the Kimball 47 yard line and the Huskies took the lead off it eight plays later on an 18-yard score from Johnson. He added a 2-point conversion to give the Huskies an 8-point lead. With 3:17 to go in the game, the Huskies defense needed a stop and Dahlin would all but seal the game with an interception on a fourth-down play.
JCC took over on its own 33 yard line with 1:34 left. The Huskies ran out the rest of the clock to seal their first state semifinal win since defeating Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton in the Class AAA semis in 2015. They totaled 331 yards of offense, including 258 on the ground.
Malchow led the way with 117 yards on 19 carries and Dahlin added 88 on seven carries. Johnson ran for two scores on 16 carries for 64 yards. Dahlin also led the team in receptions with five for 33 yards and Freking completed 7-of-11 passing for 73 yards.
Johnson also led the Huskies with six tackles on defense with Thomas Liepold adding five and Diggs four. The JCC defense forced those two fourth-quarter turnovers with Freking-Lau’s fumble recovery and Dahlin’s interception. ADVERTISEMENT Henkemeyer threw for 144 yards and two scores on eight completions and Ronald Arnold ran for 42 yards on five carries to lead in rushing.
The Cubs totaled 223 yards of offense. Playing in the state semifinals Thursday was 12-0 Hills-Beaver Creek in the 9-Player tournament. The Patriots are in the state championship game, which will be Saturday against Fertile-Beltrami.
They defeated Mountain Iron-Buhl 26-20 Thursday. Less than a minute and a half into the game, Beau Bakken sacked Ranger QB Micaden Clines for a safety and an early 2-0 Patriot lead. After the Rangers responded with a 65-yard touchdown pass and an added 2-point conversion, the Patriots stormed back in front with back-to-back touchdown drives in the second quarter.
The first scoring drive was over six minutes long and it went 66 yards in 14 plays. Jamin Metzger capped it off with a 2-yard touchdown run and then he found Jack Moser for the 2-point conversion and a 10-8 lead. Eduardo Wegener picked off a Clines pass to set the Patriots up again at the Ranger 23 yard line.
It only took H-BC two plays to reach the end zone again when Metzger hit Bakken for a 16-yard score. The Pats then took an 18-8 lead into halftime after a 2-point conversion on that drive. Clines cut into the deficit for the Rangers with a 1-yard score for the lone touchdown of the third quarter, but the Patriots stayed in the lead when Metzger ran for his second touchdown with 4:26 left in the fourth quarter.
They were up double digits again at 26-14 and the defense held out to give the Patriots the win. The Rangers did score a touchdown after recovering a fumble on a Derik Dahl 2-yard score. But there were just four seconds left in the game.
ADVERTISEMENT Bakken finished with 90 yards and a score on 27 carries as the team totaled 130 yards on the ground. He also led the defense with 14 tackles. Metzger finished 19-of-23 passing for 143 yards and a touchdown and Micah Bush caught 12 passes for 115 yards.
The Patriot offense was outgained in total yards 304-263. On defense, H-BC forced two turnovers, both on interceptions by Wegener and Sawyer Bosch. Dahl ran for 91 yards on 19 carries for Mountain-Iron Buhl and Clines added 65 on 20 attempts.
Clines also threw for 152 yards and a score on five completions. The Rangers defense also forced two turnovers, both on fumble recoveries. H-BC’s opponent in the state championship game is also undefeated at 13-0.
Fertile Beltrami is from Section 6 and defeated LeRoy-Ostrander-Lyle-Pacelli 60-33 in its semifinal matchup. Kickoff next Saturday is set for 10 a.m.
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