By Jake Schroer
Crow River News Sports
For the second straight Saturday, the STMA Knights football team stared at an undefeated opponent in the state tournament. And, for the second straight time, the Knights handed that opponent its first loss.
Making their third consecutive state semifinal appearance, the Knights faced the Mankato West Scarlets; the team that ended STMA’s season with a hard-fought victory on a snowy night in Eden Prairie a year ago.
A heavyweight fight unfolded at Prior Lake High School on a chilly night. The Knights got off to a fast start, motivated by last season’s loss. Jacob Veire went to Jake Hinz for a 17-yard touchdown and then Mitch Bourgerie kicked a 24-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead.
The tide turned in the second quarter as Mankato West scored two touchdowns. Robert Meidl threw 42-yard and six-yard passes to Brock Annexstad to give the Scarlets the lead. Momentum went right back to STMA as Isaiah Weston returned the next kickoff for a touchdown and a 17-14 lead.
Meidl continued his big game by breaking free for a 35-yard rushing touchdown to put Mankato West back in front 21-17. That score held at the end of the third quarter, setting up a wild finish.
The Knights went on a drive late in the third and scored on the first play of the fourth quarter as Mitchell Kartes ran one in from two yards out. Meidl put the Scarlets in front one last time with a touchdown run of three yards to make the score 28-24.
Back came the Knights, who gave the ball to Eric Sjelin, who scored on a four-yard touchdown run to give the Knights the lead for good. It was the sixth lead change of the game.
Leading 31-28, the Knights gave the ball back to the Scarlets with plenty of time. It came down to a fourth down play for Mankato West. Annexstad caught a pass and fought for the first down, but an official measurement showed he ended up just inches shy of the first down, giving the ball back to STMA.
The Knights got a key first down on the next drive as Sjelin ran for 8 yards on third and five. STMA ran the clock down to zero from there as the Knights got the win. STMA will play in the Prep Bowl for the first time since 1999. Current Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Matt Spaeth played for the ’99 Knights who came up short in the title game.
Head coach Jared Essler said that the biggest driving force behind the win was the kids not being content with simply making it to the semifinal game
“They had been here before and they’d lost, and they knew what that felt like, and, tell you what, it was just a great team effort,” Essler said.
Weston said that it felt outstanding to be part of a team going to the Prep Bowl.
“Being able to share something like that with (the 1999 team), we definitely have to win it. We have to be the first team to ever win it for STMA,” Weston said.
Weston caught six passes for 184 yards, setting up several of STMA’s best drives. The Knights had previously been 0-2 in state semifinals since joining Class 5A.
The Knights play St. Thomas Academy in the Prep Bowl at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday at 4 p.m.
