Lakeville South capitalized on a late fumble, scoring a touchdown for a one-point lead with 2:25 left in the game Friday.
East Ridge drove into field-goal range, and kicker Luke Ryerse attempted a 42-yard field goal with 3.7 seconds remaining in regulation. But Lakeville South senior Jay Winters blocked the kick to effectively end the game, sending the Cougars’ sideline into a frenzy.
Lakeville South, ranked No. 3 in Class 6A, took a 35-34 victory in the state quarterfinals at St. Michael-Albertville High School.
“Your mind goes numb,” Lakeville South coach Ben Burk said. “I just caught myself watching, watching the kids.
“That’s why you coach. That’s why you teach and coach kids, is you can see that jubilation on their face.”
The Cougars were down 27-15 at halftime. East Ridge kept its momentum when it recovered a fumble on the second-half kickoff to the Cougars. Then Cougars senior Isaac Cin came up with a big interception to help turn the tide.
“We just responded,” said Lakeville South junior Connor Cade. “We’ve been responding all year. This isn’t just a one-time thing. We’re responded in every game all year.”
Cade scored three touchdowns, on 69- and 39-yard runs and a 58-yard reception. He finished the game with 157 yards on 14 carries. He has 20 rushing touchdowns this season.
The Cougars (10-1) advance to the state semifinals against the Centennial Cougars. They’ll play Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
East Ridge senior quarterback Tanner Zolnosky rushed for 99 yards on 25 carries and scored a touchdown, and through the air he went 17-for-23 for a season-high 342 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
East Ridge coach Dan Fritze told his players afterward that he’d never been prouder of a team. He called the game one of the greatest he’s been a part of.
“Just one team had to lose, that’s all,” Fritze said.
The Raptors (4-7) came in rolling as they looked to knock a third top-10 team out of the postseason. They upset No. 8 Anoka and No. 7 Minnetonka in the first two rounds of the playoffs.