[FONT="]The Atlanta Falcons now have company in worst football losses.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Two Minnesota high schools, the Maple Grove Crimson and St. Michael-Albertville Knights, squared off in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state playoffs and it was one that will live on in Maple Grove for a while.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Crimson scored 19 points in the final 59 seconds of the fourth quarter to win the game 29-27.[/FONT]
[FONT="]With four minutes and 30 seconds left in the game, Maple Grove drove 70 yards down the field and scored on a 30-yard touchdown when quarterback Curtis Haugen completed a pass to Joe Raymon with 59 seconds left, according to MN Football Hub.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Crimson would then recover the following onside kick to get the ball back. On the next play, Haugen found Raymon again, this time for a 49-yard touchdown to make the score 27-22.[/FONT]
[FONT="]After the touchdown, the Crimson did the unthinkable by recovering a second straight onside kick after kicker Andy Peterson executed a 10-yard squib kick. The team then marched down the field in the final seconds and running back Evan Hull made his way into the endzone for the winning score.[/FONT]
[FONT="]<figure class="ra-figure" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; position: relative;">
<figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; line-height: 1;">
</figcaption></figure>[/FONT]
[FONT="]"Just like we drew it up," Maple Grove coach Matt Lombardi told MN Football Hub. "It just shows as bad as things might seem for you, you can never give up. You have to keep playing and hope things fall in your favor."[/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="]
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]St. Michael-Albertville coach Jared Essler couldn't believe how the game ended.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]"We made some big plays in the passing game and got some big stops at different points," Essler said. "It was just a crazy ending. The offense, defense or special teams just needed to make one more play and that's what it comes down to…. I've never seen anything quite like that."[/FONT]
[FONT="]Maple Grove moved on to its third state semifinal appearance in four years with the win. They'll next play No. 1-ranked Eden Prairie.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Two Minnesota high schools, the Maple Grove Crimson and St. Michael-Albertville Knights, squared off in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state playoffs and it was one that will live on in Maple Grove for a while.[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Crimson scored 19 points in the final 59 seconds of the fourth quarter to win the game 29-27.[/FONT]
[FONT="]With four minutes and 30 seconds left in the game, Maple Grove drove 70 yards down the field and scored on a 30-yard touchdown when quarterback Curtis Haugen completed a pass to Joe Raymon with 59 seconds left, according to MN Football Hub.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Crimson would then recover the following onside kick to get the ball back. On the next play, Haugen found Raymon again, this time for a 49-yard touchdown to make the score 27-22.[/FONT]
[FONT="]After the touchdown, the Crimson did the unthinkable by recovering a second straight onside kick after kicker Andy Peterson executed a 10-yard squib kick. The team then marched down the field in the final seconds and running back Evan Hull made his way into the endzone for the winning score.[/FONT]
[FONT="]<figure class="ra-figure" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; position: relative;">
<figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; line-height: 1;">
</figcaption></figure>[/FONT]
[FONT="]"Just like we drew it up," Maple Grove coach Matt Lombardi told MN Football Hub. "It just shows as bad as things might seem for you, you can never give up. You have to keep playing and hope things fall in your favor."[/FONT]
[FONT="][FONT="]
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]St. Michael-Albertville coach Jared Essler couldn't believe how the game ended.[/FONT]
[FONT="]
[/FONT]
[FONT="]"We made some big plays in the passing game and got some big stops at different points," Essler said. "It was just a crazy ending. The offense, defense or special teams just needed to make one more play and that's what it comes down to…. I've never seen anything quite like that."[/FONT]
[FONT="]Maple Grove moved on to its third state semifinal appearance in four years with the win. They'll next play No. 1-ranked Eden Prairie.[/FONT]