2024 Football, Class AA Semifinals: Jackson County Central 34, Kimball 26
Posted: Friday, November 15, 2024 - 1:14 PM
Jackson County Central tapped into its depth and offensive ingenuity to keep its state championship hopes alive.
The Huskies, playing without standout junior quarterback Roman Voss who is sidelined with a season-ending ankle injury suffered during last week’s quarterfinals, found other ways to thrive during a 34-26 victory over Kimball in the Class AA semifinals of the Minnesota State High School League’s Football State Tournament on Friday, Nov. 15 at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis.
In his absence, Jackson County Central (12-0) was efficient with timely big-time plays sprinkled in.
Senior running back Clay Malchow rushed for 117 yards and scored a touchdown while sophomore running back Gage Johnson added 64 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Grant Freking, filling in at quarterback, completed 7 of 11 passes for 73 yards.
Jackson County Central erased a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter with two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Ben Dahlin forged a 26-all tie on a 53-yard run with 8:52 left in regulation. About three minutes later, Johnson completed an eight-play drive with an 18-yard burst to give the Huskies the lead for good.
The Huskies will play for a state championship for the sixth time in program history. In those previous trips, they have captured championships in 1985 (Class B) and in 2001 (Class B).
Kimball (11-1) matched Jackson County Central throughout and showed numerous signs that they were poised to make its first state championship game appearance. The Cubs scored 18 consecutive points, including a 58-yard scoring strike from senior quarterback Brandon Henkemeyer to senior wide receiver Bryant Knaus in the first half. Knaus would later have an 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half.
