2024 Football State Tournament Quarterfinals: Day 2 Recap

Shakopee running back T.J. Clark rescued the Sabers from potential disaster with a 6-yard touchdown run in the second half of an eventual 24-17 victory over Mounds View in the Class AAAAAA quarterfinals of the Minnesota State High School League’s Football State Tournament on Friday, Nov. 8 at Spring Lake Park High School. 

Clark’s scoring run gave Shakopee a 10-point advantage at a time when it needed a boost. Previously, the Sabers had built a 17-point lead in the first half. But in the third quarter, Mounds View carved into that lead and closed to within 17-14 on a 46-yard scoring strike to Jacob Sampson to Godson Rufus-Okomhandu.

Mounds View would later close to within a touchdown behind a 20-yard field goal by Cooper Fellman. 

Early on, Shakopee had built a two-touchdown lead in the second quarter on a 71-yard run by Zach Docteur. The victory earns Shakopee a spot opposite of Maple Grove in next week’s second Class AAAAAA semifinal on Friday, Nov. 15 at U.S. Bank Stadium. 

In other quarterfinals: 

• On fourth-and-7, Peyton Podany, with his legs wrapped up by a Lakeville North defender, connected with Afy Ibekwe on an 8-yard scoring strike with 3:27 remaining in regulation time to lift Anoka to a 14-10 victory over Lakeville North in another Class AAAAAA quarterfinal at Farmington High School. The victory sends the Tornadoes (7-3) into a big-school semifinal matchup with Minnetonka (9-2) on Thursday, Nov. 14 at U.S. Bank Stadium. 
• Quarterback Camden Hungerholdt scored on a 75-yard run out of the shotgun to highlight LeRoy-Ostrander’s 50-0 victory over Renville County West in a Class 9-Player matchup. 
• Albany advanced with a 28-27 squeaker over Fergus Falls in Class AAA when Ethan Meyer squelched a two-point conversion pass with 23 seconds remaining in regulation time.