Football Quarterfinals --- Day 3 Recap

Twenty-eight quarterfinal football games in seven enrollment classes came to a conclusion Saturday night with eight more teams earning a berth in the semifinals of the Minnesota State High School League’s football state tournament next week at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 18-20 with berths in the Prep Bowl championship games at stake. The seven-game championship feast is set for Nov. 26 and 27, also at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Here is a look at the results following the third and final day of the quarterfinal round:

·       Class AAA at Prior Lake --- Dassel-Cokato 41, Fairmont 13

·       Class AAA at Burnsville --- Plainview-Elgin-Millville 37, Breck 14

·       Class AAA at Brainerd --- Esko 28, New London-Spicer 21

·       Class AAA at Buffalo --- Annandale 27, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 18

·       Class AAAAA at Woodbury --- Mahtomedi 42, Rochester Mayo 20

·       Class AAAAA at Osseo --- Robbinsdale Cooper 21, Alexandria Area 17

·       Class AAAAA at Prior Lake --- Mankato West 21, St. Thomas Academy 14

·       Class AAAAA at Osseo --- Rogers 21, Andover 20

Notes

·       Robbinsdale Cooper’s come-from-behind victory over Alexandria Area earned a first trip to the football state semifinals. The Hawks’ only other state tournament trip came in 1996.

·       Junior wide receiver Carter Zezulka caught a touchdown pass with 15 seconds left in regulation time to lift Esko to a 28-21 victory over New London-Spicer. He also had an interception return for a touchdown.

·       In its 37-14 victory over Breck, Plainview-Elgin-Millville had four sacks, intercepted four passes, and held the Mustangs to 190 yards of total offense.

·       Senior quarterback Alexander Dittberner had three touchdown passes to power top-ranked Mankato West to a 21-14 victory over St. Thomas Academy.