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Nov. 16—MINNEAPOLIS — Ayden Howard set the tone early and sealed Kingsland’s biggest win in 20 years late.
Howard’s play helped Kingsland earn one more chance this fall for the Knights to earn their biggest win in two decades.
Howard’s early hustle showed there would be no quit in the Knights and plenty of determination. With Kingsland up 6-0 after its first drive of a 9-Player state semifinal game, Fertile-Beltrami appeared to have tied the score when Bryer Strem took a screen pass and cut through the Knights defense. But the speedy Howard never gave up on the play. The senior raced Strem down from behind and made the tackle at the Kingsland 8-yard line on the 62-yard play.
Howard’s hustle saved a touchdown as the Knights defense shut down Fertile-Beltrami on the next four plays. And with its offense in high gear, Kingsland went on to post a 36-28 victory to move on to the Prep Bowl, the 9-Player state championship game.
“You always have to finish the play no matter what,” Howard said. “You never know what the circumstances are or what it could lead to. I made the play, but then we all stepped up as a team.”
Kingsland (13-0), which had a 51-game losing streak from the 2012 season through 2017, is now just a win away from a state title. The Knights will face Nevis in the 9-Player state championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Knights have been building for this moment for the past four years, ever since Matt Kolling took over as the team’s head coach.
“These kids (the seniors) were freshmen when the new staff took over,” Kolling said. “There was not a lot of pride, excitement or wins in the Kingsland program in the 20 years prior to that. It’s all these guys, the work they’ve put in.”
Seniors like standout running back Beau Wiersma and Howard helped set the standard for the Knights when…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kingsland-holds-off-fertile-beltrami-010100234.html
Author : Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Publish date : 2023-11-17 01:01:00
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