All season, Billy Hart has been telling anyone who would listen his DeLaSalle football team was the best in the state. 

With a 35-14 victory over two-time defending state champion Hutchinson in the Class 4A state semifinal, Hart and DeLaSalle moved a closer to proving that’s true.

“We’ve talked about legacy and what you want to leave behind,” Hart said. “This senior class has been determined to bring a state title back to DeLaSalle.”

In a light snowfall and frigid cold at Prior Lake High School, DeLaSalle scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset, snapping No. 1-ranked Hutchinson’s 37-game victory streak back to 2011.

Hutchinson coach Andy Rostberg said players were told “to try to look at the book they’ve written. This is a bad chapter, but there’s been a lot of good chapters over the past three or four years. Their body of work was pretty good. If they look at that they should be pretty satisfied and pretty proud.”

Hart threw two touchdowns and had just one incomplete pass in the second half as DeLaSalle (12-1) overcame a 14-13 halftime deficit. Hart totaled 291 yards, including 123 rushing and 168 passing. 

“We had nothing to lose,” Hart said. “We knew we could play this game, execute and get the job done.” 

DeLaSalle opened up a 13-0 lead on back-to-back rushing touchdowns by freshman Sage Booker, who filled in ably for injured senior tailback James King, Jr. It was the first time Hutchinson (11-1) trailed in a game this season.

Senior running back Robbie Grimsley keyed Hutchinson’s counterpunch. Grimsley blocked an extra point, caught a 49-yard touchdown, forced and recovered a fumble and ran in a touchdown to help put the Tigers ahead 14-13 at the half. 

The second half was all Islanders.

After a scoreless third quarter in which Hutchinson turned the ball over on downs deep in DeLaSalle territory, Hart hit senior receiver Isaac Hodge for a 25-yard touchdown and converted a 2-point conversion throw to Marquise Bridges to put the Islanders ahead 21-14.

After a three-and-out by Hutchinson, Hart ran into the end zone untouched from 5 yards out to give the Islanders a 28-14 lead with 6:50 left in the game. A 94-yard interception return by Bridges with 3:52 to play sealed the victory.

Hutchinson committed four turnovers in the game, more than it had in total all season. 

“It was about who wanted it more,” said Hodge, who had 8 catches for 87 yards in the game. “We weren’t done playing football. We wanted one more week.”

DeLaSalle will face Becker (11-1) in the Prep Bowl on Friday at TCF Bank Stadium. The Islanders have one state championship, in 1999.

Hart didn’t taper his confidence now that his team is one victory away from the title. 

“They just better watch out,” he said. 

DeLaSalle scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull off a 35-14 upset of two-time defending state champion Hutchinson in the Class 4A state semifinal Saturday at Prior Lake High School. 

The Islanders' senior quarterback Billy Hart threw two touchdowns and just one incomplete pass in the second half as his team overcame a 14-13 halftime deficit. Hart totaled 291 yards - 123 rushing and 168 passing - in the victory. 

DeLaSalle will face Becker in the Prep Bowl next Friday. The Islanders have one state championship, in 1999.

The Tigers had won 37 consecutive games, including state titles in 2012 and 2013. 

Check back later for more on the game.