An autumn spent in battle in one of the state’s toughest subdistricts proved worth the effort for St. Michael-Albertville.

Forced to play most of the Class 5A championship game without Evan Ronson, a second-team All-Metro linebacker, because of a back injury, and top running back Eric Sjelin, lost for the second half with a leg injury, the Knights leaned on their game-hardened background to pull out a 28-21 victory over St. Thomas Academy.

“We played some really tough opponents. We had to earn our section championship.” St. Michael-Albertville coach Jared Essler said. “And once we got to the state tournament, it wasn’t exactly an easy road. I can’t say enough about how these guys stepped up. We lost a starting linebacker and a starting running back, but we just kept battling.”

Tied 14-14 to begin the second half, St. Michael-Albertville took control after a St. Thomas Academy fumble on the Cadets’ first drive.

“That was a huge play,” St. Thomas Academy coach Dave Ziebarth said. “At the time, I felt it would it would burn us a little bit and it did.”

The Knights opened up a two-touchdown lead on a 25-yard touchdown reception by Isaiah Weston in the third quarter and sophomore Mitchell Kartes’ second one-yard scoring run of the game in the fourth quarter.

“I have to stop calling him a player with a great future because he’s been a player with a great present,” Essler said of Kartes, who finished with 141 yard rushing.

St. Thomas Academy rallied, cutting the lead to 28-21 on a fourth-down, 7-yard pass from Andrew Tri to Woody Hubbell with 3:57 left in the game, but that was as close as they would get.

The two teams spent the first half trying to find the other’s weaknesses, playing their own version of hot potato with momentum. St. Michael-Albertville struck first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 9-yard run by Sjelin after a St. Thomas Academy turnover.

The Cadets countered on their next possession with an 83-yard pass from Tommy Dolan to Mac Brown and the game was tied after one quarter.

The second quarter was more of the same. St. Thomas took the lead 14-7 on a four-yard run by Sean McFadden and St. Michael-Albertville answered when Kartes scored his first touchdown with 55 seconds left in the second quarter.

The first half ended the way it started, tied with neither having gained an advantage.

“It was like two heavyweights who just kept fighting and needed to get an advantage,” Ziebarth said. “We were hoping to get that advantage in the third quarter and we gave it back to them."

Things looked ominous when St. Michael-Albertville emerged from the locker room after halftime. The Knights had sputtered on offense for much of the first half and its top running back, senior Eric Sjelin, came back onto the TCF Bank Stadium field on crutches.

But, as important as momentum is, its cause is unpredictable. Down an important player, the Knights diversified their offense in the second half, built a two-touchdown lead and held on for a 28-21 victory and their first state championship.

Isaiah Weston caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Viere in the third quarter and sophomore Mitchell Kartes, who became the primary ball carrier in Sjelin’s absence, rushed for his second one-yard score of the game in the fourth quarter for a 28-14 lead.

St. Thomas Academy rallied, cutting the lead to 28-21 on a fourth-down, 7-yard pass from Andrew Tri to Woody Hubbell with 3:57 left in the game. The Cadets had two possessions after that but could not advance past midfield.

Kartes finished with 141 yards rushing and Viere passed for 177 yards and a score for the Knights (12-1).

Of the seven games in the 2015 Prep Bowl, the Class 5A final was probably the toughest to read. Both teams had tough defenses and efficient offenses, but neither had anything resembling a clear advantage.

That competitive balance showed in the first half as the teams took turns trading punts and touchdowns, playing their own version of hot potato with momentum. St. Michael-Albertville struck first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 9-yard run by Sjelin after a St. Thomas Academy turnover.

The Cadets countered on their next possession when Mac Brown got behind the St. Michael-Albertville defense and hauled a pass from backup quarterback Tommy Dolan for an 83-yard score and 7-7 tie after one quarter.

The second quarter was more of the same. St. Thomas took the lead 14-7 on a four-yard run by Sean McFadden, capping a quick-strike, four-play, 67-yard drive. St. Michael-Albertville answered on its ensuing possession, going 77 yard in 10 plays with Kartes carrying the ball the final yard for a touchdown.

The first half ended the way it started, with the two teams tied and neither having gained an advantage.