Rochester Lourdes took advantage of turnovers by Class 3A defending champion St. Croix Lutheran to prevail in the state quarterfinal game Saturday at Farmington High School. Two turnovers in the second quarter helped the Eagles turned a 14-9 deficit into a 23-14 lead in a span of about five minutes. 

After a Lourdes field goal, St. Croix fumbled the kickoff and the Eagles recovered on the Crusaders'  25-yard line. Junior running back Mason Carstens scored on a 3-yard run and then caught a pass in the end zone for the 2-point conversion.

St. Croix Lutheran fumbled a handoff on its next possession, resulting in more points for the Eagles.

Key of the game: Eagles senior AJ Sather picked a good time to throw his first touchdown pass --  and first pass completion -- on the varsity squad. He played the second half after concussion symptoms sidelined starting sophomore Noah Hillman. Sather connected with senior James Ustby for a 17-yard touchdown pass to complete a nearly 7-minute drive to open the third quarter. “Once he got in the end zone, I felt great after that,” Sather said.

Quote: “I had butterflies in my stomach, but these guys (teammates) picked me up. They made me feel right at home. Same with the coaching staff. They all told me they had faith in me.” --AJ Sather

Things to know: Lourdes senior Nick Steinmetz had two interceptions. The second one, which he ran 52 yards for the game's final touchdown, put the game away with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter. “The ball landed right in my hands, and I just saw the cutback and took it,” Steinmetz said.

* With its third-consecutive state tournament appearance, Lourdes is seeking its third state title. The Eagles won the Prep Bowl in 2010. “So proud of these guys,” coach Mike Kesler said. “We’re excited to move on to the final four.” And then, with a little laughter, he added, “We’re excited to practice in the snow on Monday.”

* The 28 points put up by the Crusaders are the most the Eagles have allowed all season. Before Saturday, only one Lourdes opponent scored more than 14.

* The Crusaders were looking for back-to-back state titles in their fourth consecutive tourney appearance. They finish the season 8-3. Before the loss on Saturday, they had won eight consecutive games after dropping its first two games to Class 4A state tournament participants DeLaSalle and Holy Angels.

HEATHER RULE

Rochester Lourdes took advantage of turnovers by Class 3A defending champion St. Croix Lutheran to win 43-28 in a state quarterfinal game Saturday at Farmington High School.

The Eagles took control in the second quarter, when theys turned a 14-9 deficit into a 23-14 lead in a span of about 5 minutes.

After a Lourdes field goal, St. Croix fumbled the kickoff. The Eagles had great field position at the 25-yard line. Junior running back Mason Carstens scored on a 3-yard run and then caught the pass in the endzone for the 2-point conversion.

St. Croix Lutheran fumbled a handoff on the next possession, which led to more points fpr Lourdes.

Check back later for more on the game.