It wasn’t pretty, but defensive struggles rarely are. Mahtomedi’s 10-7 victory over first-year cooperative SMB (St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha/Blake) was more a toe-to-toe slugfest, which was just fine with the Zephyrs (6-4).
 
They fought through the loss of their starting quarterback to a first-half leg injury and a second half in which the offense managed no first downs until a final, game-clinching drive that ended in junior kicker Chase Sullivan hitting a winning 21-yard field goal.
 
“That’s what Mahtomedi football is all about,” said senior linebacker Jack Heinsch, his right elbow bulging with ice. “We rose up and played the way we needed to play. I’m so proud to play with these guys.”
 
SMB (8-1), seeded No. 1 in Class 5A, Section 4, averaged 40 points per game en route to an undefeated regular season, building their record against a schedule of smaller-class teams. Mahtomedi was expected to be the Wolfpack’s biggest test.
 
It was.
 
Mahtomedi scored on its opening possession, a 15-play, 65-yard affair that ended in a Joe Forciea touchdown catch, then did little thereafter. SMB, which played with a field-position advantage all game, scored its only touchdown on an old-fashioned jump pass that resulted in a 11-yard touchdown reception by Jesper Salverda in the second quarter.
 
Thereafter, the fifth-seeded Zephyrs relied on their defense until their final drive. They allowed only two SMB field-goal attempts, both of which missed, and stymied the Wolfpack’s running game.
 
“We’ve leaned on our defense all year,” coach Dave Muetzel said. “We kept coming, kept working hard and eventually good things happened.”

First report

Mahtomedi scored on its first possession of the game and again on its last, enough to pull out a 10-7 victory on Tuesday over the previously undefeated SMB Wolfpack in the Class 5A, Section 4 semifinals.

After SMB missed its second field goal attempt of the game, a 35-yarder that looked good but just eluded the left upright, Mahtomedi took over its own 20-yard line with just over four minutes left in the game.

Backup quarterback Anthony Praml, playing because of an ankle injury to starter Jared Johnson suffered in the first half, hit Joe Forciea for a 43-yard gain down the left sideline. Mahtomedi moved the ball to the SMB four-yard line, setting up Chase Sullivan’s game-winning 21-yard field goal.

Before the game-winning drive, the Zephyrs had not moved the ball in the second half. Their first five possessions resulted in five total yards and no first downs.

SMB, the No. 1 seed in the section, fell to 8-1.

Check back later for more on the game.


Gallery: Section football semifinals