Lakeville South hadn’t scored a point heading into the fourth quarter at Totino-Grace High School Thursday night and the home team had a seven-point lead through much of the game.
Kicker John Olson put the Cougars’ first three points on the board in the fourth quarter, and he would go on to score the game’s last points, too.
Olson, after sequences of possession changes, found himself standing over the ball waiting to boot the kick that would likely decide the game. Olson converted the 42-yard field goal attempt with 13.5 seconds left on the clock, giving the Cougars (1-0) the lead and an eventual 13-10 win over the Eagles.
“I was just thinking ‘remember my steps, remember my training, all the hours that we’ve been through with the team, and just trust in them,’” Olson said.
The senior practiced kicking field goals during halftime. It seemed like he was waiting for his opportunity.
“I wasn’t expecting to [have a huge impact], but the game goes how it goes,” Olson said.
Playing good competition in close contests is an opportunity that excites Lakeville South coach Tyler Krebs.
Defeating successful programs such as Totino-Grace, with its 10 state championships, helps build more confidence for the Cougars, who are coming off a season in which they started 1-5 and flipped it to 6-6 after a five-game winning streak to reach the Class 6A state tournament semifinals.
John Olson’s late field goal tipped the scales in Lakeville South’s favor as the Cougars took down Totino-Grace 13-10 in the season opener at Totino-Grace High School on Thursday.
The Cougars (1-0) struggled to make plays on offense throughout the game while Eagles (0-1) quarterback Kristoff Kowalkowski converted multiple passes early, causing problems for Lakeville South’s defense. Kowalkowski completed 12 of his 17 pass attempts.
Lakeville South quarterback Reid Patterson rushed for a touchdown with under five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, putting the Cougars ahead 10-7. Eagles kicker Matthew Pettijohn laced his field goal from 26 yards out to tie the game at 10.
In the game’s final moments, the Cougars were able to set up Olson who converted a 42-yard field goal with 13.5 seconds left on the clock. Lakeville South scored all 13 of its points in the fourth quarter.
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