You don’t work football. You play it.

Mounds View football coach Aaron Moberg’s reminder at practice this week probably sounded foreign to a group of players who have done nothing but work since the 2018 season ended one game short of the state tournament.

“With playoffs, sometimes the stress and the tension can keep you from enjoying the moment,” Moberg said. “We wanted our kids to enjoy being out there together and playing the game.”

The smiles kept coming throughout a 48-13 dismantling of Friday’s visitors from Buffalo. The victory clinched the Mustangs’ first state tournament appearance in five years. Mounds View (8-2), ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll, advances to play in the quarterfinals Friday against No. 2 Lakeville South at Eden Prairie High School.

Senior quarterback Cole Stenstrom threw three touchdown passes to senior Jack Roeber and ran for two scores. The defense limited the tremendous Buffalo duo of quarterback Aidan Bouman and receiver Michael Tweten to two touchdowns.

When the Bison (5-5) did score, Mounds View responded with touchdowns drives of its own each time.

“That’s probably what I was most proud of tonight,” Moberg said. “When they did make a play, we took the momentum right back.”

Mounds View clinched its first state tournament appearance in five years with a 48-13 dismantling of Friday’s visitors from Buffalo.

The Mustangs (8-2), ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll, advance to play in the quarterfinals Friday against No. 2 Lakeville South at Eden Prairie High School.

Mounds View dominated the first half on both sides of the ball at led 27-7 at halftime. The tremendous Buffalo (5-5) duo of quarterback Aidan Bouman and receiver Michael Tweten hooked up for a touchdown. Otherwise, the Mustangs’ gang green defense dictated the action.

Buffalo’s six possessions read like this: One touchdown, one punt, turned over on downs twice and two Mateo Cisneros interceptions. With Bouman limited, the Bisons’ most consistent success came on inside runs from Isaiah Karles set up with soild trap blocking.

The Mounds View offense, meanwhile, clicked. Two fourth down conversions propelled a scoring drive capped by Brian Tebbutt’s 5-yard touchdown run for a 21-7 lead.

Quarterback Cole Stenstrom ran for a score and threw for two to Jack Roeber – the second on a 36-yard heave with no time left in the first half.

Buffalo started the second half almost as well. The Bison recovered a fumble on Mounds View’s first play. Facing fourth-and-8, Bouman hit Tweten for a 38-yard touchdown. Buffalo trimmed its deficit to 27-13.

As they did in the first half, the Mustangs answered a Bison touchdown with one of their own. Brian Tebbutt got free for a 21-touchdown, his second end zone trip of the evening, for a 34-13 Mounds View lead.

Check back later for more on the game.