Almost a year ago to the day, Hill-Murray was driving deep in Mahtomedi’s zone when a fumble in the closing minutes ended a possible upset.

Fast forward, the tables turned, when Zephyrs running back, Jackson Hull, put the ball on the ground with less than three minutes to go in the fourth and Hill-Murray was able to run out the clock to win 14-12 and advance to the Class 4A state tournament.

Along with two huge turnovers, Hill-Murray used a strong rushing attack led by sophomore Dusty Krueger, to beat Mahtomedi for the second time this season.

Not the biggest player, nor the most experienced, Krueger nearly perfected his craft by eluding Zephyr defenders with his speed.

He got to the corners on a handful of rushes when Mahtomedi plugged the middle, but did not shy away from contact when his number was called on plays into the heart of the Zephyrs defense.

None more evident than his 7-yard touchdown run, straight up the middle, which was the eventual game-winner late in the third quarter to give Hill-Murray a 14-6 lead.

Perhaps a touch of maturity at such a young age, Krueger was quick to deflect any attention to himself, but give it to the Pioneers offensive line, one that is experienced and more than ready to end a two-year losing streak to Mahtomedi in section finals play.

“That’s our O-line,” Krueger said. “They have been here two years trying to beat them."

After recovering Hull’s fumble late in the fourth, Hill-Murray was not in the clear.
It still had to run out the remaining time on the clock, which was still North of two minutes.

“We went crazy,” Krueger said after Hull's fumble. “Our coaches had to settle us down.  We were jumping all over the field.”

Hill-Murray had to keep its composure and find a way to keep the Mahtomedi defense on the sidelines.

Sticking to the ground and Krueger, the Pioneers were able to get a first down on third-and-2 to put the game away.

“That’s the anchor of our team,” Pioneers coach Brooks Bollinger said. “Our O-line, a bunch of seniors that have been here a long time and Dusty Krueger is a tough little runner."

Two years in a row, Mahtomedi has came from behind to deflate the Pioneers season.

Last year, a heartbreaking 28-26 win, highlighted by a controversial fumble late in the game that gave the Zephyrs the ball as Hill-Murray was driving and two seasons ago, Mahtomedi scored the final 13 points en route to a 22-14 win.

“There are a lot of us that have not beaten these guys in sections,” quarterback Zach LaValle said. “So to do it like this is pretty special. We did it as a team, picking each other up.”

For the first time since 1987, Hill-Murray will get a taste of the state tournament in football.

Known for its hockey prestige, the Pioneers may have made a mark on the gridiron as well.

“It’s amazing,” Kruerger said. “Coach Bollinger came in here, he built it up. He had coaches come in from everywhere. It’s great.”

“I really don’t even know what to say,” LaValle added. “I am just so happy to be a part of this and glad to be on this team and can’t wait to play next week.”

                                                                    - - Justin Magill, MN Football Hub Staff

Expectedly, there were maybe some nerves on the Section 4AAAA championship game.

Along with false starts penalties that littered the first quarter, there were fumbles and interceptions tacked on to that in the first half.

However, those cost the Zephyrs and Pioneers little to nothing, at least in the first 24 minutes of play.

When the second half began, Hill-Murray made the most of two Andrew Lindquist interceptions, which were on consecutive throws.

LaValle got the Pioneers rolling when he connected with Mack Kullas on a fade to the right to rack up the final four yards on their first touchdown drive.

Lindquist had his next pass fall into the hands of Lucas Glomb, who read the Mahtomedi quarterback perfectly, jumping into the middle to pick of the pass and put Hill-Murray back on offense on the Zephyrs side of the 50.

“That’s our defense,” Krueger said. “They played great, they work hard. That’s all on them.”

Later, Krueger scored from 7-yards out to extend Hill-Murray’s lead to 14-6, helping the Pioneers convert on two costly Mahtomedi turnovers.

“Those are huge,” LaValle said. “Our defense came up with big plays and got us back in the game. It was our turn to get going”

What also cost Mahtomedi a chance at an impressive fifth straight trip to the state tournament was the points-after-touchdowns.

A missed extra point in the second quarter and a dropped pass on a two-point conversion in the fourth ultimately did the Zephyrs in.

“You have to give credit to Hill-Murray,” Mahtomedi coach Dave Muentzel said. “They made the most of the plays they had to at the end.

“We may have not had things go our way, but Hill-Murray does have a lot to do with that.”

With two teams that have proven to put up impressive offensive numbers against one another, this time, on a cool, frigid November night, the offense took a back seat for most of the game.

“We knew it was going to be a hard fought, good football game,” Bollinger said. “and that’s what it was.”

                                                                -- Justin Magill, MN Football Hub Staff