There are comebacks, but Maple Grove’s improbable 21-17 victory over Edina on Friday night was more “Oh, come on.”

Because who would believe a team trailing until less than two minutes remained would find a way? Not to mention convert twice on fourth down on the clinching drive.

No. 2 seed Maple Grove (8-2) did the unlikely. The Crimson advance to the Class 6A tournament quarterfinals against No. 1 seed Eden Prairie next Friday at Chanhassen High School.

“We don’t make it easy, but we show a lot of persistence,” Crimson senior quarterback Brad Davison said. “That game was great for us as we go into next week.”

Behind 17-0 early and 17-6 at halftime, Maple Grove responded with two clutch touchdown drives. The defense shut down Edina quarterback Brock Boltmann after he threw a pair of touchdowns to Parker Rickert in the first quarter.

Boltmann also punts well, pinning Maple Grove at its 5-yard line in the third quarter. But 12 plays and 95 yards later, the Crimson scored.

Jack Dugan’s touchdown catch and Davison’s two-point conversion run cut Edina’s lead to 17-14 with nine seconds to go in the third quarter and shifted the wind.

“We were the ones stopping ourselves,” Davison said. “That’s kind of been the theme this year on offense. That drive gave us our confidence back.”

In its next two possessions, No. 3 seed Edina (5-5) turned the ball over on downs and then punted. On its ensuing drive, Maple Grove looked nothing like the team that fumbled twice in the first quarter.

Davison twice completed passes on fourth down to Teddy Raasch. The first came on a busted play. Davison spun away from closing defenders in the backfield and Raasch did likewise on the sideline.

“Davison always keeps plays alive,” said Edina coach Reed Boltmann, whose Hornets edged Maple Grove 21-20 on Sept. 16. “We’ve got one or two spies on him, and as he’s going down, he flips it to a back.”

The second one, a 13-yard completion on fourth-and-8, got the Crimson to Edina’s 8-yard line. The next play Davison took off for the go-ahead score.

“What makes Brad a special kid is he really does have that ‘I-don’t-want-to-let-us-lose’ attitude,” Maple Grove coach Matt Lombardi said. “That drive separated him as one of the best players in the state.”

Edina led Maple Grove for all but the final two minutes. But Maple Grove battled back for a rousing 21-17 comeback victory at home.

No. 3 seed Edina (5-5) bolted to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter of the game on Friday. But No. 2 seed Maple Grove (8-2) fought back, avenging a 21-20 defeat to the Hornets on Sept. 16.

The Crimson advances to the state tournament quarterfinals against No. 1 seed Eden Prairie on Friday at Chanhassen High School.

Check back later for more on the game.

Key of the game: Credit to Maple Grove for a 95-yard scoring drive in the third quarter. The showstopper, however, was the go-ahead drive, featuring a pair of fourth-down conversions. Quarterback Brad Davison found receiver Teddy Raasch each time to extend the drive and Maple Grove’s season.

Quote: “I told the guys at halftime, everyone got give [Curtis] Haugen a hug. He left us breathing.” — Crimson coach Matt Lombardi on Haugen’s interception late in the first half. Edina wsa threatening to add to its 17-6 lead at the time.

Worth noting: Edina coach Reed Boltmann took issue with two of the referees’ calls on fourth down. One was a pass interference call on the Hornets in the end zone in the first half. The other was the spot where Raasch went out of bounds on the go-ahead drive.

DAVID LA VAQUE