After focusing on basketball throughout high school, Tartan senior Antwan Kimmons decided to play football in his final year as a Titan.

Kimmons, an Idaho State hoops commit, said motivation from his classmates and his father helped him decide to play the sport he grew up playing until high school. It's a good thing he picked up the pigskin this year.

Months after starting football practice for the first time as a high school student, Kimmons' late fourth-quarter interception helped Tartan (8-2) wrap up the team's first section championship in 47 years. Tartan beat Mahtomedi 19-14 Friday night, catapulting the Titans into the Class 5A state tournament. 

After making the game's biggest play, what was Kimmons' main thought process? Relief.

"It's super emotional and really stressful. Not going to lie," said Kimmons, who also scored a 19-yard receiving touchdown in the first quarter. "Especially against this team."

Mahtomedi (7-3) advanced to the state tournament with a 14-0 victory in the Class 5A, Section 4 title game last fall. After that loss, Tartan coach Matt Diediker told his returning players their goal would be to come back and make another bid for the section championship.

On Friday, that goal became a reality.

"I set the goal for them at the banquet," said Diediker, who is in his second year as the team's head coach. "I knew the kids had the talent and the desire, the passion to do it. We just laid out the path for them, and they followed it.

"That's really the awesome, and completely amazing and rewarding part about this right here."

Tartan did not beat Mahtomedi just once this season, but twice. The Titans won the Oct. 12 regular season matchup 21-17.

And in the biggest game of the season so far, there was no letdown.

"It's the greatest feeling in the world," Kimmons said.

The loss on Friday ended Mahtomedi's run of two consecutive state tournament appearances. While the Zephyrs didn't make it as far as they would have liked, coach Dave Muetzel reflected positively on the team's 2018 season.

"These guys came out and worked hard every day," Muetzel said. "It was a fun group to be around and a fun group to coach."

Tartan will now face St. Thomas Academy in the first round of the Class 5A tournament on Nov. 10 at Shakopee West Junior High. The Cadets, coming off a 41-6 win over Hastings in the Class 5A, Section 3 championship game, are 10-0 this season.

While Tartan has only lost two games this season, Diediker said they still might not have played their best all season. He hopes the Titans can change that at state.

"We've won a lot of games and made a lot of mistakes, so hopefully we clean that up," Diediker said.