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Mahnomen/Waubun comes back to defeat BOLD to claim first 1A title

By JIM PAULSEN, Star Tribune, 11/24/18, 12:30PM CST

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A fourth-quarter touchdown. two-point conversion and drive-stopping fumble recovery lifted the Thunderbirds, who trailed much of the game, to a 22-21 victory.


Mahnomen/Waubun's Parker Syverson ran into the end zone to complete a two-point conversion try to give the Thunderbirds a 22-21 lead in the fourth quarter. Photo: Shari L. Gross • shari.gross@startribune.com

Jayden Heisler was right where Mahnomen/Waubun coach John Clark Jr. expected him to be.

The Thunderbirds were clutching a precarious one-point lead. BOLD was marching downfield late in the fourth quarter, game-winning points a growing possibility with each play.

BOLD’s Dawson Vosika went left and veered into a pile of players at the Mahnomen/Waubun 10-yard line. Heisler, a 5-9 bundle of grit at linebacker, attacked and wrestled the football out of Vosika’s hands and corralled it into his own.

It ended BOLD’s final threat and solidified first-year co-op Mahnomen/Waubun’s 22-21 victory in the Class 1A championship game Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“I just kind of blitzed,” Heisler said in understated fashion.

“He blitzes a lot,” Clark said with a laugh. “But he’s going to make plays. He’s always in the middle of the pile somewhere.”

It was the biggest play in a second half that saw Mahnomen/Waubun lean on what it does best to pull out the victory.

First report

After a first half in which it had given up 277 yards of total offense, Mahnomen/Waubun’s defense rose up in the second half and shut down BOLD en route to 22-21 victory in the Class 1A championship game.

BOLD led 21-14 at halftime Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium but couldn’t add to the lead in the second half.

Quarterback Jon Starkey scored from 10 yards out with 5:12 in the fourth quarter to cut the BOLD lead to one, 21-20. Parker Syverson swept right for the two-point conversion to give Mahnomen/Waubun its first lead of the game.

Syverson finished with 190 yards rushing for Mahnomen/Waubun (13-0), playing in its first year as co-op team.

BOLD finished 13-1.

Check back later for more on the game.


Mahnomen/Waubun's Parker Syverson (1) tried to evade the grasp of BOLD's Andrew Sheehan (50) in the first half. Photo: Shari L. Gross • shari.gross@startribune.com

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