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.
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