It's all about making plays in the end.
Junior Gavin Caswell threw an 8-yard touchdown pass over the middle to senior Maki Whelan on the last play of the game, and the two reversed roles on an option pass for the two-point conversion as Rosemount surprised Lakeville South 22-21 on Friday night. The Cougars (5-1) are ranked second in Class 6A.
Junior running back Connor Cade scored on an 8-yard run with 8 minutes, 41 seconds remaining, breaking a 14-14 tie and giving the Cougars their first lead of the night. Senior running back Gabriel Jacobson scored on a 1-yard run with 22.8 seconds left before halftime to tie it 14-14.
The Irish (4-2) had taken 7-0 and 14-7 leads on Jackson Ganser's 4-yard run and Whelan's 6-yard run in the first half.
Cougars junior quarterback Gaven Dean scored on a 1-yard run to even it at 7-all.
In other games Friday:
Becker 20, Rocori 0: The Class 4A, No. 1 Bulldogs (6-0) knew they were in for their second consecutive dogfight. Their defense turned in a stellar performance, allowing the offense to finally get untracked.
Becker broke a scoreless tie with three second-half touchdowns against the No. 7 Spartans (4-2). Rocori defeated Becker twice last season, 31-10 and 22-20.
Becker took a 6-0 lead when senior quarterback Zachary Bengtson's 26-yard pass tipped off the hands of two Rocori defensive backs and fell into the hands of junior wide receiver Mitchell Soltau in the end zone with 7 minutes, 53 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs stretched their lead to two touchdowns when senior Kyan Blomquist scored on a 1-yard run up the middle on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Becker put the game out of reach when junior running back Owen Angell scooted down the sideline on a 64-yard touchdown run.
It was the second shutout of the season for the Bulldogs, who were coming off a 21-20 victory over No. 8 Hutchinson.
Edina 35, Shakopee 28: Sophomore quarterback Mason West threw his second touchdown pass of the fourth quarter 10 yards to junior wide receiver Trillion Sorrell with 1:16 remaining as the Hornets (3-3) outlasted the Class 6A, No. 8 Sabers (3-3). West threw an 11-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Sonny Villegas earlier in the quarter. Shakopee had tied it at 28-all on senior running back Ben Holte's 12-yard run and junior running back Zach Docteur's two-point conversion run with 8:44 remaining.
Hutchinson 36, Willmar 7: The Tigers (4-2) bounced back from their tough loss to Becker by beating the Cardinals (1-5). Senior running back Charlie Renner caught 10- and 41-yard touchdown passes from classmate Logan Butler and scored on an 18-yard run as Hutchinson raced to a 22-0 lead before halftime. Renner added a 33-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Armstrong 42, Hastings 7: Junior quarterback Dawson Franke threw four touchdown passes, two to classmate Gideon Breker, as the Class 5A, No. 7 Falcons (5-1) cruised past the Raiders. Franke completed 13 of 20 passes for 243 yards.
Totino-Grace 35, St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake 7: Sophomore free safety Jaden Miller returned an interception 31 yards and a fumble 20 yards for touchdowns as the Class 4A, No. 5 Eagles (5-1) downed the winless Wolfpack (0-6). Senior Justin Kuharski added touchdown runs of 42 and 94 yards.
Prior Lake 21, Wayzata 17: It happened to the Trojans (1-5) again: another one-possession setback. Quarterback Caden Wick and wide receiver Jaxson Barrett hooked up on their second touchdown pass of the fourth quarter, this time from 36 yards on a fourth-and-8 call with just under three minutes remaining as the Lakers (2-4) handed Wayzata its fourth one-possession loss of the season. The two teamed up on a 24-yard scoring strike on third-and-10 three minutes earlier.
