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Conference title falls through fingertipsBy Danielle Strenke It couldnít have been a more dramatic finish if it were a movie. Two teams, battling for a conference title, come down to the wire when either team can put the game away with its final possession in the last two minutes of the game. Unfortunately for North Branch, the Chisago Lakes Wildcats came out on top in a 21-17 win Oct. 15 to secure the Rum River Conference title. What made the loss even harder to bear was the fact that the Vikings held onto the RRC lead through the first six games of the season, and a loss to Princeton Oct. 10 allowed Chisago Lakes to move up into a first-place tie with North Branch coming into last Wednesdayís game. Both teams played tough defensively throughout the first quarter, with neither team able to put points on the scoreboard. In the second, Chisago Lakes found the endzone for a touchdown with less than a minute left in the quarter. The extra point kick made it 7-0 Chisago Lakes, ending the scoring for the first half. North Branch put together a 64-yard series midway through the third quarter, ending in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Matt Fletcher to Ed Meier. Britt Baumann kicked the extra point to tie the game at 7-7. The Wildcats came back on the subsequent possession to score its second touchdown, taking the 14-7 lead. The Vikes answered with another TD, this time Fletcher found Tony Beaver on the receiving end of a 35-yard pass. Baumann tied it up again, for a 14-14 score to end the third quarter. Chisago Lakes started with the ball in the fourth quarter, driving 78-yards for a touchdown and adding the extra point. Trailing 21-14 with just under eight minutes remaining in the game, North Branch needed six minutes to drive to the 20-yard line. Fletcher was sacked for a loss on third down, forcing a 35-yard field goal attempt. Again, Baumann split the uprights for 3 Vikings points. The Wildcats defense stopped any scoring threat, however, and took over with 20 seconds left on the clock. Chisago Lakes ran out the time for a 21-17 win. Head Coach Joel Swanson said the team played hard. ìWe just couldnít get one more big play in there,î he said. Ben Stenberg stepped up to lead the team with 101 yards rushing on 22 carries. Phil Olson added 17 yards. Beaver led in receptions with 9 catches for 75 yards, followed by Jake Anderson and Olson, both with 3 catches for 20 yards each. North Branch had 239 yards total offense, compared to Chisago Lakes with 287 total yards. The loss ended North Branchís regular season with a 6-2 overall record and second place in the Rum River Conference. This week, a whole new season begins ñ playoffs. The team was scheduled to start the quarterfinal round Tuesday, Oct. 21 as the No. 3 seed in section 4AAAA. The Vikings were set to host No. 6 Monticello in that game. ìThey present a lot of new challenges for us as they run the spread offense,î Swanson said. ìFor us to win we must eliminate our mental mistakes, limit their big plays and win the turnover ratio.î A win against Monticello would put the Vikes into the semifinal game Saturday, Oct. 25 where the squad would most likely face Chisago Lakes again. The Cats, seeded No. 2, faced No. 7 seeded Andover Tuesday in the quarterfinal matchup. ©ECM Post Review |