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“I just got excited.” said Isaac Fredin of Springfield. “Trust our guys, it’s exciting for sure. The interception moved the field. It was crazy.”

With Springfield leading 22-16 with 2:36 remaining, Fredin’s interception sealed the victory.

Also, a key player for Springfield was quarterback Parker Kuhn, who passed for 197 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Gavin Vanderwerf rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown, and Aiden Moriarty had six receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. Fredin had five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown, and Brayden Sturm had six receptions for 52 yards. Madden Lent added a 13-yard touchdown catch.

Springfield will face Minneota for the third straight year in the championship game at 10 a.m. Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minneota shut out Parker’s Prairie 45-0 on Saturday afternoon to advance to the state finals for the third straight year.

Staff photo by Ali Selvay Springfield’s Madden Lent catches a touchdown during the Class A state football tournament semifinal game against Mahnomen/Wauven on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Springfield head coach Adam Meyer said the team didn’t necessarily make sweeping changes, just being able to do little things that added up to stage a dramatic comeback.

“To be honest, there hasn’t been much adjustment.” he said. “Playing fast and playing the way we know how. We’ve got to find a way to do that a little bit faster over the next week. As a play-caller, be a little more aggressive early on and get into the flow of the game.” , what you need to make sure you’re comfortable is I know. There were also some missed steps early on and some things that needed to be changed in terms of execution. But these kids haven’t adjusted very well in terms of coaching. Just keep going up and make plays when your number is called.”

VanderWerf added that if Springfield can see what their opponent is doing, they can move the ball more easily.

“I think in the first half I was still trying to learn the team.” Vanderwerf said. “We can build the second half on what we got in the first half and grow by considering which plans worked and which didn’t. Where to put pressure, where to find help. Do you need it? When you know where the pressure is coming from, it’s easier to create flow and move the ball down the field.”

Second-half surges have been a pattern for the Tigers over the past two weeks, and even in their last matchup with Goodhue, Springfield didn’t score a touchdown until the second half. Meyer said the team still needs to find a way to start the game strong without relying on comebacks.

Staff photo by Ali Selvey Springfield’s Aiden Moriarty dives into the end zone during the Class A state football tournament semifinal game against Mahnomen/Wauven on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“When it comes to games like this, I want to play well from the first kick.” he said. “That’s something we’ll have to consider this week. We know the prep bowl, so we can’t fall behind and give other teams a head start like we’ve done the last few games. But this The kids come prepared. They rose to the occasion many times throughout the season and are proud of their determination regardless of the situation.”

The Thunderbirds took the lead in the first quarter on Blake McMullen’s 6-yard rush. McMullen had a 5-yard rush before the halftime break to make it 16-0 in the second quarter.

Springfield’s defense was able to stop Mahnomen/Waubun on the first drive of the second half, and the offense took 9 plays and 74 yards, including a strong run by VanderWerf and a catch-and-run opportunity on a throw under Kuhn. obtained and reacted. . The drive ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kuehn to Fredin, cutting the lead to 16-8 as the clock wound down into the fourth quarter.

This score seemed like a switch was flipped for Springfield and everything started falling into place.

“I think we’re practicing the way we play.” Moriarty said. “We can get things going in the first half, but sometimes we struggle to finish. You see the first one come in and go from there, especially when we held the pace against them. That’s when you know you’re there. We can play fast, but they can be a little slow.”

Springfield forced a four-and-out on the Thunderbirds’ next possession, and the offense went another 44 yards on a drive that ended with Moriarty’s diving 3-yard score. However, the two-point conversion was unsuccessful, and Mahnomen/Wauven held a 16-14 lead with 6:10 left in the game. But time proved to be plenty as Springfield forced a three-and-out and Kuehn threw a 13-yard fade to Lent for a 22-16 lead. Fredin’s interception decided the game, and VanderWerf punched it in from seven yards to go, sealing the game for good and sending Springfield to the state championship.