K-M gridders ousted by a tough Tiger team

ROCHESTER — It was a long shot that the KoMets would eliminate No. 1 ranked Stewartville, in the Section 1AAAA championship game last Friday, Nov. 4, on Mayo Spartans’ turf. Well, that unlikely upset never came to fruition, as the Stewie kids made the game a no-doubter, topping Kasson-Mantorville, 46-22, to earn their first state berth since 2015.

Though the Tigers surrendered 22 points to the KoMets, they still dominated defensively enough to protect their offensive prowess. In the first half, when Stewartville built a sturdy 21-7 lead, there wasn’t much available for the K-M offense. Star K-M running back Broc Barwald was held to 29 yards in those 24 minutes and the KoMets managed just 13 yards through the air. Stewartville ballooned its lead to 35-7 with about 2 minutes left in the third quarter. Any mystery about who’d be advancing to state was by then all gone.

Kasson-Mantorville didn’t want its campaign to finish. The KoMets, who were the section’s defending champion and finished as state runner-ups last year, had hopes that they could stick with Stewartville this time. But the Tigers were just too fast, too strong, and too united.

Reese Tripp, K-M’s star offensive lineman, who  willbe playing for the University of Minnesota next year, recognized Stewartville’s greatness. “They play well together and they are always on top of things,” Tripp said. “I think we had a great week of practice and did a great job preparing for this game. I don’t think there was much more we could have done. We lost to a good team.”

Stewartville now takes a 10-0 record into the state tournament. K-M finishes 7-3, two of the losses to Stewartville. (Kasson-Mantorville: 7-0-0-15–22; Stewartville: 7-14-14-11–46).

K-M Stats: Rushing: Broc Barwald, 10 carries for 29 yards; Kyle Nelson, 8 carries for 29 yards; Howard Head, 1 carry for 48 yards; Michael Hoff, 1 carry for 20 yards, TD; Henry Paulson, 8 carries for 67 yards, TD; Evan Snow, 1 carry for 8 yards; #26, 3 carries for 22 yards; Jeremiah Peterson, 2 carries for 12 yards; Owen Nelson, 1 carry for 10 yards; Sam Graunke, 2 carries for 21 yards, TD; Passing: Nelson, 1 completion, 4 passes, 13 yards, 1 INT; Receiving: Spencer Anderson, 1 catch for 13 yards.