Football updates, including ACGC vs. LPHT

The Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City Falcons lost 20-14 tonight to LPHT, the defending section champions. ACGC was driving into LPHT territory and had a final play at the LPHT 30 yard line, but with 6 seconds left the final play was an incomplete pass.

It was a wild game. The Bulldogs led 13-7 at halftime and scored on their first drive of the third quarter to go up 20-7. A pure defensive struggle played out from that point on. Early in the fourth quarter, ACGC caught a huge break when LPHT fumbled a hand off with around 10 minutes left in the third quarter and came up with possession at the Bulldogs 19-yard line. Derek Dengerud soon scored with 9:45 left, and with a good PAT kick it was 20-14.

The teams traded possessions once each, and LPHT started a drive from their own 30-yard line with six minutes to go. ACGC forced the Bulldogs to punt and then started a last-ditch effort at tying or taking the lead with just 2:32 left in the game from their own 20-yard line. With an 80-yard field to work on, the Falcons managed to drive inside Bulldogs territory but ultimately ran out of time.

In the other Section 4A semifinal, top-seeded Minneapolis North blew away Mayer Lutheran in a 58-22 win. The Crusaders, just 2-7 going into the game, were in a 7-7 tie with the Polars after the first quarter ended. North advances to the section championship game as a member of Section 4A for the first time.

**Huge news: the Central Minnesota Conference has four teams advancing to section championship games! Holdingford, Maple Lake, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted and Pierz. And Eden Valley-Watkins had a 19-12 lead over heavily-favored Paynesville Area at halftime.

In Section 6AAA, New London-Spicer beat Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 48-30, although the Tigers led 15-14 at halftime.

Melrose Area is heading to a football section championship game for the first time since 2001 after they crushed Annandale 32-6 in the Section 6AAA semifinals. The Dutchmen take on NL-S (the defending champion) in the championship game, the date of which is yet to be announced.

NL-S lost in a wild Prep Bowl game last November.

*A little historical nugget: in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, Melrose Area advanced to a section football championship game every year. Every one of those years, Albany ended their season.

Holdingford won 48-8 to advance to their third straight Section 6AA championship game. That's all the information I have from that section.

Still digging up other scores around the area...stay tuned!

Other area playoff scores:
Pierz 49, Mora 0
Holdingford 48, Osakis 8
Rocori 41, Albany 30
HL-W-W 28, St. Agnes 12
Maple Lake 68, Brooklyn Center 14
Paynesville Area 46, Eden Valley-Watkins 33
BOLD 41, Minnewaska Area 12
Underwood 39, Wheaton/Herman-Norcross 6
Canby 46, Wabasso 6
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 16, Mountain Lake Area 8
Dawson-Boyd 48, Lac qui Parle Valley 0
Minneota 48, United South Central 7
Adrian 21, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 14
Upsala/Swanville Area 34, New York Mills 6
Royalton 28, Pine River-Backus 8
Moorhead 30, Alexandria 0
Norwood-Young America 49, Zumbrota-Mazeppa 12