Note: this post was updated late Thursday night with information on Minneota, and also a few historical notes on B-B-E football from the 2010s...
Today I had the distinct pleasure and honor of interviewing head coach Chris Moscho in his classroom. He was gracious to offer five minutes of his class time with his group of fourth and fifth graders. Currently, we are experiencing the GREAT problem of having football on our minds all the time! This is a wonderful time to be a part of when practically every other person is asking about and bringing up the subject of state tournament football. We are relishing in it! Although we already have one state tournament under our belts from 2021, this is still a fairly new experience to be talking state tournament football. We have had great B-B-E football teams in the past that were state tournament caliber but unfortunately fell short. I could write all afternoon about teams that had legitimate chances at advancing past sections but did not. One should always be grateful for any advancement in the postseason for any sport! Football is a big deal! It is something we are proud of and will continue to be proud of regardless of the outcome of this Saturday's game.
Talking state semifinal football with Coach Moscho!
I was digging in my archives and was fascinated to be reminded that in 2017, the Jaguars also had 12 seniors on the team just like they do this year. That year they climbed as high as No. 10 in the Class 1A state rankings. The season ended in a devastating, heartbreaking 20-14 loss to Upsala/Swanville Area in the Section 4A semifinals. The football gods can be quite cruel at times. Things happen in the course of a game that can be unexplainable. The Jaguars had an outstanding start to that game with quarterback Ryan Illies scoring on a 1-yard run on fourth down with 7:28 to go in the first quarter for the game's first points. They ultimately took a 14-6 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter, when Isaiah Gilbert plowed in for a three-yard touchdown on third down with 11:56 on the clock. Illies scampered in the two-point conversion. However, U/SA tied the game at 14-14 with 5:58 left in the game. The Jaguars then drove deep into U/SA territory in the final five minutes of the game. They gained first down around the U/SA 13-yard line. Hopes ran high for a go-ahead touchdown. Two plays later, however, those hopes were destroyed when U/SA's Jorgan Kiley picked off a pass in the end zone with just 108 seconds left on the clock. (Kiley was also U/SA's quarterback.) Somehow, the Jaguars were deflated at that point, as U/SA drove 80 yards and took a 20-14 lead with under 20 seconds left. I will never, ever forget standing in the far northwest corner of the football field and seeing any hopes of a section final and state tournament fade. It shows that nothing is ever promised in the playoffs. You go out and earn what you get. It's worth noting that U/SA went on to fall 28-0 in the Section 4A finals to a solid Mayer Lutheran team. That game was somewhat closer than what a 28-0 final score would suggest, but it showed that Mayer Lutheran was the cream of the crop that year in the section. They later defeated an outstanding, previously undefeated Goodhue team 31-21 at Shakopee high school in the state quarterfinals while finishing 11-2 overall with a state semifinal loss to Minneota by a 54-21 score at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minneota then beat Wabasso 28-13 in the Prep Bowl to finish 14-0. I have no idea how our Jaguars would have matched up with Mayer Lutheran in 2017. We'll never know.
It's worth noting that in 2012, the Jaguars lost 6-0 to Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City in the section finals. A-C-GC then blasted St. Clair 38-20 at Southwest MN State in Marshall before falling in a tough loss by a 26-20 score in the state semifinals at the H.H.H. Metrodome. The Falcons finished 9-3 overall. One year later with a senior-dominated team, the Jaguars had a very promising postseason run come to an end in the section finals at Sauk Centre's field by a 29-12 score to Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity. The Bulldogs fell at the college field in Marshall by a 20-14 score to Sleepy Eye St. Mary's to finish 8-4 overall. SESM then lost 27-18 to Dawson-Boyd in the state semifinals. The Blackjacks then got crushed by Mahnomen 46-13 in the Prep Bowl.
This year, the No. 5-ranked Jaguars have a section semifinal win under their belts, plus a championship win (the section finals) and then a quarterfinal win at state! Now we gear up for the Class 1A state semifinals this Saturday! Minneota may have their sights set on a 14-0 season, but they have to get through our Jaguars first in order to have a shot at a state title.
More on the Minneota Vikings...
The running back that Coach Moscho referenced in the video is Ryan Meagher, a 5'9" 195-pound junior. He's not just a beast. I rate him an "absolute beast" who has incredible numbers this fall: 1,839 rushing yards with 31 touchdowns on 185 carries. Let that sink in: roughly 1 out of every 6 carries has been good for a touchdown. The Vikings have a second big threat in the backfield: junior running back Destin Fier who is listed at 5'8" and 155 pounds. Fier has 727 yards this fall with 11 touchdowns on 55 carries. Their quarterback, Ryan Dalager, is a senior listed at 6'1" and 175 pounds. He also plays defensive back.
Regardless of who we have lining up behind center at quarterback, the Jaguars are preparing for a solid, lights out Minneota defense. We have played state tournament-caliber teams in the recent past. Two years ago, the Jaguars more than held their own against Rushford-Peterson in an 18-6 loss in the state tournament. In 2022, the Jaguars nearly defeated then No. 5-ranked BOLD in a 36-34 loss to close out the regular season after a six-game winning streak was snapped. This year's Minneota team, of course, is pound-for-pound better than that 2021 R-P team or that 2022 BOLD team. By how much? That I can't answer, but we know that the 2023 Minneota team is the real deal. They play lights out football on every play on both sides of the ball. Our guys will be ready. Yes, as of now there is still a chance for Luke Dingmann to play. We are grateful he is part of this team no matter if he is on the field or on the sidelines. We continue to pray for him. That's where we leave that. For the public, let's do everything we can to get a big crowd down to Minneapolis!
*Here's a video I've never posted yet that features the starter introductions on September 22 when the Jaguars hosted A-C-GC:
More to come tonight. I have musical posters to get up! Have you purchased your tickets yet? You can do that by clicking over here: https://tinyurl.com/yyrjpz67.
