Holding the line: Blossoms get physical to win Section 1A title against Rushford-Peterson
Published 12:15 am Sunday, November 2, 2014
The Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms celebrate their Section 1A title after defeating Rushford-Peterson Saturday night in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
ROCHESTER — Going into Saturday’s Section 1A title game against Rushford-Peterson a lot of talk centered around the Trojans’ physical play.
But when the whistle blew, it was the Awesome Blossoms who imposed their physicality in a 36-21 win that sends the Blossoms to their first state tournament since 2011.
Blooming Prairie’s Tristen Haberman reaches up for the ball on a circus-style catch to score at the end of the second quarter against Rushford-Peterson in the Section 1A championship Saturday night in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
BP (11-0 overall) established itself from the opening snap as John Rumpza rifled a 91-yard TD pass to Tristen Haberman down the left sideline on the first play from scrimmage and BP led throughout the entire game. BP’s defense forced two first half turnovers from the Trojans and they stopped RP on downs on another possession.
RP (10-2 overall) had just two runs of more than 20 yards and and they were 2-for-13 with 18 yards passing.
“Nobody gave them a chance,” BP head coach Chad Gimbel said of his team. “We talked about adversity all week. We told them we may be undersized, but we have the heart, determination and belief.”
BP’s offensive line powered through the night as Rumpza was sacked just twice, and Jake Decker, who ran for 180 yards and a TD and had 81 receiving yards, gained at least three yards on 21 of his 27 carries.
“I think they had the size over us, but we gave more effort than them,” BP senior lineman Collin Wobschall said. “We just focused on staying low and moving our feet. We had to stay in our gaps and say on our assignments.”
Blooming Prairie’s Cole Byers-Sunde runs runs past Rushford-Peterson’s Noah Carlson for a score in the first quarter of the Section 1A championship Saturday night in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Haberman, a senior, had a huge impact for the Blossoms in the first half as he made three game-changing plays. After hauling in his long TD to start the game, Haberman picked off a pass in the end zone. At the end of the half, Haberman showed exactly how bad he wanted to get to state as he ripped an interception out of RP’s Alex Vix hands into the air and Haberman caught the loose ball on his back for a five-yard TD to put BP up 22-7 as the half ended.
“I focused on the ball, he had it and ripped it out. Everybody showed a lot of of heart tonight,” Haberman said. “The line did a great job. They took over the trenches, they gave Jake room and they protected John and gave him time to throw.”
RP scored two TDs in the fourth quarter, but each time BP answered with a TD drive of its own. Jake Decker came up with a 40-yard gain on a screen pass on third and 26 to set up a 6-yard TD run with 6:40 left in the game Cole Byers-Sunde and Decker had a 40-yard run to set up his own 2-yard TD run with 2:20 left in the game.
Blooming Prairi’es Collin Wobschall closes in on Rushford-Peterson’s Alex Vix during the third quarter of the Section 1A championship Saturday night in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
For the Blossoms it was a relief to win a Section 1A title game after dropping the section title game the last two years. BP has 10 seniors that were on the field when BP last went to state in 2011, but it wasn’t exactly their accomplishment. Now, they have a Section 1A title they can claim as their own.
“It’s the best feeling ever. I’ve never been a part of something like this,” Rumpza said. “Those guys [on the line] are monsters. Rushford may have been physically bigger, but we played bigger tonight.”
BP will play Minneapolis North (11-0 overall) in the Class A quarterfinals in Richfield Friday at 7 p.m.
“It’s huge,” Gimbel said of his team making it to the state tournament. “That’s the whole reason I coach is to see the smiles on these guys’ faces. For them to experience this is awesome.”
SCORING SUMMARY
BP 15 7 0 14 — 36
RP 7 0 0 13 — 21
First quarter
(BP) Tristen Haberman 91 pass from John Rumpza (Ethan Strunk kick) (1 play, 91 yards) 11:42
Blooming Prairie’s Scott Romeo looks over to the sticks after helping making a stop on Faribault’s Cole Kingsley during the first quarter of the Section 1A championship Saturday night in Rochester. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
(BP) Cole Byers-Sunde 26 pass from Rumpza (Haberman) (6 plays, 66 yards) 7:01
(RP) Alex Vix 90 kickoff return (Paul Viehauser kick) (1 play, 90 yards) 6:48
Second quarter
(BP) Haberman 5 pass from Rumpza (Strunk kick) (10 plays, 61 yards) 11:36
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
(RP) Cole Kingsley 5 run (kick failed) (4 plays, 92 yards) 11:55
(BP) Byers-Sunde 6 run (Strunk kick) (10 plays, 70 yards) 6:40
(RP) Noah Carlson 29 pass from Kingsley (Kingsley run) (4 plays, 65 yards) 5:00
(BP) Jake Decker 2 run (Strunk kick) (7 plays, 75 yards) 2:20
BP STATS
Rushing: Jake Decker, 27-for-180, TD; Anthony Nelson, 2-for-33; John Rumpza, 13-for-13; Cole Byers-Sunde, 4-for-6, TD; passing: Rumpza, 12-for-18, 270, 3 TD; receiving: Tristen Haberman, 4-for-115, 2 TD; Decker, 3-for-81; Byers-Sunde, 2-for-27, TD; Nelson, 2-for-23; Mitchell Jones, 1-for-12; Interceptions: Haberman (1); fumble recovery: Nelson (1); penalties: 4-for-25
RP STATS
Rushing: passing: 18; rushing: 193; penalties: 6-for-40