Como Park 42, Washburn 35

After St. Paul Como Park fell behind Minneapolis Washburn 35-21 midway through the fourth quarter Wednesday, quarterbacks coach Brian McCarthy began shouting, "We've got plenty of time!" Privately, to quarterback Greg Morse -- a gifted 6-5 senior with a laser for an arm -- McCarthy said, "This is what quarterbacks are made for."

He was proven right on both counts during a thrilling conclusion to a back-and-forth Twin City game between the champions of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Morse hit Josh Jerome with a 21-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds left for a 42-35 victory. It was Morse's third touchdown pass in the final six minutes -- he had five in the game -- rallying the Cougars from a deficit that seemed, frankly, insurmountable to almost everyone.

"This is remarkable," said a still stunned and giddy Kirby Scull, Como Park's head coach.

Said Morse: "When it came down to it, it was just playmakers making plays."

According to the Star Tribune's unofficial count, Morse threw for 411 yards; Jerome had six catches for 215 yards and three TDs.

For Washburn, which has dominated the Minneapolis conference this decade, playing in the first-place crossover game is like a birthright; for Como Park, which won the St. Paul title for the first time ever this season, it was more like a birth. Washburn played the old-school card in the second half by dominating the line of scrimmage and ripping off huge chunks of yards on the ground. Quarterback Brandon King's 11-yard scamper tied the score 21-21, while two other short touchdown runs gave the Millers (6-2) a cushion they didn't figure to relinquish.

But Morse hit Jerome for an 83-yard TD strike, though a missed extra point left the score at 35-27. After a Washburn punt, Morse again needed just two plays -- a pair of strikes to Saladin Broadway that combined to go for 72 yards -- and a two-point pass to Steve Baker to tie the score at 35 with 3:35 left. Brandon Elphage's interception with 53 seconds left gave Como Park (8-0) the ball at Washburn's 36. That set up the final pass to Jerome.

Michael Rand • mrand@startribune.com