Prep football: Totino-Grace 21, Spring Lake Park 14

It was a game of punches and counterpunches that absolutely lived up to its billing. At Totino-Grace, they might jubilantly refer to the game as "The Return." At Spring Lake Park, they might angrily grouse about "The Spot."

In the end, quarterback Jordan Marshall's 8-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter and a late fake punt made the difference, as visiting Totino-Grace beat North Suburban rival Spring Lake Park 21-14 in the Class 4A, Section 6 finals. Spring Lake Park came in undefeated at 9-0 as the No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A; Totino-Grace, the defending state champion, was 9-1. The Eagles will face Section 7 champion Duluth East in the quarterfinals next Friday in Duluth.

First, The Return: the teams traded long, punishing drives in the first half, resulting in a 7-6 Totino-Grace halftime lead. An SLP interception early in the second half was cashed in on a 9-yard TD run by Jordan Waiwaiole, followed by a pass for a two-point conversion that gave the Panthers a 14-7 lead and momentum.

But on the ensuing kickoff, Micah Koehn sprinted up the middle and looked to be tackled around his own 40. However, he rolled over a mass of bodies without touching the ground and kept running for an 84-yard TD return that tied the score.

"I just had one hand on the ground," Koehn said. "You have to make plays."

Second, The Spot: Spring Lake Park drove right back, bringing the ball to the Totino-Grace 33-yard line for a crucial fourth-and-short running play. They needed about a foot, and Nick Eder appeared to get a yard. However, the spot left them about 2 inches short. Panthers coach Jeff Schlieff saw the play and was "in the referee's ear." He acknowledged the momentum shift afterwards, but he refused to pin the loss on that moment.

"That's what we teach the kids," Schlieff said. "You can't blame anyone else for the loss."

Totino-Grace took over, then drove 12 plays for Marshall's go-ahead touchdown. Marshall iced the game later on a gutsy fake punt from the Totino-Grace 30-yard line with 3:21 remaining. Marshall took a shotgun snap and threw 28 yards to an uncovered Paah Zeah down the right side.

Spring Lake Park never got the ball back. Totino-Grace coach Jeff Ferguson said it was Marshall's decision to go for the fake.

"We're going to let kids play," Ferguson said. "Why not?"

The play took Schlieff by surprise; the outcome, however, was all too familiar. The Panthers have not defeated the Eagles since 1999; this was their first meeting since 2005.

"It was a game full of a lot of big plays," Schlieff said. "Totino just made a few more at the end."

Michael Rand • mrand@startribune.com