From a 1-3 start to the Metrodome

Four games into the season, the Northfield Raiders were 1-3 and appeared to be going nowhere. Four games into the postseason, they're going to the Metrodome.

Shutting down Mahtomedi's renowned running game through three quarters on Friday, Northfield built a 21-0 lead and held on for a 21-13 victory over the Zephyrs in the Class 4A quarterfinals at the Edina Community Center.

"We just keyed on the running back [Stephen Johnson] because we knew he was going to get the ball,'' Northfield defensive lineman Cole Jirik said. "We knew we could compete with them.''

Northfield coach Bubba Sullivan said his defense made up for being undersized by playing hard and playing smart.

"I couldn't be any prouder of our defense,'' Sullivan said. "We flew to the ball and tried to stay low and not get driven off.''

The Zephyrs, who lost to Totino-Grace in last season's 4A championship game, averaged more than 45 points a game in their previous five games, all victories. But not until Johnson broke free for a 76-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter did Mahtomedi mount any type of offense.

Northfield started the game with a bang, with Cody Schmidt returning the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. "I saw a huge hole open up,'' Schmidt said. "I just went for it and never looked back.''

Sullivan called it the biggest play of the game.

"It made our kids believe,'' Sullivan said.

Despite their slow start this season, Schmidt said the Raiders did not give up on their goal of making it to the Metrodome. "We just picked up the tempo in practice,'' he said. "We went hard every day.''

Schmidt's early touchdown return put the Zephyrs in the unfamiliar position of playing from behind. The Raiders used a short field to score another touchdown late in the second quarter and take a 14-0 lead into halftime. A personal foul against Mahtomedi following a punt set Northfield up at Mahtomedi's 48.

Schmidt carried the ball five times on the ensuing drive and scored from 2 yards out.

Northfield's lead stretched to 21-0 late in the third quarter. Quarterback Sam Maus connected with Jirik on a 25-yard touchdown pass.

Johnson's long touchdown came early in the fourth quarter, and it clearly gave the Zephyrs an emotional boost. An interception by Mike Henry on Northfield's next possession set Mahtomedi up at the Northfield 33.

Three plays later, Johnson ran the ball in from 4 yards out, but the extra-point kick was blocked.

Mahtomedi drove down to the Northfield 15 in the closing minutes, but Johnson was stopped short on fourth-and-3.

"We knew we were just as good as they were,'' Schmidt said, "and we had to come the better team. We needed to play harder than them.

"I was really impressed with our defense. Those guys really stepped it up.''

Dean Spiros • dspiros@startribune.com