5A: Eastview 24, Rosemount 15

How fitting for a back-and-forth game.

On back-to-back big fourth-quarter plays, one caused Eastview fits while the other set up victory, as the Lightning beat Rosemount 24-15 in the Class 5A, Section 3 championship game.

Rosemount's Zach Vraa hauled in a 38-yard pass from Kevin Larson with 4 minutes, 20 seconds to play in the game, putting the Irish 40 yards away from the end zone -- and the lead.

But on the next play, the Lightning's Jacob Ulrich recovered a fumble, giving the ball right back to Eastview, up 17-15.

On the ensuing drive, Peter Burke rushed 16 yards for a touchdown with 2 minutes, 32 seconds remaining. His point after put the Lightning up 24-15, and the result was all but certain. Ulrich's interception with 1:14 to go -- Rosemount's fourth turnover -- sealed Eastview's fourth trip to state since 2002.

"This was about as physical of a game as you can get," Lightning coach Kelly Sherwin said.

"We came out big, then they'd respond, then we'd respond. It's really too bad one team had to lose. We just got a couple more plays than them."

Burke finished the game with 72 yards rushing and a pair of scores.

But the game ball goes to quarterback Jack McDevitt.

The senior injured his left ankle on the game's first drive but stayed in to finish 10-for-14 for 215 yards passing and a big 64-yard touchdown to Karl Otto that put Eastview ahead 14-3 early in the third quarter.

"It feels terrible," McDevitt said of his ankle, heavily taped after the game. "I thought it was OK until I got up, then I couldn't feel a thing."

Rosemount roared back to take a 15-14 lead with 2:47 to play in the third quarter when Vraa, who caught all of the Irish's completed passes, grabbed a 36-yard touchdown toss.