3A: Even plagued by penalties, New London-Spicer able to topple GSL

Glencoe-Silver Lake came into Saturday's Class 3A state championship game with several things working in its favor. Most notable about the Panthers -- who owned the previous three titles -- was a defense that had posted eight shutouts in 13 games and had given up more than one touchdown only once this season.

So what was the strategy for New London-Spicer? Penalties. Lots of them. The Wildcats were flagged 12 times for 75 yards -- maybe all the laundry flying through the air distracted Glencoe-Silver Lake -- but they also scored four touchdowns in a high-flying, back-and-forth, last-team-standing 28-21 victory.

It was very easy for the Wildcats (14-0) to laugh about the penalties amid the postgame celebration. Coach Dan Essler even said penalties have "kind of been our forte all year."

New London-Spicer overcame the violations as well as the best defense in the state to win its first football championship. Quick-footed quarterback Jayme Moten completed 14 of 17 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns, with all three scores coming in a 22-point fourth quarter for the Wildcats.

"You can't give up 28 to New London and expect to win," Glencoe-Silver Lake coach Scott Tschimperle said. "They're a good football team."

New London-Spicer put together an impressive 47-yard, eight-run drive that ended with coach's kid Jake Essler scoring from the 1 before the game was five minutes old. But the Wildcats ground game gained only 51 yards after that.

Glencoe-Silver Lake (13-1) led 7-6 at halftime after Kyler Anderson hit Aaron Lueders on a 39-yard touchdown pass. A 3-yard run by Lueders put the Panthers ahead 14-6 late in the third quarter, and that's when the Metrodome turned into a giant video screen.

Moten hit Luke Peterson on a short pass that turned into a 29-yard touchdown, and Glencoe answered on the next play with a 65-yard Anderson-to-Lueders connection. That put Glencoe ahead 21-12, and the Panthers hoped things were under control.

"I thought when we got up nine we had the momentum, but we just never could get the big stop when we needed one," Tschimperle said.

A 54-yard flea-flicker pass from Moten to Erik Tengwall, followed by a two-point pass from Moten to Aaron Jenny, cut Glencoe's lead to 21-20. After Glencoe was stopped on fourth down at the New London 21 with seven minutes to play, New London moved 67 penalty-free yards in nine plays for the winning touchdown.

A 46-yard halfback pass from Peterson to Jenny put the ball on the 6. Moten threw a 4-yard bullet to Jenny, who had six defenders within arm's reach, and the same pair connected for the conversion and 28-21 lead.

"Jayme played phenomenal," Dan Essler said. "We have a lot of tremendous athletes running around out there, and it's tough to cover them all."

It was somehow fitting that New London-Spicer's final drive of the championship season included ... what else? ... two penalties.

"We've been trying to work on penalties since day one," Moten said. "We've been digging ourselves out of holes the whole year."

John Millea • jmillea@startribune.com