The Lakeville North Panthers refused to let a two-touchdown deficit deflate them Friday.
Workhorse senior running back Sam Ripplinger scored on a 1-yard run with 9 minutes, 2 seconds remaining, capping the Panthers’ come-from-behind 24-21 victory over rival Rosemount.
The Panthers were able to run out the clock after getting the ball back on their own 33 with 7:22 remaining. Ripplinger bulled up the middle for 3 yards on a fourth-down-and-one call from the 42 with five minutes remaining.
Lakeville North scored two touchdowns in the final 1:55 of the first half, taking a 17-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. Ripplinger scored on a 1-yard run, and senior quarterback Riley Grossman threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to classmate Caleb Pederson with nine seconds left. Teammate Drew Kolander opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal in the final minute of the first quarter.
Rosemount regained the lead 21-17 on senior Finn Biegel’s 2-yard run late in the third quarter. The Irish had jumped to a 14-0 lead on their first two possessions, scoring on junior Ja’khi Hollie’s 73-yard scamper and senior quarterback Gavin Caswell’s 10-yard run.
In other games Friday:
Robbinsdale Armstrong 44, St. Paul Harding/Humboldt 0: Senior Kevon Johnson ran for 154 yards on five carries and scored three touchdowns, all in the first quarter, as the Falcons rolled.
Blaine 23, Centennial 13: Senior running back Zach Larson scored his second touchdown on an 8-yard run with 3:49 remaining, sealing the Bengals’ victory over the Class 6A defending state champion Cougars. He scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter, giving the Bengals the lead for good, 10-7.
