Holy Angels rallies to edge previously unbeaten Winona

They took a few shots, that was expected. But Holy Angels delivered a few of its own and, in the end, the Stars stood firm enough to defeat previously undefeated Winona 26-22 in the Class 4A semifinals.

Joe Heimbold, a hard-nosed quarterback with a penchant for running through defenders instead of around them, showed off a little wiggle, juking a defender and turning a fourth-and-1 run into a 23-yard touchdown with 3 minutes, 53 seconds left for the deciding score.

It was Heimbold's third touchdown of the game.

"I had to break out some moves for the big game today," Heimbold said. "It was just a good game all around."

Heimbold's score capped a nine-play, 64-yard drive that came in response to a Winona rally that turned a 12-point Holy Angels lead into a 22-19 deficit.

"These kids showed a lot of resiliency," Holy Angels coach Jim Gunderson said. "Whether it be calls or penalties against ourselves or guys going down, the adversity these guys played through was tremendous."

Holy Angels (11-1) struck first. After forcing a fumble deep in their own territory on Winona's opening drive, the Stars drove 99 yards, with Heimbold scoring on a 10-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

Winona (11-1) countered with back-to-back touchdowns, taking the lead with 7:35 left on Riley Bosteter's 31-yard pass to Ethan Ringo.

Holy Angels answered with its winning drive, but the Stars had to withstand one more Winona charge. The Winhawks converted a third-and-36 from their own 5-yard line, getting a 70-yard reception from Ringo.

But the drive — and Winona's last hope — was snuffed out when Keonte Shorter intercepted Bosteter at the Holy Angels 6-yard line with 1:19 left in the game.