Glencoe-Silver Lake senior defensive end Casey Style shook his dad's hand before kickoff at Stevens Seminary Field on Friday night. Then they both returned to opposite sidelines. Casey's father, Dave Style, is an assistant coach for rival Hutchinson.
"I told him I loved him," Coach said.
Coach didn't expect a finish like this, but he knew what the overall feeling might be. A dramatic 20-16 Tigers victory left Dave with mixed emotions.
"It's very hard," the shaken-up coach -- and father -- said. "It's a no-win situation."
The two didn't exchange any secrets. Both teams played a heck of a game, including a big sack by Style late in the game to help the Panthers regain possession. Down 20-16, the Panthers converted a fourth-and-15 pass from midfield all the way down to theHutchinson 12-yard line.
After being pushed back by penalties and strong Tigers defense, the Panthers gave it another shot -- and for a moment -- almost pulled out a miracle. A Tigers defender bobbled a potential interception into a Panthers receiver's arms. He lugged the ball all the way to the 2-yard line. With no timeouts, time expired.
"I almost had a coronary," Tigers coach Andy Rostberg said.
The Class 4A No. 7 Tigers narrowly escaped the Class 3A. No 1 Panthers, who were both undefeated and contending for the Wright County Conference lead.
