Nine-Man: Grand Meadow 34, Underwood 20

Recap: Grand Meadow (14-0) won its third consecutive Nine-Man state championship, pushing its winning streak to 36 consecutive games. Senior quarterback Michael Stejskal completed 12 of 19 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. He added 110 rushing yards and scored the Superlarks' final points on a 71-yard end zone dash.

"We've lost three games to probably the best program in Minnesota Nine-Man football," Underwood coach Chuck Ross said. "We gave them a battle."

Underwood led twice in the game but Grand Meadow battled back to go ahead each time. The Superlarks showcased their passing game, more than doubling their season average for yardage in one game.

"A lot of people think that we don't like to throw, but we're not afraid," Grand Meadow coach Gary Sloan said.

Key of the game: Holding a one-point fourth quarter lead, Grand Meadow could ill-afford a mistake. Then an offensive pass interference penalty backed up the Superlarks to their 12-yard line. But they refocused and finished a 15-play, 76-yard touchdown drive to take a 28-20 lead.

Quote: "Our offensive linemen showed up big on that drive. We knew we needed to get that one last touchdown to separate us. We knew we needed people to make plays, and our team stepped up well." — Grand Meadow's Stejskal

One thing to know: Underwood (13-1) ended a third consecutive season with a playoff loss to Grand Meadow. "Best season we could've asked for," Rockets senior Dylan Schleske said. "Just not the best ending."