![Spring Grove wide receiver Noah Elton dove to get the football inside the pylon for a touchdown in the first half.
] Shari L. Gross ï shari.gross@startribune.com Spring Grove led Nevis 26-0 at halftime during the 9-Man championship football game Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/7LGBCUJZEIGWMFG6IXWBU3THI4.jpg?&w=1080)
Alex Folz rushed and passed for nearly 3,600 yards and 54 touchdowns this season to lead Spring Grove to the Nine-man state championship game.
On Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium, Folz scored four touchdowns and had 320 yards in total offense, but Spring Grove showed it had several other players capable of big contributions.
Cullen Patterson rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown, and Ethan Matzke and Luke Schneider each made great receptions in the end zone as the Lions defeated Nevis 32-0 for their first Nine-man state championship.
Folz, who threw three touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown in the first half as the Lions (14-0) built a 26-0 halftime lead, said: "I don't need to do all the work. We have some great receivers. I think today also showed the great condition our linemen were in. We were able to wear them down and grind it out."
Matzke's 28-yard touchdown catch and his reception of a two-point conversion pass in the final minute of the first quarter gave the Lions a 14-0 lead. Midway through the second quarter, Schneider's 25-yard touchdown reception made it 20-0. Folz's 9-yard pass to Noah Elton with 1:29 left in the first half made it 26-0.
"I can't say enough about this group and the coaches," Spring Grove coach Zach Hauser said. "We were able to take a couple of shots deep in the first half and got great plays."
Nevis coach Shawn Klimek said: "The biggest thing is that their defensive ends created havoc, and we couldn't get into our passing drops. Their defensive ends controlled the game."
Lions senior Sam Sanness, who had three receptions for 60 yards on offense, had 10 tackles and recovered a fumble.
