FARGO — With 13 seconds left in the game and down a point, Mahnomen-Waubun kicker Tanner Stech drilled a 14-yard field goal to solidify the Thunderbirds' third-straight Section 8A championship.
Stech's kick capped a 16-14 win over the Ada-Borup West Cougars on Thursday at the Fargodome to put the Thunderbirds into the Minnesota Class A state tournament.
“It wasn’t just me,” Stech said. “All the guys up front were making blocks. We knew that we had to go down field and just get a chance at it.”
When the sophomore kicker lined up for the field goal attempt, Mahnomen-Waubun head coach John Clark Jr. said he knew he was making the right decision.
“That kid is cool as a cucumber,” Clark said. “I had all the confidence in the world. There was a good snap, a good hold and good blocking. He’s gonna be a special one.”
The Thunderbirds, who led 13-0 most of the game, felt a sense of urgency following back-to-back fourth-quarter scores by the Cougars.
Ada-Borup West quarterback Austin McCraven scored a 1-yard rushing TD with 6:38 left in the game.
Then, a Mahnomen-Waubun fumble found the hands of Cougar defenders at the 27-yard line. With his team deep in Thunderbird territory, McCraven pitched the ball to running back Wyatt Larson, who scored from 9 yards out to put Ada-Borup West up 14-13 with 3:50 to play.
“We knew that we'd been driving the ball all night long,” Stech said. “So, we could do it again. We just had to protect the ball, and do what we do best, ground and pound and drill it.”
The Thunderbirds took a 7-0 lead on an 18-play, opening drive that took 9 minutes, 16 seconds. Quarterback Blake McMullen rumbled into the end zone from 1-yard out to cap off the lengthy possession.
Mahnomen-Waubun linebacker Brody Lhotka later picked off a pass and ran 8–yards for a pick-six. The Thunderbirds led 13-0 at halftime.
“Ada threw a lot at us,” Clark said. “I thought our kids did a good job of adjusting.”
The Thunderbirds totaled 271 yards of offense. McMullen finished 8 for 10 for 133 yards and he ran for 50 yards on 19 attempts.
Ada-Borup West finished with 195 yards of total offense. McCraven was 16 for 21 for 117 yards but threw three interceptions. The Cougars finished their season 8-2 overall.
The Thunderbirds play the winner of the Parkers Prairie and New York Mills 6A championship on Friday, Nov. 10 in the Class A quarterfinals.
“If we continue to play this well defensively we’re going to be a tough out,” Clark said. “All the teams are good so you have to bring your A-game.”
Stech said the Thunderbirds need to keep the energy up through all four quarters to continue their success in the state tournament.
“Start off strong and don’t let off the gas,” Stech said. “We’re just going to keep going.”
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By Andrew Haugland
After graduating from North Dakota State University, Haugland joined the Forum in January of 2023. Readers can reach him at 701-241-5508 or by emailing ahaugland@forumcomm.com