Winona can’t find answer in bid for first state championship

First trip to title matchup for Winhawks since 1987

MINNEAPOLIS — It went back and forth. Every score was a lead change. The way things were turning out, it looked as though whatever team had the ball last, would win.

Technically, that’s how the Minnesota Class 4A state football championship ended.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s knelt down three times to seal a 31-28 win over Winona Senior High School Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium but it wasn’t for a lack of drama.

The two teams literally exchanged touchdowns throughout the game. The difference was, after unranked Benilde (10-3) scored on a Liam Ford 24-yard run with 4:54 remaining, the sixth-ranked Winhakws (11-2) couldn’t answer.

Winona, playing in a state title for the first time since 1987 and looking for the school’s only state team title, got two tries at it, however. 

On its first possession, the Winhawks got into Red Knights’ territory when backup quarterback Terrell Hall hit Dakota Matthees for a 23-yard gain. Hall was in for starter Riley Bosteter, who was being evaluated for a concussion.

The next two plays, however, ended up a sack and a holding penalty that put Winona in a 2nd-and-32 hole. 

Hall was intercepted on the next play. If that wasn’t bad enough, the pick was returned to midfield, costing the Winhawks precious yards and then time.

Benilde rushed three times, eating away a minute of the clock before punting. The Winhawks got the ball back on their own 15 with just 1:47 to get into field goal range.

Bosteter, back in, didn’t have much to work with. On first down, he threw incomplete. On second down, he was sacked, forcing Winona to call timeout.

Facing 3rd-and-14, Bosteter was intercepted on what ended up being the Winhawks’ final offensive play of the season. 

The Red Knights knelt after that, sealing a somewhat unlikely win.

Unlikely, only because Benilde played most of the game without starting running back Ricky Floyd, who went down with a shoulder injury in the first. Floyd came into the championship with 1,810 yards and 26 touchdowns on the season. He was seen in the second quarter with his arm in a sling.

Ford took his place and ran for 63 of his 81 yards, including two touchdowns, in the second half. The Red Knights ended with 188 yards rushing on 57 carries (3.3 average), while Winona had 132 yards on 29 carries (4.6 avg.). But Benilde nearly doubled Winona in time of possession at 31 minutes, 6 seconds. Winona had it for 16:54.

Bosteter finished just 6-for-16 for 124 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions – two of those in the first half and one of which was returned 68 yards for a touchdown with just 58 seconds to go in the half.

That score, however, was negated when Bosteter hit Jason Boelter for a 45-yard touchdown with just 17 seconds left in the half, putting Winona up 21-17.

Winona’s Dan Jonsgaard also returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown all but cancelling out the 4-to-1 turnover differential – if you factor in two of Winona’s interceptions came in the final two minutes in a somewhat desperate situation.

Winona’s Alex Franzwa finished with 105 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries.