Fertile-Beltrami defeats Hills-Beaver Creek in Prep Bowl’s Nine-Player final for program’s first state championship

Jonah Harstad walked over to every coach, giving each of them a huge hug.

Isaiah Wright was weeping with tears of joy.

Fertile-Beltrami’s thunder-and-lightning senior running back tandem couldn’t hide their emotions after combining on three second-half touchdowns to give the Falcons their first state title with a 20-8 victory over Hills-Beaver Creek in the Nine-Player state championship on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“It’s great to finally give our community a state championship,” Harstad said.

Harstad, a 5-10, 189-pound straight-ahead runner, bulled into the end zone from the 2- and 1-yard lines, the first breaking a scoreless deadlock midway through the third quarter.

“I feel completed,” he said.

It’s been a long road back for Harstad. He broke the fibula and tibia in his right leg in the Section 8 championship a year ago and plays with a rod in his leg.

“It’s amazing to be able to come back and win a state championship,” he said.

The speedy 6-0, 200-pound Wright was held in check in the first half but found another gear in the second. He rushed for 185 yards — 138 coming after halftime — on 33 carries. Wright scored on a 3-yard sweep around the right end in the third quarter, giving the Falcons (13-0) a 14-0 lead. He carried 14 times for 114 yards in that quarter.

“A great team win,” the soft-spoken Wright said.

Hills-Beaver Creek’s lone touchdown came less than 30 seconds after Wright’s score, and was one for the highlight reel. On a 53-yard pass from junior Jamin Metzger, senior receiver James VandenBosch fended off two would-be tacklers at the 15-yard line, stayed in bounds and tiptoed along the sideline at the 10, and dragged one defender into the end zone to cut the deficit to 14-8.

“That was a heck of a play. Pure effort just to get in the end zone,” Patriots coach Rex Metzger said. “We have seen that kind of play from him the last two years.”

The Patriots defense put on a bend but don’t-break-clinic in a scoreless first half against a high-powered offense. The Falcons entered the game averaging 54.8 points per game. Hills-Beaver Creek (12-1) stopped the Falcons on three consecutive possessions in the red zone, including a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the 1.

“We had some big stops in the first half,” Metzger said. “We were able to slow them down. We didn’t want to give them any space.”

The Falcons defense was just as stout, forcing four turnovers, including three interceptions. Bryer Strem had two, giving the junior defensive back a state-leading 14 on the season, and tipped the third that resulted in a Wright pick.

“He’s a very smart player,” Falcons coach Brian Nelson said. “He has a knack for getting to the ball, very intelligent.”