Lakeville North trailed by two touchdowns before scoring twice in the final two minutes of the first half. Also Friday, Robbinsdale Armstrong won in a rout and Blaine knocked off defending Class 6A champ Centennial.

By Ron Haggstrom

The Minnesota Star Tribune

September 7, 2024 at 3:35AM

The Lakeville North Panthers refused to let a two-touchdown deficit deflate them Friday.

Workhorse senior running back Sam Ripplinger scored on a 1-yard run with 9 minutes, 2 seconds remaining, capping the Panthers’ come-from-behind 24-21 victory over rival Rosemount.

The Panthers were able to run out the clock after getting the ball back on their own 33 with 7:22 remaining. Ripplinger bulled up the middle for 3 yards on a fourth-down-and-one call from the 42 with five minutes remaining.

Lakeville North scored two touchdowns in the final 1:55 of the first half, taking a 17-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. Ripplinger scored on a 1-yard run, and senior quarterback Riley Grossman threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to classmate Caleb Pederson with nine seconds left. Teammate Drew Kolander opened the scoring with a 28-yard field goal in the final minute of the first quarter.

Rosemount regained the lead 21-17 on senior Finn Biegel’s 2-yard run late in the third quarter. The Irish had jumped to a 14-0 lead on their first two possessions, scoring on junior Ja’khi Hollie’s 73-yard scamper and senior quarterback Gavin Caswell’s 10-yard run.

In other games Friday:

Robbinsdale Armstrong 44, St. Paul Harding/Humboldt 0: Senior Kevon Johnson ran for 154 yards on five carries and scored three touchdowns, all in the first quarter, as the Falcons rolled.

Blaine 23, Centennial 13: Senior running back Zach Larson scored his second touchdown on an 8-yard run with 3:49 remaining, sealing the Bengals’ victory over the Class 6A defending state champion Cougars. He scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter, giving the Bengals the lead for good, 10-7.

Eagan 36, Rochester Mayo 14: Senior running back Tate Gage scored on runs of 1, 14, 16 and 16 yards as the Wildcats scored the first 29 points in beating the Spartans.

Lakeville South 50, Farmington 29: Senior Bo Bokman ran for four touchdowns as the Panthers downed the Tigers. Bokman scored on runs of 1, 4, 17 and 69 yards.

Minneapolis Washburn 20, St. Louis Park 15: Dominic Morton has a knack for making big plays. The senior wide receiver caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Andrew Backhaus in the fourth quarter as the Millers rallied to beat the Orioles. Morton also returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. The Orioles took a 15-14 lead on sophomore quarterback Everett Arnold’s 47-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Dashon Amos in the third quarter. Arnold also scored on a 7-yard run in the second quarter.

Park Center 33, Bloomington Kennedy 14: Senior quarterback Denero Fellows threw four touchdown passes, leading the Pirates past the Eagles. He threw two short scoring passes to Asa Cummings and hooked up with classmates Ty’John Brooks and Joshg Diggs on 35- and 46-yarders.

St. Michael-Albertville 24, Anoka 21: Senior defensive lineman Aaron Otto returned a fumble 9 yards for a touchdown with 3:51 remaining as the Knights rallied to beat the Tornadoes. Anoka took a 21-17 lead on senior quarterback Peyton Podany’s 19-yard touchdown pass junior wide receiver Cayden Ban six minutes earlier.