A fresh championship feeling marked the 1989 football finals

The Star Tribune is celebrating 50 years of high school football state tournaments one day at a time for 50 days.

"We were flaming in our last high school game." — St. Clair's Sean Bezdicek

For the second year in a row, four programs garnered their first state championships. The first-time winners in 1989 were Albany (Class A), Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop (Class B), Waterville-Elysian (Class C) and St. Clair (Nine-Man).

Sean Bezdicek was a one-man wrecking crew for St. Clair in its 47-12 domination of AlBrook. Bezdicek, a 6-2, 190-pound senior, sacked AlBrook quarterback Kory Tuominen three times, intercepted a pass, forced and recovered two fumbles — returning one for a 22-yard score — made six tackles and blocked a punt that Brad Loeffler recovered for a touchdown. The Indians defense scored three touchdowns.

"Credit our entire defense," St. Clair coach Dean Rasmussen said.

As tight end on offense, Bezdicek caught a 22-yard halfback pass for a touchdown, caught a two-point conversion pass and kicked an extra point.

"It was my best game ever," Bezdicek said.

Waterville-Elysian also had to count on its defense in edging Mahnomen 14-7 for the Class C championship. It was for a totally different reason. The Buccaneers offense turned over the ball seven times.

Cornerback Justin Selbrade intercepted a pass with 26 seconds remaining after the Indians had moved to the Waterville-Elysian 16-yard line.

"Justin played a whale of a game after making a couple mistakes in the first half — that's how they got their touchdown," Buccaneers coach Jon Bakken said.

Waterville-Elysian's Tauston Taylor scored on two 1-yard runs in the second half, the last coming with 2:40 left.

In Class B, senior Jeff Deming's tackle-breaking runs were more than enough to offset two 90-yard touchdowns by Perham in Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop's 27-15 victory. It was the first state title in any sport for any of the three towns.

Deming, who missed the first two games of the season because of lower-back pain, ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He scored on runs of 1 and 9 yards.

"Deming ran through some arm tackles, and you've got to get a shoulder into that guy," Perham coach Fred Sailer said. "He's a gator."

Charlie Nelson provided Perham's offense, taking the opening kickoff back 91 yards for a touchdown and throwing a Prep Bowl record 90-yard touchdown pass to Jon Toedter.

In Class A, Albany scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes to rally past Totino-Grace 41-32. Halfback Darryl Goebel's 47-yard touchdown run with 3:50 left gave the Huskies the lead for good. Tailback Erik Wimmer added insurance points with a 2-yard scoring run.

Goebel and Wimmer combined for 300 rushing yards, Goebel getting 158 yards on 22 carries and Wimmer 142 yards on 15 carries.

"Isn't this the time we're supposed to play our best?" Goebel said. "This is when it all counts."

State championship games

Class AA: Burnsville 21, Stillwater 7

Class A: Albany 41, Totino-Grace 32

Class B: Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 27, Perham 15

Class C: Waterville-Elysian 14, Mahnomen 7

Nine-Man: St. Clair 47, AlBrook 12