Right players at the right time made the difference in 2008 Prep Bowl

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

"He ran all over us." — Royalton's Zach Lanners about Joel Bauman's 289 rushing yards for Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg

There was no need to panic. Houston and Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg were in good hands.

Senior quarterback Andy Sires directed a late 77-yard touchdown drive as Houston topped Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 22-16 for the Nine-Man title, and junior running back Joel Bauman ran wild in Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg's 33-22 triumph over Royalton for the Class 1A crown. For each program, it remains the only state title.

"Some of the guys were panicking," Houston senior running back Trent Kerrigan said. "But the coaches and seniors calmed everybody down."

Sires capped the 10-play, game-winning drive with a 1-yard plunge with 2 minutes, 25 seconds remaining. The drive, which started with 5:45 left, included seven consecutive running plays.

Sires provided the mission statement for the Hurricanes before the first play of the drive.

"He came into the huddle and said, 'One heart, one beat,' " Houston senior running back Zach Stackhouse said. "He told the linemen, 'You guys lay the tracks and we'll drive the train to the end zone.' "

The 6-2, 190-pound Bauman scored twice and laid the groundwork for the Saints the entire game. He carried 44 times for 289 yards and finished the season with 2,941 yards.

"You have to go for his legs," Royalton senior quarterback/cornerback Zack Lanners said. "He's so big up top that if you try to tackle him high, it's, 'See you later.' "

In two other finals:

State championship games

Class 5A: Wayzata 27, Blaine 7

Class 4A: Mankato West 33, Northfield 14

Class 3A: Glencoe-Silver Lake 42, DeLaSalle 21

Class 2A: Caledonia 47, Luverne 7

Class 1A: Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 33, Royalton 22

Nine-Man: Houston 22, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 16