The offensive line, QB, and fullback lead Unzen into the endzone.

The undefeated 12-0 Rebels never blinked as they overcame obstacles and adversity to advance against the very good 10-2 Hawley Nuggets with a game-of-a-lifetime 41-35 victory in the State Quartefinals held at the Fargodome on Thurs., Nov. 12.

Moose Lake-Willow River had an excruiatingly long charter ride while the Nuggets were a virtual hop, skip and jump away from the game’s location. The Rebels overcame larger numbers and larger size and more experiece all the way from halfbacks to lineman as Hawley, with 12 State Tournament appearances, posted 16 seniors compared to ML-WR’s 5 State Tournament experiences with a dozen seniors. An amazingly credit to the Rebels teamwork and tenacity was the ability to accomplish the feat without one of its star running backs and starting linebackers as senior co-captain Austin Jacobson was rocked out of bounds before half time. Jacobson had to exit and was not able to return.

One of the most exciting plays of the game would come mere seconds prior to halftime and fulfilled one of Head Coach Dave Louzek’s credos, “great players make great plays in great games.” Senior linebacker Nick Kenemore gave the Rebels a huge emotional jolt and the lead at the break as he laid back on a little swing pass, stepped in and pick the apple and was off on an electrifying 62-yard interception TD return. Junior kicker Mike Bennett, who went a perfect 5-for-5 on very important PAT kicks, drilled the boot high and through for 28-21 at intermission.

‘Great players make great plays in great games’ was further evidenced throughout the grueling game by senior co-captain Michael Unzen’s carrying of the lion’s share of the load after Jacobson, who had been on track for a 100-yard game with 10 carries for 50 yards and a 40-yard pass recpetion before being unable to play, had to leave. Unzen ended up running the ball 25 times for 141 yards and supplied eight tackles. Unzen led all scorers with three TDs on runs of seven, two and eight yards. Unzen’s pass defense skills were repeatedly tested to the breaking point as he played the much taller Nuggett receivers admirably. Furthermore, it was Unzen making an extremely critical stop, along with junior Holden Olson who was filling in fine fashion for Jacobson, on a Rebels goaline stand against the Nuggets at the one-yard line.

Senior defensive end Lucas Probst continued his streak of great plays as he stretched and skied to bat back Hawley’s last chance in OT to get on the board. Prior to that great play, Probst also registered one of the Rebels two quarterback sacks. Junior Ross Degerstrom racked up the other gigantic sack as bagged reserve QB Jay Boyer in OT. Probst also had a big pass reception for a 1st down.

Coach Louzek’s defense was nothing short of spectular against a big and fast Hawley bunch of lineman and backers. Junior Austin Lanoue was a giant killer with 12 tackles to lead the charge. Senior Matt Crider stepped it up bigger than ever as he played perhaps the game of his career with 10 stops. Right up there with the best for of the big knights was sophomore Cody Schmidt and junior Cody Schmidt as the stalwart lineman got it done with eight tackles each.

Offensive coordinator Josh Murto got excellent performances out his two lead quarterbacks. Senior starting quarterback Hayden Hoffmann and back-up Rejean Carlson were nothing less than stellar. Hoffmann and Carlson spent their time running the offense beautifully. Hoffmann threw the ball well seven times for four completions and 80 yards. Hoffmann had one great block to help get Unzen in on the Rebels second score. It was Carlson rotating in and running the ball eight times for 29 yards. One of Carlson carries, an eight-yarder was a game-tying TD at 21-21 after a Bennett kick. But the play and carry of Carlson’s lifetime became the game-winner. Senior Shane Rehbein, who had 47 on nine carries, had come within a yard of ending it on a great run up the gut to the within a yard of the win. Carlson followed his blockers and burrowed under and across the goaline for the grand finale. As Carlson exited from the masses, he sprinted, jubilantly hoisting the pigskin prior to flipping it into the air and jumping into a teammate’s arms to be piled upon by rest of the victorious Rebels.

Hawley’s Jacob Bjornson kicked to Jacobson who returned to about the 13. Rehbein ran the middle left for little, but Unzen followed with a right run for 6. However, Rehbein was blanked on the middle right and Jacobson got very little on the middle left. Jacobson got a lot of height, but very little distance as his short punt went out of bounds on the right side right in front of a fired up Nuggetts bench on the 49 at 10:05.

A middle run was smothered by Jacobson and Nathan Mattson was run down on the left side by Unzen for a loss of one as the Rebels decline a penalty. Carlson almost had quarterback Taylor Harms on a sprint right for a big loss in the backfield, but Crider was at the ready to lower a shoulder and the Nuggets were forced to punt from the 46. Carlson took a decent punt from about the 20 and returned it to the 33 at 8:08.

Moose Lake-Willow River would mount its first scoring drive. Unzen tucked in behind 300-pouund junior Nathan Vargas for a good gain. Jacobson initially went backwards, but made a move with some fancy footwork on the sponge rubber covered cement for a 1st at 7:24. Unzen went left for 5 more. Hoffmann executed a fine fake and Unzen got a 1st to the 39. Jacobson went left for 6. Hoffmann threw a good ball to Carlson on the left flat and Carlson made a great catch against very tough defense for a 1st on the 20 that prompted a Nuggetts time out at 5:26.

Rehbein continued the drive with a hard-nosed run to the 11. Jacobson got it to within 7 yards of paydirt on a hard-fought run. Unzen got the call and just plain kept working to plow it across the line for the TD. Bennett’s kick was perfect for 7-0 at 4:22.

Bennett’s squib bounced good and deep, but Kefer Hinrichs was able to get a fair return out to the 39. A long run to the outside required quite a TD-saving ankle tackle by Carlson on the Rebels 29 at 3:53 and a first-down run followed with 9 more after that on a right middle run by Mattson. A fine pitch from Harms on an option needed a good play by Jacobson to stop on the 13. Harms lofted a pass into left corner. Depsite his best efforts Unzen, at 5’ 7” was unable to keep it away from 6’ 2” senior Jon Spaeth. But the kick for the PAT missed and ML-WR clung to a 7-6 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

A good, deep squib had to be covered by Carlson on the 28 as herd of Hawley’s players charged hard for the temporarily loose tater.

Unzen hit the middle for a couple and went right for 5. Jacobson got just enough for a 1st on the 37 with under a minute left in the first frame. Rehbein found it tough in the middle and Unzen got hammered on a right side pitch for a loss of 2 as the quarter closed at 7-6, Rebels.

Under a big hurry, Hoffmann made a very smart decision to dump a pass to avoid a very large loss and the Rebels punted from the 41. This time Jacobson got off a high and modertely long one. As a Nuggett got blasted out of his shoes on the reception, ML-WR nearly got the ball back on the 43 at 11:45. But it was big-play time for Hawley as speedy and lanky Kevin Olson got free and went right and beat the last defender to the right pylon for a 57-yard shocker. Olson also got the call for the two point as Hawley made up for its earlier missed kick and took a 14-7 advantage at 11:35.

A line drive kick was returned by Unzen to the 41 and it looked like a Nuggett escaped a late hit call. ML-WR had to call a time out due to a personnel problem at 11:28. Carlson was collapsed upon on the middle left, but Unzen spun right for a 1st. Jacobson was jammed up on the right middle, but got outside left for a good 1st to the 29 at 9:46. A counter to Unzen was very well-read by Hawley and Jacobsion was pushed back on the left for just a yard. Carlson took a turn at QB and made an excellent decision on a pefectly timed option pitch to Unzen for a 1st to the 7. Jacobson hit the middle to the 2. Behind a strong lead block by Hoffmann and a whopper by Lanoue, it was Unzen squirming to the line for his second score of the game. Bennett was high and straight through for 14-14 at 7:19.

Bennett’s squib was very deep. The Nuggetts faced a 3rd-and-3, but it was Mattson motoring right for a 1st prior to Jacobson and Crider pursuing. Another first ensued at 5:45. Olson got up slowly after a solid smack by Clough on the 42. Mattson was manhandled by Jacobson and Unzen, but a pass across the middle was right on Bjornson’s hands with Hawley declining the interference flag as Unzen had reached in at 4:00.

Mattson mowed over defenders to the 8. A middle run was denied a TD by Degerstrom, but Hawley had it to the 4 at 2:48. Mattson got it across for the score and Patrick Arens took a turn for the place kick. It was very low, but good for 21-14, Nuggetts, at 2:29.

The Rebels would again answer. A bouncer was taken by Unzen to the 28. Jacobson was blanked on the left side. Hoffmann put a ball perfectly downfield on a fly to Jacobson and Austin laid out and made a great catch and held on for a 40-yard big play. Unzen ran right. Jacobson was pounded out of bounds on the right side and the late-hit personal foul, from which Jacobson was unable to return, moved it to the 13. Carlson, in for Jacobson, got very little, but Unzen spun the middle for a few. Hawley was hit with a penalty for too many men on the field. On 2nd-and-5 from the 8, Carlson called his own number. Carlson hesitated a moment and popped right through the left side for the score. Bennett’s third kick in a row knotted the game back up at 21-21 at 1:02.

A big bouncer was returned well by Hinrichs to the 42. A pass down the right side was overthrown to Bjornson. A screen to Olson saw Kenemore come up a make a big hit, plus a hold on Hawley moved it back to the 35. A run right was only a few yards, but a Rebel made a mental miscue and the Nuggetts moved to the 39 at 30.5 ticks. Harms fired a sizzling spiral to Sam Grandbois coming across the middle. Unzen was right on the play with a solid hit as the pass was caught, but Granbois held on. A flip of a rightside swing pass was hung, intended for Andrew Regneir. Kenemore, who had been a step or two back off the play, read it perfectly, picked the apple and used his sprinter’s speed to race 62 yards straight down the sideline to rocket the Rebels to a much-needed lead. With 11.2 seconds on the clock, Bennett boosted his great day to 4-for-4 for 28-21.

Bennett hit his kickoff deep to the 17. The Nuggetts ran one play - a knee. Although ML-WR was unable to return Jacobson, the Rebels went in holding both an emotional momentum edge and a touchdown lead on the scoreboard.

Bennett’s kick to begin the second half was a deep bouncer to the 10. Although Lanoue was down fast with a big hit, he also got the facemask and the large version was assessed to the 31. Two Mattson runs netted 9 yards and another 1st at 10:21. Lanoue limited Mattson to 4, but Harms kept left for a bunch to the 20. Schmidt and Rehbein and Vargas and Schmidt again kept Mattson at bay, but Harms went left for a 1st to the 8 before Kenemore and Olson, playing defense for Jacobson, could drive him out.

The Rebels defense would put together the goal line stand of their lifetimes. Mattson was denied at the 4 by Crider. Lanoue and Schmidt stopped Mattson cold for no gain. Harms was unable to make the corner on the left side and it was Unzen and Olson stuffing the run to get the Rebels the ball back on downs at the one-yard line at 6:50 with ML-WR still up by a TD, at 28-21.

The Rebels would eat up five minutes of clock on a sustained drive, but they would not score. Unzen took a handoff from Hoffmann two yards deep in the endzone and only got back out to the 3. Hoffmann loaded up his gun and found Carlson going down and coming across to the right sideline. Carlson made an excellent one-handed haul in and hold for a cirtical 1st on the 23.

A run left was only 4. The Nuggetts were all over a counter to Unzen. Coach Murto saw something to his consternation and ML-WR, still on the 23, called time at 5:23.

Probst caught a 8-yrd Hoffmann pass out to the left flat to the 31. A pitch right to Unzen was no gain, plus a procedure flag flew. Hawley’s senior captain Eric Rosenfeldt jumped offside to give 5 right back to ML-WR. Unzen lunged ahwead on the right middle for a 1st at the 41. Unzen found space on the right side for lots of yards to the Nuggets 39 at 2:48.

Rehbein was held to little, if any. Kenemore was able to spin and lunge for about three yards. Unzen had good yards on the right side, but a holding spoiled that and moved it back to the 46 with 1:54 left until the final frame.

Arens raced in and batted down a pass. The snap went to Unzen, punting for Jacobson. Unzen made a nifty little quick kick from the right side. The Rebels nearly had the Nuggetts pinned at the goal line as Kenemore almost made his second great play of the game, diving and trying to tip it back. Hawley would escape with the touchback and operate from the Nuggets 20 with 1:31 left in the quarter.

A run right was 5 against Crider. Arnes was held to no gain by Probst, but Harms hit the left side for 1st with Nathan Van Zee having to chase as the quarter closed.

The fourth quarter started on a sour note for ML-WR. Harms ran the mddle and was finally hauled down, but a personal foul flag flew and the ball was advanced all the way to the 46 at 11:16. A Mattson run was swamped by Crider. Harms kept, but did not get much against Schmidt and Unzen. Harms pitched right to Mattson for a couple, but Mattson ran the middle for a 1st. Unzen and Olson worked on Olson and it was Lanoue, Schmidt and Kenemore holding a middle run to just 2 on the 31 at 8:07. Harms kept right as Olson purused for a 1st and a middle run by Olson was to the 20 with Clough having to stop. On a roll out left, Unzen got a break as Spaeth had the ball right on his hands, but failed to look it in.

The Nuggetts got a huge turn of fortune. A little middle screen was good, but fumbled straight forward right to Sam Grandbois in the endzone. Probst made his great play of the game to roar in, leap and bat away the pass attempt for the two-point conversion. The Rebels clung to a 28-27 with 7:05 left to play.

Clough ate a hopper right to his midsection. Unzen got 2 in the middle, but Rehbien found some room right for 3rd-and-2. Unzen followed with a 1st to the 44 at 5:34. Carlson carried left for 2nd-and-8. Unzen hit the right side for a 1st to the 26. Carlson tried the left middle for 3. With Carlson having to cover a fumble on the right side, it was Hawly calling time at 3:25. Carlson pitched to Unzen. On a critical 4th-and-2 play, it was Unzen running right for a 1st on the 17 at 2:40.

Rehben ran right and two Unzen runs got it to the 8. Unzen got his third TD of the game and Bennett polished off his great evening with his fifth successful kick for 35-27, Rebels.

The kick went out of bounds and the Nuggetts started from the 35. A pass went left to Bjornson with Unzen covering for 9. Harms threw a rifled slant to Grandbois who made a fine lay-out catch and ML-WR called time at 1:38. A middle run was followed by a quick set offensse, but a middle screen was incomplete. A pass out to the left flat had Carlson and the intended receiver getting tripped up with each other. Carlson took quite a controversial interference flag that moved Hawley to the 24 with 1:15 on the clock.

A pass out to the right side to Grandbois was flagged for a hold as Crider covered well. A pass down the middle left was absolutely stuck by Unzen, but somehow Mattson held on. A middle run by Mattson was good to the 6 and Hawley called time to set a play. 5’ 9” Carlson played great defense to tear a TD catch away from 6’5 Bjornson with no flag flying at 51.5. Degerstrom made his great play of the game to notch a sack back to the 14 at 47.1. Hawley found it heros of the game. Junior reserve quarterback Jay Boyer tossed it up nicely and starting quarterback Harms went up to haul it in in the right corner for the TD. Harms tore around the right side for the two-point conversion to tie it regualtion at 35-35.

With 38.2 seconds to ply, Unzen returned a high hopper to the 34. A Hoffmann pass to Probst was off the mark. Carlson went right for 9 yards. Unzen got out of bounds on a run right. A Hoffmann attempt deep to Carlson was well-covered. Hawley was not fooled by a halfback pass from Carlson, intended for Unzen, as it was a bit underthrown and very well-covered. Kennemore got the last touch in regulation, but did not get much as the horn sounded.

ML-WR won the toss and elected to let Hawley try to score first with each team getting the ball from the 10-yard line. Harms kept for only 4 against Crider. A right run was shoved back by host of Rebels for a loss of 1. Olson was smothered by gang tackling for no gain. Mattson went left and had just enough room to slide inside the pylon. However, the flag of the game had flown - holding against Hawley. Now moved back to the 14, the Nuggetts called time. It was time for Probst’s great play of the game. With Boyer back at quarterback, the 6’ 4” senior pursued down the line and leaped high to paw the potential TD away. The Nuggets got one more try, but it went incmplete on the right side.

The Rebels would now have their shot to win the game from the 10. Unzen did not get much in the right middle, but Rehbein shot through and came to within a yard of victory. Carlson called the quarterback sneak and squeezed under the pile. The elated senior came out of the mass with the ball, ran with the pigskin held high in the air, having pulled off the win a 41-35 in OT. Carlson gave the ball a toss and jumped into his teammates’ arms prior to getting piled by the rest of the Rebels.

Moose Lake-Willow River, having overcome huge adversity, had not blinked. Great players, had made great plays in a great game.

The Rebels will meet Luverne in the semifinals. To refresh any faded memories ML-WR had the Cardinals on the ropes a couple of years ago, but had been unable to put the ball across the goal line. Kickoff is at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20. It holds promise to be another great one with no flinches, no blinks and as the sign said outside of the Rebels locker room at the Fargodome, ‘No regrets.’