Cromwell Cards Are State Champs!!

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Nov 26

Dwight Cadwell-NSO

Minneapolis- In what would best be described as an unbelievable dream the Cromwell-Wright Cardinals overcame a 2-4 start to the regular season and ran the table as the Cardinals captured their fourth state 9-Man Football title Friday. The Cardinals knocked off the Burros of Lanesboro 49-42. Cromwell-Wright and their senior quarterback Jordan Suhonen set four and tied a fifth prep bowl record Friday in the seven point victory.

Cromwell-Wright scored on their opening drive of the game when Suhonen got things going with a 33 yard touchdown run, following a Derek Suhonen interception of the Burros quarterback Lucas Johnson. Spencer Wilenius kicked the extra point and the Cardinals were on top 7-0. The Burros answered right back as Johnson scored his first touchdown of the game on a 20 yard scamper into the end zone and, after the extra point it was tied at 7-7 which was the only time Lanesboro was tied with Cromwell-Wright. Suhonen then scored the second of his record setting five touchdowns on a 58 yard touchdown run that put the Cardinals up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Nick Berg scored the first of his two touchdowns to start the second quarter, scoring on a 3 yard run, giving Cromwell-Wright a 21-7 lead. That touchdown was set up by the second interception of the game thrown by Johnson of the Burros when Berg made a dramatic diving interception on the Burro sideline. Following the Cardinals third touchdown of the game Lanesboro answered back with 1:02 remaining in the second quarter when Johnson connected with Justin Gudmundson on a 52 yard pass on third down and long allowing the Burros to cut the lead to seven with little time remaining in the first half. Following the Burro kickoff it was Berg taking the handoff on the first play of the drive going through the line and raced to the end zone on a 72 yard scoring play which gave the Cardinals a 27-14 lead at halftime.

Berg credited the Cardinals blocking with making the big play. “Greg Purcell came out of nowhere and made a block, without that we would not have scored on the play.”

“That was a big play for us,” Head Coach Jeff Gronner told Northland Sports Online. “They had just scored to cut the lead and take the edge, but then Berg scored on that huge run and we were so pumped up heading into the locker room at halftime.” In a game which saw four individual records set and one tied by both teams, this was a track meet and would be until the end. The 91 combined points tied a record for combined points in a Prep Bowl. The previous record was set in 2006 when Triton topped Luverne 70-21 in the Class 2A title game.

The Cardinals continued their offensive dominance in the third Quarter as Suhonen scored his third touchdown of the game on a 55 yard run down the sideline and the Cardinals led 35-14 after Suhonen hit Tyler Sulkowski with a pass for the two point conversion. Lanesboro would not quit however, on their next possession Johnson scored his second rushing touchdown of the game for the Burros on a 16 yard run.

As the Cardinal did all game long the answered right back as Suhonen set another prep bowl record as he scored on an 86 yard touchdown run, the longest in prep bowl history. With that touchdown Cromwell-Wright again led by 21 points at 42-21.

The Burros again responded, scoring on a 61 yard touchdown run by Nikko Anderson to close out the third quarter scoring with Cromwell-Wright in front 42-28.

Suhonen set the prep bowl record of rushing touchdowns in the game to start the fourth quarter when he scored on a 20 yard touchdown run and the Cardinals had a 21 point lead again for the third time in the game at 49-28. Lanesboro didn’t quit however as they battled, and with 3:54 remaining Gudmundson scored his second touchdown of the game on a 11 yard pass play from Johnson. That cut the Cromwell-Wright led to 49-34 with time running down.

The Burros then went for the onside kick, and with some great blocking and a little luck, Burro quarterback Lucas Johnson recovered the ball. The Burros then drove and Johnson scored his third and final rushing touchdown of the game, cutting the lead to 49-42. Lanesboro once again tried the onside kick, but this time it was Suhonen who leapt high in the air and recovered the ball to preserve the state championship for the Cardinals. “We haven’t seen one bounce that high.” Gronner said of the first onside kick. “On the second one we knew what was coming so we moved Jordan up and he made a terrific play.” Gronner added.

“It is a bit surreal right now.” Gronner said of his first state championship as a head coach. “I was an assistant (coach) on the ’98 team that won it all. “Being fresh out of college and new to coaching, I kind of thought that’s just the way it works, obviously it doesn’t happen like that every year. Any state title that you are a part of is special, but I have learned to appreciate it so much more.” Gronner said of the win.

This is incredible; I’m kind of holding back tears right now.” Said Berg, adding. “Our D-line has stepped up incredibly and helped make this possible.”

Suhonen scored a remarkable thirteen touchdowns in the state playoffs for Cromwell-Wright. He had five touchdowns against Mountain-Iron Buhl, three last week against Underwood and five in the state championship game. Suhonen’s other individual records came as the finished with 374 yards rushing in the win, breaking the record of 299 yards rushing back in 1993 by Brett Miller of Mahnomen. He also set the record for yards per carry, averaging 13.4 yards with each attempt, breaking the record of Craig Dahl from Mankato East in 2001. Suhonen finished with 446 yards of total offense which also might be a record as we are checking on that.

Suhonen said persistence was the key to the incredible season. “At the beginning of the year we thought we could be state champs. I kind of got down a little because I couldn’t get healthy but we all stayed focused and it came together.” Today we knew winning the turnover battle would be key to winning the game and Nick had one heck of a game out there today.” Suhonen said of Bergs two drive killing interceptions.

Suhonen, who missed all of the 2009-2010 basketball and track seasons recovering from a broken leg, will have little time to enjoy the victory. “Basketball practice starts Monday and I will be there,” Commented Suhonen. When ask if he would suggest the basketball team uses the 2-4 start formula as a springboard to a successful season he said that while it worked well for the football team he wouldn’t recommend it, adding. “We will try to win some games.”

One of the hardest working of the Cardinals wasn’t even on the field Friday. Anne Morrell was active as her first (and probably last) gig as the Cardinal mascot. A longstanding tradition has the Cardinal mascot doing a jumping jack for every point on the scoreboard after each Cromwell-Wright score. That added up to a whopping
195 jumping jacks on the day. “I was having fun with it but I thought if they get to 70 (points) I’m going to pass out.” Morrell jovially commented while leading the crowd in celebrating the latest state championship.

“The 2-4 is long gone” Gronner mentioned. “We had a dream, the seniors and coaches had a meeting we needed to right the ship and we just did.” “Everyone thought we were finished at 2-4, but we never gave up, we had our goals to win the state championship, and that’s what we did.”

Congratulations to the Cardinal players and coaches, and also to the communities of Cromwell and Wright. They displayed for all of us to see, exactly what it takes to be a champion.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at Dwight@northlandsportsonline.com