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| The Tigers take the field for Section 3AAAAA title game (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
With the win the Eagles move on to the Class 5A state tournament where they will open against No. 1 ranked Totino-Grace. Farmington, who finished 3-6 in 2011, closed the books on its 7-3 season.
"I am very proud of how we came back in the second half," Tiger coach Mark Froehling said. "We came out and ran the football like we knew we could and we gave Darren (Beenken) much better protection. The defense made some key stops and we got back in the game."
Not much of that happened in the first two periods as Valley moved the ball at will against an under-sized and over-extended Tiger defensive unit.
"They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball in the first half," Froehling said. "They have some big, strong athletes and we aren't the biggest team in the world."
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| Johnny Dittman scored the first Tiger TD on a 55-yard pass (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
The Eagles pulled to within 7-6 late in the first period and then reeled off three unanswered scores in the second to build its 21-point halftime cushion.
The halftime stats were even more lopsided than the score. Apple Valley had 15 first downs to just two for the visitors. The Eagles rolled up 354 total yards in the half with 240 of them coming on the ground. The Tigers netted just 81 total yards in the first two periods.
"We knew we were better than that," Froehling said. "It was a matter of going out and doing it."
The Tigers got moving on their first possession of the second half, marching 69 yards in 11 plays behind the passing of Beenken (4-4 for 33 yards) and the running of Derek Klotter (36 yards on six carries). A 13-yard throw from Beenken to Mac Bassett scored the six and brought the mammoth Farmington crowd back into the contest.
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| John LeBlond's recovery set up the final TD (photo by Jim Lindquist) |
But Valley responded with an impressive 13-play, 74-yard scoring drive that ate up as much clock as it did yardage. With 4:35 to play in regulation the Tiger deficit had ballooned to 14 at 35-21.
Farmington's failure to convert on fourth down led to Valley's sixth touchdown and with 3:20 remaining. A long interception return set up the final score with just 34 seconds to play.
The Tigers held the Eagles to fewer than half their first half total after intermission but the winners still eclipsed the 500-yard mark in total offense. Farmington finished with 201.
"We never quit," Froehling said. "We played tough all the way to the end. That's what we try to do as a team....We win together together, we lose together. We celebrate together and we suffer together."
Most of the Tiger yardage came through the air where Beenken was 12 of 21 for 145 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Bassett, Dittman, and Jordan DeCroock each had three receptions.
Mason Auge, Kevin Clifton and Nick Ruark topped the Tiger tackling charts. LeBlond and Rucci each had fumble recoveries and Jack Erickson and Mason Gaylord recorded an interception apiece.
No team likes to see its season end, especially a game short of the state tournament, but Froehling said the 2012 campaign contained more than a few highlights.
"Winning a conference championship and getting to the section finals are always milestones on our list of goals," he said. "We had great senior leadership that saw us through some pretty exciting football. We had a lot of fun. It was a great year."
