By John RittenhouseThe legacy of the comeback kids from Luverne continues after another improbable rally during the Section 3AAA Football Playoffs Saturday in Fairmont.After posting two second-half rallies to defeat Windom and Minnewaska Area in less than one week, the Cardinals added Fairmont to the list of teams that couldn’t deny LHS a late-game win during the semifinal-round of the tournament.After second-seeded Fairmont outscored Luverne 14-0 in the first quarter and led 20-8 at the intermission, the third-seeded Cards rallied to score 13 unanswered points to secure a 21-20 victory.The win ups Luverne’s second record to 8-2, and gives the Cardinals a berth in the section championship Friday in Redwood Falls. Luverne will take on Redwood Valley, a team that handed LHS a 27-7 loss in Redwood Falls Oct. 15, in a 7 p.m. title tilt.No. 1 RWV used a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to best Pipestone Area 14-7 in a section semifinal game played in Redwood Falls Saturday.Luverne will play in its first section championship game since the 2000 season, and taking on a team that beat the Cards earlier in the season gives extra motivation to the LHS players and head coach Todd Oye."It’s the rematch we wanted," Oye said. "RWV is the team that won the conference championship, and we placed second in the conference. The first time we met them, RWV played a very good game and beat us. They are a good team that can run the ball, pass the ball and play solid defense. We struggled in that game, but I give RWV credit because it executed well both offensively and defensively."RWV will face a confident Luverne team that posted three consecutive come-from-behind wins.All things considered, Saturday’s rally may have been Luverne’s most impressive win in the series.The situation didn’t look good when the Cards trailed by 12 points at the intermission, but it didn’t seem to bother the comeback kids."In high school football, you’re lucky to have one come-from-behind win in a season," Oye said. "Now we have three come-from-behind wins in a row. Our kids just don’t quit. They want to keep on playing, and they want to play in the state tournament."Luverne, which turned the ball over four times Saturday, nearly dug a hole that would have been too big to climb out of when a fumble was recovered by Fairmont’s Jamie Hanson on the LHS 39-yard line on the third play of the second quarter.The Cards dodged a bullet nine plays later when Fairmont missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt that would have given the hosts a 15-point cushion.Inspired by the missed kick, the Luverne offense took the field and put together its most impressive drive of the season. The Cardinals marched the ball 80 yards in 19 plays, and the drive featured three successful fourth-down conversions.Facing a fourth-and-two situation on Luverne 28, Oye made the bravest coaching decision in his three-year career when he opted not to punt the ball into strong winds. The Cardinal mentor came away looking like a genius when Fairmont jumped off-sides and was flagged for a five-yard penalty.Fate worked in Luverne’s favor again during a fourth-and-11 situation on the Fairmont 15 later in the drive. Senior tight end Brad Herman, who was triple-covered on a pass headed his way, drew a pass interference penalty that gave the Cards a new set of downs.Then, with a fourth-and-goal play from the Fairmont five, junior quarterback Nick Heronimus tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to Herman to cap the drive with 10:34 remaining in the fourth quarter. When Heronimus added the extra point, the Cards trailed 20-15.Luverne’s defense, which has played well all season, came up with three key stops in the final 10 minutes of the game to help settle the issue.During the possession following Herman’s touchdown, Fairmont moved the ball to the Luverne 36. The hosts tried to run the ball on a fourth-and-one play, but the LHS defense stopped the play short of a first down.The Cards had to punt after three unsuccessful offensive plays, but Fairmont gave the ball away three plays later when LHS senior defensive back Jared Pick picked off a pass and returned the ball to the Fairmont 13-yard line with 3:47.A penalty on the Cardinals during Pick’s interception return pushed the ball back to the 28, where Luverne started what turned into a seven-play drive. It ended with Heronimus throwing a six-yard touchdown pass to Pick during a fourth-and-four situation with 52 seconds left in the game. Luverne’s pass for a two-point conversion failed, but the Cards still sported a 21-20 edge.Fairmont had one more chance to win the game after receiving the ball on its own 28 with 51 seconds left, but a sack on second down by Luverne’s Tony Willers helped set up a fourth-and-13 play. Fairmont tried to pass again, but Luverne’s Jake Clark intercepted the attempt to ice the win with 23 seconds remaining.Fairmont played its best football of the game in the first half.The hosts received the opening kick and put together a 13-play, 67-yard touchdown drive. The march was kept alive when Luverne was penalized for having 12 players on the field when Fairmont was trying to punt, but it ended with a nifty trick play.Fairmont faced a third-and-long situation on the Luverne 30 when quarterback Erich Kliewer completed a 10-yard pass to Jacob Payman. Immediately after catching the ball, Payman pitched the pigskin to Andy Melchert, who ran into the end zone untouched. Brett Busch added the ensuing extra point to give the hosts a 7-0 lead at the 6:49 mark of the first quarter.Luverne’s second offensive possession of the game, which was preceded by a three-and-out series, ended with Fairmont’s Brad Smith recovering a fumble on the Cardinals’ 14.Six plays later, Fairmont back Mike Wubbena scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge with 14 seconds left in the first period. Busch added the extra point to make the difference 14-0.The Cardinals got back into the game when their next possession developed into a 13-play, 80-yard drive.Heronimus hit Pick for a 20-yard pass completion during a fourth-and-10 situation on Fairmont’s 38 to keep the drive alive.Sophomore tailback Derek Elbers then capped the march with a two-yard touchdown plunge. Elbers, who ran the ball for 100 yards in the game, carried in the ensuing two-point conversion to make it a 14-8 game with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter.Fairmont extended its lead to 12 points before the second quarter was complete.After Payman intercepted a pass on Fairmont’s 39 with 3:41 left in the first half, Wubbena dashed 61 yards for a touchdown on the next play from scrimmage. Fairmont’s pass for a two-point conversion fell incomplete, leaving the hosts with a 20-8 advantage that was erased by Luverne’s fourth-quarter comeback.Team statisticsLuverne: 174 rushing yards, 57 passing yards, 231 total yards, 14 first downs, seven penalties, four turnovers.Fairmont: 130 rushing yards, 95 passing yards, 225 total yards, nine first downs, six penalties, three turnovers.Individual statisticsRushing: Elbers 26-100, Jake Hendricks 3-3, Ben Nath 9-44, Scott Goebel 2-0, Heronimus 3-10, Nate Siebenahler 1-1, Herman 1-16.Passing: Heronimus 5-14 for 57 yards.Receiving: Herman 2-22, Pick 2-26, Mike Kunstle 1-9.Defense: Willers one sack, Pick one interception, Seth Goembel one sack and one fumble recovery, Clark one interception, Jose Saravia one sack.
