HOUSTON -- The Hurricanes beat the Lions 21-8 in the third game of the regular season but Houston coach Ryan Gatzlaff said he expected Saturday's playoff matchup to be close.

"We knew they were playing pretty good ball; they beat Lanesboro twice in their last two games," he said, "and (Cody) Colsch is a good running back."

Colsch carried 42 times for 214 yards and two touchdowns. The second was for 38 yards on the first play of the fourth quarter and tied the game.

The score was still tied midway through the quarter when Houston started a drive that reached the Spring Grove 16-yard line.

On fourth-and-7 and with less than two minutes left, Houston turned to place-kicker Nick Henderson, who was 3-for-3 on extra-point kicks for the night. He split the uprights from 33 yards away, putting Houston ahead by three.

Spring Grove moved the ball quickly in the 90 seconds that remained. Helped by a long fourth-down pass completion and a pass interference penalty on Houston, the Lions had their own shot at a field goal with two seconds left on the clock.

But Jonas Petzenig -- a German foreign exchange student who also made all three of his conversion kicks earlier in the game -- was just wide from 37 yards away and Houston had the victory.

Tye Carrier caught three passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, and he ran 76 yards for Houston's first touchdown. Chris Stackhouse ran 22 yards for another Hurricanes touchdown, and Troy Siers passed 62 yards to Carrier late in the first half for the third.

Siers, a sophomore, was filling in for Dustin Uhlendorf, who was injured in the first quarter. Uhlendorf played some on defense later in the game. Siers played an entire game four weeks ago when Uhlendorf was out.

Dakotah Rostad threw 32 yards to Joe Morken for Spring Grove's second touchdown, in the third quarter.

The Lions outgained the Hurricanes 371-256, with 278 yards rushing and 93 passing. Houston rushed for 160.

Spring Grove 0 7 7 7 -- 21

Houston 0 21 0 3 -- 24

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