RUSHFORD — Senior fullback Calvin Peterson made sure his high school football career — and Goodhue's season — didn't end on Tuesday against Rushford-Peterson.
With his team trailing 20-14 in the final minute and facing fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Peterson scored to tie the score at 20. Sophomore Mariano Bigalk, who had already kicked two PATs, calmly knocked through the game-winner, with No. 3 seed Goodhue upsetting No. 2 seed R-P by a score of 21-20.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Wildcats struck first, with Garett Huemann scoring from 1 yard out. R-P bounced right back, however, as Noah Carlson sprinted 28 yards for a touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but Carlson quickly struck again, this time from 3 yards out, and then Carlson completed a pass to Lukas Rasmussen for the conversion, giving R-P a 14-7 lead at halftime.
The score didn't change in the third quarter, but in the fourth, Goodhue's Mason Huemann cracked the goal line from 2 yards out to tie the game.
R-P's Carlson then struck again, this time dashing 46 yards for a touchdown, giving the Trojans a 20-14 lead. Carlson finished with 191 yards rushing and 15 receiving yards. The PAT failed, however, leaving the door open for Peterson's last-minute heroics.
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It was a tight game all around, with Goodhue outgaining R-P 310-258.
Rushford-Peterson's season ends with a record of 6-4. Goodhue improves to 7-3 and will play top-seeded Fillmore Central at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Section 1A championship game at Mayo Stadium in Rochester.
This is a rematch of an earlier game this year in which Fillmore Central prevailed 12-9 at Goodhue.
Goodhue 21, Rushford-Peterson 20
Goodhue#0#7#0#14#—#21
Rushford-Peterson#0#14#0#6—#20
