KASSON — Blue Earth Area seemed to have the game under control, but a momentum-shifting sack late in the third quarter gave Minneapolis North a shot.

With 1:32 left in the third, BEA quarterback Gavin Storbeck was pushed out of the pocket, tracked down by multiple Polar defenders and lost control of the ball. The Polars’ Javion Hill was there to collect the loose ball for a touchdown, reducing BEA’s lead to 20-12.

The Polars would score twice more in the fourth quarter to take a 26-20 win over the Bucs during Class AA state quarterfinal football action Saturday in Kasson.

Minneapolis North (11-0) moves on to face Paynesville Area (10-1) at 2 p.m. Thursday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis for a state semifinal. Paynesville Area beat Moose Lake/Willow River 56-8 to make the semifinal round. BEA ends its season with a record of 9-3.

BEA had held Minneapolis North star running back Terrance Kamara in check during the first half, keeping him under 50 yards, but Kamara broke free late in the game to rack up 126 second-half yards.

Kamara started his onslaught with a 30-yard run on the first play of a six-play, 53-yard Polar scoring drive.

Kamara carried the ball three more times in the sequence, including a 4-yard tote to score, bringing the Polars within 20-18 at the 7:44 mark of the final quarter.

Minneapolis North forced a three-and-out to get the ball back at its own 30 with 5:57 left in the game.

Kamara led the drive again, this time breaking free for a 36-yard run before quarterback Zach Yeager connected with Dominic McMillian on a deep post route for a 23-yard score. Yeager heaved the ball downfield as a defender hit him, but McMillian caught the pass in stride.

BEA had a chance to get the ball back on the drive, but a near-interception bounced off the hands of a Buc defender in the end zone.

Minneapolis North head coach Charles Adams III said the Polars needed to be more aggressive.

“When we were going through practice all week we were telling them to slow down and watch what’s going on and not run past the play,” Adams said. “But we were doing that too much so we had to say, ‘No let’s go, let’s go get the ball,’ because No. 7 (Koby Nagel) was gashing us. We had to go back to being physical and getting to the ball.”

BEA had two more offensive chances, but a turnover on downs and an interception ended the game.

Adams said the return to U.S. Bank stadium after the Polars lost in the state semifinal to Barnesville last season will be an opportunity to finish what they have started.

“It’s unfinished business,” Adams said. “We are on to the next game and we have to focus on the next opponent, which is a very good team. We’ve got to focus on that. I know that Rio (Mario) Sanders is probably a little down on himself because he didn’t have a good game, so hopefully he uses that fire to light it up.”

The Bucs looked dominant in the first half, scoring on their opening possession as Nagel carried the ball eight times on the 11-play, 55-yard drive. Nagel racked up 29 yards and his 27th touchdown of the season on a 1-yard run before the Polars had an offensive snap.

The Bucs got the ball back near the end of the opening quarter, then took nearly five minutes off the clock to drive down and go ahead 14-0.

Nagel controlled the offense again, rushing seven times for 36 yards and catching a 5-yard pass on the 11-play, 76-yard drive.

Storbeck found Caelan Sanders deep down the visitor sideline, after Sanders beat his defender, for a 26-yard touchdown to cap the drive.

“I thought we played with a lot of heart, I thought we played very hard,” said BEA head coach Randy Kuechenmeister. “I think we had some opportunities, but they’re a quality team and we have nothing to be ashamed of. That’s state tournament football right there. Could have went either way, we just ended up being on the wrong side.”

Minneapolis North got its first points on the scoreboard in the final minutes of the first half.

Yeager, Kamara and McMillian combined to move the ball 72 yards on an 11-play, 76-yard drive.

Yeager found McMillian on a deep post route for their first touchdown connection of the day with 2:39 left before halftime.

BEA scored its final touchdown on its first drive of the second half.

Storbeck got the Bucs away from their own end zone with a 17-yard strike to Cameron Anderson and a 16-yard connection with Nagel.

Nagel ended the 9-play, 88-yard drive with three consecutive carries, totalling 48 yards, including a 32-yard scoring tote, putting BEA ahead 20-6.

“I’m very proud of our kids,” Kuechenmeister said. “We had an excellent season, I thought they left everything they had out on the field and they made our communities and our school proud.”

Nagel carried the ball 31 times for 126 yards, while Storbeck completed 14 of 21 passes for 158 yards. Caelan Sanders had five catches for 55 yards, while Anderson caught three passes for 35 yards.

Kamara totalled 175 yards on 26 carries for the Polars, while Yeager completed 7 of 18 passes for 85 yards.

BEA 7 7 6 0 — 20

MN 0 6 6 14 — 26

Scoring Plays

1st Quarter

BEA–Koby Nagel 1 run (Kean Hicks kick), 6:35.

2nd Quarter

BEA–Caelan Sanders 26 pass from Gavin Storbeck (Hicks kick), 7:36.

MN–Dominic McMillian 40 pass from Zach Yeager (pass failed), 2:39.

3rd Quarter

BEA–Nagel 32 run (kick failed), 4:41.

MN–Javion Hill fumble recovery in end zone (run failed), 1:32.

4th Quarter

MN–Terrance Kamara 4 run (pass failed), 7:44.

MN–McMillian 23 pass from Yeager (Mario Sanders pass from Yeager), 2:50.

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: BEA 16; MN 13. Rushing: BEA 38-131; MN 35-278. Passing: BEA 14-21-2-158; MN 7-19-0-85. Fumbles-lost: BEA 3-1; MN 0-0. Penalties: BEA 7-34; MN 12-126.

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Offense: Rushing: Koby Nagel (BEA) 31-126; Terrance Kamara (MN) 26-175. Passing: Gavin Storbeck (BEA) 14-21-2-158; Zach Yeager (MN) 7-18-0-85. Receiving: Caelan Sanders (BEA) 5-55, Nagel (BEA) 3-33; Cameron Anderson (BEA) 3-35; Dominic McMillian (MN) 3-71.

Defense: Interceptions: Dominic McMillian (MN); Elisha Jackson Jr (MN). Fumble recovery: Javion Hill (MN).