STIFF-ARMED — Blue Earth Area quarterback Adam Schavey (11) stiff-arms Maple River defender Ethan McGregor (15) before using a block by Buc offensive lineman Luke Norman (73) to gain yards during Section 2AA semifinal football action Saturday night in Mapleton. (Photo by Kevin Mertens/Faribault County Register)

MAPLETON — Running back Boden Simon’s flea-flicker toss to quarterback Landon Fox set up Maple River’s touchdown pass to Zach Herrmann in overtime before Simon caught the game-winning 2-point screen pass to help the Class AA No. 10-ranked Eagles squeeze by the No. 5-ranked Blue Earth Area Bucs, 8-7, in Saturday night’s Section 2 football semifinal.

Maple River (9-1) advances to play No. 1-ranked Blooming Prairie (10-0) at 7 p.m. Friday night in the sectional championship game on the turf in Janesville.

“We’re a good football team, they’re a good football team. There’s no shame in getting beaten by them,” said Blue Earth Area head coach Randy Kuechenmeister, whose team closed out the season with an 8-2 overall record. “It was a classic high school football game, and unfortunately, we just ended up being on the losing end.”

After the No. 2-seeded Eagles and No. 3-seeded Bucs battled to a scoreless tie in regulation in Mapleton, quarterback Adam Schavey utilized his arm to give Blue Earth Area the lead in the extra session.

Schavey, who amassed a game-leading 129 yards on 42 carries, fired an 8-yard TD pass to Ashton Lloyd before Gabe Smith kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead.

The Bucs’ defense only allowed the Eagles to reach the 4-yard line on three downs, starting from the 10. Simon took the fourth-down handoff from Fox, hit a wall at the line of scrimmage and alertly pitched the football back to Fox. Fox then fired the 4-yard pass to Herrmann to inch Maple River within 7-6.

Eagles head coach Dusty Drager then opted to go for the win by lining up for a 2-point conversion. Drager utilized a quad-receiver formation before Fox hit Simon with a screen pass and the senior running back dragged Buc defenders into the end zone for the 8-7 triumph.

Penalties on each team, however, kept the postseason showdown scoreless during the final two and a half minutes of regulation.

The Bucs were whistled for a personal foul infraction during an Eagles’ punting situation to maintain Maple River’s late drive into Blue Earth Area territory. The Eagles reached the Bucs’ 1, but a false start penalty on Maple River moved the football back 5 yards.

Fox later attempted a 26-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in regulation, but the cold and wind helped push the potential game-winning 3-pointer wide left to force overtime.

Each team received the football and four downs at the opposing 10-yard line during the extra session.

Ironically, Maple River handed Blue Earth Area its only two losses of the fall. The Eagles edged the Bucs by a 21-7 decision on Oct. 8 during Week 6 of the regular season.

Fox completed 11 of 19 passes for 78 yards, with Mason Schirmer making seven catches for 45 yards for Maple River, while Simon netted a team-best 37 yards on 11 carries.

Lloyd made two receptions for 17 yards and a TD for Blue Earth Area offensively, while Gabriel Torres pocketed an interception for the Bucs’ defense.

The two sectional rivals nearly matched each other in total yards — BEA 165, Maple River 152; first downs — BEA 13, Maple River 11; and time of possession — BEA 24:28, Maple River 23:22.

B.E. Area 0 0 0 0 7 — 7

M. River 0 0 0 0 8 — 8

Scoring Plays

Regulation

• No Scoring.

Overtime

• BEA–Ashton Lloyd 8 pass from Adam Schavey (Gabe Smith kick).

• MR–Zach Herrmann 4 pass from Landon Fox (Boden Simon pass from Fox).

NOTE: Sentinel correspondent Josh Frey and sports editor Charlie Sorrells comprised the above story.