The end of Thursday’s high school football game between Blaine and Shakopee had the hallmarks of the Minnesota Vikings’ famous “Minneapolis Miracle” play against the New Orleans Saints.
Trailing Blaine 52-50 with 2.6 seconds to play, the Shakopee Sabres connected on a Hail Mary for a 55-yard touchdown to win the game 56-52. Here’s the play:
A Minneapolis Miracle? More like a Shakopee stunner!
@SaberFootball16 walk it off on Brayden Klein’s 55-yard catch-and-run pic.twitter.com/iWpgC8Ovsx
— SabersLive (@SabersLive) October 19, 2023
The fourth quarter was insanity from start to finish. According to the box score from MNFootballHub, Shakopee outscored Blaine 28-24 in the final quarter. The game was tied 28-28 entering the final 12 minutes.
Blaine took a 35-28 lead with 10:53 to play and then Shakopee answered with a 67-yard touchdown just 17 seconds later. Blaine punched back with a TD to go up 42-35 with 8:27 remaining, and then Shakopee tied it on a 43-yard touchdown less than two minutes later.
Blaine then reclaimed the lead 49-42 with 2:47 left in the game, only to have Shakopee respond with a touchdown and two-point conversion for a 50-49 lead with 1:09 to go.
Blaine somehow got into field goal range and their kicker connected from 29 yards out for the 52-50 lead with just 21 seconds to go. And then came the Shakopee stunner with the game-ending touchdown.
The stats in the box score are eyebrow raising. Shakopee had 490 rushing yards and they won on the 55-yard TD pass despite only throwing seven passes all game.
Brayden Klein, who caught the game-winning touchdown, had two catches for 100 yards. His other catch went for a 45-yard touchdown.
