MARSHALL - In a wild Section 3AA football title tilt Friday night, it was the Redwood Valley Cardinals that hung on the end - barely.
In a see-saw slugfest that saw multiple lead changes, the Pipestone Area Arrows had the last dramatic chance to emerge with a come-from behind victory. Following a PA touchdown in the waning seconds that trimmed the Cardinals’ lead to 31-30, the Arrows opted to go for a two-point conversion. The try was unsuccessful, allowing Redwood Valley to escape and earn a berth to the upcoming state tournament.
The Arrows scored first in the game when Terry Price crossed the goal line with about 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter. The Cardinals, though, answered quickly with a TD of their own with 9:42 left before halftime, knotting the score at 7-7. Redwood Valley then recovered its onside kick and completed a 42-yard drive to grab a 14-7 advantage with 8:08 still to go in the first half.
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The Cardinals scored their next touchdown with 7:30 to go in the third quarter to move in front 21-7, and a 22-yard field goal less than two minutes later pushed the Cardinals’ cushion to 24-7. The Arrows would answer with a TD with 3:07 remaining in the third stanza, and closed to within 24-17 on a 31-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
With 6:22 left, Pipestone Area was able to tie the game at 24-apiece, but a 54-yard scoring pass with 5:17 to go put the Cardinals back in front. That set the stage for the frenetic final moments.
The Arrows concluded their season with a 8-3 record.
