OWATONNA — For the first time since 2019, the Century High School football team is advancing to the Section 1, Class 5A championship game.
The Panthers, seeded No. 6 in the tournament, pulled off a 25-20 semifinal upset victory over the top-seeded Owatonna Huskies on Saturday in Owatonna.
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"I thought the kids played with such passion and heart tonight," said Century head coach Jon Vik, who has been at the helm of the program since 2002. "The first drive, they kind of took it to us to begin with, running the ball down the field, but then we held them, kept them out of the end zone. Then we were able to score, and then our defense — the kids played great. The run fits were great. The effort up front by our front four was fabulous. Our linebackers played well and then our secondary did a great job, keeping (Owatonna) from — once we got them behind the chains — getting back in the game."
Century's defense was outstanding most of the night, first stopping Owatonna on the opening drive. On the Panthers' first offensive possession, senior quarterback Cade Goergen connected with senior running back Max Elliott for a 56-yard touchdown pass to take a 6-0 lead with 4 minutes, 43 ...