Photo courtesy of Brennen Rupp/Marshall Independent Wabasso's Nick Altermatt throws it out for a wide receiver screen during the first quarter.

MINNEAPOLIS — Wabasso is just one more win away from taking home a state championship after picking up a 21-13 win over Ada-Borup/Norman County West on Saturday in the Class A state semifinals.

Wabasso (13-0) moves on to the Class A state finals game to play Minneota (13-0) at 10 a.m. on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Rabbits have been on a tear all season, but so has Minneota and Wabasso coach Joe Kemp knows how tough the final game of the year will be for his squad.

“You know — it’s one more time,” Kemp said. “We’ve gotta go out there and compete with a bunch of guys that have played this game together for a long time. So we’re just looking forward to the opportunity. We’re gonna go out there and play fast like we normally do, get after the game, do what we’re supposed to do. We’re very familiar with Minneota and we respect them a ton, but we’re coming to compete and try and win this thing.”

Both teams began the semifinals matchup with early turnovers in the first quarter. After a Wabasso fumble with 5:07 left in the first quarter, Ada-Borup’s Jared Brainard threw an interception to Tony Franta on the very next play.

Nick Altermatt then completed a 55-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Taylor on 3rd-and-12 for a 7-0 lead after an extra point by Colton Taylor. Altermatt completed 7 of 15 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.

The Cougars added 3 points of their own on their following drive after a 39-yard field goal by Vitor Vac Bitu Alves and the score was 7-3 after one.

Neither team was able to get on the board again until the third quarter where the Cougars added another 3 points on an Alves field goal to make the score 7-6.

After Brainard took a run 36 yards, the Cougars were in scoring position at the Wabasso 17-yard line to end the third quarter. Moments later, Alves attempted a 37-yard field goal with 10:27 left in the game, but the kick sailed wide left.

However, a running into the kicker penalty gave Alves another crack at making the kick 5 yards closer. Alves missed again wide left, though, and Wabasso got the ball back on its own 20-yard line.

Wabasso then drove down the field on 10 plays and went up 14-6 after a 13-yard Colton Taylor touchdown run and an extra point. Another Brainard pass was picked off by Cooper Taylor at the Wabasso 8-yard line with under five minutes to play and Wabasso used the turnover to its advantage.

After Cooper Taylor broke off a 50-yard run, Kyle Jacobson followed it up with a 17-yard run to set Wabasso up at the Ada-Borup 23-yard line. Jacobson finished the game with seven carries for 61 yards.

Cooper Taylor then took a 6-yard run in for 6 to put the Rabbits up 21-6 after the extra point with 1:52 left to play.

The Cougars weren’t going to quit, though, as they scored on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Brainard to Brett Fetting to make the score 21-13 after the extra point. The Cougars were then unable to recover their onside kick, however, and the Rabbits were able to end the game victorious.

Brainard threw three interceptions in the game total, with his other interception being pulled in by Altermatt. Scott Zollner added 5.5 total tackles and a sack for the Wabasso defense, while Isaac Schmiesing added 9.5 total tackles and a half-sack.

“We played with a lot of heart,” Kemp said. “We did not play a perfect game — we had a lot of penalties. [nine for 101 yards] We missed a couple of throws and catches that could have given us a two or three touchdown lead, but I think we just played with a lot of heart. We played with a lot of grit today.”

COOPER TAYLOR JOINS THE 2,000-YARD CLUB

Cooper Taylor passed 2,000 yards rushing on the year during the game and now sits at 2,071 rushing yards. He also has 37 total touchdowns this season.

He finished the game with 131 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. He also caught four passes for 93 yards and a score.

“It’s a milestone for sure,” Cooper Taylor said of his 2,000-yard mark. “I have the best line in the state — Class A football — they do everything for me. They give me the ability to get out in the open and just run. So it’s a lot of fun and to get it in a state semifinal game — it’s awesome.”

ZEUG READY TO ROLL

Myles Zeug left the field with 1:03 to play in the game with an injury, but he said he should be ready to play by next weekend and will be looking to help his team shut down the Minneota run game in the finals.

“I was going for the quarterback and a guy on my team, also going for the quarterback, kind of just hit my leg and it swung up from underneath me and I landed on it wrong,” Zeug said of his injury. “I should be good. It’s a slight pain, but I think I’ll be okay and I should be ready to play.

“We’ve got a real strong defense,” Zeug said. “Minneota is definitely a great team. I think our size is going to benefit us. Initially, they’ve got a couple big guys, but I think to really stop that run game is to force them inside. We’ve got the extra guys to make those big plays.”

Zeug had three total tackles on the day and a half-sack.