MINNEAPOLIS — Despite the outcome of the Class A state football finals game on Saturday, Wabasso has been a consistent team all year.

While much of the focus this season has been on 2,000-yard rusher Cooper Taylor and the high-scoring Wabasso offense, the defense definitely deserves its share of credit for the success the team has had this year. There were some solid defensive plays for the Rabbits on Saturday, such as a blocked punt by Nick Altermatt at the Minneota 2-yard line that led to a touchdown run by Taylor shortly after.

Jacob Plaetz also picked off a pass for the Rabbits early in the second quarter. Minneota’s Isaac Hennen ended up rushing for 291 yards against the Wabasso defense, and the loss was certainly a tough pill to swallow for the Rabbits. But despite the loss, the Rabbits still made it to the big show and were able to take something away from the game.

“We come in every year with high expectations and we try and find a way to give ourselves a shot to be in this type of game,” Wabasso coach Joe Kemp said. “We really kind of set the blueprint for what it takes, I think. It’s our offseason programs and our preparation. So that’s what we take from playing in a game like this. I know we lose a lot of kids, but we’re not that far from accomplishing the ultimate goal.”

Isaac Schmiesing led the Rabbits’ defense on Saturday with 11 tackles and 1.5 for a loss. Schmiesing has been a nuisance to opposing offenses all year with 90 total tackles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions.

Schmiesing credits plenty of weight lifting and coaching for the success the defense has had this season.

“It’s weight lifting and Mr. Kittelson [Cody Kittelson] — the defensive coach,” Schmiesing said. “He really pushed all of us. A lot of weight room time.”

Schmiesing said that there were plenty of big moments from the year and that it was a complete team effort that resulted in a strong season.

“We made plenty of big plays as a team,” Schmiesing said. “It’s not just one person out there, it’s the whole team. We were a pretty good defense this year and we all worked together. We were physical up front.”

Wabasso allowed just 8.9 points per game in 14 games this year and had four shutout victories. Jacob Plaetz was another big reason for Wabasso’s success on defense this season and had six tackles to go with his interception on Saturday.

Plaetz echoed Schmiesing’s thoughts about the influence Kittelson has had on the defense this year and said that playing for each other was also a big factor.

“It mostly starts with coach Kittelson,” Plaetz said. “You could say he’s crazy because he does almost everything for us. I don’t how much sleep he’s gotten in the last week — or even the whole year — but it all starts with him.

“We’re all friends and we love playing with each other, so we play for each other, and we get the job done.”

Plaetz said that the team needs to remember the whole season and not just the final game.

“We have to think of the year as a whole — instead of just this game — because Minneota is a great team,” Plaetz said. “And Isaac Hennen, he’s a monster and he really ran all over us, but throughout the whole year, we’ve been playing pretty solidly. We’ve just got to think of prior games instead of just this one.”

Kemp remained proud of how his defense performed all season, even after the tough loss.

“Even in defeat today, [they showed me] a lot of heart,” Kemp said. “There were times we were on the field for some long stretches with Isaac Hennen running the ball, and those guys just kept giving us a chance. We came up with big stop after big stop and it kept giving us a chance in the game. That’s kind of what we expect from them all year. They’re our seniors, they’re our leaders, and they just kept performing today up until the end.”