Grandma gets early gift
Grandma got her Christmas present early this year. Darlene LeGare was in attendance at the Class 4A state championship football game Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium when her grandson, Andrew Anderson, caught the winning two-point conversion in overtime.
Rocori, which also won the 4A title in 2014, earned a 22-21 upset victory over top-ranked SMB (12-1). "I had seen them run that play before, so I kind of figured they might throw it to Andrew," said LeGare, who had also attended a few other Rocori games this season.
"I heard everyone start yelling and then I saw Andrew hold the ball up, so I knew he had caught it. It was unbelievable," she added. Andrew's mother is Kim (LeGare) Anderson, a 1988 Minneota graduate. His father, Ken Anderson, is from Montevideo.
"It was so exciting," said Kim about the championship game. "One mother wouldn't even watch the last play of the game." SMB (St. Paul Academy/Minnehaha Academy/Blake) was the defending 4A champions and entered the 4A final unbeaten, top-ranked, and the heavy favorite.
Tied 14-14 at the end of regulation, SMB got the ball first in overtime.
The Wolfpack scored a touchdown and booted the extra point to lead 21-14. Rocori (11-2) then scored on a 15-yard pass from quarterback Jack Steil to Jayden Phillipi to make it 21-20.
Rocori coach James Herberg never hesitated in going for the win, rather than a tie to force another overtime. "I had no idea what we were going to do," said Andrew Anderson.
"I figured we were going to kick the extra point." But the play Herberg designed called for Steil to have two options. But one of the options was not available when the ball was snapped.
"The guy that was supposed to be one of the options never got on the field," laughed Anderson.
"So we actually ran that last play with only 10 players." SMB All-State basketball and football player Jalen Suggs was assigned to defend Anderson, Rocori's top receiver, on the conversion play.
Anderson lined up as the lone wideout on the right side as Rocori ran a "bait" play in an attempt to make it look like it would be taking the play to the left. Steil then rolled out to the right and looked for his favorite target.
Anderson, who had four receptions for 73 yards in the final, led the Spartans with for the North squad in the Minnesota High School All-Star Game on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
"I knew I had to go to my best receiver," Steil told the media after the game. When the ball was snapped, there was little time to think about the magnitude of the moment. "I faked like I was going to the middle and ran to the (right) pylon," Anderson explained.
"Jack threw the pass on my back shoulder and I caught it going down."
Suggs actually got his fingertips on the ball, but it still landed safely in Anderson's arms for the game-winner.
"The first thing I thought was 'What did we just do'? And then I saw everyone jumping up and down so I just held the ball up in the air," Anderson recalls.
Andrew's grandfather, Vince, passed away in May.
"I told Andrew that Vince was watching from heaven," Darlene said.