The Jackson County Central football team is in the Prep Bowl for the first time since 2015 after outlasting Kimball Area 34-26 in the Class AA State Semifinals at US Bank Stadium on Friday. 

GAME RECAP: SPORTS 11-18-24 

The Huskies marched down the field on the opening drive that took more than seven minutes. Gage Johnson scored a two-yard rushing touchdown on 4th-and-Goal and Tavion Diggs punched in the two-point conversion for the 8-0 lead.

Johnson fought his way in for another fourth-down two-yard run in the final seconds and JCC led 14-0 after the first quarter. 

The Cubs passed for a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter but missed both of their two-point attempts. JCC led 14-12 at halftime. 

The Cubs returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown. They missed the two-pointer. Kimball Area led 18-14 and JCC trailed for the first time since last year’s state semifinal.

Clay Malchow put the Huskies back in the lead by starting to the right and then running all the way across the field to the left for another fourth-down rushing TD from three yards out.

JCC led 20-18 after the third quarter. The Cubs recovered a JCC fumble early in the fourth and punched in a rushing TD then added the two-point pass for the 26-20 lead. 

Ben Dahlin ran for a 53-yard touchdown on the next Huskies play from scrimmage. 

Dahlin finished with a game-high 181 all-purpose yards. The game remained tied after the failed two-point conversion attempt. 

Kade Freking-Leu recovered a Cubs fumble to give the ball back to JCC.

Malchow converted a 3rd-and-22 by tipping a pass to himself for a 38-yard gain on the ensuing drive. Malchow collected 179 all-purpose yards in the game.

Johnson finished that same drive with an 18-yard score for his third rushing touchdown of the game. Johnson also ran in the two-point conversion. He had 105 all-purpose yards on the day. 

The next Cubs drive ended with a Dahlin interception.  JCC clinched the game when the Cubs defense jumped offside.

FINAL GAME STATISTICS

Huskies head coach Tom Schuller says this team just keeps being resilient. 

PRESS CONFERENCE: JCC FB State Semi Press 11-15-24 

JCC will play in the championship game for the fifth time in school history on Friday, November 22 against Staples-Motley. The Cardinals are in the Prep Bowl for the first time since 1988 after beating the Chatfield Gophers 36-24 in the other semifinal game. The Huskies are 1-3 all-time in title games with the victory in 2001.

Coverage begins at around 3:30 p.m. with kickoff scheduled for 4:00 on KKOJ.