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Marquel Keten rushes for 189 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for 29 yards for Totino-Grace, which put up 405 yards of total offense against Orono.
By Jim Paulsen
Totino-Grace parlayed a big halftime lead into a 30-21 victory over Orono in the state semifinals Friday, giving the Eagles an appearance in the Class 4A championship game against Becker at next week’s Prep Bowl.
Marquel Keten rushed for 189 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 29 yards for Totino-Grace, which put up 405 yards of total offense.
Totino-Grace defeated Orono during the regular season, winning a low-scoring 11-8 decision on Oct. 4.
Friday was a far different affair.
Both teams moved the ball efficiently for most of the game, but it was a spurt toward the end of the second quarter that proved decisive. Trailing 7-3, Totino-Grace scored 21 points in a span of six minutes, turning the deficit into a 24-7 halftime lead. The Eagles had chunk-yardage plays of 71, 20 and 64 yards during the 21-point rally.
Keten capped the scoring run with a 64-yard scoring play with 10 seconds remaining before halftime.
“This game was just as physical,” said Totino-Grace coach Jay Anderson, comparing it to the Eagles’ first game against Orono. “Our guys just did a great job of making plays.”
Orono responded in kind after halftime. The Spartans scored twice in the third quarter, pulling to within three — 24-21 — on short runs by Franklin Stevenson and Charles Cordes.
“I knew our guys would respond,” Orono coach Joe McPherson said. “We just needed a break or two.”
But Totino-Grace maintained their lead thanks to the leg of left tackle Jimmy McNeil. McNeil, who doubles as the Eagles kicker, made consecutive 36-yard field goals in the fourth quarter to help keep Orono at bay.
“We’re always confident in Jimmy,” Eagles quarterback Jake Person said. “He’s got a big leg, and he’s got ice in his veins.”
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Totino-Grace (12-0) will make its first championship game appearance since winning the Class 6A state championship in 2016. The Eagles dropped to Class 4A after the 2023 season.
Orono finished the season 9-3.
Jim Paulsen is a high school sports reporter for the Star Tribune. 
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The Elks completed a set: They ended the Storm's season with a loss and began it that way.
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Kicker Jimmy McNeil makes a pair of 36-yard field goals, the last coming with 2:24 left in the game, to secure the win for Totino-Grace.
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Jackson County Central’s (12-0) return to the title game is the program’s first since its championship win in 2001. This postseason marked the Huskies’ third consecutive trip to the state tournament.
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The Elks completed a set: They ended the Storm's season with a loss and began it that way.
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