After a challenging summer of practice and preparation, the Chaska Hawks boys football team took the field on a perfect late summer night for their opening game on Aug. 28 against Rochester Mayo.
As with any season opener, both teams came out enthusiastic and intense. The game was a back-and-forth battle for most of the first half. Rochester Mayo struck first with a 25-yard field goal, taking a 3-0 lead until halftime.
Chaska opened the second half with a strong drive, reaching the Rochester 18-yard line. Freshman kicker Jacob Lalaman hit a 28-yard field goal with 2:58 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 3-3. The Spartans responded quickly, scoring on a 12-yard touchdown pass with just 28 seconds left in the third quarter to retake the lead, 10-3.
Early in the fourth quarter, quarterback Matthew Welter led a roughly 50-yard drive, capping it off with a 6-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game 10-10 with 6:42 remaining. Both teams then traded extended drives, with defenses continuing to make key stops. With 1:48 left on the clock, Lalaman kicked a 40-yard field goal to give Chaska a 13-10 lead.
Mayo answered with effective clock management and two key receptions, setting up a 23-yard field goal with just 3.5 seconds left to tie the game 13-13 and send it into overtime.
In high school overtime, each team gets at least one possession from the 10-yard line, and play continues until one team outscores the other. Mayo took possession first, starting with first and goal from the Chaska 10-yard line. The Chaska defense prevented Mayo from scoring. On third down of Chaska’s possession, Welter called his own number and ran in the game-winning touchdown from 2 yards—securing a dramatic 16-13 victory to open the season.
“Wow! So proud of the team,” said coach Byan Dahl after the game. “They worked hard all summer and hung in there. Our defense was tough, and theirs was stingy as well. Our offense took off in the second half, and the whole team showed great resiliency. It was a great way to start the season.”
“At first I thought, wow, first game at night, in front of a crowd, but it’s the same uprights as always, and I’ve been kicking for quite a few years. So I was at ease when the time came for the 40-yarder. My teammates gave me such a boost to go out and do what I do. It’s great to be part of the team like this,” said freshman kicker Jacob Lalaman, reflecting on his first varsity game
In other Northstar-South-Gold action on Thursday, Chanhassen defeated Alexandria 24-22 and Waconia beat Northfield 21-9. On Friday, Mahtomedi beat Mankato West 21-19 and Mankato East defeated Owatonna 28-7.
The Hawks’ next game is at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 5 at home against Rochester Century for senior night.
