The Chanhassen Storm defeated Cretin-Derham Hall 23-19 in a tight quarterfinal game at Osseo High School on Saturday, Nov. 8. The Storm advance to the Class 5A State Semifinals at US Bank Stadium, where they’ll face defending champion Elk River at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15.
If you needed a reminder that State Tournament games come down to a handful of plays, Saturday’s quarterfinal between Chanhassen and Cretin-Derham Hall more than delivered that reminder.
The Storm defeated the Raiders 23-19 in a game that featured momentum swings, clutch plays and some unexpected late-game drama. Chanhassen punched its ticket to US Bank Stadium and a semifinal rematch with Elk River — the defending state champion and the team that ended the Storm’s season a year ago.
Chanhassen 23, Cretin-Derham Hall 19
Chanhassen started the game hot, taking the opening drive the distance. Senior quarterback Nathan Ramler connected with senior tight end Kade Bush for a touchdown.
Cretin-Derham Hall bounced right back. With a balanced offense, the Raiders answered with 13 points to take the lead, though the Storm blocked a critical extra point.
With the Raiders holding momentum and the first half winding down, Cretin forced a Chanhassen punt. Many teams would play it safe and take their lead into halftime.
The Raiders didn’t.
CDH stayed aggressive — and it backfired. Senior safety Logan Smith intercepted a pass with just 18 seconds left in the half, returning it 29 yards to the CDH 37 yard line, and giving the Storm a golden opportunity.
Ramler immediately connected with Bush on a 34-yard completion, then punched in a one-yard touchdown run two plays later. A Michael McDowell extra point gave Chanhassen a 14-13 lead at halftime.
“Logan Smith played great at safety. Huge interception before half to set up a score,” Head Coach Cullen Nelson said.
The Storm extended the lead in the third quarter. Ramler hit senior wide receiver Logan DeAlwis on a long pass, Graham Degler carried the ball to the one-yard line, and Ramler scored his second rushing touchdown of the day. Chanhassen led 21-13.
Cretin-Derham Hall responded in the 4th quarter with a touchdown, cutting the lead to 21-19, but failed the two-point conversion due in part to intense pressure on the quarterback by senior linebacker Rowan Wiese.
Chanhassen then leaned on Bush late in the 4th quarter. Bush, who will play for West Virginia University next year, gained 65 clock-killing yards. On his final run, Bush broke free with nothing but green grass ahead but slid down at the one-yard line, allowing Chanhassen the chance to take knees and end the game.
Except… it didn’t quite work out that way.
A miscommunication on a snap resulted in a fumble at the Cretin four-yard line. The Raiders had life with 32 seconds remaining.
But once again, it was Kade Bush to the rescue. Playing defense for the first time all season, Chan’s star senior lined up to rush the passer, and along with Gavin Anderson, sacked Cretin’s QB Izaak Johnson for a safety. The Storm would recover the subsequent onside kick and finally run out the clock.
Coach Nelson and the Storm players identified several keys to this hard-fought victory.
“James Kopfmann and Kade Bush had big plays. Nathan Ramler was steady as usual, making great decisions and not putting the ball in danger,” said Nelson.
“We stayed resilient when things didn’t go our way,” Bush said. “We had a lot of bad plays but also a lot of good ones. Making plays when it matters most is always our strong suit.”
Senior linebacker Jack Carlson credited the team’s trust.
“The key to winning was just trusting the guys to make plays when their number was called and really just to trust the coaches and the game plan they dialed up for us,” he said.
Nelson pointed to turnovers as the difference.
“We didn’t turn the ball over until 30 seconds left in the game, and we turned them over twice and converted both into touchdowns,” he said.
Next Up: A State Semifinal Rematch
Chanhassen now gets what many on the team were hoping for: a rematch with Elk River.
The Elks are the defending Class 5A state champions and knocked Chanhassen out of last year’s tournament in the semifinals. Elk River enters with a 9-2 record and their signature Power-T rushing attack led by senior quarterback Levi Harris and junior running back Carsyn Kleffman. The Elks crushed Minneapolis Washburn 53-20 in their State Quarterfinal matchup.
For some of Chanhassen’s seniors, they are excited for the chance to turn the tables on the Elks.
“For us seniors who lost to them last year, we were hoping for a do-over and I know the guys are fired up to play them,” Carlson said. “We will need to execute the details in practice this week and play physical. The game will come down to who wants it more.”
Kopfmann took a measured approach to the game.
“For me, a rematch with Elk River doesn’t matter too much, it’s just another game for us that we need to prepare for,” he said. “I think the keys to victory will be ball security and doing the little things – those will put us in a good position Saturday night.”
Coach Nelson knows this game will be another intense matchup.
“We need to play really well to give ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter and then we need to make plays when we have the chance,” Nelson said.
As for the team’s mindset? Nelson kept it simple.
“We are excited to be playing football inside US Bank Stadium and getting to assemble for another week with ‘Team 17,’” he said (signifying Chanhassen’s 17th football season).
Saturday’s matchup features the last two Class 5A state champions. The winner will play for the 2025 championship.
For fans of the Storm who are accustomed to heart-stopping games inside the Vikings’ stadium, you can expect another such contest on Saturday night.
Tickets for Saturday night’s contest can be purchased online at www.mshsl.org/tickets. The game will also be live-streamed at www.nspn.tv.
