“Did they win today?” Chanhassen linebacker and Gophers commit Sam Macy asked the assembled media Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Informed Wisconsin was taking Paul Bunyan’s Axe back to Madison, he lamented how bittersweet it felt.
The sweet? That’s easy. His Storm outlasted St. Thomas Academy 34-31 in the first Class 5A Prep Bowl game to be decided in overtime.
Chanhassen quarterback Brayden Windschitl hit Kade Bush for the winning touchdown on fourth down in overtime as the Storm capped a perfect season, finishing 13-0. St. Thomas Academy (10-3) had settled for a field goal on its overtime possession.
Storm coach Cullen Nelson said his coaches were playing to win, not to prolong the game.
A Cadets penalty and two Maxwell Woods carries brought the ball to the 2-yard line. Facing fourth down, Chanhassen called the same pass play used to provide the winning points in overtime against Andover last week. Bush, a sophomore, ran the wrong route against Andover but correctly executed Saturday and caught the ball to put the game away.
“He didn’t have anything to say after the game,” senior receiver Daxton Bush said of his younger brother. “He’s speechless right now. But everyone was telling him how much they love him — especially me. It’s a proud brother moment. That’s going to be a memory the rest of our lives.”
Daxton Bush bumped the Storm lead to 28-20 by taking a reverse handoff 62 yards with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Cadets quarterback Maximus Sims pushed back. He found Chase Young for a touchdown, and Savion Hart raced for a two-point conversion to tie the game 28-28.
Those big plays paired well with outstanding games by the state’s two best running backs. The Cadets’ Hart and Chanhassen’s Woods took turns showcasing their qualifications as Mr. Football Award finalists. Hart carried 37 times for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Woods accounted for 219 yards and two scores on 20 carries.
“I love that man,” Woods said. “Right at the beginning of the season, he texted me and said we had a chance to play each other in the state tournament. Fast forward and we’re here. It was a great game from both of us, but this is a team game.
“I mean, I fumbled in overtime and Kade fell on it. If he’s not there, we lose.”
Sims said his St. Thomas Academy teammates had a similar awareness of the thin margins in a championship game.
“This game started off not going our way,” he said. “That happens when the team you’re playing is a great team. They’re going to make great plays. But we’re a great team and we made great plays. But stuff happens at the end, and it didn’t go our way.”
