On Thursday, November 6th, in Alexandria, MN, the #3 seed Orono defeated the #2 seed Fergus Falls in the Class 4A state quarterfinal, 36-14.

After a nearly two-hour bus ride to Alexandria, Orono was determined to reach the next round of the state tournament.

The game started hot when #6 Dane Kanwischer threw a 54-yard pass to #7 Owen Paulson, getting the team deep into the red zone.

Another big play was #24 Hudson Hirts’ 44-yard breakaway in the second quarter, ending up around the opposing team’s 25-yard line.

At halftime, the score was 14-7 in favor of the Spartans.

However, the play of the game was in the fourth quarter when #7 junior Owen Paulson scored a 50-yard rushing touchdown.

The Spartans will go on to play in the U.S. Bank Stadium in the State Semifinals. They will play the undefeated Marshall team on the 13th, ranked #1 in the Minnesota Division 4A, at 10:30.

This upcoming game should be filled with a lot of excitement and energy. Ultimately, it serves as a great test of the team’s ability.