Incredible finish puts Spartans in 4A Prep Bowl

The Marshall Tigers (11-0) marched into U.S. Bank Stadium undefeated and looking for the first Prep Bowl appearance in school history.  Standing in their way were the Spartans from Orono (8-3) also looking for their school’s first ever Prep Bowl appearance.

If Las Vegas had handicapped this game, it would have been a pick-em, because back in week six of the regular season Marshall held on for a hard fought one-point victory 13-12 over the visiting Spartans.

In eleven games this season, Marshall’s defense had given up just ten touchdowns while their offense averaged over 32 points per game.  While Orono had three losses on their record, there was no shame in losing to then number one ranked Byron, a five-point loss to their rivals from Delano and the aforementioned loss to Marshall.

Orono opened the scoring in the second quarter when junior wide receiver Bennet Halverson scored on a 31-yard TD pass from senior quarterback Griffin Mauer.

Marshall finally evened the score when senior running back Andrew Stelter punched it in on the ground with a one-yard plunge.

Like the tie score Marshall’s 184 total offensive yards to Orono’s 178 solved nothing.

In the overtime, the Tigers were the first team to go on offense.  High School overtime rules place the ball on the 10-yard line and each team gets four plays.  Stelter scored his second one-yard touchdown run and after eight grader Clay Clay made his second extra point, the Tigers owned their first lead of the game at 14-7.  On the ensuing possession for Orono Mauer hit his big (6’5” 225 lbs.) Tight End Simon Vinton in the back of the end zone for the potential game-tying score, but in his jubilation, Vinton spiked the football and was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty making the extra point attempt much less routine.   The Spartans originally rolled their field goal team on the field, but after each team burning timeouts, Orono rolled the dice and went for the two-point conversion from the 18 yard line.  Mauer took the snap, a short drop and let it fly to a streaking sophomore Lincoln Stinar who ran under a perfect pass in the back corner of the end zone for the winning score 15-14.

Orono will play the winner of the Grand Rapids/Kasson-Mantorville at U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday November 21^st with kickoff set for 1pm.

Game Stats: https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025-fb-aaaaa-sf-orono-marshall.pdf