Totino-Grace senior kicker Jimmy McNeil booted the Eagles into a familiar place on Friday. 

He made two 36-yard field goals in the fourth quarter to send Totino-Grace to a 30-21 victory over Orono in the Class AAAA semifinals of the Minnesota State High School League’s Football State Tournament at U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. His well-timed boots gave the Eagles (12-0) some breathing room on the way to earning a berth in the Prep Bowl Championship game on Friday, Nov. 22 against Becker. 

***Click the video box above to watch highlights of Totino-Grace’s win***

It is the 13th time in program history for the Fridley-based school that they have qualified for a championship game. In those trips, the Eagles have emerged victorious eight times, the most recent in 2016 when they captured the Class AAAAAA crown while playing two classes higher than their enrollment size. 

McNeil also made a 19-yard chip shot in the first quarter to open the game’s scoring. 

On the offensive end, senior running back Marquel Keten rushed for 189 yards on 15 carries and scored a touchdown on a 64-yard run. Senior quarterback Jake Person completed five passes for 151 yards, including one for 71 yards to senior wide receiver Griffin Burgess. 

Orono scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to pull to within 24-21. In that surge, the Spartans (9-3) senior running back Franklin Stevenson scored on a 2-yard run and senior quarterback Charles Cordes added a 7-yarder.

Courtesy: Minnesota State High School League