ARGYLE, Minn. -- Stephen-Argyle might not carry the aura of invincibility anymore in Minnesota high school football, but the Storm still know how to put away a win in the Section 8 9-man playoffs.
Stephen-Argyle scored the only touchdown of the final quarter and picked off two passes in the last six minutes to earn a 26-14 victory over Goodridge-Grygla on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the section playoffs.
The Storm, who have won five of the last six state championships and 12 section titles in the last 13 years, advance to the section championship against Kittson County Central on Friday at 3 p.m. at the Alerus Center.
Stephen-Argyle's decisive score came early in the fourth quarter when the Storm went on an 11-play, 53-yard drive that spanned five minutes.
Storm quarterback John Safranski burrowed into the end zone from a yard out to make it 26-14 with 6 minutes, 20 seconds remaining.
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"We stuck to hard-nose football," said Safranski, who finished with 150 rushing yards and 95 passing yards.
Safranski had his hands in two scores in the first quarter. Safranski scored on a 78-yard run on the team's first possession, then he hit Ethan Hendricks for a 45-yard touchdown pass on the Storm's second drive.
All 11 plays on the key fourth-quarter drive came on the ground behind a patchwork offensive line that had experienced a handful of injuries coming into the game.
"Our guys made holes at key times," Stephen-Argyle coach Mark Kroulik said. "That was a big score in the fourth quarter. We really felt like we had to score again to win."
From there, the Storm defense took over. Goodrige-Grygla's only two possessions of the fourth quarter ended with interceptions.
The Blue Devils, who had gone with Tyler Schulz at quarterback for three quarters, brought in senior Bret Johnson to take snaps for the final quarter.
With 5:20 left and Goodridge-Grygla trailing 26-14, Johnson's first pass of the game was intercepted by Stephen-Argyle sophomore Blake LaBine. After forcing the Storm to a three-and-out on offense, the Blue Devils' next play resulted in another Johnson interception -- this one by Evan Schindele.
"I'm proud of the kids for making the plays when they had to," Kroulik said. "They beat a good football team. We're glad to get another chance to play in the Alerus Center."
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Goodridge-Grygla, which lost to Stephen-Argyle 15-14 during the regular season, played the Storm tight through three quarters behind the running of Dillon Olson.
Olson, a junior running back, rushed for 170 yards on 30 carries and scored on touchdown runs of 60 and 7 yards.
Olson's 7-yard score early in the third quarter cut the Storm lead to 20-14.
But after Stephen-Argyle pushed its lead to 12 points, the Blue Devils were forced to pass and the Storm took advantage.
"We knew their pass formations," Safranski said. "We did a good job studying and prepping this week."
Stephen-Argyle 26,
Goodridge-Grygla 14
Key play: Blake LaBine's interception with 5:20 left.
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Key player: John Safranski, 150 rushing yards, 95 passing yards.
