Down by three with 3:32 to play, Chanhassen had an opportunity for a championship drive. Across the line of scrimmage, the Spring Lake Park defense wanted to clinch the school’s first state title in a generation.

Advantage Panthers.

Spring Lake Park made two late defensive stops to beat Chanhassen 24-21 in the Class 5A Prep Bowl on Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was a true team effort that earned the school its second state football championship but first since 1991.

Pressure from Panthers’ defensive end Jamal Smith forced a third-down incompletion on the second-to-last drive for the Storm. On 4th-and-7 with 1:49 left, the senior Smith nearly got to the quarterback again, but his pressure was enough to force an incompletion.

Up 24-21, any Spring Lake Park celebrations turned out to

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