The ROCORI Spartans saw their season come to an end with a 17-16 loss to Simley in the Class AAAA State Football semifinals Thursday at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Spartans season ends with a 9-3 record.

Simley started the scoring with a ten play, 91 yard drive that was capped by a La'tayvion McCoy-Nunn rushing touchdown with 11:56 left in the first quarter.

After the two teams traded punts, the ROCORI Spartans embarked on a four play, 44 yard drive that was finished by a Gabe Johnson receiving touchdown off of a deflection with 6:33 left in the second quarter. A successful two point conversion gave ROCORI an 8-7 lead.

Simley responded on its next possession, driving 80 yards on five plays, with 69 of those yards coming on a 69 yard touchdown catch from McCoy-Nunn with 4:03 left in the first half.

ROCORI's Grant Tylutki gave his team the ball at midfield with a nice kick return and the field position paid off with a Jack Spanier touchdown run and Evan Acheson two-point catch for a 16-14 ROCORI lead at the half.

Neither team broke through in the second half until Simley kicker Reid Remackel snuck a 33-yard field goal just inside the upright (and barely over the crossbar) with 5:22 left in the fourth quarter to give Simley a 17-16 lead.

The Spartans got the ball back on their own 35 with 5:22 left but were unable to gain a first down. Simley ran out the clock to advance to the state championship game against the winner of Hutchinson and Zimmerman on December 2nd.

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