Debate still rages: Was Blaine's Tom Newman in or out in 1988 final?

50 years in the making: Blaine's victory over Cretin-Derham Hall came with enduring controversy.

By Ron Haggstrom Star Tribune

November 15, 2022 — 11:00pm

The Star Tribune is celebrating 50 years of high school football state tournaments one day at a time for 50 days.

Year: 1988

"At first, we were just going for one. But then we thought, 'We don't want to go into overtime with them — they're too good.' We figured we have to beat them sometime." — Blaine coach Dave Nelson about going for two to win the Class AA final against Cretin-Derham Hall

Four first-time champions were crowned, but none grabbed the spotlight like Blaine in Class AA.

In the Prep Bowl's most famous play, Blaine quarterback Tom Newman ran for a disputed two-point conversion with two seconds left in the game, giving the Bengals a 25-24 victory over Cretin-Derham Hall. It's the most debated call in championship game history.

Replays of the conversion, played in front of disappointed Cretin-Derham Hall fans, showed that Newman's right knee could have been down as he tried to break the goal-line plane at the left front of the end zone. Newman scored untouched on a 6-yard run to set up the conversion attempt.

"At first, we were just going for one," Blaine coach Dave Nelson said. "But then we thought, 'We don't want to go into overtime with them — they're too good.' We figured we have to beat them sometime."

The Raiders had taken a 24-17 lead when quarterback Chris Weinke hit Ted Johnson with a short screen up the middle for a 15-yard score with 2:39 remaining. Weinke finished 19-for-31 passing for 282 yards and two touchdowns.

The other three first-time champs were Lakeville (Class A), Breckenridge (Class B) and Hallock (Nine-Man).

In Class A, quarterback John Guentzel completed 14 of 21 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns, two to wide receiver Chad Gilman, in a 35-28 victory over Staples-Motley.

"I don't know if you ever expect a team to pass as much as they did," Staples-Motley coach Tom Honek said. "We knew they were capable of throwing well. Our secondary didn't play as well as they can. It seemed like we were a step behind or a little out of position all night."

In Class B, quarterback/safety Jeff Vizenor completed only two passes for 19 yards, but both went for touchdowns to Matt Hasbargen in a 21-7 triumph over Morris. Vizenor put the finishing touches on the Tigers with a 19-yard interception return in the third quarter.

"Vizenor's interception was a big one, not just because it put us 14 points down but because it gave them a big momentum swing," Morris coach Jerry Witt said. "It was still only the third quarter, but their defense wasn't giving us anything."

In Nine-Man, senior running back J.T. Anderson rushed for 168 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries, leading Hallock past Stewart 35-24. His 27-yard scoring run with 2:33 left clinched the victory.

"At the beginning of the year, we had to replace a lot of people in the offensive line and had some new guys in the backfield," Anderson said. "We just started gelling more and more in the playoffs."