By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

CLYDE -- The Quinter defense had already stopped Clifton-Clyde, the state's highest-scoring offense, five times on fourth down, including two occasions inside the Bulldog 20. With 3:34 left, Quinter had a 28-20 lead after a 54-yard TD run from senior quarterback Brady Reed. On the ensuing kickoff, Clyde senior Brayden Bloomfield took the return down to the Quinter 24.

"That was kind of a bummer getting that big of a return," Quinter coach Greg Woolf said. "We thought that we could have pinned them a little bit more, but we had confidence the defense could stop them and they had confidence because that's what they'd been doing."

Clyde had first-and-goal at the Quinter 10-yard line, but the Bulldogs forced a fourth down from the Bulldog 8. On fourth down, Bulldog senior lineman Zach Nemechek tackled Bloomfield on the two-yard line.

The play preserved the 28-20 victory in the Eight-Man, Division I sub-state championship game Saturday.

"Coach (Brian) Roesch told me he was going to cut it back, he was going to cut it back, once he came back, I grabbed him and I rolled backwards so then he wouldn't roll forwards," Nemechek said.

After the final tackle, Nemechek laid on the ground and put his arms up to the sky in celebration. Quinter (11-1) moves into Saturday's state title against defending champion Baileyville B&B (12-0). The Bulldogs, 21-2 since moving down to eight-man two years ago, have a chance at the school's first state football title since 1992. Clyde finishes at 10-2.

"I knew it was done," Nemechek said. "All we needed was two kneels. It was great. I loved it."

Quinter, which has won nine straight games, has overcome adversity all season. Woolf learned he had cancer in Week 2 and has gone for treatment every third Tuesday. Roesch has taken over as interim head coach. In addition, Nemechek discovered during the season that his mother, Pam, was also ill.

"It would be special if it was just a regular season," Nemechek said. "But with all that added into it, it brings tears to your eyes knowing that you worked this hard and put this much effort into everything, every snap, every rep you have done now leads to this.

"You carry a heavy heart with Coach Woolf, my mother was sick at the beginning of the season," he added. "You carry a heavy heart when you go out and you play for your buddies. Your buddies, you know they have your back and that is the part that I just love on this football team. I know that I have one game left, but it's going to be a good game."

On Saturday, Quinter contained Clyde's offense that had scored 640 points and had just two games within 45 points. The 20 points marked the Eagles' lowest total all year. Quinter's defensive line held Bloomfield to 180 rushing yards on 40 carries and 4-of-11 passing for 44 yards. Bloomfield entered the game with 1,677 rushing yards, 10.7 yards a carry and over nine yards a pass attempt.

"They are the best defense we have seen, probably the best team we have seen all season," Clifton-Clyde head coach Russ Steinbrock said. "They are just big. They are physical. We had a couple big plays that we broke a couple of times, but other than that, they did a very good job of stacking up the offensive line on us and then just blowing up our blocking backs coming through. They did a great job of slowing down on our offense."

Clyde took a 6-0 lead on a 51-yard run from Bloomfield early in the first quarter. They had another long drive that yielded first-and-goal from the Bulldog 5. Then, Quinter held the Eagles to four yards on three Bloomfield running plays. Before the fourth down play, Quinter assistant coach Jeff Ruckman called a timeout.

"Whenever he comes out, he is always talking," Nemechek said. "That is the first time that I had ever not see him say something on his way out there. He walked out there, he looked us in the eyes and said, 'You know that you can do it. You have already stopped three (downs). Get your fourth one.' "

Bloomfield rushed up the middle, but was stopped for a two-yard loss.

"I think that every person on the team except for maybe a cornerback had a tackle on that one," Nemechek said.

Quinter tied the game on an 18-yard run from senior Jordon Hargitt, who rushed for 57 yards on 20 carries. On a fourth down play, Bloomfield found senior Drew Deaver for a 17-yard TD pass. However, the Bulldogs took a 14-12 lead before the end of the first half.

Helped by three Clifton-Clyde penalties, Quinter moved to the Eagle 11 with 1.4 seconds left. Reed, with Roesch calling the plays because of Woolf's illness, rushed in for the score to complete the half. Reed finished with 74 rushing yards, including a 54-yard TD run in the second half.

"I thought he did a tremendous job tonight. I thought he had a great game plan. He had to make adjustments, which he did very well," Woolf said. "I told him at halftime down here, I told him, 'Bubba, that was a gutsy call. I don't know if I would have called that.' "

"They stacked things up very well, but Brady has gained confidence and when he sees a seam ­-- the play didn't go exactly as it was supposed to -- but he saw the seam open up and he hit that seam," Woolf added. "Brady is a good open field runner."

Bloomfield collected a 43-yard score on the first play of the second half, but Quinter responded on a 34-yard shovel pass from Reed to senior Matt Bird and a 22-20 lead.

On three second half possessions, Quinter stopped the Eagles at the Bulldog 15, 31 and 25 yard lines on fourth down.

"We can get stops," Nemechek said. "We know that we are capable of that. The thing that helped us getting all those stops is everyone started to believe."

After Reed's score and a missed two-point conversion, though, Clyde had a final opportunity. Bloomfield returned the kickoff deep inside Bulldog territory and moved the Eagles to the Quinter 10.

"We still had an opportunity," Steinbrock said. "There was plenty of time on the clock, we just got to put something together. Give them credit. They really slowed us down and played an excellent game."

However, a sack by Quinter senior Scott Ochs, an incomplete pass and a 6-yard pass set up fourth down at the 8. Broomfield looked to pass the ball, but ran right and tried to score. However, Nemechek stopped him two yards shy for another Quinter fourth down stand and sealed the win.

"I love these kids," Woolf said. "They played so well together."