ROCHESTER — Grand Meadow’s offense wasn’t as explosive as it has been this season in the Section 1 nine man football title game against Spring Grove in RCTC Stadium Friday, but it didn’t matter.

The top-seeded and top-ranked Superlarks played lights out on the defensive side ball as they held the Lions (9-2 overall) to 63 yards of offense in a 23-0 win that puts GM in the state tournament for the third straight season.

GM (11-0 overall) racked up six sacks and it forced three turnovers.

“We were just pumped up for this game,” GM senior lineman Wyatt Richardson, who had a sack and two fumble recoveries, said. “We had great coaching to get us ready for this game and we just had to execute it. They had everything planned for us.”

The Larks three drives end deep in Lions’ territory in the first half, but they did grab a 7-0 lead when Landon Jacobson burst free on a 34-yard TD on a screen pass with 1:04 left in the first quarter.

GM broke the game open when Michael Stejskal hit Christophor Bain for a 59-yard TD bomb over the middle to to make it 20-0 GM with 8:59 left in the third quarter. Stejskal finished 8-for-17 with 209 yards passing and two TDs.

“I think it was the pressure on us [early] and our nerves got to us,” Stejskal said of the team’s early struggles. “We were thinking about the game instead of what we needed to do well. I think we’ll clean that up and next week we’ll be better.”

For Stejskal, it was one of the first times in his career as a quarterback he was asked to make big throws in a big game. In GM’s 20-18 regular season win against SG, all of the Larks’ scores came on the ground.

“Michael played well,” GM head coach Gary Sloan said. “It’s one of those things where you can’t simulate it in practice. It was good for him to have some pressure on him and I thought he handled himself well.”

The Lions came into the game averaging 56 points per contest, but they had just one play of more than 20 yards and they had -17 yards rushing. Sloan credited GM’s front line for providing pressure all night.

“In the second half we played 3-1 almost the entire half because we wanted to get another guy in the secondary to prevent the middle of the field from being open,” Sloan said. “I thought those four guys up front, [Blake] Benson, Richardson, [Connor] Hartson and [Jordan] MIland were able to get a lot of pressure.”

GM will play Underwood (10-1 overall) in Irondale Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. in the state quarterfinals.

Richardson said it was tough to imagine having this much success on the football field when he was moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore.

“I didn’t look that far ahead [when I started playing], but it’s just crazy that we’re here and we’re the first Grand Meadow team to three-peat it to state,” Richardson said. “It’s a crazy feeling.”

The Superlarks beat Underwood in the state championship game last season and both teams have a lot of players returning from that game.

Underwood beat Verndale 30-12 in the Section 4 title game.

“They were big last year and they’re bigger this year,” Sloan said of Underwood. “It’s going to be a big challenge for us.”

SCORING SUMMARY

SG 0 0 0 0 — 0

GM 7 6 10 0 — 23

First quarter

(GM) Landon Jacobson 34 pass from Michael Stejskal (Wyatt Richardson kick) (5 plays, 55 yards) 1:04

Second quarter

(GM) Jacobson 5 pass from Stejskal (kick failed) (5 plays, 28 yards) :41

Third quarter

(GM) Bain 59 pass from Stejskal (Richardson kick) (5 plays, 69 yards) 8:59

(GM) Richardson 35 field goal (7 plays, 45 yards) 4:35

GM STATS

Rushing: Landon Jacbobson, 28-for-134; Micahel Stejskal, 11-for-24; Christophor Bain, 6-for-12; Zach Myhre, 2-for-10; passing: Stejskal, 8-for-17, 209, 3 TD, INT; receiving: Bain, 3-for-92; Jacobson, 3-for-58, 2 TD; Trent Tangen, 1-for-29; Blake Olson, 1-for-12; penalties: 4-for-25; sacks: Connor Hartson (2); Jordan Miland (2); Blake Benson (1); Wyatt Richardson (1); fumble recovery: Richardson (2); interceptions: Stejskal (1)

SG STATS

Rushing: (-17); passing: 80; penalties: 2-for-15