Photo by Julie Vinsand, The Gowrie News: Southeast Valley teammates Colton Brant (80) and Aaron Graves (68) combine to tackle OA-BCIG’s Gabe Winterrowd on Friday night in Gowrie.

GOWRIE — It wasn’t pretty, but it was historic nonetheless.

Southeast Valley (10-1 overall) punched its first-ever state semifinal berth as a consolidated school on Friday, holding off a fierce rally from two-time defending state champion OABCIG (9-2) on Friday.

The top-ranked Falcons scored 22 points in the final 2:12 to put pressure on the Jaguars, but No. 6 Southeast Valley held on for a 34-28 victory to clinch a trip to the UNI-Dome.

The Jaguars will now square off with Waukon (10-1) in a Class 2A semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 13. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m.

“These kids have worked so hard for this,” said SVHS head coach Mike Swieter. “This senior group has reached three quarterfinals, and to earn a trip to the UNI-Dome in their final season is a tremendous achievement.”

Southeast Valley’s senior class is spearheading a run that has the community headed to Cedar Falls for the first time since Prairie Valley made back-to-back trips in 2008 and 2009.

“This means everything to us, but we are not satisfied,” said University of Iowa recruit Aaron Graves. “When this season began, we wanted more. I love this group. We’re like brothers.

“We want to keep going and chase that state championship.”

The Jaguars silenced the Falcons in the first half, out scoring them 26-0 and holding 2A’s best passing attack to 35 yards.

“We dominated in the first half,” Swieter said. “We had to hold on there in the end, but we believed and we did it.”

The Jaguars, who also knocked off OABCIG during the regular season, held them scoreless in four straight quarters after the second half of the opener.

“You dream of this when you’re playing backyard football,” said SV senior quarterback Kolson Kruse. “It just shows that all of our hard work hasn’t gone in vain. Each time we play, we just do it for the guy next to us.

“We switched our defense in the first half to keep (Falcon quarterback Beckett) DeJean in the pocket and it worked. I’ve watched a lot of football and what they did, I have to get them an ovation.”

On Friday night, Kruse got the Jaguars on the board on the second play from scrimmage, rambling 46 yards to the end zone.

It took nine plays on the second drive, as Kruse hit classmate Tre Fisher on a 23-yard scoring strike and connected with junior Eli Johnson on a two-point conversion for a 14-0 lead.

The Jaguars scored twice in the second quarter, starting with a Kruse to Colton Brant five-yard touchdown off a scramble in the back of the end zone.

Southeast Valley scored on its first three possessions of the evening.

“I think what makes this team so special is the chemistry we have,” said Jaguar senior Colton Brant. “We have great trust in each other and are willing to put our bodies on the line for each other.

“It’s a great honor to be the first team in Southeast Valley history to make it this far.”

Brant is pleased with the trip to the Dome, but isn’t ready to settle for just a visit.

“We are not done — this is just the next step to our final goal,” Brant said. “I mean, you can’t say enough about our senior group. We have great athletes and great trust in each other.

“We know that for most of us, this will be it for our football career. We want to make it count.”

Junior Justin Loseke recovered a fumble that bounced around the field from eight yards out to put Southeast Valley up 26-0 at halftime.

The Falcons cut into the lead when DeJean hit Griffin Diersen on a 14-yard strike.

Southeast Valley’s final score was on a 69-yard drive, capped off by Lathe Muench’s 45th career rushing touchdown from three yards out. Muench added the 23rd two-point conversion of his career with 2:51 left on the clock.

OABCIG hit video-game mode in the final 2:12 of regulation, starting with a 16-yard touchdown pass from DeJean to Karson Quirk. DeJean ran in the two-point conversion, trimming the deficit to 34-16.

The Falcons then recovered the ensuing pooch kick. With 1:26 to go, DeJean hit Easton Harms with a 20-yard strike and OABCIG again converted the two-point conversion.

Southeast Valley recovered the next onside kick, but went three and out after accumulating five yards from scrimmage.

The Falcons started their next possession from their own 25. DeJean found Harms for a 20-yard catch, then threw a 55-yard strike to Gabe Winterrowd. Harms’s two-point conversion with 18 seconds remaining made it 34-28.

OABCIG then recovered another onside kick at its own 45-yard line. The final play was a deep route to the SV 15-yard line that came up short.

“I have never experienced anything like that,” Swieter said. “We felt in control with a 34-6 lead, but they were able to stay in the game.

“Now we are headed to the UNI-Dome. Let’s go.”

Kruse finished the contest with 23 carries for 166 yards, while Muench had 17 totes for 66 yards. The Jaguars racked up 232 yards on the ground.

Kruse was 7-for-7 passing with 84 yards. Brant recovered a fumble and had a sack.

For the Falcons, DeJean was 17-for-27 for 238 yards and four TDs. Harms had seven grabs for 118 and Winterrowd had six catches for 108.

OABCIG rushed for 121 yards, led by Griffin Diersen’s 91 on 10 carries.