Nevis rolls into Nine-Player Prep Bowl, shutting out Ottertail Central

The Minnesota State High School League employs replay in state football tournament games held at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The technology is available, so why not use it?

The Nevis Tigers couldn't be more pleased.

The Tigers were on the receiving end of a pair of favorable reviews in the first half Thursday, helping them build a 14-point halftime lead, and they rode that to a 35-0 victory over Ottertail Central in the Nine-Player semifinals.

Both reviews resulted in touchdowns for Nevis. Their first came on a sideline tightrope reception in the end zone by Joe Houchin with less than five minutes remaining in the half.

The next review turned out to be the most crucial play of the game. On the final play of the half, A.J. Bessler dived for a tipped pass and hauled it in inches above the end zone turf. It was originally called incomplete, but it was reversed.

Two reviews, two touchdowns and a 14-0 halftime lead.

"That's a big spot. It changed the game a little bit for us," Nevis coach Shawn Klimek said of the touchdown just before halftime. "It's a good thing to have. It's a momentum thing."

Quarterback Eli Lewis completed five of 13 passes for Nevis (12-0), four of them for touchdowns. Nevis piled up 278 yards of total offense to a sparse 153 for Ottertail Central (11-1).

"It's looking like it could be 0-0 at halftime, and all of a sudden they have a big play and then a tipped ball lands in their hands," Ottertail Central coach Eric Olson said. "It's tough to come back from that."