FREEMAN — In its final season as a co-op, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy is headed to the DakotaDome.

The Phoenix scored 39 unanswered points, bottled up Hamlin in the second half and defeated the Chargers 45-12 in the Class 9AA semifinals on Friday. FMFA (11-0) will now play Elkton-Lake Benton (10-1) in the Class 9AA state championship on Thursday, Nov. 13.

On Friday, the Phoenix and Chargers (9-2) traded touchdowns in an entertaining first half. FMFA quarterback Riley Tschetter orchestrated the Phoenix, while Hamlin signal caller Jackson Wadsworth engineered two scoring drives for the Chargers. 

“They went up and down the field the entire first half and second half we locked them down,” FMFA coach Dustin Tschetter said. “Really from the second quarter on we started locking them down.”

Riley Tschetter hit Luke Peters for a two-yard touchdown reception, making it 14-12 Phoenix with 5:01 left in the second quarter. FMFA’s David Walter, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, then plucked a Wadsworth pass for an interception in the end zone. 

FMFA then capitalized on the interception, with Tschetter tossing a 20-yard touchdown strike to Walter for a 21-12 lead. 

“It was huge because at that point I don’t think we stopped them yet,” Riley Tschetter said about the sequence. “So that was huge to finally get a stop and then we turned around and scored, making it two scores going into half. That just kind of propelled us the whole second half.” 

In the third quarter, the Phoenix tacked on two more touchdowns. Tschetter broke loose for a touchdown run, and he tossed a 28-yard touchdown pass to Walter for a 37-12 lead. In the fourth quarter, Tschetter hit Walter for another touchdown reception, and the final 45-12 margin. 

Walter’s touchdown grabs all came with tight coverage, but the 6-foot-4 wide receiver routinely made highlight-reel catches. 

“He can jump out of the gym,” Dustin Tschetter said. “Just body control, going up and high pointing the ball. We’ve been working on it and you saw the results tonight.”

The final Tschetter-to-Walter touchdown connection capped off 39 straight points for the Phoenix.  

“It was pretty big,” FMFA sophomore Easton Tschetter said. “The first couple of drives we had a couple miscommunications, and then we just locked in after that.” 

Hamlin scored on the opening possession, with Wadsworth connecting with Boden Stevenson for a six-yard touchdown reception. Riley Tschetter answered with a two-yard touchdown run. 

Wadsworth gave Hamlin a 12-6 lead with a two-yard touchdown run, but the Phoenix kept the Chargers out of the end zone after that. 

Dustin Tschetter said Stevenson and Wadsworth were the defensive keys for the Phoenix. 

“(Stevenson) is a heckuva athlete and Wadsworth is a heckuva quarterback,” Tschetter said. “You saw that this whole game. They are two really good football players.”

Up next, the Phoenix will face off against Elkton-Lake Benton for the second time this season. FMFA defeated ELB, 42-28, on Sept. 5. 

“They’ve got a backfield that has two dynamic athletes that we have to make sure we are tackling in space,” Dustin Tschetter said. “It’s going to be two high-powered offenses going at it. Whichever defense can find a way to slow the other team down is going to be the one that’s going to win the football game.”