Cromwell is no stranger to the Nine-Man state football tournament, having won three titles in the 1990s and finishing runners-up four other times, but the Cardinals surprised even themselves by going on a seven-game winning streak at the end of an injury-plagued season that included a record-breaking 49-42 win over Lanesboro in the Prep Bowl at the Metrodome on Nov. 26.
Senior quarterback Jordan Suhonen shattered Prep Bowl records for rushing yards (374), touchdowns (five) and yards per carry (13.4), capping a season in which he ran for 1,592 yards and 25 TDs. Nearly all of that came after Suhonen sprained an ankle, which, combined with recovering from a broken leg the season before, had left him personally hobbled and the team hobbled at 2-4.
The team turned it around in the playoffs, avenging a regular-season loss to McGregor, blasting Mountain Iron-Buhl and rallying from a 12-point deficit to beat Underwood in the state semifinals.
