The Sioux Falls Lincoln Patriots completed what was thought to be an impossible dream as  little as three years ago, defeating the Sioux Falls Washington Warriors in the Dakota Dome   27-20 Saturday night. Both defenses played well, as there were only 452 yards gained in  the game between the teams. The defenses also forced nine turnovers in the contest.

Both teams appeared pumped up and ready to start the game when kickoff finally arrived.  Though Washington won the teams' first meeting Sept. 6 41-22, but the Patriot defense  improved by leaps and bounds since that game, and it showed on the game's opening drive,  when Trevor Gebhart, Matt Hermanson, and Brett Grevlos were are stuffed trying to run with  the ball. Washington punted after gaining only three yards.

But the Warriors' defensive game plan was clear from the beginning as well -- Stop Gannon  Moore and the Patriots' rushing game, and sit on the pass. The Warriors got the first part  right, as the four runs to Moore on their opening drive netted only 1 yard. However, a few  passes to the weak side of the field to Moore were quite successful, including the 13 yard  touchdown pass from Ryan Hander to Moore in the back corner of the end zone for the game's  first score. Moore's extra point kick made the score 7-0 with 6:20 to go in the first  quarter.

Washington was able to calm down and move the ball a bit on their next drive. They got the  ball to midfield on a pass to Matt Gerry, but still were unable to find any running lanes  with their ground game, and the Warriors punted the ball away.

They got the ball back three plays later when Moore fumbled the ball at his own 45, and  Nick Franken recovered. Washington was unable to move the ball, losing six yards on the  three play drive.

The teams exchanged punts again in the second quarter, with neither defense giving up much  ground. On the next Lincoln drive, Hander's passing to Brett Anderson kept the drive alive  at a few different points, with the two connecting for passes of 13 and 18 yards. An  attempted third down pass to Anderson resulted in a pass interference call against  Washington cornerback Casey Shade, which moved the ball to the Warriors' 26-yard line.  Lincoln drove the ball to the 10-yard line, when the Warriors gave the Patriots another  first down with a facemask penalty. Moore found daylight on the next snap and had Lincoln's  second touchdown on a 5-yard run. The extra point sailed wide right, Lincoln led 13-0.

Washington put on another good drive to the Lincoln 29-yard line, but an apparent 17-yard  touchdown run by Grevlos was called back by a holding penalty. On the next play, Grevlos  completed a pass to Hermanson in the right flat, but Tyler Teal knocked the ball out of  Hermanson's hands, and Lincoln' Kyle Brooks fell on the loose ball, enabling the Patriots  to carry the 13-0 lead into halftime.

Lincoln had the ball at the beginning of the second half, but the turnover bug bit them as  well. On their fourth play of the second half, Hander fumbled a snap that the Warriors  recovered. Washington's running game was still going nowhere, and Hermanson's punt went off  the side of his foot, netting only 14 yards.

Lincoln punted, but Hermanson fumbled the ball after a 20-yard run that the Patriots  recovered. Then Hander threw a pass intended for Derek Carlson, but Adam Heck stepped in  front of Carlson's route and intercepted the ball, which he ran back 25 yards for the  Warriors' first score of the game. Jordan Willeson's extra point made the score 13-7 with  3:50 remaining in the third quarter.

On the Patriots' first play of the ensuing drive, Hander threw another pass intended for  Carlson, and was again intercepted, this time by Gebhart. The Warriors drove the ball 52  yards over the next two minutes, capping the drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass from  Grevlos to Quentin McMartin. Willeson tacked on the extra point, and the Warriors had their  first and only lead of the game 14-13 with 1:03 to go in the third quarter.

The Patriots had the ball at their own 37-yard line to begin the fourth quarter. On the  second play of the quarter, Moore broke through the Washington defense to the left side of  the line. When Moore was chased down from behind at the Washington 31, he lateraled to  Brett Anderson, who was running behind Moore at full speed. Anderson covered the remaining  31 yards untouched for the go-ahead touchdwon with 11 minutes to play. The two-point  conversion pass to Anderson failed, and Lincoln had the lead again 19-14.

Gerry fumbled the ensuing kickoff that Lincoln recovered, but both Gerry and Lincoln's Lee  Washington were injured on the play. Neither would return. Four plays later Moore found the  end zone for the third time, scoring on a five-yard rush. Lincoln faked the extra point  try, instead having holder Alex Schultz throw a pass to Anderson that was completed for a  two-point conversion, giving Lincoln a 27-14 lead.

Washington then put on a 15-play drive, that along with two penalties agianst the Patriots  put the ball at Lincoln's 10-yard line, when Lukas Audiss intercepted a Grevlos pass,  killing the warrior threat. Lincoln was unable to move the ball in three plays, and lined  up to punt from their own 15. The Warriors brought 10 players, and Carlson never had a  chance to get a kick away, getting tackled at his own 5-yard line. Two runs by Grevlos  later, and Washington had cut the lead to seven points. Willeson's kick clanged off the  left upright, and Lincoln's lead was slashed to 27-20 with 2:38 to play in the game.

Washington used their remaining two timouts on defense, and forced Lincoln to punt with 10  seconds to play. Washington brought everyone again, but Carlson got the punt away, and it  was downed 24 yards downfield at the Washington 43 with two seconds to play.

Lincoln thwarted the Hail Mary attempt on the game's final play, as Anthony Muilenburg  intercepted Grevlos's pass as time ran out, giving The Sioux Falls Lincoln Patriots a state  championship in their first visit to the Dakota Dome, and leaving the Sioux Falls  Washington Warriors the bridesmaid's role for the fourth time in the school's four trips to  Vermillion.

Moore was named the Joe Robbie Most Outstanding Player of the game, gaining 78 yards on 29  rushing attempts and 40 yards on two receptions, along with two rushing touchdowns and one  receiving touchdown. Anderson caught four balls for 59 yards with one touchdown on the  lateral from Moore.

No one on the Warriors gained more than 20 yards on the ground. Their leading rusher was  Tyler Miller, who carried the ball three times for 19 yards. Grevlos completed 11 out of 20  passes for 120 yards, with one touchdown to McMartin, who caught six passes for 60 yards  and a touchdown.

Patriots win title in first dome appearance