The fourth quarter began with a 14-10 lead for Stillwater, and it appeared a handful of spectators left the stadium early, foreseeing a Mustangs loss. However, the game took an unexpected turn when a Stillwater snap went awry, resulting in a fumble.

Mounds View senior Peter Nguyen recovered the fumble and took off for a 94-yard dash to the end zone, bringing Mounds View to a 17-14 lead with only 1:07 remaining in the game. “All I could think of was to not get caught. I remember the crowd going crazy. In my head, it was surreal,” said Nguyen. 

At that moment, many fans were sure of a Mounds View victory. But then, with their last opportunity to turn the game around, Stillwater sophomore quarterback Nick Kinsey threw an 8-yard pass to senior Tanner Schmidt, who scored the game-winning touchdown for the Ponies with only eight seconds remaining.