MINNEAPOLIS — Saying goodbye to eight seniors was going to be the toughest part for LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli football coach Tevor Carrier.

The Cardinals’ stellar season came to an end Thursday night in the Nine-Player state semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium, where LO/LP fell 60-33 as Isaiah Wright had no answers to Fertile-Beltrami’s spectacular running back.

Those seniors were very invested in Carrier and this football program. It was an unbearable burden that this selfless journey with them had finally ended. Carrier had tears in his eyes.

Carrier, who finished 5th overall with a score of 12-1, said, “This is a very bad feeling.” “We can look at the journey, we can look at 12-1 and we can look at us getting to the Bank and all that is great. But saying goodbye today is probably the worst feeling I’ve had since I’ve been here. It’s going to be tough to say goodbye to these guys.”

When Carrier spoke at the post-game press conference, he was flanked by senior stars Camden Hungerholt, Ryder Stern and Carter Sweeney. Their faces showed how painful this was and that it was over now.

Hungerholt, the Mr. Football finalist who put up video game-like numbers this season, managing more than 2,000 yards in both rushing and passing, intermittently buried his head in a towel during the press conference, which hurt like hell.

Hungerholt blamed himself for the loss, saying he let his team and the community down by not quite living up to his usual standards.

He was then quickly corrected by two teammates sitting next to him. The truth is, LO/LP is complemented by the most dynamic running back the Cardinals have faced all season. Wright was spectacular, rushing for 361 yards and seven touchdowns, using his sprinter’s speed and agility to consistently stab the Cardinals with long TD gallops.

There was nothing wrong with the way Hungerholt played (162 yards rushing and 238 passing, three TDs and a 43-yard TD sprint). These weren’t the hyper-productive numbers Hungerholt had become accustomed to this season, but they weren’t that far off either. And in facing Fertile-Beltrami, the Cardinals were going up against an athletic and lockdown defense designed specifically to slow down the 6-foot-1, 190-pound star.

“Glass does everything,” Stern said. “He is the main point of our offense. So defensively, when we need someone to make a play, he’ll do it. That man. “The statistics show that.”

Hungerholt will look back on the unity of this team. He’s been with these seniors forever and thought this year would be the year they matched up in 2021 as LeRoy-Ostrander charged to the state title. Hungerholt was the starting defensive player on this team.

Next year, Minnesota State University in Mankato will be attending University II. The senior star, who will play in the Division I, couldn’t help showing his emotions.

“What I’ll always remember is being with these guys,” Hungerholt said. “We had a great bond and we thought we did it this year. We thought we were going to do it (win a state championship). But we let it slip through our fingers.”

For the first three quarters, it looked like whoever had the ball last between these two productive teams (both averaging better than 50 points per game this season) would win.

With LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli leading 27-22 at halftime, Hungerholt ran for a 43-yard TD to score all three points.

The Cardinals took the final lead with 4:30 left in the third quarter after Tyson Stevens broke through for a 3-yard touchdown run.

After that, it was all up to the Falcons and Wright. Fertile-Beltrami finished the game with a 38-6 run. This included Wright’s 56- and 38-yard sprints.

Wright was asked how it felt to have the highest offensive total ever against a team as good as LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli.

He replied quickly and with a huge smile.

“It felt good,” he said.

He then elaborated on the matter, crediting everyone except himself.

“It came down to the calls of our coaching staff and certainly my offensive assistants and lead blockers,” Wright said. “None of what I do would be possible without them.”

Carrier, overflowing with debt, felt that way, too. These times with his players and coaching staff were among the best of his life.

“These kids want it; their desires are so high,” Carrier. “If my son is half the kid these guys are, I’ll be a proud dad. So thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you also to my coaching staff and our wonderful communities. I’m so happy to be here with these guys once again and we have a great squad. I coach with my best friends. So it’s not a bad concert.”

The only difficult part is the ending. He bids farewell to a group of devoted and talented seniors.

Carrier wished they could spend another week together. The same goes for players who shed tears.