Justin Martinez/MDN Junior running back Kolby Nelsen reaches the end zone during Surrey’s 32-28 win over North Prairie Saturday afternoon.

SURREY — The message from Surrey head football coach Mark Kennedy to his team during halftime of their nail-biting 32-28 win over North Prairie Saturday afternoon was, “Just keep fighting.”

The Mustangs (7-2) looked to be well on their way to a home victory against the Cougars after taking a 12-0 lead into the second quarter in the opening round of the 9-man football playoffs.

But, that’s when everything starting to fall apart for Surrey, as North Prairie went on to score 20 unanswered points in the second quarter. The final gut punch came with just 19 seconds left in the half, as quarterback Xavier Mitchell connected with a wide-open Andre Elick for a 27-yard score to give the Cougars a 20-12 lead at halftime.

Just like that, the Mustangs found themselves two quarters away from an abrupt end to their season, and Kennedy had to light a fire under his team.

“I just told them to play Mustang football,” Kennedy said. “Mustang football is fight, determination and will. That’s what we needed to show (in the second half).”

Kennedy’s message got through to the Mustangs, as they came out with a sense of urgency in the third quarter.

Junior wide receiver Cody Fuchs got Surrey back on track with 3:50 left, taking the ball on a jet sweep and reaching the end zone, untouched, for a 54-yard score. But, the Cougars denied Surrey on the two-point conversion to preserve their lead, 20-18.

The lead didn’t last. After forcing a North Prairie punt on the following drive, Surrey’s offense took the field and looked to Fuchs once more on the same jet sweep play. The junior delivered an encore performance, breaking loose for a 65-yard touchdown run to give Surrey a 24-20 lead with 32 seconds left in the third quarter.

“It was all about our offensive line and running backs,” Fuchs said. “They just made some really good blocks and opened up a lot of holes for me. I can’t thank them enough for that.”

The score stayed the same until midway through the fourth quarter when the Mustangs extended the lead, this time thanks to Kolby Nelsen. The junior running back scored the first two touchdowns for the Mustangs, and scored again with a 40-yard touchdown run to give Surrey a 32-20 lead with just 4:04 left in the game.

North Prairie managed to find the end zone with 2:04 left on the clock, making it a 32-28 game, but the Cougars couldn’t recover the proceeding onside kick. Nelsen got a much-needed first down for the Mustangs, allowing them to run out the clock and secure the 32-28 victory.

Fuchs finished with 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns on six carries, while Nelsen totaled 151 rushing yards and three scores on 22 carries. The hard-earned win marks Surrey’s first playoff victory since 2012 and the program’s first-ever home playoff win.

“This was a really good battle,” Fuchs said. “We lost our cool for a bit there, but we just came back and fought as a team. This win just feels so great.”

The Mustangs can’t celebrate too long as they must now prepare for a road match against Region 5 champions New Salem/Glen Ullin Saturday with a trip to the state quarterfinals on the line. It’ll be Surrey’s biggest test yet, but the Mustangs are treating it like any other game.

“We have to get back to work,” Kennedy said. “We’re going to prepare and study just like how we’ve been doing all season long. We’re not going to change a thing because when we do things, we have to do them consistently. As long as we’re consistent, we give ourselves a chance.”

Justin Martinez covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JTheSportsDude.