EMMETT — This one’s going into Huskies lore.

“No, that wasn’t fun. Probably for the fans, but not for me. It’s just so tough in a game like this, but so great when you win it,” Emmett coach Rich Hargitt said after his Huskies won a 28-27 thriller over Blackfoot in a 4A state quarterfinal. “I feel for them. It breaks your heart to lose one like this, but it’s something else when you win it.”

Friday’s contest featured a roller coaster final minutes that brought out all emotions.

“Yes, this is disappointing. I hurt for these guys,” Blackfoot coach Jerrod Ackley said, looking over his sullen squad that was coming off a five-game win streak. “In a game like this, fewest mistakes usually wins. That’s what happened tonight.”

And that mistake may have been one missed block.

Trailing 27-26 with 9:15 remaining, Emmett quarterback Caden Young did what he did all night — move the football.

“It felt great. We knew what we had to do,” said Young, who was responsible for two passing and two rushing touchdowns in the win. “But it almost didn’t happen.”

Young, who attempted only one pass in the second half, led the Huskies’ ground attack 69 yards in 14 plays, highlighted by a pair of fourth-and-1 conversions, to get down to the Broncos 9-yard line. Two straight Young dives set up a fourth-and-goal from the 1.

Then, for the only time all night, he came up short.

“Oh, that felt horrible, but the defense came through for us,” Young said of Blackfoot taking over at the 1 with 1:20 left. “I went over to the sideline, stood there and watched the defense. I saw that play and it was crazy, just crazy.”

Blackfoot quarterback Jace Grimmett handed off to running back Teegan Thomas, but, according to Ackley, a missed assignment up front let Emmett’s Jeff Lockett and James Mallory slip inside for the game-winning safety.

“I told these guys, facing Blackfoot, we were going to need 28 points to win. I looked up when we had 26 and said, ‘I knew it,’” said Hargitt, whose team still had to survive a 44-yard field goal attempt by the Broncos that came up short as time expired. “But things came through for us.

“You know, I’m having the time of my life coaching these guys. These kids believe in this, they believe in themselves. They just won’t go away. I told them it was up to them if they want to turn in their gear or get ready for next week’s semifinal. Guess they wanted to live another day.”

The Huskies will host Century (7-3) in next week’s semifinal.

While Young finished with 158 yards rushing, Blackfoot’s Grimmett ended the night hitting on 17 of 25 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown.

“Yes, there were a couple good quarterbacks out there tonight,” Hargitt said. “But I tell ya, I like our guy. I think he’s the best in the state. I love what he does for us. He’s a flat-out gamer. He gives us 110% each and every day.

“He’s like all these guys. Man, I love coaching them.”