River Falls, Wisconsin, playoff football and a snow game: that was the setting for the Falcons' football team to win their first home playoff game.

"Right after the game, once we won, in the snow, we all slid into the end zone," quarterback Kaleb Blaha said. "Did some snow angels. We were just enjoying the moment."

No one has done it better in school history than Blaha. He led the country in total offense in 2023 and this year.

"Kaleb's the most talented player I've ever coached," head football coach Matt Walker said. "He's got the most unique skill set of anyone I've ever coached. Of all the great things he does physically, throwing the football and running the football, I always say his toughness piece is what makes him so different."

Like many on the Falcons roster, Blaha is from Minnesota. He was a force at Fridley High School, leading the Tigers to an undefeated record until the state quarterfinals as a senior.

"(That's) what you play for," he said. "The game's so fun to play. I just knew I wanted to continue to play football into college."

After high school, Blaha spent a year as a receiver at Winona State in the competitionless 2020. Then his River Falls career began, with him returning to the quarterback position.

"I didn't know exactly what would happen. I always had high aspirations and dreams for myself and hoped that it would go the best it could," he said. "But looking back at it now, it's been pretty amazing and exactly what I wanted to happen."

What's happening this year was the plan for last year when Blaha took a medical redshirt after suffering multiple hamstring injuries.

"Very frustrating, because I knew it was my senior year," he said. "I had big goals. Me, personally, and the team, and I wanted to make them happen. I talked to Walker and he talked about the med-red. I was like 'Hold on, I still got a chance to do all the stuff that I want to do and make those dreams come true.'"

That's exactly what happened. 

River Falls hosts St. John's this weekend in round three of the NCAA tournament. The team has become the talk of the town.

"People coming up to me I didn't know, hugging us and asking for autographs and telling us congratulations," Walker said. "I don't think I could walk into a bar right now and pay for a drink, which isn't a terrible thing. This is a special community that supports us big time."

For Blaha, this is his moment: making a playoff run, leading one of the best Division III teams in America and setting a bunch of records along the way.

"I hear all about it, but again, I try not to focus on it too much right now," Blaha said. "When I'm old one day, I'll look back and be like, 'Oh, that was pretty cool that I was doing that.' But I know I'll remember more the victories and being with my teammates, my brothers."