Eden Prairie Beats Wayzata 13-3 For Class 5A Title
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eden Prairie's legendary coach Mike Grant was at the end of his play chart looking for one final big play to finish off another Prep Bowl title.
He found just what he was looking for with a double reverse flea-flicker, and the Eagles executed the play perfectly to put the final touches on their seventh state title.
Andrew Larson ran for 124 yards and a touchdown, and Jake Ibach hit a pair of field goals to help Eden Prairie beat Wayzata 13-3 in the Class 5A state championship game Friday night.
Facing a fourth-and-14 at the Trojans' 30-yard line with 3:27 left, Grant called a timeout to discuss how to approach the next play. The Eagles were leading 6-3. Out of the timeout, Eden Prairie executed a reverse flea-flicker and quarterback Grant Schaeffer hit Jake Woodring for a 25-yard completion. After a penalty on the next play, Larson finished off a 10-yard touchdown run to help the Eagles (12-1) win their seventh state title under Grant's leadership, though it was their first since 2007.
"We were down to the last play on a 120-play list," Grant said. "I had nothing left. We had nothing to be able to run against them."
Before then, it was another fight of field goals between No. 1 Wayzata and No. 4 Eden Prairie. The teams met in the regular-season finale with the Trojans taking a 9-0 victory at home.
Ibach hit a 36-yard field goal in the first half, then added a 35-yarder near the end of the third quarter for the Eagles (12-1). Larson had 76 yards in the second half and carried the ball six straight times for 60 yards on an 11-play, 64-yard drive that culminated in Ibach's second field goal.
"The O-line started getting fired up once the running backs started hitting and it was kind of a chain reaction," Larson said. "We were getting sick of those field goals this game and last game. We finally mustered up a touchdown and got it done."
Wayzata kicker Tyler Scott hit a 32-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to make it a 6-3 game.
Trojans quarterback Nick Martin tried to counter Eden Prairie's touchdown and drove Wayzata to the 30-yard line after a 50-yard pass to Jeff Borchardt, but was intercepted in the end zone on the next play.
Eden Prairie's defense had three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
"We know each other pretty well at this point, so we can take away what the other team does well," Wayzata coach Brad Anderson said. "It's just tough to come up with many new wrinkles. We tried a few tonight, but they were all over the ones we tried. I don't think they really exploded as far as offense either. They tried a few. They just outlasted us."
Wayzata (12-1) was trying for it's third title in four years.
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