Alex Hart knows Prior Lake has a reputation for playing the spoiler role.
The senior linebacker and his Lakers’ teammates did little to change that perception as Prior Lake rolled over Apple Valley 34-0, ruining the Eagles’ homecoming celebration Friday at Apple Valley High School.
"We've been kind of known to do that," Hart said. "Come into people’s houses and take them down."
The Lakers (4-1), ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press’ Class 6A poll, not only took down the Eagles (2-3) but shut them down, recording their first shutout of the season and winning their third consecutive game.
Prior Lake head coach Matt Gegenheimer credits the team’s hard and intense practices for helping the Lakers bounce back from their only loss this season, a 21-0 defeat at No. 2 Rosemount three weeks ago.
"I know we go at it harder than most teams probably do," Gegenheimer said.
The hard work has paid off as Prior Lake entered its matchup with Apple Valley primed to play, especially on defense where the Lakers have been stingy, holding opponents to 10 or fewer points in the last three games.
Senior linebacker Josh Dysthe said losing to the Irish was a wakeup call for Prior Lake.
"They had three big bombs on us and we knew we had to get it back on track,” he said. "Right now, we have been playing well and it’s showing."
Prior Lake’s defense was key in helping the Lakers build a commanding 24-0 lead after the first quarter. The defense forced two turnovers that the offense turned into points and kept Eagles' quarterback Matt Morse in check. Morse is a dual threat and Prior Lake held the senior under his season averages of 117 passing yards and 241 rushing yards per game.
"We scored some points early on, which helped us on defense," Hart said. "It let us play aggressive and a lot of guys got to step up and get us a big win."
Injuries to key players Hart and Dysthe at the start of the season decimated a team already low on varsity experience but the Lakers’ play has been improving as those players return to the lineup, Gegenheimer said.
“Guys like Alex (Hart) and Josh (Dysthe) have been great for us," he said. "They are the leaders on defense and with some of the teams we play, we need them and they were big for us tonight."
