After a 2-6 regular season, Wayzata coach Brad Anderson wasn’t going conservative now

In a seesaw game that saw six lead changes, the Trojans took the lead for good on a 42-yard sweep by senior Austin Gordon with 3 minutes, 21 seconds left. Then, defying convention and stunning just about everyone at Minnetonka's Einar Anderson Field, Anderson called for an onside kick.

The ploy worked, stunning the Minnetonka home crowd and sealing a three-point victory in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. 

"I think we had the momentum there," Anderson said of his gutsy decision. "When you have the chance to win the game, you have to be willing to take it. And I thought we had the chance to recover it and win the game."

Minnetonka began the game looking like it was going to run away from the Trojans. Vance Barnes ran 64 yards on the third play from scrimmage for a 7-0 lead.

Wayzata answered when running back Anthony Clarke took a seemingly harmless screen pass and turned in into a 52-yard touchdown.

No matter. Minnetonka scored four player when quarterback Braden Sikes ran a perfect read-option, deftly faking the run up the middle and racing untouched off left tackle for a 57 yard touchdown.

The two teams had played less than six minutes and already the Skippers lead 14-7.

Wayzata tied the game at 14 when Gordon burst two yards up the middle and took its first lead, 17-14, on a 43-yard field goal by Clay Elmore as the first half ended.

The teams traded big-play touchdowns in the second half before Gordon made his game-clinching run. He finished with 32 carries for 197 yards and two scores.

“I love these guys and I love this game even more,” Gordon said. “It’s really easy to keep the legs churning when you have this much pride.”

Key of the game: Minnetonka took a successful field goal off the board in the fourth quarter after a Wayzata penalty moved the ball to the Trojans 2-yard line. But the Skippers couldn’t score from there; their fourth-down pass was knocked down, setting up Wayzata’s 98-yard drive to win the game.

Quote: “I didn’t know we were doing an onsides kick. But that’s Coach. He’s kind of a mad genius.” --  Wayzata quarterback Jake Marsh on Anderson. Marsh completed 17 of 31 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

One thing to know: Wayzata had a losing regular season for the first time since 1992.

JIM PAULSEN

Austin Gordon raced 42 yards for a touchdown with 3:21 left in the game to lift Wayzata to a 31-28 victory over Minnetonka Friday in a game that saw five lead changes in the second half.

Wayzata (3-6), which endured its first losing regular season since 1992, was seeded No. 5 in Section 6 of Class 6A.

Minnetonka, which had defeated Wayzata 17-6 in the regular season finale, had one last chance to pull out the victory after getting the ball back on its own 32 with 25 seconds left. But quarterback Braden Sike’s pass was knocked down at the goal line as time ran out.

Check back later for more on the game.