Senior running back Prince Kruah was Osseo royalty in the Orioles' 45-14 victory over Blaine on Friday night at Blaine High School.
Kruah rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns against the porous Bengals defense, giving him 756 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the season.
Being a humble running back, Kruah gave credit where credit was due.
“Shout out to my line. Without them I wouldn’t have gotten the yards I had, and shout out to the coaches for giving me the right plays to make something happen,” Kruah said.
He didn’t call it the best game of his high school career, but Kruah put it in the top 10. In season opener against Maple Grove, Kruah posted 157 rushing yards along with one TD.
He’s averaging 108 yards per game, and with that type of output, it’s understandable when Coach Derrin Lamker said the Osseo would crumble without Kruah.
“We go as (Kruah) goes,” Lamker said. “I hate to say that, our defense played better too, but those three games we lost he didn’t play.”
The Orioles (5-3, 4-3) won their first three games, including a tough victory over the Crimson, before going on a three-game skid in which they were outscored a combined 104-34 by Totino-Grace, Champlin Park and Centennial.
Senior quarterback Malik Gaillard knows the type of impact Kruah can make on this team and labeled his teammate as one of the state's top four running backs.
“He’s a great running back. Even though he has the height disadvantage, he still goes every day, every single day he’s burning,” Gaillard said.
On the roster Kruah is listed at 5-foot-7 and 178 pounds, which might be a disadvantage to some players. But as Friday night proves, nothing can stand in Kruah's way whether it is his size or Blaine’s defense.
Kruah shed tackler after tackler, and when he was finally brought down, more than not, it took more than one Bengals defender to get the job done.
When asked to compare his skill set to that of a professional running back, Kruah mentioned another Minnesota downhill runner: Adrian Peterson.
Lamker, on the other hand, thinks New Orleans running back Darren Sproles is a better comparison.
“(Kruah is) a little spark plug that runs hard downhill. Sproles does the same things like that,” Lamker said.
Lamker knows there is more Kruah than just his running skills.
Kruah has a mother and a sister but spends most of his time with the Lamker family.
Lamker doesn’t have a son and Kruah has never had a father figure, and Lamker said their relationship resembles one of a father and son.
“It’s hard because I want to be his friend, but I can’t be his friend," ” Lamker said. "I got to be his coach, a father figure, but also make it fun so he wants to come to me, and that’s a tough role to take with these kids. And he’s grown up a lot, so it helps."
With the post season getting underway next week, Osseo has a tough road ahead if it wants to repeat the success of the 2013 squad, which made it to the Class 6A state tournament.
The Orioles compete in Section 5 along with Blaine (4-4, 4-3), Maple Grove, East Ridge, Cretin-Derham Hall and Totino-Grace, which could all be looking to spoil Osseo’s chances.
Kurah said he’ll have the heart of a warrior during the playoffs.
“I’m a big tool to this team and the offense, and my determination to move the ball downhill, like coach telling us to do…they need me,” Kruah said. “If I feel a sharp pain in my ankle ... during the game, I’ll end up not thinking about it and fight the pain off.”
If Kruah plays the way he did Friday night against the Bengals, Osseo has a fighting chance at being Class 6A royalty.
