Dimitri Williams

Junior running back Dimitri Williams carried the load offensively for Rosemount, but his biggest impact on Friday’s 24-13 victory at Prior Lake came without him touching the ball.         

After eight straight carries by Williams to start a fourth-quarter Irish possession, quarterback Jackson Erdman faked a handoff to Williams on third-and-7 with Rosemount clinging to a 14-13 lead.

The defense bit, and Erdmann found Gabe Ehlers wide open over the middle for a touchdown. Rosemount would later add a field goal and pull away for the victory.

Williams, who touched the ball on all but three of the Irish’s offensive plays in the first half, finished the night with 29 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 57 yards and another touchdown.

Erdmann finished the night with a pair of touchdown passes. 

Recap: Irish quarterback Jackson Erdmann threw two touchdown passes and the Rosemount defense was dominant. But in a matchup of two of the metro’s top teams at Prior Lake, running back Dimitri Williams, right, was the difference-maker. The speedy junior had 138 yards and two touchdowns — one rushing, one receiving — to power Rosemount.

Key of the game: Clinging to a 14-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Rosemount handed the ball off to Williams on eight consecutive plays to start the drive. Then on third-and-7 from the Prior Lake 45-yard line, Erdmann sold a play-action fake to Williams and hit a wide-open Gabe Ehlers for the score.

Quote: “We do that a lot — run the same play over and over — and then try to switch it up to hit a big play,” Ehlers said of his touchdown catch. “That’s what happened there.”

One thing to know: The Rosemount offense literally runs through Williams, who touched the ball on all but three of the Irish’s first-half plays.

BRYCE EVANS