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Eden Prairie shuts out Minnetonka

By David La Vaque, Star Tribune, 10/06/11, 9:45PM CDT

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Eagles defense clamps down on the Skippers with goal-line stand

Eden Prairie linebacker Jack Cottrell lined up for two of Thursday’s biggest plays in his own end zone.

Eager to punch in a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Minnetonka went to running back Rashad Cohen on third and fourth down. Each time, Cottrell stuck Cohen, including a midair collision on third down. Eden Prairie held its ground and the emotional edge.

“At that point we felt we could stop them for the whole game and not let them in,” Cottrell said.

He was correct. The No. 9 Skippers never really threatened again as No. 1 Eden Prairie won 16-0 and moved to 6-0.

Minnetonka (4-2) has gone 0-7 against Eden Prairie since 2004 and suffered several blowouts along the way. Thursday’s game had potential for trouble as the Skippers were without quarterback Scott Benedict and two defensive starters.

The thinned defense got tested in the third quarter as Eden Prairie sustained a drive lasting 10 minutes and 25 seconds. The Skippers finally dropped anchor at their 21-yard line, stopping the Eagles on a fourth-and-4 rush attempt.

“We got better tonight,” Minnetonka coach Dave Nelson said.

So did Eden Prairie. Playing its starters into the fourth quarter for the first time all season, the Eagles forced Minnetonka into a fumble and later a punt. The offense made a clutch play as running back Andrew Larson converted a fourth-and-1 to the Skippers 41-yard line.
Later in the drive, Larson found a cutback lane and scored from 21 yards out to make it 16-0.

Other than Larson’s first-half score to make it 7-0, defense ruled the first half. Pinned down at their own 1-yard line thanks to a 61-yard Minnetonka punt, the Eagles gained just 2 yards before being forced to punt.
The ball was no match for a strong wind out of the south, and the Skippers took over at the Eagles 24-yard line.

The short field re-energized the Skippers offense. And when Joe Martinson hit Philly Wenderoth at the Eagles 8-yard line, the Skippers were in great position to tie the score.

“We made Joe a quarterback two weeks ago,” Nelson said. “For never taking a snap he did a pretty good job.”

Then Eden Prairie dug in.

“A goal line stand is a pretty emotional play in football,” Nelson said. “It was a big swing.”

It could have been bigger. Starting a second consecutive drive from its 1-yard line, Eden Prairie found its footing. But Roy McGhee fumbled and the Skippers recovered at their 1-yard line with 1:02 left before halftime.
 

LARSON CLOSES THE DEAL

With his team leading 10-0 and less than three minutes remaining on the clock, Eden Prairie football coach Mike Grant instructed two of his running backs to bleed the clock and stay out of the end zone.

Grant’s third running back, Andrew Larson, had another idea. Larson took off running left before cutting back into a vacant midfield and chugging 21 yards for a touchdown to clinch Thursday’s 16-0 victory against No. 9 Minnetonka.

“We didn’t even want to score,” Grant said. “We’re trying to run the clock out because the only way they win is if they get the ball back. If we have the ball they cannot win.”

With Larson carrying the load, the top-ranked Eagles (6-0) have yet to lose. Larson’s unofficial performance of 36 carries for 179 yards and two touchdowns carried extra weight on Thursday. Minnetonka, despite two defensive starters out with injury, hit Larson hard.

He hit back on several key plays in the fourth quarter. He propelled the final drive by picking up eight yards on a 3rd-and-9 from the 50-yard line and then plowing ahead to convert on 4th-and-1. A few plays later, Larson made his cutback run for a touchdown.

“That was a great play,” Eagles linebacker Jack Cottrell said. “He makes things happen when there’s nothing there.”

Though Larson’s run defied Grant’s game plan, he’s unlikely to draw any heat.

“You can’t begrudge a kid a great run like that,” Grant said.

Grant said Larson did not practice this week, making his game-day exploits all the more impressive. Larson delivered in the clutch on a night where Eden Prairie had to reach down and find something extra.

“This was easily the best team we’ve played all season long,” Cottrell said of the Skippers (4-2). “They played really hard on both sides of the ball and it was a battle all game long. Nothing was given to us this game.”

Minnetonka at Eden Prairie

Watch the entire game, courtesy of Webcast America.

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