Osseo running back Prince Kruah said he played with power on Friday night. His coach said he played with speed.
Who to believe?
Maybe both were right. No matter, the scoreboard had the final say: an Orioles 27-21 victory over No. 5 seed Champlin Park that included two Kruah touchdown runs.
The Class 6A, Section 5 quarterfinal win at Osseo High School sends the No. 4 seeded Orioles on to the semifinals, where they will face top-seeded East Ridge.
Kruah scored on a 10-yard run with 10:59 left in the second quarter and on a 22-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter. That touchdown proved to be the game winner.
Kruah averaged 157.6 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in the regular season as a catalyst in Osseo’s run-heavy offense. Senior running back Justin Ekiyor also shoulders some of the rushing load. He scored on a 5-yard run against the Rebels.
Osseo coach Derrin Lamker said Kruah’s got the speed advantage over Ekiyor.
“Prince is a speed back and Justin’s a bruiser,” Lamker said. “Prince has just a little more burst, but Justin’s got some more power.”
Kruah said he wasn't feeling particularly fast on Friday.
“I didn’t play to my full potential like how I usually play, because I wasn’t playing with speed, I was playing with mostly power,” Kruah said.
East Ridge (9-1), which defeated Woodbury 36-7 Friday night, features Oregon-bound quarterback Seth Green.
“They’re going to load up and come at us,” Lamker said. “Obviously they got a kid going to Oregon, but that makes our kids excited. You don’t get to play against kids like that very often.”
Champlin Park vs. Osseo
Champlin Park receiver Eldridge Joyce speeds past the Osseo defenders and scores on a 55-yard pass in a 27-21 loss to Osseo. Photo by Rick Orndorf
First Report
Osseo running back Prince Kruah scored two touchdowns to lead Osseo to a 27-21 victory over Champlin Park in the first round of the Class 6A, Section 5 playoffs on Friday night at Osseo High School.
Kruah scored on a 10-yard run early in the second quarter and helped clinch the victory with a 22-yard run early in the fourth quarter for the No. 4-seeded Orioles (6-3).
Osseo's Justin Ekiyor added a 5-yard rushing touchdown and Malik Gaillard threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Damario Armstrong.
No. 5-seed Champlin Park (5-4) made a mini rally late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Max Biegert hurled a 55-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Eldridge Jones with 6:48 remaining.
Osseo travels to face East Ridge next week to take on Raptors commit and Oregon recruit Seth Green.
