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Waconia plows past New Prague 35-14

By MATTHEW DAVIS, Special to the Star Tribune, 10/22/19, 11:00PM CDT

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Shaking off a first-quarter fumble, senior Timothy Stapleton ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns to lead the visiting Wildcats.


Waconia’s Max Mcenelly (2) sprinted past New Prague defender Jack Kreutzian (16) on his way to a fourth-quarter touchdown run that sealed a 35-14 Class 5A Section 2 playoff victory. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

Waconia senior Timothy Stapleton didn’t let a first-quarter fumble at the goal line faze him.

“I just saw the end zone [and] got a little too excited,” the Trojans running back said. “You just learn that you’ve got to flush those mistakes.”

Stapleton went on to rush for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries as Waconia (4-5) defeated New Prague 35-14 in a Class 5A, Section 2 quarterfinal Tuesday in New Prague. His fumble at the Trojans’ 1-yard line left the first quarter scoreless as the teams exchanged fumbles.

He then helped Waconia build a 28-7 lead. It started when his 22-yard run in Trojans territory set up a 9-yard touchdown run by Max Mcenelly. The freshman running back finished with 152 yards on 26 carries. He added a second touchdown late on a 27-yard run.

“I just wanted to keep on running,” said Stapleton, praising the offensive line. “It’s fun out there when you get holes like that.”


Waconia’s Todd Jager (15) tried to escape the grasp of New Prague’s Jake Deutsch (2) while returning an interception in the fourth quarter. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

First report

Timothy Stapleton put the disappointment of a first-quarter fumble behind him and ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns to lead visiting Waconia to a 35-14 victory over New Prague.

The senior running back had fumbled at the Trojans’ 1-yard line in a scoreless first quarter. His efforts after that helped the Wildcats (4-5) build a 28-7 lead in a Class 5A, Section 2 quarterfinal.

New Prague (4-5) narrowed the margin in the fourth quarter when senior Parker Johnson scored on a quarterback sneak with 6:57 left. He set up the play with a 56-yard pass to senior running back Nathan Osborne.

The loss ended New Prague’s three-game winning streak while Waconia ended a two-game skid.

Check back later for more on the game.

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