Minneapolis North wide receiver De'Meiko Anderson fell to the turf after making a first down in the second quarter Friday night (Aaron Lavinsky, Star Tribune)
A big second quarter by Minneapolis North and a big victory margin, 44-6, against the SMB Wolfpack were products of an emphasis on small details.
Veteran Polars coach Charles Adams III wasn’t thrilled with his team’s inconsistent play the past two weeks. Needing a different tactic to reach the half dozen new starters on each side of the ball, many of them representing the sophomore and junior classes, Adams returned to the basics.
“Being more simple on offense and defense for some of our younger guys allowed us to be more successful,” Adams said.
The resulting blowout victory Friday meant the Polars ruled a meeting of two top programs in their respective classes. Minneapolis North (3-1) was the 2016 Class 2A champs. SMB won the Class 4A Prep Bowl title in 2018. And the Wolfpack (3-1) entered Friday’s game unbeaten.
The Polars led 13-6 during the quarter thanks to a touchdown run from senior Jaylon Washington and two field goals off senior kicker Sebastian Amorrort’s right foot. And they were boomers, covering 41 and 38 yards, respectively.
Amorrort’s kicks, while impressive, also signaled North’s stalling offense. The Polars offense started both drives in Wolfpack territory but couldn’t find the end zone.
The ensuing North drive started at the Wolfpack 26 and with one big play, the Polars made their third consecutive golden opportunity count.
Sophomore quarterback Deshaun Hill hit senior De’Meiko Anderson in the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown reception.
“I knew he was going to be open, so I just threw it,” Hill said. “He went up to go get it.”
Anderson’s leaping grab excited teammates and fans alike and signaled a momentum change midway through the second quarter.
“I kind of felt with that touchdown like, ‘Yeah, let’s keep it rolling,’ ” Adams said.
Washington added a late scoring run as the Polars scored 17 unanswered points.
His offense flowing, Adams challenged his defenders at halftime. They played well in the first half, permitting a 41-yard scoring run by dynamic senior Sanjay Redd. Adams wanted to see more. Actually, less.
“I told the defense, ‘I don’t want any points,’ ” Adams said. “And they held to that.”
Fresh faces or not, Adams’ goals for his team remain high.
“I’m looking to have a team where nobody can say, ‘If we stop this guy or that guy, we’re good,’ ” Adams said. “I want to be a team like our 2016 team where you’ve got to stop all 50 of us. And I think our guys are starting to buy into that.”
A dominant second quarter fueled a 44-6 Minneapolis North home rout Friday against the previously unbeaten SMB Wolfpack.
The Polars (3-1) led 27-6 at halftime as Jaylon Washington ran for two scores and Deshaun Hill hit De’Meiko Anderson for a 26-yard touchdown reception. Kicker Sebastian Amorrort added a pair of field goals.
The Hill-Anderson connection signaled a momentum change midway through the second quarter. The Polars squandered solid starting field position on their previous two possessions and settled for field goals.
Starting from the Wolfpack’s 26-yard line, North made its third consecutive golden opportunity count.
Hill’s pass toward Anderson came on first down and ended with Anderson jumping high over his beaten defender for a touchdown to excite teammates and the crowd alike. Washington added a score as the Polars scored 17 points in the second quarter.
SMB falls to 3-1 on the season.