Jacob Deutschman got off a pass attempt despite pressure from two Mounds View defenders Friday night. Deutschman had three touchdown passes and added two more on the ground. [Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine]
This time, it was Eli Paulson’s turn.
Anoka’s junior receiver had bided his time patiently all season, watching teammates put up impressive numbers in the Tornadoes’ pass-happy offense.
Friday, one day after his 17th birthday, it was his time to shine. He caught 11 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns as Anoka routed Mounds View 40-7 in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.
A three-touchdown spurt in the final 4:04 of the second quarter staked Anoka to 19-point halftime lead and paced the Tornadoes to a 40-7 victory over Mounds View.
Anoka, hosting its first home playoff game in more than a decade, took a 6-0 lead in its first drive, but the Tornadoes’ offense bogged down after that.
The floodgates opened late in the second quarter after Anoka receiver Eli Paulson took a quick slant and raced 66 yards for a touchdown and 12-0 lead.
Mounds View’s lone bright spot came soon when Hunter Rask took a short pass from quarterback Owen Werk and took it 76 yards for a score.
Anoka scored twice in the final 1:16 of the quarter thanks to a Mounds View turnover for a 26-7 halftime lead.
The Tornadoes scored twice in the second half on quarterback Jacob Deutschman’s second and third touchdown passes of the game, making the score 40-7 and putting it out of reach.
Deutschman completed 26 of 37 pass for 303 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more.