Wayzata didn’t appreciate its football playoff seed and used a 28-7 victory Friday night at Stillwater as an outlet.

The term upset applied to more than the No. 4 seed Trojans toppling the No. 1 seed Ponies.

“This is the best offense we’ve played and to hold them to seven points is a big statement,” Wayzata senior outside linebacker Tommy Hamann said. “We were a really big underdog, but a No. 4 seed is not who we are right now. We’re better than all the No. 1 seeds, I believe. We’re not stopping anytime soon.”

Led by its defense, Wayzata (8-2) triumphed in the Class 6A round of 16 and advanced to Thursday’s state tournament quarterfinal at Park Center High School against St. Michael-Albertville.

Senior running back Julian Diedrich rushed for three touchdowns, two in the fourth quarter as a spirited Stillwater defense ran out of gas.

As the game wore on, Diedrich’s first-quarter touchdown run of 42 yards seemed like all the offense Wayzata would need. The Ponies, led by junior quarterback Max Shikenjanski and senior running back Edward O’Keefe, couldn’t manage a first down until the final play of the first half.

The defense propped up Stillwater (8-2) through three quarters, twice intercepting Wayzata passes and also turning the Trojans over on downs.

“We needed to help our defense more in the first half,” Stillwater coach Beau LaBore said. “Credit to Wayzata. They played really well at the line of scrimmage. We knew they would, so we needed to pass and catch the ball more effectively than we did.”

Stillwater’s offense almost brought relief. Throwing with a stiff wind at his back to start the third quarter, Shikenjanski overthrew a wide-open Thomas Blair on an otherwise well-conceived trick play.

The blown Wayzata coverage was one of its few mistakes all night. Through three quarters, the Trojans posted both an interception and a turnover on downs and forced seven punts.

“Our defense is a bunch of dogs,” Diedrich said. “I’m grateful to them for having our back.”

Cracks in the Ponies’ defense showed late in the third quarter. On consecutive plays, Wayzata senior running back Dante Cockrell Jr. and Diedrich ripped off chunks of 16 and 24 yards, respectively. They moved the Trojans to the Stillwater 8. On the next play, senior receiver Drew Berkland scooped up a fumble in the backfield and turned near disaster into a 14-0 fourth quarter advantage.

“We were pounding the ball and wearing them down,” Diedrich said. “Our will to win was just more than theirs and we finished it.”

A strong running game and a stout defense led Wayzata’s football team to a 28-7 upset victory at Stillwater on Friday.

The victory in the Class 6A round of 16 sends the Trojans to Thursday’s state tournament quarterfinals at Park Center High School against either Centennial or St. Michael-Albertville.

No. 7 Wayzata (8-2) won 2019 Class 6A Prep Bowl. On Friday, senior running back Julian Diedrich burst for a 42-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. And senior receiver Drew Berkland scooped up a fumble in the backfield and ran three yards for a 14-0 fourth quarter advantage.

No. 4 Stillwater (8-2) couldn’t muster consistent offense. The Ponies initial first down came on the final play of the first half. They found a rhythm in the fourth quarter and scored a touchdown. But they couldn’t find the equalizer.

Then Diedrich ran for a pair of scores to ice the victory.