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Defense, Spillum lead Chanhassen to 27-11 victory over rival Chaska

By Jim Paulsen, Star Tribune, 10/29/16, 7:15PM CDT

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The Storm kept the Hawks bottled up in the first half. Senior quarterback Alex Spillum ran for two touchdowns and threw for another.


Chanhassen quarterback Alex Spillum (7) dove into the end zone for a touchdown as Chaska defensive back Donavin Black tried to defend in the first half. Photo: AARON LAVINSKY * aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com

The Chanhassen defense has been solid all season, but with an offense loaded with big-play athletes, defenders have gone about their job quietly, content in their supporting role.

The Storm defenders got their big chance on Saturday as understudies seizing their moment when the star of the show sputtered. They shut down Chaska, holding the Hawks to just a field goal until the game was secured, in a 27-11 victory in the Class 5A, Section 2 semifinals at Chanhassen.

“We knew had to come out and play tough,” senior linebacker Garrett Solie said. “We went out to play lockdown defense and we did that.”

Chanhassen (9-0) has been a team accustomed to fast starts and big early leads. So it was a shock to most everyone, with the possible exception of the Chaska sideline, that the Hawks held a 3-0 lead well into the second quarter.

“We’ve been quick starters all year,” Storm coach Mike Bailey said. “We always think we’re the only ones who can stop ourselves and in the first quarter, we couldn’t stay out of our own way. And a big part of that was Chaska.”

While the offense was fumbling in the dark for its keys, the defense was shutting down Chaska. The Hawks gained 42 yards on an opening drive that resulted a 21-yard field goal, then just 72 total yards until the game’s final minutes when the Storm emptied their bench.

“We knew it would be a slugfest,” senior cornerback Henry Weisman said. “It was raining, so we knew it might be a defensive game. The defense has the offense’s back.”

The offense found its rhythm midway through the second quarter. Spillum carried the ball on three consecutive plays, scoring on a 24-yard run in which he dove for the pylon.

“That got us going,” he said.

The Storm put the game away in the third quarter. Spillum scored again, breaking free on a keeper up the middle and using his exceptional speed to out-race the Chaska defense to the end zone on a 65-yard run. Eddie Odanga barged over from 5 yards out on the next drive. Suddenly, Chanhassen led 20-3 and Storm fans could take a breath.

“We’re not used to that,” Spillum said. “You won’t see that in the next game. We’ll come, ready to play our A-game.”

That next game will be the one of the biggest in team history. Chanhassen will host Mankato West on Friday in the Class 5A, Section 2 final, with the winner earning a berth in the state tournament.

First report

Chanhassen, known for its explosive offense all season, leaned on its defense in the first half and pulled away on the second half to defeat Chaska 27-11.

The Storm led just 7-3 at halftime, taking the lead in the second quarter on a 24-yard run by Alex Spillum. Chanhassen held Chaska to just 72 yards of total offense in the first half.

The Storm scored consecutive touchdowns in the third quarter on a 65-yard dash by Spillum and a five-yard score by Eddie Odanga. Chanhassen put the game away with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Spillum to Keagan Williams in the fourth quarter.

Chaska added a late touchdown and two-point conversion against Chanhassen’s second-stringers.

The Storm (9-0) advanced to the Class 5A, Section 2 finals and will host Mankato West for the championship Friday.

Check back later for more on the game.

Game at a glance

Key to the game: Chanhassen’s composure in the face of penalties. The Storm was flagged 15 times, often on borderline calls, including eight holding calls. Yet, the Storm didn’t get rattled. “We had to ignore the calls. We couldn’t focus on them and let them get into our head. They can throw all the flags they want, but we just had to go out there and do our job,” linebacker Garrett Solie said.

Game-clincher: A 12-play, 94-yard drive by Chanhassen that spanned the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth, ending with the Storm’s final touchdown on a 35-yard strike from Spillum to WR Keagan Williams.

The quote: “We played championship defense. Everybody wants to talk about the offense and the Alex Spillums and Tom Loefflers and Eddie Odangas, but the defense won the game for us today.” — Storm coach Mike Bailey

Worth knowing: A victory over Mankato West on Friday would send Chanhassen to the football state tournament for the first time in team history.

JIM PAULSEN

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