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Failed conversion try gives Eden Prairie one-point victory over Wayzata

By MATT STEICHEN, Special to the Star Tribune, 09/21/18, 9:30PM CDT

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The Eagles held on 35-34 when the Trojans, after a touchdown in the final seconds, fumbled the ball when trying to go for the win with a two-point conversion.


Eden Prairie's Collin Penn (5) silences the Wayzata crowd after scoring late in the fourth quarter to put the Eagles up by a touchdown. Photo: Matt Blewett, special to Star Tribune, matt@mattebphoto.com


Collin Penn

Collin Penn isn’t used to carrying the ball. The way he ran for Eden Prairie, he may start getting it more often.

The senior, listed on the Eagles’ roster as a linebacker, took three handoffs against Wayzata on Friday and all three times he ended up in the end zone. His 70-yard run in the second quarter was called back due to a holding penalty, but his 50-yard third-quarter score counted and his 39-yarder with 38 seconds to go lifted the second-ranked Eagles (3-1) to a 35-34 victory over fourth-ranked Wayzata (2-2).

“It was the same play every time. The defense was different the last time and Penn made a great cut. He has great speed,” said Eden Prairie coach Mike Grant, whose team defeated Wayzata or the seventh consecutive time dating back to the 2012 season. “Once [Penn] gets to that second level he’s pretty tough.”

Penn’s last score allowed Eden Prairie to survive a 27-point fourth-quarter flourish by the Trojans that appeared poised to win them the game. Trailing 35-28, Wayzata drove the length of the field and scored their fourth touchdown of the quarter with four seconds left. Coach Lambert Brown then opted to go for the two-point conversion and the victory, but an inside pitch play ended when the ball was fumbled for a loss.

First report

Collin Penn’s 39-yard touchdown run with 38 seconds left lifted No. 2 Eden Prairie to a 35-34 victory over No. 4 Wayzata Friday.

The Eagles led 21-7 early in the third quarter, but ended up having to score two more touchdowns and make a last-second defensive stop to come out on top.

After Penn’s go-ahead score, Wayzata drove the length of the field and scored a touchdown with 4.2 seconds left. The Trojans elected to go for two and the victory, but their inside pitch ended up on the ground and the Eagles recovered.

Quarterback Cole Kramer used both his arm and legs to get the Eagles on the board early in the second quarter. The senior completed a 13-yard pass to convert on third-and-long, and two plays later scrambled 18 yards to move the ball into Wayzata territory. Kramer finished the drive by floating a play-action pass to senior tight end Matt Sherman for an 18-yard touchdown.

The eight-play, 74-yard drive put the Eagles up 7-0, but the lead didn’t last long. The Trojans got the ball back and took just three plays to find the end zone. Senior quarterback Keaton Heide rolled to his left and showed off his arm with a 55-yard rainbow that hit senior wide receiver Connor Hale in stride for a touchdown.

The Eagles (3-1) responded with one of their trademark clock-eating drives that senior Felipe Izumi, listed as a 225-pound defensive end, capped off when he bulldozed across the goal line from one yard out on fourth down to make it 14-7.

Izumi’s second short touchdown run put Eden Prairie back in front 28-21 with 5:55 to go, but Wayzata once again had an answer. The Trojans drove 60 yards in less than two minutes and junior back Christian Vasser tied the game back up with a 13-yard touchdown run. 

Check back later for more on the game.

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