Maple Grove wins a rain-soaked slugfest over Lakeville North
On a rain-soaked field with two defensive-minded coaches and two top-10 teams, it was going to be a battle of field position between Maple Grove and Lakeville North.
Two critical fourth quarter sequences – both involving significant swings in field position — would ultimately decide the game.
After both teams traded body blows without threatening to score, Maple Grove used the passing game – just enough – to build a 14-0 lead.
With both teams running the ball and throwing short due to the weather, Crimson quarterback Curtis Haugen was able to move around in the pocket to keep the Lakeville North pass rush at bay long enough to see Joe Raymon get behind the defense. Raymon made a nice adjustment to the ball and scored the game's first touchdown with a 46-yard grab.
“We didn't change anything because of the weather. We stuck to what we've always done,” offensive tackle JT Awosika said. “The linemen like it a lot. It was a lot of drive blocking, and the weather was actually helpful for the line.”
The deep pass set up the Crimson's second touchdown as well. Another deep ball from Haugen – this time to Jake Hanson – forced a pass interference call. A few plays later, Hanson would get into the end zone on a 15-yard run.
Lakeville North would score its only points of the game on the very next possession. A long kickoff return set the Panthers up at midfield, and the offense gambled with a halfback pass.
The gamble worked. Running back Brian Curtis Jr. took the handoff and launched a pass downfield. Owen Blascziek got behind the defense and cut the lead to 14-6 on a 50-yard touchdown pass.
Both defenses took over from that point. Both teams turned the ball over, and both teams' punters spent a lot of time on the field. Lakeville North looked to be gaining momentum midway through the quarter, until the Crimson had flipped the field in a span of four plays.
A 55-yard punt pinned the Panthers at their own 25-yard line. Then great coverage downfield gave Adam Skogman time to get to the quarterback for a sack, followed by a sack by Hanson that pinned North inside the 10-yard line.
“We said at halftime this was going to be a field-position game,” Maple Grove head coach Matt Lombardi said. “Our punter did a great job pinning them back, and our defense made some nice plays.”
Maple Grove was set to run out the clock but the Lakeville North defense – which played inspired football all game – nearly gave North a chance to tie. Panthers defensive back Ben Woodbury scooped up a fumble and returned the ball to the Crimson 25-yard line with just over a minute to play.
“We dominated them the whole game and (the turnover) didn't affect us,” Skogman said. “We were just reading our keys, playing fast and flying around. We didn't care if they got the ball at the 20-yard line or the one-yard line. We knew we were going to win.”
Faced with a fourth and six at the 13-yard line with 27 seconds to play, the Crimson defense made one more play. They forced an incompletion sealing the rain-soaked 14-6 road victory.
“We have a fast, hard-hitting defense. I think we can stop pretty much any team,” Hanson said.
Both teams now have identical 4-2 records on the season.