Wayzata runs head on into meeting with Woodbury
Nick Gerhardt
Wayzata’s backfield personnel has remained in flux throughout the season but one thing has remained: the Trojans can run the ball.
Wayzata rolled up 282 total yards of rushing among five rushers in a 45-0 rout of Centennial Friday at Wayzata High School in the opening round of the postseason. That didn’t include starting running back Christian Vasser, who missed the game due to injury.
“I feel like we’ve got four guys who can play on Friday night and go and get the job done, and do a good job,” Trojans head coach Lambert Brown said. “Alec (Underhill) did a great job when we needed a good job. Each week they know what they’re supposed to do and they all go and keep getting better.”
Malaki Jackson led fourth-seeded Wayzata (5-4) with 90 yards on 14 carries while Bennett Fragomeni rushed for 53 yards and four touchdowns. Fragomeni came into the game with just 32 rushing yards and four touchdowns for the season.
Quarterback Keaton Heide added 57 yards while Underhill had 50 yards on just three carries. And, oh, don’t worry, Vasser will be back when Wayzata faces fourth-ranked Woodbury next Friday in Woodbury. Vasser finished the regular season with a team-high 815 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
The success on the ground certainly helped with the rainy conditions but the Trojans still found ways to mix in the pass, too. Heide threw for 117 yards on 4 of 8 passing. He hit Nicholas Kallerup for a 9-yard touchdown in the second quarter that put Wayzata up 28-0 after the extra point. He also found Connor Hale for a 41-yard pass that set up Fragomeni’s third touchdown run of the first half with seconds to go in the second quarter. Fragomeni rushed in from 3 yards out to extend the Trojans’ lead to 35-0.
Fragomeni scored from 4 yards out and 2 yards out in the first quarter. In between Jackson ran in from 9 yards out as Wayzata put the game away early.
Fifth-seeded Centennial finished with just three first downs in the first half. The Cougars (3-6) were already without starting quarterback Connor Zulk, who missed the final two regular season games due to injury. To make matters worse, Centennial also lost running back Zach Osmek for the game when he suffered an injury in the first quarter.
The Cougars had four turnovers in the game, including a fumble at the Trojans’ goal line in the third quarter. It ended a nine-play drive, Centennial’s best of the game and it came on its first possession of the second half. The Cougars finished with just 101 yards of total offense.
