Hard Work Pays Off: Champlin Park vs. Lakeville North

Despite a furious comeback attempt by the Lakeville North Panthers against their state 6A semifinal opponent Champin Park that cut the Rebels lead to seven in the 3rd quarter, Champlin did just enough to hang on and beat the defending state champions 31-21 Thursday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. In what was an exciting game from start to finish, the now 10-1 Rebels stopped North on the opening drive of the game and immediately got to work early as the SDSU and UND offered stud Jaice Miller (6'4, 215 lb.) looked sharp while completing a variety of passes down the field to drove Champlin into Lakeville territory until a flag and back-to-back sacks by the Panthers defense forced Champlin to turn the ball over on downs near midfield. Miller's favorite target that drive was the speedy senior Brock Johnson (5'10, 175lbs.), and he had to take some big hits from the vaunted Lakeville North defense led by seniors Landon Carter (6'2, 215 lbs.) and Nick Wypy (5'11, 190 lbs.) to get the ball out in time to his receivers. It looked like it was going to be exciting contest that would prove my 14-10 Champlin prediction correct, but I was wrong. What instead occurred was the Rebel defense playing technical and assignment sound football and shutting down NDSU commit Raja Nelson (5'10, 185 lbs.) and the 1,000 yard rusher Logan Freeburg (5'9, 180 lbs.) a second straight drive and giving the ball back to the Rebel offense. This is where Miller utilized his dirty pump fake to force the North defenders to hesitate wherein he threw a laser of a slant over the middle to a streaking Johnson for a 56-yard TD to put the Rebels up 7-0 with 3:53 left in quarter number one. A North fumble gave the ball back to the Rebels at their 19-yard line, and after the first quarter ended and the teams switched sides of the field Miller threw a dime down the field to an open Evan Hammonds (5'4, 150 lbs.) to get the Rebels down to the 3-yard line of Lakeville where Miller punched the ball in a couple plays later for a 14-0 lead with 11:20 left in the half. [caption id="attachment_15148" align="alignright" width="300"] Jaice Miller.[/caption] The teams traded quality defensive stands until Champlin drove the ball from their own 20 all the way down the field capped by a 10-yard Shawn Shipman (5'11, 185 lbs.) TD run to put Champlin Park up three scores with 1:20 left in the half. However, North in had no way conceded and a big throw on a wheel route from Nelson to Freeburg followed by a couple nice Nelson scampers and the Panthers all of a sudden were back in the game after scoring in only a minute. At half, with the score 21-7 in favor of Champlin Park, I in no way thought this game was over. My assumption proved to be correct and the third quarter was almost a 180 degree difference from the first half as Lakeville North absolutely smothered the dynamic duo of Miller and Shipman, and the North offense was finally putting drives together before a fumble and a great interception by do-it-all defender Devon Moore (6'0, 170 lbs.) of Champlin Park halted some promising series. It wasn't until playmaking DB Isaiah Curtis (6'1, 185 lbs.) made a huge interception in Rebel territory that North finally struck pay dirt on a Nelson run and found themselves within seven as the lead had dwindled to 21-14 with less than 2:30 left in the third quarter. At this point in the game momentum was completely with the Panthers, and Champlin had not gotten a first down all half, but another North fumble (their third of the game) gave the Rebels extra possessions and their defense was doing just enough to keep the Panthers out of the end zone. A convenient personal foul against the Panther defense gave Champlin just enough to get in FG range, and with four minutes left in the game Noah Vogelpohl (6'0. 165 lbs.) hit a huge 32-yard field goal and the air seemed to be released from Lakeville North's comeback balloon. Miller scored on a big 41-yard TD run very late in the 4th, and although the Panthers scored a TD attempting to hold on, Champlin just proved too much and the game ended 31-21. [caption id="attachment_15149" align="alignright" width="300"] Raja Nelson.[/caption] Champlin Park will play undefeated and #1 ranked 6A powerhouse Wayzata in two weeks for the state championship, and it is hard to say that the Rebels do not deserve to be there. They have the size and the speed to compete at almost any position on the field, and it has been fun to watch them play this year under the leadership of Miller, who is one of the most impressive athletes in the Metro and is my pick for Mr. Football in 2019. As for Lakeville North, they have nothing to be disappointed about their season, and Raja Nelson finishes a prep career in which he put up 4,362 all-purpose yards and 72 touchdown to go along with his state championship ring from last year. He will no doubt be a fun Bison to watch and we should be seeing Lakeville North back in U.S. Bank stadium soon. Hudl Recap: <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2CNvuH">http://www.hudl.com/v/2CNvuH</a>