Lakeville North overcame a bad start - stayed undefeated

Things could not have started much worse for the undefeated Lakeville North football team. After a disastrous first five minutes and an early 8-0 deficit, the number one team in Class 6A, would right the ship and send their home crowd home happy with a 36-33 victory.   Taking on a one-loss Eagan Wildcats team, the Panthers misplayed the opening kickoff and started their first drive inside the five-yard line. After punting the ball away, the Wildcats needed just two plays to take the lead. Logan Gilbertson bounced a run up the middle to the outside for a 60-yard touchdown. The ensuing two-point conversion gave the Wildcats an early 8-0. Just a few plays later, the Panthers would fumble the center/quarterback exchange – giving the ball back to the Wildcats deep in Panthers' territory.   "We had been there before," quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='234766' first='Riley' last='Grossman'] said. "In week two, we were down 14-0 to Rosemount without running a play on offense. We returned to our roots, knowing we could find a way to win. This group expects to win every week."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/09/R-Grossman-crop-1107x727-1727501824.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1509295" /></figure>   North quickly caught a break. Eagan fumbled a pitch, and defensive lineman Kamari Drepaul-James recovered the fumble for the Panthers. North would take advantage of the mistake. Running back [player_tooltip player_id='348783' first='Sam' last='Ripplinger'] caught a pass in the flat from Grossman and sprinted up-field for twenty yards. [player_tooltip player_id='348697' first='Ayden' last='Forsgren'] then caught a shovel pass and got around the corner for a big gain. Grossman kept the ball on the read option on third and three and then found [player_tooltip player_id='1573219' first='Sebastyen' last='Fries'] down the sidelines to set up first and goal. Two plays later, Grossman flipped a short pass to Ripplinger for a one-yard touchdown. The two-point try tied the score at eight.   The Wildcat running game got going early in the second quarter. Gilbertson ran in his second touchdown of the game – this one from much shorter – two yards away.   Grossman used his legs and his arm to try to go score for score with the Wildcats. He picked up a first down with his legs and then threw a dart to Fries on a hook route to set up first and goal. Grossman would find Fries again on a fade route. The 6'3 senior used his size to outjump the defensive back for a ten-yard touchdown.   Tied at 15, both defenses were reeling, but the Panthers came up with another turnover – this time leading directly to a score. The Wildcats mishandled an option pitch, and North's [player_tooltip player_id='1216090' first='Reece' last='Hunt'] scooped up the fumble and sprinted 47 yards for a touchdown.   Trailing 22-15, a good kickoff return out near mid-field gave Eagan a chance to add points before the half. Halvorson found the corner for a first down into Panthers' territory. A post-play penalty added fifteen more yards to the run. Eagan would convert on a fourth and one, and a few plays later, Eagan's Seth Kolehmainen connected on a 37-yard field goal to end the first half.   Trailing 22-18, the Eagan running game didn't miss a beat coming out of the locker room. [player_tooltip player_id='1694140' first='Gage' last='Halvorson'] found space in the Panthers' defense and took it to the house from 40 yards out. Just like that, the Wildcats were back in the lead.   The lead would be short-lived. Grossman found Fries for another big play – this time for 32 yards down the sidelines to set his offense up inside the five-yard line. Like earlier in the game, Fries used his size and superior positioning to haul in the pass. Ripplinger would finish off the drive a few plays later.   "They (the offensive line) are the biggest dogs we have," Grossman said. "We have had guys go down with injuries and guys step up. We started a sophomore guard who is 205 pounds, and he worked everybody. I am proud of that group. Owen Hansel is a great player. [player_tooltip player_id='1612785' first='Carter' last='Crawford'] is the best junior leader I have ever seen. They are great."   After forcing a punt, the North offense put the Wildcats in a huge hole with a long, time-consuming drive. Ripplinger and the offensive line had their best series of the game. They picked up a third and five on the ground. Then, Ripplinger used a nice jump cut to move the chains on another third down. They took to the air one more time to convert yet another third down. Grossman found Hunt off play-action for another critical first down. Ripplinger would then explode through the middle for fifteen yards, setting up a first and goal. The senior running back would find the end zone one last time to give the Panthers a two-score lead late in the fourth quarter.   "The ability to run and pass the ball was the key to the offense," Grossman said. "You saw at the end of the game, we have the ability to pound it. Throughout the game, we were able to be diverse on offense."   Eagan would not go down without a fight. They cut the lead to 36-33 very late, but North was able to recover the onside kick, and by the time they turned the ball back to Eagan, it was too little, too late. The 36-33 victory kept North undefeated at 5-0 and dropped Eagan to 3-2.

Things could not have started much worse for the undefeated Lakeville North football team. After a disastrous first five minutes and an early 8-0 deficit, the number one team in Class 6A, would right the ship and send their home crowd home happy with a 36-33 victory.