NFN Team of the Week Nominees: Week 3
Adam Rossow
Chaska - W, 24-21 over Chanhassen
The Hawks snatched victory from the rival Storm with a 76-yard touchdown pass from Justin Bach to Nic Snuggerud with 42 seconds remaining to retain The Jug for a second-straight season.
No. 5 (AAAAA) Chanhassen looked like it would remain unbeaten after quarterback Jacob Miller connected with Regan Tollefson for a 37-yard touchdown to take a 21-17 lead with just over a minute to play. Only 20 seconds later, Bach found Snuggerud for the dramatic response that proved to be the game-winning touchdowns. The Hawks senior quarterback finished with 252 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while the Chaska defense recorded three interceptions.
Elk River - W, 80-70 over Buffalo
The Elks again showed why they're one of the favorites in Class AAAAA as they outlasted the Bison, even if the final score of the shootout in Buffalo had you shaking your head.
Elk River scored on 11-consecutive possessions, beginning at the 7:29 mark of the first quarter. All 11 touchdowns were rushing scores, as the Elks did not complete a pass the entire game. Senior Adam Nelson led the charge with 268 yards and two scores, while Arik Nordenstrom and Carter Otto each went over the 100-yard mark with multiple touchdowns.
The biggest play of the game came early in the first quarter when Kevin Egbjor blocked a Buffalo punt -- the only attempt of the game -- which eventually led to the second Elks touchdown.
Maple Grove - W, 35-16 over Minnetonka
In a wild weekend of Class AAAAAA football, the Crimson's domination of No. 1 Minnetonka might have been the most surprising outcome. The Crimson used an opportunistic defense and 199 yards and two touchdowns from Evan Hull to hand the Skippers their first loss.
Maple Grove never trailed in the game, and led by 25 points after Zane Mandle's 25-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the third quarter. Matt Lombardi's defense held Minnetonka to just 261 total yards, including only 51 on the ground. The unit stepped up after the Skippers were looking to get within one score after intermission, when Archie Zogaa scooped up a fumble caused by Joe Buelow and raced 17 yards to the end zone.
Verndale - W, 28-0 over Underwood
Verndale asserted itself as a 9-Man contender with the four-touchdown win over the Rockets in a top-10 battle. The Pirates allowed less than 125 yards of total offense in the shutout and forced five Underwood turnovers.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Matt Steege gave Verndale a 6-0 lead on a short touchdown run. He added another rushing touchdown in the third quarter to push the lead to 20. In the victory, Mike Mahlen's squad rushed for a total of 259 yards, led by Jarret Kveton with 111.
Woodbury - W, 20-17 over Cretin-Derham Hall
The Royals knocked off the No. 4 Raiders on the road to improve to 2-1 on the season. Quarterback Jake Wentzel's five-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the different in what was a back-and-forth contest at St. Thomas.
The teams alternated scores the entire night. Woodbury took leads on a Cade Keesling field goal and a 45-yard Drew Pearson touchdown run in the opening half, before Cretin-Derham Hall responded to take a 17-13 advantage into the fourth prior to Wentzel's heroics. Keesling also converted a 43-yard kick in the second quarter to open the scoring for the Royals.
