High school football: Edina runs past Eagan to reach state quarterfinals
“They’re good. They were better than we were,” Eagan coach Nick Johnson said.
With no time outs, Edina had to hustle to the line as the final seconds were ticking away in the first half.
One tick remained when Mason West took the snap, had time, stepped up and zipped it to the front corner of the end zone where Sammy Stephenson was able to outmuscle an Eagan defender and snare a 23-yard touchdown pass for a 21-7 halftime lead.
It was the second touchdown pass in just over three minutes for the Hornets who went on to win 42-21 at Eagan Friday in a Class 6A round of 16.
“To make it there at the buzzer really gave us a lot of momentum,” Edina coach Jason Potts said.
Chase Bjorgaard ran for 223 yards, including 175 in the second half, and three scores. West threw for 193 yards and three touchdowns. The pass-happy Hornets attempted just three in the second half, although one was a 43-yard score for Trillion Sorrell.
Edina has scored 155 points in its past three games.
“We were playing really well at the start of the year, then we kind of slowed down. But we’ve been practicing the right way, doing the right things and it’s starting to click,” Bjorgaard said.
The Hornets (8-2), who lost in last year’s Prep Bowl, will get top-ranked Maple Grove in a state quarterfinal Nov. 7 at Park Center High School. The Crimson beat Eden Prairie 34-0 Friday.
Eagan (6-4) got a 2-yard run from Tate Gage on its opening drive, but the Wildcats netted just 24 yards and one first down over its next three offensive series before halftime.
“They’re good. They were better than we were,” Eagan coach Nick Johnson said.
A 43-yard pass from Brooklyn Evans to Adam Dorsey got Eagan within 28-14 late in the third quarter and the Wildcats recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but a fourth-down toss to the end zone fell incomplete.
“When you have opportunities you have to take advantage and we did not,” Johnson said.
Bjorgaard scampered 47 yards as part of a 6-play, 91-yard drive that unofficially clinched the game for the Hornets making it 35-14 midway through the fourth quarter. His 23-yard run was the final play.
“With our passing attack with West and all of our talented receivers really opens up the box and lets the guys open up hole for us,” said Bjorgaard, who scored from the 3 late.
Dorsey threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Sam Sisk for Eagan in the fourth quarter to get Eagan within 35-21.
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